"No, do you know how easy it would be to slip up? Just stay home, if you're bored I'll get you more books just wait."

Hann turned away and tried to walk to her room but I jumped in the way and barred her entry. This was my fifth time trying to convince Hann about my business idea. It has been almost a week of asking her daily but each time I was firmly rejected.

"Only some nobles and the rich would be able to figure it out. If I can't find a teacher then how else will I improve?"

"Jo just quit it alright? Look, I'm not saying it can't work. I'm saying the risk is too high. In almost any other duchy you can make a living as a tender. But not here. Wait like five more years and–"

"I'm not wasting that much of my life. If all I'm going to do is hide away, all I did was exchange one cage for another."

"At least you have a future in this cage. I'm not saying you need to be a hermit forever, I don't want to be stuck here either. Just work with me, Jo. Now move. I'm going to sleep."

I resisted at first by holding on to either side of the entryway but I relented after it was clear she was done for today. I was stronger and faster than Hann at a base level but that meant nothing if she decided to get serious. It was better to let her go for now than risk drawing her ire. I thought that I had a great idea, I could practice my tending, earn my keep and get some experience running a business. The only way someone could find me out was if they had experienced tending before, which most people hadn't. Whatever I earned would go straight to Hann as I was still considered a child but that was what I wanted anyway. There was nothing but upside to my plan, why couldn't Hann see it?

I could always go behind her back. I promised myself that I would listen to her more and that it was childish to keep disobeying her but this was different. Less than one year ago, if I was told to spend five years locked in my room reading I would have thought that the forge mother had blessed me. But I had goals now, I was going to live a life that I could be proud of. I wanted Alessia and my father to greet me at the great forge with a smile, for them to see that I made something of my life, that I achieved my goals.

I had given Hann five attempts to see reason but she was too stubborn. My mind was already made up, the only issue I had was figuring out where to start. For the next four weeks, I pretended to go along with the hermit plan. I stayed in my room and read my books. Whenever Hann brought me a new one it didn't take long before I had sucked the knowledge from its pages. I only left my room under Hann's supervision, I would get her to take me to different places so I could watch how the businesses operated from afar.

A couple of times I got Hann to take me into the dwell. I said it was because I was curious about how different it could be from the one that I knew. In actuality, I wanted to see what rich and noble people looked like, how they acted, what hairstyles they liked, and how they carried themselves. I needed to be absolutely sure that I never tended for one by accident. Refusing to serve them would look shady or be seen as an insult, so I would just sing a different song for them. I would still put effort into it but they would only ever hear mundane music from me.

I thought of everything. I was sure that there would be no slip-ups. Next was to secure a place to ply my trade. I had amassed a healthy collection of books over the years and it gave me an idea. The plan was simple, I would offer the people a space to read in peace. I wouldn't dream of parting with a single book, instead of buying my books people could come in and read whatever they wanted for an admission fee. I could offer my singing services in a back room on the side. No one would be charged for the service directly, I would just ask if they wanted to pay a little more than the entry fee the next time they visited.

It wasn't easy convincing Hann to open my Readorium, my little reading space. She doubted that people would be interested in reading but I countered with the fact that everyone needed to relax sometimes. There were almost no ways to let off steam here:

No brothels because most women considered it their duty to keep up the population, why would you pay for something that was given freely. Anyone who didn't want to live like that had only one other option for work, to become a representative of Fleur. Members of Fleur weren't allowed to have children as it would impact their ability to work. This meant that most common women freely walking the streets had no qualms about offering men their time.

No gambling houses because the currency was edible and lowered in value when preserved, it didn't make sense to hope for a big win unless you already had the means to handle your winnings. Buildings to store it, businesses to invest in, the currency was perishable so you needed to spend it quickly or more than halve its value to keep it from rotting.

No adventuring because sand skimming was far more dangerous and less fun. No one I spoke to enjoyed their job but the pay was too good to pass up. There were plenty of times when you saw people leave the city in a party of four or more and return with only a couple of members. Besides the deadly sands, there were flying beasts that made their home deep in the desert. A whole human was a giant meal and offered a different taste than the flocks of birds they were used to.

The only form of entertainment around was an arena, a place where criminals were put to death in gladiator fights. Watching someone being stabbed to death or eaten by an animal wasn't exactly my idea of a good time so I never visited it. I did, however, go and look at the spectators as they left and some of them looked bored or neutral. Not every fight was going to be an epic battle of blade against blade. A struggle for survival that saw a victor raise his opponent's severed head with a victory roar. I had to imagine that sometimes there was a clear winner from the start or maybe they were bored because it had become too commonplace.

I did my research and wholeheartedly believed that my Readorium would do alright. It didn't need to rake in earnings, it just needed to do well enough to justify its existence. Well enough that I could have a small building where I could sing away from prying eyes.

After almost two months of research, I presented my idea to Hann. I wouldn't take no for an answer, I had thought of every conceivable question and prepared an answer for it all. I had been a perfectly good and obedient woman, all I was asking for was a small building in a bad part of Crakston.

"No."

Hann replied her speech was terse and firm,

"Don't give me that look. I can see how much this means to you, you've put a ton of effort into this but my goal is to keep you safe. Yes, I could just about get you a cheap little place but there is a reason why they are so cheap. There are a lot of rough characters around. You would be working on the other side of the city, I wouldn't be able to get to you if there was a problem."

I listened patiently to Hann's sixth objection but I had an answer for this too.

"You work far outside the walls. You are already too far away to keep me safe at all times. Even if guys are scared of you all it would take is one person with a grudge to level the building with me in it. I'm not as safe as you think stuck in my room all day. Plus if I make a good impression on people strangers might jump to my aid if I get in trouble. Next."

"How long do you want to keep playing this game, Jo?"

"This isn't a game, I'm serious. Next question."

I could see that I was winning, she had no good reason to say no. I chose today to strike for a reason, she looked particularly worn out. The bags under her eyes, her drooping shoulders. I'd bet that the only thing she wanted was to go to sleep but I wasn't going to stop bothering her until I got my way. With no reason to deny me and being desperate to get me to leave her alone, it was only a matter of time before she said,

"Fine, damn you! Fine! Are you happy now you little demon? We can talk more tomorrow, just leave me alone!"

The next morning we ironed out any lingering issues and scheduled a time to meet with the member of house Smythe who was in charge of the duchies administration. Other duchies had many smaller villages and towns scattered across their lands so large teams of administrators were needed but here there was only one man who handled the business affairs. A short and stumpy man who had the appearance of a muscular ball with thinning white hair.

The three of us finalised the terms of the deal with word and quill to both of our satisfaction. Old man Smythe's voice was much more shrill than his looks would suggest,

"That about covers it. As a service-based business helmed by a minor you are entitled to all of your earnings minus the twenty percent tax. All earnings must be disclosed and turned over to a visiting representative weekly. The correct amount of food will then be added to your legal guardians' salary, Miss Hannibell here has no obligation to return the earnings to you. If everything that I've said is agreeable I will need both of your signatures here and here."

Finally, step one had been accomplished. The name 'Jo' was inked upon the parchment, the contract was sealed. Step two was next. Build up interest in the Readorium. It needed to be a legitimate business before my real plan could begin.