Chapter 84 Castile's Immodesty

My dreams started pleasant enough but did not end that way. I was riding a giant weasel into battle. The soft fur and rhythmic ripples on its body beneath me as it ran across the field were powerful, invigorating, and mesmerizing. As we ran through the woods, I saw Konstantin hanging from a tree tangled in rope and trying to extract himself. I laughed at him as I raced past. After seeing Konstantin, things quickly went downhill.

I soon found myself fighting a dozen elven archers underneath the aqueduct in Macha. My weasel mount was mewing and squeaked in pain as it was incapacitated with a dozen arrows. I desperately tried erecting an air shield to hold off their assault and cursing as I had not practiced enough and kept placing it in the wrong spot. The archers kept yelling in their language that they wanted their comrade back. Not the elf rider, but the woodsman scout still in my dimensional closet.

Then Konstantin was on the aqueduct above me, not to help but to give me directions on how I should be fighting when outnumbered. I tried to run while swearing at Konstantin and took an arrow to the back. I woke in a sweat.

Lareen was standing over me at my bedside in her nightshirt. I jerked back in surprise, “Eryk, are you well? Should I get a healer?”

I cleared my head and wiped the sweat from my face on the sheets, “I am fine.” I regained myself quickly, not liking I had been found so vulnerable. The concern on her face was welcome, and I suddenly longed to be able to talk with my parents about my problems. I brushed it off and stood on the bed’s other side, away from Lareen. “When is breakfast?”

“Sunrise is not for three hours. Do you wish for me to bring you something from the kitchens?” She asked conciliatoryly.

“Please. Can you have them make me an omelet with sharp cheese, diced sausage, and green onion?” I asked, yearning for some comfort food. Growing up, we had chickens, and my mother made the best omelets.

“What is an omelet?” She asked, confused.

“It is something from my homeland,” I replied and then told her how it was made.

I dressed and locked myself in the bathroom. I then practiced my sword forms, incorporating my air shields until I ran out of aether. I exited the bathroom expecting to find Lareen with my breakfast, but she had not returned from the kitchens. I started doing some static stretches to relax. I had dated a yoga fanatic and health nut for a short time, and to placate her, I had joined her in the mornings. Back then, I was going through the motions to ensure she would stay the night, and now, it was relaxing. Maybe it was more relaxing that she was not here constantly correcting me.

I was fitter now, and stretching my aching muscles felt good rather than healing them with aether. Lareen entered with a plate and pitcher while I was in the cobra pose. She looked at me strangely, then explained her lateness. “I am sorry they burned their first attempt, and I made them cook it again.” She looked around the room. “Do you want me to bring a table and chair into your room? Will you be taking meals here often?”

I looked around at the spartan room. “Yes, two chairs and a small table. I will take some meals here, and when I do, I would like you to join me.” She smirked a smile briefly and then hid it and nodded happily.

I sat on the bed and ate my overcooked omelet. “Next time, tell the cooks to add a cream splash and whip the eggs together. They cooked this too long, and it is too dry and crunchy.”

Lareen looked a little upset and blurted, “The first one was burnt…I told them to cook it again.”

I held up my fork, “It is fine. I have had worse.” I continued eating while she just stood there. She filled a glass from the pitcher and handed it to to me, taking the empty plate. The pitcher had a very weak wine, which I guess could be called grape juice. I started dressing, and Lareen rushed into her room to change into her dress. I was done well before her and was already walking down the hallway. Maybe I could wake Konstantin like he liked to wake me? I paused at two doors across from each other and realized I did not know which was his.

Both doors were blue tace wood, so I could not hear anything on the other side. I guessed he would have chosen the room facing the gardens and tried the door handle. It figures that it was locked. Lareen was fixing her hair back as she caught me in the corridor, “Is this Konstantin’s room?” She nodded, finishing her hair. “Do you have the key?”

“No, only the Citadel steward and Marie, the servant assigned to him, do,” she said regretfully since she was not able to help.

“What about Castile’s room? Can you show me where it is?” I asked.

“It is in the Duchess’ wing of the Citadel. I can show you,” she smiled at being able to help. I followed her down some stairs and into another wing. The hallway had more furnishings, but it was still fairly sparse. She stopped and indicated the door, and I was about to knock when the door swung open.

A middle-aged male servant with messy black hair was standing there. I was not sure who was more shocked, me or him. When he opened the door, the distinct smell of sex hit me as warm air rushed out of the room. Castile was on the bed inside the room, her lower body under covers but naked from the waist up. A modest fire was burning in her fireplace. There was dead silence as no one moved or spoke. Then Castile, who made no effort to cover her chest, said, “Breakfast, Alder?” The servant ran off to the kitchen at the reminder.

Castile stood, still naked, and I was too shocked to do anything but stare. Nudity was not a taboo in the Telhian Empire, but it felt wrong. I averted my eyes as soon as she started dressing, “Yes, Eryk. You are here quite early. Sunrise is not for another hour.” Her tone held a tinge of mirth at my embarrassment. I think she was showing off her body intentionally.

“Sorry. I just…I wasn’t sure what I should do today.” It sounded lame to visit her before dawn just to get orders, so I added, “And thought we could start working on another spell form for me.”

Castile stopped dressing, still somewhat exposed, and she was hiding a smile at my shyness. Lareen stirred behind me, and I suddenly felt like a child. I looked up and met Castile’s eyes. I just focused on her eyes, nothing else. After a pause and a small smirk, Castile pulled over a blue shirt to cover herself completely before speaking, “Not something to be discussed in present company. Leave us,” she said firmly at Lareen. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Lareen scurried away, shutting the door behind her. I was sure the Duchess was going to know I was learning a new spell form before too long and kicked myself for mentioning it. Spell forms were not uncommon, and Castile was smart not to let the servant know what I was specifically working on.

I moved to sit by a large window. The view had the gardens below, and at least Castile had curtains in her room that could be drawn for privacy. A table, covered in stacks of papers, was here. Castile sat across from me and moved the papers, “We are trying to develop revenue streams for the Duchess. Her province does not have much. The only thing we came up with was opening the trade road,” she frowned at the idea or our company clearing the dire wolves and other dangers. “It would add Sobral as a merchant stop but still not turn the tide of her financial destitution.”

I sat there quietly, still uneasy about seeing her naked. Castile seemed content to ignore my intrusion and, seeing her naked, and moved the conversation forward, “Eryk, how has your training with your new spell form come?”

I eagerly created a disc above the table to change the focus and put a stack of papers on it. Castile felt the edges out, and the disc popped before the twelve seconds. My mouth hung open in surprise. Castile smirked, “Counterspell, remember? I just disrupted the aetheric weave holding the air together. It is a good spell form. Can it support your weight?”

I nodded confidently, “Yes. I can stand on it, and I have been practicing using it in combat with Konstantin’s help.”

“Good! Find out how much weight it can support. It should be around five hundred pounds, but it depends on the strength of your protection affinity. Are you ready for a time spell form?” Castile asked seriously.

“Yes, what are my options?” I asked, relaxing in my chair.

Castile smirked and stood with purpose. She went and retrieved a tome from a chest that was locked. She walked the book to me and said, “There are three standard volumes for each spell form for each affinity at the Telhian Mage College. The Duchess has a remarkable library, and all three time affinities are bound into this one rare tome. She is unaware I am borrowing this one, so keep it hidden in your space when not studying.”

“Thank you,” I pulled the book closer and opened it to an index. My Latin was much improved, and I quickly read off the spell forms.

Time Affinity Lesser Spell Forms

Hasten Mind

Seize Momentum

Echo in Time

Compress Sleep

Time Affinity Major Spell Forms

Hasten Self

Slow Aging

Age Target

Probable Future

Time Apex Major Spell Forms

Slow Bubble

Flashback

Ageless

Stasis