The search…
“Simeon?? What are you doing here?” I asked, looking at the tiny figure that had now come out of the shadows. His face was buried in his chest as he avoided looking me in the eye. I stared at him as he remained silent for a while. Even though I wanted to dismiss his behavior, I just couldn’t brush it off, especially since we weren’t in our own house. If he could sneak into this library without anyone knowing, then only the goddess knows where else these children could go without being caught. My concern wasn’t that he was wandering around-children like to explore-but this place held too many secrets and hidden messages that could potentially harm my children’s innocence. I couldn’t let this go so easily.
“Simeon, I asked you a question. What are you doing here?” I asked again, my voice firmer as I urged him to look at me. He did, but quickly dropped his gaze once he saw how tense my expression was.
“M… mommy, I… the thing is, I…”
“Can’t you speak anymore? Simeon, I asked you a question, and I expect an answer right now!” I demanded. He flinched at the tone of my voice, fear flickering across his face. I sighed-what was I doing? I had never yelled at my kids, and I certainly didn’t plan to start now.
Looking down at the innocent figure standing quietly in front of me, I took a moment to consider my next words. I wanted to say something that wouldn’t affect his comfort around me moving forward. I bent down to meet his eyes.
“Alright, listen to me, baby. I need you to look at me,” I said softly. He hesitated but eventually looked up, noticing the change in my tone.
“Good. Now, can you tell me why you’re here? Don’t you know that this is a very important library, full of important files and documents? Children shouldn’t be here. It’s not… safe for you yet.”
“Really, Mommy?” he asked, and I immediately nodded.
“Yes! In fact, there are some places you and your brother should never go, because you might run into the evil Ratman,” I said, watching as his eyes widened in fear. Deep down, I felt relieved that I had his attention, even if it required a little fib. The Ratman was just a villain from one of their cartoons.
“Oh no, is Ratman here?”
“Oh yes! And he only comes for children who wander where they shouldn’t. So tell me, why did you come in here? I need to tell him not to come and eat you later.”
“Please, Mommy! Tell him not to eat me! I only came here to hide because Luke and I are playing hide and seek.”
“Oh, I see. Well, you’d better hurry and run along then. I’ll tell him not to follow you this time, but you must promise never to come in here again, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy!” he exclaimed before dashing out of the room, his short legs moving swiftly as he exited the library. Once he was gone, I let out a deep breath and returned to my search.
After a while, I wandered to the far end of the room and found a desk with a stack of papers on it. At first, I planned to ignore it, but my wolf kept pulling me toward it, the urge to investigate growing stronger by the second. I finally gave in and approached the desk.
I was shocked to find extra copies of certain interactions and agreements between packs in the kingdom. I knew neither Simon nor Lucas would be careless enough to leave such files lying around, especially not in the library. This had to be Veronica’s doing.
“That snake!” I muttered through clenched teeth, picking up the papers one by one and reading through them. The agreements were confidential, clearly not meant to be shared with those opposed to Lucas and Simon’s authority as kings.
“So this is what Veronica has been up to!” I whispered, frantically going through the stack. I had suspected she was leaking secrets, but I hadn’t been able to figure out how she was getting all the information.
“Well, it all makes sense now,” I thought, piecing everything together. Veronica knew she couldn’t keep these papers in her room without risking exposure. She also couldn’t hide them elsewhere in the house, as they might be discovered by the maids. So, she chose the one place where they would blend in perfectly: the library. After all, Simon and Lucas rarely ever visited the place.
“Alright then, princess. I see what you’re up to, but your time is up now,” I said, gathering the most important documents into my dress before quietly making my way out of the library. I would need to study them carefully before presenting them to either Lucas or Simon. This time, I had to prove my innocence with undeniable evidence. I was determined to expose the evil schemes of the witch Lucas and Simon had unwittingly brought into our home.
After carefully slipping the papers into the folds of my dress, I moved toward the door of the library, my steps cautious and deliberate. Every creak of the floorboards seemed louder than it should have been. The last thing I needed was for anyone to catch me, especially Veronica. She was a cunning woman, and if she even suspected that I was onto her, everything I had gathered so far would be worthless.
As I neared the exit, I heard faint footsteps in the distance. My heart raced, and I pressed myself against the cold, wooden door, straining to listen. The sound was faint, but unmistakable. Someone was coming.
I quickly ducked behind one of the larger bookshelves, holding my breath. The footsteps grew louder, and then I heard it-a voice. Low, muffled, but familiar. I recognized it immediately.
It was Veronica.
“Where is it? I left it right here,” she muttered, her tone laced with frustration. She was talking to someone, but I couldn’t make out the second voice.
“Maybe one of the maids moved it,” the other voice suggested. It was a man-Caleb, one of the guards. Of course. Veronica always had a way of charming the men in the palace. Caleb was no exception. He had been following her around like a lost puppy for weeks now.
Veronica’s footsteps drew closer to where I was hiding. I held my breath, praying that she wouldn’t come around the corner. My heart pounded so loudly in my chest, I was sure she could hear it.