Chương 16: An Extra Pair of Hands

Lira returned to the library with her satchel in hand, her father's ledger still hidden inside, her mind already moving ahead to the next steps. She pushed the door open, only to stop short. A girl was standing awkwardly near the entrance. Lira felt a flicker of annoyance at the interruption, especially now. She let out a quiet sigh. The maid turned, and it was Tessa. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, as if she did not know what to do next. Dust already clung to her skirt.

Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Lira.

"You got sent here, too?" Tessa asked quickly.

"Apparently, there is someone new in charge of this place. Hesta told me to report to them for punishment. Do you know who that is?" The words came in a rush, barely leaving her time to breathe.

"Ah. That would be me," Lira said, setting her satchel down on a nearby table. Tessa's eyes widened.

"You are the one in charge?"

"Yep," Lira said with a small grin, her annoyance fading in the face of the girl's earnestness.

"Congratulations," Tessa said, almost beaming.

"That is amazing."

"So Hesta sent you here," Lira went on.

"Under what pretext?"

"Pre.. Pretext?" asked Tessa struggling with the word."

"Ah! the excuse, why where you punished?" explained Lira.

"I was doing the laundry when the youngest prince showed up," Tessa said.

"He asked me to help clean his shirt because his mother would be mad if she found out he had been eating honey again. So, of course, I helped, and then Hesta punished me for not finishing the bedsheets fast enough. What was I supposed to do, ignore a prince? And he was so sweet about it too, saying please and thank you, very polite."

"Couldn't you explain that to her?" Lira asked.

"She was there," Tessa said, scowling.

"She saw the whole thing."

"That sounds like Hesta," Lira replied.

"She is probably punishing you for daring to interact with a prince at all."

"I guess it does not take much to set her off," Tessa muttered.

"Anyway," Lira said, shifting the conversation.

"You will need a scarf. And another layer if you have one." Tessa blinked.

"A scarf?"

"For your nose and mouth," Lira said.

"The dust will get into your throat otherwise. Storage should have something. Ask for cast-offs." Tessa hesitated, then nodded and slipped out without another word. Lira waited until her footsteps faded before moving. She pulled the ledger from her satchel and slipped into her alcove. Kneeling, she lifted the loose stone at the back. The hollow was shallow but enough. Her fingers brushed the familiar leather cover. For a moment, she simply held it there, steadying herself.

Then she pushed it deeper, tucking it beneath a second layer of rags before setting the stone back in place. A light scattering of dust made it blend into the rest of the wall. By the time Tessa returned, slightly out of breath and wrapped in a faded scarf, Lira was already sorting through a small stack of books near the entrance.

"You found one," Lira said, glancing up. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Tessa adjusted the scarf.

"It was this or nothing."

"It will do." They did not waste time after that. Lira handed Tessa a small pile of books.

"Start with these. Help me sort." Tessa looked down at the books, then back at the shelves, then at the endless rows beyond.

"Sort how?"

"By condition," Lira said.

"Anything too damaged goes on top of the book cart. Anything intact stays. Do not try to read them. We are not organizing by subject yet. We are clearing the junk." Tessa scuffed at that.

"It's not like I can read anyway." Lira glanced at her, but did not comment.

"But wouldn't Hesta be mad if we don't do the dusting?" Tessa added.

"Lucky for you, I am the one in charge here, not Hesta," Lira replied evenly.

"And books shed dust. Rotten ones shed more. If we do not remove the source, the work will never end." She tapped one of the crumbling spines lightly. A faint cloud lifted into the air.

"That," she said.

"That is what we are dealing with." Tessa watched the dust settle, then gave a small, reluctant nod.

"So we throw them away? Are we allowed to do that?"

"I suppose," Lira said, some of her certainty slipping.

"We salvage what is worth saving. But…" She picked up a warped, mold-stained book and glanced at the title.

"The Lustful Sorceress." She flipped it once, then closed it again.

"This one is a lost cause." Tessa let out a small laugh.

"Fair enough."

"And will Hesta be okay with us doing light work?" she asked.

"Do not worry about Hesta," Lira said.

"I will deal with her." That seemed to settle it. They worked in silence at first, the rhythm coming slowly. Pick up, assess, sort. The cart beside them filled gradually with damaged books. It was Tessa who spoke first.

"They say the eldest prince came back last week." Lira did not look up.

"I was not aware he was away."

"He was," Tessa said, lowering her voice slightly.

"Spent a couple of months visiting the different duchies. He is older than the other two, already in his twenties. The king is starting to pass responsibilities to him." Lira slid another ruined book into the discard pile.

"And why does that matter to us?" Tessa hesitated, then leaned in a little.

"Because he notices people." That made Lira pause, just slightly.

"Maids, I mean," Tessa added quickly.

"The pretty ones especially." Lira snorted and tapped her cheek, where a light dusting of freckles showed beneath the grime.

"That should make me safer than most." Tessa glanced at her, then hesitated.

"You say that, but… your eyes are pretty. And your hair stands out. And… well, unlike me, you are not exactly flat." Lira gave a short laugh.

"That is because while you were running around a farm, I was sitting in a library."

"I am serious," Tessa said, her tone tightening.

"You do not want the heir's attention." Something in her voice made Lira look at her properly this time. There was no gossip in her expression now, only warning. Lira's amusement faded. She nodded once.

"Noted." A moment passed before she spoke again.

"What about the other princes?" Tessa relaxed slightly.

"The second prince is easier. You can always find him in the keep, training with the soldiers. Dressed in full plate, even when it is too hot. They say he barely comes inside unless he has to."

"He sounds diligent," Lira said.

"He is," Tessa agreed.

"Being the spare, he will probably try to secure a place in the military once his older brother inherits everything."

"And the third?"

"The youngest," Tessa said, her voice softening.

"He is only thirteen. He is… kind. He says please and thank you."

"He is the one you got in trouble helping," Lira said. Tessa nodded.

"He is a good boy." Lira shrugged, setting aside another intact volume.

"Then he is either good or not yet taught otherwise." Tessa did not answer that. They kept working as they talked, drifting into lighter gossip. Other maids, footmen, who were sneaking around with whom. The kind of talk that filled the silence without demanding attention. After a while, Lira gestured toward the cleared space on the floor.

"You see? It is already easier to move." Tessa nodded, a bit more confident in the motion now.

"It makes sense."

"This is what should have been done from the start," Lira muttered.

"Instead of whatever Hesta thought needed doing." They worked a little longer before Tessa spoke again.

"You really think we can fix this place?" Lira glanced out at the rows of shelves, at the dim light filtering through the high windows, at the dust still hanging faintly in the air.

"No," she said. Tessa's shoulders dropped.

"Not immediately," Lira added.

"Maybe in a few months. With some help." Tessa looked at the growing order around them, then back at Lira.

"Do you want me assigned here permanently? I could ask Celene, if you want." Lira hesitated. The thought lingered longer than she liked. Help would make things faster. Easier. But it would also mean less privacy.

"I think rotating staff would be better," she said at last.

"I do not want Celene and Hesta breathing down my neck for requesting permanent help." Tessa sighed softly.

"I guess. Still… it is going to be hard, doing this on your own."

"Do not worry," Lira said.

"I will manage." They fell back into silence. Lira picked up another book, brushing dust from its cover before setting it carefully aside. She found she did not mind working with Tessa. The chatter made the silence lighter, and the work less dull. Still, a part of her couldn't wait for the moment she would be alone again, so she could focus on magic.