Chapter Four: Unexpected Surprise
"Rehani, His Imperial Majesty sent a message to you." Dria announced, shoving a note into Rehani's hands the next morning. Everybody knew Rehani could read. Slaves weren't supposed to read but everybody - including the emperor - knew that Rehani could ride. She opened the note.
Rehani - I would like you to clean the rooms of Veralidaine Sarrasri and Numair Salmalin. I know you are my messenger, but I would appreciate that you do this for as long as the Tortallans are here. I trust nobody else to clean their rooms. But you still will take messages for me. I will call for you if I need you to deliver. The Tortallan delegates will also use you as a messenger. -His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Kaddar
Emperor Kaddar was very kind to Rehani. She had never been punished - but she had never done anything wrong. He had given her the beautiful necklace. Rehani shrugged and headed to the rooms of the Tortallan delegates. Veralidaine's room was empty, so she decided to do that one first. Rehani hummed cheerily as she cleaned the room, making the bed and sweeping up. She stopped humming when somebody cleared his or her throat behind her.
"Yes, Nobility?" Rehani asked, turning to see Veralidaine and Numair. Numair held out a folded piece of paper.
"We were told you were the emperor's messenger. Please take it to him." Numair ordered.
"Yes, of course, Nobility." Rehani hurried down the hall. She entered Kaddar's rooms and bowed deeply, handing him the note. Rehani watched his expression as he read the note. First he was surprised, then confused, as his eyebrows furrowed together.
"Do you know of this, Rehani?" Kaddar asked, handing her the note. Rehani took it and read it, hands trembling as she read what it said.
Kaddar - Your messenger has magic. Wild magic. A ton of wild magic, more the Daine. She also has Feeling Magic, which is almost extinct. She knows when magic is being done, who's doing it, why they're doing it, and what they're doing. Do you know of this? -Numair and Daine
Rehani sighed. All the other slaves thought of her as insane because she was always saying random names and spells. But then she gasped. She had magic! What was this Wild Magic? What would the Emperor do with her?
"No, Your Majesty. I did not know that I have magic." Rehani told him honestly. Kaddar frowned.
"What am I going to do with you? If you have magic, I can't let you go untrained. Daine is the only living Wildmage, but she'll be going back to Tortall." Kaddar muttered to himself. Rehani didn't answer, knowing that he was talking to himself. "Rehani, you have served me honorably and well. I will give you a gift. You will be freed, but you will not stay here. You will go back to Tortall with Daine and Numair, to be trained in your magic."
"Very well, Your Majesty." Rehani whispered. Leave the palace? She didn't even know what the mages were like! Would they starve her, beat her?
"Give them this reply. But first let me take your slave collar. Get your things from your rooms before you take them the reply." Kaddar instructed. He used a special saw to undo Rehani's hated metal slave collar. Kaddar handed her a folded piece of parchment. Rehani knelt and bowed until her forehead was on the floor.
"Thank you, your Imperial Majesty." Rehani breathed.
"Get up and do it, Rehani." Kaddar ordered crossly. Rehani scrambled to her feet and raced to her rooms. She grabbed her crate and hurried back to the rooms of Veralidaine and Numair. She was free! She had never thought she would be free! Rehani dropped her crate outside the door and entered the room.
"Kaddar has sent his reply." Rehani informed Numair, handing him the note. Numair grinned.
"So you're free, eh? You can have a pallet in Daine's room. We'll both teach you, though. I'll teach you to control your Feeling magic and Daine will help you with your Wild magic." Numair smiled.
"Thank you, Master Salmalin." Rehani murmured.
"It's Numair. And she's Daine, not Veralidaine." Numair told her. Rehani nodded. Daine was surveying Rehani.
"You'll need new clothes. I'll take you to the tailor or seamstress or whatever you call them here. Let's go." Daine told her, leading her down the hall. Several of the slaves stopped their work to stare at Rehani. Rehani just grinned at them.
"A slave, Veralidaine Sarrasri?" the seamstress asked, her eyebrow furrowing together.
"The girl is no longer a slave. She is my student, and she needs clothes." Daine replied coldly. "What's your name?" Daine added to Rehani.
"Rehani." Rehani whispered. Daine's eyebrows shot up and her mouth almost dropped open. She regained her cool composure as the seamstress measured Rehani and piled leggings and shirts into her arms. Soon they were leaving.
"Your name is Rehani? I had a daughter called Rehani." Daine asked.
"Oh. Why did Numair call me Rehani at the banquet? I didn't tell him my name. Who did?" Rehani asked curiously.
"Numair was just being a git. He can be one sometimes. He's scatter brained, doesn't remember anything. He's completely hopeless. I always wonder how he ever came to be a black robe." Daine giggled.
"I was wondering, what is wild magic?" Rehani asked.
"Have you ever heard voices when nobody but an animal was in the room?" Daine asked.
"I've never really been in a room with an animal. The few times I went to the stables, it was crowded." Rehani replied. She wondered where this was going. Daine frowned a little.
"It means you can talk to animals, they can talk back and you hear them talk back, you can heal them, go into their minds, and even shape shift." Daine replied as they went back to her room.
"You mean I could change into a wolf?" Rehani asked excitedly.
"I'm fond of wolves as well. I ran with a pack of them once. Yes, with training you can turn into a wolf." Daine smiled at her excitement. Daine and Numair were teaching Rehani how to meditate when a woman burst into the room. It was Varice Kingsford, in charge of all the royal banquets, balls, and entertainment.
"Numair! What are you doing with a slave?" Varice asked in horror as she looked at the three before her.
"Rehani is no longer a slave. She was freed so she could learn to control her wild magic and her Feeling magic." Numair replied calmly. Varice was suddenly very angry, glaring at Rehani. Why was she glaring at Rehani? Rehani had only spoken to her once.
"Oh, I see. Never mind then, Numair. We're all waiting for you for the tour of the menagerie." Varice spat out. She hurried from the room. Daine and Numair looked at each other and shrugged.
"What's going on with her?" Daine mumbled to Numair as the two stood to leave.
"No idea. Come on Rehani, you can come too. Let's go." Numair replied, shrugging again. Rehani stayed sitting.
"I'd rather not, thank you." Rehani whispered.
"No, Rehani. Come along. We can't have you getting into all sorts of trouble if we leave you. Let's go." Numair ordered. Reluctantly, Rehani followed them out. Nobody seemed to glance at Rehani, who sulkily followed the group through the maze of paths to the menagerie. Then she saw it. It was amazing! Majestic lions, tall giraffes, spotted leopards! She loved it! She eagerly pressed her face against the bars, wanting to reach out to those proud lions. It was wonderful.
"Enjoying yourself?" Numair asked in her ear. Rehani almost screamed. She jumped and whirled around.
"Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed.
"Sorry. Come on, the tour's over. We're heading back." Numair didn't sound a bit sorry as Rehani followed him back to their rooms. Numair and Daine sat down at the table where they were eating that night. Hesitantly, Rehani sat beside Daine, trying to look invisible.
"Hey, Daine. Who's the youngster?" a man asked from across the table.
"Everybody, this is Rehani. She has wild magic, so I'm going to teach her. Rehani these are Alanna, Keladry, Nealan.." Daine was interrupted by Nealan.
"It's Neal! My least." the whole room joined him in his last sentence. "My least favorite aunt calls me Nealan." They chorused.
"Sorry, Neal. Gary." Daine introduced everybody, who smiled or nodded to her.
"You don't look Carthaki." Alanna, the stout red head with purple eyes, commented.
"I was told I got knocked out when I was little, six. I got amnesia. I've been living at the palace as a slave ever since. I don't know anything about my family, or where I come from." Rehani explained quietly.
"Rehani, His Imperial Majesty sent a message to you." Dria announced, shoving a note into Rehani's hands the next morning. Everybody knew Rehani could read. Slaves weren't supposed to read but everybody - including the emperor - knew that Rehani could ride. She opened the note.
Rehani - I would like you to clean the rooms of Veralidaine Sarrasri and Numair Salmalin. I know you are my messenger, but I would appreciate that you do this for as long as the Tortallans are here. I trust nobody else to clean their rooms. But you still will take messages for me. I will call for you if I need you to deliver. The Tortallan delegates will also use you as a messenger. -His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Kaddar
Emperor Kaddar was very kind to Rehani. She had never been punished - but she had never done anything wrong. He had given her the beautiful necklace. Rehani shrugged and headed to the rooms of the Tortallan delegates. Veralidaine's room was empty, so she decided to do that one first. Rehani hummed cheerily as she cleaned the room, making the bed and sweeping up. She stopped humming when somebody cleared his or her throat behind her.
"Yes, Nobility?" Rehani asked, turning to see Veralidaine and Numair. Numair held out a folded piece of paper.
"We were told you were the emperor's messenger. Please take it to him." Numair ordered.
"Yes, of course, Nobility." Rehani hurried down the hall. She entered Kaddar's rooms and bowed deeply, handing him the note. Rehani watched his expression as he read the note. First he was surprised, then confused, as his eyebrows furrowed together.
"Do you know of this, Rehani?" Kaddar asked, handing her the note. Rehani took it and read it, hands trembling as she read what it said.
Kaddar - Your messenger has magic. Wild magic. A ton of wild magic, more the Daine. She also has Feeling Magic, which is almost extinct. She knows when magic is being done, who's doing it, why they're doing it, and what they're doing. Do you know of this? -Numair and Daine
Rehani sighed. All the other slaves thought of her as insane because she was always saying random names and spells. But then she gasped. She had magic! What was this Wild Magic? What would the Emperor do with her?
"No, Your Majesty. I did not know that I have magic." Rehani told him honestly. Kaddar frowned.
"What am I going to do with you? If you have magic, I can't let you go untrained. Daine is the only living Wildmage, but she'll be going back to Tortall." Kaddar muttered to himself. Rehani didn't answer, knowing that he was talking to himself. "Rehani, you have served me honorably and well. I will give you a gift. You will be freed, but you will not stay here. You will go back to Tortall with Daine and Numair, to be trained in your magic."
"Very well, Your Majesty." Rehani whispered. Leave the palace? She didn't even know what the mages were like! Would they starve her, beat her?
"Give them this reply. But first let me take your slave collar. Get your things from your rooms before you take them the reply." Kaddar instructed. He used a special saw to undo Rehani's hated metal slave collar. Kaddar handed her a folded piece of parchment. Rehani knelt and bowed until her forehead was on the floor.
"Thank you, your Imperial Majesty." Rehani breathed.
"Get up and do it, Rehani." Kaddar ordered crossly. Rehani scrambled to her feet and raced to her rooms. She grabbed her crate and hurried back to the rooms of Veralidaine and Numair. She was free! She had never thought she would be free! Rehani dropped her crate outside the door and entered the room.
"Kaddar has sent his reply." Rehani informed Numair, handing him the note. Numair grinned.
"So you're free, eh? You can have a pallet in Daine's room. We'll both teach you, though. I'll teach you to control your Feeling magic and Daine will help you with your Wild magic." Numair smiled.
"Thank you, Master Salmalin." Rehani murmured.
"It's Numair. And she's Daine, not Veralidaine." Numair told her. Rehani nodded. Daine was surveying Rehani.
"You'll need new clothes. I'll take you to the tailor or seamstress or whatever you call them here. Let's go." Daine told her, leading her down the hall. Several of the slaves stopped their work to stare at Rehani. Rehani just grinned at them.
"A slave, Veralidaine Sarrasri?" the seamstress asked, her eyebrow furrowing together.
"The girl is no longer a slave. She is my student, and she needs clothes." Daine replied coldly. "What's your name?" Daine added to Rehani.
"Rehani." Rehani whispered. Daine's eyebrows shot up and her mouth almost dropped open. She regained her cool composure as the seamstress measured Rehani and piled leggings and shirts into her arms. Soon they were leaving.
"Your name is Rehani? I had a daughter called Rehani." Daine asked.
"Oh. Why did Numair call me Rehani at the banquet? I didn't tell him my name. Who did?" Rehani asked curiously.
"Numair was just being a git. He can be one sometimes. He's scatter brained, doesn't remember anything. He's completely hopeless. I always wonder how he ever came to be a black robe." Daine giggled.
"I was wondering, what is wild magic?" Rehani asked.
"Have you ever heard voices when nobody but an animal was in the room?" Daine asked.
"I've never really been in a room with an animal. The few times I went to the stables, it was crowded." Rehani replied. She wondered where this was going. Daine frowned a little.
"It means you can talk to animals, they can talk back and you hear them talk back, you can heal them, go into their minds, and even shape shift." Daine replied as they went back to her room.
"You mean I could change into a wolf?" Rehani asked excitedly.
"I'm fond of wolves as well. I ran with a pack of them once. Yes, with training you can turn into a wolf." Daine smiled at her excitement. Daine and Numair were teaching Rehani how to meditate when a woman burst into the room. It was Varice Kingsford, in charge of all the royal banquets, balls, and entertainment.
"Numair! What are you doing with a slave?" Varice asked in horror as she looked at the three before her.
"Rehani is no longer a slave. She was freed so she could learn to control her wild magic and her Feeling magic." Numair replied calmly. Varice was suddenly very angry, glaring at Rehani. Why was she glaring at Rehani? Rehani had only spoken to her once.
"Oh, I see. Never mind then, Numair. We're all waiting for you for the tour of the menagerie." Varice spat out. She hurried from the room. Daine and Numair looked at each other and shrugged.
"What's going on with her?" Daine mumbled to Numair as the two stood to leave.
"No idea. Come on Rehani, you can come too. Let's go." Numair replied, shrugging again. Rehani stayed sitting.
"I'd rather not, thank you." Rehani whispered.
"No, Rehani. Come along. We can't have you getting into all sorts of trouble if we leave you. Let's go." Numair ordered. Reluctantly, Rehani followed them out. Nobody seemed to glance at Rehani, who sulkily followed the group through the maze of paths to the menagerie. Then she saw it. It was amazing! Majestic lions, tall giraffes, spotted leopards! She loved it! She eagerly pressed her face against the bars, wanting to reach out to those proud lions. It was wonderful.
"Enjoying yourself?" Numair asked in her ear. Rehani almost screamed. She jumped and whirled around.
"Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed.
"Sorry. Come on, the tour's over. We're heading back." Numair didn't sound a bit sorry as Rehani followed him back to their rooms. Numair and Daine sat down at the table where they were eating that night. Hesitantly, Rehani sat beside Daine, trying to look invisible.
"Hey, Daine. Who's the youngster?" a man asked from across the table.
"Everybody, this is Rehani. She has wild magic, so I'm going to teach her. Rehani these are Alanna, Keladry, Nealan.." Daine was interrupted by Nealan.
"It's Neal! My least." the whole room joined him in his last sentence. "My least favorite aunt calls me Nealan." They chorused.
"Sorry, Neal. Gary." Daine introduced everybody, who smiled or nodded to her.
"You don't look Carthaki." Alanna, the stout red head with purple eyes, commented.
"I was told I got knocked out when I was little, six. I got amnesia. I've been living at the palace as a slave ever since. I don't know anything about my family, or where I come from." Rehani explained quietly.