Chapter 2
To reach the Warden's estate was a long and lonely journey. Stretches of unbroken countryside and thick, shaded forests lay between the Sapient Academy and Jared's assignment.
To Jared, the carriage was no novelty, and he cursed the Protocol that made its archaic discomfort the only option. By the time his party reached the inn or the hospitality of a rural Sapient his neck was stiff, his back sore, and he could only guess at the rotten condition of the driver and the two footmen.
Yet the daily journey proved suitable for long stretches of uninterrupted reading. And planning. Jared was preparing for his first private pupil, and he understood that tutoring the daughter of the Warden left no room for error.
At the Academy, none of the Sapient Masters who knew the Warden personally had met his daughter. They could offer him no details of the terribly young girl for whose education Jared would take personal responsibility. For a Sapient, a scholar by oath, academia was no mere pursuit, but a lifestyle. His pupil's mode of thought and level of education would reflect his commitment to the Academy and his own abilities as a Sapient. And too, Jared knew that to be the only daughter of the Warden of Incarceron was no small burden. He knew well enough the intrusive dictates and demands on young ladies of the Court. He did not doubt that the Lady Arlexa, even at age five, was being trained for the role in society that waited to envelope her.
Jared was startled from this sobering thought as the carriage jostled onto harsher terrain. The light brightened as they emerged from the forest. Through the grimy glass of the carriage window, Jared glimpsed a long, narrow, glittering lake in the far distance. They were nearing the Warden's estate.
The young Sapient fell back into his long thoughts.
If the Lady Arlexa proved an adequate student, Jared would sharpen her mind with his Sapient training. She would enter society with a superior education.
If she was not clever, as was so often the case for young men and women of the court, Jared would still strive to strengthen her mind with a sound and disciplined curriculum.
If she is an exceptional student . . .
Jared paused on this hopeful thought. Twelve years with a single pupil required more than mere allegiance to a plan of study. The Lady Arlexa would walk into the world as a pupil of his own name.
If she is an exceptional student, I will . . .
Jared tabbed a page in the text on his lap, and lay his head against the jostling carriage to consider his options.
Training his pupil under the scrutiny of the Warden would be easy for a typical student. If the young lady was sharp of mind, and craved a complete education, one beyond the scruples of Protocol, then Jared would have to trust her to comprehend the virtue of discretion before her father.
At that moment, Jared committed to his choice. He would willingly teach Arlexa's daughter what she could afford to know. It would be her unknown task. Jared could tutor her only as far as he could trust her, and she would reveal her own boundaries as they became acquainted.
He would use his training to sharpen her mind. He would dedicate what good years remained in his life to this task. He would watch for signs of treachery.
A thump on the carriage door drew him from his thoughts. The carriage had stopped. A voice sounded just beyond the window.
"Master Sapiant, we have arrived."