The next morning came far too soon. Audra woke up feeling as though a horse had trampled on her. Several times. Her body ached all over, her head buzzed drowsily. Her back was stiff because of the sagging mattress. 'Oh, today is going to be absolutely splendid.' Audra thought sardonically after it took her three tries to make her body move and stand.
Somehow, Audra dressed and washed—or, to be exact, splashed some water half-heartedly in the general direction of her face. Most of it missed and landed on her dress. She ignored it and stumbled off to breakfast. Maybe, just maybe, food would wake her a little. 'Please, please let this be a dream I'm having. It's not possible to feel this awful.'
The food didn't help. In reality, it made the situation worse. All of the smells assaulting Audra's deadened senses caused her to add nausea to her list of bad things about the day. She muttered darkly under her breath as she purposely kept her eyes away from Thom's table and staggered to her own. The novices gave her their customary quick glance and went back to the conversation they were having. Jerome looked at her anxiously.
"Are you all right?" he wanted to know.
'Do I look all right?' Audra wanted to reply, but she said, "Yes. Thanks for asking. I had trouble sleeping last night."
Jerome looked skeptical, but dropped the subject in light of his meal. Audra poked at hers with a fork, feeling queasy.
"Do you want mine?" she inquired, seeing Jerome practically inhale his portions. There was no way she could keep it down.
He raised both eyebrows. "If you're sure you don't want any…." He let his voice trail off uncertainly.
Audra's answer was to pick up her plate and shove it at Jerome. She took a few small sips of water and tried to stop being so dizzy.
'And I thought breakfast was bad.' Audra thought later in the day. Straining to see and comprehend her lessons had given her the world's worst headache. Her temples throbbed, while a stick banged from side to side in the middle of her skull. At least, that's how it felt. Audra had given up her schoolwork in light of the fact that she could barely think, let alone get the answers right. It was time for the last class of the day, and Audra's free time.
'Maybe if I wander around I'll find the kitchens and can get something to drink.' She decided hazily. Not, perhaps, the most intelligent of plans, considering Audra didn't have the foggiest clue where the kitchens were. But she set off to wander the corridors.
It was pure misfortune, Audra determined later, that she stopped to rest where she did. Letting out a barely audible yelp as the pain in her head increased, she drooped against the wall near a doorframe. Both hands flew to her forehead and massaged her temples in a vain effort to relieve the anguish. It felt as though her head were being split open.
"Class dismissed. I'm sure all of you have some schoolwork, so off to your rooms." It was Master Si-cham's advanced magic class. Adepts streamed out of the door next to Audra. Most ignored her; others gave her a curious look before shrugging and heading towards their chambers. Master Si-cham was the last one to exit. He saw her immediately.
"Are you feeling well?" he asked calmly, not at all perturbed that she might have been eavesdropping on a class she was not to attend.
Audra cursed her mouth for being faster than her mind as she answered, "No, sir, I'm not."
Master Si-cham continued smoothly, "And what seems to be the problem?"
"I have a headache." Audra replied. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now you'll have to get healed when you could have just waited a few more minutes and found Thom.'
Si-cham turned and nodded at her. "Come with me." He took off, not leaving Audra with a choice but to follow him.
They arrived at Si-cham's office. It was exactly where the First Daughter's was, only on the other side of the building. Audra sat in the chair he pointed at and tried to relax. Si-cham put a hand on top of her head and instantly coolness spread through it, beating back the throbbing. She let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank you, Master Si-cham." Audra finally said.
"You're welcome. I've wanted to speak with you since I saw you skip breakfast. Did you sleep last night? There are black shadows under your eyes. Is life outside the convent becoming too stressful for you?" his tone was that of a concerned uncle.
'Oh no. Please don't let him be saying what I think he's saying.' Audra pleaded mentally. "Sir, my mother arrived late last night, and I needed to visit with her. I had trouble getting to sleep because I was—overexcited at the news of my sister's upcoming marriage."
He gave her look for look across his desk. "Are you sure?"
This concern was starting to get on Audra's nerves. "Yes, I am sure." She paused, and then added, "Sir, I know you're considering sending me back to the convent. Please don't."
Master Si-cham studied her even more intensely. "And just how did you know that?" his voice was sharp and intent.
'I have made a very big mistake.' Audra thought numbly. She stammered, "Well, sir, I, I could…"
"You have the Gift." It was not a question.
In the tone of someone condemned, Audra answered in a whisper, "Yes."
"But what type of Gift, that you can read minds without activating it… Very interesting." His voice became mildly scholarly. Si-cham muttered something, and then went back to staring at Audra. Now there was something like awe on his face. "Have you ever been trained at all?"
Audra thought about her beginning lessons with Thom. "No, sir, never."
"This needs to change. You have an extraordinary amount of magic. So much, in fact, that it would be dangerous not to teach you control."
"But, Master Si-cham, I'm to leave for the palace in one year. On my fourteenth birthday." She protested, although she didn't put much strength into it.
"Isn't that a bit young?"
"Yes. My mother's orders." Audra didn't bother disguising the thinly veiled hatred between her and Lady Catherine.
"Than I shall make arrangements with the convent so you train here for this last year. It's a shame to waste such a Gift. I'll even write to your mother, see if I can't convince her to change her mind."