Forbidden Magic

Chapter 18

A caravan comprising of five carriages and accompanied by a squadron of guards was leaving Lord Dumont's castle. The first carriage was occupied by Lord Dumont himself, while Prudence and Myam were riding in the second carriage. The remaining three carriages were carrying servants and provisions necessary for the journey.

The carriage shook and jostled along the dirt road, and Prudence gazed longingly out of the window. Though she had managed to leave the castle, it wasn't the way she had hoped – she was still a prisoner. She let out a sigh and glanced at Myam, who was sitting across from her. His head was tilted back against the cushioned wall, and his eyes were closed, but she knew he wasn't really asleep. Prudence was sure that if she so much as reached for the door handle or the window, he'd be wide awake in an instant.

They had already been on the road for a few hours. Though the carriages, horses, and guards all made noise. The silence within their carriage was deafening. Myam had not spoken to her since the night before.

"You should sleep as much as you can while we are on land. Sleeping on a ship is not as easy as you think." Myam spoke without opening his eyes.

"I am not tired, Master Myam," Prudence spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

Myam gave out a rough sigh before he opened his eyes to watch her, "I must admit Prudence. I don't want you here. I did not want to teach you anything. I don't know how someone like you can possess the ability to use magic, and I think you are a threat to us all. As much as that may hurt to hear, I don't care. And as much as I wanted to refuse Lord Dumont's wishes, I couldn't."

Prudence felt like she had been slapped. She knew he did not care for her, but to hear him say it so bluntly still hurt.

"I want you to learn one thing from all of this," he paused for a moment and stared at her, "This is your life now, whether you like it or not. A mage's whole existence is to serve its Lord. You're wants, you're wishes, you're family... they no longer exist. The quicker you come to terms with that, the easier your life will be."

"Is that what you had to do?"

"No, luckily I was taken at a young age. So young that I don't remember life before the castle. I grew up with my mentor, as Galen is doing now. That's why most mages are taken when they are little. Your unique circumstances have brought you into the game a lot later in life than normal. But you're here now, and there is no going back."

What kind of life is that? To simply exist and wait for the beck and call of your master? Prudence did not say anything, just turned to watch the world go past the window.

Silence once again took over the space. Prudence began to wonder why mages had not stood up for themselves. Why had they not walked away from their assigned person? Mages were powerful enough to move armies and protect cities? Why would they let the laws of others tell them how to live their life?

A few more hours went by before Prudence spoke up again, "Sir, have you ever been to Safronstad?"

Myam nodded, "M-hm, many times. For balls, parties, and other such social events that Lord Dumont attends."

"What's it like?"

"Ten of Dumont's castles could easily fit within the walls of the castle grounds. There are so many people you almost don't know how they all fit together in the same city."

"And the Royal Family? What are they like?"

"I have not had very many dealings with them. But the King seems fair. The Queen did not speak much while I was there, so I cannot give an honest opinion. And the Prince... He is a selfish little boy. Even though he is a few weeks away from being a man, I don't think he's changed much. Always more interested in partying and girls than establishing connections within the kingdom and being a refined member of the royal family."

Dread twisted in the pit of her stomach. That was the kind of person she was being gifted to? "May I ask why I am being given to the Prince?"

"You may, but the answer might not make things better," Myam paused to let Prudence decide if she wanted him to continue. She gave a little nod. "Lord Dumont wishes to gain Prince Theron's favor. The mage that was to be assigned to him disappeared some time ago. They have an apprentice with the King's Mage now, but he is still quite young."

"Are people like us that hard to come by?' Prudence questioned.

“In short, yes. Mages don’t often get the opportunity to court or be courted by anyone, due to our station. Arranged marriages have happened in the past. But many Lords have lost their female mages to childbirth complications. They’re not as willing to lose them nowadays. Those with enough magic in the bloodline to be useful are getting harder to find. Some fear that in future generations, there won’t be any.”

“If they didn’t treat us like cattle they would not have that problem.” the voice in her head made its appearance once more. But she had to agree with it this time. The carriage fell back into its shroud of silence.

The journey to Gurdie's Bay lasted for a week, but nothing exciting happened during that time. Myam made it very clear that any attempt to escape would be futile, as he had spells cast on the carriage, similar to the one he used in her room. He also set alert spells around their camp at night, which would go off if anyone stepped in or out of the area. One of the guards accidentally stepped across the spell during his walk around the camp, and everyone heard the shrill whistle that erupted from it.

Gurdie's Bay came into view. The small fishing town was bustling with activity, offering passage to Safronstad on their larger boats. Though smaller than the town that surrounded Dumont's castle, it was just as lively, with fishermen selling their freshly caught goods to merchants and vendors. The air was filled with the briny aroma of the sea as fish packed in salt were loaded into wagons, ready to be transported to nearby villages. The scene was a perfect representation of the daily life in a thriving fishing community. The carriages pulled up to the piers and stopped in front of a vessel much larger than the fishing boats that surrounded it. There even appeared to be four gunports on the side Prudence could see.

"This is us," Myam stepped from the coach, turning around and holding a hand out to Prudence. Prudence took his hand and took careful steps to the cobbled ground below. She was mesmerized by the ship before her. This would be her first time on any sort of craft. The servants and guards were already working on unloading the wagons and taking their supplies up the wharf and into the ship.

"This is Lord Dumont's personal ship, The Vestal," Myam explained as he grasped Prudence by the elbow and led her up the gangplank.