His Caged Princess

10. The Restricted Area 

Layana had barely spoken a word to Declan, both did not ask the other for more information on what they were looking for. The only time Declan had spoken was just before the guards had entered. He had approached her making her turn the mage stone off, a finger to his lips. The guards had walked in, barely staying for more than two minutes, and were gone. The moment they had left Declan went off again. 

Layana only had a title, no author, or any further information about the book she was looking for and despite scouring many shelves there was nothing. 

S 

Although there were not as many books in here then the main library, there was still hundreds. 

She sighed softly as she slowly stepped down from the ladder from yet another shelf. Nothing. No sign of the book, she looked around losing hope, her eyes travelling to the far end of the library. The shelve that ran along the entire back wall looked even more worn and dusty than the rest of the room. Scrunching up her nose she walked over to it, unlike the rest of the shelves that had a sliding ladder attached to them, this shelf had nothing. She tilted her head up brushing away the few strands of hair that fell in her face, curiously scanning the shelf. Something about it not having a ladder intrigued her. 

She heard footsteps behind her as Declan walked over, the mage stones soft glow lighting up his handsome face. His cold eyes looked at her. 

“Find anything?” she asked, 

“No. Almost as if there’s nothing to find,” he replied his cold voice sounding 

bitter. 

“Mind sharing what you’re looking for maybe I came across something.” 

“I highly doubt that,” he said as he began scanning the shelf above her head. 

“Is it about what happened to House Storm?” she asked quietly, Declan tensed turning and glaring at her, her heart raced but she did not flinch or back away. “What makes you think I need to find information on that, don’t try getting in my business,” he hissed, Layana looked at him, his anger showed she was correct. 

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to pry… but, I just thought maybe… everything I’ve ever heard of House Storm is so minuscule, it’s almost as if they have been purposefully wiped away. Like a secret that no one dares to talk about,” she said crouching down as she began reading the titles of the books on the lower shelves. 

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Declan stayed silent her words were not what he expected to hear, especially from a royal. 

“Everyone knows they weren’t worth remembering, isn’t that correct?” he asked coldly. 

“People fear what they don’t understand, the kingdom has hidden the truth of what happened to House Storm, I know that much,” she replied softly as she ran her fingers along the shelf reading the spines on the books. Declan looked down at her, tendrils of hair were escaping her bun, but somehow it only made her look more alluring, he looked away before his gaze went lower. 

“And what are you looking for,” he asked her quietly, 

“A book, The Supremacy of the Forbidden Bloodlines,” she said, Declan frowned. it was as if he had heard of it somewhere… 

“You won’t find forbidden books here, those would be with the king, or in a vault,” he said Layana sighed. 

“I guess it wouldn’t have been so easy…” she said standing up as she began looking at the shelf that was just above her eye level. “I would presume what you’re searching for would be there too,” 

“I thought as much but it was worth looking,” he said frowning as he scanned the shelf above her head as he walked a few steps away from her scanning the titles as he did so, with an entire foot difference in height between them he towered above her with ease. 

“Hmm,” she agreed, frowning as her eyes fell on a book with a battered deep blue binding, there was nothing special about the book, the words ‘Deep within the Mind‘ written in faded gold bold italics. What had caught her attention was this book looked far less dusty. 

She reached up and pulled the large book out with two hands, flipping through it she realised there was nothing special about it, perhaps someone had borrowed it recently. Using both her hands, still holding the mage stone in her right as well, she made to push the book back on the shelf. Pausing when something caught her attention, standing on tiptoes she peered over the edge of the shelf. 

There where the back of the shelf should have been, was a gap in the wood, curiosity grew, and she glanced at Declan who was at the end of the wall. 

Don’t do it Layana, she told herself, but like always her inner voice fell on deaf ears, reaching up she felt around feeling just smooth stone and then a small niche in the wall. Ignoring the thoughts of perhaps a spider or creepy–crawly residing there that had entered her mind making her shiver. She tried to feel for 

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it, but she could not reach it. Huffing in annoyance, she moved back and deftly. piled a few large books on the ground to make a small stool to stand on. Trying not to cough as the cloud of dust filled her nose. 

Declan was skimming the shelf, feeling frustrated, there was nothing on House Storm and the massacre of the night they were all killed. 

He had been curious if it had anything to do with the dark lord. Was it simply coincidental that both events happened fifteen years ago? Surely there must be some scrolls on the reports from that night, journal entries, some compilations of what occurred. He paused, brought out of his thought when he heard a soft cough from the woman who was so different from any woman he had met. Something about her made him want to know her more. her words from earlier echoed in his mind. **the kingdom has hidden the truth, I know that much,‘* 

She had surprised him, and he had felt an odd warmth flood his insides at those words, she had said it so casually like she was not pretending to simply be polite. It frustrated him why he could not simply hate her, when he had seen her sister for the first time, he had felt that burning resentment he felt for the king. Same when he had met the queens although the second queen seemed polite enough, he had not cared and felt the burning passion of hate towards them burn bright. But somehow, he was not able to build that hatred towards her. He glanced at the woman who was consuming his thoughts to see her test the balance of a pile of books beneath her feet. 

He raised an eyebrow as he saw her smile, as she hopped on, wishing he didn’t notice the small bounce of her breasts and looked away in annoyance. Since when did he become a pervert, wasn’t that Arens‘ forte? 

The sound of a faint grating and a slight tremble to the shelf made him step back quickly, his head snapping towards the princess who had jumped out of the way and was staring at the shelf that had now swung open to reveal a narrow stone passageway. Declan walked over to her, about to say something when they heard the library doors open in the distance. 

“Extinguish,” she whispered plunging them into darkness. Clutching the mage stone to her chest as Declan stood silently next to her. They remained silent both. curious about the open passageway before them. 

“I think I’m going to ask Rose for some tea,” a deep male’s voice came, 

“Just tea or something more,” the second voice teased, 

“Well of course more, what kind of man would not want some action after such at long uneventful night,” 

Layana blushed at the obvious insinuation of his words, feeling suddenly very 

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aware of Declan’s closeness, how had she become so trusting towards him? Wouldn’t it have been normal to make an excuse and run away from here when he had first caught her? 

Was it because he had not told her to leave or threatened to tell her father? Or worse. Demanding something in return for his silence. A memory of long ago crept into her mind and she shivered, her heart hammering as an old age memory long buried began to surface. Her chest began rising and falling as fear and panic arose. 

Declan looked down at the woman in front of him sensing the sudden change to her behaviour, her breathing was heavier, and she was trembling slightly, he looked at her thinking they could not be caught, he stepped closer, placing a finger to his lips as he looked down at her, her hands clenched in front of her chest. 

He placed his gloved hands on her shoulders giving them a gentle squeeze. His faint scent of white musk underlined with a woody spice tickled her senses, it was pleasant and inviting and it calmed her, it was not the same as *his,* she thought. With this thought in mind, she closed her eyes taking level breaths. 

“What’s this?” the second guard said, and Declan tensed as they listened, 

“A dagger?” The deeper voice replied, and Layana’s eyes flew open. The other dagger she had left on the cloth on the table! she thought in panic 

“Hmm maybe one of the apprentices or someone left it, let’s place it on the front table on the way out,” 

“Yeah,” their footsteps receded and soon the door opened and shut once more. Layana let out a deep breath. 

“Careless move princess,” Declan said stepping away, a little too aware of her intoxicating scent and the heat of her body. 

“That was your fault, ignite,” Layana replied as she lit up the mage stone once again. “Coming or not?” 

Declan looked at the secret passage way. That was not a question she needed to ask. He was going to check it out, perhaps he would find some answers in there wherever it led. But was she really ready to go in there? 

“Are you really planning to step into the unknown with a man you barely know,” he asked raising an eyebrow. She looked at him, his dark eyes glaring into hers, he held a powerful aura that demanded attention. But despite it, she did not feel 

uneasy. 

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“If you wanted to harm me, you would have done so already… and you’re not drunk or… never mind, if you don’t want to come I’m going,” she said, he frowned feeling as if her words held another meaning. She turned to step into the passage when he placed his hand on her slender shoulder once again, 

“I’m going in first,” he said brushing past her, both very aware of the soft tingles that spread up their arms as they made contact. Layana moved away a little too quickly and taking a deep breath stepped inside, feeling the cold draught bounce. off the obsidian walls. 3 

The moment she was in the passage, the mage stone suddenly went off and the library wall swung shut behind them, locking them inside the walls of the palace, plunging them into pitch–black darkness…