From The Ashes

Part 9

The last three days of our trip were uneventful, since we had finally taken care of the group of assassins following us. Our group was lingering just outside the capital and we could see the castle in the distance like a beacon calling to us. We would have been already there but we were waiting for Oliver to adorn his armor which was taking longer than expected.
  “Come on Oliver. We’ve been waiting for twenty minutes.” I nagged.
  “I refuse to meet the king and have armor that I can’t see my reflection in!” He said polishing his helmet.
  “Meet? Didn’t he have to knight you himself?” Cass asked, brushing Ebony’s mane. I avoided eye contact. We hadn’t talked about the kiss since it happened and honestly I didn’t want to.
  “Well, yeah but it wasn’t much of a meeting. There were tons of people there, not much time for pleasantries. So yes, I have been in front of the king but never spoken to him.” He said, finally standing and cradling his helmet under his arm. “Okay, I’m ready.”
  “Finally!” Eian said excitedly. He jumped to his feet. “Let’s go!” I smiled at him, trying to hold back any anxiety I had. So worried he could be ripped away from me. Cass’ eyes caught mine and he gave me a comforting smile. I returned it, trying not to acknowledge the awkward tension between us.
 
  As we entered the capital we couldn’t help but stare. The streets were lined with pearl white cobblestone. A massive fountain adorned in carvings of all kinds of flowers, beautiful nymphs, and cherubs sat in the center of the impressive city.  Street vendors and performers were on every corner. Official looking knights patrolled the streets and Oliver looked like he felt a little intimidated. 
  All the buildings were made of sturdy looking oak stained with a deep brown lacquer. The citizens adorned shimmering detailed clothes that only highlighted our dirt stained and torn ones. I started to feel a little self conscious but I couldn’t let that bother me now.
  “This place is incredible!” Mira said with a huge smile.
  “It is. Hopefully we’ll have time to explore. But, right now we have to get Eian to see the king.” I said. Eian nodded with a look of determination.
We made our way through the crowd to find ourselves standing in front of the castle gates. They were towering, well above ten feet, and made of the same strong oak as all the city’s buildings. Cass raised his arm, about to knock, when a voice called to us from above.
  “Halt!” Called the voice. We looked up to find a man in royal armor pointing a crossbow down at us. Suddenly, I was a little uneasy. “State your business.”
  “I got this, guys.” Oliver said, confidently stepping forward. “I am Sir Oliver De-'' The archer launched an arrow that barely missed his feet. I gasped and Oliver quickly stepped back.
  “I said, state your business.” He said sternly.
  “We have a mage for possible..recruitment.” I said, but it hurt to get the words out.
  “Which one.” The archer asked. Eian stepped forward. The guard raised an eyebrow. “Prove it.”
  “What?” I asked.
  “Prove you are a mage. Do some magic. Can’t let just anyone in.” He called down to Eian, who looked to me for direction. I nodded.
  “Go ahead sweetie.” I said. Eian held out his hand and took a deep breath. Within a second a flame ignited in his hand The guard seemed satisfied and he clasped his hand shut, extinguishing the flame. His fire control had gotten a lot better.
  “Alright. You may enter. All weapons will be seized and held in the armory. We can stable your horse for you.” He said as the gates began to creak open. The idea of someone else having my sword made me uncomfortable. I was both attached to it and the safety it provided.
  We passed through the massive gates and stared at the towering building. The same flower carvings flowed over the entire castle. The windows were all made of stained glass and shined beautifully in the sunlight. The roof was shingled in a stunning pattern of dark gray squares. Every inch held unique details and I couldn’t believe something so immaculate existed.
  “Weapons please.” Said a voice to my right. Another armored guard was standing next to us with a very impatient look on her face. Reluctantly we handed over our small personal arsonal and the guard seemed a little surprised at how much we had. On the journey we were on you couldn’t be too careful.“Enter through the front door. To your immediate left you will find Jacquelyn. She is King Giaus’ consort and will see to your needs. Do not wonder. I will take your horse to the stables.” Said the guard. Mira handed over Ebony’s lead and I gave her mane a stroke as she passed.
  “Uh, okay. Thanks.” I replied. Everything was so formal and having spent the better part of two weeks in the woods it felt very strange.
  The castle was just as stunning inside  as the outside. Marble floors and massive pillars on either side of the long hallway. The walls were a deep red with white trim and paintings hung along them. Everything sparkled and the entire place felt almost devine.
  “This..is amazing.” Cass said, looking around. He had barely even been outside of Aster before so he was probably a little in shock.
  Entering the left room as instructed we found a small sitting room with a few chairs and a couch. It being a small room it was still fancier than my living room. A fire was burning and we made ourselves comfortable, lounging on the cozy looking furniture.
  “Oh, hello!” Said a voice from behind us. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. I’m Jacquelyn.” She was gorgeous. Light brown, bouncy curls with slight honey blonde highlights framed her face. She had dark, long eyelashes and sparkling brown eyes. Her smile was warm and comforting. Her skin was a lovely sepia color and it was also flawless. She wore a dark, navy dress with gold trimming the flowing sleeves.
  “It’s okay, we showed up sort of unannounced.” I said. “We’re here for mage recruitment. I’m Reika, this is Cass, the one in the blue dress is Mira and that’s her girlfriend Gwen, the knight is Oli-I mean Sir Oliver Dean, and the little one is Eian. We’ve all traveled here from Aster. It was a long journey so please excuse our disheveledness.” I was trying my best to sound formal and at least a little educated but I wasn’t really succeeding.
  “Oh, don’t worry! I’m happy you made it here safely.” She said clasping her hands together. “What’s your specialty?” She was talking to me and I was a bit flustered.
  “No, it’s actually him.” I said, gesturing to Eian who was suddenly being a bit shy. He gave a small wave.
  “My goodness! We haven’t had a recruit this young in a long time. What’s your talent dear?” She asked sweetly.
  “Um..all of them? At least the ones I’ve studied..” He replied softly. Jaquelyn looked confused.
  “You’re a double talent..?” She asked skeptically.
  “No. He can do fire magic, ice magic, illusions, levitation, and just recently he reversed a possession spell.” I said plainly. She just smiled at me.
  “Sure.” She said. She actually didn’t believe he could do all of it. But her opinion didn’t matter. Just the king’s. “Well, you came at a good time. We have a presentation scheduled for tomorrow.
  “Presentation?” Cass asked.
  “Yes, to assess the talents of the mages to King Giaus so he may decide where they can be most effective.” She replied.
  “It isn’t dangerous right?” I asked, expecting it to be some sort of battle simulation.
  “Oh, no! They’re very safe. It’s just to see what each mage is capable of. Eian here will simply demonstrate his talents. You all will also receive royal treatment while you’re here! We can have rooms arranged for everyone and you’ll have three meals a day. The castle is yours to explore, excluding King Giaus’ wing. You are our guests and we welcome you.” She said with a professional smile. My mouth hung open.
  “You’re serious..?” I asked. I’m pretty sure we were all in shock. The idea of sleeping in a castle, ensured safety, and free meals was too good to be true.
  “Of course! You all assisted in getting Eian here safely and we thank you. Mages are in such short supply and we appreciate any help we can get. So, I’ll show you to your rooms and you can all get settled in before dinner.” She responded with a big smile.
  “Oh..my..Gods!” Mira squealed “This is amazing! Can I share a room with Gwen though, we’re kind of a package deal.” She wrapped both her arms around Gwen’s and she smiled faintly.
  “Surely. Any other requests?” She asked.
  “Um..Oliver can I stay with you? I don’t want to sleep alone.” Eian said. “Rei I’d stay with you but you deserve a room to yourself.”
  “Sure buddy. That okay Jacquelyn?” Oliver said.
  “Certainly. Um, you can change out of your armor though if you’d prefer. You won’t be before the king until tomorrow.” She said.
  “Dammit..” Oliver said, realizing he’d wasted time this morning.
  “If everyone will follow me to the third floor please.” Jacquelyn said. We did as we were told and all followed her up the staircase, thinking we all might just be dreaming.