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“THE APPRENTICE HAS gained more followers. They march for Ly’vera as we speak. How can this be? Don’t they hate him?”
“Doesn’t seem like it, m’lord.”
The king held the corner of the parchment to the candle and watched as it caught fire. The flame grew and when it was about to be consumed he threw it into the fire place so it could finish burning. “How can they be following him? He’s a traitor to my kingdom. A traitor to the realm.”
“The people don’t seem to believe that. They believe he will free them.”
The king turned, his eyes questioning. “Free them from what?”
“From a realm with kings.”
“Preposterous. How can the realm exist without a king? Who would tell everyone what to do? Without a king on the throne, there would be anarchy.” He moved to the window, placed his hands behind his back and looked out at the citizens going about their business in his castle city.
“People left to their own devices would create chaos. They wouldn’t do what needed to be done, instead choosing to laze about. Crops would die or worse, never be planted. The baker would cease baking his wonderful bread and the smith would no longer teach his apprentices how to forge steel. The people would starve. They would kill and take what belongs to others. How can they think this is the right way? You’ve seen it happen. You were by my side when my father tried it. Don’t you remember?”
“Aye, more than most.”
The king went over to the wizard and lay his hands on his shoulders. “If not for you, the kingdom would be lost old friend. You cannot allow this to happen. Your old apprentice must be stopped. He must not succeed.”
“I serve you, m’lord. I will protect you, and the kingdom, with my life.”
“And Alora... Is she ready?”
“She is. I will teach her a great deal in the short time we have to prepare. She will become his equal, I hope.”
“Then go and prepare her... prepare her for what she was chosen to do.”
“Aye, m’lord.” The wizard saluted the king, bowed his head and left King Remi to his thoughts.
— — —
I WAS ROUSED FROM MY dream by my chamber maiden, Neala, holding a bowl of water and a towel. I asked the princess if she could be mine and she agreed. I dreamt of Lucah and saw his face clearly as he rode away from the castle city. I wondered what he was doing at this very moment. Was he out hunting with his brothers, catching squirrels so that his mother could prepare her sweet bread with a side of squirrel brains?
I dipped my hands into the cool water and smothered my face. I dipped them again and rubbed the sand from my eyes. Taking the towel from her, my mind shifted, a feeling of excitement rushing through my veins. Today I officially began my training as the wizard’s apprentice. When I auditioned so many weeks ago I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be learning magic.
The extent of our magic training so far had been soaring and summoning our armor and weapons. Just enough magic to make us a more formidable knight. A knight capable of more than any other. But now the wizard was taking me under his wing and going to teach me more. What magical spells would he teach me? What potions would I learn to create? Would I become as powerful as the wizard himself? I hoped I would.
I slipped out of my new sleep shirt, the one Princess Evelyn had given me. Instead of the plain white I normally wore, this one was the color of sunflower petals. The beautiful amber contrasted with the gray morning light coming in through the window. I felt cheerful from looking at the color alone. Besides, nothing could ruin today. Even the clouds held onto their rain for me.
I slipped into my second skin and said the words that caused it to fit my body, “Apta magnitudine.” I slipped on one boot and tied the laces. Looking at my other bare foot I reminded myself to ask the princess to walk through the garden with me when I was done for the day. I could catch her up on what I’ve been learning and at the same time do one of my favorite things.
After tying my other boot, Neala handed me my sword. I fastened the harness and she wrapped my new cloak around me and fastened it around my neck. I no longer wore the black cloak the king’s guard and knightlys wore. My new cloak was purple, like the wizard’s—he wanted us to match. I also no longer had to wear my armor at all times. Neala flattened out my cloak and her lip curled up into a lovely smile. “You’re going to be a great wizard.”
“Thank you, Neala.” I reached into my closet and slid open the top drawer. I removed the cork from one of the vials and drank.
“Are you ready, Alora?”
“Aye, Neala.” And I was. I was ready to learn... to be taught. If only those butterflies in my stomach would calm down.
Neala led me down the passage toward the stairs that led to the wizard’s workshop. I knew these halls well because of all the time I spent with the princess, but I’ve never been to his workshop. Of course, it had to be at the very top of the palace’s western most turret. “I leave you here. Would you ask anything of me?” Neala asked.
“Nay.”
“Then I will see to your room.” She turned and walked back down.
I knocked on his door. “Enter,” he said from the other side.
“Good morn, Wizard.” He was sitting at a large table he was using as his desk. He was writing in that book I saw him writing in, that day we first learned to summon our armor.
“Alora, good morn. Sleep well?”
“Aye, it took a while to fall asleep. New bed, but eventually I fell asleep and dreamt well.”
“Good. I need you awake and focused today.” Sounded good to me. He pointed to the hooks on the wall by the window. “Close the door and hang your cloak over there.” I untied it and placed it on a hook next to his. He was busily writing another one of his potions in his... his wizards book. I peeked over his shoulder to see what he was writing before he moved to block my view. “What’s the potion of deceit?” I asked.
“All in due time, apprentice. All in due time.”
“If I’m your apprentice shouldn’t I know all that you know?”
“You will never know all that I know,” he said, quite ominous.
“Please tell me,” I pleaded.
“Very well. Pull up a chair.” He pointed to a wooden chair resting by the wood burner. I lifted it, placed it by his side, and waited for him to explain. Before he started speaking a light flashed overhead. I hadn’t noticed that the roof of his workshop was made of glass. A loud, rolling boom followed and then the rain drops pelted the window above us.
“The winter season will be upon us soon,” he said.
“Aye,” I said in a low and depressed tone. The rains always came before winter. It signaled the cold was just on the horizon.
“Don’t like the rains?”
“I love the rain. What I don’t like is the cold.”
“It’s not so bad.”
“It’s always been for me.”
His eyes squinted like he was trying to read my mind. “You don’t have to worry about freezing here. You’ll have a heavier cloak, fur lined and your chamber will be warmed by the fireplace.”
Impossible. He couldn’t have read my mind.
“I can’t read your mind if that’s what your thinking, but I can read body language. I’m also a good guesser.”
I laughed.
“The potion of deceit then.” He continued writing. I turned my head to the side to read it aloud.
“One drop of falcon’s tears, four droppers of seawater, a pinch of rosemary, a pinch of agrimony, the juice of two runesberries, a dash of noseeum and lastly one strand of hair from your chosen impersonator. So what does it do?” I asked, eager to know.
He dipped his pen in the ink, turned the page and continued writing. “It allows anyone who takes it to become unrecognizable to anyone who has seen them before.”
“I don’t understand,” I said confused.
“For instance, if I took the potion, you wouldn’t recognize me as the wizard. I would appear to be someone else.”
“Who would you appear to be?” I asked.
“The potion asks for a strand of hair. The owner of that hair is who you would become.”
“Can I become a boy?”
“Nay. You would need to select a female strand of hair, otherwise the potion will not work.”
I sat and stared as he continued to write. I wondered about the possibilities. What kind of fun could I have with this potion. I must have been daydreaming deeply because I hadn’t noticed the wizard’s hand had stopped moving. He had stopped writing and was staring at me.
“This potion is not to be used unless the king himself orders it. Do you understand?”
There goes my fun. “Aye, Wizard.” Am I just supposed to sit here and watch him write? I thought I would be learning something. “Did you create those potions yourself?” I asked.
“Nay, they have been around for centuries. Other wizards have shared their knowledge with each other and continue to do so.”
“Other wizards? I wasn’t aware there were others.”
“Aye. They stay away from the kingdoms. They decided long ago, not to serve kings. They don’t want their power used for evil.”
“And you? Why do you serve?” He slammed the book shut, causing me to jump back in my seat.
“I owe King Remi my life. That story is for another day. Go into that closet,” he pointed to the one in the corner next to the window, “and retrieve the chess set.”
When I opened the closet I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what chess is.”
“It’s the wooden box with the dragon etched on it.”
There it was right in front of me. The dragon was perched on a sword—the same one stitched onto the king’s banners.
The wizard placed his book into a drawer. “Place it on the table.” I set it down in front of him and he took hold of the box and unfolded it. There was a checkered board made out of marble stones. Some where white and others were black. He slid out a small drawer on his side and asked me to open the one on mine. Small pieces, shaped out of alabaster, rested in cutouts that secured them in place.
I looked them over from left to right. The intricate details were staggering. There was King Remi and Queen Rosaleen, Princess Evelyn, dragons, castles, and knights wearing their armor.
The wizard started taking out the pieces and placing them on the board. “Watch me and set them up as I do.”
“Is this a game of sorts?” I asked.
“Aye, it teaches war strategy. This will be your first lesson. As second in command of the king’s army, you should understand strategy. I will explain what each piece is capable of and how it moves. The goal is to capture the king without losing yours.”
The wizard explained the rules of war and how each piece served a purpose just like in a real battle. I was disappointed when he explained that the knights — lined up in front of the most important pieces — could be sacrificed to gain the advantage. A chill ran up my spine. Could I sacrifice knights to gain the advantage? To protect the king, the queen... the princess? Aye. But to gain the advantage? I didn’t like the thought of that.
“The key is to use each piece’s power to your benefit. The dragon, for instance, can only move two squares in one direction and one in the other. Its movements are limited. Therefore, you must use it wisely. You can compare that to archers. They are the best at the bow. That is their focus, their specialty. Use it to your advantage. Understand?”
“Aye.”
We played for most of the morning. It was boring and exciting at the same time. I was learning tactics, but at the same time we were sitting doing nothing but pushing our pieces around. I wished for some action.
The wizard beat me again. “Checkmate,” he announced. “That’s enough for now. I ask that you play chess often. Learn strategy and play with multiple opponents.”
“Like whom?”
“The princess, the queen, the king—”
“The king?” The thought sent those butterflies soaring again.
He chuckled at my response. “Aye, the king. He loves to play, especially against someone new. It allows him to hone his abilities. I will have a set made for you.”
“But... the king?”
“Aye, Alora. You are the king’s second knight. He expects you to socialize with him. Just remember that he is the king. Show respect and you’ll be fine.”
“Aye.” I still wasn’t sure about that.
After putting the pieces back into their cutouts, the wizard put his chess set back in his closet. “Before we move on, I want you to know that your mornings will be spent with me and your afternoons and evenings will be spent as you see fit. As my apprentice you will have certain liberties. You must practice as much as possible, but how and when you practice is entirely up to you. You can practice alone or you can join the other knightlys and practice with them. Just practice and make sure you practice your magic as frequently as possible. This way you can do it without even trying.”
The rain was still coming down outside, if at all possible it seemed to be coming down harder and in more rapid succession than before.
“What’s on your mind, Alora?” the wizard asked.
I lowered my gaze from the clear roof that was above us. “I was hoping to go for a walk in the garden with the princess later, but with this rain I doubt she’ll want to.”
“Don’t underestimate the princess. She may be a princess, but she’s still young. Ask her... she might say yes.”
“I will.”
“Have you taken your vial?”
“Aye.”
“I would like to teach you something. It’s the first thing I learned.” Finally magic. He retrieved a candle from the shelf on the other side of his workshop and placed it in front of me.
“One of the things wizards can do is control fire. It’s quite fun once you get the hang of it. Watch.” He held his hand, palm down, on one side of the candle. He then waved his hand over it, in an arc, to the other side. His eyes flickered and the candle wick burst to life. My chin dropped.
“I knew you’d like that.” He snapped his fingers and the flame went out. He motioned with his hand offering the candle to me. “Now you.”
I stood and mimicked his motions—nothing. Ugh... why? I tried again... nothing. I waved my hand back and forth over the candle until my hand was a blur... still nothing.
“Easy. Clear your mind and focus on the flame. See it igniting in your mind and then do it.”
I closed my eyes and in the blackness behind my lids, I pictured the candle—its white, waxy length culminating at the wick. I pictured the wick sparking and the flame illuminating the darkness. My eyes opened and the flame rose from the candle upwards to the ceiling. The wizard raised his open palm to the flame and it curved towards him. His hands moved from side to side as he juggled the flame in a circle, like it was balls in his hand instead of fire.
He lifted both hands and in one swift downward push, the flame vanished.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” I said, both joyous and afraid.
“Neither have I,” he exclaimed. “Do it again. And this time see if you can do what I did.”
I shut my eyes again and pictured the flame. When I opened them the flame shot up from the candle. I raised my open palm and imagined I was calling it to me. The fire listened. I could feel the heat as it grew closer and when it was close enough I pushed it to my other hand and juggled it. I flashed a toothy smile.
“Now put it out.”
I lifted both hands and swooped down, like the wizard had done. The fire went out.
“Will you be willing to try something?” he asked.
I nodded, gleefully.
“Try to call the fire to you without using your hands. See if you can juggle it with just your mind.”
“But wizard—”
“Don’t worry. I’m here. Are you willing?”
“Aye.”
What was he doing, trying to cook me? This time I didn’t need to close my eyes. The flame shot up into the air and I called to the flame with my mind—it turned in my direction. The flame however wasn’t obeying like I wanted it to, it was heading straight for me. Spin, spin, turn—I tried to tell it. It wasn’t listening. “Wizard!”
He lifted his hands and forced it to extinguish.
My eyes started leaking. The wizard pulled me into his embrace. “There, there. It’s okay. Try it again?”
I lifted my head trying to see him through my tears. “You can’t be serious?”
“Alora, this is new and scary and exciting. I’ve never seen a wizard, let alone an apprentice, that could control fire with their mind alone. You will be a powerful wizard, but you can’t let fear stop you.”
I just stared at him. I didn’t feel like being roasted alive.
“Again?” he asked, an endearing smile creeping across his face.
I nodded.