First Day of July, In the Year of the Empire 6769

Watching my father craft beautiful carriages is something I always enjoy. His creations are works of art and grace. The newest one, a 'Noble Carriage,' as my father calls it, is painted a glossy black and is covered in delicate silver scrollwork, including four magnificent silver lanterns with beveled crystal lenses at each corner of the carriage.

It is an open carriage for formal processions. A forward-facing bench seat is set high in the back. The backward-facing bench seat is lower than the rear bench seat but above the driver's bench seat. Each bench is made from luxurious black leather and stitched with subtle patterns matching the silver scrollwork.

This morning father has hitched Sparrow, his prized black mare to it. Sam, my father's best friend, and a master wainwright himself is helping. Sam will be posing as the driver and is in a formal black driver's uniform. The two of them are still discussing the high price they will ask for the carriage today at the Mid-Summer Festival. Sam wants to set the price above the material cost, but below the full value with the vast number of hours of painstaking labor and very costly materials put into building it. They both agree it is a master showpiece made to advertise the business, but his father is arguing for their standard asking price, which is fifty percent above the full cost. It is an extremely high price that they both believe no one will pay. Father wants to 'set a standard of excellence' price. Sam eventually agrees with his father that they can lower it to something more reasonable later if they're going to sell it.

From a side door facing the wagon yard, a woman calls out, "Hubert, it's time for Hartson to get ready."

Turning to me, my father says, "Go on. You heard your mother."

Reluctantly I go inside where my mother is waiting to put me in my best clothes. "Mother, I can dress on my own. I'm almost five summers old, you know."

Laughing, she says, "Fine, but I'll be back soon to check on you." Then she leaves to find my sisters and begins hurrying them up.

Sighing in relief, I fumble around while getting dressed without her. I muttered 'stupid long fingers' to myself as I do so. Father calls me a bean pole because I'm quite tall and skinny for my age. He will not stop doing that no matter how many times I tell him not to.

We will be waiting a lot today while Father is showing everyone his new carriage, that will be boring. So, I grab my books on magic and head back down to the wagon yard before Mother can catch me. I only have five books teaching magic as they are so expensive. I have the Kingdom Primer, of course, it was my father's, and a Magic Primer which I've nearly worn out after I got it for finishing the Kingdom Primer. Lastly, I was able to buy three very used and damaged second-year books with the coin I earned in my father's workshop. Mainly sweeping the floors or fetching things every day for months to get each one.

Seeing that I've returned in my best clothes, my father picks me up and puts me in the carriage, saying, "Wait here for your mother and sisters."

As I wait for the others, I watch a lot of people going by on the sidewalk. Most of them seem to be heading for the big parade field outside of town to the festival. All the people make me want to hide, but I want to be a Mage more.

Two years ago, when the Kingdom's mages tested my oldest sister Callie, she did not pass the test. Callie is always telling Jean and me that if you pass the test, they throw you in prison forever. My mother became very mad with Callie for telling Jean and me that and made Callie do extra chores each time she heard Callie repeat it. Not that it stopped Callie from telling every little kid she could. Callie is just mean most of the time. I'm not sure why she does not like little kids like me. Mother will tell me someday.

No one I know has ever had passed the Mage's test. I am worried I'll have to wait two more years to take the test.

I want to be a good mage. Being a mean person is not something I want to do because it would make mother and father very mad, as they often get with Callie.

After father helps mother and my sisters into the carriage, Sam loads a basket of food into the carriage box and puts away the brush he was using on Sparrow. I can see the other men bringing the standard carriages and wagons are ready to follow us too.