Ascendant (47 page)

“
Huh,
”
Blogel sounded
disappointed,
“
she
could have drowned, I guess, if you hadn
’
t
been there.
”

Koren grinned
and nodded vigorously.
“
Princesses
can
’
t swim,
with all those fancy clothes they wear.
”

Blogel
laughed.
“
Wait
‘
til she gets
the crown on her head, she really won
’
t
be able to swim then.
”

“
I hear what you were doing
in those woods was poaching Duke Yarron
’
s
deer?
”
Kreger
asked.

“
I didn
’
t see any signs against
poaching.
”
Koren grumbled.
“
And
mostly, it was fish, anyway.
”

“
Lucky you saved the
princess, then, before Yarron
’
s
sheriff caught you.
”
Kreger looked at Koren sharply.
“
Dukes
don
’
t take
kindly to poachers.
”

Blogel slapped
her fellow guard on the head.
“
Give
the boy his due, Kreger! Besides, can you tell me you
’
ve never taken a deer or
two, when you were hungry and the sheriff wasn
’
t looking?
”

“
Well,
”
Kreger grunted, then
smiled,
“
maybe.
Got to keep them darned lazy sheriffs on their toes, right?
”

“
Quite right, quite right.
”
Blogel took a sip of
coffee.
“
So,
Koren, you ever thought of being a soldier?
”

Koren looked
down at the ground. Soldiers came from common folk, but the officers only took
men from good families, who could vouch for their character. Without a family,
Koren didn
’
t
think being a soldier was an option for him.
“
I, uh, I work for Paedris, that
’
s what I do.
”

“
Yes, of course, but what
about your future?" Kreger asked. "You
’
re not going to live in a cubbyhole in the
wizard
’
s tower
forever, are you? A young man like yourself needs to think of the future. Do
you have a girl? Women like men who have a future ahead of them. If you
’
re not going to be a
soldier, are you going to learn a trade, or rent some land to farm? You come
from farmers, don
’
t
you?
”

Koren glumly
admitted he had not thought much beyond being the wizard
’
s servant. He had saved
almost every coin Paedris had paid to him, little as that was.
“
I do know farming, I
suppose it would be nice to have land of my own, some day.
”

“
There you go!" Kreger
said encouragingly. "I have a little plot of land myself, a couple acres
set aside, plan to live there someday when I
’
m done soldiering, and be lord o
’
my own land.
”

“
Ha! You, a lord?
”
Blogel laughed.
“
Your soldiering will be
done when a orc splits you with an axe.
”

“
Don
’
t listen to her, Koren. Be
on your way, now, there
’
s
more of us needing coffee this morn. You think on what we said about your
future, hear?
”

           
“
Paedris, how long do you,
uh, think you want me to work for you?
”

            The
wizard
’
s
eyebrows flew up, and set down the mug of coffee he had been drinking.
“
You don
’
t like being here?
”
It had never occurred to
Paedris that a lowly peasant boy would not enjoy being the court wizard
’
s servant.

           
“
Um, yes, sir, I am very
grateful, it
’
s
great living in the castle, I mean, in your tower, sir. It
’
s just that, most boys my
age would be learning a trade, for the future. If I
’
m ever to, to get married,
someday, I would need a place of my own.
”

           
“
Married?
”
Paedris exclaimed,
astonished. Koren had been spending time with Ariana-

No! It couldn
’
t be! Koren had rescued
the princess, but surely he was not such a fool that he considered her a
sweetheart? This could be a disaster! Paedris was so shocked by the unexpected
conversation that his face took on a scowl that Koren mistook for anger.
“
You have a girl in mind?
”

“
No! Sir. Not now. I don
’
t have a trade, or own any
land, my mother would say I
’
m
not a good catch? But, someday-
“
Koren looked at the floor, embarrassed. Then he blurted out
“
I can
’
t live in a cubbyhole
forever, sir.
”

Paedris felt a
shiver of relief. There was no romance with the princess, Koren was nothing but
a normal boy, wanting to know of his future. But what could Paedris say? That
Koren would, in a short few years, replace Paedris as the most powerful wizard
in Tarador, and have a castle of his own to live in?  The wizard cleared
his throat.
“
Koren,
in your young life, you have already rescued a princess and found the lost
Cornerstone. You may stay here as long as you like, personally I don
’
t know what I would do
without you. But I can certainly understand that a young man like yourself
needs to think of the future. Have you considered a trade you would like to be
trained in?
”

“
I know how to farm, sir,
raise crops, and I
’
m
good with animals. Someday, I suppose, I would like land of my own.
”

“
Hmmm.
”
Paedris rubbed his beard
while he thought.
“
Koren,
when I agreed to take the position here as court wizard, I didn
’
t only get fancy robes and
an awkward old tower to live in. There is a grant of land that comes with it,
the land was supposed to be a country escape for me. I
’
ve only been to see my
land once or twice, it
’
s
about two days' ride to the north, but it's nice enough. The family down the
road farms my land, and we split the money from sale of the crops. If you like,
in a few years, you could live there, and raise crops for me. I think I
remember there is a small house, and a barn.
”
Paedris had a flash of inspiration.
“
In fact, I will make a bargain
with you. If you remain here as my servant, until your sixteenth birthday, then
I will give a quarter of my land to you.
”

“
Give me, sir?
”
Koren gaped at the
wizard.   

“
I certainly have no need
for it, I don
’
t
know the first thing about farming.
”

“
My own land.
”
Koren said in a whisper.

“
It
’
s not much, mind you, a
quarter of the land is only about fifty acres.
”

“
Fifty acres?!
”

Paedris was
taken aback.
“
Is
that too small for a farm?
”

“
No!
”
Fifty acres was more land
than his family had owned! Now Koren had to sit down, his shaky legs could not
support him.
“
No,
it
’
s very
generous, sir. Fifty acres.
”

“
Here, drink this, you look
pale.
”
While
Koren gratefully drank the coffee, Paedris pondered how to get out of the
sticky mess he
’
d
talked himself into. Technically, he didn
’
t
own
the land he had just promised to give to Koren. The Trehaymes owned
it, the land was for Paedris to use while he served as the court wizard, but he
didn
’
t
own
it. Perhaps Paedris could convince Carlana to give the land to Koren, as a well-deserved
reward for his service to Tarador? A quiet grant of land would not likely
attract the enemy
’
s
attention to Koren. And if Carlana did not agree, Paedris himself would buy
land for Koren, the wizard had enough money of his own. Raising the money would
require selling some of his own land in Estada, perhaps he should write to his
nephew there? Yes, the more Paedris thought, the more he liked the idea of
Koren being away from the castle, away from prying eyes, while Paedris trained
him in wizardry. The way the boy
’
s
power was growing, by the time Koren was sixteen, there would be no way Paedris
could hide the truth from him any longer.
“
Huh?
”
Paedris realized Koren
has been saying something.

“
Sir, how can I ever thank
you?
”

“
Bah!
”
The wizard waved his
hand.
“
It is
the least I could do, considering all you have done for Tarador. Now, finish
your breakfast, Captain Raddick wants us packed and ready to ride in half a
glass.
”

By the time
Ariana was able to ask Kyre about why Koren had been with the Falco
’
s in the Regency Council
meeting, her anger had only grown. She'd been forced to wait for the end of the
Council meetings, then the three days of the Cornerstone Festival, then Kyre
had joined other royal boys in a hunting expedition that had lasted six whole
days! She had been miserable during the Cornerstone Festival, feeling nauseous
when people praised her for finding that fabled lost object. She had practiced
what she would say to the Falco boy, clever words to trap him in the lies he
would inevitably tell. She was determined to get the truth out of Kyre Falco.

Kyre was
feeling particularly good that day, the hunting expedition had been fun, with
far more racing about across the countryside on horseback and general
tomfoolery than hunting, a chance for young royals to get away from the
formality of the royal castle, showing off, pretending they were 'roughing
it'  when all their meals were cooked for them, and they slept every night
in comfortable lodges or in large, fancy tents that were set up by servants.
One night, Kyre had insisted that one of his older servants, who was not
feeling well and suffered especially from the still-cold nights, sleep in
Kyre's tent, while Kyre put his bedroll under the simple tarp his guards
shared. Other royal boys laughed at him when he helped cook breakfast and
brought food to his ill servant, then helped take down and pack away the tents,
but Kyre didn't mind their jeers. His servants worked hard for him, and he
trusted his guards with his life. Such loyalty deserved to be rewarded, rather
than the disdain and abuse many royals gave to the common-born people who
served them. Kyre wished his father understood that; it took so little effort
to make common people happy, they were grateful for even simple gestures from
royalty. Treating people fairly, and with dignity, not only ensured their
loyalty, it felt good. Kyre's father felt that any familiarity with servants
would lead only to shirking of duty and, eventually, questioning of orders, and
disobedience. It is far more proper, Regin Falco advised, for servants to fear
their masters, lest they assume undeserved equality with their royal betters.
Kyre Falco wondered if his father considered whether, in case of  a dire
threat, who would be more reliable; people who served only out of fear, or
those served from a sense of loyalty? Loyalty had to work both ways.

So, Kyre was
feeling good, after having earned his father's grudging pleasure for Kyre
successfully getting Koren to leave the castle for several months at least,
after enjoying a smashingly good time at the Cornerstone festival, and coming
back tired but happy from the hunting expedition. And now being called to an
audience with the crown princess, in her private chambers! Kyre had asked Niles
Forne what the princess wanted, but his advisor had no idea, having returned to
the castle only a few hours before the invitation from the princess arrived.
Forne had been frantic, calling in all his informants, but no one had anything
useful to report. The princess had been tired after the festival, and kept
mostly to herself, receiving few visitors other than for her official duties,
which didn't give Forne any clue as to why Kyre had been invited to the palace.
All Forne was able to do was to get Kyre properly dressed, and send him on his
way.