Sentinel, page 2
“What do we call him?” Rose asked. “We can’t just call him Sentinel. It seems rude.”
“You often call Keel ‘commander’, Rosemerta. What’s the difference?”
“Commander is a rank.”
“So is Sentinel. It’s the highest rank in relation to magic users.”
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
Rose had no answer.
Tephi broke the silence. “Where will he be staying? Far away from the family I hope.”
“I am arranging for one of the suites in the guest wing to be prepared for him. He requested that he be positioned close to where any visitors would be put up, just in case he needed to listen in on them.”
“Spy on them you mean,” I muttered.
Father ignored me. “He has also requested a workroom.”
He said workroom, but I heard torture chamber.
I wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy about the imminent arrival of the magic user. Olwen had distrusted all magic users ever since she had had her fortune told and it didn’t come true. The fact the woman had been a charlatan with no real magical ability was irrelevant, as far as Olwen was concerned.
“How will we be able to sleep at night, knowing he might attack us?” she asked.
Father did not take the question well. “I would expect that sort of thinking to come from a servant,” he shouted, “but not from my own daughter. Of course you won’t be attacked. The Sentinel will only use his abilities to protect the safety of this family and our realm. What do you think he is? Some sort of sadist who enjoys torturing people and will do it to anyone?”
I wasn’t the only one to nod my head.
“Then you have a lot to learn. Sentinels are no different to you and me. They have a talent that they use for the benefit of others. It doesn’t mean they enjoy doing so.”
“But−” Rose started to say but Father cut her off.
“There are no buts. This is going to happen whether you like it or not. The Sentinel will be coming here and you will treat him properly.” He emphasised each ‘will’.
Then he smiled and softened his tone. “Besides, once you get to know him, you might like him. He is around your age.”
The comment took me by surprise. Tephi, too, looked confused.
“I thought it took many years for a magic user to graduate, especially Sentinels.”
“Usually it does. Not only is this one gifted in three disciplines, he is also a fast learner. He is the youngest person to ever leave the academy in Sobek. All of the teachers there taught him everything they know so there was no reason for him to remain.”
Father didn’t see the calculating look that crossed Rose’s face, but I did. I knew what she was thinking, but hoped I was wrong. He was young, talented, earned a lot of money and was, hopefully, available. If he was also attractive, Rose would definitely be making a play for him. I suddenly started to feel a little sorry for him.
Arrival
The day of the Sentinel’s arrival came all too quickly for me. Despite Father’s assurances, I still couldn’t bring myself to trust the man. Yes, I know that I should have had an open mind and given him the benefit of the doubt until I got to know him, but I was sixteen. Need I say anything more?
Unable to get rid of the nervous tension inside me, I sought out my brothers. I had some questions that one of them hopefully could answer. I know I could have asked the Sentinel when he arrived, but that would involve speaking to him and that was something I planned to avoid doing for as long as possible.
I found Etain in his room and he was more than happy to educate me.
“Why do all magic users come from the kingdom of Sobek? Why are none ever born in other kingdoms?”
“They are,” Etain said. “And technically it’s a queendom not a kingdom.”
My confusion must have shown on my face as he continued without me asking him to.
“It’s currently ruled by a queen, not a king, therefore it is a queendom.”
I had never given the word ‘kingdom’ much thought before, but what Etain was saying made sense.
“Not that anyone has ever seen her,” he continued.
That had me intrigued. “You are going to need to explain that.”
“Whenever she is out in public, she wears a thick veil. To the best of my knowledge, nobody other than her personal maids and maybe her bodyguards have ever seen her face. It’s tradition there. No member of the royal family must show their face. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea. She also uses magic to disguise her voice and is only ever seen seated and wearing bulky clothes. Her real size is a mystery. The person everyone sees may even be a decoy.”
“Are you saying that she could visit here pretending to just be a noblewoman and nobody would know any different?”
Etain nodded his head.
“Does she ever do that sort of thing?” I asked.
This time Etain shrugged. “How should I know? I would be surprised though. I doubt her bodyguards would allow it.”
“She could order them to.”
Etain laughed. “Can you imagine how Keel would react if Father tried that? He would immediately be placed under house arrest until he changed his mind. There are some orders that can be ignored.”
I could easily picture Commander Keel doing just as Etain had suggested and had to smile.
“But back to your first question,” Etain said. “Magic users are born in every kingdom. A group of people from Sobek spend their entire lives travelling, looking for youngsters with magical ability. They are known as Seekers. Everyone is tested, from the richest noble to the poorest peasant. If magic is detected, once they reach a certain age, they are offered a place at the academy.”
“So it’s optional?” I asked.
“Yes. Nobody is forced to go. The magic inside them has to be activated for them to use it and that can only be done at the academy. If they choose not to go, the magic inside them never surfaces and they live normal lives.”
“So why do all magic users say they are from Sobek instead of the kingdom they were born in?” I wasn’t just asking these questions to pass the time and take my mind off the arrival of the Sentinel; I was genuinely interested.
“When someone joins the academy, they have to give up their citizenship and swear their allegiance to the ruler of Sobek. While they can work for other kingdoms after they graduate, their loyalty will remain with Sobek. It means that if war breaks out between two kingdoms, magic users won’t become involved. They will act as peace negotiators and healers, but won’t fight, not even the Warriors.”
“So what’s to stop Sobek declaring war on all other kingdoms? If all magic users were on the side of Sobek, no other kingdom would stand a chance.”
“Nothing,” Etain said. “They just have no interest in doing so.”
“If they won’t fight, why do they have Warriors?”
“I never said they won’t fight, they just won’t fight in a war between kingdoms. They are often used to hunt down groups of bandits and in the past have been deployed to restore a ruler to the throne when they have been removed due to an illegal coup. Also, they will defend any kingdom in the alliance against aggression by those outside of it.”
“Alliance?” I asked. I had heard it mentioned before but didn’t know many details.
“Most realms formed an alliance with Sobek. If we allow our children to move to Sobek and be trained, we are allowed to employ magic users. Not all kingdoms agreed and those few who didn’t never let magic users cross their borders.”
“So what can you tell me about the disciplines? How do the teachers know which students have which abilities?”
“That I don’t know a lot about. I know that there is a ceremony for all new recruits. They have to go and see the Oracle, one at a time, and return with a coloured band to show which discipline they will be trained in, but that’s about it. Maybe you should ask the Sentinel when he arrives.”
I returned Etain’s grin with a glare. He knew how I felt about the Sentinel and I didn’t like him teasing me.
“How did I not know any of this?” I asked. I attended most of Etain’s lessons but none of what he had just told me had ever been mentioned.
He chuckled. “I learned all of that during the week Father forced you to take needlework lessons.”
I grimaced. It had been one of the worst weeks of my life. From day one the woman teaching my sisters had made it clear that I had no ability in that area and never would. She wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t even thread a needle. I didn’t learn how to do that until I was much older, but I will tell you about that later. Needless to say, I did all I could to make the woman complain to my father that I was unteachable and soon I was back in the classroom with my brothers.
Before I could ask anything more, the sound of a gong being struck reverberated around the palace. The visitor had arrived.
At his request, there would not be an official reception committee, but if he had been hoping to make an unobtrusive arrival, he was going to be sorely disappointed.
Etain and I both ran from his room to the balcony which overlooked the main corridor. My father would meet the new arrival there, along with a number of his advisers. And Tephi, of course. The rest of us had not been ordered to attend, but that wouldn’t stop us watching from a distance.
Rose and Olwen were already there when we arrived. As soon as we heard the sound of the main door opening, we leaned over the barrier to try to get a look at the new employee.
A man approached, wrapped in a black cloak with a gold leaf design along the edges. He was of average height and build, at least that is the impression I got at the time. It was impossible to know more with a cloak wrapped around him. The hood was up, obscuring most of his face, other than a clean shaven, nicely shaped chin. He was wearing dark glasses, which he removed as he entered the palace.
When he reached my father, he removed his hood and I wasn’t the only one to gasp. He was completely bald, with what looked like scars forming intricate patterns all over his scalp.
He must have heard our sharp intakes of breath, because he looked up in our direction. I gasped again. He was gorgeous, there is no other word I can use. His face was absolutely stunning.
His eyes, however, ruined the effect. They were completely black; there was no white or colour in them at all. I felt repulsed by them, yet I couldn’t look away.
“His eyes are dreamy,” I heard Rose say. “The sort you can lose yourself in.”
I thought they looked hard and cold. I wanted nothing more than to turn my head, but I was unable to even move my eyes until he broke the contact to look at my father and respond to something he had said.
As soon as I was able to move, I ran from the balcony and shut myself in my bedroom. This was not a man I could be friends with and I vowed to have as little to do with him as possible. Yes, I know I was judging the man based on his looks, but I couldn’t help it. I always believed that the eyes are the pathways to the soul and this man didn’t have one.
My vow, however, didn’t include spying on him. When I was very young, I discovered that there are secret passageways running between all of the rooms in the palace and I found a way to get into them from my room. Of course I told nobody and would regularly walk the castle alone, secretly observing the occupants.
I also found that there were spy holes from the passageways into most of the rooms. I couldn’t resist seeing what the Sentinel had in his bags, both hoping and dreading seeing torture devices. I quickly lit my small lamp, opened the secret door in the panelling and entered the passageways.
It was dark inside, my lamp providing the only light. I made my way to the guest wing then to the suite which had been allocated to the new houseguest. I arrived just as he was entering.
Before removing the cover from the spyhole, I covered the lamp so it would emit no light. The last thing I wanted was for the Sentinel to see the small hole in the wall and the lamplight would have given it away.
I watched as he unpacked his bag, disappointed that it contained only clothes. Suddenly he straightened up and turned around. If I didn’t know better, I would say he was looking directly at me, but he couldn’t know I was there and he wouldn’t be able to see through the wall.
I shivered, but not from cold. I didn’t realise I was holding my breath until he turned his back on me once more, then I exhaled.
I replaced the spyhole’s cover and unveiled the lamp. I was shaking as I returned to my room, my tremors making the shadows caused by the lamplight seem eerie.
I stayed in my room until it was time for the evening meal. I didn’t want to leave in case I ran into him. I desperately wanted to eat alone in my room, but Father would never allow it. Unless he had important business to discuss with a visitor, he liked to dine with all of his family, now that we were older.
I was the last to arrive in the reception room. Everyone was standing around, sipping on goblets of wine. I would only be allowed fruit juice, much to my annoyance.
“This is my youngest daughter, Adara,” Father said as soon as he saw me approaching. I nodded my head at the Sentinel and he held out his hand to me. I had no choice but to shake it. It was surprisingly smooth and warm. Instead of letting my hand go, he drew it to his lips and kissed the back of it. The unexpected gesture had me flustered and I wasn’t sure how I should react. He kept his eyes on mine the whole time as though he was studying me.
“I am delighted to meet you.” His voice was soft and nothing like what I was expecting. “My name is Tallis.”
I have no idea why he told me his name. I had no intention of addressing him as anything other than Sentinel.
He released my hand and returned his attention to my father. Rose grabbed my arm and pulled me away.
“Don’t look so smug,” she hissed at me once we were far enough away not to be overheard. What she thought I had to look smug about I had no idea. “He kissed me and Olwen as well.”
Did she honestly think I had enjoyed that? Her next sentence confirmed that she did.
“He’s mine. Keep your hands and eyes to yourself.”
“You’re more than welcome to him,” I truthfully told her. “The less I see of him, the happier I’ll be.”
“Good,” she said then turned her back on me and walked back to where the Sentinel was.
Olwen moved closer to me. “Well he’s won one of us over already it seems.” I could hear the amusement in her voice. “Maybe we should warn him.”
There was no malice in her statement. Olwen is one of the sweetest and most sincere women I have ever met. While, at the time, Rose considered herself the superior sister in looks, Olwen definitely won on the personality front. Not that I ever agreed with Rose’s view. While I am willing to admit she was very pretty, in my opinion, Olwen was beautiful. Men end up gathered around Rose, but they always made a beeline for Olwen first, only turning to Rose when Olwen’s shyness put them off. Rose, however, never noticed that.
I found the meal tedious. For once I was wearing a formal dress. I hated it and found it uncomfortable. While I am happy to wear light summer dresses, formal gowns I always found unnecessary and avoided them as much as possible. Before you ask, no I did not dress up for the Sentinel. Father made it clear that I had no choice in the matter. He wanted to give a good impression for the new arrival’s first night.
I ended up having to sit next to the Sentinel when he chose the seat beside me instead of the only other spare one, which was beside Rose. It wasn’t my fault and I didn’t want him there, but that didn’t stop my sister glaring at me the whole time.
The Sentinel was polite, always replying whenever Rose spoke to him, but he never asked her anything, always turning his attention to someone else as soon as he could without it being considered rude.
My father and brothers were fascinated by him and inundated him with questions. I didn’t. I replied, if he spoke to me, but I kept my answers short. The first time I called him Sentinel, he said I could call him Tallis. I ignored him.
The second time I called him Sentinel, my father intervened.
“I apologise for my daughter. She is very strong willed, as you can probably see.”
Tephi smirked at me. “Yes, she can be a little prickly,” he said and rubbed my head, messing up my hair. I didn’t care. He would never have done it if he thought it would bother me. He wouldn’t have dared to try it on Rose; she would have probably stabbed his hand with a fork.
“I appreciate her showing her real personality,” the Sentinel said. “I hate people pretending to be someone they aren’t.”
I may have been imagining it, but I’m sure he glanced at Rose when he said that.
As soon as the meal was over, the men retired to one of the formal lounges for brandy. Rose wanted to join them, but it was tradition that the men spent some time alone after the evening meal so she was politely told to find something else to do.
I went to my room and changed into something more comfortable; trousers and a silk shirt I had stolen from Etain. He didn’t mind; he said the colour suited me better.
I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help thinking about the Sentinel. He wasn’t what I imagined. He was polite and friendly; my brothers seemed to have taken to him instantly. And he was so attractive it was hard not to stare at him, as long as you avoided his eyes.
But that didn’t change who he was or what he did and I was sure it was something I would never be able to get over.
It wasn’t until I went to bed that I realised that not once since his arrival had I seen him smile.
Shield
The Sentinel hadn’t been with us long when he used his skills as a Shield for the first time. As I often did when they trained, I went with my brothers to the training arena where they were joined by a number of soldiers. I was never allowed to join in, but I enjoyed watching.
I would never have gone if I had known HE was going to be there. I had no idea why he was there. Later, I asked him about it and he said he felt it was where he needed to be.
