A Roll of the Die - 1. Inception
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 71: Day 93
"How long do you think you'll stay in Haven?" Matthias asked Lilia the following morning.
"Would you mind if I stayed for seven days?"
"It's up to you. As you said, it's probably your last chance until after you deliver our baby. I'm going to be gone for a full day traveling to my OP, and I have plenty to do with John Tinker, Lewis Smith, and Filip the architect, plus all the other things that might need my attention in Newtown."
"Then I'll stay six more nights. The Queen offered for as long as I wish to stay, but understood I don't want to be away from you for too long. Could you bring me something special from your OP?"
"I'll see what I can do, because there are limits. I promise to find something you'll like."
"Thank you! You will stay safe, right?"
"Where I am going is one of the safest places there is in my Realm."
"Good," Lilia replied.
Both of them packed, and Matthias escorted Lilia and Bella to the Queen's quarters, meeting Tristan, who was just taking his leave of Jillian. Matthias hugged and kissed Lilia, then he and Tristan departed to meet the others, including Karl and Teresa, at the stables.
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"I know nothing about herding," Michael said to Sierra.
"Fortunately, I do!" Sierra declared. "Just as I know nothing about military matters, you must be an expert after twenty years in the Army! What I am is in need of a husband, and you have never taken a wife. Are you able to carry out the duties and obligations of a husband?"
Michael smiled. "Quite capably, I believe!"
"Return for the evening meal, and after we eat, you may demonstrate!"
"An audition?"
"If Count Matthias hired you, then you must be a kind, honorable, respectable man. I am no maiden, and I wish to be with you if you are interested. Then you may decide if you would be happy being only with me for the rest of our lives."
"I'll return for the evening meal."
"Good! Just so we are clear — if we were to marry, my mother would assign title to the land to me, so long as she and my brother may stay as long as they live. Title would pass to our eldest child, and Count Matthias promised to assent."
"As you brought the land into the discussion, I wish to know if the farm is profitable."
"Yes, and there are no liens against the deed. We grow our own vegetables, have chickens for eggs and meat, and cows for cheese and butter. The only thing we need to buy is flour. We sell spun wool and wool cloth. You would, of course, also have your wages from Count Matthias."
"An enticing offer, all around," Michael said.
"One we will discuss further tonight."
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Matthias' Company arrived back in Newtown late in the afternoon, and Matthias made immediate plans with Zoë to travel to the OP before first light. Once he had made those arrangements, he checked with Jorah, who had no major news to report.
After the evening meal, Matthias took his usual evening tour of the grounds, greeting Lucas, Mark, Stefan, and Trevor, a new guardsman. It was fortunate that Milos would be buying land, as Newtown was quickly running out of space, despite the barracks and the rooms above the stables. Matthias hoped that when they had more space, Tristan would move back, but he wasn't sure that would happen.
Matthias returned to his library and made a list of things he would obtain if his hypothesis about planar travel proved correct — metal metric rulers and meter sticks; metal metric measuring tapes; graduated cylinders, beakers, and measuring cups with metric markings; a slide rule and manual; and an analog chemistry scale with metric weights. All of those were available at the campus bookstore and supply store.
In addition, he'd acquire a basic toolkit from a local hardware store, and for Lilia, lace lingerie, good chocolate, and a waist chain. In exchange, he'd leave 'alternate' Matthew ten gold coins and ten silver coins, or about thirty times what Matthias expected to spend. As he considered the plan, he added another large backpack similar to the one he'd bought the first time.
He then spent nearly an hour working out the possible cause of the date variance, and eventually found that Kranos had made an error in his calculations. It was subtle, and Matthias had missed it, reinforcing his intent to retrieve a slide rule. He triple checked the math and was certain his new calculations were correct.
"My Lord?" Zoë said from the door to the library.
"Yes?"
"As we need to wake together, and I need eight hours of sleep, perhaps we should go to bed together."
"Very practical," Matthias replied.
"If we go now, we have two hours before we need to be asleep!"
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"Thank you for your service, Tristan," Karl said when they arrived at Karl's house in the upper-class district, which befit a successful merchant.
"It seems your father was concerned over nothing; the move was political, and not specifically against your family."
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