A Roll of the Die - 1. Inception
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 85: Day 111
"How is Queen Miri?" Lilia asked after greeting Matthias upon his return to Newtown late in the afternoon.
"About the same as you, though I can't say for sure, as she was wearing her sorceress robes."
Lilia laughed. "I believe the King might take exception if she received visitors naked!"
"A reasonable point! Did the men from the Millers Guild accept my invitation for the evening meal tomorrow?"
"They did. Filip the Architect reported this morning that he has the final plans for the new Manor House. He will present them first thing tomorrow, as I wasn't sure what time you would arrive today."
"Very good. Has your father said anything more about the planar travel device?"
"Not to my knowledge. Zoë promised to inform me at once if he did, and she has said nothing. What will you do if he insists?"
"Queen Miri suggested sending him to a time before there were men, when dinosaurs — think drắkōnes, but without breathing fire or acid — ruled the Earth. He'd be eaten almost instantly!"
Lilia's look was a mix of amusement and horror.
"Was she serious?" she asked apprehensively.
"No. It was said in jest, but the concern about sending him is genuine. It would be very different from Miri or me traveling as Miriam or Matthew. The only remotely safe time would be when things were similar to Nystria, but nobody would speak the language, and there would be very little knowledge he could gain.
"As I said to the Queen, your father might get by during what is called the late Middle English period, when there were significant differences in dialect. The language is close enough to Nystrian that he could manage, and he could pretend to be from a small village with a unique dialect. But, again, there would be minimal scientific or technological advances, so, as I said, he would have little to gain."
"My father is very stubborn," Lilia observed.
"Which means you come by it honestly!" Matthias teased.
"Lord Husband, if you are not careful..." she said threateningly, but with a sly smile.
"You know I am teasing; I do not think you are stubborn in a bad way; you are simply persistent and know what you want. Going back to the point about your father — how would you and your mother feel if he were unable to return to Nystria for some reason?"
"I would be very sad, and so would my mother, though I think there are days when she wouldn't mind him being gone."
"And do you have those days, Countess?" Matthias asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
"Never!" Lilia declared emphatically. "I miss you every moment we are apart."
"Even when you and the Queen are conspiring against King Robert and me?" Matthias asked lightly.
"Even then!" Lilia declared mirthfully. "I think my father is a good father, but not nearly as good a husband."
"Besides not traveling, is there any way I could improve as a husband?"
"No! Except for traveling with your Company, which is important for the Realm, you are perfect!"
"I wouldn't go quite that far," Matthias chuckled. "But I am happy you believe that."
"How long will you be in Southham?"
"Hopefully, only two or three days. If Tristan and Lisette have found what we need to decode the ledger, then I will turn it over to the Bailiff and Prosecutor, and the City Guard or Army can arrest whoever is named. Tyra should be able to travel soon, so we can all return together."
"What if they haven't located the things for which you asked them to search?"
"Then it would be necessary to stay longer; for how long, I cannot say."
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"Seventeen names in total," Tristan said, consulting his list. "I recognize one of them — Bertram, a cloth merchant."
"Do we report this now, or wait for Matthias to return?" Lisette asked.
"I think we wait, but we try to determine who these men are. From everything I've heard about the Black Crows, nobody has more than three or four names. The fact that Alton has seventeen suggests he was very high up in the organization, and might have been, without us realizing it, the Black Crow."
"An almost mythical person," Tyra observed. "There has never been one shred of evidence pointing to anyone."
"That is true," Tristan replied. "But it is possible. Let's speak with Penelope, Laurel, and Daphne to see if they know any of the men or women on the list."
"Before we do that, Tristan, may I ask a personal question?" Lisette inquired.
"You may."
"You seem to have changed your behavior. In the past, you would be with a girl once or twice, and that was it, but with Jillian and Daphne, you limit yourself to them when you are in either Haven or Southham."
"I hadn't really thought about it," Tristan replied, "but your observation is accurate."
"Would you be open to trying something?"
"What did you have in mind?"
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