The Prince's Bargain - K.M. Shea Page 0,4

smiled and nodded to the occasional Honor Guard he saw standing watch in the royal palace as he took the long way to his desired destination in hopes of throwing off anyone else who had happened to see him.

He went up and down a few staircases, and crossed some nearly endless hallways, but he wasn’t winded by the time he reached his personal sanctuary, the Library of Haven.

There was no other place quite like the library as it was the product of human and elven ingenuity.

A stone archway crouched over the entrance, and two unicorn statues were posted at the end of the carpet that led Arvel deeper inside. Bookshelves built into the walls and arranged in an orderly manner through the building were stacked with books, scrolls, models, maps, and the occasional artifact or two. Tables and desks were scattered throughout the library in clutches or solo nooks meant for deep study. While the bookshelves were of sturdy human work with straight lines and shapes adorning their molding, the tables and chairs were more delicate and curved with flowers and animals carved into the legs and sides—elven carpentry for certain. Twinkling elven lamps—flame shaped creations crafted with colored lampshades that could be removed or lowered to brighten or dim the light shed by candles—were placed on every desk. The air smelled of paper, ink, and the faint scent of spices the elves added to their candles.

In the distance, Arvel could see the banister that marked the start of the second floor. But here, around the entrance, the walls stretched high above his head, giving the library a deep, cavernous feeling that was strangely comforting.

One of the librarians pushing a wooden cart stacked with books paused nearby. “Good evening, Your Royal Highness.”

“Good evening, Thomus. Quiet night?”

The librarian swapped two books on his cart, reordering them. “So far. You’re going to your usual haunt?”

“Yep—as long as that’s fine?”

The librarian grinned, his impressive beard parting to show his teeth. “You are always welcome to the Library of Haven, Your Royal Highness. We’re happy to have you in our ranks.”

Arvel laughed. “Buttering me up so you can ask for funds for a new purchase, huh?”

The librarian tapped his nose. “Perhaps! That is to say, one of my elf colleagues has a contact in Lessa who says they’ve uncovered a collection of High Elf books. We’d like to purchase the set.”

“That’s fine. Send the proposal to my study, and I’ll talk it over with Father.”

The librarian nudged his cart forward, which produced a loud squeak from one of the wheels. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness!”

Arvel waved to the man and continued on, heading deeper into the library as he tried to mentally calculate how much extra money he’d earmarked for the library when he’d worked with his father and the royal advisors to create the year’s budget.

Until recent times, the library was perhaps the greatest symbol of Haven and represented the friendship between Calnor and Lessa.

Haven was poised on the border of the human country of Calnor and the Lesser Elf country of Lessa. The city had been constructed to serve as a sort of bridge between their people, back when the Calnorians and the Lesser Elves were new to their peace treaty. The library had been one of several buildings the two peoples had constructed together.

But, in truth, the symbolism was no longer needed.

Great strides had been made in the past decade. Previously the humans of Calnor and the Lesser Elves had struggled deeply to communicate. All of that had changed when the elf maiden Tarinthali Ringali had been bonded to the Calnorian captain Sir Arion Herycian, and it was discovered that despite the enormous language barrier, they were able to understand each other.

Tari became fluent in Calnoric in a matter of weeks, and in the ensuing years Arion had come to speak passable Elvish. But that was only the first crack in the previously impenetrable barrier between the people.

The second blow had come from Benjimir, Arvel’s older brother, and Gwendafyn, the second elven princess. After they had married nearly five years prior, the formality seemed to fade from the two people groups.

Now, there were multiple elf-human couples living in Haven, and for the first time in recorded history, Calnorians were allowed entry into Lessa, just as the elves were invited to visit and tour Calnor.

It’s fascinating, to think that I am living in a time of so many historic changes. Arvel smiled as he wove around the smattering of tables, then grimaced