A New Age by Jordan Baker

Author:Jordan Baker
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Aaron and Borrican arrived back at the Academy just before sunrise. After a full day and a longer

night out enjoying the city, they had long since missed their curfew and knew that they would have to

sneak back into the barracks or face the Captains’ discipline. Neither of the two friends looked forward to being reprimanded and having to scrub floors or shovel manure in the stables so they set about scaling the outside wall of the fortress that was the Academy.

Borrican joked that their Academy teachers had made it easier for them to succeed at their task

since they had recently trained them on techniques for sneaking into an enemy fortress. This one would be easier since there was no one at the top ready to pour boiling oil on them. They climbed the wall and,

once over, silently made their way across the grounds. They successfully snuck past the sentries and into the barracks. They made it as far as Aaron’s room when they heard the regular steps of the watch making

their rounds.

Quickly they dashed inside and waited until the footsteps had past. Still feeling the effects of too

many draughts of the sweet summer ale the whole city had been drinking to make room for the next

brewing, they laughed at the seeming hilarity of not getting caught. Tired, but not quite ready to sleep, Aaron sat on his floor, leaning his back against the side of his bed. Borrican threw himself into the

reading chair, which was identical to the one the Academy provided for all the resident students.

“So,” Borrican started. “What do you think?” Aaron forced his eyes open.

“Of what?” he asked.

“The Princess, you numbskull.” Borrican laughed. “What do you think of her?”

“She seemed nice?” Aaron said, not sure whether it was appropriate to voice any other kind of

opinion about someone who would be his future queen. Borrican, on the other hand, as a Crown Prince of

Kandara could have any opinion he wanted to about the girl.

“Nice?” Borrican looked around for something to throw. Finding nothing, he threw his head back

and stared at the ceiling. “Nice! She’s gorgeous! A waking dream! Are you telling me you didn’t find her

completely stunning?” Aaron could tell the Borrican was clearly infatuated with Ariana.

“Of course, she’s very beautiful,” Aaron agreed, “but she's a royal. Who am I to think of her in that

way?”

“I didn't say to think of her in that way,” Borrican teased. “I just asked what you thought of her. You

are allowed to have an opinion. You know her mother was Elven.”

“Really?” Aaron was surprised. He had read all the histories of Maramyr and there was no mention

of Queen Alia's ancestry except that she had been a princess of a noble house.

“Nobody talks about it, and you would never know it to look at her, but Ariana is half-elf,”

Borrican told him. “I heard it was more of a scandal among the elves and Ariana's mother was banished

for marrying King Gregor.”

“Have you ever met an elf?” Aaron asked.

“Once,” Borrican said. “When I was young, a delegation came from Elvanar to Kandara to visit my

father.

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