The library was warm and cozy. The sound of waves beating against the rocky shores was sweet music to her ears. The air smelled of parchment and ink, worn leather bindings and furniture polish. A clock was ticking somewhere nearby, but thankfully the ocean drowned out the annoying sound. Dust twinkled in the filtered light, filling the space around her with an enchanted feeling.

Time passed without her knowing it. Evelyn was tucked in a nook against a double window pane. The windowsill faced the east. In the evening’s she could sit in the very same spot and watch the sun as it disappeared, sinking beneath the horizon. The vast ocean expanded as far as the eye could see.

A worn book was perched in her lap. The leather coverings were tattered and frayed from use. She eagerly flipped through the pages, absorbing each word she read. She was pretty sure she had read the book from cover to cover at least six times, but it didn’t matter. Each time she picked it up, she always found something new she missed. Some new detail that changed her perspective or gave her a new idea to ponder over.

The sound of soft clothed shoes, pounding on the stone floor tore her attention from her book. Justine, her younger sister came charging in the room. Her long red hair streaming behind her, escaping from its carefully placed pins. The girl was only a few years younger than her, barely sixteen, but she was very mature for her age. Losing their mother at age four would do that to any child.

“What is it, Justine?” Evelyn asked, barely looking up from her book.

Justine stopped for a moment, gasping for breath. Her hands waved in the air as if she was trying to inhale more oxygen than was possible. Evelyn arched her brow at her sister. They clearly needed to work on her endurance.

“Father has made an alliance with the Vampires. He’s offered one of us to the Prince in marriage,” Justine inhaled deeply, her words coming out in a rush.

Evelyn slammed her book shut, bolting up right in her seat. Her heart pounded in her chest. How could their father make such a deal without consulting one of them?!

The wild look in her sister's eyes left her feeling wary. Justine never liked being confined to the palace. The South was boring and hot, surrounded on two sides by the sea and to the West and North were Werewolves and Vampires. Her sister was not one that liked to sit still. The girl craved adventure and freedom like the knights she enjoyed reading about in her books.

Evelyn didn’t understand her baby sister’s desire for excitement. She’d had enough excitement to last her a lifetime and the scars to prove it. Preferring the quiet and solitude of the library.

“We need to find father now,” Evelyn spoke firmly, standing up straight, her shoulders pulled back, hands folded in front. The perfect vision of decorum.

“He’s in the Great Hall. Margaret is already there,”Justine informed her.

Evelyn had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. “Of course she is.” Thus making her the last to know.

She followed her sister out of the library and down the halls. Her soft shoes padded along the stone floor. Justine was trying to rush down the hall. The girl was always itching to run. A bubbling canister of energy. Evelyn held them back by walking at a sure and steady pace. It didn’t matter if they arrived now or in ten minutes. The result would be the same.

Finally, coming up on the grand doors to the Great Hall, the servants pushed open the massive hand-carved wooden door. Evelynn stepped inside the hall, the room sizzling with tension. Her father, the King, was waiting, standing near his throne. Her eldest brother Lionel and sister Margaret stood before their father, awaiting their arrival.

The twins were nowhere in sight. No doubt being coddled by their army of Governesses. The Queen was also nowhere to be seen. Thank the Gods, at least one thing was going right. She couldn’t imagine dealing with her snickering step-mother. The witch would be glad to be rid of any number of them. Why her father married such a wicked woman was beyond her.