Five: Promises

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            Hannah held the bathroom door as you stepped into the hall. You nodded a thank you, and then waited as she closed it behind you.

"I'll ask the master what he wishes to be done with you while we meet," said the maid, leading you down the corridor. You followed silently behind her, a warm excitement bubbling in the pit of your stomach. Things were changing!

Finally.

Hannah made a left at the end of the hall and then stopped in front of a door to the right. When she knocked an 'enter' came from within.

"Your highness, you requested my presence," she said formally. Alois' eyes immediately skipped from Hannah to you.

"Yes, yes – hello, darling!" cheered the blonde. "Hannah, wait here with Claude and the triplets while I show [Name] to the library."

This caught you by surprise, and it must have caught Hannah off guard too because she flinched. A sharp look from Alois' cerulean eyes cut off her posing questions. As she stepped to the side, Alois came around his desk and up to you.

"Come, love, this way," he said, glancing briefly over his shoulder. "I'll be back in a moment."

Tugging lightly on your arm as he looped his through, you followed Alois into the hallway. You smiled up at him gratefully, moving closer to him and affectionately giving his arm a light squeeze. Alois placed his free hand on one of yours and returned the gesture.

"Thank you, Alois," you said quietly. "I really appreciate this."

"Of course – you may choose as many books as you wish, and they will be brought down stairs. I'll leave you in the library on your own, but the door will be locked," stated Alois in a light tone, but it quickly changed into a warning one. "And you should know, [Name], you're punishment will be severe if you deceive me this time. I will not stand for anymore deception."

You went rigid, your hand tensing under his as your heart skipped a beat. You immediately relaxed, leaning your head against Alois' shoulder. The smile you'd had a moment ago, though, was gone.

"It won't happen again, Alois," you promised quietly, staring blankly at the carpet in front of you.

"We'll see," was all Alois said to this. He lead you back down stairs, and to a large set of dark oak doors. "I'll return to check on you in an hour. Be good, [Name]."

Alois kissed your forehead and then pushed you through the library doors. Behind you, you heard the clicking of the lock tumblers. You looked over your shoulder to stare at the wooden barrier. Your excitement was gone now, the threat weighing in your mind. You knew it shouldn't have bothered you. You weren't planning on going anywhere any time soon.

Still. That was, perhaps, the saddest part.

Maybe that's why you didn't trust yourself to stick to your plan and keep your promise to Alois. The window, with its heavy curtains, actually seemed tempting. You could rip them down, heave open the window, and create a rope like you'd done with the blankets a year ago.

You shook your head, and headed over to a bookcase. You'd spent months building up his trust; you couldn't do this to him, to yourself.

You made promises, and you were going to keep them – even if they killed you.

You skimmed the shelves, high and low; first and second story, up and down the ladders. You about jumped out of your skin when Alois came to check you the following hour. You'd been so immersed in your hunt, so hell bent on forgetting the urge to escape, that you'd completely forgotten that there was a world outside of the library.

"Are you satisfied with the book collection?" Alois had asked. You'd flinched, nearly falling off the ladder. You'd put on your biggest grin and your deepest blush, and told him that you greatly did.

Only later, when Alois left and you questioned your lingering blush, that it occurred to you that it had been another one of those times.

One of the times you'd forgotten your circumstances, when all felt right in the world – when a little piece of you deep in the pits of your heart fell in love with the fair haired man. But one look at the diamond ring on your finger, and the world crashed again.

...Lady White's been stolen...

The morning's headlines flashed through your mind again. It was preposterous to say the least – thinking that Alois would've sent his demon servants to steal the ring for you. You knew he loved you – and that your saying that his servants were demons wasn't metaphorical, but a fact and that he himself had been changed – but stealing a piece of royal jewellery was inane!

Once you'd gotten all of the books you'd wanted, Alois had the triplets place them on your bookshelves. The rest of the night you spent reading about the adventures the new books held.

The damsel was always rescued in the end.

So maybe, you thought, there's hope for me yet.

However, a tiny faint voice in the back of your mind whispered that maybe you'd already been saved.

~

A|~pM

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