Author note:

It's the English translation, I did for my fanfiction: Une bibliothécaire au milieu des serpents.

It would be some Casskins in it but Cassandra would appear later in this story.

Chapter 1: Appearances are sometimes misleading.

I don't know what to do. Do I must get back to the Library like I had plan at the beginning? Or would that be wiser to go see Dulaque to tell him what happened to me? That gives me the impression that I would just walk into the lion's den, even if I know he wouldn't hurt me, he likes me too much to do that. It's just... He his the boss of the group which has thrown a spanner in the works of the Library since the time it exist. However, I must speak about it with someone and he already prove that he is reliable. More than that, he is directly concern by what happened in my life in that period. After all, it's he's adoptive son fault that I am in the street! I get my phone out of my pocket but I hesitate to compose his phone number. I'm afraid that my ex-boyfriend take this situation to his advantage to put his hand on me and I couldn't take risks in my state. Despite everything, I tell myself that the best solution stay this one: looking for refuge at Dulaque home. He is not an enemy for me, even if my grandfather wouldn't say the same thing. I heard the familiar gait of my ex-boyfriend which comes closer to me. I leave my hiding place and restart my frantic race which has my life as a price. Now, I'm close to the master of the snake brotherhood domains. This time, I haven't other alternatives, I have to call I stop one instant in a cafe, located a few streets from his address and composed his phone number, right after I ordered a lemonade. The bell resounds several times, I have enough time to drink a few mouthfuls of my beverage before I hear his voice:

- Hello? Leslie? It's really you?

- Mister Dulaque. Indeed it's me. I'm sorry if I call you on a bad time, but, I really need your help. I'm hunted and I didn't have enough time to get back to my.

- What's happening? Who is after you?

- It's your adoptive son! He has lost his mind after he ditched me and throws me outside without let me time to get something else than my.

- That is surprising coming from him. I will help you. Where are you now?

- I a cafe. I couldn't run more without taking a break. I will explain all the thing to you when I have been at your homebr

- Give me the name of your shelter. I will send Lamia

- The Silver River. Act fast before I am being unable to get out from.

During a short moment I didn't hear his voice at the other extreme of the wire. I stress a bit even if I suppose that he's giving orders to his second who must came for taking me. He asks, a few times after, reassuring me on the fact that he didn't let me alone:

- Are you steel here Leslie? Lamia is on her way.

- I'm tape to my phone mister Dulaque. Thank you to accept to give me a hand. You don't know how much I'm relieved because of that!

- I didn't have a doubt, I can feel it in your voice. I can, at least, do that for you. You were always so kind each time my son brought you at home. See you later!

The communication is interrupt. I pay my consummation, go to toilets then when I'm back in the main room, I find Lamia who drag me fast but with softness, outside. A car is waiting for us in front of the door and once we are in it, the driver start up without loosing time and I'm soon arrived to my destination.

It's him who welcomed me once we have passed the portal which closes his property. His head is balding, at the first seen, but if you examine it from a closer place, you can see that he has shorts white hair. He stares at me with his cold gray blue eyes then he invites me to enter with a smile, even more warming and welcoming. When we arrive in his office, I finally found myself in a safe place but I can't stop crying. I know that he can't bear overflowing, in fact that is someone who didn't know him who could think that because of his attitude. He is hiding his true personality behind a mask coldness and I know that he is broken inside. He stands up to offer me a tissue, then I wipe my tears. He kneels in front of me to have his head at the same level mine is and take my hands in his then he asks me:

- What did my stupid son do to you?

I tell him a recap of the situation, but I interrupt myself because of some pain at the level of my stomach. By reflex, I put my hand at that place and feel the regular movement which is there since many weeks. My interlocutor drops his eyes on my hand and understands where the essential of the problem is located. He stands up one more time and, in spite of his lake of habit for this kind of things, he holds me in his arms then he smiles at me. I wasn't waiting for those kind of reaction by telling him all the things. More than that, my pregnancy didn't really jump to the face even if I am in the middle of the third month. His face is radiant, clearly the news make him happy and he says:

- You are welcomed in my house as long as you wish. I would feel guilt if something happened to you because of me. I will give some instructions for that you will be treated by the best way. I will take care of my son. You must take some rest.

- That's a great idea! Would you please keep this information? Just a few times?

- If that pleased you Leslie. Follow me. I will show you your room. I wouldn't let you get back to home just as the same time the night.

- Thank you for your understanding and your.

- It's a pleasure for me to help.

He guides me to a room which has an integrated bathroom and he makes me know that some clothes would be brought here during the time I will rest. I didn't wait to go to bed after I see that there is pyjamas who waits for me on my pillow. I don't know what happened in the rest of the house but I thing I have no reasons to be afraid of something here. I go under the blanker and fall asleep. When I awake I hear some knocks at my door and I ask:

- Who is there?

- Leslie, it's mister Dulaque. May I enter?

- It's your home here. Reassure yourself, I'm steel under my blanket and I'm dressed with the pyjamas you let here for me.

I can hear him laugh, then he open the door and I'm surprised to see that he pushes a trolley on which I can see breakfast for both of us. I smile at him as the same time as he takes a seat at my side after he drops off a tray with feet at the level of my legs to let me eat comfortably and he put his own on bedside table which he pulls near to him. He returns my smile. I'm surprised that he proves to be so sweat while his goal is to bring back magic in this world at any cost. We speak together about everything and nothing until the bell of my phone interrupt our conversation. I give a look on it screen to know who want to contact me and it's Flynn Carson, the other Librarian. I imagine that he try to contact me at the boss order: Judson, by another name, my grandfather from my mother.

I sigh and I apologize to my host before I pick my phone up:

- What's happening mister Carson?

- Your the one who ask that while you actually are at Dulaque house, who is, as Judson as tell me, is the enemies number one of the Library?

- He came to help me when I need it! It's to long to explain, but you can tell to Judson that I'm fine and that I will come back home.

Without waiting for the answer of my interlocutor, I hang up to his nose. Then I recenter my attention on the person who is in front of me. On his face, there his an expression which let me think that he well guess what my caller says about him. I softly put my hand on his cheek and, for the first time I know him, I call him by his true name:

- Lancelot, you know that I couldn't stay here indefinitely, but contrary to the others, I'm not scared by you. I trust you.

- How can you manage that?

I observe him with attention, then suddenly, a detail attract my gaze. Do I really just see one tear roll on his cheek? I check one more time and realized that I didn't imagine it. He his truly crying! What should I do? With a man like this one... I don't want to hurt his pried with my intervention. Oh... For heaven's shake! I couldn't bear to see him like that so I hug him then I whisper in his ear:

- Something inside me tells me that you are not as bad as many people think you are. My instinct link to this impression and make me trust you. I know every single sing you done in the past, but you never had hurt me. However, god knows that you could have do so with all those time I make your teams fell at their missions. I get out of those times without a single scratch. I knew that there was only one person in all the world who could have persuade them to leave me alone, and that's you! I haven't kept any feelings for your son, but you will always have a place in my heart even if I dislike the choices you made in your.

He returns the hug then he say, once he remain calm:

- Thank you for your sincerity Leslie. I know well that you couldn't stay here forever, but you must know that my door would always be open for.

- Thanks Lancelot. I appreciate your generosity. But, I think that I stay in this bed to much. I'm getting.

- I will wait you in the hallway, I have something to show you. See you later.

- See you soon Lancelot. I'm coming in a few.

Once he gets out from the room with the tray and all that stuff, I get out of my bed and go to the huge closet which his in the back of my room. I open the double doors and find many kinds of clothes in there. I'm convinced that he asks some advice to the sealers to buy that. With the number of times he could have observe me, he has memorize my tastes and he find my height. Enchanted by those charming attentions, I take a dress randomly and ware it with it accessories. I'm now in a pale blue dress which makes brought out walleyed eyes and my blond hair with brown locks. I briefly admire myself in the mirror, then the room to join my host. He is waiting for me in the hall and whistle with admiration. I blush, enchanted by this silent compliment then he gives me one hand-kissing before he offers me his arm. I catch it and he guides me in parts of the houses I didn't know. I'm asking myself what he want to show me but when I enter in this room covered with books from the floor to the ceiling with, at some places, computers and jewels display stand, I better understand why he wanted that I follow him here. He knows that I love reading. That's not for nothing that I accept to work with my grandparents at the Library. It's just a bit strange to see that kind of mix.

I don't understand why there his jewels so close to the best computer of this decade. When I ask Lancelot why, he shows me the cameras installed in each parts of the room. I conclude that the jewelry is here to justify the protection system which would be suspect to keep "simple" books. By examining there covers attentively I realized that there is original editions while others are hiding magical artifacts or normal antiquity but rare ones. He let me ferret until I find myself in front of a door on which there is a golden banner. I can read these words on it: "Reading room". I turn my head in my follower direction and he use a small fey to open the door. I enter and discover a place which is well equipped in terms of comfort and resents books. He makes me seat on a sofa and ask me to give me the title of my favorite book when I was little. I exclaim joyfully:

- Galaad, the apple tree, and the Holy Grail, which was written by Philippe Walter and was published in 2004 in Mago editions.

He looks at me, surprised, but start to search on the shelf. Then he gives me the book and ask:

- Why did you choose this one?

- My mother read it to me before I get to bed, but sometimes, she seems to have suppressed some details of the content, like certain names which didn't match with the atmosphere of the XIII e century. Strangely, I never did some nightmares after I had heard this story. It was like the characters emerged from the book and protected me from the evil. More than that, my favorite works, without taking care of their nature, always was linked to the myth of King Arthur and his Knights. Because of that, some people find me very strange, especially when I was little.

I make a little break then I continue:

- I could have, by memories, named all the knights, but I didn't have the good names associated to their stories. I had these problems with the characters, except Galaad. He is my favorite knight even if I never had known what to say when someone ask me why I like this one.

- So that mean you never read this book without your mother?

- Yeah. And after her disappearance I never had this book in my hands anymore.

- Do want to be alone to do so today?

- Stay with me, I prefer that. After all, as Lancelot, you must be in this book too. I will be more reassured if you stay here.

He smiles at me then he accepts to stay in my company during all the time until the reading would be done. He seats at my side and start to read.

His intonation cradles me and I fall asleep at the middle of the book. I put my head on his torso, I use him like a pillow but I think that he didn't dare to move me because he doesn't want to awake me. He is a real gentleman contrary to what let suppose his appearance and his unpleasant nature. I don't know how long I stay like this but I think it wasn't really comfortable for old man, even if he his asleep when I open my eyes. I awake him softly, we take a look on our watch then he declares:

- It's lunchtime, we will continue this reading after lunchtime.

- That would be a pleasure. Did I hurt you by sleeping on you like that?

- Don't worry for me Leslie. I had worst nap. Follow me!

I wouldn't make him repeat twice and let the master of the place guide me. Once we are installed at the table he serves me my favorite meal: spaghetti bolognaise! After the meal, we go back to the reading room and this time, even at the end of the story, I didn't fall asleep. My gaze stays on my host, I just make the link between him and my favorite historical character: he is his father! I'm asking myself if this story didn't hide something else, an element he didn't know it exist and that would explain my attraction to this legend in particular. Now that I know all the story of this young knight and his family, I have to remember what my mother tells me about him. I remember that she linked the qualities of this character to my own father, even if she never mentions his name. Would that mean that I am Galaad child and by that way the great daughter of my host and confident? To be certain, I must find my own exemplar. My mother never let me have a look on almost all the pages, as if something was noted on it could have make me learn something else than the story did. Yet, for that, I have to come back home. I tell nothing about these hypotheses to Lancelot, but he seems to have suspicions. However, he let me go. He advice me to be careful and ask me to call him if I had other problems, linked, or not, to his adoptive son. I kiss him on his cheek to thank him for hospitality and after I say to him that he must keep my room in a good state, in case that I need a refuge. Then, I take the way to get back to my house.