by Alex Linwood
Portia couldn’t give Mark away. She blurted out, “The dead girl told me.” At their surprised looks, she quickly continued. “Before I… she was bragging about it.”
Captain Ross whistled again. “Remind me to never be rude to you.”
Myra flashed him an irate look. “Captain, I will not remind you again.”
The captain looked down, suitably contrite. “My apologies.”
The tense silence in the room, punctuated only by the sound of quill and parchment, was interrupted by a knocking on the doorframe. Portia turned to see a herald. He was dressed in a rich velvet overcoat with the royal insignia and knee-high leather boots.
The guards straightened in front of the herald, drawing themselves up at attention.
Myra looked up at the knocking then quickly put down her quill and stood up at attention herself. Portia followed suit, standing uncertainly.
The herald gave Myra a small nod. “Pardon the interruption, but I was told I could find Portia Harris here.”
Myra gestured to Portia.
The herald then addressed Portia directly. “Are you Portia Harris?”
She nodded. “I am.”
“Queen Lorica requests your presence immediately. Please come with me,” he said.
Portia looked uncertainly at Myra and the guards. Myra waved her away. “We’ll finish this later. Captain Ross will escort you.”
Portia thought she could detect a hint of irritation on the face of the herald, but he said nothing to Myra. Instead, he backed out of the doorway so Portia could leave the room. He gestured for her to walk to the exit, falling in line behind her while Captain Ross brought up the rear.
Chapter 17
Portia exited the guardhouse to see a beautiful, lacquered open carriage harnessed behind four large white horses in the driveway. The horses stomped and snorted, their breath frosty white in the cold air, creating clouds around the horses’ heads. The moon shown down on the sight, taking Portia’s breath away.
A driver held the reins of the horses while the herald held the door of the carriage open. It was huge. It could have sat four people. Portia climbed up into the carriage, taking the seat facing forward. The herald followed, taking the opposite seat. When Captain Ross tried to enter, the herald motioned for him to take one of the top seats in the rear—he would be allowed to escort them, but not in the main body of the carriage. Captain Ross scowled at this but took his seat and stared forward stoically.
With a flick of the reins, the driver let the horses go. The carriage leapt forward, drawn by the powerful horses. Portia fell back in her seat, surprised by the speed of the vehicle. “Oh.”
The herald looked at her in concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, it’s just that we’re going so fast. I’ve never been in anything that’s gone this fast in my life,” she said, staring at the buildings go by as they passed through the city of Coverack, the driver weaving in and out between other carriages and wagons. More than one passerby leapt back to get out of the way of the speeding vehicle.
“This is nothing,” the herald said, a small smile on his face. “The war carriages are even faster. And those horses are bred for speed.”
Portia stared at him, her mouth a small circle. She caught herself and looked away, hearing a soft chuckle from the herald. “I’ve only been on wagons drawn by one horse. I never thought I’d ever ride something this fine,” she said, touching the seat of the carriage. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“You’ve not seen the royal carriages yet then, I take it?” he asked.
“I might have,” Portia said, thinking back to the carriage she’d seen on the road to Coverack.
“They’re much as this, but larger. And fully enclosed.” he said.
She nodded. That had been what she’d seen. “That would be nice for warmth,” Portia said, drawing her jacket tight to her. The cold air blowing past her face chilled her.
Some of the aloofness left the herald’s face. He unfolded a large thick blanket that was on the seat next to him and laid it over Portia’s lap. “My apologies. I should’ve done this from the start.”
Portia gratefully pulled up the blanket, trying to cover her arms and neck with it. She was sure she did not look dignified, but she didn’t care. She was too cold to mind.
The herald looked shamefaced at his mistake. He leaned in with a conciliatory manner. “But it’s not all pleasantries for the royal carriages. They are enclosed to prevent assassination attempts.”
“Assassination!” It had never occurred to Portia that someone would try to harm the king and queen. “Do these attempts happen often? Who would do such a thing? ”
“Not often, that is true. But violence has been tried in the past to previous head of state, so it makes sense to not take risks now.”
“Oh.” Portia felt she was so ignorant of the past. She had studied hours of history, but the more she studied, the more she realized she knew but just a fraction of what there was to know. She watched the buildings pass by, thinning, with larger and larger spaces between them. The houses had given way to large estates with shaped bushes and carefully shoveled driveways. The expense of the landscaping could be seen even under the deep snow.
The royal castle was at the far edge of the city, still within the gates but with a large space around it. The walls behind the castle were atop a large bluff that overlooked the sea, preventing an attack from the far side. Torches flamed along the road leading up to the castle, and upon its ramparts. It shone brightly in the night. The dark sea beyond the city walls spread as far as she could see and provided a backdrop for the bright lights of the castle.
The guards outside the castle opened the gates with a nod as the carriage approached, allowing it to pass through without slowing. Portia tried to get a closer look at the entrance, but they passed it too quickly. The main body of the castle soon distracted her.
The castle itself was a shimmering gray. Portia wondered if it was purple in the daylight.
“Am I to see the king and queen themselves?” Portia asked quietly, in awe, the magnitude of the event sinking in.
“The queen and the king consort,” the herald corrected her. He looked at her more closely, surprised she did not know this. Portia squirmed under his attention.
They exited the carriage and were greeted by a butler who then escorted them through a large long hall. Tapestries and paintings filled the walls. The royal coat of arms was woven in beautiful silk threads on a large tapestry hanging over the door at the opposite end of the hall. Portia stared at it, drawing the herald’s attention.
“The royal coat of arms,” he explained.
She nodded, not comfortable speaking aloud in the butler’s presence and in such an august space. Her stomach tightened. Anxiety filled her heart. She did not belong here. She feared being in trouble, for her lies to the Magic Academy staff, or worse yet, for her role in Deyelna’s death. But there was nothing to be done but to continue on and face whatever was ahead of her.
They reached the doorway at the far end of the hall and two servants opened the double doors in unison. The herald nodded at another servant standing just inside the next room. The servant tilted his head in acknowledgment and then turned, struck a staff to the floor three times, and announced in a booming voice, “Portia Harris.”
Portia stood in the doorway and realized she was facing into the throne room. The queen and king consort sat on high-back chairs atop a dais. Stairs led down from the dais to the main floor. A few nobles stood below, flanked by a secretary at a table taking notes with a quill and parchment. Portia noticed Aelric and Hilda amongst the crowd. She was surprised to see them there, but it helped soothe her stomach. Even if Aelric didn’t like her, she didn’t think he would do anything to harm her. And she trusted Hilda.
The herald motioned for Portia to enter. She stepped into the room and continued walking towards the throne. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she stopped and curtsied clum
sily, not sure exactly how to do it.
“Please rise,” Queen Lorica said, her voice gentle. Portia risked a glance up. The queen had tightly curled dark hair wrapped up in a high pile on her head and under a large golden crown. King Consort Aldis looked similar. He had a gentle smile that matched the queen’s tone. “We are very pleased to meet you. We have never seen a Jack of Magic. Few people ever have.”
Jack of Magic , Portia wondered. “I’m honored, Your Majesty… I think.”
Queen Lorica tilted her head questioningly at Portia. No one else dared speak. “You think?”
“It’s not that I’m not honored by you,” Portia said in a rush, her cheeks glowing red, “but it’s just that I… don’t know what Jack of Magic means.”
The queen frowned and then addressed Hilda and Aelric, “Professors, what are you teaching students these days? How can this girl not know what a Jack of Magic is?”
Hilda stepped forward and gave the queen small bow. “Your Majesty, this is Portia’s first term at the Magic Academy. She has not had the benefit of a tutor growing up, so she is learning everything at once. I hope you can appreciate how unusual it is to have to know the term Jack of Magic at such a young age.”
Queen Lorica acknowledged this with a nod. “This is true. Portia, being only the third Jack of Magic in all time, none of us are truly experienced in this.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Hilda said. “Please rest assured this was part of the curriculum for this term. We had not gotten to it yet.”
“That does nothing to ease our honored guest’s present confusion. Please explain it now,” the queen commanded.
Aelric and Hilda nodded at the queen. Aelric stepped forward, facing Portia. “People called Jack of Magic have only appeared twice before in our history. Both times they have been critical in saving the kingdom from ruin.”
Portia tried to take in what Aelric was saying. Surely that couldn’t apply to her. She couldn’t save anyone; she was having a hard enough time surviving herself.
Hilda stepped forward to join Aelric. “The last Jack of Magic occurred five hundred years ago. He was much needed to stop a necromancer from taking over the kingdom. It is doubtful the kingdom would have survived without him.”
Queen Lorica nodded in agreement with this.
Aelric, not to be outdone, spoke again. “The one previous helped create the kingdom itself. More importantly, she set up magic to create Jacks of Magic when the kingdom was in need.” He looked at her meaningfully. “Your very existence tells us there is danger coming. You will be needed. It is unfortunate you are so young. We can only hope we have time before events unfold.
“I’m too young?” Portia asked, confused how that mattered.
Hilda smile at her reassuringly. “It is not so much that you are too young, but more that we have not had the opportunity to help train you in skills that would both protect you and defend the kingdom. The Jack of Magic is powerful magic, but is no guarantee of success. You need to have all the skills we can put at your fingertips.”
The queen stood then descended the stairs towards Portia. Portia could see how beautiful she was the closer she came. “Young Jack of Magic, it is certain that we will need you. Our oracles,” Queen Lorica motioned to a group of advisers standing close by who bowed at her reference, “have foretold of dark events coming. One even dared speak of oncoming doom. They have been unable to see more clearly what is coming, but all of them, from the youngest to the oldest, have seen nothing like this before. We had hoped it was not of such magnitude as to need a Jack of Magic, but here you are, so we must face our danger and defeat it for the sake of the kingdom and our people. You must face our danger—you are our champion. We expect much of you.”
Portia swallowed, uncomfortable both with what the queen was saying and her close proximity. “I will do my best,” she said, her voice shaking .
“I expect you will,” Queen Lorica said. “You will receive the highest training available in the kingdom. You will learn things we do not teach the average magic user, even the most skilled of our Academy students. Training the Jack of Magic is the highest calling for the Academy.”
Portia nodded.
“For all our sakes, I wish you a good—and thorough— training.” The queen, followed by the king consort, exited the throne room, escorted by their personal guards, leaving the audience behind.
Portia breathed easier. She felt lightheaded. Hilda noticed and grabbed both of Portia’s hands within her own. “I know this is overwhelming, Portia, but you have skills beyond any other magic user, whether or not they are trained. You cannot run away the way you did from the gang in Valencia. This is different.”
Portia wondered if Hilda could read minds. How did she know how badly Portia wanted to escape? The responsibility laid on her shoulders was beyond even her comprehension.
“You also cannot tell anybody of what you know here. There are those who would wish you to fail in your training, as incomprehensible as that may seem. Do you understand?” Aelric asked Portia. “I think after today, you have some idea of the stakes, both to the kingdom as well as to yourself personally. The anti-magickers will stop at nothing until you are killed—or they are.”
Portia felt ill at this but calmly nodded acknowledgment. She couldn’t imagine not telling Ella or Mia, her best friends and support in the Academy. Were they in danger too because they were around her? Perhaps she could get Aelric or Hilda to relent on that or just trust that her friends would not betray her confidence.
Aelric and Hilda escorted Portia out of the throne room. Not only was her place in the Magic Academy secure, she was a needed and important person in the kingdom. She could not have imagined this outcome when she had run away from Valencia. When they exited the castle, the night was pitch-black. The stars were twinkling over the kingdom. She stared out of the carriage in awe of her new role. She couldn’t wait to be back in the house with her friends, Ella and Mia.
Thank you for reading! This author would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a short review so others may discover the story.
Read more of Portia’s story in Moss Gate .
The Jack of Magic Series
Red Jack
Moss Gate
Black Raid
Iron War
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