Celena slept fitfully, the arguement fresh in her mind. She could feel Dilandau's brooding presence on the edge of her consciousness, his rotten temper interrupting any sleep she managed to grab.
'Fine, be that way', she thought sourly at him, getting up. She shivered in the cold night air as she fumbled around for her robe. The second she found it, she quickly wrapped herself in the thick red wool, warming up a little. Another quick hunt produced her slippers, a candle, and some matches. She lit the candle quickly, warming her fingertips for a minute, deciding what to do. Judging by the light, or lack of it, it was probably about two or three in the morning. Maybe she could find something in the library to calm her nerves. As long as she watched the hours, she should be able to get out before Allen found her. He just didn't like his little sister reading their father's books. He seemed afraid she would get ideas.
She opened the door slowly and let it close softly. She looked both ways before she quickly stole down the hall. Even if everyone should be asleep, no need to take chances. She found her way to the library, tracing her fingers over the book spines. She'd know when she found the right one... and there it was. She pulled a thick, green-leather bound book from the shelf, only glancing at the title, Lost In the Uncommon Mind, printed in delicate gold calligraphy on the cover.
'Well, you can't get much more uncommon than my mind'... she thought, carefully making her way over the her favorite chair and lighting the lamp with her candle. She opened the book just as carefully, many of these books were very old, and no telling which ones had broken covers or crumbling pages in this darkness. The book was in good condition, luckily, and Celena discovered to her delight that it was a book of poetry. Not the mushy love poems Allen found appropriate for her, but real poetry written by a tormented soul. She eagerly began reading.
Allen awoke early, but still only hours away from his scheduled departure. The sun shown in on his face, warming him. He still felt bad about having to leave Celena... he had no idea how his fragile young sister would hold up the long weeks without him. But that couldn't be helped, he told himself firmly, getting out of bed. A Knight Caeli had duties to his country and Celena understood. He sighed as he began to get dressed. Maybe he could have breakfast with her, so she wouldn't get the idea that he wanted to leave her... but waking her up this early couldn't be good for her health. Not after that monster had tried to take control of her the night before. No, he would just get his own breakfast and eat in the library.
About twenty minutes later he walked into the library, a fresh muffin and a glass of juice in his hands. He nearly dropped both when he saw Celena, fast asleep in his chair, with one of Father's books on her lap.
"Celena!" he said reprovingly. She jumped, startled, dropping the book on the floor.
"Big brother," she looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep last night, so I thought I'd do some reading until I got tired..." she glanced out the window, and seemed surprised by the sunshine.
"That's all right..." he put down his breakfast and stooped to pick up the book. He looked at the title and frowned. "Celena, why were you reading this book? It's not appropriate for you."
"But, big brother..." she started. Allen cut her off, opening the book to the page she had been on.
"'All good things must pass,
But torment endures forever'," he skipped back a few pages.
"'I can taste anger, intoxicatingly sweet.
Give me your anger, your hatred,
It was you who betrayed yourself'..." he shook his head.
"Oh, Celena, whatever possessed you to read something like this?"
"Why do you have it in the library if you don't want me to read it?" she looked angry.
He coughed embarrassedly. "One of Father's friends wrote it... but this isn't meant for young girls to be reading. I know you like poetry, but other things are better for you. I'll ask Princess Millerna to drop a few of her favorite volumes before she leaves for her tour," he good-naturedly ruffled his sister's short yellow curls. "I'm glad I got to see you before I left, but you should go back to bed. It wouldn't do to have such pretty eyes with dark circles."
Allen shooed her from the library, shoving the book on the highest shelf. Celena shouldn't read things like that... for all he knew, they gave Dilandau more dangerous ideas. His lips tightened. Her fervently hoped these women would be able to handle Dilandau. What if he was contacted on his tour to be told that something had happened to his beloved sister and that Dilandau was at the bottom of it?
'Fine, be that way', she thought sourly at him, getting up. She shivered in the cold night air as she fumbled around for her robe. The second she found it, she quickly wrapped herself in the thick red wool, warming up a little. Another quick hunt produced her slippers, a candle, and some matches. She lit the candle quickly, warming her fingertips for a minute, deciding what to do. Judging by the light, or lack of it, it was probably about two or three in the morning. Maybe she could find something in the library to calm her nerves. As long as she watched the hours, she should be able to get out before Allen found her. He just didn't like his little sister reading their father's books. He seemed afraid she would get ideas.
She opened the door slowly and let it close softly. She looked both ways before she quickly stole down the hall. Even if everyone should be asleep, no need to take chances. She found her way to the library, tracing her fingers over the book spines. She'd know when she found the right one... and there it was. She pulled a thick, green-leather bound book from the shelf, only glancing at the title, Lost In the Uncommon Mind, printed in delicate gold calligraphy on the cover.
'Well, you can't get much more uncommon than my mind'... she thought, carefully making her way over the her favorite chair and lighting the lamp with her candle. She opened the book just as carefully, many of these books were very old, and no telling which ones had broken covers or crumbling pages in this darkness. The book was in good condition, luckily, and Celena discovered to her delight that it was a book of poetry. Not the mushy love poems Allen found appropriate for her, but real poetry written by a tormented soul. She eagerly began reading.
Allen awoke early, but still only hours away from his scheduled departure. The sun shown in on his face, warming him. He still felt bad about having to leave Celena... he had no idea how his fragile young sister would hold up the long weeks without him. But that couldn't be helped, he told himself firmly, getting out of bed. A Knight Caeli had duties to his country and Celena understood. He sighed as he began to get dressed. Maybe he could have breakfast with her, so she wouldn't get the idea that he wanted to leave her... but waking her up this early couldn't be good for her health. Not after that monster had tried to take control of her the night before. No, he would just get his own breakfast and eat in the library.
About twenty minutes later he walked into the library, a fresh muffin and a glass of juice in his hands. He nearly dropped both when he saw Celena, fast asleep in his chair, with one of Father's books on her lap.
"Celena!" he said reprovingly. She jumped, startled, dropping the book on the floor.
"Big brother," she looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep last night, so I thought I'd do some reading until I got tired..." she glanced out the window, and seemed surprised by the sunshine.
"That's all right..." he put down his breakfast and stooped to pick up the book. He looked at the title and frowned. "Celena, why were you reading this book? It's not appropriate for you."
"But, big brother..." she started. Allen cut her off, opening the book to the page she had been on.
"'All good things must pass,
But torment endures forever'," he skipped back a few pages.
"'I can taste anger, intoxicatingly sweet.
Give me your anger, your hatred,
It was you who betrayed yourself'..." he shook his head.
"Oh, Celena, whatever possessed you to read something like this?"
"Why do you have it in the library if you don't want me to read it?" she looked angry.
He coughed embarrassedly. "One of Father's friends wrote it... but this isn't meant for young girls to be reading. I know you like poetry, but other things are better for you. I'll ask Princess Millerna to drop a few of her favorite volumes before she leaves for her tour," he good-naturedly ruffled his sister's short yellow curls. "I'm glad I got to see you before I left, but you should go back to bed. It wouldn't do to have such pretty eyes with dark circles."
Allen shooed her from the library, shoving the book on the highest shelf. Celena shouldn't read things like that... for all he knew, they gave Dilandau more dangerous ideas. His lips tightened. Her fervently hoped these women would be able to handle Dilandau. What if he was contacted on his tour to be told that something had happened to his beloved sister and that Dilandau was at the bottom of it?