“…and the buttons are from your Uncle Abner. I’m so proud of you.” Andony suppressed a smile as his mother hugged him. It would not do to let her think he would miss her. ‘Men,’ she would say, ‘need to be independent.’ He had already told her how much he appreciated her, how much she still did for him, she didn’t need to be told. At the end of his first week he would write home and tell her how terrible school was. He would complain that he was only able to get by because of what she had taught him. “Don’t forget to write and for once keep you clothes clean.”
Andony sat nervously in the carriage rubbing the collar of his shirt. A proper white silken button-front shirt and a mantle the deep blue color of the starry sky. Proper court wear for a newly certified Mage. Finely tailored and worn in noble fashion. The close consistent stitching reminded him of who he was, while the star colored mantle reminded him of what he aspired to be. It was a subtle lie. He would have to remove the mantle before the carriage entered the city but out here in the wilderness the lie would keep him and his fellow travelers safe from jealous hands. While Andony was not yet an official mage and therefore could not cast proper spells he did have enough talent with raw magic that the difference was smoky.
“Finaly off to get your certification, eh?” The driver of the carriage, a gentle old man who delieved packages between villages when he didn’t have passengers, whispered to Andony and then with an amused grin on his face joked in a loud voice. “You’re making me feel old young master.”
Andony Sneered and turned his head in a play of noble arrogance. “That would be your old bones Mr. Driver.”
The old teamster let out a long sorting laugh and started to cough in an unrefined yet joyful way as he pulled out a scrap of cloth and clean the mucus that covered his wild unshaven face. “Old bones indeed. Ha! Tone down the humor though before I scare away the Lovely Ladies behind us. I don’t drive the carriage on your payroll remember.” The old man chuckled and shook his head before turning his eyes to the road. “Hop back there. Keep your eyes on the forest till we stop this evening.”
Andony gave the man a silent nod and nimbly crawled into the empty seat in the carriage. Across from Andony sat two girls his own age. The familiar phrasing and distant tone of the conversation they had been sharing suggested they had some status. Making them perhaps, distant cousins of a kind. The woman beside him was likely their chaperone. The silver badges the girls wore suggested that they were heading to the city for the same reason he was. To enroll in the magic academy. Andony found himself thinking, ‘That could make things awkward. Well… first impressions last forever.’ “Well… ah.” Andony took a breath, “When we get to school could you keep it a secret I’m wearing the initiates mantle. I… I’m going to be a first year too. My name is Andony Maier. I sincerely hope that it will be a pleasure to have met you on this day of beauty. As he said this he felt his face flush from the embarrassing line and stared one of the cousins in the eyes. She had seemed more relaxed and flirtatious, and possibly a little stupid. The other cousin seemed more mature and seemed educated if not outright intelligent. Andony turned to her and gave a weak and slightly awkward but apologetic smile which she returned with a disinterested look.
The more cheerful girl smiled a blush spreading to her face and said “I’m Amilly Restan, and grumpy over there is my cousin Lady Lilliana Restan Heir Chevalier Restan.” Amilly turned to Lilly and stuck her tongue out at the girl. “She is mad that I had to spend the summer with her which means she couldn’t hide in her library.”
“Amilly, a proper lady in waiting doesn’t stick her tongue out in public.” The chapearone spoke in a cheery voice: “Nor does she freely reveal information about her friends to strangers freely.”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“I do not think I can fault—miss?—Lilliana. Miss Amilly makes it sound like an impressive library. Book is still practically synonymous with leger as far as most people in the region are concerned.”
Lilly smiled slightly and responded by saying, “Our family is little more than a back-woods Mage clan. We have a long history but we were given Rank during the reign of Queen Naria. Nothing to be proud of.”
Andony nodded, “Hmmn?”
Amily raised her hand and pointed at the sky with her eyes closed, “What we should be proud of is our extensive library filled with generations of research notes; our extensive collection of art and artifacts; and our bountiful…” Amily opened her eyes and leaned toward Andony holding her hands near her chest as her voice trailed off. The chaperone and Lilly were glaring at her: “…Gardens of rare herbs and fruit trees.” She finished by spreading her arms in an awkward flourish.
The Driver chucked under his breath--“Bountiful fruits indeed.”--evoking a deep blush from Amilly.
“Art isn’t exactly the mark of a back-wood anything. There has to be a story there.” Andony had turned his eyes toward the forest.
Lilly was also blushing: “About 400 years back one of our Ancestors developed a spell that can copy anything the Mage sees to a specially prepared piece of paper. The Ritual for preparing the paper was lost 300 years back in a small fire. We still had some of the paper in storage during Queen Naria’s reign.”
The chaperone spoke at this point. “The Matriarch of our family at the time was trying to secure money to fund a research project. An image was made to demonstrate some of the things we could do. The Queen was so impressed with the image she granted the matriarch the rank of Chevalier on the spot. She had just had a picture of a flower painted on her nails that morning and was troubled. They couldn’t last forever but they were ‘ever so beautiful.’
Andony understood where the story was going. “…and ten years into his reign King Edrick the reformer, her ‘faithful’ son, founded the Ixia Magic Academy. In remembrance of his mother he named it after her favorite flower.”
The driver turned back to his passengers and said, “Speaking of deceiving appearances its time for the young master to remove his mantle.”
Andony turned face the front of the carriage and saw a line beginning to que up. “Miss Lilliana you said you are heir to a noble title correct? If that is the case are you entitled to the Nobel’s que?”
“Are ye missy?” The driver turned his head and gave her a hopeful look, “I’m carrying some goods from the outer villages that the guards like to confiscate on occasion. “
“Don’t worry young lady.” The chaperone smiled, “Ryebread is trustworthy. You can trust him more than any of your cousins if he decides he likes you.”
Andony glanced at the driver, “Ryebread?”
The man gave the old maid a look “Keep quiet you old loach.” As he turned into the Nobel’s Que.
“Poor old Ryebread, the baker’s son.” The old woman had a smile on her face. “She wet him down and ground him up and cooked him done.”
“If ever get my hands on you.”
“You never seemed to have trouble with that part.”
Andony coughed and looked at the girls with a profound expression on his face, “…and that young ladies is how a loving old couple behaves, in private.”
The woman in question had a deep blush on her face, “Indeed, That kind of behavior is quite unseemly and unprofessional.” She gave Andony a calculating glare. “You should always remain except around old friends and family.”
“So compose yourself it’s inspection time.” The driver stopped the cart and jumped to the ground. Turning to the guard he announced, “Ryesander Bakerson Registered Teamster of the Edricksburg Carter’s guild. Carrying: Passengers 4; One young lad, named Andony Maier Applicant to Ixia Academy. Two young ladies Cousins Amilly and Lilliana Heir Chevalier Restan, One elder lady attending. Cargo 4 Standard bolts of Lilac mark silk.”
“Customs fee of 1 Edrick 4 Narias.” Old man Rye took the coins out of the strong box on his carriage. “The papers check out and your cargo matches, carry on.