apprenticeship, the guild licensed them and gave them their advance to set up in business. They could do what they liked with the money, within reason, though they have to pay tithes. But when they die, the guild will take everything back.”
“You and Derry won’t get to share it?”
“No.”
The prospect clearly did not bother Kimal in the slightest, but Tevi was confused, not so much about the thought of losing money as the complete disregard for family and inheritance. She remembered being told that there were no hereditary leaders in the Protectorate.
Kimal carried on. “Hopefully, we’ll be in guilds for ourselves long before our parents die. I mean, it must be awful, having to wait until your parents peg it before you can start your own career.”
“Don’t your parents want you to take over their business?”
“Why should they?” Kimal seemed as confused as Tevi. “We might not want to be traders.”
“You told me that you did.”
“I want to be a mercenary,” Derry cut in loudly.
Kimal ignored his brother. “True, but when I’m ready I can get my own advance, if the guild think I’m good enough.”
“And if you’re not good enough?”
“Then there’d be no point in my parents giving me their business, would there?” Kimal said reasonably. “It makes sense. Protectorate traders always come out best, ‘cause we don’t let fools make a mess of things just because of who their parents were.”
Tevi did not answer. It seemed a strange way to organise things, but how much simpler it would have been if her family had simply accepted that she was not cut out to be queen and had chosen someone more suited for the job, such as Laff. The corners of Tevi’s mouth turned down as she realised that this was exactly what they had done.
The wagons were waiting in the courtyard. Yarle watched sullenly as Tevi unloaded the cargo. The others helped with lighter items and soon the party was ready to depart. Yarle had counted the load into his storeroom but seemed unsure what to do next. He still had not shaved. To Tevi’s eyes, it made him even more pathetically vulnerable.
“Is everything all right?” She had to try to help him.
“Why shouldn’t it be?”
“It’s a lot of responsibility, running a business.”
Yarle looked her up and down. “I can cope.”
“Isn’t there someone who can help you? A cousin or an aunt? People might take advantage of a young man.”
“I don’t need help.” A surly note entered Yarle’s voice.
“But it’s not fair to expect you to run your own finances.”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“I wasn’t saying you were. I just think you could do with a woman to look after you. It’s too much to expect a boy to take care of himself.”
“What are you going on about?” Yarle’s voice rose. “I’m not a child. I’m probably older than you.”
“Yes, but...” Tevi stopped herself before she finished the sentence; it’s not the same for a woman . It was the island’s way of thinking and, rightly or wrongly, would not be understood on the mainland. She drew a deep breath and tried to forget she was talking to a man. “It’s just...losing your mother must have been a shock and...I thought you might need advice, or...”
“I don’t need anyone’s advice,” Yarle snarled. He marched into his storeroom, slamming the door behind him. Tevi glanced over her shoulder at the others.
“I didn’t mean to insult him.”
Verron’s face held a perplexed frown. “If you don’t mind me saying so, you sometimes have a problem taking men seriously.”
Tevi sighed and raised her eyes to the sky. “I know, but I’m working on it. Believe me, I’m working on it.”
*
The line of wagons rolled out of Scathberg, accompanied by the crunch of stones, the shouts of riders and the crack of whips. Hired guards flanked the caravan as outriders. Tevi was halfway down the line with the reins in her hands and Verron beside her.
Hills rose on either side,
“You and Derry won’t get to share it?”
“No.”
The prospect clearly did not bother Kimal in the slightest, but Tevi was confused, not so much about the thought of losing money as the complete disregard for family and inheritance. She remembered being told that there were no hereditary leaders in the Protectorate.
Kimal carried on. “Hopefully, we’ll be in guilds for ourselves long before our parents die. I mean, it must be awful, having to wait until your parents peg it before you can start your own career.”
“Don’t your parents want you to take over their business?”
“Why should they?” Kimal seemed as confused as Tevi. “We might not want to be traders.”
“You told me that you did.”
“I want to be a mercenary,” Derry cut in loudly.
Kimal ignored his brother. “True, but when I’m ready I can get my own advance, if the guild think I’m good enough.”
“And if you’re not good enough?”
“Then there’d be no point in my parents giving me their business, would there?” Kimal said reasonably. “It makes sense. Protectorate traders always come out best, ‘cause we don’t let fools make a mess of things just because of who their parents were.”
Tevi did not answer. It seemed a strange way to organise things, but how much simpler it would have been if her family had simply accepted that she was not cut out to be queen and had chosen someone more suited for the job, such as Laff. The corners of Tevi’s mouth turned down as she realised that this was exactly what they had done.
The wagons were waiting in the courtyard. Yarle watched sullenly as Tevi unloaded the cargo. The others helped with lighter items and soon the party was ready to depart. Yarle had counted the load into his storeroom but seemed unsure what to do next. He still had not shaved. To Tevi’s eyes, it made him even more pathetically vulnerable.
“Is everything all right?” She had to try to help him.
“Why shouldn’t it be?”
“It’s a lot of responsibility, running a business.”
Yarle looked her up and down. “I can cope.”
“Isn’t there someone who can help you? A cousin or an aunt? People might take advantage of a young man.”
“I don’t need help.” A surly note entered Yarle’s voice.
“But it’s not fair to expect you to run your own finances.”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“I wasn’t saying you were. I just think you could do with a woman to look after you. It’s too much to expect a boy to take care of himself.”
“What are you going on about?” Yarle’s voice rose. “I’m not a child. I’m probably older than you.”
“Yes, but...” Tevi stopped herself before she finished the sentence; it’s not the same for a woman . It was the island’s way of thinking and, rightly or wrongly, would not be understood on the mainland. She drew a deep breath and tried to forget she was talking to a man. “It’s just...losing your mother must have been a shock and...I thought you might need advice, or...”
“I don’t need anyone’s advice,” Yarle snarled. He marched into his storeroom, slamming the door behind him. Tevi glanced over her shoulder at the others.
“I didn’t mean to insult him.”
Verron’s face held a perplexed frown. “If you don’t mind me saying so, you sometimes have a problem taking men seriously.”
Tevi sighed and raised her eyes to the sky. “I know, but I’m working on it. Believe me, I’m working on it.”
*
The line of wagons rolled out of Scathberg, accompanied by the crunch of stones, the shouts of riders and the crack of whips. Hired guards flanked the caravan as outriders. Tevi was halfway down the line with the reins in her hands and Verron beside her.
Hills rose on either side,
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