“Oh no,” I said. “I didn’t mean to kill it.” I could feel the scratchiness of tears in my eyes. I wiped them with the back of my hand quickly.
Aidric chuckled. “It’s fine. That happens to me all the time. They’re very delicate little flowers,” he told me. That made me feel better, but I was careful not to touch another flower as we continued looking around the garden. It was filled with interesting and unfamiliar plants. I could already tell I wanted to check it out in the daylight.
There was a bench at the back wall of the garden. Once we arrived, Aidric motioned for me to sit down. The bench was underneath a tree and next to a small pond. The moon and twinkling flowers provided enough light that Aidric and I were able to see around the garden easily. We sat in silence and looked at the full moon reflected in the pond for a few minutes. The cool air helped clear my head.
“Lydia,” Aidric said, breaking the silence. He turned and grabbed one of my hands. I felt heat rush through my body and could feel my heartbeat start to speed up. “Can I show you something?” he asked. I could only nod. My mouth was suddenly dry and my voice nonexistent.
“Close your eyes,” he said. I looked at him a little skeptically but did as he asked.
“Tell me,” he began. “Can you feel the ball of energy deep within you?”
“Yes,” I told him. Where was he going with this? He took the hand he was holding and made it into a fist.
“Now, draw on just a bit of that energy and try to think about fire in the palm of your hand.”
The excitement I had been feeling faded instantly. I opened one eye and peeked at him. “What are you trying to get me to do?” I asked.
“Just trust me,” he said. “I’m trying to teach you something.”
“Oh,” I said. “I thought—never mind.” I closed my eyes again feeling thoroughly disappointed about something I didn’t even want to admit to myself. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head and find the pool of energy again. I imagined myself reaching out and pulling just a little bit from it and pushing it into my hands, thinking about fire at the same time.
“Ready?” Aidric asked.
“Ready,” I told him.
“Open your hand and open your eyes at the same time.”
It took my eyes a moment to adjust after I opened them because there was a light that was blindingly bright in front of me. Once my eyes adjusted, I realized the light was coming from me. There in the palm of my hand was a little ball of fire. The orange flames danced in the night. I could feel the heat from it, but it didn’t burn my palm at all.
Aidric laughed when he saw it. “See,” he said. “I told you, you could control it.”
“Okay, I’ll admit it. You were right. Now how do I make it go away?” I asked him. I didn’t want anyone to find me doing magic out here.
“Just put the energy back,” he said. He made it sound so simple. I closed my eye and focused for a few minutes. Stopping the fire seemed a lot harder than starting it. After a couple of minutes, I opened my eyes and the fire was gone.
“How do you know all this?” I asked him. “Are you a Magic Wielder too?”
“No,” Aidric said quickly. “Wielding abilities are passed down from parents to child. No one in the royal family has been a Wielder for centuries. I think it’s important to understand the people who will one day be my subjects, though, so the Scholars have taught me about magic some. If you would let me tell someone you are a Wielder, Lydia, they would be able to teach you too.”
“No,” I told him. “I don’t want anyone to know.”
“Lydia, Magic Wielders are no longer persecuted like they were a generation ago. Yes, there are some people who don’t like magic, but they are fewer every day. Magic Wielders are important now.”
“It’s not that,” I told him. “I just — me having this ability doesn’t make any sense. And I don’t want anyone finding out about it until I’ve figured out what it means.”
“I wish you would tell me why.”
“I can’t. Please don’t ask.”
Aidric sighed and was silent for a moment. Finally he said, “It’s fine, Lydia. I won’t press you. I’m sure you have a very good reason. I won’t tell anyone. And,” he paused and picked up the necklace my stone was hidden in, “If you keep this on you at all times, no one will be able to find out.”
I thought he sounded a bit disappointed, but I couldn’t let that get to me. I didn’t trust anyone with our secret yet. Especially someone so close to the king. No one could know where we had come from. But I knew I had to find a way to get us home soon.
28
The next day dawned much quicker than I would have liked. I was tired, both mentally and physically. The events of yesterday had given me a lot to think about. Erin had grilled me about where Aidric had taken me last night during the ball and what he had to say, but I only gave her the barest of details. I was sure I didn’t want them to know I could do magic just yet. I still wasn’t sure I wanted to know about it. I was up and sitting in the chair next to the window when someone knocked at my door.
A maid I didn’t recognize entered my room carrying a handful of clothes.
“My lady, King Bleddyn asks that once you and your companions have had a chance to eat and ready yourselves, you would honor him with your presence in the throne room. Here are some clothes for you today. Thank you for your time, I must go and deliver the message to the rest of your companions.” She laid some clothes out on the bed before giving a small curtsy and leaving.
I continued to sit in the chair for a few moments. I suspected the king wanted to see us to let us know where we were going next. Our honeymoon days as honored guests were coming to an end, I was sure. Giving jobs to four wayward travelers with no noble blood and no connections seemed like a job beneath the king. I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t sent someone else to give us our assignments. I wasn’t looking forward to this meeting, but saying no wasn’t an option.
I finally walked to my washroom and changed into the clothes that had been laid out for the day. There were loose linen pants and a long sleeve shirt. They were similar to the clothes the strange woman had given me when we arrived, but these were much better made. The shirt was also dressier and had embroidery all the way down the sleeves. It was made more for easy duty than hard travel, I guessed. I slipped the black flats I wore with my dress last night back on my feet. For a moment I stared longingly at the purple dress now in the corner of my room. Gabrielle had helped me take it off and put it on a mannequin last night after the ball was over. I doubted I would get another chance to wear it soon.
I pulled on my outfit and helped myself to breakfast. Eventually, Murphy, Erin, and John came out to join me. I chose to ignore the fact that Erin and John both came out of Erin’s room. We all sat in silence, tired and lost in our own thoughts. Almost as soon as we had finished eating, there was a knock at the door and the boy who had led us to the ball the night before entered.
“The king awaits your presence,” he told us. Without a word we all stood up and followed him out into the hall.
We walked down toward the entrance hall but instead of going to the throne room through the staircase like we had the day before, we walked down another set of stairs and entered on the ground floor. The room looked much different this morning. The long carpet was still there but large room dividers had been set up around the throne so the large feast tables and lounging areas were not visible. Instead there were a couple of tables with chairs around them to the left of the throne dais. Papers and maps were spread across the tables and a few people were sitting there working. I recognized Reynard in his uniform standing beside one of the tables pouring over maps that were laid out across it.
King Bleddyn sat on his throne like the night before and now Prince Aidric sat on the throne next to him. There was no warm smile for me this morning. Aidric looked agitated. He sat with one leg crossed over the other and his foot was constantly shaking. He barely even glanced at us as we appro
ached. Once we arrived, the boy bowed to the king and went to stand in the corner. All four us curtsied or bowed when we approached the king and the prince. Without greeting us Aidric stood and began talking.
“When I met you during our journey, I told you I would help you find a place here at the castle or in Windburn. We have numerous needs here within the castle, as servants, grooms. As you’ve seen the castle is large and we appreciate good help. I wanted to talk to you today about any training you’ve had or any interests you have and get a feel for what may be a good fit. All four of you came through and helped in our victory on the road when you were under no obligation. I don’t hesitate to say, if we hadn’t met up with you on the way, the attack may have been much worse,” he said. I felt a little twinge of guilt as Aidric talked. We hadn’t spoken about the night of the attack, but I remember him telling me he thought they were coming after me. If I hadn’t been there maybe they would not have been attacked at all.
“I usually don’t go this far to help people find work in the castle, but I feel that it’s my duty to make sure you all are taken care of,” Aidric said. He opened his mouth to continue talking but the king interrupted him.
“My son, I’m surprised you haven’t told them about our conversation this morning,” King Bleddyn said. Aidric stopped pacing and closed his eyes for a moment before turning to look at the king.
“Father, I thought we decided this morning this wasn’t the proper way to fulfill my obligation,” Aidric said. His words were short and spoken through clinched teeth.
“Nonsense,” the king said. “I will take it from here, son.” Aidric made a noise in his throat but didn’t say anything. Instead, he walked back to his throne and sat down.
King Bleddyn stood up in front of us, blocking Aidric from view.
“While my son has some admirable ideas, he is not giving you the full picture of your options. He doesn't think you will like an idea that I have. As you all learned on the road, we are having trouble with bandits, especially those coming out of the Golden Forest. It has been a long time since Thavell has needed a large standing army. Our military is still strong, but not large. We cannot keep up with these small bandit groups that are increasing by the day. We also have enemies from afar we need to be ready for. We need to build our military strength back up. We are going to do this by making army service mandatory for all sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds, all to serve two years, starting after midwinter. First, the rural villages will be required to send their young adults. Then Windburn, Alvale, Fenwood, and Orsa, our four cities, will be required to start sending their young adults next year. After the first two years, all families will send their young adults when they turn sixteen and they will serve until their eighteenth birthday.”
“Father, do you not think that will put a strain on the livelihoods of our people?” Aidric interrupted. The look that the King gave his son made me quiver in my shoes a little. Clearly the king was not a man who was used to being interrupted.
“Yes, son, it will. But bandits and invading armies put more strain on them. Military service will strengthen the next generation. It will give them pride in their country and they will return to their villages full of knowledge and dedication. After everyone is used to the idea, it will no longer seem like a hardship. This is where you four come in,” the king said, turning back toward us. His presence was so commanding I almost took a step back.
“All four of you exhibited quick thinking and prowess in battle even when it was not your battle to fight. You have given me inspiration that this plan will work. Here you are, already out looking for your fame and fortune. I have recruited almost enough people of your age for a new company of our army. I want you to be part of these new recruits. You will serve for two years and then you will be free to pursue other interests or stay in the army. You will be trained to fight for your country and your homes. And when the announcement is made, you will be able to prove that training our young people in the army is one of the greatest things to happen to Thavell. As a perk for joining voluntarily and early, you will also receive double compensation compared to your compatriots when they are recruited over the next two years. What do you say? Will you be part of my flagship program and serve your king and your country?” King Bleddyn quit talking and watched us expectantly as his words soaked in.
We were being conscripted into an army in a country we didn’t belong to in a world we didn’t understand. I was sure there were worse situations we could have found ourselves in, but this felt like the bottom of the barrel. I was stunned and couldn’t think of anything to say. From the silence of my friends standing around me, I guessed they were feeling the same way. King Belddyn had framed his words like a request, but it didn’t feel like we had much of a choice in the matter. I tried to catch Aidric’s eye, but he was starting stone-faced at the back wall. We remained standing in stunned silence until the king began to look annoyed. I finally cleared my throat and stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, your offer has stunned us. Of course we would be honored to be a part of the flagship company and serve our country and our king,” I said. My friends murmured their agreements as well. Aidric finally caught my eye. He had no warm smile for me this time. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, he just stared at me for a long minute before looking away. The king smiled and opened up his arms to us.
“Your king could not ask for more loyal subjects. Training begins in the morning. I will have my staff come and help you move to your new quarters today so you can get settled in.” He sat back down on his throne and I knew we were dismissed. Wordlessly all four of us curtsied or bowed and let the throne room.
29
When we returned to our rooms, we immediately realized everything we owned had been packed up placed in a large chest for each of us. My suspicions were right, the king hadn’t been prepared to take no for an answer if he had gone ahead and ordered our stuff packed. I opened the chests until I found mine. I was surprised to see the gift of a wardrobe that the king had talked about was more than just the dress and the clothes I had been wearing for the past couple of days. Sorting through everything, I could see I had three or four dresses, pants, tops, an assortment of undergarments, a couple more pairs of shoes, and outerwear for the cold. My purple ball gown had been folded down and places in a separate box. Erin’s gown was the same. If I took care of everything, I was set for clothes for at least a year.
That errant thought hit me in the chest and knocked the wind out of me. I sat down on the chest my stuff had been packed in with a thud. Would we really be here for a year? We’d already been in Adylra close to two weeks. Had the same amount of time passed at home? What were my parents thinking? Was this our life now? The lady in the woods said I was the one that brought us here in the first place. What if I never found a way to get us home?
I stuffed everything back in my chest and fled to the table. As usual, lunch waited for us on the table, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat. Instead I stood next to the window, my forehead pressed to the cool glass. I watched the people in the city absent-mindedly, unable to make my brain think of anything more serious. I wasn’t sure how long I had been standing that way when a noise behind me made me jump. I turned to see Erin, John, and Murphy were all sitting in chairs and on the couches behind me. The food laid out for us still hadn’t been touched. It looked like everyone was feeling the same way I was. I walked over and sat down on a chaise next to Murphy.
“What are we going to do?” Murphy asked. No one answered him.
“We can’t be in the army of a country we don’t even belong to,” Erin finally pointed out. “What if we go to the king and explain everything? Surely he won’t want us in the army. Surely he would want us to find a way home?”
“Will he, though?” John asked. “For better or worse, we’ve been noticed, and we’ve made an impression on the prince and the king. This seemed like a big deal to King Bleddyn. If we come up with some crazy story now, won’t it just look like we are try
ing to get out of it?”
“But how are we supposed to get home?” Erin asked. “Everyone must be so worried about us. Sometimes still I try to convince myself this is just a dream, but it’s not, is it?” Each of us shook our head slightly.
“Maybe we can use this to our advantage,” I said. “He said we were staying here in the castle grounds. Maybe as we get out more and start training with people from all over the country, we can learn more and possibly start asking questions. People don’t know much about the village we said we are from, so maybe they think we don’t know much either. Maybe we can use that to our advantage. And besides, the lady in the woods said we were brought here by magic. If we stay in the castle, we will eventually learn more about it and surely we will run into the Scholars at some point. Someone has to know something. If there’s a way back home I think here is where we stand a chance of finding it.” I felt myself become more confident as I spoke. We just had to stay the course and ask small questions here and there. Eventually we would be able to find out how we could get home.
“But, the army,” Murphy said. “What if they send us on missions and we have to fight?”
“Well,” John said. “They have to train us first and that will take some time. Surely we can find a way to get home before we get caught up in actual fighting.” This time we all nodded our heads at each other. We had a game plan. We would get home.
Around mid-afternoon one of the men who had been sitting at the table in the throne room showed up with a few other people. He knocked once and stepped into our rooms without waiting for a response. He was tall, bald, and pale. With a dark cloak pulled all the way around his shoulders and drawn together in the front he resembled a potato with a head on top. The people behind him moved past. They immediately began carrying our stuff out of the room. Before the man had said a word the others had disappeared down the halls with our things.
Gatebreaker: Book One Page 12