-26-

Blackwall finally found her in a library tucked away in the lower hallway past the kitchens. Cobwebs clung to the floor to ceiling shelves, with a large desk at its center, a massive grimoire propped up on top surrounded by other books and two down to the stub lit candles, a musty smell lingering in the air. Ellana was off to the side, standing on a chair, skimming through one of the many books the library seemed to offer. She didn't look up as he stepped into the room, seemingly enraptured with whatever she was reading.

He cleared his throat. "My lady?"

She startled at the sudden noise, clutching at the back of the chair for support. Her gaze then landed on Blackwall and she relaxed. "Oh, Blackwall! I didn't even hear you come in." Then a wide, wondrous smile broke out on her face, gesturing around her. "Look at all this! I can't believe I didn't find this before. To have two libraries...!"

He rounded the desk. "Find anything interesting?"

"What didn't I find interesting? There are books here that date back to the Divine Age! My clan has a few old texts that have been passed down generations, but this...I never thought I would live somewhere with so many books!"

It was a rarity to see her so visibly excited about something. Even with her covered from head to toe with patches of dust, he thought her a beautiful sight at the way her entire face, particularly her eyes, lit up so fervently.

He offered her hand to help her down, and she took it almost immediately, clutching it firmly as she hopped down, dusty book tucked to her chest. But she didn't let go of his hand even once her feet were planted firmly on the floor. Ellana tilted her head up, as if she were moving to kiss him, but then her gaze ducked away from his and her face began to turn the slightest shade of red. There was a moment of hesitation from him too, on what type of kiss to give her (Maker, he felt like an inexperienced teenager again). Their relationship was barely twenty-four hours old, and Blackwall could count on one hand the number of women he had a relationship which meant something beyond a quick tumble or two.

Blackwall settled on cupping her cheek, running his thumb along her vallaslin as he gently tugged her closer, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Maker, the way her smile grew after they pulled away, like he was the best thing that ever happened to her...it made him feel lighter in a way he hadn't felt in a long time (even though he knew in his heart of hearts he didn't deserve it).

"So what brings you by?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Right. Why he was there in the first place. "Josephine was looking for you. Something about an advisor meeting."

Her face fell at the mention. "Oh, Creators, I forgot...I got so side-tracked." She then sighed, looking a bit disappointed. "I shouldn't have spent so much time in here. Not when there are more important things I need to do."

Blackwall realized the disappointment was aimed more at herself rather at her time being cut short in the library. "No one could fault you for taking a bit of time for yourself, my lady. You've been working hard since we've gotten here." Really since Haven.

Ellana gave a small, appreciate smile, but still did not seeming entirely placated. "I should go find her." A bit of shyness crept back onto her face. "Will I still see you later tonight, vhenan?"

It had slipped out in a just awaking murmur, her inviting him to stay in her quarters with her (not just for the one night). At first, he had been reluctant to take her up on it, not wanting her reputation to be tarnished by people seeing him come up to her quarters nightly or leaving them daily come morning. But he was a weak man (he had already established that the night before), and when she had insisted that she didn't care about that, that she would like it if he did, he found it difficult to say no.

He kissed her gloved knuckles, which had her smiling at the gesture. "Of course, my lady."

The thought crossed his mind as he watched her leave that he could surprise her, clean this place up a bit for her. As he left the room a moment later to go meet up with Sera, he mentally added it to his chore list for the next, few days. It would be worth it to see that excited light in her eyes again.