Magician Prince Read Online Free PDF

it,” Gryte agreed, “but it is a
decision from the king and I do not take it upon myself to question
his judgment.” Gryte’s voice grew firm in warning. It was unseemly
to question the motives of a superior. “You have not been a servant
long.”
    “Is it that obvious?” Baryn asked breaking
off a piece of the broth-soaked bread and chewing on it. “I only
became a servant to the Axebeards when I heard that they were
purchasing passage across the sea so that I could return home.”
    “And now that you have made it back to
Aurelia, what are your plans?” Gryte wondered.
    Baryn shrugged. “The food is good. I have a
roof over my head in the royal palace of all places and the coin
doesn’t hurt.”
    “There are worse ways to live,” agreed
Gryte.
     
    ***
     
    “Boy, take this message up to my nephew at
once,” Gesela, ordered with her natural air of superiority. She
placed the message, folded into the shape of an envelope at the
edge of the table where she sat. The dwarf woman was against the
idea of handing anything to the servant directly and risking
skin-to-skin contact.
    Baryn took the letter and with a bow excused
himself.
    “And don’t read it,” she warned coldly.
    “No, mistress, I would never presume to,” he
said begging himself out.
    It was a short trip up the flight of stairs
to the next landing and the door to Gilkame’s personal quarters.
Baryn knocked loudly as required by the thick wood in order to be
heard. He was about to slip the note under the door when it
opened.
    “Greetings, Baryn.” It was Gryte. He eyed the
note, “Gilkame is in his workshop with the prince. You can leave
that with me and I will see that he gets it straight away.”
    “My thanks, Gryte.” Baryn told him before
leaving. Gryte had been a good friend showing the older servant
around the castle and making sure he was well schooled in the
proper etiquette of a servant in the last week.
    Baryn stood outside of the dwarf’s door. He
knew he should go back down to his own masters and play the role of
dutiful servant, but curiosity got the better of him and the old
man crept up the stairs. What type of experiments was the dwarf
working on? What new surprises did he have in store for the
magicians? Baryn’s footfalls were intentionally light so that
Gilkame would not hear his approach, but at the top of the stairs
he was surprised to see that he should not have bothered. A spindly
looking man in his mid-thirties guarded the door. He had a curly
blonde head of hair and wore fine servant attire similar to Gryte’s
uniform, but with one glaring difference. This spindly, little man
wore a golden collar that the old man was very familiar with. It
was a magician’s collar. He must be the prince’s pet magician,
Kennath.
    “I’m sorry. I did not mean to be snooping,”
Baryn stammered, “I was just curious…”
    “Curious to see the prince’s prize toy?” the
magician looked angrier than he had a reason to be, but he made no
move to harm the servant. Judging from the look in his eyes it
could only be the collar that kept the man from lashing out at
those around him for the constant indignity he must face on a daily
basis.
    “No, I was curious to see the prince,” Baryn
told him apologetically lying. He had not expected to run into the
magician so soon and needed to keep this man on his good side or
all of his plans would be for naught. “I have only been in the
castle for a few days and have not had so much as a glance of a
single member of the royal family.”
    “I have had more than my fill,” the pet
magician made no attempt to hide his disgust. He leaned in close to
the old man as if to intimidate him and said, “Let me tell you
something about Prince Janus. He-” Kennath froze, unable to speak.
“If not for this damnable thing around my neck, I would kill him. I
can’t even say anything bad about him as things stand now.” His
eyes locked with Baryn’s, but it was the magician who took a step
back.