Burning for Love (Kindred Tales)

Rissa suddenly sat up in the bath and put her arms over her breasts.

“I…I think I am better now, James,” she said, breaking eye-contact and looking hastily away from him. “Let us make haste to the Royal Library and see what we can find out.”

He felt her forehead once more and nodded.

“All right, Princess—you seem to be cool enough now. Let’s get you dressed again and we can go.”

As he toweled her off briskly, Rissa tried to forget the forbidden things she’d been thinking about kissing the big Kindred. She must never, ever do such a thing or she would be ruined forever!

20

“Ah, Your Highness! I am so very glad to see you again—I was afraid after that nasty incident you would never darken the doors of the Royal Library again!” Lord Bookish exclaimed, bowing exuberantly over Rissa’s hand.

The Royal Librarian wasn’t really a Lord—the title was an honorary one which went with the job of curating the Royal books. But the plump little man made the most of it, putting on more airs, as Lady Mildew had sourly observed, than a Tenbrian peacock with a double-feathered tail.

Rissa didn’t mind—she had always liked the Royal Librarian, who had gone out of his way after her mother’s death to find her exciting and amusing books—mostly fairytales—to take her mind off her terrible loss.

“Lord Bookish,” she said, smiling at him. “It would take more than one nasty incident to keep me away from you and your beloved books!”

“I am so glad to hear it.” He had been bowing over her hand but now he popped up, beaming at her. “What can I do for you then, Princess? What would you like to read? Are you looking for an adventure novel, a book on deportment? Or perhaps some fairytales to pass the time and take you back to childhood?”

“You’re very kind, my Lord,” Rissa said. “But in fact, I need to do some research into my ancestors. You see, I wish to give a little speech about the Very First Family at the Gala at the end of the month.”

“Oh, do you, now? What a fabulous idea!” Lord Bookish exclaimed enthusiastically. “Let me see now—do come with me and I’m sure we can find something in the archives.”

Rissa followed him into the tall wooden shelves standing in long rows, all of them filled with priceless tomes and carefully preserved historical documents. James stayed close behind her, making her feel a great deal safer than she had expected to ever feel in the Royal Library again.

“Let me see, let me see,” Lord Bookish murmured, as he found the correct shelf and began reading through the titles. “This one might be good—I believe it’s about your ancestor, King Corwin the Magnificent. And here is the diary of King John the Just.”

“Those sound lovely but do you have anything about any of my female ancestors?” Rissa asked hopefully. “I’d like to do my speech from a woman’s, perspective, you see,” she added. “Since I am a woman myself.”

“A female perspective? How singular!” Lord Bookish remarked. “Well, I suppose we might find something.”

“What about that book, there?”

James pointed to a leather-bound volume on a high shelf a little further on. The books on it had a heavy chain strung across them, but the curving script on the spine was still readable, through the links.

“The Diary of Queen Lola the Outspoken,” James read aloud. “That sounds like a book about a female.”

“My goodness, you’re a tall fellow,” Lord Bookish remarked, looking up at the big Kindred. “As it happens, that is a book about a female monarch of Regalia Five, but I’m afraid it’s in the Restricted Section.” Cupping his hand around his mouth, he whispered loudly. “Queen Lola wasn’t called ‘the Outspoken’ for nothing, I’m afraid.”

“But can’t I see it after all?” Rissa pleaded. “Please, Lord Bookish, I am the Crown Princess, after all.”

“Yes, but you are yet unmarried, my dear.” Lord Bookish shook his head firmly. “I am afraid that book would be wholly inappropriate for you. However, do look at this,” he said brightly. “An entire listing of the lineage of the Very First Family going back twenty generations to King Harold the Bold! And since you say you want books on Royal females, here’s one—A Child’s History of Good Queen Hester the Prim.”

Rissa thought that the diary of Queen Lola the Outspoken would have been much more instructive, but she could tell she wasn’t going to change Lord Bookish’s mind. She cast a despairing glance at James, but he gave her a quick nod of his head and winked. Rissa wondered what the big Kindred was up to, but she decided to play along.

“Well, perhaps those books would be good to start with,” she said, smiling at Lord Bookish. “Can we bring them to the study table so that I may examine them?”