The Bronze Mage (19 page)

Tabitha stared at him in shock.

"Go home," he commanded.

Suddenly afraid that once he unfroze her she'd obey, abandoning her traveling party and walking alone to Valstadt, Tabitha answered. "I can't. I'm traveling to Westphal."

"For whom?" James demanded.

Confused by the question, Tabitha didn't answer immediately. Once she realized what he was implying, she glared at him. Why should he care if she were courting Will, or Philip, or any other Westphalian? He'd just sent her away. And who was he to order her around anyway? She wanted to challenge him, but felt certain that everyone was watching their exchange. Closing her eyes momentarily and taking a deep breath, she said neutrally. "Goodbye, James. I wish you and all Xentia peace and prosperity."

"Thank you," he said stiffly as he unfroze her.

Tabitha concentrated on keeping her back and shoulders straight, her expression smooth and pleasant, as she overcame the magical pull and proceeded to the next Xentian noble.

###

Tabitha returned to training the morning after they arrived in Westphal. It was a welcome release to submerge herself in the exercises and skirmishes. If she was a little more reckless than usual, at least she gave as many bruises as she received.

Fulfilling her promise to her father took longer. Tabitha allowed several days to pass before she attempted to meet with Mage Edgar. When she did knock on the door to his study, no one answered. Upon inquiry, she discovered he had gone to seek out a new assistant. With a sigh of relief, she concluded she could reasonably wait another few days before her next attempt. Ostensibly this was to give time for his new assistant to get settled, though she knew he might be on to the next one already by then. In truth, aware of how little he already thought of her, Tabitha had no desire to reveal to Mage Edgar the nature of James' spell.

The days passed slowly. Prince Cameron's absence had more of an impact on Tabitha than she had expected. Though how much of her present malaise was due to that and how much due to James's harsh dismissal, she refused to ponder. They were both gone. Missing either of them was a waste of time.

A few days had turned into a week before Tabitha returned to Mage Edgar's study. This time someone answered her knock. He was a touch shorter than Tabitha, with auburn hair and a cocky smile.

''Well, hello," he bowed without dropping his gaze. "How may I assist you?"

Tabitha rolled her eyes at the overly formal greeting. "I am Princess Tabitha and I have information for Mage Edgar."

"Princess... Tabitha? Not Carissa or Irene?" He looked confused.

"Correct," she agreed. "Is the court mage here?"

"Certainly, your highness. Would that be Princess Tabitha of Valstadt?"

"May I speak with Mage Edgar?"

"Of course, your highness." But he didn't move from the doorway. "The same Princess Tabitha whose adventures with the newly appointed Xentian court mage are becoming legend?"

"Please either fetch the court mage now or move aside that I might seek him myself," she insisted.

Mage Edgar suddenly loomed behind his new assistant. "Rayner," he said simply.

The assistant disappeared into the study. Tabitha drew a breath to blurt out her message, but was interrupted.

"I would like to introduce you to my assistant. He is my great nephew, the grandson of Duke Davin in southern Westphal and a skilled magic senser. I expect him to remain here for some time."

Tabitha blinked, mouth open in surprise.
 

"Rayner," Mage Edgar continued smoothly, "allow me to introduce Princess Tabitha of Valstadt." Mage Edgar had dropped the courteous pretense and pointed at Tabitha as one might at a specimen in a jar. "What do you see?"

Rayner had the grace to bow to her again before answering. "She has been cocooned with spells. Is there trouble between Valstadt and Westphal that her father would find this necessary?"

"It is all one spell and it was not set by her father's court mage. The girl managed to catch the attention of Mage James of Xentia for a few weeks. Probably was quite proud of her accomplishment at the time."

Tabitha bristled, but didn't bother arguing.

Rayner's eyebrows raised. "Fascinating. So, the rumors are true. What does it do?"

"That's part of what we're trying to discover."

Unwilling as she was to share this particular bit of information, Tabitha forced herself to interject. "James told me last fall."

"When he was here?" Mage Edgar's scrutiny was intense.

"Yes." Edgar opened his mouth, no doubt to insert a sharp comment, so Tabitha continued. "He said it was a compulsion spell. He's used it, so I believe him."

"And yet you waited nearly half a year to tell me. Stupid girl! Expecting me to break the spell without even giving me the most basic information."

 
She refrained from noting that he'd given up trying to break the spell before she'd found out what it was. "You showed up in my room after...." Tabitha shrugged. "I thought you must have talked to him."

Rayner asked, his eyes sparking with curiosity, "After what?"

"I don't actually know what happened. Mage Edgar may." Tabitha temporized.

Mage Edgar scrutinized Tabitha. "Now I think you must know something. You've been holding out on me. That mage did more than chat with you."

"That much I noticed." Losing her temper, Tabitha answered sharply. "But since he's about as informative as you, and I can't actually see what's going on when people work magic on me, I can't fill you in." She had no intention whatsoever of going into any more detail about that incident with this mage. Or his assistant.

Mage Edgar looked like he might reply in kind, but suddenly turned to Rayner. "Hence my interest in you. Find out what you can." With that, he dismissed them both.

TWENTY-SIX

Rayner

Evidently Rayner's purpose was to trail after Tabitha and watch for any changes in the spell. He explained that he was an exceptionally gifted magic senser as he followed her out of Mage Edgar's study. Tabitha didn't reply. She wasn't certain how she felt about him. Rayner was just a touch shorter than Tabitha, muscular and handsome, very friendly. Still, there was something about him that made her uneasy. Quite possibly, it was the fact that he was spying on her for Mage Edgar.

Unsure what to do with her new shadow, Tabitha headed to the solar. Rayner was completely unperturbed, chatting amiably about how he'd never actually been in a castle before, or talked with a princess. When they entered, Carissa and Irene were busy with needlework, but looked up with interest at the newcomer.

"Whom have you brought us?" Carissa asked, as if the magic senser was a birthday gift or a new pet.

"This is Rayner, he's Mage Edgar's new assistant, and relative, actually. He's going to be following me around for a while at the court mage's request." She made a face.

"Mage Edgar's assistant?" Carissa looked skeptical at the title, "Well, maybe if he stays out of the court mage's study, he'll last longer than the others. Why is he following you around?"

Tabitha turned to Rayner and raised her eyebrows, deferring the question to him.

Rayner bowed. "Your highness, I have been assigned to study the spell on Princess Tabitha, see if it reacts to anything or anyone. Mage Edgar is hoping for better clues on how to remove it."
 

Carissa's eyes lit with curiosity. Tabitha braced herself for the slew of questions she knew her friend had been holding at bay since James's visit last fall.
 

Irene spoke first. "I don't think Princess Tabitha likes talking about the spell. So, do what you must, but I think we'll just pretend you're a friend of our guest, if that works for everyone?"

Tabitha wanted to hug her. Carissa pouted playfully at Tabitha, then smiled. "Alright, keep your secrets. But you are the most interesting guest we've ever had at Hinlith. Did you know, Rayner, that she trains with our father's squires? Have you ever met a princess who could wield a sword before?"

"You are the first three princesses I've ever met, your highness." Turning to Tabitha, he asked, "Do you actually spar then?" He looked fascinated rather than condescending.

"Yes. You can come in the morning to watch if you like. You wouldn't be the only spectator."

"This assignment is getting better and better. And I'd heard such bad things about working for Mage Edgar."

At this, all the princesses laughed.

As the conversation continued, they discovered that Rayner was very open about his life and very entertaining. He was nearly thirty and had traveled throughout the three kingdoms, even crossing into the Northern Empire a few times. This secured his welcome. The three girls, and even Will once he'd joined them, begged Rayner for stories, which he happily supplied. They talked until dinner, and Rayner was invited to join them at their table. Afterwards, the five of them walked through the gardens and Rayner was introduced to their various friends as a distant cousin of Tabitha's, visiting on his way through Westphal. This was Carissa's construction and she was quite proud of it.

"That way no one will question why he spends so much time with you, or start rumors about you having a secret suitor."

Tabitha hadn't even considered that possibility. She wondered if a distant cousin was necessarily exempt from being a suitor, and decided she'd better write her parents just in case any rumors did make it back to Valstadt. If rumors made it to Xentia...

Rayner began his days spectating at Tabitha's morning training sessions. He would stand with the few other onlookers during the drills. Once sparring started, he'd joke with the squires as they waited their turns. He never spoke to Tabitha until after she was released to wash and change before lunch, but he escorted her back to the palace and chatted with her along the way. He ate with Tabitha and her three friends, and the five of them spent many rainy spring afternoons in the solar, where Rayner would regale them with his various adventures. Whether these were strictly true was debatable, but they were thoroughly entertaining.

As familiarity wore away formality, Rayner flirted amiably with Tabitha. This was flattering, but a little disconcerting. He also began to indulge his curiosity.

"So, are you in Hinlith because your parents plan to bolster their alliance with Westphal by marrying you off to Prince William? Or the Crown Prince?" he asked as they trudged up the hill from practice.

Rayner's bluntness surprised a laugh out of Tabitha. "I'm sure they wouldn't object if either of the princes proposed, but Jerrold and Philip's friendship is strong enough to make an arranged marriage unnecessary. No, I believe Cameron was the only brother whose match will be arranged. Unless you count Carissa's machinations."
 

"Do you regret that?"

"No. I'm content to find my own way."

"Actually, I was referring to Prince Cameron's marriage."

"You should know better than to ask such questions, Rayner. If I did I wouldn't tell you. But the truth is, I think it's a perfect match politically and personally for Cameron. He'll make a good king."

"And romantically?"

"One never knows, even when couples choose each other."

"You sound very dismissive, princess. Don't you believe in love?"

"Of course I do. My parents love each other very much, even though theirs was a political match."

"But?" he prompted.

Tabitha laughed again, a little wryly this time. "I guess I don't think about it much. Courting isn't really my forte, in case you haven't noticed."

"I'd rather assumed that was because your thoughts were elsewhere."

"You really are impertinent, you know."
 
Tabitha didn't hide her irritation as she pushed past him and continued the trek up to the castle. But Rayner wasn't so easily dismissed. Day after day, he continued to ask questions about her romantic interests. By the end of the week, she felt obliged to confront him more directly. He might think gossiping with her harmless, but she wasn't amused.

As he escorted her back to the castle yet again, she slowed until they were out of earshot of the other students before she confronted him. "Rayner, I will not be discussing my relationships with you. If you persist in this line of questioning, I will banish you from my presence and you'll have to explain the reason to Mage Edgar yourself."

Unexpectedly, Rayner laid his right hand on her shoulder and put his left under her chin to prevent her looking away. He was close enough that she could smell his cologne, which was herbal. The contrast with her sweaty classmates made it particularly appealing. She found herself inhaling rather deeply and stopped. Luckily, she was already flushed from exercise, so her embarrassment wouldn't show.
 

His voice was gentle. "I know you've been disappointed. But you don't have to give up. Romance is a game that only lasts a short time. Enjoy it." To her astonishment, he then took her hand and twined her arm around his before turning to walk with her the rest of the way to the castle. "I've been wondering why Will hasn't made a play for you. Is he really so uninterested in titles and dowries as to pass up two princesses?"

Later, Tabitha was surprised that she hadn't argued, or pulled away from him.

TWENTY-SEVEN

An Unlikely Confidant

After lunch that same day, Tabitha found herself wandering the hedge maze with Rayner. It had been harder to avoid the place now that she was back in constant company. William was walking further ahead with one of the young women he admired. She and Rayner were playing chaperone for the prince while Carissa and Irene were inside finishing some needlework.

Tabitha wondered if the roles should have been reversed. Rayner had her arm looped around his again. When they paused, he stood too close, held her gaze too long. She caught herself breathing in his scent, but since she couldn't exactly hold her breath while talking, stopped worrying about it. It was a pleasant smell and relaxed her.

"So, my predecessor was a bit controlling?"

"Predecessor?"