Illustrious Beginnings

Lord Peregrin was waiting for Jasper when he came down. He checked his stopwatch, grimaced, and sighed.

“Two minutes and sixteen seconds. And you brought items after I explicitly stated it was unnecessary. I am afraid you are not off to the best of starts, young Casper. We will have to fix those deficiencies before the exam. At least you remembered your familiar. Come along.”

The man strutted out of the building with a confidence only a noble could achieve. His guard followed a footstep behind, stepping forward only to hold the door for his employer. Jasper hurried behind them. “Lord Peregrin, sir, just one thing. My name—” His eyes drifted down and his voice caught as the man’s heavy gaze fell on him. “It’s just…I’m Jasper…sir.”

“I see. Now come along. I have much to do today and little time to do it,” Lord Peregrin said. He turned abruptly, cape fluttering behind him, and marched outside. The street had grown crowded with onlookers curious who owned the luxurious carriage parked outside their home. Jasper barely had time to recognize the neighborhood baker and her family before he was lifted and the door shut firmly behind him. Inside the magic vehicle, the seats were plush velvet. The windows and doors must have been enchanted with silencing runes, because Jasper could hear nothing from the moment they shut.

“Now, Casper," Lord Peregrin said, brow furrowing, "You have willingly agreed to serve House Peregrin until such time as your family’s debts are settled. I can explain your intended duties shortly, but first we will need your mana signature." He held out a large sheaf of parchment. "Please place a drop of your blood right…here.”

Before he knew it, Jasper’s bleeding thumb was pressed against a piece of paper. At his touch, it began to glow an ethereal purple. The light dimmed, and a second piece appeared, identical to the first.

“This is your copy, which I suppose you may safekeep in that jacket of yours until such time as you are appointed proper storage. The other will be stored in the family vaults, protected from any interference. Now, I am sure you are eager to learn of your new duties.”

"As you well know my daughter will soon be enrolling in Eden Academy. As my ward, you'll be expected to serve her as you would me. The exam is, oh," he glanced down at his pocketbook, "Six months away. I don't think I need to tell you how far behind you are, boy. They are known to be quite selective. You'll be expected to pass the entrance exam like any other student." He fixed Casper with a cold gaze. "Do not disappoint me."

Jasper nodded slowly, taking in what Lord Peregrin had said. “I won’t, sir. What subjects will I be learning? My mother taught me basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. My father taught me magic and smithing, and I am proud of my achievements in both.”

Lord Peregrin broke out laughing. “Oh dear, we do have a great deal of work ahead of us. To think a child would settle for such mediocrity. No wonder you offered yourself up so willingly.”

“It is fortunate this trip was swift and unimpeded, for we will need to begin immediately. You are to follow Sir Trimsley to your quarters, change into appropriate attire at once, and meet your instructors in the side hall. Trimsley, you may be relieved for the evening once his tutoring has begun. Dismissed.”

So saying, the man rose from his seat, exited the slowing vehicle, and strode through the already-opened doors of the estate. And despite his desire to stand and stare at the vast structure before him—the elegantly carved pillars, stained glass windows, and countless stunning balconies—Jasper was instead dragged through the doors, down three separate hallways, up a set of stairs, down another hallway, and finally into a room the size of a spacious broom closet.

His belongings were stripped from him, and he soon found himself in the finest shirt, trousers, and jacket he had ever worn in his life. A strange vest went over his shirt but under the jacket, and his comfortable brown loafers were exchanged for a shining black leather, though he couldn’t tell what manner of beast it came from. An uncomfortably tight necklace was intricately woven around his neck, the color matching the rest of his dark ensemble.

Every bit of it was tight, though Sir Trimsely assured him it would soon begin to feel like a second skin. According to him, the uniform fit perfectly, though Jasper wished he had more room to breathe. Apparently, he had begun his service in a similar role before proving himself and rising to the rank of Head Guard. Jasper tried to ask him more about his past, but the man ignored any further questions, instead pulling Jasper to the “side hall” that Lord Peregrin had mentioned.

The room itself served as a gathering place for the estate’s staff. From what he could see, it was the center of a complex designed for just about anything that the Peregrins hoped to keep out of sight. It was less opulent than the rest of the building, largely devoid of the art, light, and pleasant aromas that had made the foyer and main hallways so impressive.

Instead, the furnishings were simple. A long table took up much of the room, surrounded by straight-backed chairs. Several maids and serving boys played cards and chatted at one end. The other was occupied by six distinctly dressed men and women.

The six stood up as they noticed his arrival. One of them, a man dressed in the same formal clothes that Jasper had been forced into, spoke on the group’s behalf.

“Young Jasper, I presume? I am the family butler, Mr. Wicksworth. When necessary, you will refer to me as such. You will be serving as a footman under me for the remainder of your time here. These—” he gestured to the other five men and women— “are your instructors.”

His first instructor was introduced as Mrs. Kinsley, a dark-haired, middle-aged woman with an overall stern air to her. She wore thin, round glasses with a silver chain like a necklace. Wicksworth explained that she was a specialist in literature and linguistics and frequently worked with the house staff to ensure everyone could read adequately and speak appropriately.

Miss Hannah, a younger woman with curly brown hair and a kind smile, interrupted Wicksworth to introduce herself. “Hello, handsome. I look forward to teaching you. While I am Miss Hannah inside of lessons, you may drop the ‘Miss’ outside our lessons. Especially if you keep smilin’ like that.” Jasper’s face reddened. No doubt he would learn to enjoy math and history if she was even fractionally as friendly in their lessons, though he was glad when Wicksworth took over to introduce the rest of his instructors.

The older, bearded gentleman across from Miss Hannah was introduced as Master Hector, his smithing and enchanting instructor. The man’s arms were twice the size of his own. The smith flexed and the ambient mana rippled, proving he was at least an Expert mage. Master Elena was a calm, collected woman. Her mana was at least as strong as Master Hector’s, which explained why she was his assigned instructor for magic theory and practical mana application. She stood beside Mr. Kinsley, a lanky man with a carefully-maintained mustache and beard who was to be his combat instructor and physical trainer.

Four of his new instructors sat down, while Mr. Wicksworth and Mrs. Kinsley remained made their way towards him. “Come along, Jasper. Should you learn nothing else tonight, you will at least understand the proper form of address for each family member. If you are intelligent, we will continue you your lessons. If you are wise, you will memorize it all by tomorrow morn.”

So saying, Mrs. Kinsley led him away into one of the side-rooms. Three desks filled much of the space, and Jasper idly wondered who else used them before he had arrived. “Sit there,” she instructed, moving over to a black slate board built into the front of the room. She erased a series of mathematical equations that Jasper didn’t recognize and quickly began writing.

Mrs. Kinsley’s handwriting was flawless, clearly developed over years of practice. She quickly wrote six names at the top of the board, then two more below it.

“The family consists of six members at this time. You have met Lord Peregrin and will address him as sir, lord, or master. His wife is Lady Peregrin, ma’am, or mistress. Their eldest is Sir Kerpin, a graduate of Eden Academy currently serving his father abroad. You are unlikely to meet him in your time here, but I expect you to familiarize yourself with his name, familiar, and betrothed. Next in line is Miss Catherine, who is currently in her third and final year at the academy…”

A sharp smack jolted Jasper out of a particularly nice dream, his hands stinging from the hit. Mrs. Kinsley stared down at him disapprovingly. “Nodding off already? Such poor work ethic. Mr. Wicksworth clearly has his work cut out for him.” She paused, making sure Jasper was still listening to her. “Good. Now as I was saying, the second daughter is Miss Eliza. She is the one you will be serving during your time at the academy, so I highly recommend staying within her good graces.

“I shan’t speak poorly of a member of House Peregrin, but you would do well to anticipate her every desire in a timely fashion and vanish soon thereafter. She can be quite clear about her displeasure, and her familiar is the same. Now then, the final member is young master Michael, though you are unlikely to encounter him unless you assist Lady Peregrin. He is but an infant, and you are unlikely to interact with him beyond casual encounters with the lady.”

The rest of their lesson went similarly, with Mrs. Kinsley explaining that the most important people after the main family were Mr. Wicksworth, the family butler, and Mrs. Rineheart, the housekeeper. The housekeeper led the female servants, and Jasper was instructed to stay out of her way, if only to reduce the poor woman’s workload. Wicksworth oversaw all male servants, which now included Jasper. As far as the near future went for him, Wicksworth’s word was law.

When they were finally done and Jasper’s head had stopped spinning, Jasper went to leave the room, only to nearly knock over a young servant girl carrying a bowl of soup and warm bread. She barely steadied the bowl in time to avoid it spilling everywhere. “Hey there, I’m Rose. Cook said to bring you something to keep you awake through the rest of your lessons.” The girl handed him the food, looking away as she continued. “Oh, and also she said to tell your familiar to, um…oh yeah! She said to keep your familiar out of her kitchen or else she’d roast him over a spit. Anyways, it was nice meeting you!” Having done what she was told, the girl practically threw herself out of the room. Perhaps she was just shy?

He could learn more about Rose later, though. Even if he weren’t exhausted, the sweet fragrance of the soup was more than he could bear. Jasper returned to his desk, meal in hand.

At first, he exercised restraint, carefully breaking off a piece of bread to dip. But as the creamy, warm combination hit his tongue, his will broke. He had tomato soup before, but it was always watered down and rather plain. This was another thing entirely. The sweetness of the tomato and the moist, honeyed bread exceeded anything he had had before—even his mother’s potato cream pie.

The bowl was emptied in seconds, the bread torn asunder. Warmth spread through his body, and any trace of tiredness slid away like water down a mermaid’s scales.

It was a good thing, too, because Miss Hannah entered soon after and launched into an altogether overly-impassioned lesson on the state of the empire. Jasper struggled to keep up, even with his energy renewed. When her lesson was done, Master Hector grilled him on his knowledge of smithing and enchanting, followed by Master Elena doing the same regarding magic theory.

By the time the lessons finished, Jasper was pretty sure the sun was starting to come up. Which meant he could return to his room for a blessed hour of sleep before he had to join Wicksworth for his morning duties. He stumbled into his small room, noted Sally’s curled form in the corner, and passed out for as long as his new life would permit.