Chapter 13

We received a letter from the capital that William was coming for a visit, right as the gathering was starting no less. Now the people of Kelton had become used to his visits, but I wonder what the sight of the baron walking among them was going to have on the villagers who were visiting.

Over the next few days the tide of people slowly began to rise. We still had a good flow of grain coming into our store for purchasing, but now we also had a good amount of spices and herbs to buy as well. Our resident spice framer had done well this spring by going from village to village helping them learn how to treat the soils, and maintain the crops. When the store began to use small barrels to store them away my heart sang, and the villagers pockets bulged. We had a lot of meat from last season that had been salted, smoked, and frozen so it had an easy four or five months of deliciousness and nutrition left so we decided to sell it as well.

As was expected people almost jumped out of their skins as polished knights came riding into town followed by the baronial carriage. In the distance I also saw three wagons of people heading in as well. This made me very curious what was going on. When the carriage pulled up I noticed I recognized just about everyone in the retinue and most of them were smiling and nodding at me.

As the door opened William stepped down and I bowed to him since we had a big audience. “Good day lord Kelton, I hope I will not be intruding on your festivities.” I rolled my eyes just a little. “Your grace any visit of yours is welcome and well timed.” Then two very beautiful women were handed out by the attendant, but then came to stand next to me. “Lord Kelton, I cannot express my thanks for allowing your wonderful people to attend to me for the last year. They have truly been a credit to you and your territory in supporting the barony.”

This formally returned them to my hold and when that happened all formality went out the window. I turned and pulled them both into a hug and they clutched at me. I looked into their faces and the love just poured out of them both. I kissed them both on the forehead and told them “Welcome home my loves, I have missed you greatly.” With one last squeeze they both stepped back and tried to look dignified. I looked at them and shook my head before pulling them back. “You’re home ladies, and you are still mine. Screw the court, you are with family now.” With tearful smiles they clutched and me and I hugged them to me tight.

“Thank you your grace for taking such good care of all of my family. Each and every one of them is a treasure to me and having them back with us is beyond price.” I said to them as they rested their heads on me. William smiled and nodded “I understand what you mean, having them with me was a great comfort, and their protection of me was greatly welcomed. I hope you might allow me to once again entertain your people as they have been an invaluable protection to the barony.”

It was being whispered in the crowd that the women had posed as concubines, but were really “butchers” acting as bodyguards for the baron the whole time. A deadly blade disguised as pretty flowers. I liked that someone had started that rumor as it made the girls reputation seem far better than that of just a concubine that they had returned home.

We went to the top of the stairs as the Baronial carriage moved off. Genevieve and Bethany, in very elegant dresses, came out with Ethel holding Daniel. They kissed lightly and turned to the crowd. A crier stepped forwards and called for attention.

“By the grace of Baron William Ur Hillside the town of Kelton and its surrounding villages are hereby recognized as examples to the Barony, and the nation, of the ideal citizens. Through your efforts, sacrifices, and ideals all within the lands of Baronet Mikael Ur Kelton are awarded the Baronial medal of service.”

A huge gasp went out through hundreds of mouths, and then all in attendance took a knee before the baron. William stepped forwards and called out “Rise all of you and know that you have all earned this reward. In your support of Baronet Kelton lives across the entire nation have been improved. As we speak people of this territory are going out across the barony, and one day around the nation, to model other towns and villages after your own. You have shown that a new and better way to live can succeed to not only improve the lives of the people but the entire nation. Be proud of your efforts and keep them up for all of us.”

The crier stepped forwards and called out. “Call out three cheers for the people of Kelton!” Every voice present cried out Huzaah in celebration. We then went into the hold as people milled around outside smiling in pride. The commoners of the kingdom had something to be proud of and I was proud of them as well. The moment the door closed Genny threw herself at William and he gathered her up and kissed her over and over. I was very glad to see they were still love birds despite distance. She held onto him as they turned towards me. “I hope you liked my little surprises.” I nodded and shook his hand. “You couldn’t have picked a better time to do it.”

He reached into his coat and pulled out a large gold disk and handed it to me. “This is the actual award and you can frame it and emboss it on the hold if you want.” I looked at it and smiled. “I think I ought to make a few copies so the eldermen can take them home and show it off to those who didn’t come.” William nodded and smiled. “And that is how you rule benevolently. Letting the people know you value them and what they do.”

We all relaxed in my office and had some tea while the people ran around gossiping and having fun. “So are you going to be coming to the capital before things get cold?” I rolled my eyes. “You just want me to deliver all your smoked meat for the winter.” He laughed and nodded. “Well I can’t fault you for saying that. You people make the most delicious salted meat I have ever eaten. Once your people start selling your spices in the capital the nobility will buy them up before they age a day. The few times I have given your meat out people have been stunned at it. Now everyone is hoping to make their own and anyone that does will have their doors beaten down to get at it.”

“Well then the capital is in luck. For the last few days people have been bringing in spices and herbs to sell to the town. I am thinking at least one or two wagons loads of spices, and since we are buying everything the sauce vaults is putting out I have no doubt the capital will be able to make lots of good food this winter.”

William leaned forwards and smiled a rather nasty smile. “Don’t be easy on the market Mikael, charge them well and don’t be nice about it. The common man has no chance at buying any of it as the merchants will buy it up fast knowing they can charge some of the highest prices. I am not kidding when I say pepper is worth its weight in gold, and some of the other spices can cost even more. Same goes for your sauces, the merchants will buy it up fast and use it to get gold or influence with some of the nobles.” I hadn’t seen this kind of thing from him before.

“Want to tell me what else is going on? You wouldn’t tell me to do that if you didn’t have a deeper worry.” He looked at his wife and sighed. “Since slavery ended publicly, I happen to know some are using their wealth to have slaves secretly. The kind of people to do that, will also buy spices for power or as symbols of their wealth. The more we can drain them for their egotism the more I like the idea. If they have the gold, I would rather it line your pockets than theirs.”

I nodded and thought to myself. “Well I know some of what I am going to be bringing in isn’t even for sale in the capital, and the sauces are nonexistent so I think we can help you out. Of course you and Howser will be getting a good amount as gifts. I mean I really need to bribe you any way possible after what you did today.” That got him laughing and off the depressing subjects.

Genny seemed a little excited and we all picked up on it. “So are you planning something?” I asked her and she looked to Bethany who sighed. “We knew William was bringing the girls home, and asked around to see who wanted to go to the capital to take their place. Since we only send three at a time Genny has been “interviewing” the candidates to see who is suitable and have narrowed it down to five women. All are stone mages, and family, so they are waiting to see which women you would be taking back with you.”

William looked at Genny with a bit of suspicion. “And how did my wife interview these ladies?” Well that got Genny blushing bright red and when I looked at Bethany she was much the same. Bethany cleared her throat and said “Let’s just leave that it was a very deep and probing interview that often lasted for a few days if they were promising.” Then it hit me. “If there are five now, just how many did you start with?” Well that just made them both blush even more. Bethany then said “If it is of any help, Cassie was also involved in the process of finding someone that would be of real help to William.” This got William blushing a little too.

After we broke this up so William and Genny could go home and talk, I headed over to the smithy for a little work. I looked at what I had laying around the shop and decided to use brass to make copies of the award we had received. After making them I went out to find all the eldermen which was easy as they were all still talking about the award together.

When I presented them to the council they accepted them and then asked to talk with me. “Sir Mikael we want to thank you so much for this. Not the medallion but the honor of being your home. Since we adopted you in our village, you have turned it into a named town, lifted all of us into a new life, and a far greater one than any of us could foresee. Thanks to you children that would have been a burden, are now set to see all our villages into a better future. You took poor farmers with failing fields and turned us into wealthy growers of spices. You have put gold into pockets that had never seen silver, brought trade goods we would never have seen, and given us access to lives we thought only existed to the nobility. Saying thank you is paltry to the emotions that we, and all your people, feel towards you but thank you all the same.”

I looked at them all and shook my head. “No, thank you. You not only took in a stranger, you trusted your families to me, gave me a start, and have followed me into undiscovered territories. You have all supported me, stood against the unknown, and faced your fears the whole way. I was simply working to earn the respect you have always given me.” We all bowed to each other and felt good doing it.

A few days later, as people were leaving back to their homes with goods and good feelings, William let me know he had chosen the replacement guards, and needed to talk to me in private. This either involved Genny, or the barony, and neither were subjects I wanted to cover at the moment. He asked to take a walk to the lake since he hadn’t been able to in a while, which meant he wanted to get away from prying ears and eyes. We talked about trade, how everyone was so happy during the gathering, the expansion was going on now that I was a baronet, but not what we came out here for.

We stood by the lake and he sighed. “Did you know that Genny has fallen in love with you?” I actually tripped and fell. He looked as stunned that I fell, as I was at his words. “What the hell do you mean she is in love with me?” I almost shouted. I felt a cold spike in my chest and I found a bench. He looked at me as if trying to figure out if this was an act, or if I was that clueless. “Shit, I knew getting involved with her as more than a brother was wrong. I knew something like this was going to happen but everyone just kept saying it wouldn’t.” I felt my guts twisting and my heart sinking.

Something smacked me on the head and I looked up to see William shaking his hand in the air. “Damn, I knew you were head headed but that really hurt.” He looked at me. “Do I look like I mind, or that it is tearing me up inside?” I shook my head. “You are a baron, you could smile in a hated enemies face and play nice if you needed to.” He sat down next to me and sighed.

“Well I am not acting. Like you, I figured this could happen and came to terms with it before I even let Genny stay here. You are a damn good man, you are so full of love it sends you into killing rages, and you sacrifice so much to make sure that women are safe while under your care. If I wasn’t a straight man I would fall in love with you, and in a way I have. I have never let down my guard to anyone other than the people I love. Bethany, Genny, and even Cassie have been a part of my love.”

I looked at him and he looked like I felt all of a sudden. “Yes, I am also in love with Cassie, and I think if what happened hadn’t happened something more could have gone on. The reasons I was so torn up about it all was I really felt that I had betrayed your trust. I betrayed you both by getting her pregnant, and by falling in love with her. I felt guilty because a part of me was happy that she might be with my child and that was betraying both you and Genny. When they told me that her child was now yours I felt relief and anger at the same time.” He stood up and looked tortured. “I ... I felt so bad that she had fallen into a trap and later I was so damn mad that she wasn’t having my child.”

I took a deep breath. “Will, she is having your child.” He looked at me and seemed confused. “Her child will have my magic, but I know as well as I know the stone under my feet that everything else of that child is yours.” I looked at him and looked him hard in the eyes. “But if you so much as EVER tell her, or even hint to her that fact, I will gut you like a fish. I love you but she is my wife and that would break her heart and her mind.”

I felt a stinging in my eyes. “I laid there, with her crying out in misery thinking she had betrayed me, and I never want her to think anything other than what I have told her.” He looked at me in disbelief. “But the old magic...” I shook my head. “William, I can feel my children, I can feel the blood in their veins, and that child doesn’t have it. She will be a stone mage but she will have a fraction of the power my children have, she will look just like her mother in fact.” He looked at me and it sank in, I knew the child’s sex already, so I had to be telling the truth.

He sat down and looked at me. “And you can lie to her that easily?” I looked him in the eyes. “No, but after feeling her pain, her shame, and the sorrow that could have cost her life, I can say anything that will keep them safe and happy. You should know me that well by now.” He nodded and then sighed. “To this day I don’t really know if she was more ashamed of betraying me or betraying you. That child could have started problems for you, been used as a tool against you, and she could have been the instrument of your downfall. She was betraying you by keeping the child, but she couldn’t stop the pregnancy any more than she could stop loving you and Genny.”

He looked like he wasn’t sure what to say. “You are willing to make this kind of a sacrifice to protect me?” I looked at him and smiled. “You’re my brother, of course I am willing to do this for you.” He looked at me and shook his head. “I can’t ask you to do that Mikael, that is...” I nudged him with my shoulder. “You aren’t asking me to do this, I am doing it of my own free will because your wellbeing, and the wellbeing of my family is at stake. That is also why I have to refuse Genny, it would create an opening and problems eventually. I love her, but I will not sacrifice the good of the whole family to prove it.”

William nodded and then smiled. “Well she is not going to like it, but I am sure that if she knows Bethany will oppose it, then she will need to curb her desires.” I blinked at him. “Hold on, she was making an end run on Bethany?” He looked at me confused. “And end run?” I shook my head, after all there was no football references in this world. “That means going around a defense she knows would stop her. If Bethany finds out, she will take that girl apart for even thinking of doing something this important without talking to my first wife first. All my wives have to talk to her before taking off the charm, if Bethany doesn’t think she can trust Genny, then she is about to learn what living a celibate life is like.”

He looked like he was in pain. “She won’t be very happy about me talking to you about it instead of her too.” Imagine a baron over an entire barony looking like a scared child. “Could we pretend this...” I was shaking my head. “You want me to lie to my first wife?” His shoulders dropped. “No that would be cowardly and underhanded. If Genny thought she could still sneak it past you she probably would. I mean look how long she kept me at arm’s length for letting Bethany leave without understanding I had no way or right to stop her. Once she gets fixated on something she will put her whole heart into it.”

We walked back to town in silence. I was sure he was trying to figure out what to say to Genny, and I was letting him hang in the wind for a little while before throwing him a rescue. He was about to head home when I caught him and guided him to the hold. “Are we doing what I think we are?” I nodded. “Oh we sure are. You will take the first hit from Bethany, and then sit with Genny while facing her wrath. If you did it the other way around it would give Genny time to recover. I want her blindsided just like I was.”

I was right. Bethany turned dark red as I told her what William had told me. “How in the world could you go along with something so half brained and witless? Does she understand the risks people would have to take, how many witnesses there would be? Maybe you need to take her back to the capital with you because she has forgotten what it means to be a baroness.” She spun around and pointed at the nearest person in the area. “You, go over to the Baron’s residence and tell the Baroness that her presence is needed right away!” she shouted. The young girl ran from the room like hell was on her heels.

Ten minutes later Genny came bouncing into the room followed by Cassie. Bethany looked daggers at them both. She pointed at Cassie before shouting “You don’t need to be here so get out.” Cassie put her shoulders back as if offended then looked at me and saw I was watching very closely. She said “Yes ma’am.” Before running out and closing the door behind her.

“So you threw William under the wagon hoping to say sorry instead of please?” Genny stood there blinking. “MY husband came to me telling me a story of how someone came up with a half brained plan to have a baby and then walk away from it.” Genny dropped into a seat. “So you wanted to get pregnant by MY husband and then abandon the child as if the little life meant nothing?” Genny sputtered shaking her head. “Oh, then you were going to divorce William and come live here and raise the child as your own?” I could see Bethany was peeling back the cover on just how stupid this idea was. “Nnnn-No I wasn’t thinking about doing that either.”

Bethany nodded and crossed her arms over her ample chest. “Well those are the ONLY options a woman has, especially a noble woman. You aren’t some common villager where such a thing might be possible without getting kicked out of the village for adultery. You are a baroness who has not only her desires to think of but the wellbeing and reputation of the baron to think about.” Genny looked at her with sad eyes.

“As it is MY husband that is already making a great sacrifice because your little plaything was too selfish to take care of any pregnancy BEFORE it became a scandal that could bring William’s reputation to a fall don’t expect him to keep on doing it” Bethany paced like a caged tiger. “But the magic...” She stopped when Bethany glared at her.

“Imbuing a child through an oath doesn’t change its parents. My husband did what he needed to do to save that woman’s life and protect the throne. The fact that since his effort she has been suckling your tit rather than falling all over herself to serve him has proven to me what really happened.” Well that really came out of nowhere. I had no idea Bethany knew anything about that.

“Did you give the man you want a child by any kind of thought? What could happen to him and his emotional state? Do you want to feel his soul shatter because of you?” Genny was white as a ghost at that thought. “Genevieve you need to stop playing games with people hearts and lives. These men love you dearly, but you are showing no care for either of them by doing things like this. You take their love for granted, that they will do what you want to keep you happy, but sooner or later that kind of treatment will lose you their love if this hasn’t already.” I was staring at the floor thinking about what Bethany said so I didn’t look to see Genny even looked at me.

“Genevieve I am sorry but I don’t think I can trust you anymore. William, please take your wife and son home.” Genny looked like she had been punched in the face. “I love you both but if you don’t take her away from my family she will just end up feeling like a prisoner in that house. She is a baroness, and will be given every courtesy, but that is where it will end. I cannot afford to have her causing problems that could hurt my family further.” Genny fell to her knees and clutched at Bethany’s skirt. “Please mother don’t send me away, please don’t leave me again.” She sobbed on the floor and I watched the mask Bethany had been wearing crumble.

I knew it was a bluff as I knew my wife all too well. She would teach a hard lesson, but never abandon her child. William started to get up but I put a hand on his arm. Bethany knelt on the floor and took Genny’s hands in hers. “Genevieve what happened to you? Why do you have to constantly manipulate people?” Genny whimpered and clutched at Bethany. “No one loved me like you did after you left mother. I had to play their games all the time, I had to pretend to be a noble and I hated it.” She sobbed and cried. “I hate the capital, I hate the people, I hate everything about life there. After you left there was no one to protect me like you did.”

“Silly little girl, William has always loved you more than even I could. He loves you so much he waited for you to come to him without ever taking a second wife or concubine. He loves you so much he let you leave him to live here. He loves you so much he lets you have lovers. He even loves you so much he would let another man make a child with you. No one could love you more than he has since you were children. You refused to be loved and protected by him. You locked him out so there was only so much he could do. You never came to him and asked him for help. You never allowed him to be the man you needed and still need.”

I nudged William and he went to her side. “I do love you Genny, more than anyone or anything. I never knew people were doing things, or making you do things, because you never saw me. When I tried to invite you to anything you refused. If you had only asked, even as a friend, I would have come to you.” Genny looked at him, saw the pain in his eyes, and threw herself at him. She sobbed, asked for forgiveness, and said that she loved him over and over.

Two days later Genny decided to move back to the capital with William and Daniel. Cassie was not invited to go along, and that seemed to devastate her. Before they left William told me that Cassie thought that Genny loved her enough to stay here with her rather than go back to the capital with him. Genny told her that she did love Cassie, but that she had a duty to do in the capital and having her with them would only make it seem that she was keeping her close because she was having the baron’s bastard child. By staying here she could be in a safe place to have her child and raise it in an environment of love.

Well that was a nice plan but Cassie was still devastated that all the things she thought, all the things she felt, all the hopes she had, were now gone. We all did our best and eventually she began to accept that the people who loved her from the start were here. She realized she had been drawn into the miasma of the nobility and had played in a game she shouldn’t have. Yes the baron did love her, but not as much as his wife or his nation.

As this whole thing played out, and while Cassie was recovering, I made up my mind it was time for the year end trip to the capital. While I was there I was going to be brining all the women from Kelton, and any others that wanted to, back home. Later, after the winter was over, we would bring in a new crew of people. These were my family, the women who went to the valley and learned metalsmithing, that I had left them in that hell hole too long.

Bethany was glad to hear that and so we took the entire train of ten wagons, manned by my family, to the capital. William had taken his heaters back to the capital with a smile as well as two large barrels of smoked meat. Now I had to take a few to Howser and his wives so they had a means to heat their home without wood.

We entered the city and were quickly swamped with buyers for our glass and metal work. When they learned we had spices runners were sent off and soon a flood of expensively dressed buyers appeared. They asked where the spices were from and I told them that spice farmers from Kalador and other places had moved to our territory and were beginning to grow spices there. They wanted to deny it, but the high grade of fresh herbs and spices told them there was no other possibility. We then brought out the sauces we made and this made the merchants even hungrier for what we were selling.

They started off with standard market prices but I nearly laughed and told them that these weren’t year old spices that had sat in a warehouse for months only to be hauled on hot roads for weeks on end. The smells wafting from the open barrels were strong enough to bring others in and a low level bidding war started off. After all if the spice merchants were being too cheap they wouldn’t get in on the trade. Soon I was selling our goods for almost double the standard rate and the sauces were causing an even larger bidding war. This more than tripled the amount we paid to the farmers and would go into the coffers in the form of goods we could take to them.

After all that I hit the markets. Clean wool was first on my list, second was clean flax. I found one material broker who had large bails of cleaned cotton, but no one seemed to be interested in it. It seems that while in the south it was very popular, the fact that flax was so much cheaper and wool so much better, cotton was not in demand. I took all he had so he gave me a really good price. I told him that if he kept brining it in for me, I would buy it and soon the love of cotton would start in the capital.

I then headed to the stone workshop and was welcomed by my little Hanna. “Sir, it is so great to see you. We have all missed you an awful lot.” I hugged her and she smiled. “I wanted to ask all of you if you wanted to move back home.” She tested the waters. “For the winter?” she asked and I shook my head. “No for good. I will train locals or new arrivals how to make both the lights and the batteries over the winter and send them in to take over production here.”

Hanna shouted out and ran inside. “We’re going home everybody.” A cheer went up and soon I was surrounded by happy faces. “It’s been fun, but we have all missed the family.” We made arrangements with the workshop managers so they could keep selling the lights we had in stock, with the knowledge that replacement mages would be coming in the spring. The women said they would be ready in two days’ time as they had friends they wanted to say good bye to. One girl asked if they were allowed to bring people with them. I asked what kind of people and she blushed. “Yes my sweet, you can bring your friends or lovers.” She really blushed and kissed me before running off. This caused a few others to leave and then Hanna asked if she should find any last minute stone mages bound for Kelton.

The next day I headed over to see Glen with a few porters along to carry the heater cores. I was escorted in and met with Delaine who told me Glen was at the palace. I showed her what we had brought and she was ecstatic. I showed her how they worked and she was happily warming her hands over the heater. I showed her how to safely place them and she then brought in a few servants I recognized to let them learn the ins and outs of the heaters as well. Irene came in and almost bounced at the miracle invention and couldn’t wait to show them off this winter.

I did pay a visit to William and in private he thanked me for everything we did. He and Genny were beginning to bond a lot more than before and that meant he was able to be the father he had dreamed of. Genny did come in for a bit, gave me a hug and kiss, and then left. They both needed time to rediscover their love, and discover the love they could build as a family. When I left I knew we were all in a better place and that meant so was the barony.

When we left the freight wagons were loaded to the max because two of our wagons became passenger wagons. I expected the ten people we had in the capital, I didn’t expect the twenty partners and stone mages that would be returning with us. During the trip my family was teaching the new mages the wonders of real stone magic and by the time we got home many of them were even able to make the stone dance a little. By the end of the winter they would be ready to take these women’s place making lights.