I pushed into the library and went straight to the aisle I was working on, the "Non-Fiction" aisle. "I don't suggest this," Mary said. "You should be with him." "Do you know where he is?" I asked. Lidium had disappeared suddenly, and I wasn't about to look where. She hesitated and said quietly, "No..." "Exactly." I picked a book from the rack and opened to the first page. Mary stood for a minute, then walked away without a word. I heard the library doors open and heard her shoes and they clacked against the floors and she finally walked out of my hearing range. I focused back on my book and sat in my seat. I stayed until I had gotten at least half-way through the book, then finally gave up and set the book down. I sighed and stood, walking towards the door when I heard whispering. I snuck as quietly as I could until I could make out Mary and Lidium fiercely whispering to each other. "I am her caretaker," Mary whisper harshly. I was surprised. "You may be by her side, but you cannot take over my job." "I'm not trying to," Lidium whispered back calmly, yet somewhat irritably. "Her father told me to keep an eye on her because sometimes she does things that you don't know about. Like walks alone in the flower field and messing with the cooks." He sighed and there was a brief silence. "My job is to only stay by her side and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Her father wants her to become more mature and reigned in; he doesn't want her acting like a child anymore." The words cut deep and my stomach clenched. Mary kept silent and no more words were said. I walked back to the table I was reading at and took a couple deep breathes. So, Lidium think he can 'reign me in'? I dare him to try. Bump??
I walked across the courtyard and quickly looked behind me. No one was there. Though when I looked forward, Lidium was standing with his arms crossed, glaring at me only a few feet away. My hand flew to my chest and I gasped. "Lidium!" "Rosanne," he replied. "What are you doing? Where are you running off to?" I dropped my hand and raised my head, crossing my arms. "It's not your concern. Now go run along like a nice vampire and scare an innocent human." I defiantly walked past him and I heard him growl. "Oh quiet," I said. "No pouting." "Rosanne!" He yelled. I heard quick steps and in a second he was beside me, keeping up with my pace. I turned a corner toward the front gate as he began his rant. "How many times do we have to talk about this?" he began. I rolled my eyes. "Don't you dare," he said. "Listen to me." "I have no choice," I said blandly and dropped my arms to hold my dress so I could quicken my pace. After many days of the same routine, I should realize that no matter how fast I walk, he can still keep up. "No, you don't. Where do you keep running off to? And always after lunch. You know you're supposed to accompany your father for a walk around the castle grounds." "Did my father send you?" "Of course! I personally couldn't care less about you," he murmered. "But he knows you won't listen to him." "I course I won't," I rounded him. I began to push him away from me while speaking. "And if he sent you, I don't want to hear another word. I don't want to walk with my father. I don't want to be bothered. What I do want is to be left alone!" I stopped pushing him, hiked up my skirt and walked away with my head in the air. I heard him yell in aggravation and stomp away, going to tell my father that I, again, would not attend the walk around the grounds. "Rosanne." I turned to my left and saw Mary. I relaxed immediately and took a grateful sigh. "Mary, hello!" I walked to her and smiled. "Are you two fighting again?" I groaned and turned to walk away, my smile falling. "No, Rosanne, stop!" She grabbed my arm. "Why aren't you giving him a chance, like I asked?" "Because he's not giving me a chance to give him a chance!" I said. I stopped walking and looked down. "All that stupid vampire has been doing for the past two weeks is giving me messages from my father and trying to control me. He does nothing else." "Don't say stupid," Mary whispered. "Stupid," I grumbled. "But what did I expect?" I said before Mary could comment. "As long as he tries to rein me in," I said, smiling evilly, "I'll just defy more and more." I turned around to face Mary. "It is rather fun though," I said. "I never did like the walks with my father." "That's what this is about?" Mary said incredulously. "This is about showing him that you don't want to be controlled?" "This is about showing him that I can't be controlled. I heard your conversation with him at the library. If he thinks that he can just 'keep an eye on me' and 'stay by my side' only to keep me on a leash, he is insane. More than I had already thought." Mary only stared at me and let go of my arm. "You heard our conversation?" "Yes, I did." "And that's why you're doing this?" "Yes, it is." "For these two whole weeks of defiance and arguing, you're doing this because of a conversation and to prove a point?" "Yes." "Well!" Mary exclaimed. "I'm glad it's for something important." I gave Mary a look and she shook her head. "I'm going. You'll know where I am." "Of course," Mary sighed. "Oh and Mary," I said as I left, "I would never let anyone take your job." Chapter 2 At dinner there was a silence as Lidium glared at me from across the table and I pointedly ignored him. "You two seem to not be getting along," My father observed. "Not at all," Lidium said as I said, "Of course we are!" I looked at him and glared. My father grunted and took a bite of his food. My father left the table early, excusing himself without a look at both of us and walking into his office. Lidium took this opportunity to speak up. "What is your problem?" "My problem?" I asked innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "You're yelling at me all the time, always running off to who-knows-where, and otherwise completely ignoring me! Do you not remember that on the first day we met, I helped you?" he stood and began to pace. I laughed. "Oh yes, I remember quite well." "What went wrong?" He asked, looking at me. "By now my father is expecting everything to be great and dandy. He would kill me if he saw how we were acting right now. Would you be able to at least pretend you like me?" I snorted, not very lady like, and stood, putting my hands on my hips. "Of course not! I don't want to like you! Not now, not ever." He walked around the table and I did the same, so now we were on opposite sides. He sighed heavily and began to talk. "Why not! What have I done that angers you so! I have no memory as to an event that I would deserve this kind of treatment." His pointed teeth was glinting off the lighting from the candles above us and I quickly placed my eyes on his. "Of course you don't!" I yelled. "You wouldn't. You're too caught up in your little 'ideas' to realize!" As I was speaking, I realized that his purple eyes would flash every once in a while. That they were deep, somewhat mesmerizing, and I was falling... That was, until he spoke again. "What are you talking about?" he sighed dramatically. My eyes left his and I stared down his body. I realized I haven't really looked at him since the first day. I observed his buttoned shirt and the muscles showing through it, totally ignoring the words he was speaking. Once I reached below his torso though, I flushed and turned around. "I'm going to bed," I declared, interrupting his sentence. I saw the shock on his face as he stared at me, and I easily ignored it and walked to the stairs. Tell me your thoughts please