Trader's Honour Chapter 1

Mikandra Bisumar is useless to her father: she carries the curse of infertility that plagues the nobility of Miran. Forced to work in the hospital to pay her duty to her nation, she dreams of becoming a Trader, one of the people who have brought great prosperity to Miran in the past.

To her surprise Iztho Andrahar, the city's most prestigious Trader, has agreed to take her on. That is where her problems begin.

Her father is so angry with her that she has to leave her home. Secondly, because they import foreign produce and technology, the nation's Traders are no longer held in high regard. Worse, the Andrahar Traders have been served a court summons for smuggling. Iztho has disappeared and the business license suspended, and his aloof brothers were never too keen on training her.

In the last meeting Mikandra had with him, Iztho mentioned getting married to a woman from neighbouring city-state of Barresh. His brothers don't seem to know about this and she thinks he has eloped.

Going to Barresh by herself without ever having left the country is probably not the smartest idea, but she's desperate for him to come back, prove his innocence and make good his promise to her. A robbery, a job with a local authority and a couple of ex-army friends later, she's made some shocking discoveries about herself, her nation and the nature of her people's fertility and mental problems. In doing so, she is facing the pointy end of the Mirani campaign to rid the country of those who "consort with foreigners". Her actions have brought herself, her family and the last hope for the Andrahar Traders in great danger.