The Apprentice

By Sarah Fields

I'm want nothing to do with marriage.  I'm plain, I know it, and I value my independence too much. 

But the law of the land is clear.  I cannot be forced to marry or sold as a slave, but I have magic in my blood, and I can be forced to be an apprentice.  

His apprentice.  Trained by the most powerful sorcerer in the land.

And he will show me no mercy. His training of me is strict, firm, leaving me sore and begging for reprieve.

What I don't count on is loving him.

Publisher's Note:  The Apprentice is a rolicking tale of magic, love, and a princess brat that can only be tamed by the right man .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sarah Fields
• Release date: Jul 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393072720

Book preview

Chapter One

DesiAnne sat at her vanity table staring into the mirror and trying not to be really annoyed. The low-cut pale yellow ball gown she wore was, except for a few touches of lace here and there, very plain. For that reason the gown went very well with her plain, long brown hair, which was simply combed and otherwise left untouched. A plain gown, plain brown hair and eyes... All of it went very well with her very plain face which could not, even with the kindest of intentions, be considered even so much as faintly pretty.

Which is only one of the reasons why I usually avoid Mother and Father's social occasions, Desi thought wryly. They usually agree with my choice wholeheartedly, but this time isn't the same. I wonder why...

A knock came at her bedchamber door, and then Desi's older sister Charise stuck her head in the door she'd opened part way.

Are you ready, Desi? Charise asked as she entered the room more completely, a smile on her face. You look really nice, so why don't we join the festivities? If you walk in right on time Mother and Father will probably faint from the shock, which ought to liven up the party quite a bit.

Desi chuckled while Charise smiled radiantly at her own joke, sharing the amusement the way she usually did. Charise was only a year older than Desi, but the differences between them were more extreme than the similarities. Where Desi was plain and tall, Charise was gorgeous, beautifully shaped, and of average height. Charise also had brown hair and eyes, but with her the combination added to her attractiveness rather than making her look ordinary.

And Desi's sister was definitely not ordinary. Her beauty went all the way down inside her, which made her the best person Desi knew. Even when they were both children Charise hadn't let anyone make Desi feel less than worthwhile and beautiful herself, not even their mother or father. They weren't just sisters they were also best friends, and neither of them would have had it any other way.

Charise, do you have any idea why I've been ordered to attend the ball tonight? Desi asked after showing her appreciation of her sister's joke. Until now Mother and Father have been delighted that I wasn't there to 'embarrass' them, but suddenly it's worth my neck if I don't show up.

Actually, I do have some idea why, which is the reason I would have stayed away myself if I could have, Charise answered as she stopped at a nearby chair and then sat. Every member of Father's nobility has also been commanded to attend tonight, along with every one of their unmarried daughters. But the idea didn't originate with Father, it came from Madigan.

Madigan! Desi echoed, losing her amusement just as quickly as Charise had. Why does a master sorcerer need someone else to throw a party for him? If he sent out invitations to a party of his own, who would have had the nerve to refuse?

"Ordinary invitations wouldn't have been refused, but instructions to bring along their unmarried daughters? Charise made a face and shook her head. At least two members of the nobility would have refused, maybe even three or four. Not all of those men spend their time licking Father's boots, and then there would have been a serious problem. This way they probably think Father is looking for a wife for one of our brothers, which could be what they're supposed to think."

But you think it's Madigan who's doing the looking, Desi stated, studying the disturbance in her sister's beautiful eyes. "Well, don't you worry, sister mine. If that man starts to look in your direction I'll smash him in the face with a serving tray. That ought to give you the chance to run and hide, even if you have to leave the palace entirely. While Father's having hysterics I'll do my own running, then the two of us can take to the road. Do you remember the plans we made to be highwaymen?"

That was quite a few years ago, Charise said with a laugh, reaching over to pat Desi's hand. I appreciate the thought, my dear, but I don't want you getting into trouble again because of me. If Madigan does happen to look in my direction I'll handle it, and after the party is over we can talk about running. Getting clear will be easier if there aren't two dozen guardsmen half a step behind us.

You always try to take all the fun out of things, Desi pretended to complain as she stood up with a smile. You lose half the satisfaction of running away if there aren't two dozen guardsmen half a step behind you. But right now I think we'd better take your earlier suggestion and get going. If there are fireworks scheduled for tonight we don't want to miss them.

Yes, that would be an awful shame, Charise agreed dryly as she also stood. Imagine, being forced to live a life without trouble and difficulties. How would we ever stand it?

Desi smiled the sort of smile she and Charise usually exchanged, then they left the bedchamber arm in arm. Too many people in their father's court weren't able to appreciate the odd sense of humor the sisters shared, but that lack had never bothered Desi - or Charise, for that matter. They were sisters and best friends, and that was all that mattered to the two.

Once Desi and Charise left the peace and quiet of the family wing, they were swept up in the moderate bedlam of the halls and corridors. Servants hurried everywhere on missions they seemed to consider very important, and most of those servants had to work at it to keep from jostling the well-dressed people moving more sedately through the halls. Their father's nobility had turned out in their finest trappings, and those who hadn't yet reached the ballroom seemed - restrainedly - eager to join those who had arrived earlier.

A small knot of people in front of the ballroom doors contained those hardy souls who were determined to be announced as they walked through the doors. For the most part those people were members of the lower nobility, those on the fringes of real power who liked to pretend to be more important than they really were. Desi and Charise slipped past the knot and into the room, and Desi felt her eyebrows rise.

Look at how many of them are already here, Desi murmured to Charise over the polite conversation and soft music being played. I'd guess that your sources of information are better than theirs, sister.

One of my sources of information is eavesdropping, sister, Charise murmured back as she showed that special smile again. Father and Mother were talking privately last night, and I happened to overhear them. I doubt if anyone else knows the truth.

"They can't know, otherwise they would not be looking so ... smug and satisfied, Desi agreed. I'm surprised that no one seems to have noticed that Father isn't looking the same."

By that time they could see their father and mother - and their four brothers - on the low dais reserved for the royal family. The king and his queen sat in their ornate chairs, watching the crowd grow larger, their faces all but expressionless. Desi and Charise's four brothers, three older, one younger, stood around the two chairs looking bored. Apparently even their brothers hadn't been told the truth about the gathering, which increased Desi's inner amusement.

And the amusement didn't fade at the thought of joining all those beautiful people. King Edgar and Queen Felicia were still more than handsome, as were their four sons. Charise and her beauty fit into the family perfectly, leaving only Desi as the odd one out. But Desi had found that oddness appealed to her, and being the only ugly duckling had grown to be more fun than being one of the group would have been. Her parents and brothers may have been extremely attractive, but for the most part they were also very dull...

The situation may be even more serious than we think, Charise murmured as she and Desi continued to stroll toward the dais. Father noticed us a moment ago, but very briefly his expression turned more worried than shocked at your being here on time.

Trust me, it's not me he's worried about, Desi answered in the same murmur. "If he had even half the ... intestines a king is supposed to have, he would have told Madigan to do his own courting without official help. But Father didn't have the guts to do that, and now he's worried about his only valuable daughter."

"Politically speaking, a king's daughters are valuable no matter what they look like, Charise stated, almost frowning at Desi's attitude the way she usually did. If you think he'd hesitate even a heartbeat to give me away to cement a political alliance with a - a - mountain troll even, you just haven't been paying attention. Both of us are potential alliances for him, so it's not just me he's worried about."

Looking at it that way, you could be right, Desi conceded, forced into going along with the very valid point. Which means what has to be bothering Father the most is the fact that no one with any intelligence makes an alliance with a sorcerer. Magic users are notoriously self-centered and unreliable, and their enemies are too strong for ordinary people to stand against. An alliance with Madigan would do nothing more than make Father a target for other sorcerers.

He might also be thinking about the trouble he'll have with his nobility over this ball, Charise added quickly since they had almost reached the dais. No matter what happens tonight, there's going to be a very large number of unhappy people in this kingdom by tomorrow.

And that was another point Desi couldn't argue as they both stepped up onto the dais. Their father usually enjoyed being a king, but it looked like his enjoyment was soon to be balanced out by an addition to the other side of the scale...

Desi hadn't been looking forward to being on display for hours and hours, but less than half an hour later it became clear that everyone who had been invited to the ball was already present. The crowd that had clumped up to begin with had now spread out, the different political factions having taken over different corners or sides of the room. Along with the music, servants circulated with trays of snacks and drinks, men spoke portentously, women chatted airily, girls exchanged sleek comments - and no one seemed to notice the very last arrival.

Looks like it's about to start, Charise murmured to Desi, obviously having seen the same thing Desi had. That can't be anyone other than Madigan, not with that frightening air of danger about him.

Desi had already noticed the air about the new arrival as he moved unseen through the crowd, but rather than finding his appearance frightening she found it more... annoying. Madigan was a large man, tall and fairly broad with an attitude of competence wrapped firmly about him, and no one had ever claimed to consider his hard, craggy face handsome. But he held himself and moved with what couldn't be called anything but arrogance, his cold gray eyes radiating the same attitude.

And as Madigan moved slowly through the crowd, the way his dark-haired head turned from side to side just as slowly said he was searching for something. But those who search usually do it by looking at faces, and Madigan wasn't doing that. His left hand was being held waist high in front of his dark formal tunic, and each time his head turned in a different direction the movement was interrupted as he glanced down at the ring on his ring finger.

I think he must have cast some kind of spell, Desi murmured to her sister as Madigan continued his slow walk in their direction. No one but us has seen him, and he's obviously looking for something definite. Maybe that means he cast two spells.

I'd love to know why we're the only ones who can see him, Charise murmured back, but a moment later she changed the observation. Actually, I just noticed that Mother and Father can also see him. That makes the situation even stranger.

No, that makes the situation perfectly clear, Desi corrected with a smile. We four can see Madigan because only we four know he's supposed to be here. Yes, there's definitely a spell at work, and one that shows why Father let himself be bullied into agreeing to hold this ball. No one will know that he did it because Madigan told him to.

Of course, Charise agreed with a wry smile. "I should have seen that myself... But here's something I do see: Madigan still hasn't found what he's looking for, and now he's coming toward us."

And he can tell that his spell isn't affecting us, Desi added when those coldly arrogant gray eyes met her darker ones. "He isn't happy about that, and he seems to be ready to complain to Father. Then Father will be unhappy, and with me. For the first time ever."

Charise chuckled at Desi's comment, but with less amusement than she usually found when their father became annoyed or exasperated over something Desi did. Probably because Charise really was frightened by Madigan, Desi realized, and that awareness changed Desi's annoyance to the beginnings of anger. Desi had never let anyone frighten or harm Charise, and that state of affairs wasn't going to change just because Madigan was a sorcerer rather than an empty-headed courtier...

It's done now, King, and I've found what I was looking for, Madigan said to their father as soon as he reached the foot of the dais. Now I need to speak to you privately, with that female joining us in about five minutes."

Desi would have bet gold that Madigan would point to Charise, but instead his finger had pointed directly at her. Desi watched her father sit frozen with shock for a long moment, but then relief filled him and he got to his feet with a smile.

DesiAnne, come to my small study in five minutes, King Edgar ordered his younger daughter without looking at her, and then he and Madigan left the ballroom by the small private door behind the dais. Desi frowned at their backs until those backs disappeared, and only then did she realize that Charise's hand was on her arm.

Desi, what are you going to do? Charise whispered, sounding close to being frantic. "You can't refuse Father's order, but being in the same room with Madigan...!

We were both in the same room with Madigan just a minute ago, and somehow we managed to survive the experience, Desi pointed out dryly, pretending she didn't see the expression of heavy satisfaction on her mother's face. "Since I accomplished the near impossible once, I have a feeling I can do the same again. And no, you aren't going to the study with me."

Charise closed her lips with a snap, annoyance chasing away part of the worry in her eyes.

How do you know that that was what I was about to say? Charise demanded softly, obviously trying to maintain the annoyance. Maybe I was about to suggest that we leave now to start our new lives as highwaymen.

We'd have to change out of these gowns first, or putting on masks would do very little good, Desi pointed out with all the amusement she really was feeling. Five minutes isn't even enough time to get back to our apartments, not to mention change our clothes. A better idea might be to wait until I hear what Father and his guest have to say before we take to the road.

All right, so that way we'll know what's going on before we leave, Charise grudged after a long minute. "But whatever you do, don't start listening to Father like the obedient child he's always wished you would become. If Father suggests something horrible, just give him a polite refusal instead of the kind of refusal you usually give."

That's a good idea, Desi agreed with the grin she couldn't swallow down. "If I'm polite to Father he'll probably faint from the shock, and then we'll have all the time we need to pack up and leave. Don't worry, sister, I'll take care of the problem no matter what it turns out to be."

Desi could see that Charise wanted to believe her, but the fact that Madigan was involved still frightened Charise to the point of not being able to return Desi's smile. Instead she hugged Desi, then she stepped back to show that Desi's five minutes were just about up.

Something that Desi also knew. Five minutes fly by when you're having fun, but rushing right out to the small study would have been out of character for Desi. Instead of rushing she strolled out of the ballroom through the same door her father and Madigan had used, slowing her pace to less than a saunter once she was through the doorway.

From the time it had become clear to Desi that her parents cared more about what she looked like than about what kind of person she was, Desi had done everything possible to show her contempt for such shallow people. If her parents wanted her to be prompt, she made sure to be either very early or very late. If they demanded obedience, she gave them refusal instead - unless they were trying to be clever and asked for what they didn't actually want. Then Desi gave them just what they asked for, making it impossible for them to voice complaints.

But all that did was make them dislike me even more, Desi thought as she moved very slowly toward her father's study door. My acting like that didn't make them see me as more than the burden they've always considered me, and now I no longer care about changing their attitudes. In just a