Prince of Time

Chapter One - The Choosing

The line of children spread across the square, a cluster of boys and girls around nine or ten years of age. They all wore their best, heads held high, secretly shaking with nerves.

  Today was the day when their futures would be decided. The Masters would walk amongst them, selecting the ones to apprentice until only an unlucky few would be left behind. You could refuse to be chosen, of course, but why would you?

  The class system of the land was very simple. Nobles were born nobles and that could not be changed. As far as everyone else was concerned, it was allegedly down to skill alone.

 Below the nobles, the First Tier were the highest in the land. It was rumoured that the king would listen to the leaders of each craft first before even considering his noble councillors. The First Tier was honoured and held in awe.

 There were four sets of people in the First Tier of society: warriors, magicians, unicorn hearts and dragon riders. It was a harsh training process but the rewards were great and these people were always far removed from anyone else, a separate race.

  Maple, waiting anxiously in line, knew that every child in the square wanted to be selected for the First Tier. Most of all, she wanted to be a dragon rider. Failing that, a magician.

 Few girls were ever selected for these crafts. It was perfectly permitted and acceptable but the Masters seemed reluctant to include them. Maple didn’t think there had ever been a female dragon rider before.

  Unicorn hearts had a higher female percentage, living quietly out in the woods with their companion beasts in schools for quiet study and contemplation. They were healers and thinkers and scholars, a reserved and distant people.

 The Second Tier held the skilled crafts, such as pottery, tailoring and other such things. This was where most lucky children would end up. They would learn the important secrets, study for years and gradually take over the craft itself as time went by.

  If you were chosen for neither Tier, you had three choices ahead of you: soldier, sailor or unskilled labourer. Nobody wanted to end up here, with little respect, low pay and rough living.

  Girls had a fourth choice: become somebody’s wife. It was a popular option for those who were not otherwise selected. Maple had sworn to herself that she would become a sailor before she let that happen to her but she doubted her own conviction.

 Below that, the lowest of the low, were those born as slaves and bondsmen. They belonged to nobles or either of the Tiers, serving them with their lives. They would serve forever and, though most were well-treated, it was a bitter fate.

  Maple had been born to a shipbuilder and his wife. She had two elder brothers, one of whom was a warrior now and the other of which now worked on a farm somewhere out beyond the town.

  She was tall for her age, standing several inches above the others in the line. The hang of her green blouse was wrong and there were creases already in her best white skirt. Maple stared straight ahead and pretended not to be embarrassed.

  On the platform to her right, the king and his family had arrived. Maple watched out of the corner of her eye, always fascinated to see who was attending.

  King Borad was an expansive personality, prone to bouts of wild temper. He laughed as quickly as he shouted, full of moods and changes. He was well-loved, though, for though he was difficult, he was a just ruler.

  To his left stood his wife, the elegant Queen Eglantine. She was delicate and willowy, a stunning figure in light blue. Even from this distance, Maple could see where the sunlight caught the jewels in her hair.