She does make a good point. He nods. 

"So... Is there anything else you want to ask about? Or go buy? Maybe we should figure out how much I'm paying you..."

"I have everything I require," he says. "All I need is food, when we leave." He pauses, "...Another change of clothes might be a good idea," he admits. The ones he's wearing are clean enough, but his other ones were ash and blood-stained. He'd burned them at their camp the night before last. 

"As for payment..." he has no idea how that should work. He wasn't paid in coin to guard the clan - guarding was one of his duties, and in return for that and others he was part of it, sheltered by the caravan and fed and clothed by their resources. "I don't even know the worth of fairy currency. What are your mother's guards paid?" Assuming she has some. She must, right, being Queen of her court? 

"I can do clothes and food! And you should probably have a nice uniform-type-thing, anyways. My mom's guards are paid depending on how much training they need and how much experience they have and their seniority within the guard... You're new to guarding me, but you've got Heartful magic or at least look like you do, which's a special skill, and you're my most senior guard since you're my only, and since you don't have rotations you're kind of technically working overtime a lot? ...How much experience do you have?"

"I guarded the clan," he says quietly, "It was my official duty, for the past two years, since I came of age. And I do have Heartful magic, though my heart is not the strongest." 

"Hm... I think that's probably fifty five to sixty thousand bells a year? Let's call it sixty, since I don't have other guards taking shifts and I can do the math for how much that is a month, and then sometimes mom gives people bonuses for really good service around holidays. Mom also pays people more overall, though, but she's trying to buy people's loyalty, not just their service."

"Food's normally twenty to fifty bells a meal if you're eating out somewhere decent, or like two hundred a week if you're buying just nice stuff at a grocer's, and my clothes are expensive but I think since you're a guard your clothes would be more like - fifty to a hundred for a piece of clothing that's nice, maybe two or three hundred if it's something complicated or fit for a ball, and since you're my guard you should be wearing nice-ish stuff. Gloves are cheaper - those were twenty, and they're pretty nice worker's gloves."

...That seems like a lot. He does a quick calculation - he could eat at the most expensive rate she mentioned three times a day every day and still not use it up. 

"That... You have access to that amount?" He asks, a little overwhelmed, "Or would it be your mother paying me?" 

"I do! Mom probably could pay you but I'd have to talk her into it, but I get more than that for my allowance and I don't spend it normally."

"Alright," he agrees, still somewhat stunned. 

"What kind of uniform?" He asks. "I can wear colours," he adds, remembering her reaction to the ribbons, the day they'd met (and quickly pushing aside any other memories of it). 

"Oh! You should wear an orange uniform! Orange is a really nice color. It's cheery. Like autumn!"

He nods. He doesn't particularly care what the uniform looks like, though it should be nice enough to reflect well on her. 

"Is there somewhere in this town where we can get a uniform made?" 

"Probably! We can look around tomorrow."

He nods. What else... housing. Strange to have to think about that. 

"Do you usually stay at your mother's court? Or do you travel often?"

"I mostly travel, really. Mom's court is - I don't like it."

Hm. That could be cause for concern.

"What don't you like about it?" Is it dangerous for her there? He should learn what he can about potential threats. 

"Mom's stressful to be around, and a lot of the people ignore me because I'm annoying and not good at being formal."

He nods; her mother does sound stressful, yes.

He hasn't found her annoying, but perhaps people who are less quiet than him would have less tolerance for chattering. 

"I suppose we'll be staying at inns or camping most of the time, then." 

"Yeah! I like traveling, anyways."

He isn't sure if he would like staying in one place anyway, given how he never has for long. Not that it matters - he will go where she does. 

"Should we go looking for a meal?" He prompts her. It must be getting close to the next one. 

"Probably."

"Should we get food from this inn, or go somewhere else?" It's up to her, of course.

"How about just the inn for tonight."

Downstairs, then? What have they got for food, here, that isn't too expensive. Anything will do, though he should avoid any artifacts if there's any involved, just to be safe. 

The food here seems to be mostly assorted variations on 'bread with soup' or 'bread with chunky sauces'. Some of the soups are quite affordable. (September gets a rather large platter with samples of different sauces).

Adventurous of her. Caine will get one of the 'bread with soup' meals, and settle at a table to eat and watch her try all of them.