Different Perspectives 4

Glade walked into his father's study. He had been wanting to speak with him since yesterday evening, but he hadn't had an opportunity.

Glade had been going over the participant guidebook looking for suitable females to replace Miss Adamare. There were a few he thought were fitting and even two he liked. He wanted to discuss them with his father.

He also wanted to ask his father about the envelope that he'd given to King Regulus. When his father had given the envelope to the Dragon King, it had seemed like he was blackmailing him.

The High Lord look tired as he sat down his pen and gazed at Glade.

"Have you ever wanted something, but every time you try to obtain it, everything seemed against you?" the High Lord asked as he rubbed his left temple.

Glade stared at him for a moment, then stuttered, "You- you are a ruler. What is there that you cannot have?"

The High Lord smiled wryly, "I am indeed blessed with a lot, but all of those blessings, I have come to realize, can mean nothing, if circumstances are against me."

Glade's face darkened, "are you Speaking of Miss Adamare?"

His father smiled. "I know that it is wrong force you to claim her so that I might keep her close to me but," the High Lord sighed heavily, "I have tried reminding myself that you were just a child when your mother died."

Glade flinched and lowered his gaze. The High Lord continued, "I needed someone to share the blame with me."

"Does that mean I have to pay you with my future?" Glade asked stiffly.

His father's smile turned cool, "I am not certain. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Are you blackmailing King Regulus?" Glade asked. He wanted to tell his father about the participants he found but didn't think now would be a good time.

The high Lord lifted an eyebrow, "of course not. I'm surprised you have to ask."

"then what was-"

"The envelope? It was something Regulus desperately wanted. I gave it to him in exchange for favor." The High Lord said.

"What favor?" Glade asked.

The High Lord smiled again, "King Regulus is going to sell me Miss Adamare's guardianship should certain conditions be met.

In the event she becomes my ward, you will not have to claim her."

Glade blinked, then frowned, "what are your intentions from Miss Adamare, Father?"

"I am not sure myself. Her mother was an intimate friend of your mother's. Your mother was very disappointed when she chose that Earl as her mate. If your mother were here now, she would be doing all she could for Miss Adamare. How can I do any less?" The High Lord said musingly, "Was this all you wanted to ask?"

Glade was about to nod, but then paused, "I have found a few females that I like."

"Make a list and give it to me. I will look into them." The High Lord said dismissively.

Glade's mouth went slack for a moment. He had not expected his father to have such a calm response.

After a second, Glade shook him and said, "Yes, Father." He turned and left.

***

Pharon's temper had finally cooled when he reported to the Rare Books Room of the Library. As usual the Archivist made him wait for acknowledgment as he finished writing on a piece of paper. When he looked up at Pharon, his eyes widened in surprise.

"You are sweating heavily, Youngling." The ancient dragon said. Pharon grabbed the towel that was slung across his shoulders and wiped his face.

"Yes, I just came from training." He said. The Archivist frowned.

"I was unaware that you exerted yourself so much while you trained." Pharon frowned slightly.

"I had to work harder than usual today." He admitted. "I practiced with the thirteenth." The Archivist nodded.

"Well that would explain it. The thirteenth isn't your father's best squadron for nothing." He said. "But I thought you trained with the seventh." Pharon frowned even more.

"I wanted a tougher challenge." The Archivist raised an eyebrow. Pharon grimaced then asked what he wanted to know. "Sir, would you say because I am not one of the best swordsmen or a world-renowned mage, that I have wasted my life?" The Archivist smiled sadly at him.

"No, I would not say that." He said. Pharon brightened. "What I would say is that you do not even live up to half of your potential as I have told you before." Pharon frowned again. "Did Miss Adamare say that to you?" The Archivist asked. Pharon flushed and nodded.

"She said because I had the opportunity to be the best and I had not taken advantage of it, I wasted my life. She also said that I had no respectable achievements other than that and she would not have me just for the position I was born into." He admitted with embarrassment. The Archivist smiled patiently and patted his arm consolingly.

"Well, at least you have a better idea of type of person that she is looking for and you have the rest of the summer to prove to her that you can make something of yourself." He said. Pharon looked at him shocked.

"Prove it to her?"

"Yes, if you prove you are willing to work hard at something, she might reconsider letting you claim her." The Archivist said. "That is one of the reasons that I proposed this wager."

"Why would I want to claim her? She isn't a proper female." Pharon asked. The Archivist smiled condescendingly at him.

"Don't you dread the idea of claiming a 'proper female'? I thought that is why you volunteered to coordinate the mating season this year, instead of being a participant."

"I- well, yes, but that doesn't mean I want to claim some improper cow." Pharon protested. The Archivist's expression turned severe.

"Her appearance is an illusion. She is, in fact, beautiful." He said sharply, "And if you do not want a silly, frivolous female like the other ones, then Miss Adamare would be the female for you." Pharon stared at him in surprise. "I assure you she is none of those things that you find so abhorrent."

"But she mocks me and thinks I'm not worthy of her." Pharon protested trying to keep himself from sounding like he was whining.

"You are not worthy of her as you are." The Archivist snapped. "But you have all summer to change her opinion of you and prove you could be. I will not say that you will be worthy of her by the season's end, that would be impossible even if you worked from dawn until midnight on nothing but magic and combat, but it will be a start. Even if it doesn't work out you will still learn the value of hard work."

"But I don't want her." Pharon said firmly.

"You have been fooled into thinking that just like everyone else." The Archivist said irritably.

"No, I haven't. She is just like the rest of them. She is here for the mating season to find a mate." Pharon retorted.

"If she wanted to find a mate, why would she make herself ugly? Why would she not declare her wealth? Why would she not make it a well-known fact that she has magic?" Pharon stared at the Archivist in surprise again.

"The High Lord said nothing in his letter on her about her having magic." He said at last.

"She probably asked him not to so no one would know of it." Pharon frowned.

"She doesn't want a mate." He realized. "She is making herself undesirable so no one will accept her father's offer for her. That's why she doesn't care about her partners or try to make good impressions. All the events are just a waste of time for her." Pharon's tone was shocked. Then he shrugged. "Well, if I don't want her and she doesn't want me, then it's fine." He finished with a smile. The Archivist's own smile was sad.

"I can assure you with perfect sincerity that letting that female slip away from you will be the greatest regret of your life." He said.

"Would you claim her?" Pharon asked with surprise.

"If I was a couple hundred years younger and I had her consent, I would claim her in a heartbeat. My vow would be meaningless to me." The Archivist said wistfully.

Pharon watched him in silence, thinking. This was the smartest, wisest creature he'd ever met, and he was telling him wholeheartedly that this girl was unlike any other female. He'd called her a female of worth.

Perhaps there was more to Miss Adamare than he was aware of. Could the Archivist be right in saying that she was the female for him, even though he was unworthy of her?

"Well," The Archivist said, "It is time you got to work."

The Archivist picked up a stack of three books from the desk on his left. He offered them to Pharon who took them with a frown. "Start with the one on top. Read for understanding. Once you've gotten through the first chapter, we will go practice. After your two hours are up you may leave them on the table. They will be there for you when you come back tomorrow." He said.

Pharon sighed, walked over to the nearest tables and sat. He opened the top book and began reading.