The Archives Library seemed much bigger on the inside to Victoria as she took the first few steps inside, the door quietly closed behind her. A familiar musk of books mixed with the fresh scent of lemongrass tea greeted her warmly; the tinkle of a windchime blowing gently in the wind captures her ears, as she makes her way forward.
What a most unorthodox library she mused, observing the mahogany bookshelves stacked to the brim with books galore, all of which lie behind a circular desk filled with papers and the source of the tea. Does this place allow people to drink tea while reading? How odd.

It was Mrs Johnson’s idea to pay this place a visit. ‘I was looking for a trinket in town and found this hidden gem in the alleys. I am positive you will not be bothered by your mother or fiance there.’ Trusting the old woman’s judgement, she made plans to see this discovery for herself.

She picked an outfit that looked less conspicuous - a modest sage green dress, matching short heeled shoes, and a matching ribbon to tie her hair - and got Alice to cover for her as she snuck out to see if this was too good to be true. Despite getting a few odd looks from the townspeople, she eventually found it tucked in an alley next to the bric-a-brac shop (which she made a mental note to visit one day). To behold such a place with her own two eyes even felt like a dream, especially as the silver and lavender haze covered the walls in soft hues.

Turning her attention back to the desk, a bell labelled ‘ring for assistance’ caught her attention. With nothing to lose, she pressed the top, and a rather loud ding echoes across the room. The silence soon stretched for what felt like a minute, before a small yelp came from above:

‘Ah! One second, I’m coming now! Please stay there!’

Startled, Victoria gazed up, only to realise there was a second floor complete with a balcony. A set of dark marble stairs connect on both sides, hidden originally by the walls as she walked in. Gods, how does this all fit in here? Victoria thought, smoothing out her dress as she waits.

From the left set of stairs came a set of muffled steps, guiding her attention to an extremely strange looking woman. Her outfit was a parade of purples - a colour which is usually exclusive to royals, but made to look more common in this environment. What made this look seem more scandalous was that her skirt, unlike Victoria’s ankle length, only reached to her knees. The most fascinating part about this ensemble was not the mismatched stockings, nor the coordinating boots (though she was jealous of such footwear), but the stitching around her left thigh as if the skin itself had been sewn together.

Once this fashion anomaly had descended the stairs, another shock greeted the fair maiden; this person had hair as blue as the afternoon sky, the white bow not taking away from the slightly unkempt look. She subtly pinched her wrist, only feeling the slight sting of pain - she was indeed awake. This fascination (and concern) in appearance, however, were not spoken aloud as they made their way to the desk, greeting Victoria with a warm smile.

‘Welcome to The Archives, miss! We don’t get too many visitors, so apologies for the tardiness. How can I help you today?’

What a polite girl, Victoria thought, taking a moment to gather her words. She was expecting an old, grumpy man to be running a library, not an eccentrically coloured young lady.
‘Good day. Are you the owner of this library?’

The woman looks bashful, playing with the chain lets her glasses hang from her neck. ‘Yup, that’s me! You’re not the first to be surprised by it, but I can assure you I’m capable at my job.’ This answer seemed to satisfy Victoria.

‘I do not doubt that, I can assure you. Would you be able to help me find a new book to read?’ Victoria asked. The librarian put her glasses on, smiled, then pulled out a ledger labelled ‘Shelves and Genres’ and placed it on the desk. ‘We’ve got plenty of shelves to choose from, what do you wanna read?’

‘I…honestly do not know. I simply go with what I am able to get my hands on from my friend.’ She played with the sleeve of her dress while debating what to say. ‘ This might be impolite to ask, but are you warm enough in those clothes? And… what happened to your… no nevermind.’ 

It takes the librarian a moment to register the questions, before realising what she was asking about. ‘Oh! I, uh, I’m perfectly fine in these clothes! It gets warm in here, you know? As for this-’ she gestured to the stitch around her leg, ‘-it’s all well and good! Not hurting or anything, I promise! I knew I should’ve covered it up…’

‘No, not at all!’ Victoria reassured quickly, worried about her earlier comment. ‘It is simply the first time I have seen such an outfit, or marking on the body, especially in such an uncommon style.’ I hope I did not offend her!

The librarian sighed in relief, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Thank the stars for that! I always worry that I’m a little out of place whenever visitors come around.’ She opened the ledger to a random page and turned it around to explain it better.

‘Now miss… I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.’
‘It is Victoria,’ she answered coolly.
‘Ohhh, how pretty! Can I call you Vicky for short?’
‘You may not.’
‘Alrighty, Victoria it is then! So if we wanna find you a book, what we do is-’

As the explanation went on, Victoria reflected on how odd their interaction has been. She acts as if we are equals, yet dresses as if they are of a foreign land. It is… rather refreshing to see. 

‘-and that’s how they’re all organised for people to pick their books! Any questions?’

Victoria snapped back to reality with an expectant gaze from the blue haired librarian in front of her. She had not, in fact, paid attention to how it was all organised, nor would she be admitting it. Racking her brain, she ended up remembering the questions she entered the library with. ‘Well, firstly, how long are you open for? And how many books can I take out at a time?’

The librarian gave a reassuring smile. ‘We are open 24/7, 365 days a year. As for the limit, you can take up to 3 books out of here at a time. If you’re reading in The Archives, you can just take as many books off as you’d like - I’ll happily put them back when you’re done.’

Victoria smiled at this revelation. Mrs Johnson was right… this really is a hidden gem.
As the thought passed through her mind she frowned slightly, processing it more. ‘If it is open every hour of the day, how many people work here?’

There was hesitation, before a quiet reply. ‘It’s just me. This place doesn’t get many visitors, and nobody really asks about opening or closing times.’
Victoria gasped at the answer, taken aback by this news. ‘It must get lonely here’
‘A little, but then I get encounters with nice people like you every so often, so it’s not all bad! There’s a lot of books to pass the time here too.’

This tinge of loneliness in the librarian’s answer made Victoria relate all too well - the feeling of isolation from others due to her status or her mother’s control. The only difference between them is the fact Victoria had Mrs Johnson to talk to. Who knows how long it has been since this person’s had anyone to talk to… or anyone to discuss these books with. A soft, determined smile formed on Victoria’s face.

‘Then it is settled.’

The librarian tilts her head in confusion. ‘What’s settled?’
‘If you are ready for a returning customer, you are to help me locate and read every book in this library.’
They looked at Victoria, stunned as she took in the request. ‘The WHOLE Library?! I mean, I have a lot of b-’ she trailed off before looking at the determination in Victoria’s eyes. Instead of words, the look in her eye gave a promise no man could break. They straightened up and bowed slightly, trusting their gut in this new patron. ‘The Archives will help you with any book you desire, you need but simply to ask.’

Victoria chuckled at this more formal tone from their new blue haired companion. ‘ Well, I am in need of a name if I am to rely on you. Do you have one?’
‘Oh! Yes, of course! Just call me Pal!’
Confusion is written all over Victoria’s face. ‘Pal? What an odd name for such an odd person…’
Pal smiled widely at this. ‘Thank you, I chose it myself. Now then-’ she turned the ledger around and turned to the first page, ‘-let’s find you the best book to start your quest!’