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Tea, again. Always tea. This time Roger had invited him, rather than him going to his cousin for advice. Jon poured, as they took it in turns to do. Of course Roger’s manservant could have done it — he might even be somewhere in Roger’s rooms currently — but it had become a bit of a ritual, this tea and discussion of the realm. Even if Jon wasn’t king yet, his parents were beginning to delegate tasks to him. Besides the fact that they had delegated as much about magic as they could to Roger as soon as he’d returned from his travels. “So, what is the topic of the tea?” Jon asked his cousin.
“Young mages, in plural. One more powerful, the other actually more concerning.”
Jon raised a single eyebrow. “Possible necromancy,” Roger said. “For the more concerning one.”
“Indeed. You asked me, once, if I would be willing to consult with you before interfering with the careers of any more young mages. I would quite like to investigate whether a certain student at the City of the Gods, one Blayce, is in fact doing necromantic experiments. And if he is involved in necromancy …”
“Would the Mithrans not put a stop to it themselves?”
“I’m quite certain they would do something to stop him, if they knew. But would they stop it properly, or simply ensure it wasn’t happening under their auspices?”
“Well, let’s start with making sure the Mithrans are informed. If this Blayce is trying necromancy and the Mithrans prove ineffective …”
“Then I have your approval to deal with the problem?”
“Well, I can hardly let a necromancer run amok in Tortall!”
“Indeed you cannot.”
“And the more powerful one?”
“There are currently six black robe mages in the world. If nothing throws him off track, there is a student on track to become a seventh. I am not convinced interference is required at this time, but I believe it would be … wise … for us to keep a careful eye on his progress, and on his connections. See if we can give him Tortallan connections to call on, should he ever decide to leave Carthak.”
Jon shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, you can keep an eye on any mages you think necessary for the sake of the realm. It’s action I’m concerned about: to make use of magical power, we need more people who have it and are trained to use it.”