A Mark of Metal

Chapter 17

"So...The lord came to us and asked that we let only you take the sheets from the top floor..Why?" One of the senior maids giggles with the other as we walk out of the castle to the nearby woods, Lester confused, but actively listening in on the giggling women and I.

"Did he say that? Why?" I asked with the intention of confusing them, hoping they'd drop the topic.

"Why? That's what we want to know." One of the maids smiled at me in confusion, but I just looked back with frowned brows as if I didn't understand what they were talking about.

"Maybe he wanted to help test my skills? Or maybe..Hide a lover." I giggle, causing the women to roll their eyes and hit me teasingly, as if they knew the idea of him having a lover was absurd.

"It could've been to test you...Though, it wouldn't make much sense as you're not really working, you're just helping."

"Because I'm a guest?" I innocently chime in.

"Yeah..Maybe he wanted you to do your own washing? Learn something?" The other girls and I nod in agreement, as it's not something we'd put past him to do. Though my nodding became an anxious lip bite, remembering that I will have to conceal my identity for the entirety of the prince's visit.

Once we had got down to the stream, I was greeted with the sight of many women from the military village outside of the castle also doing their laundry. It felt like a social event, chatting whilst we vigorously beat, scrubbed and slapped the clothes we were cleaning.

But suddenly a question of why they did laundry if there was magic hit me, but I quickly answered that as I remember that Caspian had told me only certain people were born with enough magic to use it.

"Hey, Lester?"

"Yes." She curtly turned to me, continuing to scrub the cloth she had against a rock.

"Sir Caspian had said that only certain people are born with lots of magic, is the Sir one?"

She looked at me questionably, before giving me an obvious look.

"Of course he is? All high knights are. Magic is a gift that allows the poorest of peasants a gateway into any form of high status, money and power. Depending on how much you're born with can pre-determine a career path for you." She smiles, waiting for me to give her permission to go back to washing, but my unwavering gaze pushes her to continue.

"Well, if you're born with a lot of magic you could choose to learn how to exert that magic to create powerful spells like a mage, or you could learn how to store that magic and imbue it into yourself or weapons so you'd give powerful attacks, like a high knight. But if you're born with more magic than most, but not enough to become a high knight or mage, you could still learn but you wouldn't be able to achieve any high positions of power."

"So, becoming a regular soldier or knight then?" I interrupt.

"Exactly. Sometimes though, noble families will adopt children born with lots of magic to strengthen their families. But most commonly, families will arrange marriages with other high magic nobles so that they can create a family of high magic users, like the royal family for example. So if you're not from any form of nobility, becoming a knight or high-class fighter or even a mage is a great honour. Though it takes many years to train for it, that's why knight training starts from as young as seven, and usually ends by the time they're twenty-one." Lester proudly states, I thank her with a smile and she returns to her washing.

No wonder Caspian is so good with his sword.

By the time we had finished washing and hanging up all the clothes it was dinner time, the time in which Lester had to report back to Calandra on my day as a laundress. Whilst I had waited for Lester to return and possibly relay any messages, I had made my way down to the great hall for dinner.