11

"When will the King be back?" Asked Syrus. He was looking at the report from the general. The Northern borderlines of the Kingdom were having a little clash with the neighboring kingdom named Fedora.

Gothia and Fedora were never on good terms, and once in a while, there was a clash between them at the borderline causing stress to Kingdom Cothia as it could lead to war. Syrus was reading the report sent in by the King. He had ordered him to get a permanent solution to the problem.

"Sire, The king will be back by the winter festival." Syrus frowned and gave him a nod. " You can leave now." HE said.

"A permanent solution you say…"HE mumbled.

Knock...Knock...Knock.

Syrus lifted his head to see who it was. Anna peeked into the room with a worried face.

"Are you busy? I had something to ask."

"Come in," Syrus closed the file and slid it into the pile. The information inside was not something that could be kept on a display for unrelated people.

"So...The queen sent a maid a while ago, she said that the King will be coming back...and I was kind of…"Anna twisted her fingers.

"What about that?" Syrus asked with a plain face.

"I mean as your partner I was going to be introduced to the King and I shouldn't be lacking in any way…"

Syrus's expression grew a little vary, "I am not asking for it! IT's the queen! She said I was going to be the main person at the winter festival ball and I had to learn everything as quickly as possible because the ball is in two weeks…"

"Okay, okay calm down! I will hire a tutor for you." Syrus saw Anna swearing because of her uneasiness so he cut her in the middle of her words and gave her a solution.

"Haa!" She breathed out peacefully.

"Anything else?" HE asked.

"No! Just that, I will be leaving then," she smiled and walked back to the door. She twisted the doorknob to open the door but it didn't budge. SHe repeatedly twisted it and pulled the door but it seemed locked.

Syrus noticed her weird actions and asked. "What happened?" He got up from the chair and got closer to the door. Anna stepped aside from the door and spoke in a guilty tone.

"It's jammed…"

"How is that possible?" Syrus pulled the door but the heavy door didn't break a sweat. "Someone must have locked it…" HE mumbled.

"What should we do now? Why don't you call someone? Like a servant." Anna suggested.

"It's of no use, the servants aren't allowed to bring in cell phones to the Palace." He let go of the doorknob.

He pulled out his cell phone to see if there was someone that could help him but it was useless, 'Should I call Myrt…' He paused and looked through his contacts to realize that he never had her phone number. HE closed his eyes in deceit and gritted his teeth.

"Don't worry, I am sure the servants will come by in a while. Until then you can look through the books." Syrus pointed at the walls of the study that were formed into bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling. Not only the separated shelves that stood perpendicular to the walls were loaded with books as well. Anna was not a book person but she gave a nod and decided to look around the place. Syrus continued to scroll his phone trying hard to look for a way to get the door open.

Anna was looking around the palace when her eyes fell on the huge window. "Can I go out of there?" She asked Syrus with sparkling eyes. Syrus followed her gaze to see what she was talking about and was caught by surprise that she was thinking of jumping down the window.

"Are you planning on jumping down the third floor?" HE asked.

"It's the third floor?" Anna looked shocked.

"Tsk…" Syrus clicked his tongue when Anna said," EIther way, I haven't seen many people jumping down the windows so I would suggest that if you don't want a scolding from the queen you are better off inside the study."

Anna pouted and followed Syrus, he staked up the books on his table and continued to place them back on the shelves.

"Have you ever been in the streets? Like a commoner?"

"Why would I do something like that? " He replied. Anna clasped her hands behind her back and closely followed him, she was walking on the tip of her toes trying to match Syrus's height.

"You know when I was a little girl my mother used to tell me fairytales. Where there was a huge palace and people used to be happy there, but ever since I came to the Palace I have realized that the stories were a lie. Life here is very lonely and emotionless."

Syrus's eyes lifted from the books in his hands when he heard her speak.

"Is life outside the Palace happier?" In a curious tone, he asked.

"Hmm...for a person like me, who has lived my whole life in a slum where one doesn't know if they will be able to see the sunrise the next day...this is a comfortable place but I have realized that comfort comes at a price…''She stopped.

"Hmm...that is right!" Syrus hurriedly placed the books back on the shelves.

"I would suggest you go to the streets once in your life like a normal person, I am sure you will love it there." Anna chuckled and turned around to stare at the shelf opposite to her. Her gaze moved through the boring thick leather books of even lengths. The color of the books alone made Anna shudder. She continued looking at the books until her eyes stopped on the small book sandwiched in between the greyish book. She found it amusing for some reason and stood on her tiptoes to pull it out. These books were so tightly placed that along with the short one the others too started to come out of the shelves. Anna's eyes widened when the books slipped out of the shelf. Her heart skipped a beat and horror flashed in her eyes. Just when she saw the books a few inches away from her she closed her eyes but before she got hit Syrus pulled her out of the way. Anna's leg slipped and she fell into Syrus's embrace.

The books fell to the floor with a loud thud. Syrus's gaze shifted towards Anna with fury. But before he could say a word there was the sound of the door opening,

The door to the study was finally open, revealing a slender figure holding a tray. Her eyes looked at the couple embracing one another. Myrtle's jaw twitched and her eyes flickered for a moment. But when her gaze met Syrus's she lowered her head and walked in quickly. She placed the tray on his table and hurriedly went out of the room. Syrus stood petrified. His grasp around Anna's shoulder loosened and he fixed his posture before speaking.

"You can leave now." With those words, he walked out of the door in a hurry.