Drindle

Drindle sat with a slight smile on his face. He was looking at the woman walking over to sit on the bed beside him.

Lionel stood off to the side watching the two. To him it appeared the old man and the woman were at least friendly towards each other.

The soft happy voice of the woman rang out again as she sat facing Drindle with one leg up on the bed. "How long's it been? Thirty years since I last saw you?" Lionel couldn't believe she was a Queen. She didn't act like one at all once her son left the room. Instead she acted more like a child talking with a relative she hadn't seen in some time.

"It's been 35 years to be exact." The old man spoke. Lionel couldn't believe it but the old man appeared to be happy to see her as he continued speaking. "Sophie, You've grown. The last time I saw you, you were a little younger than Ank here." Lionel could see a smile on the old man's face, but in his eyes Lionel only saw sadness.

The woman only now looked at Lionel, as the old man mentioned his name. "Yes, it's been a long time. You need to fill me in on the details of your travels." The woman seemed to study the boy intently. "Is he your apprentice?" she asked bluntly, there was a coldness in her eyes.

Drindle looked towards Lionel as well before answering, "Yes and No. He is the reason why I came to see you" Drindle appeared forthright as he continued. "I need released from my contract."

The woman turned back quickly to stare at the old man again. "Do you think the other's in the Society will stand by while you do as you please?" Lionel could tell from her tone that she was unhappy with the situation.

"Look Sophie.."

"It's Sophia now, and if you hadn't noticed I am a queen as well." There were signs of frustration on her face. Lionel didn't quite understand what was happening. It appeared the two adults were purposely trying to keep him in the dark.

Drindle had a slightly ashamed face as he spoke again."Queen Sophia, I only need out of my contract so I can go to the Grand Library."

"And how long do you intend to leave us helpless?" There was still a look of astonished anger on the woman's face.

"You know as well as I do, I haven't been able to protect Wastrial since the fall of the daemons." Drindle spoke while looking down into his hands. "I have just been a figure to keep the other's in the Society at bay."

Sophia's face didn't change at all as she spoke again. "You have kept the weather for us for more than a century my father said" It appeared she believed in the strength of Drindle. "You are plenty strong enough to protect us. Besides what is so important that you would abandon those you swore to protect?" The queen stood from the bed and walked back towards the wooden drawers.

"I can't say for certain." Drindle kept his eyes on the figure of the woman as she walked away.

"And how do you expect me to convince Galorian and the other's on the advisory council to let your contract disperse?" she wouldn't look at the man. Her back still faced him as she rifled through the open drawer.

The dry old voice spoke again "You wouldn't need to dissolve my contract, instead just put it on hold."

"And what would make you come back to a contract you have sought to get out of for generations?" The woman didn't turn as she spoke, her voice was frigid.

Drindle closed his eyes a moment and Lionel felt magic encompassing the room. He could see a small dome of energy spread over the three occupants of the room. It seemed to be some protective membrane.

The Queen turned back and looked at the old man, her eyebrows raised in a questioning manner.

"Lionel, touch your Vervane" the old man said. Lionel was surprised that Drindle used his real name. It was one of the few times that the man had used it since he first met Lionel.

The woman's eyebrows raised even more as she spoke. "It.. can't.. be"

Lionel didn't need to close his eyes to feel his Vervane. When he first awoke from blowing up the stable, Lionel had just thought of water and a sphere of it appeared. Now he did the same with fire. He simply thought of fire floating in front of him. a sphere suddenly appeared. It was the size of a man's head and gave off a warm glow. The room became well lit.

Lionel could make out the woman's face in more detail. She was older than she acted. He could see the soft lines around her mouth and there were a few crows feet by her eyes. Lionel thought she would have been a beauty when she was younger.

Sophia studied the boy standing in front of her for sometime. Lionel stood anxious as he let the magic fade. It took more than ten minutes before she finally spoke.

The queen looked at Drindle as she asked a question. "How can he use magic so easily?" A thought seemed to pop into her mind as she spoke again. "I thought there were no more of your kind?" Her eyes were alight with surprise.

"I never thought to meet another Enthraller." Drindle turned his head to look at Lionel as he spoke again. "I have met only those in the Society in all my years."

Sophia was still wide eyed as she stared at Lionel. "Who all knows about him?"

"Only you"

"Let's keep it that way. I need to meet with the advisors." Sophia turned back to the drawer and pulled out an old piece of parchment before turning to face the seated old man again.

The geezer lowered his head slightly and spoke. "Thank you Queen Sophia"

The look on the woman's face softened slightly as she spoke "I am only doing this for Wastrial's gain. You all will have to stay here in Kylia while I get the advisors together." The old man rose from the bed and turned to leave as the woman spoke again "And Drindle, I'll have you know, our spy's believe the king of the Eastern Empire has taken an apprentice as well."

Lionel could tell by the way the old man missed a step that what the queen said was important.