Married to the Crown Prince who Hates Me

Elenas POV I wasnt anyone special. I was twenty four year old Elena Solon, a librarian who worked for peanuts in a city that consumed lives faster than it built dreams. My days were spent cataloging books no one read and lending out materials to the occasional curious soul who wandered into my section of the library. It wasn't a glamorous life, but it was mine. In the humming and constant buzzing of the city in the year 2430, with the towering glass walls of the Solace Memorial Hospital, hover cars zipped along magnetic lanes, neon lights flickered in the hazy twilight, and the hum of humans moving and working in the, tireless and constant reminder of the unrelenting pace of the 25th century. And of all the many unfeeling machines trudging through their daily activities I seemed to be one of the smallest, most inconsequential cogs, the librarian of the Solace Memorial Hospital. The library wasn't much to look at, it was tucked away in some forgotten corner of the massive medical complex, far from the busy wards and research labs. It also smelled faintly of old paper and antiseptic, it was a relic in a world that no longer valued tangible things. Not, when we had holographic databases and digital archives, but tucked away in the back, behind rows of sleek, glowing terminals, were shelves of actual books. Real ones! They still had their worn spines and yellowed pages that smelled faintly of dust and coffee, this section was my favorite, though hardly anyone else seemed to care. Today, I had tried to keep busy or at least pretend to be busy, sorting through a batch of medical texts that had come in earlier that morning. But that still didn't stop my eyes from drifting back to the clock on the far wall. 12:02. He would be here soon. Like clockwork, Max Everett always came in a little after noon. He was an intern, young, brilliant and annoyingly too handsome. His dark curls always fell over his face in a shock seemed perpetually tousled, his eyes were a beautiful gray that glowed when he stared at you under the sun and carried the kind of intensity that could make you forget your own name, and his smile well, that smile had been the subject of more daydreams than I cared to admit. Sure enough, at precisely 12:05, he strode in and I heard the door slide open, there he was right on time. Max strolled in with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where he was going, his white coat flapping slightly as he walked. He was carrying a tablet in one hand, but his gaze immediately locked onto me, and my stomach did that stupid little flip it always did when he looked my way. I– I was hopelessly in love with him. "Hey, Elena." He mumbled his voice familiar, casual and warm, like were old friends instead of the near-strangers we actually are. "Max, "I reply, a little too quickly. My voice coming out higher than I'd like, and I winced internally at the amount of eagerness even I could hear in my own voice. He leaned against the counter, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips that probably melted hearts across the entire hospital. "Got anything good for me today?" I tried to focus on the stack of books in front of me, but it was impossible when he was standing so close, radiating the effortless charm he was known for. "Elena" he called my name and I swallowed focusing. I gestured to the cart of books I had just finished shelving "Take your pick. But if you're looking for medical texts, you're out of luck. I think you've cleaned us out." I said shakily He laughed, "I was actually hoping for something different. Something lighter. " He tilted his head, pretending to think. "I could use a break from the heavy stuff. Got any recommendations for a guy who hasn't read fiction since I don't know, middle school?" Fiction? I raised an eyebrow, trying and probably failing at hiding my surprise. He'd always gone straight for the medical texts before, devouring them with a kind of relentless focus. "Yeah, why not? I figure its time to expand my horizons. " he mumbled I blinked, caught off guard. In all the months he had been coming here, I had never heard him express interest in fiction. "Sure," I said moving toward the fiction section. "What are you in the mood for? Romance? Adventure? Maybe a mystery? " "Surprise me." I turned toward the shelves, scanning for something that might catch his interest. My hand hovered over one of my personal favorites, a romance novel that had gotten me through sad night. It wasn't exactly what I imagined Max reading, but something about the idea of him enjoying it made me smile. "This ones a classic," I said, handing it to him. He took it, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment, that tiniest of contact sent a jolt of electricity up my arm, and I quickly pulled my hand back, hoping my face wasn't as red as it felt. "You'll like this one," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I trust your judgment, Elena," he said "Thanks, " his smile softening into something almost intimate. And that's when I decide to do it now or regret it for the rest of my life It was a terrible idea, reckless and doomed to fail, but I couldn't keep pretending I didnt feel anything for him. "Max, "I began, my voice shaky. "Yeah?" He looked up from the book, his expression curious but patient. " I was wondering if–" I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. "If maybe you'd like to have coffee with me. Sometime. You know, outside of work." For a moment, he just stared at me, I held my breath tightly hoping that I would collapse as slowly, his expression shifted, the warmth in his eyes cooled, replaced by something I couldn't quite place. "Elena–" he started, his tone careful, almost apologetic. "You're great. Really. But I just don't think of you that way. I felt the words hit me, sharp and cold, but he wasn't finished. "You're you're like a sister to me, " he added, as if that was supposed to soften the blow. A sister. "Is that how you treat your sisters" I said my voice low almost inaudible but he must have heard me because the look he shot me was almost caustic "Just because someone is kind to the help doesn't mean they want to screw them" The world tilted slightly, the edges of my vision blurring. I forced a smile, even as my heart cracked wide open. "Right," I said, forcing a smile that felt like it was cracking my face in half. "Of course. No problem. Forget I said anything. " "Thanks for understanding," he said, already turning his attention back to the book in his hands. I nodded, though he wasn't looking at me anymore. My chest felt hollow, like someone had scooped out everything that made in me and left an empty shell behind. He left a few minutes later, the novel tucked under his arm, and I was alone again. I sat behind the counter, staring blankly at the holographic terminal in front of me. My hands are trembling, but I clench them into fists, trying to steady myself. It was a mistake. I never should have said anything. That didn't stop the tears from pouring out of my eyes either In the grand scheme of things, Max was just another unattainable dream in my life filled with them. I found myself wishing for a life where I wasnt just a librarian. A life where I wasn't just Elena Solon. But that was impossible.