part 7

Alex Bellhorn had been born in the capital city. Alex’s parents and his older sister were printmakers and still lived in the city, and his older brother had met and married a printer’s daughter in the town of Solla, where he had gone after he’d gotten his journeyman’s papers. He hadn’t wanted to complete in the city with his sister and he hadn’t wanted to go to work in his parents’ shop, so they had celebrated when he got his papers and wished him well and told him to write, and his mother would put in a good word for him with the printers guild wherever he ended up. They were a little disappointed that Alex hadn’t wanted to be a printer too, but bookbinding was a logical career move and nothing to be ashamed of. It was something he enjoyed and was good at, and if Master Damon was any judge, he’d soon be able to go before the Printers Guild and apply for membership.

( The artisan professions – indeed, all the professions – were well regulated in the kingdom )

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