Glassmage

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Four year-old Deorwynn and Eadwynn chased purple moths in the western courtyard of the Eastern Glass Castle. More than a hundred people moved through the main doorway, enjoying a grand party to celebrate the birth of the crown prince of Western Kell. The girls did not know at their young age, but one of them would eventually marry the prince and bring together the eastern and western kingdoms. Many generations had passed and just as many secret meetings had taken place to plan the joining of the two royal families of Kell.

“I caught one! I caught one!” shouted Eadwynn.

Deorwynn raced over to her sister and stared down at the fragile butterfly. They had been brought to this part of the world over a hundred years ago and thrived around the castle gardens amidst year-round blossoms.

“I’m going to keep it,” Eadwynn said, folding the insect into her pocket.

“What are you doing?” Deorwynn said in outrage. “You’re killing it!”

Eadwynn smiled at her sister. “Well I don’t want it alive, silly. I’m going to keep it in my treasure box.”

She watched Deorwynn run off in tears, then entered the castle to mingle with the adults. She always felt more at home among older people. Though both girls were the same age to the day, Eadwynn thought Deorwynn the biggest baby. As far as twins went, they could not have been more different.

When the crown prince passed from infancy into childhood, he was introduced officially to the princesses and watched with a careful eye by their parents. It was their wish that Aydis choose the girl he wished to marry, though it was clear to all that both sides of the family thought Eadwynn stronger and more resourceful. When he was four and they eight, Eadwynn made sure she was up before her sister and took Aydis to the stables to learn to ride, or to the range to learn the bow. Deorwynn barely had the chance to say hello in passing. At meals, Eadwynn not only made sure she and the prince sat beside one another but that Deorwynn was seated at the opposite end of the table.

This unusual situation left Deorwynn with much time to herself. Even the Queen and King had little time for her, they were so involved with Eadwynn and Aydis. Deorwynn found herself doing something forbidden, at least for young ladies in the kingdom. It began as an accident. She’d walked onto the beach one morning and noticed a Glassmage apprentice not twenty feet to her left. His name was Feydren and was apprenticed to Oanu Nox, the eldest of all 19 Glassmages. He was fourteen, six years her elder, and stood facing the sea in colorful autumn robes. Deorwynn didn’t try to conceal herself, but instead stood quietly there on the sand. She watched him warm up with several familiar balancing techniques she’s seen the other Glassmages do during the yearly festivals. Without realizing it, she began to copy his motion. When he performed a few simple silicasting movements, Deorwynn continued to mimic his moves.

Feydren knew that he was being watched, but not by whom. He felt the power rise within him as a steady stream of sand rose grain by grain into the air before him. Strangely, he felt this same energy coming from the person not far to his right.

Deorwynn’s eyes grew wide in surprise when she realized what was happening. Many people in the kingdom, aside from Glassmages and their apprentices, discover that they have very limited silicasting abilities. The strange thing was that, as far as she had ever known, it was a gift available only to men. Because of this, the 19 Glassmages were all male. Still, there was no questioning what was happening. Copying Feydren’s intricate motions, Deorwynn accomplished a basic silicasting charm known as Murano, the creation of a very thin, hollow tube of glass from beach sand.