The Unmentioned

I gagged. "Lady Rena, please."

She sat in my lap and constricted me with her arms. Earlier, I'd foolishly agreed to give her and Lady Rowe a tour of the estate, and now I didn't have the energy to pry her off of me.

My chambers were nothing more than a series of cluttered rooms that brimmed with stacks of dusty tomes, maps, and other relics of the ancient world, none of which seemed to interest Rena. She wanted to interrogate me about all the things she'd seen during the tour. Why were there so many books here? What sort of things did we eat for supper? Were there any other children living in the estate? Which room was to be her room? Did we have any pets? Of course, answering her only made her even more curious, and brought more questions.

Part of me was relieved that she already seemed fond of me, as I'd never had much experience at all with children. But the other part of me was uncomfortable and worried about what it might mean. Would I be forced to endure her constant attention for the entirety of her stay at the estate? I wasn't sure I could last that long against her painfully vibrant enthusiasm.

Thankfully, Lady Rowe--who had proven somewhat less affectionate of me so far--decided to step in this time and show me some mercy. She yanked the girl away with one arm and growled at her.

"Rena, behave yourself! Master Ahn is your tutor, not a playmate."

Rena sighed. Her tiny mouth puckered and she resigned herself to silent contemplation while Lady Rowe bent to fix the frills of the girl's dress.

"I'm still not sure I understand what I'm supposed to teach her," I said. "The things a sage studies have little practical application for a child of the nobility. Theories of lost magic and the histories of ancient civilizations. Shouldn't she be learning about proper etiquette and courtly law?"

Rena poked her finger through a hole she'd discovered in the shoulder of her dress and earned a quick reprimand from Lady Rowe before she answered me.

"I don't know. Her Majesty wasn't very specific about it. Her orders were for the chosen sage to tutor Rena, nothing more."

I couldn't understand why the queen had picked me for the role. As far as I knew, nothing I had ever done could have made me stand out as a candidate.

Lady Rowe read my mind and answered my next question. "I was told your name, but no one ever mentioned why you were chosen. I never would have guessed Her Majesty would pick someone my age. I guess I expected you to be an old, wrinkled man."

"Why is that?" I said.

"Well, I always thought that's what sages were like. You're the first I've met."

"Most sages, once anointed, never leave the estate. It's not surprising you've never met one before. I suspect the same could be said for nearly everyone outside these walls," I said. "Which reminds me. Rena, you mentioned earlier that you'd seen a picture of me somewhere?"

Rena's eyes lit up. "Yeah. My mother had it. She said she knew you when you were little like me. She said you were a nice boy, but very serious." Rena fidgeted while Lady Rowe's fingers combed her hair. "Do you remember her?"

"I remember very little about my life before coming here. It's a common problem for sages, I've heard, though I'm not sure why." I tried to think back to my years spent in the capital, but the veil of time seemed a thick haze that concealed my memories. "The only people I remember meeting before coming here are the queen and a woman named Nora who accompanied me on my journey from the capital to the estate. I haven't seen either of them since."

Rena sighed. "Well, Mother said you probably wouldn't remember her, because she didn't get to see you often."

Lady Rowe had left Rena's side and made her way over to the door. She already had it open and was halfway out into the hall. "Master Ahn, I hate to interrupt, but I think it is time Rena began her lessons for the day. I'll leave her in your care for the morning, and return when it is time for lunch. If Rena gives you any trouble, send one of the attendants to fetch me. I'll be in my quarters."

She turned and left us alone, quite abruptly. I was a little glad that she wasn't staying to supervise our first lesson--I had no idea what I was going to do--but at the same time, her warning about Rena worried me. Could she really prove to be too much for me to handle alone?

Rena had already broken the graceful stance she'd assumed after Lady Rowe scolded her and she'd started to explore my chambers.

I sighed and slumped in my chair. Now what?

While I pondered the challenges of teaching a child magical theory, there was a soft knock at the door accompanied by a familiar voice.

"Ahn? May I come in?"

It was Troyen, a sage like myself. We spoke often, as we had similar opinions on a number of things, though there were some we'd probably never share.

"Yes, come in. What do you need?"

He opened the door just enough to squeeze his head into the room. "Is she here?"

I blinked. "Who?"

"The lovely dame from the capital, of course!"

"Oh, no. She's retired to her chambers. You just missed her."

Troyen's pale features drooped. "Too bad. I wanted to introduce myself. How's it going, anyways?"

Rena dashed across the room, between us. She was carrying something, but flew too fast for me to see it. Another moment, and she had disappeared again.

Troyen watched her go and grinned. "Ah, that must be your new charge. You know, she might be easier to instruct if she were tied down."

I sighed and massaged my forehead between my index finger and thumb. "What should I do? I can't do this, I don't know how to teach."

Troyen chuckled. "Maybe you should start by asking her what she wants to learn." He stepped into the room, his appearance as unkempt as ever: tufts of his shaggy blonde hair curled and stretched in every direction as if trying to escape from his scalp, and the fabric of his sage's robes was worn and speckled with old stains in several places.

Rena passed again, without her cargo this time, and she came to a full stop when she noticed Troyen standing there. He was much taller than I was and towered over her while she peered up at him, like a squirrel contemplating how to climb a colossal tree.

"Hi. Are you Mr. Ahn's friend?" she said.

"Yes I am, and who are you, darling?"

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. Rena giggled and told him her name.

He knelt beside her. "I'm Troyen. I have to say, I don't think I've ever met such a pretty young lady." He glanced in my direction and winked. "I'm jealous, now. Ahn gets to spend his time with two cuties. Wish I had that kind of luck."

My eye twitched. "If it weren't for Her Majesty's orders, they'd be all yours."

Rena beamed. "Do you really think I'm pretty?"

"Of course." Troyen said.

She looked him over. "You look like you just woke up, Mr. Troyen. Were you taking a nap?"

I smiled. "No, Rena, he always looks that way."

Troyen feigned a look of hurt. "Not true. I always get cleaned up for the service on the holy day." A sly grin crept across his face. "Of course, now that we have the voluptuous Lady Rowe staying with us, I'll have to start keeping up my appearance all the time. Just in case."

Rena was combing her fingers through Troyen's knotted hair. "What's vool-up-to-us mean?"

Troyen laughed. "Why don't you ask your tutor? Sounds like a good first lesson." He pulled Rena's hands out of his hair and rose to his feet. "I'll leave you two alone, now, so you can get started. I need to take care of a few things. Later, Ahn." He slipped out the doorway, but poked his head back in for just a moment before he left. "Bye, Rena. Be a good girl for Ahn, okay?"

"I will. See you later," she called after him.

Rena turned and her eyes locked on me in expectation. "So what does it mean, Mr. Ahn?"

I sighed. Thanks a lot, Troyen.