I sigh deeply, looking out through the carriage window at the gradual movement of the farmlands outside, I find myself uncertain I’d made the right choice.

“Three times you sigh, human, what is wrong?” The snarky voice of my familiar intrudes on my gloomy thoughts. The raven sitting on one shoulder rubs her beak affectionately against my cheek, “I listen.” she tells me.

I smile slightly, cheered by her affection. “I am not sure I was the best choice for this task,” I admit, “I am ill-suited for this position, and… I don’t want it.”

“My human, top of class. You best choice.” Blackwing disagrees. “Why not want?” She asks.

“My magic is strong, sure, but that’s not what a court wizard is about,” I try to explain. “A court wizard is almost like a courtier, all talk and everyone wants to stab you in the back. I’m not a noble and I don’t like politics."

“Why matter if noble?” Blackwing asks. “You strong mage, smart, and kind. Birth means nothing.”

It was true that talent in magic wasn’t hereditary, and by luck, I’d been born with a large mana core, which had given me the edge I’d needed to earn a scholarship to the academy and then graduate top of my class. Smart? Maybe academically, but not with regards to social interactions, not if the last four years of being a social outcast were any indication. Kind was easy enough, most of my classmates had been blue-blooded snobs; being kinder than them was barely a compliment. “I’m scared the royal court will eat me up and spit me back out,” I admit.

“Then don’t let them,” Blackwing says, unconcerned, ruffling her feathers in a shrug.

“If only it were that easy,” I mutter. “Besides, there are other things I’d rather be doing. I wanted to join one of the expeditions to explore the untamed lands, work at one of the new magi-tech research labs, or start my own enchanting workshop...” I add in a wistful tone.

“Why not say no?” Blackwing asks. “Do what you want.”

“I can’t refuse the king! If the king orders the academy to send their top graduating student, that student can’t simply say “no thanks”, it would be a scandal and a half. I’d be lucky not to end up in prison…”

“Big world. Other kingdoms. You can leave, I follow.” Blackwing said with a click of her beak.

I look away, turning my gaze back out the window. “I like this kingdom, my family lives inside it, being exiled from it would be a pain. And, well, such a response would have put me at odds with every wizard working with or associated with the Magus Academy. I could forget any chance of having a career after humiliating so many powerful people…”

“Do what you want. More important than being liked,” Blackwing opines.

I had no reply to that, and Blackwing was silent for a moment as the mood inside the carriage turned gloomy.

“Chin up,” she said finally, pushing my chin with her beak to enforce her words, “Job not forever. Life is long. Do this now, do something else later.”

“I suppose,” I agreed, “Maybe this job isn’t as bad as I think it will be. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Blackwing clicks her beak disapprovingly at my question but does not answer.

Thinking about it, that was an incredibly dumb thing to say, I realized. I wouldn’t be surprised if a demon invasion or civil war broke out during my tenure, just to spite me.

When I finally reached my destination, I’d mostly shaken off my funk. I was going to do my best at my new job, maybe I’d get a royal recommendation to help me get a new job after a few years. Blackwing was right, the court wizard changed fairly often, so I just had to keep my head down and stay out of trouble until it was time for my replacement to take over.

The carriage drifted to a gentle stop in front of a large mansion. I’d assumed I would be going to the palace itself, which was further up the hill, but this oversized house was in the noble’s quarters, on the slope. Like most cities, the capital had gradually grown up around the castle at its core, and the castle occupied prime real estate at the most defensible spot, the only hill for miles in any direction. Then, the wealth of the neighborhood depended almost entirely on proximity to the castle, so the ring of houses built on the slope of that singular hill were all luxurious like this house. I envied the person who owned this place though, as it was much nicer than most of the gaudy mansions I’d seen. Most of the estate was well-maintained lush gardens with a surprising assortment of herbs that could serve as reagents for alchemy, so whomever it was, must have at least some knowledge of the craft. The house itself was taller than the norm, looking a bit like a squat wizard tower crafted out of a white stone than a typical mansion. I looked up at the rounded top and wondered if that was actually an observatory, for I could see a brass tube sticking out.

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My gawking was interrupted by a prim, well-dressed older woman who cleared her throat before introducing herself. “Welcome to your new home, sir wizard. I am Primrose, your head butler, and personal assistant.”

The woman was examining me with a pinched look on her face. She did not appear pleased with my appearance. “Wait… this is my lodgings? I thought I’d be given a room at the palace.” I asked, surprised.

“Hmm, no, I’m afraid not. The court wizard is not provided lodging inside the palace. The court wizard once did dwell there, but as the royal family grew in size, the less important officials had to be relegated to other locations.” She informed me with a dissatisfied huff, “But in compensation, this mansion was purchased and remodeled for the officeholder. I’m told it is much larger than the old court wizard’s suite was, though less prestigious of course. I think the current Dutchess of Daggerspine, the king’s third daughter, is residing there now. ”

“Ah,” I said, slightly embarrassed to be misunderstood. Had Primrose thought that I was disappointed? This was an amazing luxury. I was shocked that such a grand estate was to be my new home while I served as court wizard. I’d been expecting a single room, perhaps like my dorm room, but nicer, not a suite or a mansion.

“In any event, I’m afraid I can’t give you the tour right now.” Primrose continued. “Quickly now, we don’t have much time, let’s go to your carriage.”

Confused, I glanced behind me, to the carriage the academy had lent me, the coach driver had already begun to unload my few belongings but showed no signs of being prepared to leave again.

“You have your own carriage, sir,” Primrose told me with an impatient look. “Come, it’s already ready to go, your belongings will be placed in your bedroom.”

“Ah, ok, where are we going?” I asked, trailing behind Primrose as she lead me to what I assumed was a small stable, where a much sleeker black and gold trim carriage with the royal crest was waiting. “We must take your measurements. The tailor I contracted is already waiting for you. I’ve gone ahead and placed a rush order for suitable garments. I was already informed that you would be lacking before you arrived.”

Lacking? I glanced down at my clothes. They were standard issue academy uniforms, black robes as an outer layer, split open at the front to reveal a white button shirt and burgandy colored pants and boots. The belt was black with a silver buckle etched with the academy insignia, though there was also a patch on the vest with the insignia in full color, that was often covered. The uniform was honestly the most elegant thing I’d ever worn, and after a while, I’d gotten used to wearing it all the time, even on my days off, as I had been issued three such uniforms and never felt the need to buy anything else.

“Yes, as a commoner you wouldn’t own one of the more acceptable dress versions of the school uniform, nor would you have formal attire with your house colors. I’m afraid that under the circumstances, the best we can do is simply dress you in the court wizard’s standard colors; royal purple with gold trim.”

There was a dress version of the standard uniform? What did it say about me that I’d only just learned this fact, after graduating? I’d never attended the lavish balls the other students often organized, which I suppose would be the only place I’d see such a “fancier” version of the normal uniform, but still… what was wrong with what I was currently wearing? “Can’t I just wear this?”

“Oh no, sir,” Primrose said with a rueful chuckle, “You definitely don’t want to be presented to the king wearing that. You’d be mocked by all those useless courtiers. You have a reputation to maintain; a duty to the office of the court wizard. Not to mention, that as a commoner, you have to be better than what they expect if you want to get anything done. I expect you to show them a commoner can not only do this job just as well as a noble, but can do it better!”

“Stop calling me sir, it makes me feel old,” I told her. I was barely 22, being called “sir” made me want to check over my shoulder to see if someone older was standing there.

“Understood,” Primrose replies.

As we got on the carriage, Primrose sat across from me, drawing out a silver pen and well-worn leather-bound notebook from her small purse. “After the measurements are complete, we’ll add in a visit to a stylist, get that unruly mop of hair neatly trimmed, perhaps you could start growing a beard? We’ll also have to see an artificer about getting you a proper wizard’s staff, one that doesn’t look like it came from a lumbermill’s scrapyard. And perhaps, we could wax the feathers on your raven? It would look stunning, would she be willing to accept that?”

Blackwing nodded in agreement, “If I must,” she said with a tone of queen granting a favor to one of her subjects.

“Excellent. Oh, perhaps I should ask your name, madam raven?” Primrose asked my familiar respectfully.

“It’s Blackwing,” I told Primrose, interrupting her before she could continue to feed my familiar’s already overgrown ego.

Blackwing thwacked me with a wing. "Rude!" she tells me, with a click of her tongue.

"Sorry," I tell her, hiding a smile behind a cough. I probably deserved that, but teasing Blackwing is pretty amusing. Turning to Primrose, “You still haven’t asked my name,” I note as the carriage begins to move.

“I’ve done my research, wizard Jason, I already know everything about you,” she said with a hint of anger in her tone. “And, I assure you, this may not be the job you wanted, but I’m here to make sure you do it well.”