by Rin Grey
He shook his head. “Best give her a month or two to get over the upheaval. Let Einara take care of it.”
Hugo looked at him and for a moment he thought he was going to comment, but instead he just nodded. “As you wish.”
They were interrupted by a light knock at the door.
“Yes?” Hugo answered.
The door opened, and Kiera said deferentially, “She’s returned, King Lisanna.”
“Good,” Hugo said. “Either she’s convinced her niece, or she’s back to try again without the deal.” He turned to Sean. “I take it you don’t want to join this interview now?”
Sean shook his head immediately, his stomach clenching. The reaction just served to reiterate the fact that he wasn’t ready.
That he needed to work on this so he could be ready.
“You are welcome to wait in the library if you prefer.” Hugo raised an eyebrow.
Sean nodded, his heart beating a little faster. If he left the door ajar, he’d be able to hear the conversation from the library without Elizabeth’s knowledge.
He might even catch a glimpse of her.
That would be enough. A good start to adjusting to his upcoming role.
As he left the room, he heard Hugo say, “Show her in, Kiera.”
Chapter 10 - A Deal
Elizabeth followed the woman into what appeared to be the king’s private study, dominated by a huge wooden desk with papers and books arranged neatly across it.
The king smiled at her warmly.
Elizabeth summoned up the energy to bow low and say calmly, “Thank you for seeing me, Your Majesty.”
“I thought we had dispensed with that, Elizabeth? Yet you keep forgetting,” Hugo said with a smile.
She couldn’t help an answering smile. “You may have dispensed with it, but it feels downright strange to me to call you Hugo.”
“How about we compromise and settle for King Hugo? Does that make you feel better?”
Elizabeth considered for a moment, then nodded. “King Hugo it is. Although I doubt we’ll meet again after today for it to matter.”
“Probably not,” King Hugo conceded. “Pity.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Are you flirting with me, King Hugo?”
As soon as she had uttered the words, she wished she could take them back. He might be acting friendly, but he was still the king. How presumptuous, to think he was flirting with her.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t dare.” To her relief, the king seemed to find something terribly amusing about her comment. His eyes crinkled, and his mouth turned up at the corners. “Shall we get down to business?”
“Yes, of course,” Elizabeth said quickly. “I spoke to Jocelyn and she has agreed to your terms.”
King Hugo smiled. “I’m very glad to hear that, Elizabeth. It makes everything so much simpler.”
Elizabeth couldn’t help a laugh. The king, of course, was getting exactly what he wanted. She, on the other hand, was getting a whole lot of trouble and obligation.
“On your end maybe,” she quipped.
Hugo nodded in understanding. “You may take your grandson home with you now. I will take it on your honour that your family will uphold their end of the bargain.”
Elizabeth hesitated. Jocelyn better stick to her end of the deal. Breaking a bargain with the king was akin to high treason in Linarra, and the penalty was death. That may not matter to Jocelyn, Linarra rule held no sway in the rest of Selenthia, but Elizabeth was agreeing for her, putting her own loyalty on the line.
“They’d better,” she quipped.
The king smiled. “I’m sure they will. That’s settled then. You will stay with the boy of course, and teach him suitably. I think perhaps we’d better send someone to check on his progress to be sure he isn’t going to be a danger. How long do you think you will need?”
“To be sure he’s able to handle his magic safely?” Elizabeth shrugged. “That by itself shouldn’t take more than a month. If you want a mage to the standard of an Academy graduate, that would obviously take much longer.”
“What standard you teach him to is up to you. I’m merely concerned about him not being a danger to those around him.”
Elizabeth was a little relieved about that. She wasn’t quite sure she was up to teaching to Academy standards, but she was sure she could make sure he wasn’t a danger. “A month should be sufficient then.”
“Good, I will send someone in a month to check on your progress. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?”
A very open ended question. So many things she could ask. About Sean maybe? The king already seemed to know they were involved. Or Jon. She’d give anything to know he was all right, maybe even happy.
If he was, it was through no action of hers. She didn’t deserve to know.
“No. Thank you, King Hugo.”
“What are your plans after you have finished teaching him?” the king asked out of the blue.
It was an unexpected question. It almost seemed as if the king had something in mind. Her heart beat a little faster at the thought. Was there any possibility he’d spoken to Sean?
It didn’t matter. Sean had made it quite clear he wanted nothing more to do with her. She refused to get her hopes up again. Besides, she had other responsibilities now.
She hesitated over disclosing them to the king though. While he hadn’t seemed bothered by her staying in Asherad to train Mitch, she wasn’t sure he’d be so happy to hear she had plans to stay there indefinitely.
“I’m… not sure yet, King Hugo. This has all been a rather unexpected detour, and I haven’t really had a chance to think past this moment yet.”
King Hugo nodded understanding, and Elizabeth felt a little guilty for deceiving him. “Of course. Well, if that does fall through, I believe you still have a place in the graduate program at the Academy. We could do with more teachers, you know?”
His response made her feel even worse. Until she remembered why she hadn’t already completed her graduate program. “I had the feeling I wasn’t welcome, King Hugo,” she said bluntly.
“You are one of us, Elizabeth. You are always welcome in Linarra.”
One of them? For a second, it felt like he was saying she was someone important, someone he and the other princes might care about. Someone a prince might be able to present to his peers as a partner. Before she could even consider why he might be hinting at something like that, she realised.
A mage. He meant that she was a mage, and mages were welcome here in Linarra. Which of course they were.
He didn’t give any clue as to whether this was despite her issues with Sean, but somehow the invitation was comforting. Surely he wouldn’t have made it if Sean would disapprove?
“I will keep that in mind, King Hugo. Thank you again.”
“You are welcome, Elizabeth. I look forward to our future business together.”
“You mean you are coming to help Jocelyn yourself?” Elizabeth asked, surprised.
“Oh no, unfortunately I can’t leave, there’s too much here that requires my attention. One of my princes will take care of that matter.”
At the mention of princes, Elizabeth couldn’t help her heart taking another uncomfortable leap. Was this what he was hinting at earlier? Could the prince be Sean? Was there really a chance that after all these years, he might have forgiven her?
She remembered their last meeting, how cold and harsh he had been, and her heart sank. No, he’d never forgive her. It would be easier on both of them if she stayed away after this.
Some of what she was thinking must have shown on her face, for King Lisanna said gently, “Nothing is ever set in stone, Elizabeth, and very little is forever in our long lives.”
She looked up at him for a moment and was strangely comforted by his words, even if they didn’t change her predictions for the future. She was almost grateful that she had a position waiting for her back at the Salinga offices.
His voice norm
al again, the king said briskly, “Well, you’d better get your grandson home, it is getting late. Kiera will help you find him and see that you have all you need.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Thank you again, King Hugo. Words cannot express my gratitude.” She bowed, although not as low as she had earlier, somehow he didn’t seem quite so imposing now, then left the room quietly.
She walked back out into the hallway, still reeling from the interview when a young woman at her elbow said softly, “Mage Salinga? King Lisanna said I was to help you find your grandson.”
She searched her memory for the name the king had mentioned, but came up a blank. “Um, yes. Thank you.”
She followed the young woman, Kiera, that was her name, into a smaller room with a neatly organised desk and a window that opened onto a rose garden. The scent of the roses in bloom, they were always in bloom here, gave an unreal quality to the moonlit night.
Kiera picked up a book on the desk, and looked down at the open page. “Mitchell Salinga, wasn’t it? And he arrived last night?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Last night, yes,” she agreed, although she was pretty sure the woman had no need of her confirmation.
Kiera read through the page in front of her, nodding occasionally. “He was assigned rooms at the Academy this morning. Would you like me to take you there?”
“No, I think I’ll be fine. What is his room number?”
Kiera consulted her book again. “Fifty-nine.”
Elizabeth knew the Academy room numbering system well enough she could have mentally run through the rooms to picture where he was. Except she didn’t have to.
By some twist of fate, he was in the same room she had occupied as a student, many years ago.
She was about to take her leave, when something occurred to her. “How am I to take him out through the Dome?”
“Ahh, yes, thank you for reminding me.” The woman nodded briskly and unlocked a drawer in the desk with a key she removed from around her neck.
She handed Elizabeth a stone. “This one is one use only. Once it has been used, it will dissolve.”
Well that was interesting. She’d never heard of a one use stone before. Elizabeth pocketed the stone, and nodded. “Thank you for your help.”
“It was no trouble.”
The woman stepped back, and Elizabeth took that as her cue to leave. As she teleported directly to the Academy, she realised that at least now she knew Sean had never wanted her to leave for good, otherwise she would have only been given one of these one use stones, not a permanent one.
She tried to tell herself that it was probably because, as King Hugo had implied, she was a mage, and all mages were welcome in Linarra. But she couldn’t help the tiny flicker of hope that flared in her heart.
Chapter 11 - A Complication
Mitchell sat on the edge of the bed and stared around the tiny room. It was about the same size as his bedroom at home, but that was where the similarity ended.
His room at home was comfortable, safe, familiar. This room was bare except for the small desk and the bed, made up with crisp white sheets and a drab grey blanket.
Serviceable, but not comforting.
With an ache in his heart, he thought longingly of the patchwork quilt his mother had made for him when he was a boy. He missed home already.
His misery was interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come in,” he muttered.
The door creaked open and the woman who had hurriedly shown him to his room earlier bustled in, holding a plate heaped full of food. “Mitchell, how are you settling in, dearie? I’m sorry I had to rush off, the twins were fighting again and if I don’t break them up quickly, things get out of hand. Last time they almost burnt their beds up. I didn’t see you at dinner, so I brought you a plate. You must be starving. I’m Feirta by the way, and I’ll be your dorm mother while you’re here. If you need anything at all, you just let me know, all right?”
Mitch was glad she was keeping up a continuous flow of words, not giving him a chance to answer. He didn’t have anything to say. He just nodded acquiescence, and she kept talking.
“I’m dorm mother for the whole of this section of course, that’s twenty-three children, including yourself, so I’m often busy. But I can always make time for my children.” She put the plate down on his bedside table and came and sat on the bed next to him. “So, what’s your story, dearie? How did you come to be here?”
So much for not having to talk.
“I don’t want to discuss it,” Mitch mumbled.
“Now come on, we’re all one big happy family here. You can tell me about it. Sometimes it helps to talk about these things. No point in letting it fester until it comes out in a big explosion later on, right?”
The last thing Mitch felt like doing right now was talking. The last few days had been complete turmoil, and he hadn’t had a chance to process it himself yet, let alone be ready to discuss it with someone else. But Feirta looked at him expectantly. She wasn’t going to let this rest until he told her something.
“I killed half the leaves on an apple tree,” he admitted with a scowl.
Feirta tsk tsk’d. “Well, many of our children have done much worse before they arrived here. Don’t worry, you’ll soon learn how to control your magic and then you’ll discover how fun it really is.”
Mitch didn’t really care about his magic. In reality, it was just an excuse to get him out of being the heir.
He heaved a sigh, and Feirta patted his shoulder before getting up. “Make sure you eat something,” she said. “An empty tummy never helped anything. You’ll be starting classes in the morning, so don’t worry, you’ll soon have plenty to occupy your mind and keep you out of mischief.” With that comforting comment, she left the room, leaving Mitch to his misery.
He threw himself face down on the bed, feeling tears threaten. He just wanted to go home, he hated it here already.
But going home wasn’t an option.
He’d given up that possibility two nights ago, when he had sought out the mages he had heard were staying at the local inn. They were the only alternative to the role Jocelyn was leading him into, and at that point, they had seemed the safer option.
He’d known that once he did that, there would be no going back.
This was his new home, he might as well make the best of it.
Somehow.
Elizabeth materialised in the central square with the Academy buildings towering above her. The courtyard was well lit, magical lights hanging from the walls all around. In front of her, a large tiered fountain gurgled cheerfully, lit from under the water by more magical lights.
All around her, people bustled and hurried, going about their business, paying no attention to her sudden appearance out of nowhere. Magical comings and goings were a commonplace event here.
Some carried armfuls of books, looking serious and focused. Other’s walked in small groups, talking and laughing together. Given that no one looked any older than she did, it was sometimes hard to tell which were the teachers and which were the students.
Behind the fountain, the main building loomed, it’s east and west wings long enough that they stretched to either side of her.
It had been finished in her first year as a student here. One of the most impressive feats of Linarra, it was dwarfed in magical prowess only by the raising of the Dome, the magical force field that protected the entire country.
Six stories high, held up as much by magic as by stone, it was twice the height of any other building on the continent, barring the king’s palace.
Somewhere up there, in one of those blank windows, was Mitchell. She looked up, and counted the windows to his room, but it was dark.
She crossed the square towards the main entrance doors, easily blending in as though she belonged here. Her feet carried her automatically up the five flights of stairs and down the corridor to the room Mitchell had been assigned.
She hesitated only a moment, before knocking on the door.
There was no answer, and Elizabeth was just about to knock again when a dull voice called out, “Come in.”
She pushed open the door and stared into the room. It was depressingly bare, with no personal touches at all, bearing testament to its owner’s short occupation. Face down on the bed was a teenage boy, his curly black hair reminding her painfully of his grandfather, George.
“Mitch?” she asked softly.
He rolled over abruptly, pulling his lanky limbs into a semblance of order, and stared at her. His hair might be all George, but his piercing blue eyes were far too like her own for comfort.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
“My name is Elizabeth. Elizabeth Salinga.”
“Salinga? Who are you, and what are you doing here?” There was a note of fear in his voice that Elizabeth hadn’t expected.
What reason did he have to be afraid?
“I’ve come to take you home,” she explained gently.
Instead of the happiness and relief she’d expected, he shrank back, shaking his head. “I won’t go. You can’t make me.”
Elizabeth stared at him. What was going on? She’d expected him to jump at the chance to return home. Had she missed something?
“Of course, I’m not going to make you,” she said in bewilderment. “Why wouldn’t you want to go home, though? Your mother is worried, as is Jocelyn.”
“I’ll bet Jocelyn is worried,” he said bitterly. “But she might as well give up sending people after me, I’m not coming back and she can’t make me.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to work out what was going on. Despite the king’s assurances otherwise, she had assumed the mages had forced him into this move.
If that wasn’t the case…
She sat down on the bed beside him and said quietly, “First things first, Jocelyn did not send me.”
His eyes widened. “She didn’t?”
“No. Jocelyn might be powerful, but not powerful enough to just ‘send’ someone into the Dome. Surely you realise that.”
