My ears reddened with embarrassment. “Sorry.”
Cameron nodded again, dumping wooden pieces out of the bag. “You should be. Never judge a person without getting to know them first. Some people are experts at hiding their true colors, and the only way to know their true colors is to be close to them.”
“And the old man is one of those people?”
“Yes.” Cameron arranged the wooden pieces on the board. “People think he is senile, but that is only because he wants them too. That way, he can strike with impunity. Who would suspect a senile old man to be a master manipulator?”
“Not me,” I admitted, studying the board. “What are you going to do with this?”
Cameron placed the last piece on the board and glanced at me. “We will play this when you lift the weights. Any idea why?”
“I have played chess before,” I said after a moment of silence. Cameron looked surprised, and I added, “Against the old man.” After he nodded, I continued. “He crushed me. One moment, I thought I was winning, and the next my pieces were all gone and I was in checkmate.”
Cameron smiled. “Do you know how he did it?” I shook my head, and he said, “He drew you out, one piece at a time, until your pieces weren’t defended. And then he smashed you.”
“What will I be doing when I am not doing this?”
“Strengthening your legs.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know that. What else?”
“Training.” Cameron studied the board. “You do want to be a healer in the king’s court right?” He moved a piece, then sat back and looked at me.
“Whoopee,” I muttered.
Chapter Three
Ella lit a candle, then placed it in her window. There were two more lit candles there. She then went over to her bed and pulled a painting out from under her pillow. It was of her family. After looking at it for a moment, she placed it below the candles. Tears welled up in her eyes. They had been executed four years ago today. She lit candles every year to remember them.
“You are going to get all weepy again, dear,” a gentle voice said behind her, and Ella turned to see the queen. Queen Jane smiled, not unkindly, and put her arm over Ella’s shoulders. “They are gone, Ella. They have moved on from this life, and you need to let them go.”
Ella’s tears spilled onto her cheeks. “I know, I know,” she sobbed. “But I can’t! Mother and Father were wonderful people. And Max…” Her sobs redoubled.
Jane sighed and pulled Ella close, stroking her golden curls with a bejeweled hand. “Sweetie, I know it is hard, but you must let them go. You won’t be happy otherwise.”
“Why should I be happy when Max never got the chance?” Ella whispered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
*
I did ten quick push-ups, then kicked my feet up until I was in a handstand. Moving slowly, I lowered myself until my black hair touched the ground, then straightened my arms to push myself back up. Taking a deep breath, I repeated the maneuver several times.
Cameron walked around me, nodding his approval. “Very good, Max. Very good. Your balance is almost perfect.”
I lowered my legs until they touched the ground, then straightened. Flashing a quick smile at Cameron, I said, “I’ve been working on it.”
Cameron eyed my muscular torso. “It shows. Get cleaned up. The king’s new healer has agreed to apprentice you.”
I nodded and went over to the well. I emptied the bucket of water over my head, then shook my hair to dislodge some water. Cameron tossed a towel at me and went inside. After drying myself, I followed.
Cameron was rummaging in a chest, and I frowned. “What are you doing?”
With a cry of triumph, Cameron straightened and flourished a shirt and pair of pants. The shirt was a deep navy blue with silver buttons down the front and on the cuffs, and the pants were a plain black. He handed them to me.
I eyed the clothes doubtfully. “What are these for?”
“They are for you.” I raised a brow, and Cameron said in an exasperated voice, “You have to look the part as well as be the part.”
“Right,” I replied, still looking at the clothes. “But I am not wearing a blue shirt.” I handed it back to Cameron.
He shook his head and dug in the chest again. This time, he pulled out a long-sleeved, deep red button down shirt and a black vest. “Is this better?”
I nodded and put it on, then buttoned on the vest. Cameron produced a comb, but I shook my head and raked my fingers through my hair. It flopped over my brow, and Cameron eyed it. “No, you are not cutting it,” I said, raising my hands in a warding gesture.
Cameron shrugged, then pulled black leather gloves out of the chest. “Here,” he said, tossing them to me.
“Good thinking,” I said, pulling them on to hide my scarred hands. I glanced at Cameron. “How do I look?”
“Like someone in the king’s court.” Cameron straightened the vest. “Now smile.” I did, and Cameron winced. “Maybe not.”
I nodded and sat down to pull on my boots. “We wouldn’t want to frighten the little kids, now would we?” After I got my boots on, I followed Cameron to his stable, where his two horses were. We saddled them, then rode to the castle.
At the gate to the courtyard, the two guards crossed their spears to bar our way. “State your business,” the one on the right said.
Cameron gestured to me. “This is the healer’s new apprentice.”
The guards eyed me, and the one on the left asked, “What happened to his face?”
“An accident, sir,” I replied, bowing my head. “I tripped and fell into a fireplace.”
The guard grunted and they both raised their spears. They waved us through, and when we were out of earshot, Cameron leaned over and said, “Good thinking.”
Servants came out of hidden doors to take our horses when we dismounted, and one bowed to us. “Good sirs, if you will follow me?”
Cameron nodded. “Lead the way.”
The servant led us into the castle, and I studied the corridors intently, mentally drawing a map of the interior. The people we passed stared at me, and I looked down, my ears growing hot with embarrassment. I hated being stared at.
The servant led us into a room, and I sighed in relief as we left the people in the corridors. There were three people in the room with us: the king and queen, and another man who I assumed was the king’s healer.
Cameron bowed to the king and queen, then turned to the healer. “Here he is, Master Larpsen,” he said, gesturing to me.
Larpsen, who was a tall, lanky man, looked at me down his nose as I bowed awkwardly. He sniffed disdainfully. “I’ve seen better, but he’ll do.”
I mumbled my thanks, then looked up in surprise as Queen Jane stepped forward. She touched my cheek, her eyes filling with tears. “What happened, child?”
Bowing my head, I said quietly, “I fell into a fireplace.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” she whispered, then stepped back to the king’s side.
“Are you sure you want this mutilated runt as your apprentice?” King Daveen asked Larpsen.
I stared at my boots as my hands started shaking from anger. Forcing my expression to remain neutral, I clasped my hands behind my back.
Larpsen sniffed again. “He’ll do.”
Daveen grunted and addressed Cameron. “You may leave.” Cameron bowed again and backed out, and the king turned to Larpsen. “Go show him his new home.”
Larpsen nodded and beckoned to me. He led the way out of the room and deeper into the castle. I stayed behind him until he snapped, “You are not a packhorse, boy. Get up here.”
“Yes, master,” I replied, quickening my pace to match Larpsen’s long strides.
Larpsen deposited me in an empty room, saying with another self-righteous sniff, “This is yours.”
I watched him walk off with his beaky nose raised, and snorted. “If
you put that any higher, your head will fall off,” I muttered, walking into my room and closing the door behind me. Sitting on the massive bed, I pulled off my gloves and had started to remove my boots when there was a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I called.
A servant entered and bowed. Without meeting my eyes, he said, “May I assist you, good sir?”
I eyed him, studying his worn clothes and hunched shoulders. He looked like he was a few years younger than me. Shaking my head, I said, “No, you may not.”
The servant cringed, glancing up quickly. “Have I offended you, good sir?”
“No.” I patted the bed beside me. “Come sit.” He hesitated, then sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. “What is your name?”
“Adam.”
I smiled and held out my hand. “It is nice to meet you, Adam. My name is Chance.” Cameron and I had both decided that it would be better if I didn’t use my real name.
Adam shook my hand, then studied me with light blue eyes. He shook his head. “No, it isn’t.”
I smiled again, raising a finger to my lips. “Our secret.”
Adam smiled too. “All right, Master Chance. Our secret.”
The next morning, Larpsen entered my room without knocking. I had just barely gotten out of the tub Adam had filled for me and only had pants and boots on. Larpsen studied my scarred chest and arms with an appraising eye. “Fell into a fireplace, huh? That is an awful lot of scars for one fireplace.”
I kept my face expressionless as I pulled on a black shirt. “It was a large fireplace.”
Larpsen’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I held his stare until he looked away. He threw up his hands. “Keep your secrets then. The king has an audience with his lords today, and we need to be there.”
I nodded, toweled my hair dry and pulled on my gloves, then followed Larpsen.
*
Ella was sitting beside the queen when the healer strutted into the audience room. She covered her mouth with one hand to hide her smile, then whispered to Queen Jane, “He looks like a peacock.”
Jane chuckled quietly, whispering back, “All he needs are feathers.”
Ella giggled, but fell silent when another man slipped in after the healer. “Who is that?”
“That is the healer’s apprentice,” Jane answered. “He arrived yesterday.”
Ella frowned and sat back. He doesn’t look like the type to be a healer, she thought, studying the dark-haired boy and the way he moved. He looks like he should be a warrior.
The healer’s apprentice had kept his head bowed as he walked in, but now he raised it to study the people in the room. Ella stifled a gasp. Even from where she sat, she could tell that he was terribly scarred. Leaning over to the queen, she asked, “What happened to him?”
Jane’s eyes filled with sorrow. “He fell into a fireplace, the poor thing. He would be quite handsome without the scars, don’t you think?”
Ella shrugged. She wanted to get the queen’s mind away from marriage prospects, so she asked, “Are all of the lords here?”
Jane pursed her lips, studying the lords who were seated across from her. She shook her head. “No. There is one who is missing.”
Ella nodded, silently breathing a sigh of relief. That was close.
Chapter Four
I sat next to Larpsen with the rest of the king’s advisors. The bickering lords were to our right, and the dais where the king and queen sat was to our left. My sister was sitting next to the queen, wearing a frilly pink dress with bows. I smiled slightly. Some things never change.
The king entered and sat down next to the queen, and the lords turned their attention to him. Daveen scanned the crowd, then asked in his deep, booming voice, “Where is Lord Evin?”
At that instant, a young man ran into the audience chamber. He stumbled to a halt, gasping, and performed a deep bow that almost made him fall over. “I’m sorry, Majesty. I couldn’t find this room.”
The king’s lips curled in contempt. “Go sit down, and we will get started.” The young lord bowed again and found an empty seat.
I studied the young man, who appeared to be a little older than me. This must be his first time, I thought. He’s still wet behind the ears.
Daveen asked the assembled lords about their estates, and one lord stood up. He was very fat and owned a bristling walrus mustache. I kept my face blank, fighting the urge to laugh. A quick glance at Ella told me she was in the same predicament.
“Majesty,” the lord said. “The people in my town are growing restless. They are refusing to work and are neglecting the fields. There have been several protests against your inspired tax laws, and several of my close friends have been murdered. What should I do?”
Daveen shrugged. “Crush them. I will provide soldiers if you require them.”
The fat lord smiled. “With pleasure, Sire,” he said, then sat back down.
My hands clenched in anger, but I forced the emotion back down. There was a time for action, but that time was not now. Forcing myself to relax, I scanned the lords. The only one who seemed sickened by the idea was young Lord Evin. I watched him turn green slightly, then shoot a look of pure venom at the king. Interesting.
When the audience ended after a few more reports of protests, I followed Larpsen out of the room, then stopped. Larpsen walked off, looking down his nose at everyone he passed. He didn’t notice that I wasn’t following him anymore, and I smiled, shaking my head. “Just what I thought.”
I waited in the shadows, watching as the lords all filed out. The last to leave was Evin, and he walked with a bowed head and dragging feet. After glancing around, I followed him as he navigated the corridors. Or tried to, at least. Several times, he had to pull aside a servant and ask for directions. He eventually made it to the library, and I slipped in behind him.
*
Evin quickly walked down the shelves, scanning the book titles. When he had a stack of books in his arms, he walked over to a table and dumped his burden. Selecting a book at random, he flipped through the pages, stopping to read whenever he saw the words king or lord. After doing that, he picked another book and did the same.
“Just what I thought,” Evin muttered after scanning several more books. “The king and the lords have it all wrong.” He sighed and gathered the books to place them back on the shelves.
“You forgot one,” someone said behind him.
Evin whirled, scattering books, then tripped. Picking himself up with as much dignity as he could muster, Evin bent to pick up the books and said, “Don’t do that. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that sneaking up on people isn’t kind?”
A gloved hand entered his field of vision and picked up the books behind Evin. The books were placed on Evin’s pile, and he stood. “Thank you, sir.” Evin looked at his helper for the first time and let loose a strangled scream, dumping the books again.
The scarred man raised his brows, smiling slightly. His brown eyes held a twinkle of amusement. “Well, I have certainly never had that reaction before,” he said as he crouched to pick up the books.
Evin avoided looking at him as he handed Evin the books. “Sorry. I was just…surprised.”
The man chuckled. “That’s putting it mildly.” He followed Evin as Evin returned the books.
Evin turned to him. “What do you need?”
“You don’t like the king.”
Evin flinched, then slowly raised his eyes to the man’s. “That was rather blunt.”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Evin glanced at the man. “Are you going to tell him?”
The man smiled, and Evin winced as the scars on his face twisted the expression. “No, I’m not going to tell. I am just glad to have found someone who agrees with me.” He turned and walked out.
Evin gazed after him, frowning. I agree with him? he thought, puzzled.
*
That night, I pulled on a black mask that left only my eyes uncovered, then checked the door to make sure it was locked. After blowing out the small candle, I opened my window and stepped onto the ledge. Looking up, I jumped and grabbed the edge of the roof. Before my grip weakened, I pulled myself up and crouched, scanning for guards.
I didn’t see any, so I stood and ran light-footed across the roof. At the edge of the roof, I lowered myself onto a wall below it and ran away from the castle.
When I reached the correct street, I jumped down from and walked along the street to a house with one candle lit in a window. I glanced up and down the street to make sure I was alone and knocked.
The quiet murmur of voices stopped. An old man unlocked the door and pulled it open. He eyed me, then indicated that I should go in. I thanked him and stepped inside.
In the dining room, there were about twenty people who all looked at me with varying degrees of suspicion. “May I join you?” I asked, my words muffled by the mask.
A burly man with a soot-stained apron scowled. “Who are you?”
“My name is Max. I want to help.”
A slender, one-eyed girl snorted. “Do you really expect up to trust someone who won’t show his face?”
I hesitated, then shook my head. “No. But I am willing to bet that I hate the king as much as you, possibly more.”
“That is a bold claim,” the one-eyed girl said, her lips twisted in a sardonic smile. “What has he ever done to you? Obviously not taken your home, like he did to me. Your clothes are high quality, so he obviously didn’t take your money, like he did to Randall,” she gestured to a small man with a nervous twitch on the far side of the room.
“No, he didn’t take those from me,” I said, my voice quiet. “He took something far worse. My family. I barely escaped with my life.”
The man with the apron eyed me. “So that is why you won’t show your face.”
I nodded. “If the king ever finds out about me, he will finish the job he started.”
The man with the apron glanced around the room, then said, “You’re welcome among us. I’m Job, and the bad-tempered lass over there is my daughter, Katarina.” He then introduced the rest of the people in the room, but I didn’t bother to try and remember them all.
Job folded bulging arms across a massive chest and leaned against a table. “We were discussing how we were going to take down the king.” I nodded, gesturing for him to continue. “We want equal rights, and the only way I can think to get them is to get rid of the king.”
Healer's Apprentice Page 2
