The night candle flickered from the breeze penetrating through the window; the window creaked, swaying, casting shadows on the walls in Micah's chamber.
The blade of moonlight sliding into the room slowly disappears as the clouds covers it up; the sky rumbles, and lightning flashes in the dark sky, making an eerie noise.
"My lady, the night is far gone…"
"I will sleep, Tamar." Micah interrupted calmly, her eyes still fixed on the book she was reading. Her brows were furrowed, her lips pouted… Eyes heavy with sleep, yet she refused to be subdued by slumber.
"Very well, call me if you need anything." Tamar said with a bow, then left the room. It would be a waste of time if she tried to convince Micah any further; her mistress was stubborn.
Silence pressed against the chamber; only the flipping of pages could be heard at intervals. Hours passed by, Micah's eyes were still wide open, her attention fixed on the book she was reading, and soon she closed the book.
"What a lovely book."
She muttered to herself, she pushed the chair she was seated on backward, and it scraped the floor; she steadily rose to her feet and then adjusted her gown.
She picked up the book and made her way out of the chamber. The sound of her shoes echoed as they made contact with the spotless marble floor of the long, dark hallway.
There were sconces of fire on the walls, some extinguished, with only a few left to illuminate the corridors. Micah's shadows stretched on the walls as the light of the fire sconce radiated on her.
She got to a worn-out wooden door and pushed it open; she stepped in only to be clouded with dust from all angles.
Micah coughed violently. Before raising her gaze, there was dust everywhere, but she managed to squint her eyes and saw the shadow of a figure lurking in the thick darkness by the corner of the room.
The whole place was a mess; scrolls rolled open on the floor, and countless books piled up and spread open lay on the floor. When Micah glanced down, she realized she was stepping on a book.
Actually there was no way she could walk around the room without stepping on a book. There were two candlelights placed on a wooden table some distance away from where she stood.
She glided towards it, her eyes darting around the room in search of the person she had seen, before the dust blurred her vision.
"My lady?"
"Ahhhgh!
Micah screamed in terror when someone popped out of the darkness and stood right in front of her.
It was Drigo.
He was an African, so he had dark skin; he scared Micah, and her spirit almost left her body.
"Drigo…you shouldn't scare me like that."
Micah said, placing her right hand on her thumping chest, as if doing that would calm her racing heart.
"I didn't mean to scare you, your grace. What brings you here at this hour?" Drigo said before walking away, his bald head glowing under the yellow flames of the candlelight.
"I have finished the book you gave me; I wanted to return it." Micah replied, her eyes trailing him from behind as he walked around the room in haste, his hand pulling out books from the shelves.
"This is your fourth book this month. Do you actually read the books, or just stare at the pictures?"
His question was an insult, but Micah didn't take it to heart; he wasn't the only one that looked down on her because she wasn't from a noble background.
Drigo pulled out a huge book, almost too heavy for him to carry; he placed it on the desk and opened it, flipping through the pages with the speed of lightning.
"What are you searching for?"
Micah couldn't help but ask; she felt guilty for stepping on the knowledge of others. Books on the floor were trampled under her feet.
"Something of importance… I recently found out there might be a book filled with verse knowledge about my race. It was kept within the walls of this castle years ago; I learned of it from…" He paused, then decided to remain silent.
"From whom?"
Micah asked, arching her brows, but he sidestepped her question.
"If you would like to return the book, then you must tell me what you have learned." He said his keen gaze angled on the book opened in front of him.
Micah sighed and then lowered her gaze; everyone also kept secrets from her.
"I do read the books; I do not need to prove myself to you." She said calmly before dropping the book in her hand on the table with a thud, and dust rose in the air, dancing around the flames of the candle.
Drigo shifted his gaze in her direction, but she had turned away, already taking her leave.
"I am sorry, your highness." He says from where he stood.
Micah was already seething with rage, but she tried her best to hide it.
"Why are you apologizing?"
She halts in her steps and then turns around to look at him.
"Because I know how it feels to be looked down on, and I should never make anyone feel that way." He replied calmly.
Micah bit her lips and then looked away; her eyes flickered to a book among the pile on the floor.
"I want that book."
She said, pointing her index finger towards the direction of the book, her voice firm and unwavering.
Drigo glided across the room and got the book for her. He placed it in her palm gently before going ahead to say….
"If you really want to stand out in political matters, this book is a good foundation to build on."
Micah glanced at the book.
"Do you think I look down on you?"
She asked, her gaze darkening.
Drigo shrugged lightly before turning away.
"I am a historian; I am only good with books, not in reading people's minds."
Micah's grip on the book tightened; she took in a deep breath….
"Augustine Ceaser wrote the book Iron Sharpens Iron. After journeying in the wilderness for many years, he amassed knowledge about people and their cultures. He became an expert with the paths to foreign countries; the continental map was like an image inscribed in his head.
He learned over twenty languages. Practiced over a hundred and twenty religions, became the first man to introduce the monarchy system in Vandamonth years ago, and is also the one responsible for the continental war that took place between Galvestone and Hamstung exactly fifty years ago."
Micah stopped talking and tried to catch her breath.
The room was silent for a fleeting moment; the atmosphere tensed, and only the ragged breath of Micah could be heard.
Drigo was mesmerized, simply astounded. He could only gawk at Micah; it took a moment, but he was finally able to compose himself.
"I must say that was…truly impressive."
He admitted it, but Micah didn't care about what he had to say; she still felt inferior.
"I only said those things to let you know I do not read the books you give me for fun; I have made it a habit, woven it into my daily routine."
She said, making her point clear.
"Why do you read?"
Drigo's voice echoed from across the room.
This question came as a déjà vu to Micah. She remained silent not because she didn't know the answer, which was the case, but because she was trying to recall something.
Someone had asked her this very question before.
"I do not know why I read." Micah said calmly after giving the question a thought.
Drigo smiled wearily.
"I read because I love to gather knowledge. I like to chip in words that people cannot comprehend and watch them stutter while trying to fathom the meaning of the words I speak. I read because…it is the only thing that gives me value in this palace; without my knowledge…I am nothing."
His words wormed their way into Micah's skull.
"Maybe you read because you see it as an option to drive away loneliness. You and your thoughts woven into a book, left to your imagination… quite entertaining."
Micah felt he was mocking her, trying to tell her she had no friends, but that wasn't the case.
"The day you know why you read, do not hesitate to let me know, your grace." He spoke and then bowed slightly before turning away.
Micah allowed his words to sink in her heart before turning around to take her leave, but she paused in her steps when she got to the doorway.
"You have more value than you think, Drigo."
She said, and he raised his gaze from the book he was reading and trailed it to where she stood lurking in the darkness, but he could still catch a glimpse of her from the candlelight flickering on the table.
"The day that you realize your value is worth more than the knowledge that people seek from you, do not hesitate to let me know."
Those were her final words to him before she left, and Drigo could only watch as she disappeared into the darkness, leaving him to his thoughts.
Why do you read?
Why do you read?
Those words began to hunt Micah as she walked along the lonely hallways. She had never understood the whole concept of having a reason to read a book.
Whoever wrote the book would want people to read it… right? Wasn't that enough reason?
The hinges of the door groaned as Micah pushed it open. She stepped into her chamber, shutting the door behind her.
She placed the book on her reading table and reclined at the table for a while, thinking… Digging through her thoughts, it suddenly hits her.
Amilek!
He was the one who had asked her this question before.
"Why do you read?"
How could she forget?
She shifted her gaze to the book on the table; maybe Drigo was right. Reading was just an excuse to while away time, to fill the empty void of loneliness in her heart.