The princess shrugs lightly, a motion I can tell has been practiced to perfectly and elegantly portray nonchalance. “They thought the tower was abandoned. Nobody’s been seen in it for years.”
“Years?” I frown, then groan. “Blasted time-distortion.” I had been so sure that my trip to the pocket dimension of Alimar would last no more than a few days, but if I had calculated wrong, it was always . Alas, that luck potion I was saving for my birthday must be spoiled by now. Regardless, time marches on, and so must I, as I’ve done for centuries.
“Well,” I say, addressing the princess again–in my distraction, she had turned to inspecting a runed globe on my desk. “The tower is once again occupied, so you need to leave.”
The princess frowned at me. “Do you understand the meaning of imprisonment?” Her voice was more bitter than I had expected of such a slight princess, her green eyes sharper, and I mentally scolded myself for making the assumption.
“This is my tower, and I have the keys. The door is unlocked.” I jerk my head towards the stairs. “Off with you.”
“Oh.” The princess takes a step towards the stairs, then stops. “I don’t think my family will know where to find me if I leave.”
I roll my eyes. “There should be some coin in the little dish next to the doorway. Take it and you can send a message to them, or hire someone to take you, or whatever you need.”
The princess does not move. It’s frankly a bit rude. She shuffles her feet, and says in a voice that’s a bit smaller now, unpolished and rambling and authentic, “Are you sure? It’s just, I’ve been reading your books, and they seemed really interesting, and I thought maybe you might need some help, and I know I don’t seem like it, but I could sweep or cook or–“
I hold up a hand, and she falls silent. “Are you asking for an apprenticeship?”
She nods eagerly, and her eyes are bright. I look her over, considering. She does seem tolerable, and it’s true, I could use some help cleaning this place up after years of disuse. Then again, she was most certainly no expert in cleaning, no matter what she said.
“A trial basis,” I decide after a long moment. “For the next week, you’ll help me cook, clean, and otherwise repair my tower. If I decide you’re useful, you can stay on as long as you wish.”
“And you’ll teach me magic?” That sharpness is back. I decide I rather like it–shows she has spirit in her.
“I’ll teach you alchemy,” I correct gently. “Your first task is to clean my quarters. There’s a stream outside, down the path, where you can wash the bedclothes. Then you can find yourself a suitable room to make your own quarters, and get started on dinner.” I turn with a sweeping motion of my cloak, as she springs into motion.
“You won’t regret this,” she promises, fiercely, and for a moment I think of a younger version of myself.
“See that I don’t,” I say, because what else can I say? The princess–no, my apprentice, heads for my chambers, and I call out a quick “wait.”
“Do you have a name? Or shall I just call you Girl?”
My apprentice turns. “Aygmare,” she answers. “My name is Aygmare.”
“See that you sweep for spiders, Aygmare,” I tell her.
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