Helena strolled through the square, smiling absently at the stream of silver fish that floated above her head. She had been in the City for a few hours, just seeing the sights and occasionally stopping to say hello to some of the locals. A sphinx had sniffed around her slippers for a few moments, but she had kept it occupied with a riddle and managed to slip away. Now she sat down on a bench, a few blocks down from the library.
"When are you going to get a new pair of slippers? Those things are
disgusting!!!" Helena grinned and turned her head to see Valentine, his mouth curled into a look of horror as he took in her bunny slippers.
"These were a gift from my Aunt-Nan, you know. They happen to be my favourite."
"They happen to be a crime against nature," he responded, flicking back his coat and sitting next to her. He pulled an apricot out of his pocket and tossed it to her, and she took a bite, amazed as always at the sweet taste of the food in the City.
Valentine ate his own apricot and fell into musing. Helena was content to just sit beside him; she missed his company in her waking life.
"How's Tower?" she asked, and he shrugged in reply.
A few more minutes passed, and Helena sucked on the pit of her apricot absently.
"I've always wanted to go up there," said Valentine, pointing at the farthest tower of the library. Helena looked up, squinting in the flashing sunlight at the tower. She turned back to her friend looking confused.
"What for?" she asked.
He sighed whistfully. "They say it's got the greatest book in the world, up there."
"I didn't know you could read, Valentine?" She smirked at him.
"Har, har, har..." he said, flinging his own apricot pit over his shoulder.
"So what book is this supposed to be?"
