moved effortlessly through the throng on the dockside, the crowds parting for them and keeping a respectful distance. They moved away from the sea along streets paved with smooth, rounded stones and lined by people selling an unimaginable array of things from carts, small tables and even just laid out on the ground. Felice had to resist an urge to stop at several of the makeshift stalls. There were things here that aroused her curiosity, strange new things.
“You have travelled from East Scar?”
Felice looked up to see Ella walking beside her. She seemed genuinely curious.
“That is where I live,” she replied. “We were trading in Yasu, on the coast. I have followed Karnack from there.”
“It is a long journey. I have never travelled so far.” There was a hint of wistfulness in her voice, a spark in her eyes. “Was it a good voyage?”
Felice took a deep breath and began to recount her tale. She tried to make it sound plain and workaday, but even to her own ears it began to resemble the fabrication of a considerable imagination. Ella listened without interruption, but after a while Felice began to feel dizzy and out of breath. She staggered slightly, knocking against her companion and reaching out for support.
“You are not well,” Ella said. She took Felice’s arm and guided her to the side of the road, helped her to sit on a convenient low wall. “Forgive me,” she said. “Your adventures quite took my mind off the present.” She turned to her soldier. “Kane, do you have water?”
The big man produced a leather bottle and handed it to Ella, who helped Felice to drink. The liquid was warm, but she could feel it working its magic. She drank a second mouthful.
“I will be well in a moment,” she said. “It is just that I am a little weak. I should have stayed longer in Pek.” She closer her eyes and tried to breathe deeply. There was a sick taste in her mouth, but after a while she felt a little restored.
“It’s not far now,” Ella said.
She stood again. Ella insisted on helping her, and they walked slowly on.
“Tell me about you,” Felice asked.
“Me? You mean the position? It sounds grand, does it not? I assure you that I did nothing to deserve it. I’m a trader’s daughter, like you. My father is Tarlyn Saine, head of the oldest and greatest trading house in Samara,” she spoke with pride. “He is a clever man, and wise, mostly. Anyway, there was some trouble between the King and the guild. It was in the days before the fall of the Faer Karan, and everything was a mess here. So my father did a deal with Tarnell, and I was fostered with the king while Calaine lived in our house. She certainly got the better end of the deal,” Ella grinned. “The food, the beds – terrible.”
“You met the King?”
“Hard to avoid it,” Ella said. “He’s just a man, you know. I liked Calaine, though. She’s a couple of years older than me, but we get on well enough.”
It was confusing for Felice. She had always believed in her heart that noble people were different, somehow, and here was this girl, a trader’s daughter like her, who moved among the mightiest of all, The King of Samara, the heir to the throne, the King’s council, and they were just people to her. There was no awe in her voice when she spoke.
“And the Mage Lord?” she asked.
“Serhan,” she pursed her lips. “He’s different.”
“How so?”
“He is a closed book, a book full of secrets. He keeps much to himself, but he does not seem a happy man, in spite of all that power. I like him though. He cares.”
“How many times have you met him?”
“Five. He suggested that I be on the council. My father trusts me to be sensible, and the King knew me, so he accepted the proposal. I was just in the right places at the right times – or the wrong ones,” she grinned again. “It’s not much fun.”
Felice saw for a moment the girl that must have existed before great events propelled her to her position
“You have travelled from East Scar?”
Felice looked up to see Ella walking beside her. She seemed genuinely curious.
“That is where I live,” she replied. “We were trading in Yasu, on the coast. I have followed Karnack from there.”
“It is a long journey. I have never travelled so far.” There was a hint of wistfulness in her voice, a spark in her eyes. “Was it a good voyage?”
Felice took a deep breath and began to recount her tale. She tried to make it sound plain and workaday, but even to her own ears it began to resemble the fabrication of a considerable imagination. Ella listened without interruption, but after a while Felice began to feel dizzy and out of breath. She staggered slightly, knocking against her companion and reaching out for support.
“You are not well,” Ella said. She took Felice’s arm and guided her to the side of the road, helped her to sit on a convenient low wall. “Forgive me,” she said. “Your adventures quite took my mind off the present.” She turned to her soldier. “Kane, do you have water?”
The big man produced a leather bottle and handed it to Ella, who helped Felice to drink. The liquid was warm, but she could feel it working its magic. She drank a second mouthful.
“I will be well in a moment,” she said. “It is just that I am a little weak. I should have stayed longer in Pek.” She closer her eyes and tried to breathe deeply. There was a sick taste in her mouth, but after a while she felt a little restored.
“It’s not far now,” Ella said.
She stood again. Ella insisted on helping her, and they walked slowly on.
“Tell me about you,” Felice asked.
“Me? You mean the position? It sounds grand, does it not? I assure you that I did nothing to deserve it. I’m a trader’s daughter, like you. My father is Tarlyn Saine, head of the oldest and greatest trading house in Samara,” she spoke with pride. “He is a clever man, and wise, mostly. Anyway, there was some trouble between the King and the guild. It was in the days before the fall of the Faer Karan, and everything was a mess here. So my father did a deal with Tarnell, and I was fostered with the king while Calaine lived in our house. She certainly got the better end of the deal,” Ella grinned. “The food, the beds – terrible.”
“You met the King?”
“Hard to avoid it,” Ella said. “He’s just a man, you know. I liked Calaine, though. She’s a couple of years older than me, but we get on well enough.”
It was confusing for Felice. She had always believed in her heart that noble people were different, somehow, and here was this girl, a trader’s daughter like her, who moved among the mightiest of all, The King of Samara, the heir to the throne, the King’s council, and they were just people to her. There was no awe in her voice when she spoke.
“And the Mage Lord?” she asked.
“Serhan,” she pursed her lips. “He’s different.”
“How so?”
“He is a closed book, a book full of secrets. He keeps much to himself, but he does not seem a happy man, in spite of all that power. I like him though. He cares.”
“How many times have you met him?”
“Five. He suggested that I be on the council. My father trusts me to be sensible, and the King knew me, so he accepted the proposal. I was just in the right places at the right times – or the wrong ones,” she grinned again. “It’s not much fun.”
Felice saw for a moment the girl that must have existed before great events propelled her to her position
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