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Anders didn’t run out and berate anyone for not doing their job. It was, actually, in his plans, but being a thing he’d never done in his entire life, he pulled back from the task, working out how to best get the job done, first. Instead, he moved to collect his new students and the others who had already been working on magic for the last weeks and months, after the early meal.
The hardest people to get to were Princess Mathia and Gull. The first because, for some reason, no one had told the lovely Princess that he was actually serious about his plans to work her like a rented horse. Gull thought he actually had a job as a guard there still, so had turned out for his duty.
Which was fine, in the second case. After all, Captain Ford, now a duke, had done the same thing. They were together when he found them, so, instead of whining about the change to his plans, Anders just nodded at them, and grinned.
“Well met! I was thinking an early practice for Gull, then having everyone learning magic come here, in the afternoon, to learn to fight?” He didn’t really mean it, since forcing that kind of thing on the delicate Princesses would probably be a good way to have fits thrown at him for several hours.
Captain Ford just glared at him, as if he were being annoying. Then he, a bit grudgingly, nodded.
“You want to take Gull out of being a guard?”
Anders shook his head.
“No? I just don’t want him to fall behind everyone else. He can practice and work, or do his job, at the same time. This is mainly about making certain he knows that I didn’t forget about him.” The man was standing right there and made a rude gesture with his hands and arms, but laughed.
“Fine, fine. Make me do twice as much. I can use my wizard skills and stand guard. Not easily, but...”
Anders cleared his throat, ignoring the obvious. That he was being strange and out of place. It was true, so he simply nodded.
“That works. Go over everything else. I’ll write up the new magical phrases you need to learn, instead of drinking or sleeping at night. The plan is for all of us to do some road work in two weeks, so be ready to travel. That might not happen, if you’re needed here. I spoke to the King about it last night, and he simply nodded though, so it could take place for you.”
That news had the man smiling, instead of acting put upon.
“Well! This is a year of adventure for me, then.”
Captain Ford narrowed his eyes, but didn’t frown.
“Bring those you want trained here, after mid-meal. I’ll put the new man on teaching them, as a lesson. He doesn’t have an official post yet. Good at fighting, though. You’re dismissed till then, Brolly.” The man was a bit gruff about it, as if put out, which was fair.
Anders simply bowed, using first courtly, and backed away, so neither man would be tempted to hit him, as a lesson for him about paying attention.
Then he had to try to get Princess Mathia. That required finding help, which he actually got from Prince Robarts, by going to his office. They then had to go to the classroom.
Technically, they moved into his chamber, with his table and chair stacked on his bed to get them out of the way, since there were more than enough people to fill the whole space that day. Looking at everyone, he smiled.
“Sorry about making you all sit on the floor here. We need a larger space for this, but it works for the next weeks. Everyone who can, change into trousers and tunics, like what I have on. Javina, would you aid Princess Mathia in that, for today? New students, over here, please? We’ll be walking through the beginning lessons. Be ready to work into the night. We all have to move out in two weeks. More advanced students... We’re moving off into the woods to sleep tonight. Don’t worry, we’ll be making a dwelling or two for all of us to share. We’ll be on the road soon, possibly, so ready your minds for that.” He went still then, as Salina muttered. Her clothing changed, but she wasn’t happy seeming when that was finished.
“I wasn’t aware that I was here to sleep on the floor, Prince Anders.” Her tone was dark, and even her sisters tensed, readying for a tantrum to come.
Anders nodded.
“Agreed. As a Great One of Barquea that would be beneath you. I have some new things written up for you all to learn, so that won’t happen. Here. Each of you take one of these.” There were three sheets, with small printing in his hand on them, that had been made up earlier. That was stacked on his water basin, the copies made, rather hurriedly, while he’d eaten the first meal. Done in the low hall, in front of everyone, as they’d stared. Some of them in fear.
Then, no one was going to get used to magic if they never saw it. That, he thought, was part of the problem Istlan had that way. They kept such things behind closed doors, leaving it mysterious and exotic.
Prince Erold moved forward, as did Master Tolan. Both men sat on the floor, which was clean, but also hard stone. He felt bad, for one of them. The elder man already looked uncomfortable. Seeing that, and suddenly in clothing that a servant would have been shamed to be seen in, being too plain, Mathia sighed. Still, she didn’t whine, after looking around and seeing the rest of the room making room for themselves.
The space that Anders lived in was small and cramped, compared to what he’d been given in Barquea. Even compared to what most of the people there had slept in the night before. He ignored that, and buried the shame Anders tried to feel over that kind of thing. After all, they were there to learn magic, not critique how he lived.
Those with the paper sheets looked at them, and all settled, falling into trances, and working on their own. Technically, they didn’t need to be there, in his room, for that portion of things. They could just take the new lesson away with them and work in greater comfort. The new people watched them though, so Anders spoke, softly.
“Clear your minds. Master Tolan, this is very similar to your common wizard’s trance, but not as focused. Please focus on what I’m saying, and don’t go too deep. I’ll be monitoring your thoughts, all of you, so don’t let that distract you. Just sink into a dark tunnel of your own creation. Put aside all other thought. Feel the blackness around you...” He watched their minds, as thoughts pulled into place, for Erold and Mathia.
The Master Wizard, who was famous for his efforts in that field, instantly had the right state. The only issue there was that the man was trained to go much deeper than he was at the moment and his mind tended to slowly drift in that fashion.
Anders simply brought him back, using calm words.
“Good, all of you. Take a moment to just sit. Think of the dark. Feel the quality of it, inside your head. Heed my words now.” It took about ten minutes for the younger two to get close to the correct state, and he had to guide them far more than the older man.
Still, after that, he ran them all through the first hand motion, in their head. A hundred times, driving the movement home. Linking it to a release of magical power. Teaching their deepest selves to push objects, and people, away from them.
When they were finished, Daren hopped up and ran from the room, coming back with two servants, both men, who each carried a medium sized stone.
He smiled and placed his in front of Master Tolan. Then gestured for the others to do the same. The men, Jeld and Farrow both looked terrified of what was going on, which, as far as they could tell, was simply sitting, at the moment. They tried to scurry from the room, as soon as they were finished with the task that their friend, Daren, had asked of them.
Anders waved at the men, and smiled.
“Stay? These three are about to perform tricks for us, so we might as well get the free show, eh? I know, it’s daunting, being nobles like they are, but they’re in a trance and probably won’t even recall that you two are here at all, right now. Making it the perfect time to gawk at them. Open your eyes, please, now. There is a stone in front of each of you. Bring your outer hands up, and push it back.”
None of them threw the rock across the room, but all of them moved the stones back on the floor. Jeld, seeming panicked, used a hand sign then, to ward off evil. A thing that cast a wave of power over the room. That had Javina and Master Tolan both looking in his direction.
Nodding, Anders waved at them.
“This is Jeld. He, as much as myself, invented the magic you just used, as you both felt. Jeld, can you get some time, in the mornings? You need to be here, for magic lessons. You don’t have to do it, but being afraid of magic is foolish, if you’re going to go around casting it out like that.”
The man, a good servant and not a horrible person at all, even being friendly toward Anders, capable of magic already or not, ducked down, as if trying to bow.
“I... Can’t. Magic...”
Anders smiled up at him, and muttered a spell that would bring the rocks back into place, each time they moved away.
“Push the stones away, one hundred times. Then we’ll move to the next portion.” Then he shrugged toward Jeld and Farrow.
After a moment he tilted his head.
“Yes. Magic. A tool and nothing more. No different than a hammer in the hands of a smith, or a spoon in the hands of a cook. Even feeling fear, neither of you will shrink from seeing it, any longer. Not if it’s only your friends here doing it. Oh, also, can you both see to the new people who came in, as far as their rooms? We need others as well. The normal number of servants per room? I don’t want to be mean, but we’ve been treating the visitors poorly. Enough that... Well, I feel ashamed, having seen how their rooms were being kept. We can do better. Jeld, get a few hours in the mornings for this, regardless. I’ll clear it with Prince Robarts, so you won’t get in trouble for doing it.”
Farrow at least, scared or not, and he truly did seem nervous, bowed.
“I’ll handle the rest, then. We... A lot of us have been talking about how we’re failing the kingdom, not doing our jobs with those people. The high ones from other lands, I mean. If they won’t stand to the task...” He looked away then.
Anders shrugged.
“If they won’t, then Daren and myself will help you with it, and each of them will come and watch us practice until they aren’t afraid any longer. I have to imagine that will become boring, pretty quickly! Here, watch these three.”
The Prince, Princess and Wizard all pushed the stones away, which moved, but then shifted back into place, pulling at Anders magically, just a bit, each time it happened. It took a quarter hour for them to do a full hundred moves that way, which, by the end, had Jeld at least, relaxing a little.
“I... Think I see what you mean, Anders... It was frightening to behold, the first time, now it’s just... Like a person moving a rock...”
He smiled up at the man, who wasn’t that old at all, his brown hair and pale skin seeming familiar, since both Daren and Farrow were similar that way.
“Exactly! Like I said, it’s only a tool. Now, I’ll see you in the morning tomorrow, Jeld? Get with myself or Daren, if you need aid with the rooms of the visitors.”
With that the two men, both older than he was by nearly double, left. Not that hurriedly. Just at a normal and efficient pace.
“Sorry there. Now, seek the tunnel again, in your minds...”
They worked until time for the mid-meal, not standing or moving, which allowed them to learn six new movements of the hand, linked to various spells. Then test them, as everyone else tossed things at them, floated objects in the air, and held balls of flame for them to block or put out. In the tight space everyone had to be ready to do all of that, or risk being hit, but Anders didn’t stop it from happening, just standing ready to protect all of them if it was needed.
Then, not asking, he cast a pain removal spell on Master Tolan. At least he started to just do that, then realized that there was more work that was needed, if he was being annoying and not asking if it was desired at all.
“Hom inasa indict swerla neg ot ere fen ot needa.”
Master Tolan didn’t gasp, but he did take a very large breath.
“Oh... That is, rather powerful! I feel years younger. It’s been a long time since my joints and muscles didn’t ache.” He stood, easily enough that he seemed surprised again. “You added strength to my bones?”
Everyone else was watching and standing on their own, a few rather stiffly. Even Anders had that happening at the moment, having been still on the hard floor for too long. Walking would be enough to repair the damage to him, however.
“No, I just took away the swelling and inflammation, as well as the discomfort of the moment.”
Prince Erold, seeming drifty, and still in his trance, blinked slowly.
“That’s of note. I’m still amazed that I managed to do anything at all. I can still feel the movements, as if they live in my mind. What’s the plan now?”
Anders raised his voice a bit then.
“Everyone, all of you, need to meet at the guard’s weapons square, after you eat. You need the food, even if you aren’t hungry yet. Especially you three, since you were burning magic for several hours. I’m heading to the low hall to do that. Daren, you’re with me. You as well, Master Tolan?” He wasn’t inviting them for secrets or anything like that, it was simply that the others were probably going to be placed in the High Hall. Not that he knew that for certain.
Javina waved at them then.
“I’ll join you, as well, if that’s not...”
Anders simply nodded, since that was fine with him.
“Certainly! You’re most welcome. You all are, but we need at least some of you to attend to the King and Queen, or they might feel slighted. Possibly not right now, though? Prince Erold, do you know what’s desired that way?” Anders had no clue, really. Still, he shrugged. “We should arrange something for the others, the servants and all that, so they don’t feel uncomfortable. I should have thought of that, earlier. The error is mine, if there are any complaints. They can come here to scold me for the lack, if needed.” He hung his head, actually meaning it, for half a second.
Farad did, anyway.
Anders rallied, rapidly, in that direction, feeling fine moments later.
Erold simply bowed, using first courtly, his left hand out with wrist bent and palm up, toward the Princesses from afar.
“Indeed, you are all expected to come to a private meal with Father and Mother. Anders...”
The blond young man, only a year older than he was, grinned then.
“You and Daren and Master Tolan are requested as well, if it pleases you? We have some actual business to see to, I think. Then we go and practice weapons? I’ll put the word in, so that everyone knows why we need to rush away, first thing.”
He actually bowed himself out of the room, which was very polite, considering he was a prince. Then, a lot of the room, the tiny space, was filled with people like that, at the moment.
Princess Mathia managed a smile.
“That was very different! I’m a trifle stiff, just now. We could walk, slowly, as you explain why I was included in this, Anders?” The Princess managed to seem playful, if a bit drifty still.
It was hard to move instantly in and out of deep mental states, even for a master of the craft. When you were first learning such things, it was almost impossible. Still, even in an unfamiliar state, it was clear that the young woman wasn’t being mean about her having to do a bit of strange or even fear inducing, work.
So, he made up an answer. A thing that wasn’t true at all. His real reasoning was, rather simply, that he was pushing everyone to learn, because it was his long-held habit. If he hadn’t been working with magic, Farad would have been pressing those around him to learn new languages, or possibly how to memorize whole texts. A thing that he needed to introduce to Daren, at the very least.
Rather than admit to that out loud, he put on a dire face.
“We are at war, with more on the horizon. In the coming years it might fall to you, to any of you, to fight back our enemies. True, not on the front in the war, for you ladies. Not being Princesses like you are, but what if the war comes to you? Here or elsewhere in the lands you hold or might travel to? That is why you must learn these things. Why we must all do so.”
Of interest, Master Tolan took a deep breath then and nodded.
“That... I have heard some of what might be coming. I concur with Master Brolly, we all need to stand forward and be ready for what may come.”
There was a somber air for a moment, until Javina giggled.
“I highly doubt that I’ll be called to repel any enemies, any time soon.”
Which was true.
Enough so that Anders winked at her, getting a soft blush in return. At least he thought he saw that happening. Her dusky skin hid much of that kind of thing.
“I know. Still, the point isn’t to get you ready to fight Yansians. It’s more about making sure you can, in some years or decades, handle what may come. Plus, if you don’t learn fast enough, Lissa Sona will beat you with a stick.”
The words got the girl to nod then, and smile.
“That is my task, as I understand it. I’m to meet with Queen Maura, to instruct her in magic, later?”
Everyone looked at her, as if that wasn’t a real thing, even if it had been spoken of, the day before. It probably wasn’t, in a true fashion. That hadn’t been his point at all, so it didn’t really matter.
“Yes. No stick, of course. We need you to befriend her and to heed her council. Not that you shouldn’t teach her if she has a will to learn. Even a few things might be useful to her, after all. Don’t shy from engaging her in discussion, however. Now, with Jeld and perhaps some others, you’ll need that stick...”
That got a nod from the girl, as if it only made sense for her to teach strange men fearsome tasks. Then, she’d done it before, so it fit, after a fashion.
Her older sister, Salina, sighed then.
“Lissa will be in the top ten inside five years, if she keeps that kind of thing up. She’s already higher than me in the rankings, even. Not that you didn’t earn it, Lis.”
As they walked, Anders shifted his clothing, to a decently nice outfit, with bright, if slightly ugly, blue, green and purple stripes, in shining colors. He looked like an entertainer, instead of a fine noble, but that was on purpose. After all, he wasn’t supposed to look good. Just not poor. Daren did that as well, as, one by one, the foreign Princesses did the same.
Daren ducked his head.
“Master Tolan? I could see, if you wish, to your clothing?”
Instead of seeming put out, the older man beamed at the younger.
“That would be most welcome, Master Daren. Thank you.”
He ended up in a rather dapper and wealthy seeming mid-tones blue outfit with soft slippers in rather gaudy silver. It was dressier than what either of the other men there had on, but fit his station as the castle Wizard.
Javina moved in and waved a bit at Mathia, smiling. They didn’t exchange words, but the other girl was in a soft pink dress that was in a very good, fancy, Istlan style.
The princess clapped her hands, if gently.
“This is lovely! Thank you, Princess Javina.”
It was, thus arrayed in finery, of various levels, they entered into, not the high hall, but the room where the King and his family normally took their morning meal together. It was a pleasant space, with fine hangings on the walls, but not too vast seeming. It easily fit twenty people at the nice wooden table, with its padded matching chairs.
Everyone there stood, in greeting, including King Mathias, his wife, Princess Aisla and Prince Robarts. Several important people were missing from the space, though Sulana Meegan was there, smiling. At Daren, in particular.
Several of them were, in fact.
The King waved to the seat to the left of Prince Robarts.
“Prince Daren, if you would join us? The rest of you, as well, of course.”
The man, a boy in many ways, blushed at being called a Prince. Before he could stammer a refusal or become frightened by the new promotion, Princess Aisla spoke.
“We didn’t tell you, but you were named a Prince of Barquea. This comes with duties, as well as privileges. You are, also, the lowest of all of us, including Leopold, but you have full right to use the title and might be called on, to perform tasks as befitting a Prince. You rather impressed my father, the Sula, with your aid, given in time of war.”
Anders, still standing, bowed, going low, but still using first courtly. That got everyone else, including King Mathias, to do something similar.
Daren froze for a moment, then took a deep breath.
“I don’t understand?”
Anders could see that one.
“Sula Darian claimed you as a Prince of Barquea. This is a real thing, and a good promotion for you. It won’t mean much here, of course, so you have to help me make sure those rooms are tidy later, but you won’t be paid for it, so it will balance out. That’s one of the duties befitting a Prince, I think. It really won’t mean much, unless you travel back to Barquea and make an effort there, to aid people.”
The room stilled for a moment, with Sulana Meegan scowling at Anders for his words. She didn’t speak though, since Daren relaxed, a lot.
“Ah? That was most kind of him, Sula Darian, then! I can impress women with my new title, do you think?” He blushed again, realizing who he was with.
Salina laughed at the words. Then she spoke in a tone that wasn’t all that unkind.
“Well, it will mean more if you travel back home. I can’t imagine being a Prince of a land on another continent will impress women here that much. Not that you’ll need tricks like that at all. After all, you’re a man of worth, already.”
No one spoke for a time, though several of them nodded.
Anders chuckled, which was a bit force.
“All right now, we should stop needling Prince Daren. For the time being, at least.”
The King winked at him in return.
“Yes, please, sit, everyone. I was informed that many of you need to rush through the meal, having military training after this? I wasn’t thinking to force guests to work at a brutal pace, first thing, myself.”
Princess Lissa, rather informally, smiled at the man.
“I was sent to learn Prince Anders’ methods of teaching, if I can, by my father. I don’t know about learning to fight, but if that’s what we’re told to do, we probably should. I imagine it will be humorous, watching me stand there, not knowing what to do at all.”
Sulana Meegan growled a bit.
“That is not fitting, for a Princess. I must protest!”
She glared, but not at the King, rather over at Anders.
For his part, he nodded.
“I know. It won’t be that much, for the ladies, of course. Not in physical fighting. Prince Erold and Prince Daren will be worked hard and painfully. Along with myself. We’re heading to the front in a few weeks. The ladies need to have enough to protect themselves while they ready magics, however. It’s a bit improper. I hear the Captain Ford is putting his newest guard on it, so, you know, it won’t be taken too seriously. No broken bones or rent flesh, I’m certain. Not on the first day.”
Everyone looked at him, as if he were being very rude, instead of playful. He probably sounded a bit too dour, honestly.
The King nodded, regally, after a moment.
“I think I see. Well, see to propriety? We don’t wish to insult our friends from Barquea.”
Anders sighed then, and made a rather, he hoped, charming face.
“You mean I should stop teasing them all with promises of hard work and hardship?”
Princess Aisla giggled, which was a strained sounding thing, for her.
“You can jest? I wasn’t aware of that at all, Anders.”
Sulana Meegan scowled again and clearly readied to fight, stopping when Anders laughed at the words.
“I know. Clearly, I’m not doing it well. Still, you really do all have to sleep in the woods tonight. We need to practice making magical structures and beds. That and seeing to running water, from the ground. You all learned that, earlier?”
Daren nodded, and so did Lissa. Javina shook her head though.
“I managed two pages and a bit, but have most of the third to do still.” She looked down, as if that were too slow of her to be allowed. That or as if she were going to be shamed for her lack, in public.
“Work on that, after the meal? You have the skills for that. The time, as well.” If they weren’t all going to be practicing combat skills all afternoon.
Anders still wanted them to learn such things, at least a little, but working on magic for that was fine as well. He didn’t want to insult the Sulana. Mainly because she was, in a strange and harsh fashion, his grandmother. Then, so was Queen Maura. That last one was even true, as far as blood went.
Then, thankfully, they were allowed to change the topic, with Aisla and Meegan going over what would be expected of Daren now, as a Prince. It truly wasn’t that much.
Princess Aisla smiled about it, though.
“Given you are here, in the lands of our friends, you will need to stand ready for ceremonial efforts, from time to time. Attending functions as King Mathias requests, as well as seeing to your studies in magic and giving aid, as to your skills.”
Salina chimed in then, her face pleasant. For her.
“We all have to learn magic, if we have the skill. Truly, you have enough already to make Father happy. You should keep working on that however, if you plan to climb the ranks and become Sula, some day. That will take a lot of great works, and daily effort, but it’s happened before, I think. I can’t see making the effort, myself. I couldn’t at least. Now I’m in the second ten, which I never figured would happen.”
King Mathias smiled at the pretty Princess.
“That’s still a bit confusing to me. You say that Prince Daren, or Prince Anders could, possibly, raise themselves in importance there?”
Sulana Meegan bent her neck for a moment, almost in a bow.
“Indeed, King Mathias. Truly, being hard working and seeking to aid others will have both of these men doing so, over time. Even if they don’t seek the throne. Even here, at a remove from our home, Prince Anders has continued to train others in magic. If they receive notice for learning such, which they all will, then I have to imagine teaching will gain even greater placement.”
Princess Jasmin, who was next to Meegan, sighed.
“I should see to those lessons, myself. I’m to marry, but it’s a shame to drop such things, after coming so far.” She looked at Anders, a bit shyly. “Not that teaching us will aid Anders that much. He’s already in the top ten. We should find people for Prince Daren to teach. That will make a much bigger difference there.”
No one commented on that idea, but it wasn’t a poor one at all. If they ever had enough people to teach, that was.