And so began a horrible week for Berenice. Everyday Neal would walk her to her rooms from the library and everyday Arsinoe wouldn't speak to her. For all that Berenice disliked, or pretended to dislike, Arsinoe; it hurt her that she wouldn't talk to her. All the same Berenice wouldn't tell Neal not to walk with her anymore. She liked Neal and as long as he remained unromantic, she would like to be his friend. It changed one day that week when a young mage walked into the library's scroll room where Berenice worked.
Berenice was deep in a scroll when he walked in, the scrolls had gotten more interesting, she was translating ancient spells. Now Numair and some other mages often came to read what Berenice translated, so she was not surprised when a visitor came and did not look up from her scroll right away.
"I just translated some weather spells there...." Berenice stopped looking up realizing it was not one of the normal mages who visited. It was a young man, who looked to be in his early twenties or late teens. He was handsome with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He looked oddly familiar to Berenice. "Hello, " she said, not really knowing what else to say.
"Hello," he answered with a smile.
"Ah!" cried Sir Mattieu from his desk where he edited, went over and some times copied Berenice's translations, "Michael! How good it is to see you, my lad! How goes it at the University? What brings you here?" He stepped forward and gave the young man called Michael a hug.
"Uncle! It's good to see you too! I'm doing pretty well at the University and I'm here on very important business!" he said returning his uncle's hug.
"Important business, eh?" asked Sir Mattieu curiously.
"Yes, for your little protege," Michael turned to her, "Do you remember me?" he asked.
Berenice had been staring at him as he greeted his uncle, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. Then it came to her, "You're the mage who gave me a robe when I first came here," she said.
He smiled brightly, "You remember!" he said.
"Whats this ' important business' you have, then, " asked Sir Mattieu.
"Oh yes, I forgot for a moment," Michael looked at her, "We have gotten word that foreign counties, have a need for your services, as you might say. Basically, they know that we have an ancient scroll translator, and they want one too. It may be unnecessary, but we fear that a kidnapping might take place, if these foreign countries get desperate."
Berenice paled, "Kidnapping?"
"It's highly improbable, but you can never be too safe," he told her.
Berenice was dumbfounded. Kidnapped? Never had the thought crossed her mind that foreign countries would want to kidnap her just for her knowledge.
Sir Mattieu was astounded too. "Kidnapped? How can she protect herself from it?"
"I am going to be her body guard," he said proudly.
"You?" Berenice and Sir Mattieu at the same time, "Why you?" asked Sir Mattieu, "What have you got to do with it?"
"I'm now part of the 'Intelligence' headed by Sir Myles," he said, " He thought it would be productive to have a mage on the team." He smiled proudly.
"So what are your duties?" Berenice asked, kind of unsure of his abilities to protect her. The prospect of being kidnapped scared her, more so than it would in her old world, at least there she had been positive of her surroundings.
"Well I basically have to be with you all the time, " he told her.
" What does that mean?" Berenice asked.
"I sleep outside your door, I walk with you to here, come back to escort you to your rooms or anywhere else you want to go. During the day when your here with uncle, it won't be necessary to be with you, so thats when I take my classes at the University."
"Oh," sleeping outside her door? That sounded pretty throurough. "Well I guess I'll be seeing a lot of you then?"
He smiled, " I guess so."
Berenice was deep in a scroll when he walked in, the scrolls had gotten more interesting, she was translating ancient spells. Now Numair and some other mages often came to read what Berenice translated, so she was not surprised when a visitor came and did not look up from her scroll right away.
"I just translated some weather spells there...." Berenice stopped looking up realizing it was not one of the normal mages who visited. It was a young man, who looked to be in his early twenties or late teens. He was handsome with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He looked oddly familiar to Berenice. "Hello, " she said, not really knowing what else to say.
"Hello," he answered with a smile.
"Ah!" cried Sir Mattieu from his desk where he edited, went over and some times copied Berenice's translations, "Michael! How good it is to see you, my lad! How goes it at the University? What brings you here?" He stepped forward and gave the young man called Michael a hug.
"Uncle! It's good to see you too! I'm doing pretty well at the University and I'm here on very important business!" he said returning his uncle's hug.
"Important business, eh?" asked Sir Mattieu curiously.
"Yes, for your little protege," Michael turned to her, "Do you remember me?" he asked.
Berenice had been staring at him as he greeted his uncle, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. Then it came to her, "You're the mage who gave me a robe when I first came here," she said.
He smiled brightly, "You remember!" he said.
"Whats this ' important business' you have, then, " asked Sir Mattieu.
"Oh yes, I forgot for a moment," Michael looked at her, "We have gotten word that foreign counties, have a need for your services, as you might say. Basically, they know that we have an ancient scroll translator, and they want one too. It may be unnecessary, but we fear that a kidnapping might take place, if these foreign countries get desperate."
Berenice paled, "Kidnapping?"
"It's highly improbable, but you can never be too safe," he told her.
Berenice was dumbfounded. Kidnapped? Never had the thought crossed her mind that foreign countries would want to kidnap her just for her knowledge.
Sir Mattieu was astounded too. "Kidnapped? How can she protect herself from it?"
"I am going to be her body guard," he said proudly.
"You?" Berenice and Sir Mattieu at the same time, "Why you?" asked Sir Mattieu, "What have you got to do with it?"
"I'm now part of the 'Intelligence' headed by Sir Myles," he said, " He thought it would be productive to have a mage on the team." He smiled proudly.
"So what are your duties?" Berenice asked, kind of unsure of his abilities to protect her. The prospect of being kidnapped scared her, more so than it would in her old world, at least there she had been positive of her surroundings.
"Well I basically have to be with you all the time, " he told her.
" What does that mean?" Berenice asked.
"I sleep outside your door, I walk with you to here, come back to escort you to your rooms or anywhere else you want to go. During the day when your here with uncle, it won't be necessary to be with you, so thats when I take my classes at the University."
"Oh," sleeping outside her door? That sounded pretty throurough. "Well I guess I'll be seeing a lot of you then?"
He smiled, " I guess so."