Morning came early the next day. She had left the curtains open on purpose, and the sun's first rays made it impossible to sleep. Lilian Earton's body protested, and its sore muscles whined, but Aliya was ruthless.

Time to get up! Don't like it? That's your problem. I've got exercises to do. Squats, push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, lunges.

She grabbed the first dress she saw in the closet. Aliya decided she would ask Martha to sew her a couple of simple dresses for every day. She would have preferred to wear nothing but an undershirt, which in 21st-century terms, was a plain shift dress that went to her ankles, but people would be shocked. She did, however, refuse the myriad petticoats and cotton pants as too much fabric for one woman to wear.

Martha appeared after Aliya had already managed to pull a dress over her head and was swearing at whoever decided that women's clothes should lace up the back. Without the bulky underclothes, Aliya no longer felt so huge.

"Good morning, Lily. How did you sleep?"

"Wonderful, Nanny. Could you help me with this?"

"But why were you doing it alone? I always help you." Aliya barely listened as her nanny went off on her favorite topic. "It doesn't fit for a lady... I can do everything for you... You shouldn't have to lift a finger..."

Good grief! Next thing I know, Martha will try to help me on and off the toilet.

She interrupted the old woman with a question. "Nanny, has Etor left?"

"Yes, he and his wife left as soon as it got light."

Aliya smirked to herself. "Did the people sell him a horse?"

"The boys from the village came back to see them off. I believe they knocked him around a little bit before they let him go."

"I hope it was more than a little bit."

"Lily!"

"He had it coming. But that's enough of that. Back to cleaning. I won't live in this sty!"

"Lily, surely you exaggerate?"

"Can't you see it? This place is knee-deep in dirt everywhere I look! We've got some hard work ahead of us. At least ten days. Shall we get started?"

"But what about your breakfast?"

"I thought I fired the cook."

"You did, but you can always order..."

"None of that. Isn't Emma here yet? I'll send a carriage for her."

"Lily! You want to send your carriage for a peasant woman?"

"So what?"

"Even the doctor has never ridden in your carriage."

"Emma is much more intelligent than the doctor. I hope she found the people I asked her for."

The day before, Aliya had asked Emma to find two dozen women for the dirty job of cleaning the castle properly. She had no money for real repairs yet, but even a good cleaning would help.

"Who around here knows how to cook?" Aliya was perfectly capable of cooking for herself, but she didn't know how to use a wood-burning stove, and she was afraid she would look silly trying to learn.

"I suppose anyone can..."

"Perfect. Then have one of the girls cook something simple."

"But..."

"I don't want any more fancy breakfasts with eight different dishes. Just a big pot of buckwheat with meat, and maybe some bread and cheese. Is that clear?"

"Lily, I don't think..."

"I can live on porridge. It won't kill me. Nanny, please just do as I ask. And have all the servants who are still here wait for me downstairs in the kitchen."

Martha nodded and hurried from the room.

Aliya sighed. She opened the wardrobe and looked at herself in the polished metal mirror again.

"What do you say, Lilian Earton? We aren't from around here, but we can shape this place up. I hope. Are you scared? Just take a deep breath and hold on. Nobody dies twice, right?"

Her reflection shook all three of its chins. It was not happy.

Aliya laughed out loud when she thought about what she had just said. She'd already died once. She wondered if it were possible that she had become immortal. In any case, she wasn't Aliya. She was Lily—Lilian, the Countess of Earton.

Anyone who doesn't like my new ways will get a mop upside the head!

***

The woman who went downstairs was in a good mood and feeling sure of herself; the inexperienced girl left farther in the past. Her servants met her with foreboding, but the young men she had hired the day before were pleased with the turn of events thus far—especially the estate Comptroller's ouster.

"That's just the start," Lilian said to herself, grinning.

"More cleaning today," she said briefly. "The grooms get another day to finish the stable. The horses are in terrible condition, and so are the carriages. If you let things get that bad again, I'll have you all whipped. Get going! Breakfast will be later, once I see that you know how to do something other than eat."

One of the grooms opened his mouth to say something, but Lilian brought her fist down on the table. The table groaned. Sometimes, being a large woman comes in handy.

"Quiet! Do as I say! All of you, march!"

The grooms obeyed in silence. Aliya slowly let her breath out. When she turned around, she almost fell over Emma's son. He had been standing behind her the whole time without saying a word, but his eyes spoke clearly. She sighed. Apparently, she wasn't as convincing as she had hoped. She realized she needed her own guards. It was the Middle Ages, and people would only listen to her if they thought they could get something out of her or if she had proper firepower. Sad but true.

Lilian turned to the chambermaids. "Ladies, let's see your hands." The girls stared at her, but obediently held out their hands for inspection.

Their hands looked good. There wasn't a single callous among them. These girls have been hired to clean, but they're sitting around eating and drinking at my expense without doing any work in return!

Aliya knew how much hard work went into cleaning even a small medical office. She and her mother had often suffered from cracked skin caused by harsh cleaners. Her chambermaids' hands looked like they had never touched a floor, much less washed it.

Aliya's eyes flashed. "You listen to me; there will be no breakfast today. Mary and Ilona, take the sheets you stripped off the beds yesterday and go wash them. If I see a single spot on them when you're done, I'll have you whipped alongside the grooms. Sarah, go help Martha in the kitchen. Make enough food for about twenty people. Just buckwheat with beef, nothing else. Jean, Peter and Claus, you follow me."

She started in the library. The drapes came down, and the furniture was moved out so that the chambermaid could clean the entire floor. Servants with huge rags wiped the dust and dirt off of everything in the room. Jean climbed up a dangerous-looking contraption that he called a ladder to sweep the spider webs off the twelve-foot-high ceilings. Aliya emptied out desk drawers while she watched them work and issued orders. It was no easy feat to keep three full-grown men working on the task. As soon as she took her eyes off them, one would start daydreaming about his lady friend, Mary, the second would accidentally knock the moldings off the ceiling, and the third would begin tossing books as if they were bricks. She was lucky to stop him before he ruined any of them.

They don't scare me. I've done harder jobs!

***

Anna slowly combed out her hair. Things were going well so far. Mila had made her try on dresses all day, which, when she thought about it, was a good thing. If I want to catch a big fish, I need to use good bait. Help me, Aldonai.

The door creaked.

"Lons! Have you lost your mind?"

The man slipped into the room. He took the comb from her hands and began to run it through her thick hair.

"You know I lost my mind over you a long time ago."

"I told you not to come near me while my father's here."

Lons put down the comb and pressed his lips against the back of her head. "Anna, I can't live without you. You're my whole life."

"This is interesting. Have you two known each other long?" the voice slashed the lovers like a whip. Anna would have screamed, but she clapped her hand over her mouth in time. Lons turned. The King's Jester stood in the doorway holding a crossbow, and the arrow was pointed straight at Anna's husband.

"I can't hear you."

To Lons' credit, he didn't fall on his knees. "I've loved Anna for a long time. She is my wife in God's eyes."

"How sweet. Who heard your vows?"

"The priest here at the castle."

"Father Linder?"

"No, Father Zemin."

"I see. The one that died this spring?"

Anna nodded. There was something of her father in her, so she knew what was coming.

"Then tell him he made a mistake." The bow twanged. If Lons hadn't made a dodge for the window, he would have been dead on the floor. As it was, the arrow, grazed his right side. An instant later the paper covering the window tore, and Lons disappeared into the night.

Anna pressed her hand to her mouth as hard as she could. The Jester noticed. He took a flask from his pocket and held it out to her. "Drink this."

She shook her head, but he insisted. She took a sip, and then another.

"It isn't poison. It's just strong wine. Drink."

Obediently, Anna swallowed some more of the heady drink. A warm, liquid flame ran through her body. She coughed but stayed standing.

"Good girl. I'm glad you know enough to stay quiet."

Anna nodded. She didn't know what this little man in bright clothes wanted, but she knew she'd have to go along with it, whatever it was. If he let a word slip, she'd be up on the scaffold in no time. Gardwig didn't play games. People called him the Lion of Wellster and, like a lion, he didn't care who he ripped into.

"Now talk. Who was that?"

"My teacher."

"I always said that education is no good for girls. Breasts are enough. How long have you been with him?"

"Two years."

"Fool. Do you have children with him?"

"N-no."

"That's bad. Are you barren?"

Anna shook her head. "Lons always brought a potion with him."

"I see."

"He wanted to ask Father for my hand."

The Jester sneered. He knew what the king would say about giving his daughter to a teacher who, although he was a member of the nobility, had no estate of his own. Just hilarious!

"Here's what's going to happen. Tomorrow, I'll let everyone know that he stole some jewels and ran off. We will keep the story simple."

Anna stared at the Jester. She was feeling the effects of the wine. "And you won't..."

"No, I won't. Hurting you isn't in my interests. If you keep your mouth shut, I will, too. Gardwig doesn't need a scandal right now, but he does need a closer friendship with Edward. I don't want to catch you with anyone else. Is that clear?"

She nodded. "Why would I bother with trifles when I can have a crown?"

"I see there's hope for you...and a little of your father in you."

Anna nodded again. "I won't say anything. But what about Lons?"

"Other than you and the priest, does anyone know?"

"No, just the priest."

"Did he write down your marriage anywhere?"

"No. Lons asked him not to."

"He probably paid him not to. Fine. He tried to win you, but you'll be the winner in the end. Let me do some investigating. If there are no records of the marriage, then just hold your tongue. Even if they threaten to cut you in pieces, just hold your tongue. You're a young girl, as innocent as a daughter of Aldonai."

Anna nodded. "Gardwig will show me no mercy if he finds out."

"You just remember that." The Jester patted her cheek. "Now, go to bed. You'll be wiser in the morning."

Anna nodded. She reached around to unlace her bodice and never even noticed when the terrible man left her bedroom. He just disappeared.

Lons was gone, too. From now on, she would have to be extremely cautious. If only this Richard person would marry me!

The strong wine did its job, and Anna fell asleep. She dreamed of balls, jewels, and a host of suitors crowding around her. Each of them had one of two faces: Lons or the King's Jester.

There were several types of aristocratic titles. Hereditary titles, such as duke, count or baron, added the name of the family's estate to the person's name. For example: Lilian Earton, Amadeo Troquer. Lons Avels was a chevalier. This title came with no estate, but it was hereditary. If he had managed to acquire an estate, he would have taken the name of the estate. Without an estate, he used his parents' last name. Non-hereditary titles were assigned for feats of bravery and service to the king, or they could be purchased. If three generations of a family receive a non-hereditary title, it became hereditary and the family could own land. Otherwise, this avenue was shut off to them. Without a title, no one was allowed to own an estate.

Lily looked around the drawing room with a sense of accomplishment. She thought of herself as Lilian more often these days, and she felt no alienation from the name. What a difference a week could make! Everything pink in the whole castle was gone, except for Lilian's dresses. All of the pink fabric had been carefully taken down from the walls. Lily would have given it all away—she was starting to feel like a Spanish bull at the sight of pink—but Emma tactfully reminded her, "Countess, this fabric cost an enormous sum of money!"

Lily had no idea how much the fabric wall coverings cost, but she decided to find out where in her new homeland they made fabric. She carefully dropped a few hints, and Emma immediately picked up on what she wanted. The Widow Mattie was by no means simple. It turned out that silk (Lily was shocked to find that her walls had been covered with it) was only made in Elvana, on the border with the Vari Khanganat. She deduced that her father must have bought the pink fabric for her. It was a costly present. As the owner of several boatyards, he was a wealthy man and could afford such luxuries.

With a firm hand, Lily gave three square yards of the silk to the three women who had worked the hardest. The others received copper coins. She could tell that none of them had expected such generosity from her. Emma did not approve—she knew the servants would have been happy to receive their pay in groceries—but the job was done.

Once the silk came down, it revealed handsome oak panels. They darkened the room, but Lilian told the servants to dust and wax them. Once they were polished, they looked much better. Under the thick layer of straw on the floor, she found ancient stone tiles that looked like they could be marble. They would look better after a cleaning, as well. The room was dark, but anything was better than the awful pink and gold.

Everything Lilian laid eyes on needed to be washed or dusted, and she ran around the castle giving orders. In the ballroom, she had them open the windows, dust, and toss out any dead mice they found. She ordered the guest bedrooms dusted and then kept closed for the time being. She wasn't expecting guests, anyway.

In the formal hall, the game room, and the ladies sitting room, Lilian ordered the servants to take down all the pink fabric. Then she had them wash everything in the house, even the 'privy'. That done, she had them build an outhouse behind the castle. It was a standard army-style outhouse, with two doors marked M and W and three seats behind each. She informed the staff that anyone found answering the call of nature in the castle instead of the outhouse would be whipped as an example to the others.

She had to make good on her word the very same day when she caught Peter urinating on an oak wall with carved panels. Instead of raising the roof right then, she just slipped around the corner as quietly as she could manage at her current size and went off to see her guards. They had been pleased to return to work at the castle, so when Lilian nodded at Peter and ordered ten lashes, no one argued with her. When no one was looking, she whispered to one of the guards that they shouldn't break his skin. She wasn't being merciful; she just didn't want to have to treat him. Lily didn't want to go down to the stable yard to watch the whipping, but she knew she had to. Everyone needed to know that this particular woman always did what she said she would. Otherwise, she'd never make any progress.

She needed people to follow her orders. For now, she could lean on her title, her husband's shadow on the horizon, and a small band of young men with strong arms and axes. Lily had only been able to locate two members of the castle's old guard. The others had left the area looking for wars where they could hire on as mercenaries to feed their families. These two old-timers drilled the new guards whenever they had time, but they knew as well as Lily that it was just a drop in the ocean. And she needed every drop of help she could get.

"Countess..."

"Yes, Emma?"

Lily turned and smiled. She couldn't have made it without the woman before her. Emma was an expert at issuing commands, dressing down servants and throwing fits when necessary. Lily could do all those things, but she decided it would be better to have someone do it for her.

Emma enjoyed the work, and Lily had time to write. She kept an eye on progress in the castle and swore at the servants when absolutely necessary, but she spent most of her time in the library writing out notes with a quill pen that splattered ink everywhere. She wrote out everything she remembered about medicine because she knew that if she didn't use her knowledge, she was in danger of forgetting it.

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