The Mage's Son

2

"Welcome to Service 101. Let's start with the basics. The very important rules of service." Says Mrs Saran. She is the royal advisor. She has purple hair and mocha skin. She was stern. I was with ten other students in the kitchen.

"Rules are on this sheet of paper." She passes out a crinkled piece of paper. It says:

1. DO NOT HAVE RELATIONS WITH THE ROYALTY.

2. DO NOT SPEAK UNTIL SPOKEN TO.

3. DO NOT TOUCH THE ROYAL'S POSSESSIONS.

4. DO NOT GET DISTRACTED.

5. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR ATTIRE BEFORE SERVICE.

6. TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF INSIDE.

7. DON'T INTERFERE IN ROYALTY PROBLEMS.

"These rules must be followed or you will get demoted. Now I will assign your jobs. Cate and Gwen have kitchen duties....." Saran keeps going down the list for our temporary two week jobs.
When she gets to me, she says "You, Haven, have field duty. Everyone! Stations now."

Everyone runs to their perspective places. I walk slowly to the field.

Outside, I see a field with a single Mothra tree. I walk under the bridge and bump into a hooded figure. They drop their book.

"Oh my goodness. I am so sorry. First day on the job. Here's your book." I dust it off. It says "Book of Mage".

" Thank you." A male voice comes from the hood. He pulls his hood down. I nearly faint. Blonde hair, white smile, nice figure, brown eyes.

I bow, "My dearest apologies, Prince Avalon." I beat myself up in the head.

"It's fine. Are you working in the field?" He asks, obviously seeing my attire.

"Yes, sire. I must go now, sire." I stay where I am. I can't leave until the royalty leaves.

He smiles, "You're going to be standing here a while."

"Yes sire. If I may plea, I don't want to disappoint you or your father or the future princess. I must go to the field." I stand with my posture perfectly straight.

"It's fine. You may leave. First, let me get your name."

"Haven of Southern Valkyrie." I bow again.

"Ah, well, off you go." He waves his hand. I run toward the field and try to stop my heart from beating fast. First order of business was to get the wheat cut. I pull out the small sheath I had and swing. The first two stalks took a long time to cut. I managed to cut eighteen stalks before daybreak.

Next I had to pick Moth fruit from the Mothra tree. I had to use a long stick with a blade at the end to pick them off and a ladder. Mothbugs have a poisonous bite so I had to be extra careful. I stab the first fruit. A bunch of tiny beetle like Mothbugs climb out of it. I fall off of my ladder. I hit my head on a cut stalk of wheat. It cushioned my fall. I climb the ladder again and stab another fruit. More Mothbugs climb out of the fruit. One lands on my arm. I quickly flick it off and fall off the ladder again.

"You know, you're supposed to pick the fruit at the top. Mothbugs hate sunlight." Says a male voice.

I pick my head up and see the prince once again. He takes my blade. Then he moves the ladder back. He starts to climb the ladder.

"Ah! Sire, you can't do that." I hurt my neck trying to sit up.

"Why not?" He was already at the top. He stabs a fruit from the top. Not a single bug came out. He shakes the stick and the fruit falls off and into my basket.

"Sire, I'm going to lose my job if the advisor sees this. I might even go to the dungeon." I plea. I stand up and dust myself off. I look at my arm. A red blemish. I was bitten. I have to nurse this before I do anymore work.

"No you won't. I'm royalty. If the advisor has something to say about this, I can fire her. Ten." He counts the fruit he picks. Then he jumps down from the ladder. He pats my back, "I do need you to do something for me. Follow me."

I grab the basket and follow him into the middle of the field. I look at my arm.

"You got bit. Easy fix." Avalon puts his hand on my arm. Automatically, the redness is gone.

"Why are you being so kind, if I may ask." I sit the basket down.

"You are the first devoted, naïve, and same age as me servant I know. I have my fun. I am going to be a distance away from you. Throw the fruit at me." He runs away.

I take a moth fruit and toss it. He waves his hand in a circle and the fruit explodes into a thousand little sparkles. He raises his hand and the sparkles turn into a butterfly. It flies over my head and sits on my shoulder. Magic. I have never seen magic before. I touch the butterfly and it dissipates.

"It's a magic trick my father taught me. " He suddenly appears next to me. I look at the sky. The sky was bright blue meaning it is the highest point of the day.

"I must get back to work." I pick up the basket.

"You are working. You work for me. Want to try this?" He offers to teach me magic?! My dream is slowly coming true.

"Sure sire." I bow.

"Okay, think of something you like. Then use all your mind to make it into reality. It's that simple. Moth fruit is already magical." He takes a fruit and throws it.

I think of a horse. I stare at the flying fruit really hard. It actually turns into sparkles. Then in an instant, it turns into a life size horse. I clap.

"Wow, sire, that's amazing." Then I hear a female's voice. I know that voice.

"Avalon! What are you doing in the field?! I have been waiting for you for an hour." Princess Askari marches up to him.

"Practicing, my dear. This is the servant helping me." He points back to me.

"Well, stop practicing. What happened to Hogarth? He is your helper. Never mind. Hurry. It's almost lunch time." She walks off in her sparkly heels.

"She is quite a pain. Well, you seem like a good servant. I put a note in to see if you can get promoted. I'll see you again, Haven." He runs off. I grab my chest.

He knows my name.