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lonesparkMeeting Nisha was a stroke of luck, even if it seemed more like embarrassment and confusion initially. Viren was happy to provide all the reassurance and affection mage apprentices weren't supposed waste their mind wanting, at reasonable rates. Viren liked Nisha, and he loved Nisha's books.
He started reading them secretly while Nisha was sleeping or dressing or reading other books, but Nisha caught on, and started discussing, and explaining, and encouraging Viren to try all the spells within zir humble means. Before long it became clear that Viren had a hunger to learn and a real talent for magic. Every time he performed a new spell, Nisha watched in amazement, exclaiming how much longer it had taken zir to learn the same thing, with more guidance and practice.
When Nisha managed to drag Viren to the castle, the High Mage was impressed enough to take him on as an apprentice. Her grudging respect for his talent didn't translate to friendship or tolerance from the other apprentices or most of the castle residents he came in contact with, with one significant exception.
***
"Who's that?"
"Harrow. The crown prince. He's about your age, I think. How old are you?"
"Probably seventeen, but I'm not sure."
"Hi Nisha. Who's this?"
"This is Viren. He's the newest mage apprentice."
"Hello, Viren. Welcome to Katolis Castle. I hope you'll like it here. It's good to meet you."
Harrow shook Viren's hand with a firm, gentle enthusiasm. His skin was warm, and his smile was warmer. Viren didn't want to let go. He had never, ever wanted anyone to touch him like this before. It was new, confusing, even frightening, but wonderful too.
The older apprentices were usually busy, but Nisha and Viren were often invited to join in games with the prince and his training companions. Since ze was prone to breathing difficulties, Nisha rarely did much, although ze happily guarded home in countless variations on Capture The Flag.
The first time they played in teams, it was a game with ball-throwing to advance around obstacles and score points. Viren was paired with Harrow, and he peppered the prince with questions.
"What happens to me if we lose?"
"What do you mean? Nothing happens. I guess it will be disappointing. They'll probably insult us, but they won't really mean it. It'll be a joke."
"I don't think Nisha would do that."
Harrow looked puzzled. "Ze never teases you? I thought all friends did that."
"And what do I get for winning?"
"Bragging rights? The reward of a job well done? Maybe jelly tarts..."
"Oh, I love those! I've only had them twice, but they were sooo good!"
Harrow looked surprised.
"Only twice? In your whole life? That's a travesty." He clasped Viren's shoulder. "You can definitely have some if we lose, too."
They didn't lose.
Viren watched Harrow watching him lick jelly off his fingers with a confused mix of intense emotions. Panic, and calculation, and joy tempered with the cold, hard understanding of where his reality would always end.
Viren was terribly overmatched in close-combat games, but his speed, impressive stealth, and excellent aim made him a respected teammate in many others. They also regularly ventured beyond the castle grounds to play out outlaw, insurrection, or wilderness survival scenarios in the forest.
One day when Harrow was once again on his team, along with Nisha, Viren was the last assassin who hadn't been caught. In a desperate attempt to eliminate their opponents and reclaim the team's honor, he had climbed high into a ancient gnarled fruit tree and had numerous deep scratches to show for it, but also the satisfaction of remaining undetected. As he attempted to move laterally to a nearby rope bridge built for an earlier game, the strong-looking branch under him fell away and he plummeted to the ground.
The strangled yell he had sought to restrain brought his teammates running, as Harrow sent the others to the castle for help. Nisha went pale when ze looked at Viren's arm. Viren turned to look it himself and then wished he hadn't. His whole forearm was bent in a new place at a very distressing angle. By the time Harrow arrived a minute later, pain was crashing through him in dizzying waves, as Nisha rummaged in zir belt pouch for something to help.
With closed eyes, past clenched jaws, Viren could hear the fear and guilt in Harrow's voice as the prince took hold of his good hand and promised that he'd be taken care of. "That has to hurt so much. But you're not even crying..."
Viren frowned. "I thought you valued bravery." He opened his eyes to look at Harrow. "I can cry if you'd like."
The Prince dropped his hand with a bewildered and slightly offended expression. Nisha stuffed finely shredded bark soaked in cordial into Viren's mouth, instructing him to chew it for the pain, and pulled Harrow away for a hasty conversation. Viren thought he caught the prince giving him a pitying look as he as he drifted in hazy semi-conciousness.
When Viren woke in the evening his arm was wrapped and tightly splinted, and Nisha was sitting by his bed. Except it wasn't his bed.
"Where am I?"
"The prince's bedchamber. He didn't want them to take you all the way to our quarters, and it would have been hard for the physicians to work in your bunk. He feels bad about what happened. And he likes you. I need to go tell him you're awake. We've been taking turns on watch, so to speak."
"Nisha, wait! What did you tell him?"
"Oh, well... I didn't tell him everything. I mostly just explained that you haven't had the kind of life where it's safe to show weakness."
"Thank you."
"I might have covered it, but... The way you said it, the way you looked... It was close to telling him spanking costs extra."
"I wouldn't do that, Nisha, I'm not stupid!"
"No no no, of course not! You're brilliant! That's why you're here! Calm down before you hurt yourself. I just... You don't realize how very not normal it is to make an offer like that. I have work to catch up on. I'll see you later."
Nisha picked a few twigs out Viren's hair and ruffled it before leaving.
Prince Harrow shuffled in, looking exhausted. When Viren looked at him he smiled, sweet and warm.
"I was worried. A broken bone isn't too bad, but they said you might have hit your head, too."
"But why stay the whole time? Why bring me to your own chambers?"
"I just... I care about you. I really like you, Viren."
He started reading them secretly while Nisha was sleeping or dressing or reading other books, but Nisha caught on, and started discussing, and explaining, and encouraging Viren to try all the spells within zir humble means. Before long it became clear that Viren had a hunger to learn and a real talent for magic. Every time he performed a new spell, Nisha watched in amazement, exclaiming how much longer it had taken zir to learn the same thing, with more guidance and practice.
When Nisha managed to drag Viren to the castle, the High Mage was impressed enough to take him on as an apprentice. Her grudging respect for his talent didn't translate to friendship or tolerance from the other apprentices or most of the castle residents he came in contact with, with one significant exception.
***
"Who's that?"
"Harrow. The crown prince. He's about your age, I think. How old are you?"
"Probably seventeen, but I'm not sure."
"Hi Nisha. Who's this?"
"This is Viren. He's the newest mage apprentice."
"Hello, Viren. Welcome to Katolis Castle. I hope you'll like it here. It's good to meet you."
Harrow shook Viren's hand with a firm, gentle enthusiasm. His skin was warm, and his smile was warmer. Viren didn't want to let go. He had never, ever wanted anyone to touch him like this before. It was new, confusing, even frightening, but wonderful too.
The older apprentices were usually busy, but Nisha and Viren were often invited to join in games with the prince and his training companions. Since ze was prone to breathing difficulties, Nisha rarely did much, although ze happily guarded home in countless variations on Capture The Flag.
The first time they played in teams, it was a game with ball-throwing to advance around obstacles and score points. Viren was paired with Harrow, and he peppered the prince with questions.
"What happens to me if we lose?"
"What do you mean? Nothing happens. I guess it will be disappointing. They'll probably insult us, but they won't really mean it. It'll be a joke."
"I don't think Nisha would do that."
Harrow looked puzzled. "Ze never teases you? I thought all friends did that."
"And what do I get for winning?"
"Bragging rights? The reward of a job well done? Maybe jelly tarts..."
"Oh, I love those! I've only had them twice, but they were sooo good!"
Harrow looked surprised.
"Only twice? In your whole life? That's a travesty." He clasped Viren's shoulder. "You can definitely have some if we lose, too."
They didn't lose.
Viren watched Harrow watching him lick jelly off his fingers with a confused mix of intense emotions. Panic, and calculation, and joy tempered with the cold, hard understanding of where his reality would always end.
Viren was terribly overmatched in close-combat games, but his speed, impressive stealth, and excellent aim made him a respected teammate in many others. They also regularly ventured beyond the castle grounds to play out outlaw, insurrection, or wilderness survival scenarios in the forest.
One day when Harrow was once again on his team, along with Nisha, Viren was the last assassin who hadn't been caught. In a desperate attempt to eliminate their opponents and reclaim the team's honor, he had climbed high into a ancient gnarled fruit tree and had numerous deep scratches to show for it, but also the satisfaction of remaining undetected. As he attempted to move laterally to a nearby rope bridge built for an earlier game, the strong-looking branch under him fell away and he plummeted to the ground.
The strangled yell he had sought to restrain brought his teammates running, as Harrow sent the others to the castle for help. Nisha went pale when ze looked at Viren's arm. Viren turned to look it himself and then wished he hadn't. His whole forearm was bent in a new place at a very distressing angle. By the time Harrow arrived a minute later, pain was crashing through him in dizzying waves, as Nisha rummaged in zir belt pouch for something to help.
With closed eyes, past clenched jaws, Viren could hear the fear and guilt in Harrow's voice as the prince took hold of his good hand and promised that he'd be taken care of. "That has to hurt so much. But you're not even crying..."
Viren frowned. "I thought you valued bravery." He opened his eyes to look at Harrow. "I can cry if you'd like."
The Prince dropped his hand with a bewildered and slightly offended expression. Nisha stuffed finely shredded bark soaked in cordial into Viren's mouth, instructing him to chew it for the pain, and pulled Harrow away for a hasty conversation. Viren thought he caught the prince giving him a pitying look as he as he drifted in hazy semi-conciousness.
When Viren woke in the evening his arm was wrapped and tightly splinted, and Nisha was sitting by his bed. Except it wasn't his bed.
"Where am I?"
"The prince's bedchamber. He didn't want them to take you all the way to our quarters, and it would have been hard for the physicians to work in your bunk. He feels bad about what happened. And he likes you. I need to go tell him you're awake. We've been taking turns on watch, so to speak."
"Nisha, wait! What did you tell him?"
"Oh, well... I didn't tell him everything. I mostly just explained that you haven't had the kind of life where it's safe to show weakness."
"Thank you."
"I might have covered it, but... The way you said it, the way you looked... It was close to telling him spanking costs extra."
"I wouldn't do that, Nisha, I'm not stupid!"
"No no no, of course not! You're brilliant! That's why you're here! Calm down before you hurt yourself. I just... You don't realize how very not normal it is to make an offer like that. I have work to catch up on. I'll see you later."
Nisha picked a few twigs out Viren's hair and ruffled it before leaving.
Prince Harrow shuffled in, looking exhausted. When Viren looked at him he smiled, sweet and warm.
"I was worried. A broken bone isn't too bad, but they said you might have hit your head, too."
"But why stay the whole time? Why bring me to your own chambers?"
"I just... I care about you. I really like you, Viren."
