"Uhm..." She glanced at the table and then at the Prince. "You would let me?" She asked, slightly incredulous. She barely expected him to allow her a book. Letting her pick one out was one of the last things she'd have thought he would do. But she nodded her head, she would rather like to pick out the book than have one of the servants do it. She took another bite of the apple. She didn't want it to brown.

((So short. I'm sorry. I don't know how to lengthen it >.< ))

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James shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He said, turning to walk out of the room and into the hall, expecting her to follow. "I mean, I don't have anything better to do, so I might as well take you to pick one, from the library." He said, glancing back in her direction. "Plus, in my opinion, servants have awful taste in books.. Mostly because a lot of them can't read, but still." He added.

(it's fine ;0 ive dealt with shorter replies before, aha)

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Radia couldn't keep in the smile that found its way out. When he left, she half jumped to catch up with him. She half jogged until she was just behind him. She was... excited, to see the library. She wondered if it was large, or maybe small. Maybe the royals weren't into books. "Well... Thanks." She looked at the walls and decorations. She wondered how long it took to build this place. It seemed huge. Even if she had the chance, Radia didn't know if she would ever be able to memorize its hallways. "You don't educate or hire educated servants?" She asked.

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James led the way, and despite the maze of halls in the large castle, he seemed to know it like the back of his hand, which, he did. It wasn't hard at all, for him to guide her to the vast library they had, though most of the books were history-related, for education, mostly educating royal children, though. "We have too many to teach them all, but a few do pick up on it. Or some know how to, when we hire them." James responded. "Or, they're born into servitude, and never have received an education.. It might be nice, to educate them, one day, if it can be changed."

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Radia had slowed to look around multiple times and she would fall behind slightly and then half jog to catch up. And it didn't help that his strides were longer than hers. She stayed a few feet behind him, not daring to get any closer. She wondered how long it took James to figure this place out. Maybe it had come natural to him. Or maybe not. "I think it would be nice to educate them. Bring teachers in to tutor them." She remembered her tutoring years. She was younger, though. Her father wanted her to grow up in etiquette. Look where that got her. But with servents, it would be different, right? Maybe they should be given the choice. If they were born into servitude, they could choose to stay, or leave. "Or send them out. The servants, that is."

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James didn't really stop at all, when she slowed down, not even slowing down himself, for her to catch up. Really, he wanted to be in and out of the library quickly, so he didn't get in trouble, if his parents or someone else saw her with him, because, he knew what would happen? "Perhaps. I can't do anything but suggest it, right now, though." He said, glancing back at her. "Ah, but if we let some of them leave, others will to, and they will not come back. Some royals, not me, though, can't live without someone tending to their every whim. I could honestly care less, whether we have servants or not, but I'm just used to them being there, now." James shrugged.

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Radia, caught up and behind him--not minding him not slowing, she knew she wasn't even supposed to be out of her room, and that James was taking a risk, but she was thankful all the same-- tilted her head. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed in thought. "Do you pay them?" She asked curiously. "Because if they are paid, I'm sure quite a few would stay, and then a lot of commoners would join either to get money to survive, or be able to say 'I get to work with the royals.'" Raz was sure there would be more than a fair share of people who would work for the royals just to be able to get bragging rights.

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James narrowed his eyes slightly, as he thought over her question, and statement. "We pay a few of them, ones who do good work, or have been with us a long time." He explained, glancing back at her. "I'm sure there's plenty of people wanting the bragging rights. But, most of the royals tend to want to keep the wealth to themselves, in case you haven't noticed. Most of us don't want to pay a bunch of servants." He added. "They see it as them losing money, simple as that. They'd rather keep it all to themselves, it's just how it is."

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"They are loosing money by not paying them." Radia paused, running over her thoughts. "And more commoners are falling to starvation because they can't buy food. You see, the money isn't circulating at all this day in life. The wealthy are hoarding all of the commoners' money, so the commoners loose money and don't get it back. And that decreases population which means less taxes coming in to the kingdom. Now, if the royals pay their servants, the commoners can get a pay somehow, money starts to circulate, less people die, more taxes coming in." Radia smiled. It was like a present wrapped in a nice bow. "So, are they really loosing money right now?"

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James listened to her speak, and nodded slowly as she did, grinning just a bit. "No, I think you're absolutely right, saying that." He said, stopping for just a moment, to turn, and look at her, to speak. "Despite the excellent education, that most royals receive, and what you'd think is a sensible upbringing, most of us don't think about the consequences and all that. And especially don't want to share the wealth." He said, and shrugged. "Feel free to yell at my parents about it, if you get married to a relative of mine, so they can't really imprison you, if you go against them."

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Radia almost ran into him when he suddenly stopped and turned, but she stopped just in time. She thought he was going to push her back to her room for a brief moment before he spoke. Her cheeks pinkened slightly after he finished speaking. He told her she was right. A sudden thought struck her when he said that last sentance. He keeps talking about her marrying a relative-- he seemed to have gotten past if's, which Radia was glad about. But he never said anything about himself. "Are you betrothed?" She blurted out. She took a small step back, her cheeks flushing a little more. "I'm sorry, you just keep talking about me marrying your relatives... and I'm just, curious."

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James was just a bit surprised, by her question, and his expression conveyed that. Really, he didn't have an answer, it hadn't been decided who he'd marry, whether it was arranged or of his own choice, but either way, he did not look forward to it. He'd never really been with anyone, anyways, or ever really had a crush, or anything. Sure, he'd met princesses and such, before, and some of them were candidates, to his parents, for him to marry, and it wasn't like he was necessarily allowed to marry a commoner of his choice, it'd be arranged with a commoner, with magic, if anything. "No, it's fine to ask that. I'm not betrothed, though. It hasn't really been decided, who I'll marry, yet." He eventually stated. "It might even be you, who knows?" He said, almost a bit awkwardly.

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"Oh... No." Radia spoke, not with disgust-- maybe a little undertone, but not really detectable-- but impossibility. And refusal. If she refused to be married to one of his relatives, then she certainly wouldn't marry him. Not in a million years. "I will not be brought, bought, or kidnapped into the royal family." She added, a bit vehemently, but adamantly. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to say, being a prisoner and all, but she apparently couldn't keep her tongue to herself when she was around him.

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James simply nodded a bit. "Well, you might not have a choice." James said, and turned, to start walking again. He wasn't really upset about that, because it wasn't his problem, really. Besides, he knew how his parents were, they'd probably have him marry some wealthy princess from another kingdom, or country, not their most recent commoner addition. "Though, to be honest, I don't think I'm as awful as some of my family." He added, with a small laugh. "That's my opinion, though, and I'm guessing you don't really want to hear that?"

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Radia's stomach dropped. She always had a choice. Even if it didn't seem like she did, she would make one. She hesitated before following after him. She didn't respond. Maybe he wasn't as bad, but he hadn't exactly done anything to prove he was better. Taking her to the library was hardly proof of him being better than the rest of his family. She kept pace wig him, keeping her eyes adverted mostly to the ground, now, instead of the walls. Of course, she still looked up to note the turns. This may be her only time exploring the castle that she got. She would take full advantage.

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