Wizard of the Grove Read Free

but nonetheless real line that separated their homes from the only slightly larger ones of the nobles, when the dark and quiet were snatched from around him.
    â€œBertram, aren’t we home yet?”
    â€œVery nearly, sir.”
    â€œI’m sure it wasn’t this far before.”
    The whiny, self-indulgent voice belonged to a minor official of the court, one Diven of House Tannic. Rael had endured too many hours of petitions to mistake it, even distorted as it was by drink.
    The torchbearer rounded the corner first, followed by an overdressed man leaning heavily on the arm of his body servant. A City Guard, hired as evening’s escort, brought up the rear.
    Rael kept his horse walking. With luck they would be too interested in gaining their beds to pay any attention to him.
    Luck was busy elsewhere.
    â€œAwk, Bertram! Brigands!”
    Bertram looked to the heavens, exasperation visible even to Rael, and patted his master comfortingly on the shoulder. “It’s only a single rider, sir.”
    â€œOh. So it is.” Any other would have been content to leave it at that. Diven stepped forward, past the torchbearer and directly into Rael’s path. Drink made him determined to erase the embarrassment of his fright. “You there, state your business in this neighborhood. Speak up, or I’ll call the patrol.”
    Rael reined in. The torchbearer grinned, obviously looking forward to telling his cronies of how the drunken noble had accosted one of his equally noble neighbors and threatened him with the patrol. Bertram, now up behind his master, was thinking much the same thing, but not with amusement. The guard looked bored.
    â€œWell, boy, do you tell me your business or do I call the patrol? I will, you know, don’t think I won’t.”
    Rael wondered how a voice could whine and be shrill at the same time. He had no doubt the idiot would do exactly as he said, and wake the neighborhood doing it. And that would be the end of the dark and quiet, no mere interruption. He sighed, made his smile as friendly as he was able, and pulled back his hood.
    â€œHighness!”
    For a moment the smile held them—they began to return it—then the torchlight flared in his eyes.
    The guard saluted and all four men began to back away.
    Respectfully, and nervously, they backed away.
    From the torchbearer and the guard, it was almost understandable for they met the prince and heir for the first time. Bertram also; for all he served in a noble house he was not accustomed to facing royalty so closely and so informally. But Diven of Tannic saw the prince almost daily. And still he backed away.
    Rael held the smile until his horse carried him out of the circle of torchlight. Once he would have said something, tried to find the camaraderie his father seemed to share with every man, woman, and child in the kingdom. Once. But all the words had been said and still the people moved away. Not rejecting, not exactly, but not accepting either.
    Let them move if they will,
he told himself wearily, replacing his hood.
I
have enough who stand by me.
Then he moved back into the dark and quiet.
    *   *   *
    At the smaller of the palace gates, he allowed the guard to get a good look at him, and passed unchallenged through the outer wall. Except for a sleepy groom waiting to take his horse, and the men on watch, it appeared the palace slept. It didn’t, of course, for within its walls the palace was almost a city in itself and the work needed to keep it running smoothly continued day and night.
    He walked quickly across the outer courtyard, slipped in a side door, and began to make his way silently through the maze of stone tothe tower where he had his chambers. Once, he froze in shadow and an arguing pair of courtiers passed him by.
    At the cross-corridor leading to the king’s rooms, Rael noticed the royal standard still posted, the six swords on a field of green hanging limp and still