The Burning Blue Mage

7

     Sage sat up and looked at me confused. "Hmm?"
     "I came here cause I was looking for you. There's a dinner tonight that I must attend and that you are supposed to wait!" I shouted. We had been so busy organizing that I had completely forgotten about it. I wanted to tell Sage early so he could prepare but we probably had no more than an hour before the dinner began.
     "Oh? I guess I should go get ready then. I'll meet yah at your room, 'kay?" Sage said, standing up and walking towards the door.
     I nodded. "Do hurry. We can't be late."
     "I will," Sage called, running out of the library.
     I hurried out of the library as well, closing the door behind me. I headed back to my room and took a quick shower. I quickly changed into my royal uniform and dried off my hair with a towel. I had left my sword at the training grounds so I ran by to go grab it. When I got back, I put my sword in it's sheath and put it on my golden belt. I brushed my hair and styled it so it didn't look like a spiky crystal.
     There was a knock at the door soon after I had finished getting ready. I opened the door to see Sage.
     Sage was wearing a dark green tunic that emphasized his bright green eyes, though I think shades of blue suited him better. His pants were silver and he was wearing a choker necklace made out of rocks. His hair was a little calmer than before but it was still wild.
     Sage still looked like a playful teen, nothing formal. And he acts far from formal, too.
     I suddenly felt uneasy about Sage waiting this dinner. My father had said that his actions were my responsibility. And with the way he acts around me, I have a lot of responsibility.
     "You ready to go?" Sage asked cheerfully.
     I hesitated before nodding. As much as I worried about Sage being at a dinner, there was nothing that I could do about it.
     We headed to the dining hall. When we got to the tall doors of the dining hall, Sage waved goodbye and headed toward the kitchen.
     When Sage left, I opened the door and walked into the room.
     Everyone was already seated, the only chair empty being the one to the right of my father's. Everyone in the room, except my father, stood up as I entered the room.
     It felt strange, for a second, for everyone to stand at my entry. I'd been with Sage so long that I wasn't used to the formal greeting. But at least it reminded me to place my guard back up.
     I nodded at them, silently telling them to sit and sat down at my rightful seat. It was soon after that Sage came out holding large trays of food.
     I studied Sage's moves carefully. He was quiet as he placed a bowl of soup in front of everyone.
     "You and his highness were fashionably late," one of the higher nobles said when Sage placed down her bowl.
     "You mustn't blame his highness. I was working on something for him and held him up. I do hope you'll pardon him being late," Sage said smoothly, bowing his head in respect.
     I was stunned. He was so polite and so swift with his words.
     The Noble opened up a light purple fan and fanned herself lightly, her face blushing ever so slightly. "Oh, well aren't you just a charmer? I see his majesty has picked up some very nice servants."
     Sage had done the same thing he did when he was talking to my father. He studied the people around him and responded to them based on what would please them the most.
     "He is quite a cutie. Certainly a nice catch," the nobles twin who was sitting right next to her said.
     Sage kept passing out the bowls of soup, ignoring the fact that the nobles were talking about him like he wasn't even there.
     I was the last person Sage served and he didn't so much as look at me as he placed down my bowl. I had half expected him to start talking to me like he always did but he just placed down my bowl and left immediately, without saying a word.
     I kept myself from staring at Sage as he left and instead held focus on the nobles around me.
     "Rumor has it that a powerful mage has been going around, torching houses to the ground," one of the nobles said.
     Normally, this would have my full attention. But, I swear I saw Sage pause for just a second before he disappeared into the kitchen again.
     "Yes, I do believe I've heard that rumor before. They call them the burning blue mage, don't they?" Another noble chipped in.
     "And they say their flames are a bright blue," another one added.
     I think I've heard this rumor before. A mage who uses blue flames to attack every once in a while, whether burning down a single house or burning someone to death. There was nothing big like the fall of Lyneria but it was discouraging all the same.
     My father huffed. "If a mage even thinks of attacking, Rook will defeat them. I've never met anyone who was able to beat him in a battle."
     I struggled to keep a straight face. I trusted my skills with a sword but Sage had beaten me and magic is quite powerful. Could I actually beat a mage?
     "I do believe that," one of the nobles said. He didn't actually believe it. He's been looking at me from the corner of his eye since I entered the room, sizing me up. He doesn't think I could even beat him, let alone a mage.
     The nobles around us nodded in agreement. I doubted any of them truly believed in my skill, but then again neither did I, so I really didn't take affense.
     The nobles preceded to chat about the latest gossip and news from around the kingdom. I zoned out for the most part, not interested in listening to a bunch of people suck up to me, though I always politely responded when someone would occasionally talk to me. Which, wasn't that often. Not many of the nobles were interested in me.
     My mind started to wander as the nobles talked. I was thinking of my talk with Sage earlier. It was so different to be able to talk to someone like that. Like an equal. It was… refreshing.
     No one in the castle, or even the kingdom, saw me as even close to their rank. But Sage had talked with me as if I was just another person. It was like he was talking to an old buddy. Nobody ever acted like that around me.
     I continued to think about what happened earlier, when the door burst open. Sage walked in carrying two, large, silver platers. Each one had about eight plates on them. I didn’t know how in the world he could carry both of them so gracefully, but, yet, he managed.
     In a very formal tone he stated, “Dinner is served. Please enjoy.” He distributed everyone a dish in silence, though the nobles were whispering here and there about him but I couldn't catch all of it. While distributing the main course, Sage also grabbed the empty soup bowls and placed it on the tray.
     When he left everyone began to talk again. I was starving since I had skipped lunch and wanted to just dig in but I knew my father wouldn’t really approve of me gorging myself in front of his guests.
     Everyone started talking again as they ate. I ate my meal quietly, zoning out again. I really hated formal events.
     I started paying attention when I heard them mention Lyneria.
     "I hear that farmers are going to ask if they can rebuild Lyneria, or at least build something over it's remains," one of the nobles said.
     "It'd be quite disgraceful to dishonor a place where so many people died," another chipped in.
     Is gossiping all that nobles do? Yes. Yes it is.
     "Didn't someone put up graves for the villagers where the remains of the village are? No one knows who did it but I hear there's a gravestone for every person in the entire village," an older noble added.
    Everyone in the room started to murmur their thoughts on the matter. Majority thought that we shouldn't dishonor the village. Some thought the burned ash would make the soil rich in which it would be very useful to farming. Others said that the village should have been replaced even before it burned down.
     I personally didn't like the idea of rebuilding the village. Hardly anyone goes to the remains anymore but it still bothered me to destroy the memory of the small village that wasn't even known until it was destroyed.
     "No one's to touch that place until I find out what happened there," my father said coldly, shushing everyone in the dinning hall.
     All eyes turned to my father at the head of the table, everyone tensing up. My father was an intimidating person who lorded over everyone. You'd be an idiot to cross him.
     Even two years after the event, no one knows what destroyed Lyneria or how. It's a common rumor that mages did it and my father believes the whole place could lead us to a mage.
     Sage took this as the perfect opportunity to pop in and gather all the empty plates, placing them on his large tray.
     I noticed that the noble twins who had talked about how "good a catch" Sage was were eyeing Sage. I'm sure Sage noticed it too but he just went on collecting the plates, looking down the whole time.
     When Sage acted formal, it actually kind of made him look small and meek. I'd often commented on how off Sage usually behaves but that's so much better than Sage acting like this.
     Sage was about to leave when my father said, "servant."
     Sage immediately stopped and bowed as best as he could with the tray, his free hand cupping his heart. "Yes, your majesty?"
     My father studied Sage in close detail and, though I've never had one before, I was sure this is what a panic attack feels like.
     I noticed how truly messy Sage's hair was. It fluffed out in every direction and bounced every so slightly whenever he talked or moved. His clothing was simple and didn't look impressive. His hands were still a bit dusty from the library.
     "Rook is feeling ill. Please take him back to his room," my father said finally.
     I should have been surprised that my father had just flat out lied to get me out of the room but, honestly, I wasn't. It honestly felt more natural than not.
     I expected Sage to look at me but he didn't. "Of course, your majesty."
     As if summoned, another servant came in from the kitchen and took the tray from Sage. Sage nodded at her in respect, though he didn't say anything.
     I stood up. "I do hope you'll excuse me. I had a wonderful evening."
     You know how someone tells you something that's totally wrong but they're so excited about it that you just have to pretend like they're correct? That's how I felt right now.
     I headed to the door and Sage followed me at a respectable distance for a servant, though it felt weird that he was so far away.
     When we slipped out of the room, Sage waited a good minute or two before he ran up to me and walked by my side.
     "So I'm apparently cute now?" Sage said.
     I couldn't help but laugh. Honestly, it was a miracle that Sage had no reaction to it when we were in there.
     "You looked like an inanimate doll in there," Sage commented.
     "Like your one to talk. I didn't think you could be so formal." I felt my guard slipping again. I didn't feel the need to have one up around Sage.
     "Hey, I can be formal if I want to," Sage said defensively.
     "So you just don't want to when you're around me?"
     "Nah, I just usually forget," Sage said, running his fingers through his messy hair.
     "What do you mean by 'I just usually forget'?"
     Sage grinned. "Exactly as it sounds. I just usually forget that you're a prince and therefore I don't act formal."
     I blinked at him surprised. "I don't act like a prince?"
     "Oh, you certainly act like a prince. It's actually pretty annoying," Sage said. "I guess It just feels awkward to address you so formally since we're the same age, though thank God you're not younger than me. Besides, I haven't talked to someone my age in years. Not many teens come into the Pub and even before I came to Azmar, the village only had a handful of teens in it, none of them I was particularly close to. So I was super excited when you came into the Pub. You didn't talk much but I was okay with that because just talking to a teen felt so good.  So whenever I talked to you, I just talked to you like I would talk to anyone else my age because I was so excited."
     I remembered someone from the Pub saying that Sage didn't know anyone his age and longed to talk with another teen. I guess when he told me that it hadn't sunk in that Sage saw me as someone his own age to talk to.
     "Besides, you act formal and stuff but you're nothing like your father. I swear he could scare the scales off a dragons back," Sage muttered. I couldn't help but grin. "You, on the other hand, don't make a point to be intimidating. Honestly, you kind of just avoid people in general and shut everyone out, which I guess should have been a pretty big reminder that you're royalty."
     I didn't know what to say to that. I'd seen Sage react to people based on what would make them the most happy but I took for granted his observation skills. Add that to his annoying habit of blurting out whatever comes to mind and you'll never have peace.
     "At least we got out of it early. I do hate acting formal and nobles have a bad habit of talking about you like you're not two feet away," Sage mumbled.
     I found that I'd walked to my room subconsciously and Sage just seemed to be following me.
     We stopped before my door and I hesitated before I reached out to open the door.
     "Oh, thanks for the help today. I know I probably don't come off as the best servant, asking you to help me with something instead of the other way around," Sage laughed.
     I actually thought it had the opposite affect. When nobody dares to say anything to you, it's enjoyable to have someone to talk to. I guess I never thought about it before.
     "I'll make it up to you, promise. Just you wait! I'll do something so incredible that you'll end up loving me so much that you practically hand the kingdom over to me!" Sage said.
     Sage was about to leave when I remembered the rumor of the burning blue mage. I could have sworn Sage had paused. "Hey, what do you think about the rumors going around about a mage using blue flames?"
     Sage stopped and thought over his answer carefully. "I thinks it's interesting that her flames are blue. I've never heard anyone having a unique color of fire before so I wonder why she's so different. Anyway, good night."
     Sage headed off to his room. I watched him disappear before I slipped into my own room. I had just closed the door and taken off my sword when I truly registered what Sage had said.
     I could have sworn he said "her" and "she" when talking about this mystery mage.
     I thought about it for a few seconds before I dismissed the thought, too tired to follow it.
     He probably just referred to the mage as a female because that's what he imagined or because someone claimed the mage was a female. I'm sure it was nothing.