Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

Rothen's Worries, Lorlen's Fears and the High Lord's Instructions

"There has to be something you can do, Lorlen," Rothen's voice sounded worried, but also with a hint of weariness; he had been pleading his case for some time now. "It's been so long since we found ourselves in this mess and nothing's happened except poor Sonea is even more firmly in a trap than she was before."

Lorlen looked over at his companion. I can't say he looks any better than he did before he went away, he thought. But I don't know what he thinks I can do.

"I had thought of going to the King, but Akkarin producing him at Charen's meeting, all keen to support his High Lord, put a stop to that. I can't complain about the marriage without mentioning the other thing and we both know what could happen if we try to challenge Akkarin." Lorlen tried to sound calm and sensible.

He twisted the blood gem ring on his finger. What do you want me to say? he silently asked the High Lord. He had a sense that Akkarin was sitting on the edge of his mind, listening to the conversation, but there was no answer to his question.

Rothen put a hand over his forehead and pressed hard, as if he were suffering a headache, "I need to talk to Sonea," he said at last. "I need to find out from her what things are like."

Lorlen groaned inwardly, they had been over this so many times. "Look, Rothen, you know as well as I do that there's no chance of that. The last time I spoke to her alone was at the Graduation Ball and Akkarin warned me then that it would be the last chance I'd have. He'd be even more wary of letting you near her, because he knows how you feel about her and about him. I've done my best to keep an eye on her. She seems to be dealing with things reasonably well. Yikmo is thrilled to have her working with him in the Arena and her work with the younger novices has been well received by the other tutors. When I've watched her practising, she looks as if she is enjoying it immensely, so at least, she has that."

Lorlen got up and poured Rothen some more tea. He passed him a plate of cakes, but the Alchemist was in no mood for snacks, waving them away angrily.

"I shall make an opportunity to see her. I managed it once or twice when she was still a Novice. I noticed the times she usually went back to the Residence and I simply waited in the gardens. Of course, we can't spend a lot of time talking, but at least he's not there to control her."

Lorlen was aghast, "We can't afford to upset Akkarin. Who knows what his reaction might be! We don't want Sonea coming down with some mysterious illness, which keeps her in the Residence. Look, Rothen, leave it for a few days and I'll try to persuade Akkarin to let you see her. Will that do?"

Although Rothen didn't look particularly pleased by the suggestion, he reluctantly agreed to wait before doing anything rash. After he had gone, the Administrator poured himself more tea and sat back with a sigh.

I used to be fond of Rothen, but I'm heartily sick of him regularly coming into my office and demanding action, he thought. He caught a sense of Akkarin's amusement and sudden anger flared inside him. He took off the ring and flung it down.

Free, he thought, Now I can think what I like! But his brain was tired and he couldn't really concentrate on anything. Suddenly the tea wasn't enough, and he found himself pouring wine and tossing back the contents of his glass in a couple of swallows.

He wasn't entirely surprised a few minutes later when the door to his office opened and the High Lord stalked in. He had never understood why many other magicians found Akkarin intimidating, until he'd discovered his secret. Now he could see the cold, dispassionate look others had always mentioned. His very height, coupled with the dark, all encompassing robes made him a figure it was easy to fear. That, and the fact that he always seemed to know what was going on, with or without blood gem rings.

"High Lord," he acknowledged.

Akkarin smiled and poured himself a glass of Anuran Dark, "I'm glad to see you are keeping up my stock of wine, Lorlen."

He sat down, stretched out his legs and stared at the Administrator. He didn't say anything, but Lorlen felt as if he was examining him from the inside out.

"You have taken off your ring again," Akkarin said mildly. "I have spoken to you before about this, but perhaps you need a stronger incentive to comply with my wishes…"

"What do you mean?"

"I can always arrange for Sonea to have a more restricted role in the Guild." Akkarin gazed at Lorlen, his expression hard to read. "It would be a shame, because she enjoys her work, but I am sure I can find her something to fill up her days inside the Residence."

Lorlen stared back and hoped his face was equally blank. He had a sudden memory of the young Akkarin and some scrape they'd both fallen into and the joyful expression on his face as he explained to Lorlen just how they were going to get out of it.

"What's happened to you, Akkarin?" he said sadly. "How can you have changed so much? I'd have bet my life on your integrity and honesty once. Now I just don't feel I ever knew you at all."

The High Lord sipped his wine and continued to stare at the Administrator. Lorlen found the silence unnerving, but resisted the urge to fill the gap with chatter. Akkarin finished the wine and poured another.

"Perhaps I simply grew up," he said at last. "Have you ever thought, Lorlen, about life in the Guild? We enter as young boys and rarely leave it until we die, very old men. We spend our days playing with magic, reading the odd book, gossiping with other magicians and the real world rarely touches us at all."

Lorlen opened his mouth to argue, but Akkarin got in first, "Yes, I know there are Healers out there, working in the villages and some in the city, but most of the Guild's magicians live a very comfortable life here, safe, secure and wanting for nothing. Everything is provided for them and in return they do a little teaching or carry out a few experiments and go to parties. That is their life. That is your life, Lorlen."

Lorlen found there was little he could say to disprove Akkarin's arguments. He knew there were magicians who never went outside the Guild's gates.

Akkarin laughed softly, "Have you ever wondered why you spend so much time dealing with petty squabbles between magicians? It's because they've nothing else to think about except themselves and their place in the Guild. Sonea hit the Guild like a breath of fresh air and for the first time in living memory, magicians have had to come to terms with the fact that there are people out there with magic, with strong magic, who are not noble, or wealthy, or sophisticated, but ordinary, poor and uneducated. The Guild will change, Lorlen, but it will take a long time."

Lorlen was astonished. He'd never heard Akkarin say things like this before. Has Sonea had that much influence on him? he wondered.

The High Lord laughed briefly, "Even without the ring, you're easy to read, Lorlen. No, I don't think these things just because of Sonea, although she has provided a very good example of what needs to happen to the Guild. No, these ideas have been running through my mind for some time and very soon, I shall have to decide what to do about them. Now, are you now ready to wear the ring as I said you must, or shall I try other forms of persuasion?"

Lorlen picked it up and slipped it on his finger. "No, don't do anything' I'll wear the dammed thing. What do you want me to do about Rothen? Will you let him see Sonea?"

Akkarin looked thoughtful, "I don't think it would serve any purpose except to upset Sonea. I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen, would you Lorlen?"

"Don't you have any regard for Sonea at all?" Lorlen asked earnestly. "You must have got to know her a little in all this time, don't you feel bad about putting her in this position?"

A strange expression showed fleetingly on the High Lord's face, but it vanished so quickly, Lorlen was unable to read it clearly. "Sonea and I have worked out an arrangement which allows us to live comfortably enough in the Residence. She is not forced to do things she would not wish to do, other than live with me, of course, and I retain my freedom of action. As long as everyone continues to behave themselves, there is no reason to think that Sonea would be badly treated."

Lorlen nodded, it was what he expected, after all. Sonea does seem to be relatively happy, he thought. That's probably the best I can hope for at the moment.

Akkarin unfolded his tall frame from the chair and smiled briefly at Lorlen, "I'm glad to see you have arrived at a sensible conclusion, Lorlen. I rely on you to keep Rothen under control and both of you, stay away from Sonea."

After the High Lord had closed the door behind him, Lorlen pondered what he had learned about Akkarin's attitude to the Guild. I wonder what he means by change?

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