Master Mage Read Online Free Page B

that Thad had
courted other women, she had no problem showing it discreetly. When
Thad had requested a horse, he was given a young filly that was
named Lady with the comment that she was a gentle ride. The sly
comment had sparked numerous rumors among the palace
staff.
    Thad had no complaints with the horse
itself. She was young yet well trained and had more speed behind
her than most he had ridden. If it wasn’t for the sly jokes, Thad
would have thought it a perfect gift.
    Once mounted, Thad quickly left the
palace grounds and headed into the city proper. He had little on
his agenda today, so he decided a quick stop to check in on Shariel
would be nice.
    Thad had not been back to his own home
since returning to the city. There had been so much to do that he
had not even given it much thought. Shariel visited often, though
she tended to spend more time with the princess than she did with
him.
    Opening the door, Thad found his charge
sitting in the kitchen, enjoying an early morning meal. Shariel had
changed a lot since he had first left the capital. Then, she had
been nothing but a seven-year-old child. Now, she was nearing her
teen years. Unlike most children her age, she knew she didn’t know
everything, though there were times she liked to pretend she
did.
    “Thad,” the young girl said, rushing up
and giving him a peck on the cheek. “I didn’t expect you,” she
added, looking at the sparse amount of food she had
prepared.
    “I have already had my share of food
from the palace kitchens,” Thad replied with a wink. “I just
stopped by to see how things were going with you. It has been far
too long since we had the time to simply chat.”
    “Not much, really,” Shariel said,
shrugging her shoulders. “I do tend to have a lot of nobles trying
to hoist their sons on me. I don’t know if being called your sister
is a blessing or a curse. The gifts are all nice, but I don’t want
to think of dealing with boys yet. If I have learned anything from
you, it’s that boys are nothing but trouble,” Shariel added
jokingly.
    The two sat talking for a short time
before the sun had fully risen into the sky. As the light started
streaming in, Shariel ran off for her studies, and Thad was left
with nothing else to do but start on his own work.
    Everything around the capital was in
order, and the first signs of snow were beginning to show. Once the
ground froze and the land was blanketed in a sheet of white,
traveling would be much harder, so Thad took it as a perfect
opportunity to check on the new fort being built near the Rane
border.
    If he was lucky and didn’t take too
many rests, it would be a three-day trip there with one day for
inspection and rest and another three days back. He had left a note
for the princess, but he was sure that she would most likely call
him to her dreams to let him know of her displeasure.
    The ride over open ground with little
to think about was refreshing. The idea that he would have more
than an afternoon of peace, without the bickering and arguments
that he found in the capital, felt refreshing. As he rode along,
Thad had the urge to slow down his pace and extend his holiday for
as long as possible, but he knew that each day wasted might cost
him dearly in the end.
    You could keep riding. Turn
your horse toward Abla and then north into the desert. Not even the
Brotherhood would follow you there.
    “Living out the rest of my days in the
harsh desert doesn’t sound fun. I would much rather fight now than
spend the rest of my life worrying if the Brotherhood would find
me,” Thad told his staff proudly.
    I figured as much, but
whenever I try and agree with you, it never works out. I find it
much easier to state the opposite and have you fill in your own
answers.
    “You keep that up, and one of these
days, it is going to come back on you. I might just decide to do
just what you suggest,” Thad said, laughing.
    Thad saw few travelers on the road,
though he wasn’t surprised. All