This man?

As hesitant as he was to interact with any of the Royal Guards, he couldn't spend the rest of the night wandering around the Palace being followed around by a man who moved so silently it made Perry jump at every noise. 

So, reluctantly, he made the excuse of wanting to show the Palace to his new bodyguard and told the first Royal Guard he came across to make sure the way was clear for them. 

Perry internally sighed in relief as he followed the man, his bodyguard close behind. 

The Royal Guard, who looked younger than Perry by at least a couple of years, escorted him to a large building separated from the main structure of the Palace and bowed before returning to his post. 

Perry stood in front of the double wooden door, unsure of how to proceed. In the real world, he would simply walk right in and, if he needed help, either ask the overworked librarian or log on to one of the ancient computers and search for whatever books he needed. 

He was guessing that wasn't an option here. Or maybe it was, what did he know? In a world where people could be underwater acrobats, anything was possible. 

But he could figure that part out later. First, he needed to get inside the library. Knocking couldn't hurt, right? It was sort of a universal gesture. 

Perry raised one hand, but before he could actually knock, one of the doors creaked open and a woman with white hair and deep lines on her face practically glided to a stop in front of him. 

She bowed her head. "Your Highness."

"Um, hi. Yes, it's me." Perry cleared his throat. "I would like to look at some books."

The woman straightened herself. "Yes. I imagine that is why most people visit a library."

Was that… sarcasm? Perry was a little taken aback, but in a good way. Maybe he might enjoy spending time in the library after all. 

"Yes." He nodded. "That's true. So, I would like to see books about The Golden Light Temple, and, uh, the Puppet Technique, and…" What was the other spell they had used to change his appearance? "Blood Concealments. And the history of our kingdom."

It couldn't hurt to know more about this place. Especially if they really were on the brink of war as the Queen and the Clan Leader seemed to think. 

"Very well." The woman bowed again and stepped aside, gesturing for Perry to come into the library. He did, but when his bodyguard tried to follow, the woman blocked his way. "No outsiders are permitted inside my library."

"Oh, that's okay. He's with me," Perry said. 

The woman, who Perry assumed was the librarian, didn't budge. "Apologies, Your Highness. But no outsiders are permitted inside my library."

Perry didn't know what to do. He supposed he could order her to let the other man in. He was supposed to be the prince, after all. But he also needed her cooperation because he had a feeling that whatever books he might look through would be too much for him to understand on his own. 

"He's my bodyguard." Perry hoped he could convince her to let him in without outright asking or telling. 

"There are no threats inside my library." The woman stood resolutely in the same place. 

"I know some people who would disagree," Perry mumbled, glancing around at the shelves stacked with books and scrolls. The woman opened her mouth to speak again, but Perry cut her off as gently as he could. "I'm not putting into question your work or… dedication." He mentally rummaged his brain, looking for the right words that might convince her. What did librarians usually worry about? "Think of him as a… fire-suppressing system."

Perry was proud of his word choice, but for some reason, they made the other man smirk at him. 

"Outsiders wait outside my library. I will not risk my books with untrained hands," the older woman said, her voice firm and ringing with finality. 

Perry was about to concede and ask his bodyguard to wait outside when the man himself decided to speak up.

"He claimed me." His bodyguard tilted his chin in Perry's direction. 

Perry cringed. Did he have to say it like that?

To his surprise, the librarian paused her stare-down with the other man and glanced at Perry. "You claimed him?"

Perry cleared his throat, the back of his neck feeling hot. "Um, yes? Yes. I did."

"In front of witnesses?" She asked.

The heat spread from his neck to his cheeks when he thought of just how many witnesses there had been in those stands watching the competition. Not to mention the King and Queen themselves. 

"Yes," he squeaked out.

The woman turned back to his bodyguard and ran her shrewd gaze from the top of his head to his feet. "This man?"

"Yes," Perry repeated, managing to control his vocal chords that time. 

There was a beat of silence. Then the older woman sighed and stepped aside. "In that case, you may enter."

Perry was speechless for a moment. Was that all it took? Or did Perry claiming the other man mean something he didn't understand? Considering how lost he really felt, that second option was more than likely.

One problem at a time.

As his bodyguard entered the library, the older woman bowed her head slightly to Perry. "I shall fetch the books you requested, Your Highness. In the meantime, you may follow me and take respite in one of the reading areas. I advise you not to touch anything or take any of the books without my assistance lest we risk them wandering off."

"Okay." Perry wasn't sure if he should thank her. Was that something prince's did?

Before he could make up his mind, she turned and walked deeper into the library. Having gotten that far, Perry followed. He didn't even try to process the 'books wandering off' comment. 

At that point, it could mean anything from Perry misplacing books or the books literally flying away. Who could tell, really?