"I'm not sure why you're bothering. I'm going to look horrible no matter what you do. It's impossible to make a commoner like me look pretty enough for the king's court. Worry about yourself."
"The only person who I care to impress barely pays attention to looks, and you are being unreasonable. Who gave you the impression that you're ugly? I see otherwise."
Caelin shrugged and fiddled with the dress Daine had loaned her, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. It was a plain, form fitting dress, dark blue, with no decorations except for a sash around the waste. Still, it was the nicest garment Caelin had ever worn. The fabric was soft and gentle against her skin, unlike the harsh burlap dresses she'd worn in the tavern or the handed down servant uniforms she had been provided with at the fief. It was a luxury she was unused to, and she had to firmly tell herself not to get accustomed to it. Daine finished brushing Caelin's hair and steered her towards a mirror. "Go ahead, take a look and see what I mean."
When Caelin looked into the mirror, she hissed in surprise. Maybe it was the fine quality of the glass, or Daine's work on her hair, but the girl she saw in the mirror was someone she'd never seen before. A girl with long, thick blond hair that fell in waves and bright blue eyes stared back at her in complete shock. Her face, without its customary layer of dirt and grime, was paler than she had previously thought, a legacy of living practically on top of the Scanran border. Her nose was small and slightly upturned, and her lips were opened in a surprised O. The new dress accented a figure that had been hidden for years behind baggy, unflattering dresses.
"I don't believe this. I'm almost as pretty as Lariss, the blacksmith's daughter, and she's the prettiest girl in all of Harowyn! Did you witch me?" She added suspiciously as an afterthought.
Daine laughed loudly, apparently pleased with her work. "Of course not, you just clean up very well. You aren't as beautiful as some of the ladies at court, like Queen Thayet, Princess Shinkokami, or some of the others, but you have your own brand of beauty. All the pages and squires will be lining up to speak to you."
"Me?" Caelin laughed mockingly, shaking her head. "A commoner? I don't think so. You don't understand. Now that you have royal favor, I'm sure everyone treats you politely because they're too scared to do anything else, but I know nobles. They don't care anything about people they see as beneath them. At least, all the nobles in Harowyn and the ones that came to visit acted that way." Caelin could well remember being treated as if she were something smelly that should be avoided at all costs by arrogant lords and ladies.
Daine's mouth twisted into a frown, but she didn't refute Caelin's point, either. She looked as if she were about to reply when Baron, who was perched on the windowsill, squawked loudly, drawing a surprised laugh from Daine. "He says as humans go, he thinks you're very pretty," she explained. Caelin wandered over and stroked Baron's head gently. She had become very fond of the beautiful phoenix in the short time she had known him, and would be sad when their inevitable parting came. After a moment, Daine sighed and said, "Well, there's no use putting this off. Are you ready to go?"
A resounding 'NO' would have been Caelin's preferred answer, but she didn't see how that would make the situation any better. She simply nodded and gave Baron one last stroke before following Daine out of her suite and into the hallway. Daine led her through yet another maze until they came to an ornate oak door that was flanked by stern guards on either side. Daine squeezed Caelin's shoulder in a gesture of encouragement before pushing open the door and revealing the royal courtroom.
Caelin's eyes flickered in every direction as she took in the nobles with their elaborate costumes, the ancient magistrate sitting imposingly at his desk, the panel lined up at their table, and Dom and the rest of the soldiers that would be speaking as witnesses and delivering written testimonies from Harowyn villagers. Finally, her gaze focused on the monarchs, sitting regally upon their thrones on the raised dais. They were dressed simply compared to most of their subjects, yet they were more impressive than all the others put together. Jonathan was the handsomest man she had ever seen, just as Thayet was the most beautiful woman she had ever encountered. Simple golden crowns were their only sign of status, yet their identities could never be mistaken, even if they were dressed as the lowliest of commoners. She could feel their eyes, along with the eyes of the entire court, watching her intently as Daine led her over to the other witnesses. Her vision swirled and she swayed on her feet, glad for the firm arm one of the soldiers offered in support when she arrived. Once she was settled, Duke Turomot stood up and called for the court's attention.
After going through the opening rituals, in which he asked Mithros for fairness and honesty to guide the proceedings and announced the members serving on the panel, he called, "I would now like Domitan of Masbolle to come to the stand." Once Dom had reached the platform, the duke said solemnly, "You are now speaking in front of your kingdom and the gods. Speak truthfully or face their wrath."
Following Dom's promise to speak the complete truth, Turomot began to question him. He was startlingly concerned with specifics, from what mission he'd been on at the time to what the closet had looked like when he found Caelin, the weather of the day, and how many bodies he found in the castle. It was almost as if he was hoping for Dom to make a mistake. Dom, however, remained cool and calm during the testimony, his presence a rock of support and a model for Caelin, who would soon be facing the same demanding questions. Finally, Turomot reluctantly concluded his examination and called another soldier to the stand to deliver the testimonies of the Harowyn villagers. Following his recital, the rest of the men were called up, one by one, to confirm Dom's story. The questioning seemed to go on for ages, and Caelin noted with amusement that King Jonathan was trying to cover up a yawn with his hand.
To keep from worrying about the upcoming questioning, Caelin studied the four members of the panel. The first man was a solidly built farmer with graying hair but muscles that were still strong. He was watching the proceedings almost as intently as Duke Turomot himself. The second was a young woman with a kind and intelligent face who appeared to be some kind of a shopkeeper. Instead of watching the faces of those being questioned, she was taking notes down on a sheet of paper. Caelin wondered what her notes were about and hoped they were favorable.
The third member of the Panel was a noble, Duke Baird of Queenscove. He was the chief of the realm's healers, and from what Caelin had heard of him, he was an honest and fair man who took his duty seriously. However, it was the fourth and final member of the panel that Caelin was most interested in: the member who represented the royal family.
Even before he had been announced, Caelin somehow knew that he was one of the royal princes. Despite the coal black hair and sapphire eyes, Prince Roald shared the same charismatic spark that was in his father, the king. It wasn't of the same magnitude, of course; those things came with time. Still, Caelin could see the makings of the future king from the intelligent gleam in the prince's eyes.
"Thank you, soldier Rhyss. I now ask Caelin of Harowyn to come to the stand."
Duke Turomot's words sent a ripple of murmurs through the crowd as Caelin slowly navigated around the soldiers of the King's Own and walked over to the slightly raised platform. The feel of the concentrated attention of the crowd was like needles pricking her skin. She wondered what they were thinking. Did they really believe that she had been a part of the slaughter of so many innocent people? It seemed impossible that anyone could think she had done it all on her own until she remembered with sickening clarity the many men she had killed in the closet. Caelin hardly remembered swearing to speak the truth because she was shaking so hard. She felt with embarrassment and shame like she was going to faint, and almost did, when a loud screech rent the hall. To the amazement of the spectators, Baron flew into the courtroom and settled on the witness stand with Caelin, cheeping in encouragement. It seemed like Turomot was used to such disturbances, although his voice was sharp with barely concealed disapproval as he began questioning her.
"What is your full name?"
"Caelin of Harowyn, sir."
"Are your parents alive and well?"
"No, sir. My ma died when I was born, and I never met my father."
"Your age?"
"16 years, sir."
"Describe your childhood."
"I lived in the local tavern until I was six years old, sir, because the tavern keeper promised to look out for me until I could take care of myself. When he threw me out, Lady Seldina took me in as a servant for her and her daughters. I lived there up until three weeks ago, sir."
"Tell me more about life with Lady Seldina."
"I...I was a servant, sir. I helped clean my ladies' clothes, helped them dress and undress, helped Cook in the kitchens when she needed help. I cleaned their rooms...just servant things, my lord. Lady Seldina taught me to read and write, and she let me read in the library most days, if there wasn't too much to be done."
"Were you ever...unsatisfied with your life in Harowyn? Did you resent your lady, perhaps? Were you ever treated badly?"
The duke's question succeeded in raising Caelin's ire and she glared at the old man, not caring if she wasn't properly respectful. "Sir, you dishonor me. Lady Seldina gave me a home when I had none, fed me, and clothed me. She was always kind and even gave me days off. Her daughters were true ladies and never raised a hand in anger at me. Such thoughts never passed through my mind!" Caelin's voice rose in pitch and she clenched her hands in anger. Like any servant, she had her pride. Any questioning of most servants' loyalty to their masters was a grave insult.
Duke Turomot's stony face slipped a little, and Caelin could see respect for her loyalty in his eyes, which he quickly covered. For the first time, his voice lost its hardness as he addressed her. "Your loyalty to Lady Seldina and her daughters is duly noted. Now, if you would, please tell the court the events leading up to the murder of Lord Panen of Harowyn, Lady Seldina, the rest of their family, and all their servants."
This was the moment Caelin had been dreading. As she told the court what had happened, her voice became flat as she strived to recount the events as if she had only been a spectator. "It was early Saturday morning, and Cook sent me down to the village to buy some eggs and milk, since she needed some for the evening meal. I had money that Lady Seldina gave me to get my shoes repaired, so after I bought the eggs and milk I left my shoes with the tailor and walked back to the castle barefoot. When I got back, I noticed there were lots of horses tied outside, but I just assumed that some nobles had arrived to visit unexpectedly. It happened fairly often, because the lord and lady were popular. I knew Lady Seldina would need lots of help with the visitors, so I hurried on inside."
This was where the horrible memories began to take over. "I was surprised that there was no one running around the hallways when I got inside, because usually when guests come everyone tries to do ten chores at once. I could hear voices in the dining hall, so I went there to see what was going on. There were strange men at the door, and before I could do anything, they grabbed me and dragged me into the room. There were strange soldiers everywhere; they were shabby and hungry looking, like they'd been without a proper meal for a long time. But they had proper weapons and had already used them on some of the men to keep them from fighting back. They kept the men on one side of the hall under guard and herded the women and children to the other."
Caelin drew in a shaky breath and continued, seeing everything as it had been on that fateful day. "Next they took all the women, up to the oldest grandmother, and they raped them." The crowd gasped in horror and shock, but Caelin ignored them and continued. "Every man took his turn with them, and once all the women had been used and used again, they took the children, both boys and girls, down to Lady Seldina's five-year-old daughter. They made the men watch the entire time, and then they murdered every single one of them, even Cook's baby, and her not even two weeks old. Then they killed the men, because they didn't have any use for them. There was so much blood...the hall turned bright red. The men had forgotten me, but once they killed Lord Panen they remembered."
Caelin shivered as she remembered, but her voice was detached and quite calm as she continued. "The leader came over, and I guessed he was going to use me too, so I used my magic to make a bright light. While they couldn't see, I ran out of the room and hid in the linen closet. It was so dark and small in there, I thought they wouldn't find me, but they did. I was so scared, I just started...I don't know what I did. I threw magic at them, and I closed my eyes so I couldn't see what I was doing, and I just kept doing it until they were gone. I didn't know what I was doing, I swear! But when I opened my eyes, they were all dead. I burned them. Those that didn't want to die ran, I suppose, since I didn't kill them all." Her voice went quiet, and she said, "I don't know what I did."
The courtroom was deathly silent as every occupant watched Caelin with expressions ranging from pity to horror to fear. Suddenly a sob wracked the room and set off a storm of tears from many of the ladies and some of the men. Caelin thought it was rather ridiculous, since they hadn't had to live through it, and most of them probably didn't even know the Harowyn nobles well. Once the crying had abated, Duke Turomot cleared his throat and said, "Did you have any prior knowledge of magic? Did you know you had the Gift? Did you receive any training for your Gift?"
"I knew I had the Gift, sir, but I never received any training for it. In Harowyn, magic is not well liked, and Lady Seldina didn't want me to get any training. She did know I had the Gift, though. With all the spidren attacks we've had at Harowyn, most people don't trust anything to do with magic. Lady Seldina let me read books in the library sometimes, so I knew I had the Gift and learned how to light candles and make a little shield, but I didn't know anything other than that. I don't know how I killed the men, I swear by the Goddess."
"I now ask the panel to judge Caelin of Harowyn in respect to the murders of the Harowyn family and their servants. I remind you, members of the panel, that you must take into account every piece of evidence given and come to a unanimous decision. You are dismissed for the present."
The panel left the courtroom, and their absence ushered in a flurry of discussion from everyone left in the room. It seemed as if every noble there had their own opinion and wanted to voice it loudly. Caelin felt faint and leaned against the table, closing her eyes and trying to block out all the strange voices. Baron hopped over and begged for a rub, which she gave absently, her mind in turmoil from the court proceedings. A guard brought over a chair for her to sit in, which she did thankfully, settling Baron in her lap. It didn't take the panel long to come to a decision, but in the overly warm courthouse, under the eyes of the king and queen, it seemed to take hours.
Once the panel had returned to their seats, Prince Roald stood up and addressed the court. "As speaker for the panel, we have come to the conclusion that Caelin of Harowyn is completely innocent in the deaths that occurred. She will incur no punishment, and is free to do as she will from this moment on."
As one the court let out a sigh and the whispering began again. Turomot seemed ready to dismiss the court when all of a sudden, Numair stood. The noise stopped as everyone, including the monarchs, stared at the tall mage. "There is one more item to be discussed today, your grace. I have taken the liberty of testing Caelin's magical ability, and she has the potential to be a powerful mage. However, because she has no training to speak of and has not learned any control, letting her go in front of the court and deliver such an emotional testimony was out of the question. I put shields on Caelin to prevent her from letting her Gift get out of control. Now that she has been determined innocent by the court, the question of what should happen to her now needs to be discussed."
Turomot frowned, not liking the unexpected news being thrown his way. He regarded Numair as he would a very young and annoying upstart. "Very well. What is your suggestion, as you have obviously thought about this a great deal?"
"I believe Caelin should be allowed to study in Magewinds. Her potential dictates that she needs the kind of teaching the excellent teachers there could give her, and living at the palace will put her where she can be of the most use to the crown." Numair inclined his head to Jonathan and Thayet, who were listening intently.
Numair's suggestion sent up an outcry from the watching nobles, until finally Turomot bellowed for silence. "Enough! I should hope I don't have to tell you that the palace has long been a training place for nobly born sons, not commoners, and certainly not women. Although Magewinds has only been in existence for ten years, the mages trained here have gone on to be some of the most powerful sorcerers in the kingdom, rivaling even the Mithran masters. Tradition will not easily be overset, Lord Numair."
"I wouldn't ask the court to lightly overturn such a tradition, but there is no reason superior mage training should be restricted only to nobles and boys. In Carthak, women receive the same kind of training men do, and some of the best mages I have ever met come from Carthak. In Tortall, women with the Gift are either healing women or go elsewhere to receive training, if their Gift is powerful enough. Most just ignore their power and never pursue the magical path." Numair paused, and glanced at the king meaningfully. "The crown has allowed women to serve as pages in court, and women may serve in the Queen's Riders and as healers. This tradition of only allowing men to study magic should be overturned as well."
All eyes were on the king and queen as they whispered together on their thrones, their dark heads nearly touching. Finally, the king turned back to the court and stood, commanding attention just by his presence. "Numair brings up a valid point, one that should have been taken into consideration when we started Magewinds. If studying magic is the path Caelin desires to take, I see no reason to prevent her from receiving instruction for her Gift, providing that the Panel also agrees."
Jonathan remained standing as the members of the panel conferred. Finally Prince Roald stood up again and said with a slight grin, "I learned at a very early age that women are just as capable as men in the fighting arts, thanks to my good friend Keladry of Mindelan, the women of the Queen's Riders, and my own mother. We all agree that women should be allowed to receive magical training here at the palace."
Jonathan smiled faintly and took a breath before saying, "I have been looking for the proper time to announce a decision I, the Queen, and the rest of the instructors of the young here at the palace have decided upon. In the Immortals War and the Scanran War, it came to our attention that the youngsters we expect to fight for the kingdom get little practice working with people who have talents that differ from their own. From now on, the pages training to be knights, the members of the healing school, the paying students, and the students of Magewinds will be working together in their studies. The afternoons will be devoted to their separate studies, but they will eat together and live together. One day a week will be set aside for teaching the students to work together, in the hopes that if another disaster occurs that will require our young to fight, they will be better prepared. As the students are just now coming back from their summer break and will be beginning their studies again, now is the perfect time for change."
The king's announcement was met by a loud outcry from practically every member of the court. Caelin was weak with relief that their combined attention was finally off of her, and she could hardly believe that she was staying at court, and much less would be the first woman ever to attend the illustrious Magewinds School. At some point during the outcry, Turomot dismissed the court, although everyone was too busy shouting to hear him. Daine and Numair made their way over to her, huge grins on their faces.
"Well, that went well," Numair said lightly once they had arrived. "You did well up there, Caelin. So would you like to stay on here at the palace?"
"Of course I would!" Caelin gasped, surprised he even had to ask her. She had nowhere else to go, no one to turn to, and she was being offered the chance to achieve something no other person of her station ever had. Here was a safe haven being offered to her in the eye of the storm. "I can't really believe everything that's happened today. It's too much to understand at once."
Daine beamed and hugged Caelin one-armed, as a disgruntled mouse occupied her other hand. "I'm so glad you're staying on," she said happily, "and so is Baron. He says he would prefer to stay with you while he's at the palace."
Caelin looked at Baron, who was humming happily. He waddled over and stuck his head out to be scratched, his eyes lidding over in pleasure. "If you're ready, I took the liberty of arranging a room in the newly organized wing of rooms for the students. I can show you where it is and help move your belongings from the stable to there," Numair told her.
As Caelin followed Numair and Daine out of the courtroom, Baron flapping above them, she looked at him suspiciously. "You arranged for me to have a room before the trial even started, didn't you?" She accused, scowling at the mage. "That's very arrogant of you."
"I'm afraid you'll learn that 'arrogant' should have been Numair's middle name," Daine said wryly, but with an affectionate grin for her lover.
Numair shrugged and walked into the hallway, the smug grin still in place. "I had an idea that things would turn out this way, and look what happened. It wasn't arrogance, just common sense. Now come on, the person I want you to meet should be waiting." Five minutes later and after another hike down the convoluted halls of the palace, Numair and Daine arrived at a hallway filled with children and students running around. Numair stopped at one of the doors and knocked briskly before opening the door and motioning Caelin and Daine to walk in.
"It's about time you arrived, Master Numair. Is this the girl?"
"Indeed it is. Caelin, this is Salma, head of the servants in this end of the palace. Anything you need, you go to Salma for."
Caelin greeted the woman, a brisk matron of middle age with a strong build and gray hair. She answered Caelin's timid greeting kindly enough, and then turned to Numair and Daine with an iron gaze. "And now you two can scat. I'm perfectly capable of taking her on a tour of the palace, and you two will only get in the way. Go on."
Numair and Daine shrugged at Salma's words and said their goodbyes to Caelin, promising that they would see her again soon. As soon as they left, Salma dragged Caelin out of her room and down the halls, scattering those in her way like feathers in the wind. The tour went by at a rapid pace, leaving Caelin with no doubt that she would never remember where anything was. The tour ended down at the palace stores, where Salma negotiated a fitting for Caelin.
Two women measured Caelin with a knotted rope, disappeared, and then returned carrying several bundles of clothing. Caelin's new possessions included undergarments, blue, gray, and brown breeches, tan undershirts, the blue tunic that Magewinds students wore, and three other spare tunics of different colors. Also included in the pile, to Caelin's surprise, was a pretty green skirt and tunic, which one of the women slipped her with a wink.
Salma didn't give Caelin time to thank the two helpful women. Before she knew it, they were back up at her room, and Salma was handing her a special key. "Here, girl, I want you to take this. I gave you the room you have for a specific reason. A few years ago, Keladry of Mindelan was the first female page to serve officially at the palace. Her room suffered from horrible pranks, so we devised a special lock that only your or I can open, so your room will be protected from pranksters."
A loud crash from outside seemed to distract Salma for a moment. "And of course, we had no forewarning that the king would be making all the changes to the students' schooling system today, so now everyone is running out of control trying to get things ready. The rooms, dining schedules, uniforms...they never think how their pronouncements are going to affect us, do they." She paused and flushed, remembering where she was.
"Sorry for that, dear. I'm just under a little stress. Now, I want to warn you about something. Your life here at the palace will not be pleasant for a long while. Your presence will be resented. Boys can be cruel, and girls even more so, particularly the nobles. They'll do their best to make you turn tail and run. If you need an ear, don't hesitate to come to me."
A shout from outside caught Salma's attention, and she turned to go. "Thank you for helping me, and for the tour, and everything else."
"Not a problem, child," the woman replied before leaving through the door, her mind already fixed on her next task. Once she had left, Caelin looked around her new room with wide eyes. Keladry of Mindelan was one of the most well-known and able knights in the realm, following the King's Champion, Alanna the Lioness, Sir Raoul of Goldenlake, and Prince Roald. She was a hero from the Scanran War, and was the first lady knight to win her shield openly in over a hundred years.
Caelin sighed. She had so much to think about, her head was starting to ache. As soon as a servant brought food for her and Baron and they'd both eaten, she crawled into the bed and turned off the light. She didn't know what the next day would bring for her, but she was again too exhausted to worry about anything. The bed beneath her was deliciously soft and comfortable, more so than anything she'd ever slept in, and soon, the sound of Baron's whistling as he breathed lulled her to sleep.