The Forged King

“Neither the Forged Queen nor King Solam fit this.”

It didn’t matter. Garret wasn’t in Phoenix, and it was not his job to interpret prophecies. He returned the scroll to its rightful place, moving the wind to blow the other scrolls out of the way.

He’d ignore this in any reports to his mother. Every time he mentioned Phoenix, she hid her discomfort, poorly.

“There are 5 more errant scrolls,” his fellow apprentice told him.

“Three of which are left unattended by people relieving themselves, as can be told by the bookmark. Soon you won’t be able to depend on me to do both our jobs, Caric.”

Garret intentionally didn’t look behind him to see the other boy's dumbfounded expression, instead counting the seconds until attempted recovery.

“I don’t depend on you.”

“Then you can put the remaining two scrolls away yourself.” The rune on Garret’s arm-band glowed. “I’m being summoned, if you’ll excuse me.”

He gave Caric a wide berth, well aware that was more insulting than any subtle attempt to hit him.

“My father didn’t have high hopes for your test, Phoenician.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about. I’ve lived in Armath forever.”

Maybe he was summoned for his test? It was the front desk, and Mastor Vira had told him the grade was coming soon.

“Hello, Garrett.” Ivy gave a bow as he came to the front desk. She’d been coming mostly during Garrett’s shifts for the past year. By all appearances, she looked to be from Ilva, and had even mentioned her parents being diplomats from there. Her tan skin and freckles were contrasted by blond hair held back with a laurel of her namesake. Garret always found himself stopping before he could speak to her.

“Did you summon me here, Ivy?”

Nobody else seemed to be at the front desk.

Ivy stayed silent, fidgeting with her fingers. What was she hiding?

“What’s going on?”

She finally looked at him with an excited grin. Garret took a step back.

The air swirled around him, and a piece of paper moved from his feet to the front of his face, dropping in his hands as the air calmed.

“Master Vira Kitaba. After reviewing your apprentice Garret Forge’s works and the results of his test, the order of scribes has agreed at your request to promote him to full scribe on his upcoming sixteenth year. Given his skill and origin?” Garret paused.

“I mentioned your mother’s status as an immigrant from Phoenix,” Master Vira, a dark-skinned gnome, said, popping up from behind the desk, “And that most mistake you for a Phoenician despite your garb.”

Garret nodded.

“Given his skill and origin, his first assignment is the Sovereign Council in Phoenix this upcoming Autumn Diron.”

Garret’s jaw dropped.

“I’m sixteen for my next shift.”

In two days, he would be promoted to full scribe. He’d barely been able to start, and with such an early promotion he might even get into Everin.

“This is your last shift as an apprentice?” Ivy asked.

“I’ve been sitting on this for well over a week,” Vira said, “It was Riol’s idea to withhold the information until the last minute though. He probably wanted to give his son time to terrify you—but it doesn’t matter because you are the first full scribe of your generation!”

“In Armath.”

“Anywhere! There were a few prodigies, one in Vulcan, a few more in Everin, but you bested them all!”

Vira almost seemed more excited than Garret.

“Everin is holding theirs back because they ‘lack the wisdom yet required,’” Ivy explained.

“I may lack the mother’s permission yet required.” reality set in again. “She doesn’t like when I bring Phoenix up, so I doubt she’ll like the idea of my going there. She barely likes that I want to be a scribe.” Autumn Diron started soon, and the Sovereign Council met only half-way through the month.

“But you’re brilliant,” Ivy said.

“That doesn’t matter.”

Ivy bit her lip a moment, staring at the ground.

“What, Ivy?” Vira asked, “I certainly can’t persuade her if she wants not a scribe for a son.”

“I might be able to talk her into it. My mothers had me learn persuasive discussion growing up, and I am going to Phoenix too.”

“Really?” Garret made no attempt to hide his excitement.

“Might. I have no idea why your mother would have problems with Phoenix, but I certainly have a better chance than most of the other scribes.”

“She does want to meet you.”

“She does?” Ivy’s face turned deep red.

“Why don’t you spend the rest of the day with Ivy, formulate a plan? And at your next shift, you speak with me about what your mother has said. I will work on a stealth exit, just in case.”

“Thank you, Master Vira.”

“Just Vira now, thanks. Though I may be your senior, we are now peers.”

Garret turned back to Ivy to hide his grin.

“What did you come searching for?”

“Any available information on the Forge. I know outsiders rarely see it, but I got curious.”

He thought through all the scrolls he’d have to find. It wasn’t much.

“Do you want any info on the Forged Queen, or the Forged King Prophecy?”

“Not particularly. I want an idea of how the place is run. Though on second thought, if you can find any info on the Forged Queen’s day to day, that would be fantastic. There might be some insight.”

“Speaking of insight,” this wouldn’t be the first time he’d ask this type of question, “If you know enough about Everin to know why their apprentices haven’t been promoted yet, why do you come to a lesser library like Kitaba?”

“Because Everin doesn’t have my favorite scribe just yet, though I think he may have a better chance of joining now.”

Ivy had already dedicated herself to the small amount of material Garret had provided. He opted to give her privacy as he helped put away the scrolls Caric hadn’t gotten to.

“Was it to tell you you failed your test?”

“You won’t be able to conveniently disappear when you need to do inventory after today, Caric,” Garret answered.

The look of fear on his face was priceless.

“Maybe you should have taken notes instead of antagonizing me this whole time.”

“You barely passed your apprentice tests,” Caric sputtered, “How did you get a promotion to full scribe?”

“Dedication, and listening to my mentor, who chose me because of it.”

“Vira cheated somehow.”

“Vira taught me, unlike your father did you, and it’s not good for an apprentice to accuse a master.”

Caric scowled, thinking through another insult no doubt.

“They just wanted another body to cover elections.”

“My first assignment would say otherwise, besides, elections have apprentices to handle them.”

Garret stared straight into Caric’s eyes, daring him to try another insult.

“Maybe it has something to do with the Ilvan noble who keeps throwing herself at you.”

It had nothing to do with Ivy. He had to say something to defend her. What could he even say?

“I didn’t know Master Riol taught his son impertinence.”

Ivy had a cold fury in her eyes when Garret turned to see her.

“Do you really think antagonizing Garret is in your best interest?” she walked past Garret, forcing Caric to look her in the eyes. “I mean, if he’s only a master scribe because I throw myself at him, then what’s to stop me from making sure you never move past apprentice?”

Caric swallowed.

“I was just—”

“And if he gained this truly by merit, then he will be recorded. Do you want to be remembered as a footnote antagonist?”

Caric backed away slowly, then ran.

By the time Ivy turned around she was back to her sweet self. Garret was still too impressed to speak.

“I’m sorry.” they both finally said, “Sorry for what?”

Ivy nodded at him to speak.

“I should have defended you when Caric made that accusation.”

“No—well maybe. I should have let you defend yourself instead of stepping in without asking.”

He took her hands.

“Don’t be. That was amazing. Please do it again sometime. Is that the persuasive discussion you mentioned?”

“No, that was just—right, you’re mother! That’s why I walked over here in the first place.”

Ivy pulled her hands away, moving right back to business.

“Do you know why she dislikes Phoenix so much?”

Garret shrugged. She just looked uncomfortable, and always guided him away from any scrolls on it when they went to Kitaba together.

“She doesn’t want me to know about it.”

“That’s going to make convincing her you should go there difficult, to say the least.”

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“It’s not your fault your mother is like this. It’s most likely the fault of someone in Phoenix.” She twisted some of her hair through her fingers, “Why would a hearth-tender move from the land of hearths to a kingdom of bellowing winds?”

“To go somewhere no Phoenician would find her.”

Ivy nodded.

“What you need to find out is who exactly your mother ran away from, and convince her you aren’t going to meet them.”

Garret was good at finding things out. That’s why he was a scribe in the first place.

“Maybe I won’t even need you, but you’re still invited for dinner. Two days from now, after my first shift as a full scribe.”

“Your birthday?” Ivy asked.

Garret nodded.

“I accept the honor.”

“Never! Never in any century should you be going to Phoenix!” Garret’s mother walked from side to side of their small apartment.

“Why not?”

“For one thing, you’ve lived in Armath your whole life. You are completely unprepared for the heat!”

“I have also lived with you my whole life. I think I can handle some heat.”

His mother made a thinking face.

“You’re only an apprentice.”

“Not once I turn sixteen; in two days, mother, I will be an official scribe.”

“Why are they sending a new scribe for the Sovereign Council?”

“Because I’m very good at it, and they aren’t expecting anything major to happen.”

“But it always can,” Mother mumbled.

“Which is why they sent me and not Caric.”

“Is that why you want to go, because of a rivalry with your fellow apprentice?”

How dare she accuse him of thinking about Caric in this?

“It’s not a rivalry. He antagonizes me, and I am better than him. I want to go because it is what I was assigned as a scribe. There’s going to be one representing every kingdom, but it’s too late to choose another representative from Kitaba.” That was a lie. They had already chosen a second if he couldn’t make it. “Do you really want me to have a reputation as the reason Armath doesn’t have a record of this council?”

“I know they choose seconds for tasks such as this. Don’t try to lie your way to what you want, Garret.”

“Maybe don’t hide the truth to get what you want!”

His mother paused, looked at him for a minute, and looked away.

“Do you know why I left?”

“I would like to.”

His mother’s look made him cower further into the floor.

“I left because it was unsafe there.”

“Why not go to the Forge? It wouldn’t allow outsiders.” His mother was of the Forge. She was proud of the Forge.

“Of course it would, just not those hiring it. How do you think the Forge expands?” she shook her hand at him, “That doesn’t matter.”

“Did you leave because of someone specific.”

His mother froze again, then turned. The fire in the hearth turned a searing violet Garret couldn’t look at.

“Several someones, Garret.”

The fire died down.

“How likely am I to meet them at the Sovereign Council? It’s not like I’m supposed to speak with any of the royal delegations. I’m just there to record their discussions for future record.”

His mother looked in the fire again. Garret recoiled.

“You have no idea who might be at the palace. They will know exactly who you are by sight, and you will not be safe.”

“I know how to hide my face. It’s not the strangest thing for a scribe to do.”

There were several scribes who always wore masks to make themselves less obvious. Master Vira didn’t because their height was a dead giveaway no matter what.

His mom sat down, coming closer to him. She held his face, eye-to-eye.

“You don’t know how much you are your father’s son.”

“You’ve never spoken about my father before.”

“He was my dearest friend. I could never refuse him, especially when he asked for my hand.”

Behind her, two figures in the fire grew from child to adult, dancing all the while.

“What happened to him?”

“He was stolen from me.”

The figures separated, and the one without a skirt was pulled away by several new figures in a threatening blue.

“Is he imprisoned?”

“More or less.”

“Then I have to go. If there’s even a chance of meeting him…”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

His mother shook her head.

“I came to Armath for a reason, to keep us safe. Neither of us will be safe if you go to Phoenix.”

“What did you do?”

“It’s your father’s actions that brought us to this predicament. I’m sorry his choices are a burden for you to bear, but I cannot change that.”

“What’s the danger in my knowing?” Garret asked.

“The less people know why we’re here, the better. When you turn eighteen, then I will tell you everything.”

“Promise?”

She pulled him in for a long hug.

“I promise.”

He gently pushed away.

“In more agreeable news, I invited Ivy over for my birthday. Is that alright?”

His mother beamed.

“You mean for your birthday, I get the gift of finally meeting the girl you always talk about?”

“I don’t always talk about her.”

“You do, and I would be delighted to have her.”

“Good, because she has already been invited.”

His mother mussed his hair in response.

Garret held a smile until she turned away. If Ivy failed to talk his mother into it, Garret would have to use that stealth exit Vira mentioned. Now he had to find out why his mother left.