Chapter Eleven
The king looked at Justin for a moment before speaking. "Before we go to the library, do you have any initial questions about our situation that I might be able to answer.
Justin had many questions that he could answer, but there was one that had been on replay since yesterday in the back of his mind.
If he was going to work with the king to try and get answers about the mythical creatures, he would need to be able to talk to him about his concerns, so he decided to go ahead and take him up on his offer and ask.
"So, your daughter told me the creatures need to be protected to keep the people from losing the magic, but is it necessary to never kill them if they are killing people? I love magical creatures more than almost anything, but surely a human life is more important than a bit of magic."
The king rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Justin could see he was clearly a man who considered his words before he spoke. Justin had to admire him for that. But, he also detected a sadness around the king like a cloak, and he didn't know what had brought it about. "You are right. Ultimately, a human life is more important than the loss of magic that a few deaths of mythical creatures would cause. The killings have only recently started within the last month. My mages have been working tirelessly to try to come up with a solution that would stop the killings and preserve the creatures, but so far, they have not discovered an answer. I am afraid that we will soon come to a place where I will have to put an amendment in the law stating that the killing of the creatures can be done for self-defense. I just worry people will use that excuse to get away with poaching them. It is a slippery slope that I am not eager to traverse."
Justin felt much better knowing that the king was looking out for his subjects' welfare. It somehow made him want to help solve the problem even more.
The rest of the meal was spent in companionable silence. Justin's mind kept going to what he would say once he came face-to-face with real magicians. What would they look like? Would they be able to tell that he wasn't really the expert that he claimed, or worse, what if he was what they needed, but he still couldn't help them?
Justin had to continually push his concerns to the back burner to keep from freaking out. He had no idea how he was able to keep his face relaxed, but neither Maggie nor the king seemed to notice his struggles, so somehow he must have been doing a decent job.
When the attendants took the last plate and glass away, the king stood and signaled for Maggie and Justin to stand and follow him.
Maggie locked eyes with Justin and smiled reassuringly. As she followed him and the king out of the dining room, Justin was relieved that she would be accompanying them. He wasn't sure that he was up for meeting the mages on his own with the king. He was still fairly nervous just being around the king. Once he was in the presence of magic-wielding men, he wasn't sure if he would be able to form coherent thoughts.
But the hope that had been so prevalent in Maggie's eyes as they said good night at his door was still shining brightly this morning. Seeing that hope just steeled his resolve even more. Some way, somehow he would find a way to not only learn from the mages, but contribute to them.
The walk to the library seemed to fly by. Even though they took what appeared to be a winding path to get there, before Justin had solidified a greeting and introduction in his mind, they were at the library doors.
Justin was surprised to see guards standing watch. In his mind, the guards would only be where the royal family was. He wondered what the mages were doing that would need guards on standby. He was about to look over at Maggie and ask when the king spoke.
"Magdalin, I think it is time that you go check on your mother and sister. I will introduce Master White to the mages and make sure they have what they need to move forward with their work."
Justin's breath caught in his throat as he realized that Maggie was, in fact, not staying. His eyes swung to hers, and he realized that her father's statement was not something she had intended to do. He could see by the uncertainty in her eyes and the way her mouth pulled down slightly in the corners that she was not happy with leaving. Her tight nod told him that she was only obeying because she didn't want to cause a scene with her father.
As her father told the guards to open the doors and announce them, Maggie whispered in Justin's ear. "If you don't have an answer or are confused by something they say, tell them that you will think on what they have said and get back with them. Try to remember what confused you or what answer they need, and we can go over it when the meeting is over. You might even want to ask for a piece of parchment and a quill, and while you are writing things down, that will give your mind time to think up an answer."
Justin was amazed at how quickly she had come up with that. But before she could say more, the guards were waiting to announce the king and Justin. Maggie squeezed his hand, made a slight curtsy to her father, and walked back down the hall.
It would be much later after the meeting that Justin remembered that the king had talked about Maggie's mother and sister. They had spent a lot of time together in the field, and she hadn't mentioned them. It was odd.
As the guards announced first the king and then Justin, as 'Master Justin White,' all of the thoughts that he had been wrestling with since breakfast came roaring to the forefront. It took everything in him to put one foot in front of the other and walk stiffly behind the king into the room.
Justin was surprised by how well-lit the library was. It did make since being a room specifically for reading, but compared to how the rest of the castle had been lit, it appeared as though the quality of the light was akin to a light bulb instead of a candle. When the king stepped to the side and revealed the interior of the room, Justin stood in stunned silence at what was before him.
With the king no longer in the way, Justin could tell that while the room was lit by candles, they had been enhanced by what had to be magic to burn unnaturally bright. They were strategically placed in areas far from any large stacks of books or loose paper.
There was a fireplace enlaid on the right, with seating arranged around it for optimal warmth and easy access to the books. In the center of the room was a large wooden table so dark that it almost appeared black. There were seats around it, but the 3 men and 1 woman who stood, leaning over the table, were not using them.
They appeared to be deep in conversation, and it wasn't until the king cleared his throat loudly that one of them looked up and noticed the king and Justin were there.