Page 51 of Torin and the Princess

I opened and closed my mouth. “But how would they know you’re more important?”

“From lookin’ at me, they can see they ought tae avert their eyes and allow me tae pass, ye daena follow those rules?”

“No, not at all, we all have to wait for the light and take turns.”

“But what if yer journey is urgent, Mistress Lexi? Ye must need tae go first, och nae, it sounds verra difficult tae get yer way.”

“But your way would be very confusing and lots more accidents. This way is safer. We stop, they get to go, then they stop, and now we go.” I took a left. “See, very civilized.”

“Tis not verra civilized if there are peasants takin’ a turn and ridin’ in yer way! What would ye do, Mistress Lexi, if there are peasants in yer way?”

I laughed. “I have no idea. Once a farmer was riding a tractor down the lane, and we all slowed down until we could pass.”

“Och nae, Mistress Lexi, he must pull over and bow, ye would hae the right of way — tis the proper order!”

“How would the farmer know I’m more important?”

“He ought tae just ken his place! If I came across a peasant he would ken because of m’size, m’dress, m’manner, the strength and skill of m’sword, m’bearing, and m’stature upon m’horse.”

“But this isn’t a horse. He can’t see me inside this car. How would we see each other?”

“Ye might hae a flag upon yer carriage tae announce yer title, or I would wave my sword out the window, except...” He pretended to reach in the back seat and chuckled. “I canna reach m’sword! I am learnin’, Mistress Lexi, that yer luxurious and magical carriage is allowin’ the peasants tae think too verra highly upon themselves.”

I laughed, shaking my head, “This is a very interesting point, and would greatly help my impatience in traffic if I could just demand the right of way. I would love that, but it’s not at all how we do things here.” I drove around the block and got back on the main road, waiting at the same light but from another direction.

Torin looked every which way. “Tis clear, not a peasant in any direction tae lord over yer rights, ye could go.”

“Nope, gotta follow the rules.”

“There are a lot of rules.” He sighed dramatically. “What is the noise?”

“The blinker, it’s telling everyone around us that we are going to turn left.” I pointed ahead of me. “See that car, it has its blinker on too. It’s going to turn right.”

Torin turned and looked out the back window. “The man behind ye looks tae be a peasant as well! Here is this bonny lady beside me, a land owner, and she has her carriage clickin’ tae warn him which way she will be turnin’ as if tis anything for him tae ken — och nae, I will never understand this.”

I laughed and said, “I suppose we will have to agree to disagree.”

“What does that mean?”

“Instead of arguing the point that we will never agree on, we just agree to not argue anymore.”

“Aye, Max would say, ‘Let us leave this matter tae rest, each holdin’ his own mind,’ but ye ken what I then say tae him?”

“What?”

“That tis always the man losin’ the argument who wants tae ‘hold his own mind’. I can usually get Max tae buy at least one more round of ales by saying it.”

I smiled at him. “You like to argue.”

“Aye, and tae drink. The nights are long, ye hae tae hae some discussion. Max and I agree on most everything, but we will take the other side for the challenge of it and some nights I will change sides two or three times.”

Our light turned green. I turned us left and Torin held onto the dashboard, as if we were careening.

Then he added, “I daena usually argue with ladies, though, I pray the bonny Mistress Lexi daena mind.”

I smiled, “I don’t mind at all, I thought it was interesting, and it made me laugh.”

He nodded. “Me as well.”

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