Rogue Magician (The Magician Rebellion) (33 page)

“
I
come from a school that trains young magicians. That may sound like a crime to
some here, but in truth they are doing Aurelia a service by helping young
people who do have incredible abilities learn to control their gifts. They mean
no harm to anyone and just want to live a safe and happy life. They have no
designs on the kingdom and no interest in harming anyone.”

“
They
can live such a life in the domains,” the prince countered deeply engrossed in
the exchange. He waved off a servant refilling his cup without taking his gaze
away from the guest of honor.

“
They
can live, but not happily,” Byrn replied calmly, being careful to keep his
temper in check after his earlier outburst. “A gilded cage is still a cage.
They cannot leave; they are watched constantly; and they cannot use magic. Most
of them do not have even the simplest understanding of how to use magic. If
anything that lack of knowledge makes them more dangerous, should they ever find
themselves outside of the magic dampening runes' influence.”

“
You
speak very eloquently,” Queen Wendi told Byrn holding up her chalice of wine in
salute, “and you surely speak from your heart- a most noble quality,” the queen
looked at Byrn with hopeful eyes and a smile that seemed somehow brave, “but I
fear that as most youths do you speak more from your heart rather than from
your head. Perhaps as you grow older you will see the wisdom of how things are
done- like Sane has.” The queen added the last bit with a warm smile at the
sorcerer.

“
The
world is rarely so black and white,” Sane answered with a hint of melancholy
and a long drink of wine.

Warlord
Ethiel Nightwind chimed in. “Let me play the magician's advocate. Byrn, if the
domains were freed and magicians were allowed to use their special skills
freely, what would stop them from overthrowing the kingdom?”

Byrn
took a slow sip of his wine while he composed his answer, then said, “Like
Master Sane, there would be those who, if the olive branch of friendship were
extended by the kingdom, they would choose to serve it faithfully. I am a
wanted fugitive and I still served the kingdom.” Byrn winked at Lady Tian. “Did
I not?”

Lady
Tian coughed the wine she was sipping at unexpectedly being included in the
conversation. “I do not speak for the kingdom, but to my great happiness you
have served me well, Sir Byrn.” The Lady smiled politely and blushed ever so
slightly.

“
Byrn
is fine, my lady. I am no noble.” Byrn raised his glass to Tian and he noticed
that her father, Lord Nightwind, gave a short nod of approval even as he
suppressed a grin.

The
king laughed heartily as if he just heard a great joke and everyone stopped
eating to look at him. “Young man, you have a great wit about you and speak
well when you have a mind to.” The king looked down at his plate, then to the
sorcerer. “It seems I should have been a little more mindful of my magical
adviser's suggestions.”

Sane
nodded and produced a weak grin. King Kale held his cup up in a salute and all
at the table drank. Then he turned his attention back to Byrn, “A decision on
the magician conundrum is not something to be made lightly at a dinner party,
but you have given me something to think about, Byrn. Lord Nightwind and I have
discussed your heroism and your... indiscretions at length and we have decided
that the good you have done outweighs the negatives, if only barely. You are to
be rewarded. Tomorrow morning we will hold a ceremony to make the
announcement.”

***

Byrn
awoke to a knock at his door.

“
You
may enter,” he said rubbing the sleep from his eyes to see a servant boy enter
the room.

“
His
highness bids you come to the throne room in one hour,” the boy said formally.
Seeing Byrn nod in agreement, the servant asked, “Would you like me to come and
get you at the appointed time?”

“
I
can manage,” Byrn told him with good humor, “It is the big room in the central
castle. Is it not?” He looked around for the fine clothes he was given for the
dinner party and found them in a heap by the foot of the bed. Following the
dinner he had nightcaps with the Nightwind family, the elf, Sari, and his
mother and when he returned to his room several hours later he was well
exhausted and intoxicated.

“
Sir,
it is,” answered the boy humorlessly and bid the magician farewell with a short
bow before taking his leave.

An
hour later Byrn and Marian stood before the king's court in the throne room. It
was much the same as when he stood before the assembly two days earlier except
now that they had ample time to prepare, the nobles in attendance were dressed
in their finest attire and the soldiers wore their finest armor bearing the
kingdom's crest of a raven in flight against a red sun.

The
attending herald announced the arrival of the king and his entourage including
the queen and the Nightwinds, but Prince Janus was nowhere to be found. King
Kale welcomed all those in attendance as was customary at formal celebrations
and turned his attention to the Lightfoots.

“
Welcome
to the master magician, Byrn Lightfoot, and the master ranger, Marian
Lightfoot,” King Kale said standing atop the dais. Byrn was about to object to
being called a master fore he did not think himself deserving of the title, but
Marian squeezed his arm and he held his tongue. “The Lady Tian Nightwind has
told me of both of your bravery in her rescue and the grim fate you saved her
from. It is my honor as well as that of the Lord Ethiel Nightwind to bestow
upon Byrn Lightfoot the rank of Knight of the North Lands, Western Province,
and to Marian Lightfoot the rank of Dame of the North Lands, Western Province,
along with all of the rights, privileges, and duties associated with their new
titles.”

A
hushed murmur passed over the crowd that quickly turned into cheers and
applause. Several of the nobles came forward to congratulate the new knight and
dame and shake their hands. After a few minutes the king raised his hands for
silence and the crowd turned quiet looking to him to see what King Kale would
say next. Instead of any other lofty decree or announcement he only added,
“This is a joyous occasion. It is not every day that a commoner is made into a
nobleman, but we still have the kingdom's daily business to attend to. Sir and
Lady Lightfoot, you have leave to exit the hall. Lord Nightwind will speak with
you following the court's dismissal to discuss the specifics of your new ranks
and duties. As subjects under his banner you will be answerable to him and
will, of course, take residence in the Western Province.”

The
Lightfoots thanked their king and took leave of the proceedings. When they were
in the main hall away from the nobles and the courtiers, Byrn asked, “What just
happened?” unable to believe his own eyes and ears.

“
We
were made nobles- low ranking ones, but it is a great honor.” Marian sounded as
shocked as her son.

“
It
is an honor to be sure,” Byrn told her, “But I have considered myself as
someone living outside of the kingdom for a very long time now and have lived
alongside others like myself. If I became a noble of the kingdom it would feel
like a betrayal to those who took me in when I had no one else to turn to.

“
The
only reason I have stayed this long was to ensure your safety and to speak on
behalf of the other magicians who are out there living in hiding or prisoners
in the domains unable to speak for themselves.”

“
You
are a good man,” Marian told him giving her son a short hug, “Perhaps you can
look at this as less of a betrayal and more of an opportunity to help your
fellow magicians further by serving as an example of what a good magician can
do.

“
You
also said you were planning to start a new school for magicians the other day.
Why not petition Lord Nightwind to start a school sanctioned by the kingdom in
his province?”

“
Could
such a thing be possible?” Byrn wondered aloud. “A kingdom sponsored school
could lead to a regulation of magic that could leave both magicians and normal
people happy.” Byrn's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Sari dressed
in an elegant green gown of silk. It lacked the embroidery and bows that most
fine dresses of the nobility possessed, but it suited her body in its
simplicity as it clung to her lithe frame.

“
Your
tongue is hanging from your mouth. She is three times your age, you know,”
Marian warned him as the elegant elf approached just in time for Byrn to preserve
some of his dignity. “Men!” Marian proclaimed jokingly, “No wonder Sari prefers
it in Aurelia instead of living with other elves. Wherever she goes, the men of
the kingdom fall at her feet.”

“
You
figured out my secret, 'Master Ranger,'” Sari teased.

Marian's
face turned red in embarrassment, “I never told anyone that I was anything more
than apprentice. You know I would never presume...”

The
elf waved off her apology, “Nonsense. You are the equal of any human ranger in
the kingdom. You found the Lady Tian when I could not and proved yourself a
hundred times over before that. In your heart you knew the truth as surely as
I, but neither of us wanted to admit it. It is time we made it official.” Sari
placed her hand on Marian's shoulder and bowed her head. “I gladly bestow upon
you the title of Master Ranger and friend of the forest.”

Marian
hugged her friend tightly. “I hope you do not think you are to be rid of me so
easily,” she half laughed.

“
As
a Lady and ranger of the Western Province you will no doubt have duties there
requiring your attention. You followed me for four years as you learned my
craft,” Sari told her brushing Marian's hair which had come loose from behind
her ear in a motherly fashion, “I think I will follow you for a while.”

Byrn
was enjoying a midday meal of boiled chicken and soft bread with Marian and
Sari in the dining hall when the courier arrived. The hall was half full at
midday and the dining guests and residents of the castle behaved in a much more
informal fashion than they had at the dinner party.

However,
what did not change from the dinner party was that most of the eyes in the hall
were still upon Byrn, though none dared go near him since the king’s
proclamation that Byrn was a master magician before the court for fear of being
turned into a frog or some other nonsense. It mattered little that Byrn was not
truly a master. He was an adept in elementalism, necromancy, and manipulation,
but had not yet managed to master any of them.

The
courier was out of breath when he found the trio eating and he beckoned Sir
Byrn and Lady Marian to come with him to the Warlord Nightwind's estate where
the knight's and dame's duties would be laid out before them. Of course either
Lightfoot could renounce their new rank and title, but such a thing was never
done as the privileges were far greater than the cost of swearing loyalty to a
lord and duties usually consisted of governing over a property or area of land
that provided an annual stipend large enough to live on indefinitely.

Byrn
packed his remaining chicken between two slices of soft bread and made it into
a sammich so that he could finish his meal on the way. Marian told him, “You
still eat like you are all stomach,” and the pair laughed while Sari looked at
them wondering at the joke.

The
boy knew the streets well and led them to the Nightwinds' estate in a half
hour. The lord's manor was about a third the size of the king's castle, but was
still a very impressive structure especially considering that Lord Nightwind
only visited the capital city once or twice a year.

The
manor’s head attendant greeted them at the entrance. He was an old man in his
seventies by the name of Sevu whose wrinkly face was a strange contrast to his
smooth, balding head. He wore a fine dress shirt and trousers, but nothing as
elaborate as Byrn's new clothing or the ceremonial armor worn by the rangers.

“
Welcome,
honored guests,” Sevu said sounding sincere. Sevu greeted the women formally by
name, but with warmth like that of a grandfather. To Byrn, he took the young
man's hand in his own and shook it briskly lavishing him with praise for
rescuing Tian. Taking a superior's hand unbidden was a breach in etiquette for
a servant, but Byrn did not mind as he found the courtier's genuine demeanor reassuring.
Finally, he led them to the manor's throne room and bid them to wait while he
announced their arrival. Sevu disappeared behind the throne room's door.

“
You
seem nervous,” observed Sari while they waited.

“
I
half expect that this is some sort of elaborate trap and Kenzai hunters will
come pouring out of the stonework when I least expect them,” Byrn confessed.
“My first night at the castle I did not sleep at all. I sat up all night
waiting with my grimoire in hand for hunters to come and try to take me in the
middle of the night.”

He
expected the elf would laugh at that, but she only nodded. “It is a sad thing
when one sees enemies around every turn. It is sadder still when those enemies
exist. I do not doubt there are those who want you dead or imprisoned, but it
seems that, for whatever their reasons, King Kale and Lord Nightwind are not
among them.”