the back of his mind, to think about at some time when he wasn’t oversaturated with other knowledge.
“That still doesn’t entirely explain why you’re helping me…” he prodded gently.
“Because unlike Calahan, I am not so foolish as to burn any bridges that I don’t have to,” she explained easily. “As I said, you could prove to be a powerful ally—or enemy—someday, and at this point I’d rather not declare you an enemy.”
“You’re already thinking ahead to how I might help you in the future?” Hayden admired her foresight.
“Let us say I haven’t ruled out the possibility that you will be both powerful and useful to me in years to come,” she smirked at the look on his face. “You are beginning to build a reputation for yourself, and to be viewed as more than your father’s son. Now you are a war hero, and if you continue on your current trajectory, I expect that your opinions will carry an enormous amount of clout in the future, at which point everyone will be scrambling to be your friend.”
“And you will expect me to remember that they are only coming to me when I’m powerful, whereas you helped me while I was still small and insignificant.” Hayden understood the game at last. Truthfully, he wasn’t even upset with her scheming, since she was honest about it, and the fact was that he did need help while he was still figuring things out.
She tilted her head at him in agreement, and Hayden nodded.
“I’m beginning to see why the Trout family survived the negative association with my father, and why you’re an important member of the Council of Mages even after.”
Magdalene gave him a genuine smile then and stopped outside of his bedroom.
“Enjoy your reading, Hayden.” She inclined her head respectfully and then turned and walked away.
Hayden grimaced at the books that were stacked at the edge of his bed, with different chapters flagged with slips of paper for him to read. Bonk snorted in a way that let Hayden know he was being laughed at, and then curled up on Hayden’s pillow to go to sleep. Hayden sighed and rummaged around for some paper and a pencil so he could begin taking notes, wondering what his friends would think if they could see the glamorous life of Hayden Frost right now.
After five weeks of this exhausting routine, Hayden had to admit that it was finally getting easier. He couldn’t really say that he was enjoying his time at the Trout estate—after all, Oliver and Lorn still lived here—but he finally began to feel like he had his head above water for a change.
His all-day lessons with Edgar were as challenging as ever, though he was beginning to get a grasp on the way all those legal books were written, which made understanding the hefty wording a lot easier. He had recently finished his last homework assignment as well, since Edgar declared they had covered all the relevant material for his needs, and they had moved on to doing mock-trials every day, in which Edgar and Mrs. Trout would play the part of the Council of Mages and interrogate him in various ways, trying to trip him up.
His table manners and professional etiquette had improved by leaps and bounds as well; he hadn’t been smacked in the head by Mrs. Trout in over a week now, and he didn’t even have to think very hard about it anymore in order to get through a meal intact.
He rarely saw Oliver during his free time, as the older boy was in intensive training of his own these days to prepare him for taking over some of the Trout businesses. Now that he was an adult, he was apparently expected to run some of the lesser accounts to get practice for when his mother was no longer in charge, as well as to get his face out in the community and become better known by the people he was supposed to be managing.
The nightly training sessions with Lorn had continued for the duration of the five weeks, and Master Grendel drilled them relentlessly for longer and longer periods of time,
“That still doesn’t entirely explain why you’re helping me…” he prodded gently.
“Because unlike Calahan, I am not so foolish as to burn any bridges that I don’t have to,” she explained easily. “As I said, you could prove to be a powerful ally—or enemy—someday, and at this point I’d rather not declare you an enemy.”
“You’re already thinking ahead to how I might help you in the future?” Hayden admired her foresight.
“Let us say I haven’t ruled out the possibility that you will be both powerful and useful to me in years to come,” she smirked at the look on his face. “You are beginning to build a reputation for yourself, and to be viewed as more than your father’s son. Now you are a war hero, and if you continue on your current trajectory, I expect that your opinions will carry an enormous amount of clout in the future, at which point everyone will be scrambling to be your friend.”
“And you will expect me to remember that they are only coming to me when I’m powerful, whereas you helped me while I was still small and insignificant.” Hayden understood the game at last. Truthfully, he wasn’t even upset with her scheming, since she was honest about it, and the fact was that he did need help while he was still figuring things out.
She tilted her head at him in agreement, and Hayden nodded.
“I’m beginning to see why the Trout family survived the negative association with my father, and why you’re an important member of the Council of Mages even after.”
Magdalene gave him a genuine smile then and stopped outside of his bedroom.
“Enjoy your reading, Hayden.” She inclined her head respectfully and then turned and walked away.
Hayden grimaced at the books that were stacked at the edge of his bed, with different chapters flagged with slips of paper for him to read. Bonk snorted in a way that let Hayden know he was being laughed at, and then curled up on Hayden’s pillow to go to sleep. Hayden sighed and rummaged around for some paper and a pencil so he could begin taking notes, wondering what his friends would think if they could see the glamorous life of Hayden Frost right now.
After five weeks of this exhausting routine, Hayden had to admit that it was finally getting easier. He couldn’t really say that he was enjoying his time at the Trout estate—after all, Oliver and Lorn still lived here—but he finally began to feel like he had his head above water for a change.
His all-day lessons with Edgar were as challenging as ever, though he was beginning to get a grasp on the way all those legal books were written, which made understanding the hefty wording a lot easier. He had recently finished his last homework assignment as well, since Edgar declared they had covered all the relevant material for his needs, and they had moved on to doing mock-trials every day, in which Edgar and Mrs. Trout would play the part of the Council of Mages and interrogate him in various ways, trying to trip him up.
His table manners and professional etiquette had improved by leaps and bounds as well; he hadn’t been smacked in the head by Mrs. Trout in over a week now, and he didn’t even have to think very hard about it anymore in order to get through a meal intact.
He rarely saw Oliver during his free time, as the older boy was in intensive training of his own these days to prepare him for taking over some of the Trout businesses. Now that he was an adult, he was apparently expected to run some of the lesser accounts to get practice for when his mother was no longer in charge, as well as to get his face out in the community and become better known by the people he was supposed to be managing.
The nightly training sessions with Lorn had continued for the duration of the five weeks, and Master Grendel drilled them relentlessly for longer and longer periods of time,
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