Chapter Eight

I awaken to a cramp. But also to a warm naked cat girl maid wrapped around me. The cramp sucks but the cat girl maid is nice. And cute. So I am a pervert, bite me. I move my head just so and give Emi a slow kiss with a bit of tongue which soon gets returned in kind.

Her eyes pop open, having finally realized where she was, then she rolls out of the bed puts on her dress, nothing else and darts out the door. She soon returns, sighing,"It's still before 0600, we're not late." She kisses me again slowly. Finishing the kiss she starts gathering clothes into the basket.

Another cramp persuades me to finally get up, that and the sticky dampness at my crotch, oh lovely. I remove the straps, untie the pad which I place in one of the basins. I pour some cold water in that basin, then the other. After using the pot I wet a cloth then wipe some blood from my self, rinsing the cloth in the basin. Finishing that I tie a new pad on the straps and tie them around my waist. A pair of warm arms wrap around me followed by a voice whispering in my ear, "I shall return soon, I need to go change clothes, I can't be in the same dress I wore last night, now can I?" She leaves carrying the clothes basket, in bare feet, her tip of her tail twitching. I have a smile on my face.

I finish dressing, putting on a skirt and blouse combo, as I'll be having visitors later. I wash out the pad well, soaping it, rubbing it on its self, rinsing and repeating twice, changing water each time. Wringing it out one last time I place it in the emptied basin. I'll have Emi place it somewhere to dry. This starts me wondering about laundry, where and when is it done, where and how the wet clothes are dried and who does it. Rufina is sure in the dark about a lot of things in her life.

Emi returns, properly dressed. She sits me down, takes out the brush and starts brushing my hair. She asks what we will be doing today. I reply, depends, I will be talking to the builder for a while this morning. Then if the molds, tarps and baskets get delivered we can start on the bricks for the stove. I ask about laundry. Emi tells me that a pair of women, wives of serfs, pickup the laundry in the morning, wash it and return it the next morning. She is not sure of the actual process but could make arrangements to visit them. When she is satisfied with my hair, I don my slippers and we go to the garden to do T'ai Chi.

We stop by the kitchen to say good morning to Tilly then continued to the garden. Off came the footwear then we assumed the starting form. I ran though a couple of new forms a few times so Emi can learn them. We then did all of them that Emi knows adding the new forms to the end. I told Emi about the wet pad as we re donned our footwear, I didn't want it get mildewed. We returned to the kitchen, where Tilly had a piece of toast with an egg on it and a plum for each of us. I told Tilly of a egg in a basket, where you cut a hole in the bread then fry it on both sides, and after you flip the bread you put an egg in the hole. It's done when the white is cooked though.

After we help Tilly with clean up, I go to the study, Emi going upstairs to do maid things in my rooms. Once at the desk I get out the sketch of Tilly's new stove and continue working on it. It would be unfired cobb bricks, about waist high on Tilly, a bit lower on Emi and I. Two j-tube rocket burners, one on each end, would provide the fire. One rocket fired the cooking surface which consisted of four holes open to the flue from the fire. The other would fire the cobb oven built in to the other end of the stove. There are flues feeding the smoke to the existing chimney flue. This stove should be much more efficient requiring less wood, safer having much less open flame and there should be no smoke released into the kitchen.

Shortly I hear knocking coming from the front door, when it continues I go to answer it. When I open the door, I startle the man standing there, I guess the Queen answering her own door is not something that is normal. "Yes, how may help you." I say smiling at the man.

He stares for a few seconds longer then closing his mouth with a snap,"Your majesty, I have some goods to deliver. Do you know where they are to be placed?"

"What are you delivering, my good man?"

"Some tarps, baskets and a wooden item, your majesty."

"Ah, Good, I have been waiting for them. But sorry, I don't know where they should be put but can find out quickly enough. Come in, please," holding the door for him. When he had entered I said, "One moment while I ask." I headed to the kitchen, to find Tilly but was met by Emi, "Emi, do you know where the materials for the stove have been stored?"

"By the west garden gate, your majesty. Is that what the knocking was? I am sorry I was indisposed."

"Could you show the man where to place the items, please." We walk back to the vestibule where the man waited. "Emi will show you where to place the items."

As Emi leads him around the corner another man came up the walk. This is probably the builder. "Good morning, my good man. Are you the builder the queen ask for?"

"Yes, I am, my good woman. Is she available?"

LOL, he doesn't recognize the queen. Shall I... no, bad Rosa, you don't embarrass the hired help. Not if you want the best work out of them. "She is waiting, follow me please." I can have a bit of fun though.

I lead him though the door, closing it behind him, then leading him to the study, "She will be with you shortly." After seating him I go to the kitchen, asking Tilly to prepare a pot of tea also a cup of the cramp tea. I get a cup and saucer down and place them on a tray, waiting for the tea to brew. Shortly Tilly places a pot and a cup on the tray, I thank her, taking the tray to the study.

"Sorry for the wait, I was waiting on the tea to brew." Carrying the tray around the desk, I placed it there, then poured a cup of tea for him, handing it to him. I don't think he has caught on yet. He scowls when I sit down behind the desk and start to sip the w.w.f. tea. I find the plan for the bathhouse which I lay in front of him. "This the building that is to be built, could you give me an estimate of costs and materials and any problems you can see in the plan?"

I think he figured it out. "You are the Queen?"

"Yes, I am. Good to meet you...?"

"Bob, your majesty."

Oh, that is too good, Bob the builder, I watched that with my nieces when I would watch them. "Good morning, Bob. Would you be interested in helping build this building?"

"I would like to view the site if it is possible and discuss the design."

"If you will excuse me a minute, I will take you there." I go up to my rooms and quickly change to my boots. When I descend, Emi is waiting with Bob.

"The materials are with the others, your majesty."

"Thank you, Emi. Will you accompany Bob and I to the garden, please."

"Yes, your majesty."

I then lead Bob to the garden, past the pergola and the pond, to the northeast corner. Once there I say, "This is the site, the corner post by the door would be about here." I took a couple of long steps off the path.

"It may be too close to the pond there, ground water could be a problem. What did you have in mind for foundations, your majesty?"

"I was thinking field stone, set in a ditch at least this deep." I held up my hands, 20 inches a part. "Is that enough?"

"It should, but depends on the water table. Do you have a shovel handy?"

"Emi, will you go find Tobias to get a shovel, please." She heads to the other end of the garden, to the west gate. Bob and I talk of timbers and lumber, field and flag stone and wood singles verses barrel singles. When he asks about the finish for the wall I explain about Shou Sugi Ban, the charred wood finish from Japan. That is why I specified softwood for the siding, hardwood doesn't char as well.

When Emi and Tobias arrived I had Tobias dig several holes near where the corner posts would be, about knee deep. No water entered the holes, even the ones closest to the pond. I thanked Tobias and let him go back to his work.

Bob walks around the imaginary wall, counting steps, mumbling. He finally stopped mumbling, took out a piece of paper and started writing. He asks how long would he have to build it? I told him I would like it as soon as possible but it wasn't critical, and I knew it would take time to gather the correct materials, I was thinking four months.

He sighed, "It could be done but some of the materials take that long to make or gather. The flagstone is only available on the other side of the island, the time it takes to get to it, gather it up then transport it is a month alone. The timbers and lumber is another barrier, it takes a long time to harvest the trees then saw the the lumber and then season it. With harvest coming up soon labor would be short. In a month labor wouldn't be problem as planting would be finished by then. And I have a job that will be two months more to complete so I couldn't start this until then, sorry."

"So a minimum of six months, yes?" I get a nod. "Well, this is disappointing to say the least. I will check with you in about six weeks to schedule the building. And I will see about getting some of the materials before hand to save time. Emi, please see Bob out. We will talk again Bob, Thank you for coming."

They leave me in the garden. I stand near the pond gazing at the fish. I need to improve the production of some of the basic materials, wood mostly. I wish I had access to the internet, that would be so helpful, I know there are better methods of cutting lumber and timbers but can't remember them off the top of my head. I unconsciously fall into a meditative state, relaxing all over, letting my mind roam. Then I start doing T'ai Chi, not the forms that I have shown Emi but more complicated ones, but I don't notice.

I suddenly stop. An image had come to mind, of two men, using a crosscut saw, cutting down a huge tree. They could drop a tree in a short time compared to men with axes. Do they use axes or saws to fell trees? Once it's felled, is it sawn on location or transported? Ugh, more questions.

I glace at the sky, it's near noon, where did the morning go? And I need to clean up.

Going to my rooms, take the straps and pad off, use the chamber pot, cleaned myself then put a new pad on the straps and tied them back on. Then clean the dirty pad, repeating the step from this morning. I wasn't cramping yet, the w.w.f. was still working. I didn't change out of my boots because after dinner Emi and I would be playing in the mud though Emi didn't know that yet. And speaking of Emi here she is, saying that dinner is ready. I point to the pad to let her know it's there then walk up to her and give her a hug.

"Is Aden here yet?"

"Yes, Rufina. He just arrived."

"Good, I have more questions. Always with the questions."

Holding her hand I lead the way to the dining room, at least to the stair as the stairs are narrow and fairly steep. I sit at the table before Aden has a chance to help. "Good morning or afternoon as the case maybe."

"Good afternoon, your majesty. Was the meeting with the builder satisfactory?"

"Not satisfactory at all, he is busy, understaffed and lacking materials. He can't begin the job for at least 8 weeks, possibly more. Some of the material have a long lead time, up to eight weeks. And during harvest he's short on laborers. It's all understandable but still disappointing."

"Which leads to some questions. Are saws used to fell and remove the branches from the trees for lumber and timber?"

"I don't think so, your majesty."

"Are the logs sawn into timbers and lumber in the woods or are they transported to a pit saw?"

"They are sawn in place, your majesty. Most of the carts on the island are used to haul timbers."

"Carts. What is the draft animal of choice to pull the carts? The one yesterday had a mule. Is that standard or does it vary?"

"The carts used to haul lumber and timber out of the forests are usually pulled by four oxen, for the lighter loads and short hauls, mules, donkeys or single pair of oxen are use."

While Aden and I are talking, Emi and Tilly serve dinner, a stew of pork and root vegetables with a side of bread, of course. The normal tea for the others and w.w.f. for me, thank you Tilly.

As we started to eat I continued to ask questions of Aden. How many pits saws are there on the island? Seven total, three around Haven and one in each of the other towns. How far is the nearest pine/fir forest? Two days ride inland, about halfway up the mountain. I can't think of any more wood related questions. So time to switch topics.

"There is a need to raise money, I have an idea that should be profitable but will take time and money to implement, linen production. When is the flax harvest season here, now or in the spring or both. With some simple machines I can increase the production of flax fiber. And with a modification to a loom I can double the amount of cloth and halve the time to make it. But the spinning the thread is the barrier to that. The machine that could solve that problem needs more than manpower to operate, so would need a water wheel which costs major coin."

"Any crop that could be introduced would take a minimum of five years to maturity, olives, grapes, chestnuts, basically any tree crop. Any live stock breeding program would take even longer. We need something that is high priced now, with a low probability of the price dropping that can be produced with the population we have now."

"Didn't you mention salt drying ponds when we were out last week?" suggested Aden.

"Salt is hard to come by and expensive, what are salt drying ponds?" Tilly says.

"I forgot about those. They are shallow ponds that are filled with sea water, which dries out leaving salt behind. We could get a few started though the rainy season will slow them down. You think we could get some serfs to dig some in the next few days, Aden?"

"I will arrange for some serfs for the day after tomorrow, if that meets your approval."

"There will need to some one to act as supervisor, also, unless you want to do it?" He shakes his head, I didn't think so. "We will be there to start the work and will check in a few times but can't be there all day."

"There will be someone, your majesty. Will you have a plan drawn up?"

"I'll do that tonight. I will have to go look at that area again though to inspect the ground. We may need to bring in clay to seal the ponds. I'll also need to think of a way to fill the ponds."

"What are you going to do about Lian, your majesty? You told Nora that there would be announcement in a few days." this is from Emi.

Blast it, I forgot about that. "He is guilty. All the evidence points to him both as a thief and a attempted murderer and we, " I raise a finger making a circle with it, " all know he IS a murderer but he doesn't. So do we announce his guilt and sentence him or go though a trial, showing the evidence to the world and hope to get a guilt verdict."

"How does a trial work, your majesty?" asks Tilly.

"Where I was raised the accused criminal was presented to a jury of his peers, they would be shown the evidence by the one speaking for the government. The voice for the accused would try to discredit the evidence. There was a judge to guide the voices and later the jury in their deliberations."

"So depending on how well the voices argued their case the accused could be found guilty or innocent. Though it can be totally wrong this method is better than what was use before."

I fell silent for a few minutes, deep in thought because I had had an idea. If we waited until the merchant ship arrived, we could have an impartial judge and jury supplied to us. There were bound to be at least five freemen on board who have had no previous contact with Lian. The captain of the ship could act as judge. I tell the others of this idea and they all think it would work. Aden will have the criers announce Lian has been arrested for thief and other charges. With a trail shortly after the arrival of the merchant ship. I just hope the people aboard the ship were willing.

We had all finished eating so called an end to our impromptu meeting. I asked Aden to fetch Kalvin; Emi and I will need a guide and guard. Emi and I helped Tilly with clean up. About the time we finished with that, Aden and Kalvin arrived. I let Aden go about straightening up the new domain office. I named the office that to distinguish it from the palace office that Aden normally worked in.

I had Kalvin go arrange for three mounts to be saddled and brought around. I ask Emi to change into her riding outfit and join me in the study. We went our separate ways, Emi to her room and I to mine. I used the pot, changed my pad again, washing it and leaving it by the other. I stripped off the skirt I put on this morning and get out my riding trousers, no need to change the blouse. I like the idea of riding in trousers, it's much better than having to ride sidesaddle or riding with my skirt hiked to my waist.

I blow out the candles then head down to the study. Emi is already there, I ask her fetch the basket we used yesterday. I got out a couple of charcoal sticks and some paper, which goes in the basket when Emi returns. Out the door we go, around to the south side of the palace, where the stables are. There we meet with Kalvin and three horses. We mount up and head to the inlet where the salt was.

When we arrived at the inlet, I made a rough map of the area, notes on the composition of the beach and high water line. Then starting a little inland of the high water mark I scratched a line in the soil where the ponds would be. I started with four to begin with going from the high water mark and extending inland ten paces. There was a wide path dividing them in to sets of two. While I was doing this I had Kalvin and Emi looking for clay to seal the ponds. I was sure clay would be needed as the soil was sandy. Kalvin located an area of high clay content, so we're good there.

I stood on the shore, looking at the floor of the inlet. It was a mix of sand and gravel with some larger stones, it shouldn't be hard to build a foundation for a water lift there. I had been thinking of a jug and chain lift but with rope instead. Two ropes with evenly spaced jugs in a loop, dipping water, being lifted to the top, where they are dumped in a trough to carry the water inland to the ponds.

Thinking about it there will probably need to be some huts built for the workers nearby. On the way back toward town we scouted for places to build several huts, with drainage away from the ponds. Can't be making polluted salt, now can we.

When we are again at the palace I thank Kalvin for accompanying us, then leave him to care for the horses. Instead of reentering the palace via the front door we goto the west garden gate. There we find the materials for the stove, piled up close the gate. Looking around, I nod, there is enough space to do what needs to be done.

We goto Emi's room, where I have her change into her most worn skirt and blouse combo, and adjust the skirt to knee high and no shoes. We then go to my rooms and I do the same. Emi asks what we will be doing, I grin and say, "We are going to be making mud pies." When she looks confused, I amend that to, "mud bricks for Tilly's stove." I don't think she gets my sense of humor sometimes.

We go back out the west garden gate where we spy Tobias, "Tobias, are you busy right now?" I ask him.

"Not at the moment, your majesty. How may help you two?"

"I need a couple of shovels, a hoe and several buckets of water, could you get them for me, please."

"With pleasure, your majesty." Soon there are a pair of shovels and hoe here. He is heading to the well around the corner of the garden. I instruct Emi to fill one of the baskets with clay, while I fill another with sand. We then dump these in a pile together which I have Emi mixing with the hoe while I add three more baskets of sand. When Tobias returns with the water I have him pour one on the pile of mix. When he has done that I ask him if he can cut the straw into hand length pieces, he nods and goes to the stable, returning with a large knife. Using the knife he chops the straw into smaller pieces. While he is doing that, Emi and I are mixing mud, it is now a lumpy pile on the dry side, which I fix by adding another bucket of water. Soon it is an uniform smooth mud, at this point I measure a basket of chopped straw. I spread this evenly over the pile of mud. Then the fun begins, mixing the straw into the mud, by foot. I place a foot on the straw and push it down then the other foot. I grab Emi's hand and pull her into the pile, soon we are circling the pile, stomping mud with our feet, while Tobias shovels straying mud back on to the pile.

When I judge the mud and straw to be well mixed I take globs of it and throw them in to the brick form, making sure to get any air bubbles out. When the form is full I lift the form, freeing the bricks, moving the form over a short distance then repeating. Soon Emi is forming globs of mud for me, speeding things up a quite a bit. Tobias asks if we are going to make more once the current pile runs out. I say yes, until we either run out of time or material. He starts measuring sand and clay onto a new pile, he soon has it mixed ready for water. He then fills a basket with chopped straw ready to add when the piles is wetted and mixed. He disappears with the empty buckets, soon reappearing with them full. By this time Emi and I are finished with the first pile of mud. We then start on the new pile, adding the water and treading it to a smooth consistency then adding the straw, continuing to mix all the while. When the mud is ready more bricks are formed, left to dry. We repeat this until we run out of sand. We tidy our work space, returning the tools to the stable and pile the basket with the tarps. I thank Tobias for his help, even giving him a hug, which surprises him but he soon returned it, muttering, "Your welcome princess."

I look at Emi's then at my feet. They're covered in mud and straw. "Let go to the well and wash most of this off." I say, lifting a muddy foot. Tobias leads us to the well, where he draws a bucket of water which he slowly pours over a lifted foot, one girl steadying the other while her feet are cleaned. We both thank him again as we go back to the gate. Once there I count the bricks, we made about half of the needed amount, not bad, I figured it would take quite a bit longer to make that many.

I will need another delivery of sand, there is still plenty of clay and straw. "Good night Tobias. Talk to you later." With that Emi and I returned to the interior of the palace.

We stop at Emi's room to collect some clean clothes for her and her slippers. While she does that I check in with Tilly, who tells me supper will be in an hour. I collect a pitcher of hot water and meet Emi at the stairs. When we get to the room she takes a candle out to the head of the stairs, where she lights it off the candle that always burns there. She then leads me to my chamber, I place the pitcher on the table next to the basins. I start by removing my clothes, taking care to not drop mud on the floor, though there isn't much, we managed to stay fairly clean. Emi did the same. I was soon naked, having used the pot, cleaning up after.

Emi had mixed the water and soaped a cloth for me. I scrubbed her, from neck down with special attention to her feet and lower legs. Soon I was rubbing her breasts and kissing her. We broke apart with a sigh, we can't get distracted. Then it is my turn, though Emi starts with my breast and works her way up then down the other side. She finished at my feet, washing each toe, cleaning under my toe nails, with tiny knife she conjured from somewhere. She trimmed my toe nails with the knife. When she was finish she kissed my foot then my shin, working her way up lingering on my nipples before reaching my lips. We stop kissing and dry each other. Soon we were dressed with me choosing the same outfit as Emi had, a blouse and skirt, slippers without stockings.

I washed the latest pad, then cleaning up the basins and pitchers and the dirty clothes. Emi took the dirty clothes and pads somewhere. While I took the pitchers, as they were empty, down to the kitchen. Refilling the cold water pitcher I returned to my room. I sigh, this has been a busy day, I'm tired and I'm having light cramping. Emi comes up behind me, hugging me, I lean back into her, enjoying the closeness.

Shortly Emi says, "Time for supper, Tilly and Aden are waiting."

The table is set, a covered platter in the center, with several smaller bowls and plate of bread slices around it. "Good evening Aden, Tilly. How was your day?" I greet them as Emi and I sit down.

"Good evening, your majesty." They reply in unison.

"How did the trip to the inlet go?" Aden wants to know.

"I laid out the first of the ponds, Kalvin located a clay deposit and we located a site to setup a few huts for the workers."

"Huts, your majesty. Do you intend the workers to stay on site?"

"I thought the permanent workers could live there. And there will need to somewhere to prepare meals during construction. With the number of ponds, construction is going to take a while, a couple of days for each pond, at least six weeks. It depends on manpower, the more people on the job the quicker it goes as Emi and I found out today." I told them of Emi and I starting the project this afternoon, of the time it took to make the first batch of mud. Then how Tobias started mixing a new pile while we made bricks, Emi making mud balls and I throwing the brick, how much faster things went. "Just the two of us would have only made three batches without Tobias's help. We ran out of sand is the reason we stopped. Will you order another 20 baskets of sand, Aden?"

"Of course, your majesty. When should it be delivered?"

"Soon as possible, the bricks take two weeks to dry to the point they can be used. I don't want to wait for bricks to dry after I start on the stove."

"Did you make head way on the new office?" I asked Aden.

"Yes, I got most of the paperwork sorted and stored so it can be found easily. I'm not sure how Lian could find things, it was a mess."

"What time is the announcement of Lian's arrest going to made? I would like to gauge the peoples reactions to that so want to be there."

"I'm having the criers go around in the morning announcing that there would be an important announcement at noon in the town square."

"Very good. Tilly make note that dinner tomorrow will be early as we will need to be in town at noon."

"Yes, your majesty. Early dinner tomorrow."

"I have been wondering, how do we tell time? I haven't seen a clock nor heard any bells."

"There is a sundial in the square, some of the freemen have sand glasses they use. There is no bell, it was looted in a raid a few years back and never replaced. The pervious king intended to order one while on his last trip but was unable to."

"Raid? Who raided and what was taken?" this was the first I had hear of a raid.

"I believe you were on the mainland at the time but some pirates raided very early one morning, attacking some of the outlying cottages, captured some women and children, killed a few men and made off with some grain. Not a very profitable raid in my opinion. Your father and elder brother were quite angry for a while." Oh joy, something else to worry about.

We had served the food and eaten while Aden and I talked, passing plates around. I had gotten a cup of w.w.f. tea which I was starting to need. We chatted for a while longer, about nothing in particular then helped Tilly with cleanup. Aden excused himself and went home. I bid Tilly good night with a hug, thanking her for the meal and tea. I though about going to the study to sketch some plans but decided not to, instead I took Emi by the hand and lead her to the garden.

We stood on the path in the center of the garden, looking up at the sky, the moons were both full and within a hands width of each other, which rarely occurs as Emi informs me. We are positioned incorrectly to see an eclipse being too far south, drat. The moons are both smaller than Earths, the larger one being half the size of Earths but in the same orbit as Earths. The smaller is half again as small, in an orbit about half way between the outer and the planet so from the surface it appears close to the same size. Being in a closer orbit it makes several trips around to the outers single trip. Emi tells me the guards can tell time and the day of the season by the positions of the moons. I tell her that on earth they used to compute where you were by the positions the moons orbiting a far planet.

We talked quite a while, mostly me telling her of things from Earth, my past as a child, me spending time with my grandparents and parents, what my job entailed, I may have geeked out on her, expounding about ecological matters.

The outer moon had moved a quarter the way across the sky when I ran out of steam. Emi lead me to my room, stripped me down and putting me to bed. A short while later, after leaving and returning carrying a bundle of clothes, she joined me on the bed. It was her turn to talk, she told me of her family, two brothers and a sister, all younger, how her parents taught them their letters and how to read. Of being sent off to learn to be a maid at 8 years old, of working for a rich family. The lady of the house dismissing her after catching her son kissing Emi, his hands in her blouse, telling her she an hour to get out. That was the day before Rufina had hired her. Of how Rufina had opened up to her in the first year, telling how Rufina had defended her when Rufina's father started to beat her. How lonely she had become afterwards because Rufina had withdrawn, refusing to talk with her for long periods and when she did saying very little. Finally how happy she was now.

We both cried that night, because of sadness of being separated from loved ones, of losing and finding friends and sharing the hurts and pain of the other. We fell asleep wrapped around each other.