The Royal Library

The royal library was only a short walk away from the palace, and it was built within the same walls. King Cassian wasn't much of a scholar, but he at least recognized the value in having learned minds and a large collection of knowledge. As such, the royal library was well funded and maintained, making it one of the largest bastions of knowledge on the whole continent. It's open to the public, though these days the citizens have better things to do than read about history or astronomy. Alice saw the value in these books, but her time was of the essence, and while there were many subjects she was interested in, she needed to be selective with what she chose to peruse.

Stepping inside the grand building, she casts her eyes on the rows upon rows of bookshelves, detailing every topic that the mind could come up with. From the founding of the kingdom to the history of those who came before, there was a bit of something for everyone, as long as time was spent to look. All was silent here, except for the occasional unfurling of a scroll or the turning of a page, and Alice carefully picked her way across the shelves, carefully deciding what to spend her time on.

The Wisdom of Lord Commander Hall. A book on stratagems and logistics. Kurtis could probably make better use of that than her, and she was already semi-versed in the art of war already, but there's no harm in learning more. Who knows when she'll have to fight a war.

The Lost Secrets of the Arcanum. A book written by a self purported wizard. Magic hasn't been seen on this continent since centuries ago, during the last war of the runes, but every now and then, there'll be those who claim to be able to channel magic and manipulate mana. Perhaps this one tome might hold enough truths to be considered useful?

The Knots that Bind: Keeping your Lover on Edge. Was this... erotica? And it had drawn artwork too? Alice rolls her eyes and places the book back where she found it, but her eyes occasionally flit back towards it, even as she walks away. Was she... curious? That can't possibly be the case, can it?

The clock ticks, and she realizes that she needs to make a choice before her morning fades away. There was much to be done, and so she reaches for...