37— What!?

He was here at the library, here as though he hadn't overheard the things he had heard, about the vast of allies and the signing of agreements and contracts that went on in the last hour. He saw her as she walked towards her chambers, guards by her side and staff held with a death's grip. She was a fierce warrior and he was attracted to her but he was threatened. Here, he was getting dirt on the were wolves and these guys were pulling on bigger dirt on everybody else, he was not just feeling threatened, he was angry but it was best to strategize what he was going to do.
A plan, something that seemed to evade his mind and as he continually read aloud, the names of the aisles that held the books, he was looking for something spectacular, he reached an aisle and the words ' werewolves : the mating season'. He stopped, something about it felt special.
****
The smell of the books on their shelves assaulted his nose, he didn't notice how moist they smelled or the ages of dust that had decended upon them quicker than age. The smell of the one he held, had the smell of death on the run, this one hunted his nostrils but that wasn't what got him more angry than he already was. He didn't care for the books, only this one.
He traced his fingers on it's ripped pages and he wondered what may have layed on those pages? What words would he have decimated if they were... Here? He let the sadness wash over him at having the important part of the book, erased, removed, and forgotten.
Then he let the anger start to slip in gradually,as he cast his eyes away from the book, they burned his opticals with how much disappointment they had turned out to be.
Was all this a waste of time? A waste of effort? A waste? He had been beaten, kidnapped, imprisoned and dealt with and yet... He gets this? Was all this for nothing? He could nearly cry if only there were ducts that performed that, his sadness had condensed into pure wrath at having failed at this, this well planned event.
He didn't understand what he was feeling, it wasn't as if he had felt this sort of emotion, he had felt sadness, rarely felt happiness, had felt all manners of emotions but not wrath, not anger. It was new to him. He looked at the ripped pages some more, closing the book so hard, the side cracked from it's intensity... It was an old book after all. He fought the urge to throw the book against the wall like some child but he knew no amount of glaring or wanting to repeatedly throw the book to the wall would solve his current situation, planning and strategy would.
He put the book back on the shelf he had taken such a great deal to find. He was going to look for Lily. She had some explanation to do.
****
— Unknown —
Not like he cared or anything but the vampire prince wasn't back, he was getting everyone worried and by everyone he meant the king and his spoilt brat.
This, normally would look like some sort of opportunity but it was getting clearer and clearer that he needed a solution. He needed a way to get the villagers, the king and the princess out of the way, he needed them to focus on the princess's marriage but right now, there was no suitor. No prince in waiting.
The princess was gradually getting distracted and distraught, it wasn't unlike her to be distracted but this kind meant, not focusing on why her husband to be was gone for a really long time and instead becoming more and more aware of all the things that was wrong with the kingdom. It frightened him. He needed to act.
****
He pondered for a while, he had sat in his chambers all day, trying to fanthom what he was going to do? Should he just kill the princess and be over with it? He was capable. He was more than capable but it was daylight and there was no guarantee that they wouldn't find out who did it. He couldn't risk that at all, he needed a safer plan. One that requires more brain power than brute Force, he had no army so staging a coup was off the table. He was a one man army, the more reason why he should be smart about it.
He thought about alot of options, casually having tea every thirty minutes because he kept draining the cups before he could get an idea of what to do and as if things weren't already bad. The king had staged a meeting where they were to discuss the problems of the state and look for solutions, he had thought of not going but even in blindness, the king's would know immediately and would send for him. He didn't want that much attention on himself because he was to remain a green snake under the green grass.
So what to do? What to do?
Then it came to him. He couldn't believe it, he had two ideas even.
The bell chimed for the meeting, he all but rushed out of his chambers, time to sabotage.
****
"You have the most wonderful library" he lied. He lied so effortlessly, it warmed his own heart. Lily looked at him with a calculated stare, he started to get heated under the stare.
"I know that you are lying" the thick kaayans accent danced and played on the tips of her tongue so marvelously, that was one of the things he liked about her, her thick accent that she used subconsciously.
He breathe a fake sigh of relief and closed his eyes for the added effect " well, not wonderful but not distasteful" he tried. She gave him a look and burst into a sort of giggle.
"Even still, you lie to protect my feelings. Very thoughtful of you, very brave" she said through the most perfect dentition Nicholas had ever seen. He had never thought that the dentition of a woman would entrance him or even their smile. He had always seen women as a necessity but not a priority but here he was, lying to make sure he didn't offend her, even though he was a bad person. He still ensured that he was careful with his words, at least he knew that the gig was up right now.
"Ok, fine. You have the worst library I have ever seen, the dust. The dust would mummify me so much that my ancestors would get jealous at it" she broke out a laugh, he did too. It felt good, seeing her laugh and smile the way she did. It was an amazing feeling and one that he painfully knew that he had no right to share but still partook in it because it felt right been here. He didn't have to pretend with Lily, this came naturally and in bundles but sadly this wasn't why he was here.
After the laughter died down, she looked in front of her, he was the only one she had allowed to visit her in her chambers with her hair messy and out of control, her battle armour in a corner, her clothes well folded and neatly put away, it felt right with him been here.
He cleared his throat, he suddenly felt anxious and afraid to ask but he needed to, he had convinced himself to this point, so he was just going to do it.
"Lily, there's something I wanted to ask you" he began, looking at her through her half mask for any confirmation that he was allowed to continue.
"Yes?" She asked. This was going to be hard even for him.
****
The commander of the werewolf soldiers were seated, the elders of council and the blind king, of course he was there. This was going to be a good way to sabotage because nobody would expect it and Boone would see the truth behind it.
"Our kingdom is falling at our knees, it's crumbling before our eyes and there's nothing we can do about it, or is there? Suggestions?" The wolfking gave an opening statement like he always does but today there was mumbling and side talks accompanied by whispers, it seemed his plan to sabotage was taking a leap before him.
"Sire, we have an even bigger problem" one of the elders dared to speak up.
" What is that?" The wolf king looked up, trying to get the position of the person who spoke but he was blind.
" The marriage, it's not happening? We can't find the vampire prince, we cannot access the marriage, a marriage which you promised would bring positive results for us, being an end to the incoming famine, an end to the dying land, an end to the robbery that happens just before anyone gets to our gates, robberies committed by the other folks, who by the way have not a single respect for us, it's the will of the moon gooddess that we haven't been overrun yet!" The elder screamed.
" Enough! You do not speak to the sire that way!" He challenged, he knew he was sabotaging but all this was part of his elaborate plan, he'd admit that he didn't expect it to turn this way but in other to be a villian, one must act a hero.
"I'm sorry my Lord" the pawn of an elder said, this was going to be easy.
"I understand. I understand that we are under a crisis and I hold no judgement against you. You have been forgiven but we need answers more than pettiness and arguments, don't you agree?" The wolfking was calm and this was what infuriated him even more because why was he so calm. He was just disrespected, he was outrightly embarrassed and his big plan was to be cool about it. All is forgiven? All is forgiven!! He would rather take a witch and make her his wife if he was ever in a position of power and felt that he should say all was forgiven. He would chop this good for nothing elder who didn't know a thing about respect, he would have him hanged and then chop his body up and feed it to his grandkids. He sneered at everyone inwardly and counted this as a blessing in disguise instead of sheer open disrespect.
"I have a suggestion" he began and everyone played quiet. He never adored this much attention in a closed space but it doesn't mean he never fanthomed it or fantasized about it, so much attention now, put him in the open , too quick, too fast.
"We're listening" the wolfking said.
"Since our darling vampire prince seems like he has gone with the winds and vanished into the night like the night crawler that he is, we could arrange another marriage. This one with a wolf, a distant wolf or the bears?" He said.
" I thought the kaayans overtook the bears?" One of the elders said and their whispers began. This was brilliant, exactly what he needed.
"So they're out of the picture, was that all? You call that a suggestion, pathetic! We should have you kicked out of here!" A little uproar was rising, exactly what he needed. The king raised his hand and they all went silent.
"Or, I wasn't finished" he continued.
The wolf king looked at the wrong direction from where he was standing " do go on" he said.
He gave a nod even though he was sure the king would never see it, it made it more dramatic.
" Or we look for him" a couple of hisses and whispers crossed the room like a wave, he could feel the uproar rising again but this time he was two steps ahead of it.
" Hear me out! What if he went for a stroll or for some business, what if he was attacked? He was alone right?" The king nodded
" Then, you said it yourself. The robberies, what if he was mugged... It's possible to believe that he left than actually finding out if he left. We should look for him, he was in our chambers, he ate our food and he drank our wine. We have to at least search for him, it's the most noble thing we can do because if his father finds out and word gets out that the prince was misplaced before his wedding and he was last placed here! Within our walls, it's over for us and everything we've struggled to reach for" that got everyone whispering in voices that expressed fear more than ever.
"Any objections?" The king asked and everyone grunted in one response " we agree" he smiled at himself for having come up with such an idea.
" We can deploy soldiers to the woods, we woul..." He stopped in his tracks as the kingdom's brat opened the doors with such a force that shocked even him. Perfect timing, he had noticed that she had been waltzing and prying around the entrance of the room as the meeting was going on, he had excellent ears, he could hear her breathe on the door, he didn't know if anyone knew that she was eavesdropping, he was waiting for the right time, even doubting if she would grab courage by the horns and say something.
Everyone kept their mouths shut, as she eased towards the round table, she looked organized but her eyes said something else.
"I'll go. I want to be the one who finds him" he smiled. Mission complete.