Free The Witch & the Cathedral - Wizard of Yurt - 4 by C. Dale Brittain

surprises.
    The decorations were for the dance the queen had planned in Vincent's honor, and in the late afternoon I could hear from my study the brass choir being tuned. Reluctantly I was drawn back to the hall; I had always liked the royal musicians' playing.
    In spite of several suggestions from the ladies of the court, most playful, some even serious, that I join in, I sat obstinately in the balcony and watched. Even Paul was dancing, leading around women his mothers age with charming grace.
    The queen and Vincent led every dance. The last of the sunlight, the flickering fire, and the glow from the magic lamps made the room bright as though the dancers themselves were filled with light. Vincent really was younger than the queen, maybe ten years younger rather than the five that Paul had guessed.
    But there was nothing about him to support Paul's suspicion that he wanted the queen's kingdom rather than her person. He had his eyes on her constantly as she turned in the intricate steps of the dance, with an open affection that was almost too personal to watch. Even though for the most part her own expression was amused or even mocking, he several times said something in her ear that turned her laugh into a smile of undisguised pleasure.
    They were only a couple in love, I told myself, and their unanimity, their cheerful picking up of each other's lines, did not show any plotting or planning but only how closely their minds and spirits were intertwined. I only wished I believed it.
    In the morning I heard from my chambers the clatter of horses being brought from the stables. A surreptitious glance out the window confirmed that the queen and Vincent were going hawking. I would stay in my study, I decided, until they were gone.
    I was leafing through the third volume of the Arcana, looking for spells that might help the cathedral keep fairy lights off their new tower, when there was a knock on the door.
    "Come in!" I called, assuming it was the kitchen maid come to get my breakfast tray.
    But the door burst open with a bang that the kitchen maid would never dare. I swung around to see my doorway blocked by a dark form, silhouetted beyond recognition by sunlight outside. But unmistakable was the naked sword it held.
    I didn't even think. Two words in the Hidden Language and the figure staggered; three more and the sword clattered to the flagstones while the figure dropped as though hit with a plank. I strode across the room to retrieve the sword, then turned to see who had unwisely tried to attack a wizard.
    It was Vincent. He sat up and tenderly felt his ribs. "I guess there's nothing broken," he said and gave me a rueful smile. "Help me up?"
    I took the proffered hand and pulled him to his feet, but I held on to his sword.
    "I'm sorry!" he said with apparently real penitence. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come hunting, and I thought it would be fun to pretend to attack you— just a joke, you realize, just to show you a trained warrior's power! I had no idea you'd react like that."
    "Wizards always react rapidly," I told him sternly. "Suppose a trained warrior burst into your room. Wouldn't you draw your sword first and inquire who it might be afterwards?"
    "I guess I'm lucky you didn't kill me, in that case," he said cheerfully, brushing himself off. "After my brother's experiences, I should have known better! Let me have my sword back, and I'll certainly never try a joke like that on a wizard again. Now that I'm here, do you want to go hunting?"
    I handed him his sword since I could think of no excuse to keep it. "Thank you for the offer," I said, more sternly than ever, "but I need to spend the day in the perusal of my magic spells." What could Vincent mean by his brothers experiences?
    "We'll see you later, then," he said, uncowed. I closed the door firmly behind him and sat at my desk, doing nothing but listening until I was sure the hunting party was gone.
    Then I did turn again to my books, looking for a spell