A Fool's Tale

Chapter 22 - A View to Remember

Isidor nodded. "Princess Talia is correct. I can teach you to manage the pain, and something of magical spells, although it won't be easy, nor will it be fun. One of the reasons I have so few apprentices is that they tend to quit. As I said, magic is painful."

Before today, if someone had asked me if I ever wanted to be a magician's apprentice, I wouldn't have hesitated. The answer would have been a resounding yes, but the reality of wizards and witches was nothing like the stories I had read. My head still pounded, and I felt drained of all energy. The word 'no' formed on my lips, but then I thought about Talia and the possible danger she faced. I would endure any apprenticeship if it meant being more capable of protecting her. Touching the necklace in my pocket, I nodded. My mother had become a powerful mage. I would do the same.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Excellent. I'll inform Master Gilles that I shall require your services three days a week, and he shall make use of you for the remainder, and of course, you shall still be the court jester when your services are required." Isidor winked. "I wouldn't want to deprive the king of his fool."

"How did you know I'm a jester?" I asked.

"I met you at the feast, Jangles. You made fun of my silver hair."

I turned red. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I would never have if..."

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted. "You were quite amusing. Now, if that's all. I'm very busy. Come back tomorrow morning to commence your lessons. I'll let Master Gilles know."

"Okay." I glanced longingly toward one of the doors leading to the ramparts.

"We're just going to look outside for a bit," Talia spoke up, nudging me toward the portal.

"Yes, yes, of course." Isidor waved us away then dropped to his knees and began crawling around the floor. It took me a moment to realize he was looking for the gemstone that had jarred loose from the amulet when we first entered the room. The mage muttered under his breath, as he scrabbled across the floor, sweeping his hands in front of him.

Master Isidor seemed nice enough, although he was a bit distracted, and quite clumsy. I hoped I wasn't making a huge mistake in becoming his apprentice.

Talia and I walked to the door on the left. We yanked it open and a strong gust of wind immediately pushed against us. Carefully, we descended a set of stone steps to a parapet below. Upon reaching the bottom, I shaded my eyes against the bright sun on the horizon, and looked down from the wall. The castle town stretched out into the distance. I stared at the road I'd walked along when I first came to Castle Brimstone. It seemed like ages ago. I already felt so different from the timid boy who had first arrived. Beyond the road was the forest. I looked toward the spot where I believed my uncle's house lay deep in the forest. My face soured. I didn't want to think about my days in that horrible place.

"How's the view?" Talia asked.

"Amazing. It would be nice to live in a tower like this one day."

"Well, in a lot of stories, powerful wizards live in towers even taller than this one. Maybe that'll be you one day. You can even have animated statues and traps to incinerate intruders."

I laughed. "Don't forget winged minions to do my bidding, and maybe even headless servants to shock my guests."

"Nice."

The sky faded to an orangey red color in the distance. It was the first sun set I'd ever seen. Living in the woods then behind castle walls meant that I'd never had an unobstructed view before. Talia and I stood quietly peering over the stone wall until the sun disappeared. It was a memory I hoped would stay with me forever.

When we returned to Isidor's workshop, he was still absorbed with his work, but he heard the door slam shut when we reentered.

He turned toward us. "Gael, I almost forgot. This belongs to you." He handed my mother's mage token to me.

"Okay, thanks." I hadn't expected to get it back. It seemed like something that belonged with Isidor. Perhaps one day I would become a sorcerer like my mother and claim one of my own.

"The tokens are quite valuable. It might be best if you kept it hidden," Isidor advised before returning to his task.

I snapped it back into the locket on my mother's necklace and jammed the necklace into my pocket. It seemed as good a place as any.

We bid our farewell and began the slow walk down the tower staircase, clutching the iron railing in one hand. I wondered whether Master Isidor had ever fallen down the slick staircase before. He seemed so clumsy that he probably did on a regular basis.

"When I was little, I used to beg Master Isidor to do magic tricks for me, but he never would. He said magic shouldn't be used to amuse little girls." Talia sighed. "I haven't asked him in years."

"Well, I promise to show you whatever I learn. It's the least I can do."

Talia grinned. "At last. I knew you'd be good for something...eventually"

I laughed. "Well, we're not all born into royalty...like certain people."

"I think I'd rather be born with the ability to cast spells," Talia responded wistfully. "Aren't you excited to be a mage's apprentice?"

"I don't know. Everything's happening so fast. First I'm a jester, then a stable hand, and now I'm going to learn magic."

"At this rate, you'll be king within the year."

"Exactly, that's my plan." I laughed.

We emerged from the tower, and as we said our goodbyes, I recalled the reason I wanted to see Talia in the first place. I took one of her hands. "Please be careful to keep an eye on the king and queen, and be wary of your surroundings. I might be crazy, but something feels wrong about the conversation I overheard that night."

She nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Gael. I understand, and I'll let you know if I find anything out"

I watched Talia stride away, wishing I could stay at her side.

What a crazy day. I touched the locket on my mother's necklace. It was comforting to realize I was following in her footsteps. Perhaps she would have been proud of me.