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"Am I interrupting?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I'm on my way to a meeting, but if there's something you need-"

I waved away his concern. "I won’t keep you. I just wanted to know if there is a library in the castle."

"Of course. If you’re ready to go now, I’d be happy to escort you. I have a meeting in ten minutes, but the library is on my way."

I agreed, and we walked in uneasy silence.

I wondered if he was angry with me. In truth, I owed him an apology. So, I slowed my steps and looked up at him. "I’m sorry."

He looked down at me and tugged absentmindedly on a lock of his curly hair. "For what?"

"For wandering. You offered to take me anywhere I wanted to go, but I never asked. Not once. Instead, I put myself in danger over and over again, and I just expected you and Rosie to come find me. That was selfish."

He stopped me in the hallway, putting his hands gently on my shoulders. "No, Georgia. It is I who should be apologizing. You are the future bride of our king. It was my duty to protect you, and I failed."

I shook my head. "You’re being far too kind. I know you have many duties. I’ve seen you meeting with diplomats and attending council meetings. You are not my personal guard, and it was selfish of me to make you act as such. It won’t happen again."

He nodded. "I’m glad to hear you’re taking your safety more seriously. It would kill Forrest if something happened to you."

I gave him a bemused smile. "Oh, I doubt that. He barely even knows I’m here."

For one brief moment, his eyes met mine with a rare intensity. "That book you carry says otherwise."

I followed his eyes to the Book of Iron tucked under my arm.

"Do you know what that is, Georgia?"

I nodded. "It has information about fae."

"It’s more than that. Books of Iron are considered heirlooms. They’re passed down through the family line. They are never, ever read by outsiders, and I’m not sure a human has ever been gifted one. Even as a loan."

I stared at him in confusion.

"Don’t you see? He has given you the most powerful weapon he has. Knowledge you could wield even against him. He has chosen to trust you. Maybe you should do the same."

I was quiet the rest of our walk, thinking about what Harry had said. Forrest couldn’t possibly care about me. He was probably just trying to lighten his burden. If I could protect myself, he wouldn’t have to bother.

Finally, we reached a large arched entryway, and I stood at the precipice of the largest library I had ever seen. The fae lived for centuries. Sometimes even a millennia. What amazing, hidden knowledge must rest upon these shelves?

Harry gave me a gentle nudge inside. "Enjoy your day," he said with a chuckle.

I hurried to the first row of shelves, running my hand along the spines as I studied the titles– The Complete Guide to Pixie Dust Potencies, Whispers of the Wind: A Memoir, and Glimmering Gardens and the Secrets They Keep.

I picked the last one off the shelf and began to flip curiously through its pages before I caught myself. No, I scolded, purpose before pleasure.

My purpose was to locate my sister, and I was certain something in here could help me. A census? A book on stolen bride customs? A magic book with locator spells? The possibilities were endless.

I tucked the gardening book under my arm but focused on the task at hand.

Half an hour later, I had claimed a small table on the first level of the library, tucked away in a corner. I was on my way back with another seven books stacked high in my arms when I bumped into someone. "Oof," I said as the books knocked the wind out of my chest.

Then the stack of books began to topple over. However, to my surprise, they didn’t hit the floor. The man I slammed into caught them with ease. He regarded me over top of them. His hair was even darker than Forrest’s, and he had olive skin and golden eyes. "It looks like you have quite a bit of reading planned." He chuckled.

I looked over at him sheepishly and reached out to accept my books. "I’m so sorry. I can take those."

Good-naturedly, he waved my offer away. "It’s no trouble. Where are you sitting? I’ll move them over. You can hardly see over them."