A Roll of the Die - 1. Inception
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 50: Day 68
Count Matthias' Company assembled at the Full Moon Inn for breakfast. Tristan had his two now former maidens with him, and more importantly, Lisette had William with her. Matthias was confident Lisette would have something to report when they had a chance to speak privately.
William left immediately after eating, as he had to report to work, though the two former maidens did not appear to be ready to leave. Tristan, knowing that Matthias wanted to speak to the Company, suggested to the girls that they go to a bakery for sweet rolls rather than eat porridge, and the girls quickly agreed.
"What did you discover, Lisette?" Matthias asked once Tristan and the girls had departed.
"Sated and full of ale, he fell asleep, allowing me to go through his pouches and pockets. I found a codebook and made a copy of the cipher. The only other useful thing I found was a note from someone named Priscilla asking William to meet at dusk tonight. It did not specify a meeting place."
"He has no idea you went through his things?" Milos inquired.
"None. He was sound asleep and snoring. I was very careful to ensure everything was exactly where he had left it, but with as much spiced mead as he had drunk, I doubt he'd notice anything slightly out of place."
"Spiced mead is a typically Danian drink," Karla observed.
"Could you follow him from work and identify this Priscilla?" Matthias asked.
"Yes," Karla replied. "There's a jeweler's shop just down the street from the public entrance to the Tax Assessor's office in the Keep. I can arrive just before the time he would leave his office and follow him."
"Good," Matthias replied.
"We should go to the Overflowing Tankard again tonight," Milos suggested. "I'll wager the trio returns, and maybe we'll get lucky and others will join them."
"I agree," Matthias declared. "For the morning, we should walk the city and talk to as many people as possible. Keep it friendly and spread some coin around. Keep track of what you spend, as the King will reimburse us for any expenses."
They decided Karla and Milos would go together, as would Matthias and Lisette. Tyra would wait for Tristan and go with him.
"Tyra was hoping to go with you," Lisette observed as she and Matthias made their way to the major open-air market.
"I was concerned about putting you and Tristan together."
"He's much happier now," Lisette said with a smirk. "Especially after last night! I'm perfectly capable of working and collaborating with Tristan, and after last night, I can't imagine he'd object to working with me."
"But are you happy?" Matthias inquired.
"It was not my preferred outcome, but Tristan was unhappy. Perhaps he'll grow out of it, and we can try again. I was probably too quick to try to tie him down, and letting him go was best for the Company. In the meantime, I have Michael waiting for me in Newtown."
"I agree that it was best for the Company, and I appreciate you acting in its best interest."
"If that same young woman is in the tavern tonight, you need to play your part."
Matthias nodded. "I agree, but I felt it was better to be patient. That way, if we do find a female spy, I can be patient without arousing suspicion."
"I'm not so sure," Lisette countered. "What you did in Telford was perfect, including being rejected. Of course, it did work out in your favor in the end!"
Matthias smiled. "That was totally unexpected, but not unappreciated."
"She certainly seemed very happy the next morning."
"As did William this morning."
"A man who only cared for his own pleasure and who could not hold his mead. But it was necessary and successful in the most important way."
"Does it bother you?"
"You mean lying with a man for ulterior reasons? I'm hardly the first woman to ever do that! Not to mention you would have followed through with Katrina had she not rejected you and had been a total stranger for the purposes of playing your part."
"True."
"For you, it's special with Lilia and Miri; with others, it's just pleasure."
"For you, it's Tristan."
"And you," Lisette replied. "Tyra, Zoë, Katherine, and Krista all agree, as I'm sure Sierra does."
"Something I do not understand, given how things were before I arrived in Nystria; well, Matthew arrived here to ... take over Matthias' mind and body."
"You're kind, handsome, fit, and give yourself completely to your bedmate. Yes, your heart is with Lilia and Miri, but it's obvious you care, even for the girls who are only with you once. Miri said people think very differently where you come from."
"That is true. For us, this plane was our fantasy life, and now it's become our reality."
"I'm certainly glad to be a part of it. Ask me to your bed sometimes; I am a free woman."
"What about what you said to Tristan?"
"What I said was true. I will not come to you unbidden. If you invite me, I don't think Tristan would have the slightest care, given his choice and how happy he is."
They reached the marketplace and made a show of examining wares and making some purchases. Stalls of cloth and cookery crowded the square, pepper and cured meat sharp in the air, and outbound carts already bore wool bales bound for the docks; among Wickham's own luxuries, blue porcelain from the town kilns drew the eye the way gold drew a pickpocket's hand.
🎲🎲🎲
"I'm impressed," Tyra said to Tristan when she met up with him.
Tristan laughed. "And I was surprised they acted on my suggestion. This morning they told me they have been best friends almost since birth and had planned to find two men to whom they would surrender their maidenheads on the same day."
"You were never with two girls at once before last night?"
"Not for lack of trying!" Tristan declared.
"Did you discover anything of value to our mission from them?"
"They frequent that tavern and observed a total of five men who meet there regularly, but only since the previous new moon. I simply asked about their quest to lose their maidenheads, and they described every man who is there regularly. The way the girls tell it, the oldest of last night's trio is the overall leader. The girls obviously don't know the men are Danian spies."
"You successfully probed them in more ways than one!" Tyra teased.
"Indeed!" Tristan declared smugly.
"You prefer that to a pledge or marriage?"
"Yes," Tristan replied. "I tried with Lisette, and I enjoy her company immensely, but I cannot limit myself to just one girl. Milos not only can, but has done so. I'm happy for him, but I simply cannot do that."
"Where shall we gather information?"
"The docks. I'm looking for work, as I'm tired of babysitting a spoiled brat of a fourth son of a minor noble. You're my cousin."
"Not lovers or pledged?"
"I believe it plays better to be cousins, especially given people saw me with Marta and Julianne."
"Then, cousins it is! To the docks!"
🎲🎲🎲
"Jealous?" Karla asked Milos.
"I wouldn't trade you for three girls!" Milos declared.
"And if they were triplets?" Karla teased.
"I might have to consider invoking Knightly privilege!" Milos said with a grin.
Karla laughed. "Should that scenario ever arise, I would grant an exception to our agreement!"
Milos laughed as well.
"As safe a promise as is possible to make," he observed.
"You never know! Where should we go?"
"The garrison. I'll express an interest in joining the Army."
"And your cover of having just left the service?"
"I haven't actually said that to anyone. It's risky if you think about it. I could easily run into someone who was in any unit I might name, and I would have to name a unit."
"That is true," Karla agreed. "The garrison it is."
🎲🎲🎲
"My Lady, Gareth, who is neighbor to John, who came to you about the dispute, requests an audience."
"Bring him in and stay with us, please," Lilia said.
"Right away, my Lady," Jorah replied.
He left and returned a moment later.
"My Lady, this is Gareth, son of Gareth," Jorah said.
"Welcome, Gareth, son of Gareth. Please state your request."
"If it pleases my Lady, the land in question was granted to my grandfather's grandfather by King Henry for service in the Army during the Mage Rebellion."
"Do you have a Royal Warrant to prove that grant?" Lilia asked.
"Yes, my Lady, I found it last year among some old papers."
"Did you pay the taxes on that land last year?"
"No, my Lady."
"Jorah, what is the law concerning non-payment of taxes?"
"Anyone may pay the past-due tax and has the absolute right to possess and use the land until the tax debt is repaid, including interest."
"Gareth," Lilia said, "by your own admission, you did not even attempt to pay the tax after you discovered your Warrant. By law, if you wish to claim the land, John and his family are entitled to receive back taxes plus interest. In line with the spirit of the law, and my husband's views on taxes, I decreed an amount that is surely less than the total due."
"That is not right!" Gareth protested. "It is my land, and I have proof!"
"Do the tax records show you paid the tax on that land at any time?"
"No, my Lady, because I did not know!"
"Yet you admit not paying them after you knew. You may redeem the debt for payment of all back taxes, without interest. John agreed to my ruling, despite his legal right to collect interest."
"I will take this to King Edward!" Gareth declared.
"You may do so," Jorah agreed. "If you do, John will be well within his rights to demand full repayment of all back taxes, plus interest going back to the Peace of King Henry."
"Just another stinking noble stealing land," Gareth growled.
"I have done no such thing," Lilia declared firmly. "In fact, my Lord husband has not collected a copper of tax so far, and we have not taken any freely held land from anyone, nor do we intend to take any."
"Stinking nobles," he growled again, then turned on his heel and left without being dismissed.
"What do you want to do, my Lady?" Jorah asked once Gareth had departed.
"Please inform Gregor of what has transpired. Ask him to visit both farms tomorrow to show we are paying attention."
"Yes, my Lady. May I say you handled that with dignity and grace?"
"You may!"
🎲🎲🎲
In Wickham, Matthias' Company met for their evening meal at the Full Moon Inn.
"I followed William and saw the woman he met," Karla reported. "I can identify her if I see her again. She passed a satchel to William."
"Milos, you and Karla should visit the Grey Goose Tavern tonight," Matthias directed. "The rest of us will return to the Overflowing Tankard. See who shows up at the Grey Goose, and if there is no one of interest, join us at the Overflowing Tankard. If the Danian agents are not at the Overflowing Tankard, we'll come to the Grey Goose. Our goal is to identify as many agents or collaborators as possible, then turn or kill them swiftly. Those are the clear orders of King Edward."
They finished their meals and departed for the two taverns. At the Overflowing Tankard, Matthias bought a round of ale for everyone there, and he, Lisette, Tristan, and Tyra settled in. The three Danian agents arrived, and Lisette began flirting with all three, intending to ultimately take the oldest man to bed. First, though, she had to ensure he drank plenty of spiced mead.
The two girls Tristan had seduced arrived and immediately struck up a conversation with him. Tyra considered her options and joined Lisette in flirting with the men, though her goal was to keep the others occupied so Lisette could complete her mission.
Matthias chose to flirt with the same young woman as he had the previous night, but he was only playing the part of the gregarious friend. The young woman, Uma, flirted back, laughed at his jokes, and was clearly enjoying his attention.
🎲🎲🎲
"There she is," Karla said quietly, nodding her head towards the door.
The female spy, or possibly a Nystrian collaborator, was accompanied by two young women and three young men.
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.