Free The Sword of Ages: The Mage Breaker Book 1 by A.L. Issett Page B

Now hurry and take your bath, there should be soap around here somewhere” The man said as Tanner watched him practically run away. All this running at someone else’s command is going to get real old real quick Tanner thought, but at least he wouldn’t be sleeping outside. Tanner stripped down and was a little nervous about getting into the steaming water, as he stuck a foot inside it felt heavenly. Tanner submerged his whole body and could feel all the bruises he had gained from practicing with Grodd slowly try to melt away. Tanner could have fell asleep in this bath if it wasn’t for the same man coming back holding the same type of clothing he was in.
                  “Hurry up and dry off show I can show you where the kitchen is and where you can find the princess” the man said as he dropped the uniform and pointed towards a drying cloth. Tanner got out of the water and dried himself off as the man impatiently waited for him. Tanner was going to have to set this guy straight once he knew what he could and couldn’t say. Tanner got dressed and was then led into the biggest kitchen he had ever seen.
                  It had ten cooking boxes, a lot of areas for the cutting up of animals and vegetables and so many knives for the job it made tanner jealous. If he had such an area back in Kol dressing out his kills would have been easy.
                  “He is a boy” Tanner turned to see a girl about his age say. She was pretty in a plain sort of way Tanner thought. Her hair was kept in a single brown braid which she kept over on shoulder. She was built like most of the women Tanner had seen in the palace, plumper than the women of Kol, probably thanks to not having to do hard labor combined with eating rich foods. She was shorter than he was, not petite per se just not very tall.
                  “You don’t start getting any fancy ideas about you and the princess” Tanner heard an older woman say. “You’ll be a dead Ketian if that ever happens”.
                  “I don’t understand why they didn’t pick one of us for the job” Tanner heard a boy say and saw it was the same one who was taking the horses from earlier.
                  “Are you insane boy?” The man who had been leading Tanner around said. “You saw what happened to the last three. Do you really want to be number 4?”
                  Tanner noticed the kitchen went quiet at his words as the older woman handed him a covered plate. “I’m Maude and you remember what I told you”.
                  Tanner took the plate and followed the first man out of the kitchen and up some stairs. As soon as they stopped climbing and actually went on a floor they could hear shouting and angry voices. Tanner listened nervously as he caught the gist of what was going on. Apparently someone had snuck in the Princess’s bed and placed a note that they believe was from whoever the assassin was. Tanner followed his way down the hall where the King himself was fuming.
                  “Everyone leave this floor!” the King commanded.
                  Tanner turned to walk away when he was grabbed from behind, and heard a whisper “Not you boy”. Tanner recognized the voice as being Herod’s and waited for everyone else to leave, including who Tanner thought were the ladies in waiting.
                  “Caroline, this is your new protector, Tanner this is my daughter” the King said as Tanner bowed. “Whoever this assassin is knows how to get to us, but we need a surprise for his ass. Tanner Caroline has Geddon’s training diary which he gifted to my wife. Inside of it, is all the training he had done to fine tune his magic. Herod and Grodd will be her main protectors, the muscle everyone can see. You are my back up plan, maybe the three of you can catch this person”.
                  “Your Majesty”