Chapter Eleven.
The Forbidden Room
At school, I spend my time in the treasure-trove that is the library. The blood of life gushes through my veins as I find hidden jewels in this cave of paper and words. Renowned books I’ve heard the names of from since I left the womb, only never have actually read. That feeling that my life will never be complete until every classic is devoured and every great author’s style completely understood.
“Hey, you look happy. You don’t need any pro-happiness group when you’ve got the library,” says Calix ,reading my feelings as he comes over to join me.
“Oh Calix ,does the City of the Broken have a library? I’m never more enthralled than when I’m looking at books,” I smile.
“It sure does. I should have taken you ages ago. You’ll love it, it’s huge and has every books you could ever think of,” he says, his eyes glittering with promise as I beam up at him like a small child.
The City of the Broken public library has gothic architecture and an impressive nobility that makes it seem more like an official government building than a library. It’s the most amazing library I’ve ever set foot in. This masterpiece of libraries is an example to all the rest. I feel as though I’ve come across a diamond mine in my own back garden that I never even knew was there. A hive of literature that not only stocks the classics that by birthright should grace every library, but also the new, the rare and the most popular.
The black floors gleam with polish, squeaking as I walk over them, taking care not to slip from my excitement. The walls are white. The books are the ornaments, the centrepiece, the works of art that hang in the frames of old oak bookshelves.
The library has three floors-fact, fiction, poetry and drama. We’ve been here hours and I’m still no where near full in this feast of words.
“Oh Calix, why didn’t you take me here the very first time you took me to the city? I feel as though I’m sampling oxygen after a lifetime of breathing only fumes,” I say, still not believing such a perfect place could actually exist. The ultimate library.
“Sorry Seren. I know you love books, I do too but I thought you’d be more interested in the palace or BlackBall,” he says earnestly.
“This city should be famous for its library if it isn’t already. The City of the Books should be its new name,” I say.
“I wonder what Dad would have to say about that idea,” he smiles.
“Okay, I now officially don’t understand the point of view of the Broken citizens .How can you be unhappy when you have access to all of this? ” I ask stretching out my arms to motion to the library as a whole.
At the third floor, after practically crying tears of joy on discovering numerous editions of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Keats ,I realize there is one more flight of stairs, which seems to lead to an attic or perhaps another layer of books-the rarest and most wonderful that Calix has forgotten to mention?
I climb the stairs eagerly, wondering what magnificence awaits, what other titles and authors there could possibly be that the vast array of the first three floors didn’t cover. The door at the top of the flight of stairs is covered by a large, embroidered tapestry of black, silver and gold. I shift it to one side and realize a padlock bars my entry through the oak door.
“Hey! Seren, you can’t go up there,” says Calix racing towards me, looking alarmed.
“Why? What’s behind the door Calix? Are there any more books?” I ask feeling like a child that has just been scolded.
“It isn’t open to the public. That’s Fathers own archive,” he says in an unfamiliar formal tone.
“Why doesn’t he have his archive in his own palace rather than a public library?” I ask bemused.
“Security is very tight here, Dad actually believes it safer for his documents to be stored here.
No one except senior members of staff actually knows what this room is for. Only Dad and I have a key,” he says.
“Why do you have a key to his archives?” I ask still puzzled.
“Well, actually I don’t have the key yet. I’ll inherit the key and the archives when I’m King. He says that room holds the secrets of the city. To be honest I’m as intrigued by it as you are. I don’t understand what secrets there are, but that padlock is so frustrating. I long to know what’s in that mystery room,” he says, his eyes lighting up with wonder.
“Wow. It must be pretty special if he won’t even allow you to go in there. I can’t even imagine the knowledge that room holds,” I say fascinated, staring at the lock that guards the secret forbidden information.
“Can’t we just break the lock?” I ask suddenly, impulsively, my curiosity getting the better of me.
“Oh believe me Seren, I’ve tried in my youth. I even had Frederick with his muscles of steel and cunning nature to find a way to break, pick or loosen that lock but even he gave up- and he’s a man who would jump over every obstacle there is to achieve a goal. The only way it opens is with that illusive key,” he says arching his eyebrow.
“How often does your Dad come in this room then?” I ask.
“You know that is the curious thing. I have never known him to even set foot in this library, yet he places such importance on that room. The only time I know that he came here was when I was a child when he opened it officially .But even then he didn’t actually go inside the library, he just stood at the entrance,” he says, now equally as bemused as me.
After finding a dozen books I want to borrow, I use Calix’s shiny black card, embossed with purple ‘City of the Broken Public Libraries’ font. I can’t have my own library card as they are available to citizens only.
“Promise to take them back on time Seren. I love the library as much as you do,” he says.
“I always return books Calix but I’ll make absolutely certain I will when they are on your card,”
I say truthfully and he smiles trustingly.
“I’m so fascinated by that forbidden room Calix. I’m more inclined to believe it stocks secrets of the King than secrets of the city,” I say ,wondering what darkness the king has hidden away.
“Don’t encourage the itch of my imagination Seren. I both long for and dread to know the depths of information that room holds. Then at other times I think that I’ll be sorely disappointed when I discover what is probably little more than a collection of historic documents and family trees,” he says.
I’m well aware that there could be anyone watching, waiting to report us to His Majesty the King but I don’t care. It’s a beautiful day and my fiancé and I are enjoying a rare undisrupted stroll through The City of the Broken.
Just as I’m becoming totally engrossed in the sweet sunshine kissed sky, a passer by dressed in yellow approaches us
“Hi! Would you like to join us as a volunteer? I’m a Smiley and we promote the Pro-Happiness cause to bring colour, happiness and smiles back into this gloomy city. Interested?” she asks beaming up at us with an almost unnatural, permanent political smile on her face.
I look at Calix, unsure what to say.
“Not today, but thank you,” he says, smiling politely.
“Oh wow, you’re the prince. I heard you support this cause already, that’s one of the reasons I joined,” she says smiling adoringly at Calix.
After we escape her, Calix and I laugh at the irony of the situation.
“It’s hilarious that the King brought about his own worst nightmare by his own doing. You’d have thought he’d think it through before telling the world you were a fan of The Smiley’s,” I say, nearly choking from laughing so much.
“I think he was just so angry that the two of us were engaged that he acted almost impulsively.
I’m sure he’ll be working on damage limitation now he’s realized his error. It’ll be all over the news tomorrow that I’ve switched back to Pro-despair now,” he says.
“Probably,” I agree sniggering.
“The City really is divided now though. Pro-despair groups are concentrated heavily on one side of the city and Pro-happiness members are banned from entering and vice versa. I’m all for freedom of speech but I don’t agree with these sunshine and cloudy sides of the city,” he says, looking concerned about the situation.
“What has your father said about the whole issue?” I ask, wondering why the King seems to have become so quiet of late.
“Actually Seren, I haven’t seen Dad in days. I really don’t have a clue what he’s up to and what his opinions are. I’ve actually taken it upon myself to set up a group to discuss the divide. It’s called City Reunited. I want people to live their lives how they choose to but this divide is silly.
It’s turning people who’ve never even met each other into enemies and I don’t want this to be a city of conflict,” he says passionately.
“Oh Calix, you are so active in society, unlike me. You stay up to date with all these current affairs. I just don’t know how you do it,” I say enthralled.
“Well, it’s my duty Seren. I am the prince and especially as Dad’s absent at the moment, it’s my responsibility to lead these types of things,” he says modestly.
“So where is this group?” I ask.
“We meet every Tuesday evening at the community centre .If a serious or notable incident or development occurs, such as a riot, we’ll meet twice or three times a week,” he says.
“Who can join, elites only, like at the meeting with your Dad?” I ask.
“No. That’s the beauty of this. Anyone who’s a citizen of this city, whether they are Pro-Happiness, Pro-Despair or neutral can join,” he smiles.
“Oh ,that’s great. That way it’s fair as everyone can express their opinions and concerns. But Calix, the trouble is I’m not a citizen, so can I attend?”
“Well Seren, ordinarily I’d say no but since it’s you I’ll make an exception and bring you along as my plus-one. Just try not to contribute too much though .It might irritate the citizens if you are opinionated on matters of a city you aren’t even a member of,” he says honestly.
“Okay. That’s not a problem. Even if I was a citizen I’d be far too shy to say anything,” I say frankly and he laughs.