Magic's Minister [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-two

But it needed more. Yes, so much more.

So it abandoned the childhood and moved towards the regrets of the more recent past.

The world was beautiful today.

Sedgewick sighed contently and leaned against a windowsill lining one of the palace hallways. Sunlight streamed through the glass, creating pools of light on the tile floor. A grin tugged at the edges of his lips as he twirled a single flower between his fingers. She should be in the gardens by now, he thought.

The thought propelled him forward as he launched himself off the windowsill and jogged down the hallway. The door that led out to the gardens was just up ahead. A table with a decorative mirror caught the corner of his eye, and he skidded to a stop.

Might as well make sure I'm in order.

A faint voice niggled at the very back of his mind telling him to go now, don't wait, you idiot, don't you know what's about to--

Sedgewick shook his head and looked in the mirror.

And was met with, well, his face. Yet something seemed...off.

He leaned in for a closer look and moved to push his glass--

Sedgewick stopped his hand and stared at it in confusion. He didn't wear glasses. What was he doing?

His hand was pulled to his back by an almost irresistible force. He scratched himself through the thin shirt material before reaching under it and rubbing his hand across the perfectly smooth skin. That wasn't right. Something should be there. He was scarred, wasn't he?

From what? Sedgewick asked as he withdrew his hand. I've never been injured there.

He stared back at his reflection and his confusion faded. Same red hair, same young, smooth skin marred only by a hint of stubble on his jaw and chin. Same him. Sedgewick Alverdyne, Head Court Mage to Queen Alena.

And what a queen, he thought as his heart stuttered.

Tamara, in all her cynicism, never missed a chance to remind him that he was too young and low-born to be interested in someone like Alena. He usually shot back that she'd been widowed young, had children younger, and still look a sight better than Tamara did. And besides, Alena didn't care about his origins. Well, not usually.

After brushing his hair back, Sedgewick abandoned the mirror with its confusing reflection and continued off down the hallway, his step light with the contentment that came from feeling like you'd finally found your place in the world.

The double-doors were just up ahead, but he paused at another window on his right. The sun was now shrouded by dark clouds that if he didn't know better, almost appeared to be black, swirling mist. That wasn't right. It had been sunny that--no, this day. Why had he used the past tense?