The Kingdom of Eternal Sorrow (The Golden Mage Book 1) (10 page)

To her utter disappointment, within a few seconds of flipping through
the pages of the book, she found that the book was not written in the same
language Zenas had given her. Pages upon pages of strange rune-like symbols lay
before her, reminding her of the first time she had seen Arabic words. Irritably,
she shelved the book and pulled out another. It, too, was written in that
strange language as the first. She wanted to scream in frustration after a
five-minute search through the rest of the folklore books turned up nothing
that was readable.

“Why in the hell did they write the titles on the spine in one language
when the book was written in another?” she muttered angrily under her breath.

On a hunch, she selected a book on the history of Lamia and opened it
to the first page. Sure enough, this book was written in the strange symbols of
the Lamian language she knew and could read thanks to Zenas’s gift. Allison
suspected that the rest of the history books were written in the Lamian language
as well.

Strange
, she thought suspiciously.
I’ll have to remember to
ask Aidric about them later. I’m sure there’s a special reason why only those
particular books are written in a different language.

Suddenly, the rather insistent growling of her stomach interrupted her
thoughts. Only then did she realize just how hungry she was.

God, I’m starving
.
Kat and I never got around to eating
lunch. I have no way of knowing how long I’ve been here since I was probably unconscious
for more than half the time I’ve been in this crazy world. Aidric said there
was food around here somewhere…

She scanned the room again, trying to ignore the stab of pain in her
heart that remembering her sister caused her, and spotted the dining table on
the other side of one of the couches. As Aidric had promised, a variety of
foods covered the table, some recognizable and others not.

Allison selected what she hoped was an apple, an orange, and a small
loaf of bread, deciding against trying any of the meats or cheeses no matter how
appetizing they seemed because she had no way of knowing from what animal they
had come from. She didn’t want to find out later that she had eaten the meat of
a dog or a cat! She also decided to pass on the fruits and vegetables she didn’t
recognize. Kat had always said she was a finicky eater.

Her smile was bittersweet as she remembered a time when her sister and
she had been in elementary school, and her stepfather had threatened her with a
beating if she didn’t eat her Brussels sprouts.

“The good lord has given you food when others are starving,” he had
lectured sternly when she had complained that she did not like them, “so you
should appreciate it and clean your plate unless you want a severe penance
tonight!”

It had been the first time her mother had prepared them, and she had
always loathed trying anything new ever since she’d had a bad experience the
first time she had tasted sour cream. Resigning herself for a beating later on,
Allison had sat picking at her meal until Katherine slyly scooped up every sprout
on her plate when neither of their parents were looking and shoved them into
the front of her shirt along with her own helping. Miraculously, that had been
one of the few times she had escaped a beating.

No!
Allison scolded, giving her head a shake.
I
won’t
think about her.

With her meal and the book of Lamian history tucked securely under her
arm, she moved over to one of the huge chairs beside the window. She resisted
the urge to draw the curtains back, not sure if she was ready to see what lay
beyond just yet, and settled herself comfortably within the soft cushions to
eat and read.

Within a few minutes, Allison was totally oblivious to the world around
her as the fascinating history of Lamia quickly unfolded before her eyes.

Allison was so engrossed in her book when Aidric finally returned a few
hours later that she didn’t even hear him enter the suite, much less sense his
presence, as he approached her chair. When he abruptly spoke her name, she
cried out in surprise and dropped the book onto the floor. It fell in an
unceremonious heap at Aidric’s feet. As Allison blushed furiously in
embarrassment and tried to calm her racing heart, Aidric chuckled and bent down
to retrieve the book.

I wish I could stop being so jumpy
, she thought irritably.
Aidric
must think that I’m afraid of my own shadow!
Instantly she reproached
herself.
There I go again. Why should I care what he thinks of me, anyway?
I’ve never really cared what people thought of me before, so why should I start
caring now?

Yet, as Allison looked at Aidric, she knew that she
did
care
what this strange man thought of her, and that realization left her feeling
unsettled.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Aidric said as he handed the book back
to her, amusement glittering in his eyes.

“I—I don’t usually scare so easily, but after everything that’s
happened to me today, I’m afraid that my nerves are shot,” she explained
hastily, annoyingly feeling herself blush again.

“You have the most peculiar way of phrasing your words,” Aidric remarked.
“Sometimes I have a difficult time understanding exactly what you mean, but at
the same time, when I don’t take your words so literally, their meaning is
clear.”

“I could say the same about the way you and your people talk,” Allison
retorted. “You all speak so formally as if you were giving an important speech
in front of a bunch of dried out old scholars.”

“I meant no insult,” Aidric said apologetically. “In fact, I find it
pleasant.”

“How so?”

“It brings a little mystery into the conversation,” he replied with a
boyish grin. ”I never know what charming little phrase you’ll use next!”

His innocent observation made her shift uncomfortably in her chair. It
was a blatant reminder that she was now an outsider again just as she had been
when she was a child. When her mother had married her stepfather, she hadn’t
been allowed to play with any of the neighborhood children, or to really have
any friends at all. Her stepfather also had a reputation within the community
as being a real asshole. As a result, Katherine and she had often been bullied
in school. Their cruel taunts had caused her much grief and pain, so she hated
to be reminded of those dark times in her life.

“I see. I take it that your meeting went well since you’re in such a
good mood,” Allison said, quickly changing the subject. She smiled tentatively
at him. “Apparently, they decided not to throw me into the dungeon or whatever
it is you people do to prisoners around here or else you would be carrying
chains and an armed escort instead of those clothes. Are they for me?”

The cheer in his eyes abruptly disappeared, and his expression grew
grim.

Alarmed by this sudden mood change, Allison quickly asked, “I—I
didn’t—say anything
wrong
did I?”

Aidric shook his head. “You wouldn’t have said what you said with such
casualness had you known just how close your words almost came to be.”

Allison could feel the blood leave her cheeks. “You mean—I—you—they
actually were thinking of throwing me into a
dungeon
? You can’t be
serious
!”

He nodded unhappily and said, “That and more, I’m afraid. You must
understand that the king’s councilors were terribly frightened when Diryan
spoke of your appearance. They know only too well the threat that you pose to
Lamia, to their own lives. I’m ashamed to admit that their first reaction to
this news was to demand that His Majesty order you to be put to death
immediately.”

“But why?” she cried. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“In their eyes you have,” Aidric replied grimly. “Your mere appearance
in our kingdom poses a lethal threat that
would
justify a death
sentence—under normal circumstances. By law, we are required to immediately
execute those who would threaten the lives of any in the kingdom, but I
explained to them that you are an exception. Since it’s obviously Seni’s will
that has brought you here, it’s also His will that you fulfill the destiny He
has given you no matter the cost to Lamia. It would be blasphemous to defy Seni’s
will, and even if it were not, neither I nor Diryan would willfully order the
death of an innocent!”

Allison’s fear subsided a bit when she heard the steel in his voice.

Maybe he’s the only one I can trust now…

However, before she could complete that thought, an inner voice
screamed in warning. Could his show of protectiveness possibly be a façade?
Aidric had powers after all—persuasive powers that he could at this very moment
be using on her to trust him as Selwyn had made her feel calm and protected
with his power. She
wanted
to trust him, yet, that nagging suspicion
would not go away. How did she know that he was truly sincere?

Can I afford to trust him?
Allison thought warily.
Can I
afford not to? In a situation like this, he just seems to be too good to be
true, or am I just being paranoid? He sounds sincere enough. Oh hell—if I can’t
trust him, then who can I?

She suddenly felt eyes boring into her, and she looked up into worried,
violet eyes.

“Your emotions,” Aidric said with a frown, “they were so open to my
Empathy earlier, and now all I sense is numbness, a void. You may not realize
it, but you are deliberately blocking me out. Do you not think I speak the
truth about what was decided?”

“How can I be deliberately blocking you out and not realize I’m doing
it at the same time?” Allison asked, shaken that he could so easily know what
she was feeling. She suddenly felt like an opened book, laid exposed for all to
see. “You’re contradicting yourself.”

“Am I?” he said softly. He took a step closer. “You didn’t answer my
question.”

“No, I’m
not
afraid of you,” she said, raising her chin a bit in
something like defiance.

“That’s not what I asked.”

Aidric moved closer. Allison began to tremble despite her best efforts
to maintain control. He pried one of her hands from its death-grip on the book
in her lap and grasped it firmly. She sat frozen, barely daring to breathe as
they stared at one another. It was then that Allison realized she
did
fear—quite a lot. He stirred an uneasiness in her that no one else had ever
done before, and what frightened her most was that she really couldn’t say why.

“I
do
frighten you,” Aidric said quietly.

“N-no—no you don’t,” she insisted stubbornly, wincing inwardly when her
words sounded hollow even to her own ears.

“Yes I do,” he said firmly, his thumb gently stoking the back of her
hand, “else you would not be trembling.”

“All right, yes!” Allison blurted out to her horror, but once the words
began to spill out, she found that she couldn’t stop the flow. “I don’t know
why you frighten me—you just
do
. I want to trust you—I really do, but
every time you come near me, it makes me uneasy. I don’t know why it should
because you’ve been nothing but kind to me.” Allison refused to meet his eyes.
“My fear must insult you!”

She was rambling, and she knew it.

“It does nothing of the kind,” Aidric assured her gently. “I’m a
stranger to you, and I expect nothing less. Do we not fear
you
—the
powerful Golden Mage delivered to our kingdom by Seni, Himself? It’s only
natural that two mages as powerful as us should be wary of each other. As you
said earlier, trust must be earned.” He smiled self-deprecatingly. “I suppose
speaking to you about the king’s councilors’ desire to put you to death is not
the best way to go about earning your trust.”

Allison shifted uncomfortably in her chair under his scrutinizing gaze
and suddenly felt like an idiot. Her uneasiness—was that just her sensing his
magic? It had never even occurred to her to think that his overwhelming presence
had a physical rather than a psychological cause.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured after a moment of tense silence, her
shoulders slumping.

“Fear needs no apology,” Aidric said, squeezing her hand in reassurance.
“Know that I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.” He grinned suddenly.
“After all, you are now my ward.”

She tilted her head in puzzlement. “Ward?”

“The king just officially granted my proposal to have you as my
apprentice, and everyone knows that I don’t take kindly to my wards being mistreated
or threatened in any way. I’ll be the first to admit that my temper can be
pretty vicious sometimes!”

“I’m your
apprentice
?” Allison asked in alarm. “What does that
mean? I won’t have to be your servant or anything like that will I?”

Aidric laughed. “Your world must be a strange one, indeed, with all the
assumptions you make about ours. Of course you won’t be my servant! You are to
be my student and
nothing else
. I’ll teach you to use and understand
your mage powers. You will live here in the palace with me until you reach full
adept status. I have a spare room for apprentices that I’m sure you will find
quite comfortable. After you are declared a mage by the Horae, then who knows?
Perhaps Diryan will give you a palace position, or if by then the tension
between our kingdom and the kingdom of Mihr becomes worse—and I pray to Seni
that it will
not
—you will be assigned to that area.

“Of course, wherever you are assigned to, you will be given quarters of
your own, either here in the Mage Hall or in one of the villages of your
choice. In all probability, Diryan will keep you here at the palace because of
the threat the prophecy says you pose to us. You, nor I, must ever forget that
you are the Golden Mage.”

“It sounds as if I don’t have a choice in the matter,” Allison said
bitterly. “It’s almost as if I
am
a prisoner.”

“You mustn’t think of it that way,” Aidric insisted. “It is so for
all
mages, not just for you. As I explained before, it’s Seni whom we truly serve
in the hopes of achieving a place among His Thrones after death. It’s His will
that all who are mageborn must serve their kingdom however or wherever their
king deems best.”

“It still sounds like my life isn’t mine to live,” Allison insisted.

“But it is!” he reasoned. “The king only controls your occupation and
even that, only to a point. The rest—family, hobbies, and the like—are for you
to choose.”

“I suppose…” she said grudgingly.

“You must also keep in mind that our ways are not the ways you have
lived by in your world. I, by no means, expect total acceptance of our ways
from you right now. That would be absurd and incredibly short-sighted of me. To
become an adept-mage takes
years
. You’ll have more than enough time to
adjust to this new life.”

Damn. Why does he always have to make so much sense?
she
grouched.
I could sit here and argue ethics with him all day, and he would
probably have an answer for everything.

“All right, so I’m your apprentice now,” Allison said. “Are you going
to start my lessons today?”

“Not today,” Aidric said with a hesitant smile that immediately had her
back stiffening. “We’ve got an engagement to attend, first. Your schooling will
begin tomorrow morning.”

 “An engagement?” she asked suspiciously. “What sort of engagement?”

Aidric cleared his throat uncomfortably and after a moment's
hesitation, replied, “It’s a presentation to all the members of Lamia’s
council, consisting of the Circle and King Diryan’s councilors.” He smiled
sheepishly at her. “—your presentation.”

Allison could feel all the blood drain from her face even though she
half expected him to say something of the sort—but a whole council! She
abhorred being scrutinized by just
one
person, and now Aidric was
telling her that she had to go before an entire
council
with
who-knows-how-many people where she was certain everyone would be gawking at
her!

“No way!” she balked. “Aidric, please don’t make me go! I can’t
stand
to be under that much attention! Just the thought of it is enough to make me
feel sick! I’ll do anything else you ask of me—just—not this!”

“But you must!” he insisted, his eyes stricken. “All apprentices must
be presented and approved before the Circle before they are allowed to be
taught. It’s one of our laws, so it’s something that you cannot avoid.”

He leaned down and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s not
as bad as you think. You merely have to stand before the king until he
acknowledges you. You will then curtsey as he nods at you, and I’ll then
present you to him and the Council. Next, he will grant you permission to
become my apprentice and also grant you Lamian citizenship.”

“That’s still—I can’t—” she protested, shaking her head and silently
cursing herself for making such a big deal about something so trivial.

“Yes you can,” he assured her firmly. “It will be over before you
realize. Understand, I wouldn’t ask you to do this if it were not important.
Many members of the Circle don’t know that the Golden Mage has appeared. Think
of the shock they would have if they encountered you in the palace. Based on
your appearance, alone, they would probably react first and ask questions
later. Having your presence unknown to the public would be very dangerous for
you. You
must
allow Lamia to know who you are. Please Allison, do this,
if not for Lamia, then for your own safety.”

Allison sighed as she looked into his pale-violet eyes and saw the
earnestness, the pleading. Maybe if she zoned out and didn’t look at anyone… “All
right.”