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Authors: Trudi Canavan
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training would make me a fighter, Father. It’s not what I’m good at.”
I’m good at healing
, she wanted to say. But though she would have expected to be dismayed at discovering she must become a magician, she wasn’t.
Maybe because it doesn’t mean all my hopes of becoming a healer must end
, she thought.
They’ve been delayed, that’s all. All I have to do is learn everything I need to know to become a magician, then I’ll be free to become a healer. Much freer than I was before, because magicians can do whatever they like. Well, so long as they’re not breaking laws.
Perhaps learning magic would show her other ways to help people. Perhaps magic could be used to heal. The possibilities were exciting.
“It’s not up to you to decide what you’re good at now,” her mother said sternly. “Lord Dakon could hardly have planned to end up with another apprentice. You are not to waste his time or resources, you hear?”
Tessia smiled. “Yes, Mother.”
Her father cleared his throat. “Time to carry this downstairs yet?”
“No.” Her mother’s frown disappeared. “There’s this to go in.” In her hand was a flat box, the size of a thin book. Instead of putting it in the trunk, she handed it to Tessia.
As Tessia took it she felt a shock of recognition. “Your necklace? Why? For safe-keeping?”
“For you to wear,” her mother corrected her. “I was going to wait until you showed some interest in attracting a husband before giving it to you… but it looks as if that will have to wait. You’ll be needing something to wear now that you’ll be associating with rich and influential people.”
“But…it’s
yours
. Father gave it to you.” She glanced at her father and saw that he had an approving, almost smug, look on his face.
“And now it’s yours,” her mother said firmly. “Besides, it looks ridiculous on me now. It suits a younger face.” She took the box from Tessia and placed it in the trunk, then shut the lid.
Tessia opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. She knew she would not win this argument. Perhaps another time, when her mother was in a different mood, she would persuade her to take back the necklace. It was ridiculous, this idea that she would need it to impress rich and influential people. Nobody in the village could be considered that way except one person: Lord Dakon.
Then an uncomfortable feeling came over her.
Surely Mother isn’t . . . she couldn’t be . . . there’s no way she would… the age difference is…
But she knew her mother all too well.
It’s too obvious to deny.
She closed her eyes and cursed silently.
Mother is hoping I’ll marry Lord Dakon
.
CHAPTER 6
Well, don’t
you
look fancy.”
Jayan turned to find Malia standing in the doorway of his room. She looked down at his clothes and her eyebrows rose. “Is that the latest fashion in Imardin, then?”
He chuckled and smoothed his clothing. The robe was nearly long enough to touch the floor and all but covered the matching trousers he wore underneath. Both were dark green and the fine material they were made from had a slight shine to it.
“It’s what’s been worn there for the last twenty years,” he told Malia. “Hardly the
latest
fashion.”
“By both men and women?”
“No, just men.”
Her eyebrows managed to rise even higher. “I’d love to see what the women wear, then.”
“You wouldn’t believe what your eyes were seeing – and don’t ask me to describe it. I’d have to learn a whole new vocabulary first.”
Her brows finally came back to a normal level as she grinned. “If I hadn’t seen Lord Dakon wearing much the same thing, I’d have wondered about you, Apprentice Jayan. Don’t go walking out in the village like that or people will be talking about you from here to the mountains. As for your guests… they hid their surprise very well when they saw Lord Dakon.” She paused. “They’re all in the dining room, by the way.”
In other words,
I’m good at healing
, she wanted to say. But though she would have expected to be dismayed at discovering she must become a magician, she wasn’t.
Maybe because it doesn’t mean all my hopes of becoming a healer must end
, she thought.
They’ve been delayed, that’s all. All I have to do is learn everything I need to know to become a magician, then I’ll be free to become a healer. Much freer than I was before, because magicians can do whatever they like. Well, so long as they’re not breaking laws.
Perhaps learning magic would show her other ways to help people. Perhaps magic could be used to heal. The possibilities were exciting.
“It’s not up to you to decide what you’re good at now,” her mother said sternly. “Lord Dakon could hardly have planned to end up with another apprentice. You are not to waste his time or resources, you hear?”
Tessia smiled. “Yes, Mother.”
Her father cleared his throat. “Time to carry this downstairs yet?”
“No.” Her mother’s frown disappeared. “There’s this to go in.” In her hand was a flat box, the size of a thin book. Instead of putting it in the trunk, she handed it to Tessia.
As Tessia took it she felt a shock of recognition. “Your necklace? Why? For safe-keeping?”
“For you to wear,” her mother corrected her. “I was going to wait until you showed some interest in attracting a husband before giving it to you… but it looks as if that will have to wait. You’ll be needing something to wear now that you’ll be associating with rich and influential people.”
“But…it’s
yours
. Father gave it to you.” She glanced at her father and saw that he had an approving, almost smug, look on his face.
“And now it’s yours,” her mother said firmly. “Besides, it looks ridiculous on me now. It suits a younger face.” She took the box from Tessia and placed it in the trunk, then shut the lid.
Tessia opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. She knew she would not win this argument. Perhaps another time, when her mother was in a different mood, she would persuade her to take back the necklace. It was ridiculous, this idea that she would need it to impress rich and influential people. Nobody in the village could be considered that way except one person: Lord Dakon.
Then an uncomfortable feeling came over her.
Surely Mother isn’t . . . she couldn’t be . . . there’s no way she would… the age difference is…
But she knew her mother all too well.
It’s too obvious to deny.
She closed her eyes and cursed silently.
Mother is hoping I’ll marry Lord Dakon
.
CHAPTER 6
Well, don’t
you
look fancy.”
Jayan turned to find Malia standing in the doorway of his room. She looked down at his clothes and her eyebrows rose. “Is that the latest fashion in Imardin, then?”
He chuckled and smoothed his clothing. The robe was nearly long enough to touch the floor and all but covered the matching trousers he wore underneath. Both were dark green and the fine material they were made from had a slight shine to it.
“It’s what’s been worn there for the last twenty years,” he told Malia. “Hardly the
latest
fashion.”
“By both men and women?”
“No, just men.”
Her eyebrows managed to rise even higher. “I’d love to see what the women wear, then.”
“You wouldn’t believe what your eyes were seeing – and don’t ask me to describe it. I’d have to learn a whole new vocabulary first.”
Her brows finally came back to a normal level as she grinned. “If I hadn’t seen Lord Dakon wearing much the same thing, I’d have wondered about you, Apprentice Jayan. Don’t go walking out in the village like that or people will be talking about you from here to the mountains. As for your guests… they hid their surprise very well when they saw Lord Dakon.” She paused. “They’re all in the dining room, by the way.”
In other words,
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