A Roll of the Die - 1. Inception
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 48: Day 66
"Do you think you'll pass this way again soon?" Noëmi, the serving girl, asked Tristan when she woke him before first light.
"Perhaps upon our return journey, but it is up to Kristof, as I was assigned by his father to ensure he isn't robbed or waylaid."
"I hope you do pass this way again! You are an expert ploughman!"
"I'll do my best to return."
"I need to prepare breakfast for the guests. You can join me and have some bread and tea while I work."
Noëmi had not been a maiden, but that had not in any way detracted from Tristan's enjoyment of their multiple couplings. A maidenhead was always a bonus, and one he sought at every opportunity, but not to the exclusion of experienced girls. The only thing missing to make things perfect in his life was a good sword fight, which war most certainly would bring.
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"Which fits your story better?" Katrina asked when she and Matthias woke. "Having me or not?"
"Did anyone see you come upstairs?"
"No, but Noëmi, the evening serving girl, knows I did not leave before Karl, the proprietor, locked the door."
"Having you," Matthias replied.
"Then I will not have to pretend," Katrina replied. "I shall simply be the expertly ploughed widow who wanted to be discreet."
"It was very enjoyable for me as well."
"I have missed it ever since my husband died, but had no interest in any of the men in the village, and no traveler has caught my eye. When you're ready to share more about your real life, come back and see me. I'll prepare a meal, and we can enjoy each other again."
"If possible, I will happily do so."
They got out of bed, washed, dressed, and went downstairs just as the proprietor unlocked the door for the day. They found Tristan sitting alone in the common room, waiting for them.
"I take it you checked her thoroughly for weapons, my Lord," Tristan asked with a smile.
"Inside and out," Matthias/Kristof replied with a grin. "I found only a sheath in need of a sword."
"Then the same as Tristan," Noëmi declared mirthfully. "Good morning, Katrina! You appear happier than you have in two years."
"Despite his uncouth behavior, Kristof knows his way around a field!"
Other guests came to the tables to eat, either from the three other rooms or the large common sleeping room. The remainder of Count Matthias' Company arrived, with Lisette raising an eyebrow at Matthias because Katrina was sitting very close to him on the bench at the table. Katrina ate quickly, then bade Matthias/Kristof 'goodbye', as she had to tend to her bakery, where the baker would already be baking bread for the day.
An hour later, after Tristan kissed Noëmi, the Company took to the road, heading to Wickham.
"Interesting development," Lisette observed as she rode next to Matthias as they departed Telford.
"She recognized me from Langford," Matthias replied. "Thankfully, she played along with the ruse."
"And then played with you after publicly refusing!" Tyra, who was riding next to Lisette, observed.
"She's the older sister of a friend with whom I hunted."
"And you failed to recognize her?" Karla asked from just behind them.
"She left to marry when I was ten. I didn't pay much attention to girls at that age, and especially not to one who was so much older."
"How many years?" Karla inquired.
"Seven," Matthias replied. "Her husband died of consumption about two years ago. She owns the bakery in Telford, which she inherited from him."
"She'll keep your secret?" Milos asked.
"Yes. She doesn't know about anything that has happened since I was ten; the only thing she knows is the Kristof persona."
"Being with her will enhance the stories," Milos observed.
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"I'll be in my laboratory," Princess Miri said to Prince Robert when they finished breakfast.
"And I will be patrolling with a squad of the King's Guard."
"You were wise to hire a clerk to handle the administrative tasks. You've been much happier the last few days."
"You give good advice, my Princess!"
Miri kissed Robert, then headed for her laboratory, accompanied by Jillian.
"How did you discover you had the Gift?" Jillian asked.
"Aunt Emma, my father's sister. You know what our mothers and our grandmother thought about magic, right?"
"That it corrupts everyone who uses it, far worse than money or power," Jillian replied. "They feel it is the source of almost everything wrong in the world."
"My father's family does not have that opinion. You know Emma has the Gift, and when I was born, she secreted a mana crystal in my crib. She checked it the next morning, and it had charged. She said nothing to anyone because of how my mother thinks.
"The day I first bled, not long after I completed my fourteenth year, she told me about it. She arranged for mana crystals, commissioned a medallion, and began to teach me. When my mother found out, just after I completed my fifteenth year, she demanded I renounce magic forever or leave the house permanently. That's when I went to Matthias.
"The first thing I did was lie with him, as being a maiden limits your ability to focus mana for more complex spells. The second thing I did was encourage him to form an adventuring party. He agreed, and we quickly recruited Milos, Karla, and Tristan, then set out to seek our fortune."
"I didn't know that being a maiden limited your power. What about men?"
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