In Which Farilon Is Asked to Consider

May 1, 1183

Out of his parents' concern for his language skills, Farilon had spent much of the past year in the company of books.

He'd already worked his way through the library at home, and much of Lorn and Leara's as well. His current source of new material was Lord Severin, by proxy of young CeeCee, who showed up every couple of weeks with a few more enthusiastic recommendations that Farilon would not have guessed a nine-year-old could have managed. She'd even brought him a geometry text once--geometry!--then spent the next hour babbling on about Euclid's twelfth and thirteenth propositions, ending on some note about the ratios of sides of a triangle, then an accusation of "Were you even listening?"

He hadn't seen her for a couple weeks after that.

But she'd shown up the day before, only somewhat resentful, a new astrology book in hand. "It's a little silly," she'd warned him, rolling her eyes. "But it's interesting, even if there's not a shred of logic to be found."

And it was interesting--interesting enough, apparently, that it took a clear of the throat before he noticed his father's presence. "CeeCee brought another book?"

"Astrology. You're a Gemini, right?" He doubted his father cared that Gemini was an air sign, or a mutable sign, or ruled by the planet Mercury, but it was an opportunity to avoid whatever conversation he was here for in the first place, and Farilon would be a fool to pass it up.

His father nodded. "And you're a Taurus, and your mother is a Cancer. Maybe you can draw up some charts for the family if you think it would be an interesting project." He often suggested 'projects'. Farilon knew he meant well, but productivity required a stamina he still hadn't mustered. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about.

"I got you a job."

"Oh." Farilon swallowed. As the third son of a duke, his default career path would have involved a knighthood, but he'd spent his page years and most of his squire years dead, and he had little interest in being a knight besides. His family had understood this. They'd understood a lot, all things considered. But a job... what sort of job? And was he ready? Sometimes, he wondered if his father thought it mattered. "Um... what happened?"

"CeeCee brought you some scrolls on mechanics a couple months back, correct? And you discussed them with her when she came back to collect them?" Farilon nodded, not sure what the hell kind of job had anything to do with CeeCee Kemorin. "She told her father some of your insights, and he thought they were clever, so he passed them along to Raia. I happened to run into her at Uncle Tarien's castle today, and she asked if you would be interested in teaching physics at the university."

"Teaching?" Farilon's finger fell to the page at random as his nerves played his spine like an organ. Didn't teaching require... talking? "I don't know..."

"I talked it over with your mother. We both agree that it might benefit you to push your comfort zone, but it's ultimately up to you. We could even stage a few practice lectures if you like." Could that help much? Surely his little siblings couldn't feign an interest in physics long enough even if it could. "I know it's a bit... unnerving, but I just want to help you find a place in the world. Promise me that you'll at least consider it?"

Farilon sighed. It wasn't a step he felt ready to take, but his parents had been so good about everything. He supposed he ought to at least humor them. "I'll consider it."

NEXT CHAPTER: