You smile as you remember running around the farmhouse swinging a stick and imagining it was a sword. You suppose you had always wanted to fight for Jubai. It was lucky that being a squire also happened to be your best chance to get off the farm.
Times have been better for everyone; it's not just your old parents who are struggling. People are starting to complain more and more about the state of the kingdom, but Kelton says it just happens from time to time. The Queen is a good leader. Even if Kelton hadn't told you that, you know it from meeting her today.
Eventually the stable is more or less cleared up, and just as you're wheeling the cart out to empty, you remember your assignment. Of course! You could have tried some magic to make all that stable mucking easier. Too late now, and you're not really sure what you would have done about it anyway.
Come to think of it, El Cano didn't really give much advice on how to cast your first spell—he simply said to do it. Maybe that's part of the test. He had said he'd used divination to determine your worthiness, after all. Maybe he knew you'd be able to do it.
In any case, there must be some way you can use magic to make this chore list easier. Or at least take your mind off of it….
(to be continued)