Kaz watched Will explore, a soft smile tugging at his mouth as he watched the young human wander. "Yes, they are. The shelves are labeled, if you look. The books themselves have small tags, or at least, the newer ones do. Many of the older ones do not." he shrugged faintly, running a hand through his hair.
Will nods, finding himself drifting towards the staircase. After the quick climb (the steps not squeaking even the slightest), Will discovers the biology and horticulture section. A book he recognizes from his room back in the village pokes out to him. An Introduction To Plant Magic it reads engraved in gold on the dark green spine. He hid it under his bed, only daring to read it via candlelight in the middle of the night. "Could I take one?" He calls, leaning over the railing to look at Kaz.
Kaz looked up at him, and nodded slightly when Will called out. "You can take any that catch your interest." he called back, smiling a little bit as he wondered what book Will might take from the library.
Nodding, Will goes back to the shelf. It seems the entire case is full of all sorts of guides and studies on plants and magic. He traces the spine of one book - Sentient Species - and its neighbor, by the same author: Flora of Fae. Many other titles catch his eye, but Will decides he needs to pace himself. He pulls the books from the shelves, tucking them against his chest as he makes his way down the staircase once more.
Kaz watched as Will came back down, a soft smile tugging at his features as he looked at the young man. "Is that all you are grabbing, for now?" he asked, raising his eyebrows faintly. "If so, we can head back to my chambers, where the servant who will accompany you will be waiting."
"Yes, don't want to overwhelm myself again," he laughs softly, tightening his grip around the books. A slight twinge of disappointment curls in his stomach. Alone, yet chaperoned like a child while Kaz does… Whatever it is he does. It makes Will question how often they'll see each other. One half of him absolutely relishes in the fact that he'll be away from the Snake, but the other half… Didn't they bond or whatever in the past few hours? "Alright then," He says, nodding towards the grand oak doors.
Kaz led Will back through the doors and out into the hallways. This time, the route he took in order to get back to his chambers was shorter. Quicker. He didn't mind if Will memorized this route; the library was a harmless place, after all. Or at least, mostly so. Knowledge had power, but it was doubtful Will would be able to quickly find books with information too damning.
Will glances over his shoulder back at the library before turning his attention back to the hallway in front of him. The path is notably quicker than the winding labyrinth they took to first get to the library. He tries his best to commit landmarks to his memory.
Kaz led Will back to his room, opening the door to the familiar bedchambers from earlier. "And here we are." he said. "The servant should be here soon." he looked over at Will, giving him a quick smile before looking away again, gaze flickering around the room.
The bedroom is the same as he left it. Grandiose unmade bed, wide windows that showcase even more of the lavish gardens, an attached bathroom bigger than Will's home back in the village. Will unconsciously gnaws on the inside of his cheek and nods, gripping the books slightly closer to his chest.
Kaz exhaled very faintly, crimson eyes flicking to the windows for a moment and then back to Will. "You will be fine on your own." he said. "No one will hurt you." Will seemed anxious; perhaps it was because he was afraid of another Fae harming him? After all, Kaz had told him it was a possibility.
"I know," Will says quietly, though it's more for him than for Kaz. Slowly, he begins to make his way to the edge of the bed, setting the books down on the nightstand next to his satchel. Just to be sure, he glances inside of the bag to find his sketchbook and pencil from where he left them that morning. "So, are you just going to be leaving daily?" He glances over at the other man.
He considered the question for a moment, watching Will. "I…yes. Most likely. I have a country to run, my Martyr. I cannot drop it simply to spend my time with you." he replied, reaching over to adjust the sheets on the bed, just to have something to do with his hands.
"And I understand that," Will replies, gripping one of the pillows to reshape and fluff. "I'm fully aware of your responsibilities." Though all it really does is makes him question how often he'd have to spend with the Snake. No matter how diabolical his other half gets, it does get lonely. Cold nights always seem to carry through each of their lives.
Kaz looked over at him. "If you are asking whether I will have time for you, I will have time. I shall not be always unavailable." just sometimes. He knew that over their many lifetimes, one of them was always so very busy. One of them never had time. It was why they broke apart every time.
"Alright," Will replies, shifting the pillow again. And again. "I was just curious." He sighs through his nose, finally releasing the pillow to grab hold of one of the books. He sits down on the bed, keeping his eyes pointed at the cover instead of glancing at Kaz. The book's prettier than him, anyhow – with engraved gold writing on a weathered evergreen cover.
Kaz knew Will was avoiding his gaze, but he didn't say anything about it. Thye were both…adjusting. There was always an adjustment period like this. Where they learned each other again, cautiously, slowly, uncertainly. It took time. It always did. It always would, as their reincarnations stretched through the years.
The silence that settles over them is… unsettling. Will drums his fingers along the cover of the book before slowly pulling it open. Before he reads what's on the page, he glances towards the door wondering when exactly this servant will show up and relieve Kaz of his duties. God, why can't this be easy, or at least why can't they feel comfortable around each other already?
(sorry for the wait! I'm on vacation and I was brain-dead due to lack of sleep yesterday)
It was only another minute or so until the servant did indeed show up, greeting Kaz with a quick bow and a curious glance towards Will. The servant seemed to be young, perhaps in his late teens, with the pointed ears and graceful features all Fae had. He also had a pair of glistening, feathered wings, that were folded neatly along his back to stay out of the way.
"This is the one I am to guide?" he asked, voice carrying a slight accent, different from the way Kaz spoke.
Kaz nodded. "He is. This is William, my newest," here his mouth twisted in a faint, sardonic smile, "concubine. William, this is…Ivan, I believe."
The servant inclined his head in a faint bow. "Ivan, yes." he looked over at Will. He had pale blue eyes and dark hair cut very short. His ears were pierced, glittering studs catching and flashing in the light. His clothing was simple; a white, collared shirt rolled up to the elbows, along with a dove grey waistcoat. Both opened in the back to allow his wings room, but were not open enough to show more skin than was necessary. He also wore black suitpants.
(askd no worries!)
Will hardly looks up from the first page of his book at the entry of the servant. The wings slightly shock him, but he supposes in a world where sentient plants roam free, a man with wings is hardly a surprise. At the mention of his unwilling concubine status, Will shoots a glare in Kaz's direction, but doesn't linger long.
"Hello," Will greets quietly, turning back to his book. There are handwritten annotations in the margins. Will can't wait to dive deep into a previous reader's thought process.
Kaz said a few more quiet things to Ivan, then turned to Will. "I must be going now, darling. I will be back later." and then he was gone, striding out the door with hardly a sound, save the soft click of the latch catching as it closed.
Ivan, for his part, did not speak, simply began to tidy the room. He put clothes in their proper places, organized the books laying haphazardly about, tidied papers into neat stacks on Kaz's desk, fluffed pillows, adjusted curtains. The room looked nicer in only a very short time, though it was by no means perfect.
Will hums, barely acknowledging the Snake's exit. His eyes skim over the first page, taking in the words and annotations. Just to take a brief peek at what's to come, Will carefully flips through the pages. The handwriting is looping and squished, the ends of words merging into others. Some of the notations are rushed and excited, as if the reader had come to a grand conclusion some time during their reading. Other times the comments are just a simple question mark, or even an exclamation point.
"Fascinating," Will mutters quietly, returning to the front cover of the book. It's only after he speaks does he realize the silence of the room. He glances up at the servant. "Do you speak much?" He asks, even though Will's a man of few words himself.
Ivan blinked at him, wings twitching faintly at the question. "If you would like me to, then I can." he replied, in the midst of folding a spare blanket that had been laying haphazardly on the floor. Kaz was not a slob, but he was not a pin-neat person, either. He almost never was. He tended to be a touch on the messy side, a touch on the disorganized side, at least in terms of his private spaces. In many things, he could be highly organized and methodical; his bedroom had just rarely been one of those things.
"I'm not going to order you to talk," Will replies, the idea of having that sort of authority over someone like poison on his tongue. "I was just wondering if it was always going to be this quiet." He flips through the pages, allowing Ivan to carry through his work.
Will stops at the page break, green eyes flicking up to the young servant. "How long have you been here at the palace?" He asks after hesitantly choosing his words.
Ivan finished with the blanket, setting it to the side. "I have been here for a few years." he replied, a touch unsure why Will was asking him about it. His pale eyes flickered to Will's ears, taking in the rounded shape rather than the normal points of a Fae. His brows twitched faintly at the realization, but he did not say anything about it.