19

"Why would someone from Jubai attack the border? 'Cause they want out so bad?" Fizza laughs.

"Strange things are known to happen in our kingdom, from time to time," Kelton says. "Anything is possible, so we need to investigate all leads."

"Strange things…like magic?" Fizza asks, and your heart jumps. You hope she hasn't guessed about your assignment.

Kelton seems unconcerned, however. In fact, he seems a bit preoccupied with trying to gnaw the old heel of stale bread he's found for dinner as Fizza picks the mold from her cheese. Kelton doesn't make much progress before he gives up and sets the bread crust down. Finally, he says, "Magic can do many strange things, of course. But often you'll find the strangest things of all happen without the aid of the arcane arts."

"They say witches are going to overrun the kingdom any day now," Fizza says. "I heard the townsfolk are fighting back. They say there's a price for a witch's head."

"Mm, common folk are always getting excited about things like that," Kelton says. "It's a good thing we have a competent Queen to keep them in line." When he says it, he looks at Fizza and then you as if to warn you not to get involved.

The table is quiet again, as Fizza and you pick at your food.

It's an especially uncomfortable silence. You feel as if the other two know exactly what you're thinking—that they know you're a magic-user now, and that makes you one of the "witches." Magic isn't banned in Jubai, you reassure yourself. But it is rare, and people think of it as some strange thing that only foreigners do. Knights certainly don't use it—no knight would dishonor themselves by stooping to magic—and so squires are forbidden too.

But it's not banned in Jubai.

But Sir Kelton would have your head if he knew you used it.

Or maybe not. He seems like a rational man. You want to ask him about it, to figure out just what exactly he thinks of magic-users…but you can't think of any way to ask that doesn't sound incriminating.

"Well," Kelton says, getting up, "Be sure to clear up these dishes, and get to bed at a proper time this evening. The Queen has put us on guard, so I expect you to rise early and be ready for anything."

"Yes, sir," you and Fizza reply in equally unenthusiastic voices.

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