Branded Mage Read Free

didn’t have the extra energy to spend on trying to work out the mystery.
    The princess began to ch atter on about everything that had been happening over the past few weeks, while the queen began to chew on her thumbnail again. This went on for a few minutes with him commenting on something the princess would say from time to time so she wouldn’t think he was ignoring her. Something he had learned to save himself much grief, then one of the younger guards came in the room and whispered something in the queen’s ear that made her go ridged for a few brief moments.
    “It seems our visit must be cut short,” the queen said quickly regaining her composure.
    The princess gave his hand one last gentle squeeze before going to join her mother. Bren whispered something to the queen who gave him a tight faced nod then left the room, leaving him alone with the massive guard captain. As soon as everyone was gone Bren locked the door from the inside then grabbed a chair from the corner of the room and took a seat next to his bed.
    “You know boy , it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for you to just become the princess’s guard. One day she will be queen, and you could be her captain. From experience I can tell you it’s not a bad deal.” Bren studied him for a few seconds before shaking his head. “I figured as much. I was a lot like you when I was younger. I always dreamed of gaining my freedom, especially after I was set guarding the queen. She was only eight years old and had noticed me working in the horse stables at the palace. She demanded I be made her guard. At first I thought it was a great advancement until I learned that the only time I had to myself was in the privy, even my bed was placed in her room. I was a nineteen year old boy forced to babysit a spoiled rotten eight year old queen. Her mother had died earlier in the year and her only other family was her aunt who at the time was trying to instate herself within the palace. When the queen refused her, she responded with assassins. Between the threats on her life and the war with Abla she lost any semblance of childhood.”
    Th ad looked at the guard confused. It was an interesting story, but he couldn’t see the reason for it. He tried to ask Bren but the burly man just ignored his question and continued on.
    “Around the age of sixteen she had blossomed into a fine young woman, and the country was doing great, but she had no true friends. At that time I was the only one who she would speak her mind to. Over the years I had not only gotten used to her little quirks , a part of me had grown to love her. When she was nineteen she had planned on marrying me but there was such an outcry from the ladies of the court that Serena ended up calling it off. Shortly after Maria was born, the assassination attempts started again. We learned that Serena’s Aunt had married the King of Abla and was once again after the throne, this time with a supporter. That’s when she changed. She became cold with everyone except Maria. She only saw everyone else as pawns. She only saw how they could best serve her, not as individuals. Now she is at a point where her country is in civil unrest and one of her most valuable assets has refused her. For the first time in her life she is at a loss as to what to do. At first she believed you would come around and join her willingly, but she is not so sure now. Maria has told her that if she gave you your freedom, you would willingly support her, but if she did that the ladies of her court would perceive that as a weakness and work to undermine her authority in an attempt to seize control. So, what is she to do? I don’t doubt that she will visit you soon. Most likely alone, I only ask that you listen to her and try and work with her, or at the very least not against her.”
    Thad rubbed the sides of his temples as he tried to work through everything Bren had said. “I can understand what you mean about the ladies of the court,