Chapter 5
A hand shook Prince Raddyth’s shoulder, pulling him out of a deep sleep. He snarled as he rolled over to confront whoever had the temerity to touch him in such a rude manner, especially when he was having such a nice dream about his beloved Samathar. His eyes flew open, and he found himself face-to-face with one of those wretched mer people. It was the one from yesterday, in fact - the weapons master. Whatever his name was. “Wake up, Prince,” the mer man told him. “It's time for your first lesson.”
Raddyth’s lips lifted off his teeth as he sat up in bed. “How dare you wake me in such a rude way!” he snarled furiously.
The mer man straightened up and looked down at him. “How would you like me to wake you up?” he asked curiously. “With sweet words and caresses?”
Raddyth turned red with anger as Jarrox fought not to giggle. The wizard was already awake and had clambered out of his bed, his skin still tingling a little from Garajnare’s touch. He struggled not to look Prince Raddyth in the eyes, lest he see that amusement at his expense that the wizard was feeling. He’d be sure to pay for that if Raddyth ever became aware that Jarrox was laughing at him.
“You are a cretinous creature!” Raddyth spat, glaring up at the taller mer man.
Garajnare cocked his head. “What is ‘cretinous’?” he asked curiously.
Raddyth snorted. “Never mind. Do I at least have time to eat something and perform my morning ablutions before you drag me off for these ridiculous lessons of yours?”
“Of course. Take your time,” Garajnare remarked drolly.
Raddyth sniffed and turned on Jarrox. “Well? Conjure some food, wizard!” he barked.
Jarrox jumped and hurried to do just that. Garajnare frowned slightly(slightly was the best he could do, as his people’s mouths were somewhat immobile). “Why do you let him speak to you thus?” he asked Jarrox in puzzlement. “You are not his slave.”
The wizard looked nervously at Raddyth. “No,” he agreed in a voice that cracked slightly. “But he IS a prince.”
Garajnare shrugged. “What has that to do with anything?” he asked. “I do not bow to Lavisnare, even though he is Crown Prince and will someday succeed his father Rovarinare to the throne. Did he ever talk to me in that way, I would have something to say to him in return. You can be sure of that.”
Jarrox looked flummoxed. He also blushed again, feeling the weight of Garajnare’s gentle censure. “Umm…I…” he stuttered, clutching at his staff with his thin hands.
Raddyth gave Garajnare a furious look. “The wizard is my subordinate,” he told the mer man. “I can speak to him any way that I wish.”
“You have some strange ideas about what it means to be a prince,” Garajnare replied, his eyes narrowing. “And not overly good ones, either. You would not be a prince of this realm for long with an attitude like yours.”
Raddyth scowled, but asked: “What do you mean? I would not be a prince of your realm for long? Are you saying that a royal title can be taken away somehow?”
“Yes that is exactly what I’m saying,” Garajnare told him. “Lavisnare was not born to be a prince; he became one through hard work and cunning. Yes, his father is the King of our people, but he was never automatically Crown Prince just because his father was the King before him. Lavisnare has over forty siblings, and none of them hold the title of ‘prince’ or ‘princess’. They are merely the King’s children. If you were bore here, you would most likely only be a child of the King as well. You are too undisciplined and bad mannered to ever be declared Crown Prince.” the dismissal in his voice infuriated Raddyth, who fumed in silence as Garajnare turned away from him pointedly. “Eat your breakfast,” the mer man said calmly. “So that we can get to your first lesson.”
Jarrox blushed under the mer man’s stare. Garajnare walked over to him, his strange bluish-grey(almost silvery) eyes looking the wizard over. “You are young by your people’s standards, are you not?” he asked.
Jarrox nodded swiftly. “E-Especially by the standards of being a wizard,” he explained. “We live far longer than normal humans because of our magic use. Because I’m the youngest full wizard in the Guild, I got assigned the task of accompanying Prince Raddyth here. And I couldn’t turn it down,” he added glumly.
Garajnare shook his head. “Poor wizard. But perhaps you’ll find your stay here in our kingdom more pleasant than you might expect,” he went on, and something in his voice made Jarrox’s eyes fly up to meet his.
“What?” the wizard nearly whispered, feeling his body doing those strange things against as they had yesterday.
Garajnare smiled toothily at him. “Call me curious,” he began. “But I am interested in finding out just how much you humans are like us - and how different you are, as well. I’m thinking that you might help me with that, Wizard Jarrox.”
His tongue felt like leather in his mouth. “I…I could…do that,” he replied, wondering rather dimly just what it was that he was agreeing to do.
Garajnare looked as pleased as it was possible for his rather immobile face to manage. “Good. We’ll discuss this more later. For now, you should eat so that we can get going.”
“Yes!” Jarrox said, then scurried over to the table to get some food for himself. He flinched under Raddyth’s angry stare, but didn’t let it stop him from getting some breakfast for himself. But he did retreat as soon as he had filled a plate, happier to be near the mer man than he was near the furious human prince who was his charge.
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A hand shook Prince Raddyth’s shoulder, pulling him out of a deep sleep. He snarled as he rolled over to confront whoever had the temerity to touch him in such a rude manner, especially when he was having such a nice dream about his beloved Samathar. His eyes flew open, and he found himself face-to-face with one of those wretched mer people. It was the one from yesterday, in fact - the weapons master. Whatever his name was. “Wake up, Prince,” the mer man told him. “It's time for your first lesson.”
Raddyth’s lips lifted off his teeth as he sat up in bed. “How dare you wake me in such a rude way!” he snarled furiously.
The mer man straightened up and looked down at him. “How would you like me to wake you up?” he asked curiously. “With sweet words and caresses?”
Raddyth turned red with anger as Jarrox fought not to giggle. The wizard was already awake and had clambered out of his bed, his skin still tingling a little from Garajnare’s touch. He struggled not to look Prince Raddyth in the eyes, lest he see that amusement at his expense that the wizard was feeling. He’d be sure to pay for that if Raddyth ever became aware that Jarrox was laughing at him.
“You are a cretinous creature!” Raddyth spat, glaring up at the taller mer man.
Garajnare cocked his head. “What is ‘cretinous’?” he asked curiously.
Raddyth snorted. “Never mind. Do I at least have time to eat something and perform my morning ablutions before you drag me off for these ridiculous lessons of yours?”
“Of course. Take your time,” Garajnare remarked drolly.
Raddyth sniffed and turned on Jarrox. “Well? Conjure some food, wizard!” he barked.
Jarrox jumped and hurried to do just that. Garajnare frowned slightly(slightly was the best he could do, as his people’s mouths were somewhat immobile). “Why do you let him speak to you thus?” he asked Jarrox in puzzlement. “You are not his slave.”
The wizard looked nervously at Raddyth. “No,” he agreed in a voice that cracked slightly. “But he IS a prince.”
Garajnare shrugged. “What has that to do with anything?” he asked. “I do not bow to Lavisnare, even though he is Crown Prince and will someday succeed his father Rovarinare to the throne. Did he ever talk to me in that way, I would have something to say to him in return. You can be sure of that.”
Jarrox looked flummoxed. He also blushed again, feeling the weight of Garajnare’s gentle censure. “Umm…I…” he stuttered, clutching at his staff with his thin hands.
Raddyth gave Garajnare a furious look. “The wizard is my subordinate,” he told the mer man. “I can speak to him any way that I wish.”
“You have some strange ideas about what it means to be a prince,” Garajnare replied, his eyes narrowing. “And not overly good ones, either. You would not be a prince of this realm for long with an attitude like yours.”
Raddyth scowled, but asked: “What do you mean? I would not be a prince of your realm for long? Are you saying that a royal title can be taken away somehow?”
“Yes that is exactly what I’m saying,” Garajnare told him. “Lavisnare was not born to be a prince; he became one through hard work and cunning. Yes, his father is the King of our people, but he was never automatically Crown Prince just because his father was the King before him. Lavisnare has over forty siblings, and none of them hold the title of ‘prince’ or ‘princess’. They are merely the King’s children. If you were bore here, you would most likely only be a child of the King as well. You are too undisciplined and bad mannered to ever be declared Crown Prince.” the dismissal in his voice infuriated Raddyth, who fumed in silence as Garajnare turned away from him pointedly. “Eat your breakfast,” the mer man said calmly. “So that we can get to your first lesson.”
Jarrox blushed under the mer man’s stare. Garajnare walked over to him, his strange bluish-grey(almost silvery) eyes looking the wizard over. “You are young by your people’s standards, are you not?” he asked.
Jarrox nodded swiftly. “E-Especially by the standards of being a wizard,” he explained. “We live far longer than normal humans because of our magic use. Because I’m the youngest full wizard in the Guild, I got assigned the task of accompanying Prince Raddyth here. And I couldn’t turn it down,” he added glumly.
Garajnare shook his head. “Poor wizard. But perhaps you’ll find your stay here in our kingdom more pleasant than you might expect,” he went on, and something in his voice made Jarrox’s eyes fly up to meet his.
“What?” the wizard nearly whispered, feeling his body doing those strange things against as they had yesterday.
Garajnare smiled toothily at him. “Call me curious,” he began. “But I am interested in finding out just how much you humans are like us - and how different you are, as well. I’m thinking that you might help me with that, Wizard Jarrox.”
His tongue felt like leather in his mouth. “I…I could…do that,” he replied, wondering rather dimly just what it was that he was agreeing to do.
Garajnare looked as pleased as it was possible for his rather immobile face to manage. “Good. We’ll discuss this more later. For now, you should eat so that we can get going.”
“Yes!” Jarrox said, then scurried over to the table to get some food for himself. He flinched under Raddyth’s angry stare, but didn’t let it stop him from getting some breakfast for himself. But he did retreat as soon as he had filled a plate, happier to be near the mer man than he was near the furious human prince who was his charge.
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