ascend to become a
wizard. It’s not only precious, but irreplaceable, and no wizard
would ever let it come to harm.”
“ How do you capture a moment? ” Thadius asked.
“ With great difficulty,” Matthias smiled back.
They
walked around the maze of corridors, up sets of stairs and crossing
through extravagantly decorated chambers, until they emerged into a
room with a semi-circular bay window overlooking the plains of
Rina. The expansive grasslands and fields of flowers stretched out
beneath them, waving in a breeze, and sunlight shone through the
window onto the dining table just behind it.
“ My
quarters are above this room. I consider it to be the finest view
anywhere in the world. The beautiful fields of green and the
mountains, far in the distance..." He waved his hand across to
emphasise his point.
Matthias stared at it longingly. “It’s very beautiful, Your
Grace,” he said.
A
trio of liveried servants entered the room and brought in three
bowls of steaming soup, placing them on the table before leaving
the room again. Thadius and Matthias sat opposite each other, and
the king sat at the head of the table. The servants returned again
and brought in a carafe of red wine. They filled three glasses.
Matthias stared at his a moment.
“ Is
there a problem?” Thadius asked him.
Matthias shook his head. “No, not at all. I’m just not
accustomed to drinking wine at breakfast.”
Thadius nodded. “It is a luxury to have wine instead of ale at the dinner
table.”
Matthias smiled, and then shook his head again. “Actually,
that’s not what I meant. I tend to drink tea,” he
advised.
Thadius’ face screwed up. “ Tea? That’s that drink the Tekritians
import from the Far World, isn’t it?”
Matthias nodded. “Not so far for me. It comes from my
homeland.”
“ I have sampled tea several times,” the king said,
interjecting. “Interesting flavour, and a curiosity to have a drink boiled , but I am afraid it’s not my bag.
Too spicy for my tastes,” he sniffed, and raised his glass. “To
good health,” he toasted, and supped at the red liquid. Matthias
and Thadius joined him and then as they tucked into their soup,
they carried on with their conversation.
“ All the way from the realm of wizards,” the king
said as he supped his soup. “It’s been a fair time since your
people have felt the need to grace me with their presence. It used
to be that your people would check in every six months, remain for
a few weeks, and then return to Mahalia. But the last time I had a
visit would be nearly five years ago. I thought we had been let off for good behaviour,” he
scoffed.
Matthias nodded. “I believe that there hasn’t been any need
to visit you for quite a while.”
“ And
now?” The king questioned.
“ Now
I’m here,” Matthias replied.
Arwell studied Matthias a while over his full soup
- spoon, hovering over his bowl, then took another slurp. “I
usually see another wizard. Lord Fenzar is his name. He has been
coming here for decades . He’s much older than you are, with bushy eyebrows and a
face like a dried up old fig . There’s more lines on that man’s face than on an old oak
tree!”
Matthias grinned, picturing the man in his head. “I’ve always
thought he more resembled a walnut. Though I’m sure you know better
Your Grace.”
“ Where is he now? He’s not dead is he? Are you his replacement? I
really have known oak trees less old and gnarled than Fenzar is.
It must be well past time he was put out to pasture.” The king
chuckled.
“ No, he’s not dead,” Matthias said. “I suspect
he’ll outlive us all .”
Thadius joined in the conversation. “He normally
comes through the gates with an attachment of dignitaries, heads
straight through the main street to the palace making one hell of a
din. He loves a procession.”
Matthias nodded. “He is an… interesting man, to say the least. In any
case, I’m not his replacement. But he is
wizard. It’s not only precious, but irreplaceable, and no wizard
would ever let it come to harm.”
“ How do you capture a moment? ” Thadius asked.
“ With great difficulty,” Matthias smiled back.
They
walked around the maze of corridors, up sets of stairs and crossing
through extravagantly decorated chambers, until they emerged into a
room with a semi-circular bay window overlooking the plains of
Rina. The expansive grasslands and fields of flowers stretched out
beneath them, waving in a breeze, and sunlight shone through the
window onto the dining table just behind it.
“ My
quarters are above this room. I consider it to be the finest view
anywhere in the world. The beautiful fields of green and the
mountains, far in the distance..." He waved his hand across to
emphasise his point.
Matthias stared at it longingly. “It’s very beautiful, Your
Grace,” he said.
A
trio of liveried servants entered the room and brought in three
bowls of steaming soup, placing them on the table before leaving
the room again. Thadius and Matthias sat opposite each other, and
the king sat at the head of the table. The servants returned again
and brought in a carafe of red wine. They filled three glasses.
Matthias stared at his a moment.
“ Is
there a problem?” Thadius asked him.
Matthias shook his head. “No, not at all. I’m just not
accustomed to drinking wine at breakfast.”
Thadius nodded. “It is a luxury to have wine instead of ale at the dinner
table.”
Matthias smiled, and then shook his head again. “Actually,
that’s not what I meant. I tend to drink tea,” he
advised.
Thadius’ face screwed up. “ Tea? That’s that drink the Tekritians
import from the Far World, isn’t it?”
Matthias nodded. “Not so far for me. It comes from my
homeland.”
“ I have sampled tea several times,” the king said,
interjecting. “Interesting flavour, and a curiosity to have a drink boiled , but I am afraid it’s not my bag.
Too spicy for my tastes,” he sniffed, and raised his glass. “To
good health,” he toasted, and supped at the red liquid. Matthias
and Thadius joined him and then as they tucked into their soup,
they carried on with their conversation.
“ All the way from the realm of wizards,” the king
said as he supped his soup. “It’s been a fair time since your
people have felt the need to grace me with their presence. It used
to be that your people would check in every six months, remain for
a few weeks, and then return to Mahalia. But the last time I had a
visit would be nearly five years ago. I thought we had been let off for good behaviour,” he
scoffed.
Matthias nodded. “I believe that there hasn’t been any need
to visit you for quite a while.”
“ And
now?” The king questioned.
“ Now
I’m here,” Matthias replied.
Arwell studied Matthias a while over his full soup
- spoon, hovering over his bowl, then took another slurp. “I
usually see another wizard. Lord Fenzar is his name. He has been
coming here for decades . He’s much older than you are, with bushy eyebrows and a
face like a dried up old fig . There’s more lines on that man’s face than on an old oak
tree!”
Matthias grinned, picturing the man in his head. “I’ve always
thought he more resembled a walnut. Though I’m sure you know better
Your Grace.”
“ Where is he now? He’s not dead is he? Are you his replacement? I
really have known oak trees less old and gnarled than Fenzar is.
It must be well past time he was put out to pasture.” The king
chuckled.
“ No, he’s not dead,” Matthias said. “I suspect
he’ll outlive us all .”
Thadius joined in the conversation. “He normally
comes through the gates with an attachment of dignitaries, heads
straight through the main street to the palace making one hell of a
din. He loves a procession.”
Matthias nodded. “He is an… interesting man, to say the least. In any
case, I’m not his replacement. But he is
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