Chapter One: Delegates to Carthak
Seven Years Later
"Daine, sweetling, come. It's time to go to the meeting." Numair told his wife. Daine had stayed hidden in her cabin for the whole journey. She hadn't wanted to come. She had wanted to stay home and look for Rehani, even though it would be unsuccessful. She had been trying to find Rehani for the past seven years. She was close to insanity and full of grief. Ever since Rehani had gone missing she had cried almost all day and for half the night.
"I know, Numair." Daine stood up and followed him out of her room into another of the cabins. Skysong, her dragon (also known as Kitten) followed them. When everybody going to Carthak - Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen, Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Sir Keladry of Mindelan, Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop, and various clerks - all were crammed into the cabin, Numair, Alanna, and Neal (Nealan) put spells on the cabin to keep people from hearing them or seeing them.
"Remember, we are here to discuss the marriages of Princess Kalasin and Princess Lianne and we need to ask for help when we start the war against Scanra. Watch your step, all of you. Go nowhere we are forbidden to go. Do not talk of freedom to slaves - don't talk to them at all unless necessary. Be careful. We are guests here." Sir Gareth, the head of the delegation, warned them. Everybody nodded.
"I thought it was just Kalasin, not Lianne." Alanna mentioned.
"It was just going to be a marriage negotiation with Kalasin and Kaddar. Emperor Kaddar mentioned that he might like to marry off his cousin to Lianne." Gareth replied. "Everybody, get ready to greet the Emperor of Carthak." They left the cabin and returned to their own rooms to change.
Meanwhile, in the palace of Emperor Kaddar of Carthak, a thirteen-year-old slave girl, the personal messenger of Kaddar, waited in her room. She would be called to help in the kitchens later that evening, but until then she was free to do whatever she liked. She stretched out on her pallet and decided to take a short nap. The room had five other pallets and blankets in it - the room was shared by six slaves. Each slave had a crate by her bed to hold her clothes and belongings - if they had any. For her faithful service to Kaddar and Carthak, the girl had been given a dozen clear and sapphire blue beads on a black cord. It was her prized possession, and she guarded it with her life.
"Get up, Rehani. The Emperor would like you on the barge to serve drinks. Change and run to the docks as fast as you can." One of the slaves, Junie, told the girl, sticking her head through the doorway.
"Why? I'm a messenger, not a server?" Rehani inquired. "Nobody questions the emperor, my dear Rehani. Hurry up. The barge leaves in five minutes." Junie warned. With a yelp, Rihani quickly pulled on white leggings and a light blue shirt. She tied up her hair, put her necklace on, and ran as fast as she could to the barge. It was leaving. She took a running start and leapt from the dock onto the boat, clinging to the sides until she could haul herself aboard. She hurried to the Emperor.
"Your Imperial Majesty, Junie told me I was needed." Rihani murmured, bowing deeply.
"Yes, Rihani. I'd like you to get a tray of cold drinks and serve them to our guests when they get on the barge." Kaddar answered without looking at her. Rihani went below and gathered up the tray. Ten minutes later the Tortallans stepped onto the boat and lined up to greet Kaddar and the other diplomats. Starting at the end of the line, Rihani approached a woman with dark brown curls and gray eyes.
"Nobility, would you like something to drink?" Rehani asked the woman. The woman looked at Rehani.
"Yes, thank you," the woman took a glass. As Rehani turned to leave, the woman grabbed her shoulder. Rehani turned and looked at her questioningly.
"Do you realize that you have magic?" the woman whispered.
"I have no magic, nobility." Rehani bowed and hurried to one of the other delegates. She caught the woman staring at her several times during the trip down the river.
Daine looked at the slave girl in surprise. She was veiled in a copper haze. The girl had wild magic.
"Nobility, would you like something to drink?" the slave asked. She looked only about thirteen, but a small thirteen.
"Yes, thank you," Daine took a glass. As the slave started to leave, Daine grabbed her shoulder and whirled the girl around. The slave looked at her questioningly before dropping her eyes to the ground.
"Do you realize you have magic?" Daine breathed.
"I have no magic, nobility." The slave replied nervously. She bowed to Daine and went over to a group of clerks. Daine chewed on her lip. Why did she say that she didn't have magic? Daine could see wild magic, she knew the girl had it. Daine wondered who it was. So far, only one person had as much wild magic as this slave girl. That person was Daine. This slave had more wild magic in her than Daine herself!
"Numair." Daine nudged her husband, who had come to stand beside her.
"Yes, magelet?" the tall black robe mage asked. To show of his black robe status, the highest status of a mage, he wore a billowing black silk robe over his brown breeches and white shirt.
"That slave girl who's serving drinks has wild magic." Daine whispered to him, pointing to the girl.
"She doesn't just have wild magic. She has Feeling Magic too. Feeling Magic is rare, and said to be extinct. The person who has it knows when people are doing magic, who that person is, and what kind of magic that person is doing." Numair whispered back, voicing his surprise.
"What does it look like?" Daine asked as several clerks in front of them were introduced.
"To those who can see magic, it's a fog. You can see the copper veil of wild magic under it, but the Feeling Magic is on top as a hazy, gray fog." Numair replied as they stepped up to be introduced.
"Numair Salmalin, black robe mage." The herald proclaimed. Numair stepped ahead of Daine and bowed deeply. "Veralidaine Sarrasri and the dragon, Skysong." Daine bowed to Kaddar.
"Daine, hello." Kaddar greeted Daine personally instead of the reply he had given everybody else: "I welcome you, a representative of my royal cousins Jonathon and Thayet to Carthak." Daine smiled warmly and turned to greet the Carthaki diplomats. She looked to her side for Kitten, but the dragon was gone. Kitten had raced up to the emperor and leapt into his lap.
"Kitten." Daine called sharply.
"It's all right, Daine." Kaddar told Daine, stroking Kitten's scales. As the next clerk was announced, Skysong bounded back over to Daine. In a low voice, Daine scolded the dragon, who whistled unhappily and turned a sulking gray.
"That's okay, Kit. Never mind." Daine murmured, smiling at the dragon. Kitten turned a striking bright green and chirped cheerily. "Hush." Daine whispered.
Seven Years Later
"Daine, sweetling, come. It's time to go to the meeting." Numair told his wife. Daine had stayed hidden in her cabin for the whole journey. She hadn't wanted to come. She had wanted to stay home and look for Rehani, even though it would be unsuccessful. She had been trying to find Rehani for the past seven years. She was close to insanity and full of grief. Ever since Rehani had gone missing she had cried almost all day and for half the night.
"I know, Numair." Daine stood up and followed him out of her room into another of the cabins. Skysong, her dragon (also known as Kitten) followed them. When everybody going to Carthak - Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen, Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Sir Keladry of Mindelan, Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop, and various clerks - all were crammed into the cabin, Numair, Alanna, and Neal (Nealan) put spells on the cabin to keep people from hearing them or seeing them.
"Remember, we are here to discuss the marriages of Princess Kalasin and Princess Lianne and we need to ask for help when we start the war against Scanra. Watch your step, all of you. Go nowhere we are forbidden to go. Do not talk of freedom to slaves - don't talk to them at all unless necessary. Be careful. We are guests here." Sir Gareth, the head of the delegation, warned them. Everybody nodded.
"I thought it was just Kalasin, not Lianne." Alanna mentioned.
"It was just going to be a marriage negotiation with Kalasin and Kaddar. Emperor Kaddar mentioned that he might like to marry off his cousin to Lianne." Gareth replied. "Everybody, get ready to greet the Emperor of Carthak." They left the cabin and returned to their own rooms to change.
Meanwhile, in the palace of Emperor Kaddar of Carthak, a thirteen-year-old slave girl, the personal messenger of Kaddar, waited in her room. She would be called to help in the kitchens later that evening, but until then she was free to do whatever she liked. She stretched out on her pallet and decided to take a short nap. The room had five other pallets and blankets in it - the room was shared by six slaves. Each slave had a crate by her bed to hold her clothes and belongings - if they had any. For her faithful service to Kaddar and Carthak, the girl had been given a dozen clear and sapphire blue beads on a black cord. It was her prized possession, and she guarded it with her life.
"Get up, Rehani. The Emperor would like you on the barge to serve drinks. Change and run to the docks as fast as you can." One of the slaves, Junie, told the girl, sticking her head through the doorway.
"Why? I'm a messenger, not a server?" Rehani inquired. "Nobody questions the emperor, my dear Rehani. Hurry up. The barge leaves in five minutes." Junie warned. With a yelp, Rihani quickly pulled on white leggings and a light blue shirt. She tied up her hair, put her necklace on, and ran as fast as she could to the barge. It was leaving. She took a running start and leapt from the dock onto the boat, clinging to the sides until she could haul herself aboard. She hurried to the Emperor.
"Your Imperial Majesty, Junie told me I was needed." Rihani murmured, bowing deeply.
"Yes, Rihani. I'd like you to get a tray of cold drinks and serve them to our guests when they get on the barge." Kaddar answered without looking at her. Rihani went below and gathered up the tray. Ten minutes later the Tortallans stepped onto the boat and lined up to greet Kaddar and the other diplomats. Starting at the end of the line, Rihani approached a woman with dark brown curls and gray eyes.
"Nobility, would you like something to drink?" Rehani asked the woman. The woman looked at Rehani.
"Yes, thank you," the woman took a glass. As Rehani turned to leave, the woman grabbed her shoulder. Rehani turned and looked at her questioningly.
"Do you realize that you have magic?" the woman whispered.
"I have no magic, nobility." Rehani bowed and hurried to one of the other delegates. She caught the woman staring at her several times during the trip down the river.
Daine looked at the slave girl in surprise. She was veiled in a copper haze. The girl had wild magic.
"Nobility, would you like something to drink?" the slave asked. She looked only about thirteen, but a small thirteen.
"Yes, thank you," Daine took a glass. As the slave started to leave, Daine grabbed her shoulder and whirled the girl around. The slave looked at her questioningly before dropping her eyes to the ground.
"Do you realize you have magic?" Daine breathed.
"I have no magic, nobility." The slave replied nervously. She bowed to Daine and went over to a group of clerks. Daine chewed on her lip. Why did she say that she didn't have magic? Daine could see wild magic, she knew the girl had it. Daine wondered who it was. So far, only one person had as much wild magic as this slave girl. That person was Daine. This slave had more wild magic in her than Daine herself!
"Numair." Daine nudged her husband, who had come to stand beside her.
"Yes, magelet?" the tall black robe mage asked. To show of his black robe status, the highest status of a mage, he wore a billowing black silk robe over his brown breeches and white shirt.
"That slave girl who's serving drinks has wild magic." Daine whispered to him, pointing to the girl.
"She doesn't just have wild magic. She has Feeling Magic too. Feeling Magic is rare, and said to be extinct. The person who has it knows when people are doing magic, who that person is, and what kind of magic that person is doing." Numair whispered back, voicing his surprise.
"What does it look like?" Daine asked as several clerks in front of them were introduced.
"To those who can see magic, it's a fog. You can see the copper veil of wild magic under it, but the Feeling Magic is on top as a hazy, gray fog." Numair replied as they stepped up to be introduced.
"Numair Salmalin, black robe mage." The herald proclaimed. Numair stepped ahead of Daine and bowed deeply. "Veralidaine Sarrasri and the dragon, Skysong." Daine bowed to Kaddar.
"Daine, hello." Kaddar greeted Daine personally instead of the reply he had given everybody else: "I welcome you, a representative of my royal cousins Jonathon and Thayet to Carthak." Daine smiled warmly and turned to greet the Carthaki diplomats. She looked to her side for Kitten, but the dragon was gone. Kitten had raced up to the emperor and leapt into his lap.
"Kitten." Daine called sharply.
"It's all right, Daine." Kaddar told Daine, stroking Kitten's scales. As the next clerk was announced, Skysong bounded back over to Daine. In a low voice, Daine scolded the dragon, who whistled unhappily and turned a sulking gray.
"That's okay, Kit. Never mind." Daine murmured, smiling at the dragon. Kitten turned a striking bright green and chirped cheerily. "Hush." Daine whispered.