Kel mentions how her family only recently became nobility a few generations back, what did Kel’s recent ancestors do to have that happen? Were Mindelan’s lands apart of some other person’s title before?
Tammy:
The Mindelan line died out, and it was a nice estate. The title and lands reverted to the Crown. Piers’ grandfather did very well for the Crown in terms of weapons and money in the old king’s reign, and in exchange for “services to the Crown” he was given the Mindelan lands and the title of Baron.
So Kel’s mom was of both Seabeth and Seajen – how’d that happen?
Tammy:
See, there was a dad, and he had twin sons, so he split the fiefdom – I think the original one was Seabeth – and he gave one to each son. But the will was drawn up so they could never legally split the two fiefdoms. They would always be joined. Ilane and her sister inherited them, since there were no sons to the two brothers, so even they’re the sisters of Seabeth and Seajen, one inherited one fiefdom and the other got the other.
I’m sure that the legal people who have to handle the taxes and everything really bitterly resent the lord’s arrangement.
Tammy:
He stays with the Lady. She needs someone to look after her. She doesn’t pay attention to things like proper meals and making sure she has new boots for the winter! If she’s not going to have a man to look after her, well, he’s going to have to take the job. Somebody has to keep people from bothering her. Even if he’s gotta deal with them himself.
Kel knows he thinks all of these things, and she finds it rather amusing. Since she’s damned if anyone else is going to look after her boy properly except her, she’s fine with the way things are. I mean, some day he’ll probably find a partner and Kel will find work for his partner, because that’s what families do.
Words of Tamora Pierce 