Ariana's PoV:
I force my eyes open, startled by the pounding of my heart and the wet tears that were still running down my cheeks. I place my hand over my beating heart as my chest heaves, my eyes roaming around the room as I realize I'm in my room. I heave in relief, realizing I just had a dream. Another dream about the King.
I looked out the window, only to see that the world was still lying in the stillness of the night. I tried going back to sleep, but no matter how many times I changed positions, I couldn't sleep. My mind was too occupied with what I had seen in the dream to let me rest in peace.
I get out of bed, deciding to leave my room. So I can distract myself by taking a tour of the manor. Sisily had told me that the first floor was the common room and the second floor was for chambers.
I go down the main staircase, the wood beneath my feet creeping loudly at the movement. The first room I enter is the grand room that Sisily had walked me through. The enchanted ceiling no longer shows a rainy day, but a sky filled with stars. The candles in the room are also enchanted, making them flow up in the air so they illuminate the beautiful ceiling.
I look around the room, finding nothing else of any interest to me, before heading out. I walk into another room that looks like an office, with an oak desk in the center of the room that is surrounded by chairs.
On the far wall of the room is a map of the whole kingdom. It's an old map, its colors almost faded. I walk closer to it, my finger tracing the territories of all the different packs.
I spend a few more minutes in the office before leaving to find the library. Sisily had said that the library was on the east wing of the manor.
Finding myself there, I'm spellbound by the on slaughter of books, some placed neatly on the shelves and others set in piles that almost touched the ceiling. More than half of the shelves were lying empty.
I stand near a pile, the books all covered in years of dust. I sweep my finger across one of the covers, my fingers collecting all the grime from the years, wiping it off my clothes, I walk further into the library.
My neck snaps backward when I hear the handle to the door turn, my body becoming alert of the presence on the opposite side of the door as the person pushes the door open.
It's the Prince, Edward, "What are you doing here?" His voice is gruff while he takes a step toward me.
"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would come downstairs," I say the truth, seeing nothing wrong with it.
The Prince looks at me, his eyes hypnotic as they stare into mine before they look away, to look over the books slaughtered around the room.
I see a flicker of disgruntled despair pass over his eyes as they take in the room, the muscles in his arms tense as he swallows hard and looks back down at me.
"You aren't supposed to be here," the Prince almost sounds raw, his voice grave with dismay. His eyes almost possessed mine.
I force myself to look away from him, " Sisily gave me permission to go wherever I wanted as long as I stayed within the manor."
The Prince reluctantly nods before he looks away and back at the rest of the library," It's been decades since anyone's ever stepped foot into this library." The Prince said, looking out of the window at the end of the room.
"Why has no one come here for so long?" ask, taking a step towards him.
"My father made this library for my mother because she loved reading," the Prince replies, his eyes lost in memory. The honesty and the pain in his voice is saddening. "He never got to finish it, and she never got to see it."
I don't have to ask why, it's written all over his face. They died before they could even get to finishing the library.
"I thought the door was locked," the Prince says, continuing as he crosses his arms across his broad chest, his eyes meeting mine before he gives me a sad smile, "I guess not."
"I apologize for coming here. If I had known... if Sisily had told me, I would have never stepped in here," I say, my voice sincere.
"It's okay... I can show you the way to a library that you can use." The Prince says, letting out a long sigh before he starts leading me to the opposite side of the manor.
"Mind telling me why you couldn't sleep," the Prince asks, as he tilts his head to the side to look at me, his eyes focused on mine.
Something about him felt sincere and right, he looked like one of those people that could never hurt you even though they knew all your secrets.
" I had a dream." The words leave my mouth in a whisper that is barely heard, but the prince halts the second the words leave my mouth.
"A dream? Was it about my brother? The Prince asks frantically. His brows knitted together as he grabs a hold of my shoulders. I nod reluctantly at him as he pushes his fingers through his hair.
"We need to talk about this dream in my office right now." The Prince said, his voice only holding seriousness and nothing more.
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