Chapter Fourteen

Something didn't feel right, it took a moment to figure it out but I finally did. There was a warm body on both sides of me. I could feel a long tail with the front of my legs, so the one in front is Emi. But who's behind me. I reach behind me, touching a hip then a short fuzzy tail, oh, it's Helen. Leaning back a little I can feel her breasts on my back. Wiggling so I am on my back I reach out and give her a poke which causes her to shift, laying her arm over my middle and her head on my shoulder.

I breath in her ear, "Helen... Helen.. why are here, Helen?" This causes her breathing to change, she is wake now. "Why are you here, Helen?" I ask again.

I hear a quiet reply, "I was lonely, oh so lonely. It's been over two years, without anyone to sleep against, to touch and be touched by."

I think for a bit, remembering that sheep are herd animals, used to having others around all the time. To be alone would weigh on them. "Oh, honey, come here." I bring her into a close gently hug. "You don't have any close friends here do you?"

"No, they were all left behind when we moved here, but I had my husband so was alright. Then he died. I had to work so hard to keep up the shop, I never had time to meet people, to make friends. You are the first to do anything other than rush in and buy something then rush out. You talked to me, not the shop keeper, but me." She is crying.

"You aren't alone any longer. You have me at least."

"And me," Emi says from the my back. I guess we woke her up.

We get her calmed down, we soon are yawning, it is still deep night. I roll over Helen so I'm on the outside, she is now in the middle, with Emi and I draped over her. We are soon back asleep.

Emi is the one to wake me up, nuzzling my neck, licking my jaw line. She takes my hand, pull out of the bed, leading me to the sitting room where she gives me a long kiss. When she breaks the kiss, "Do we let her know about us?" she asks. Having Helen in our bed would put a stop to our sex play. But what is her attitude toward same sex relations. She didn't comment on finding us together or our state of dress or undress as the case may be. "Let's talk to her first, find out if she alright with relationships like ours."

"Let get dressed, I'm getting chilly without my two bed heaters to keep me warm," I tease her.

"Oh, one isn't enough anymore?" she teases back.

"Not when that one is not doing anything to get my blood moving."

"Oh, is that a fact." She kisses me as her hands start roaming over my body.

We both end up breathing heavy in a few minutes. "There, is your blood moving now, your majesty?"

"Yes, dear one, it is. Now lets get dressed and our bed buddy up. It's time to start our day." Emi steps out to light a candle then we go back in to my room, to do the usual things we do in the morning. After we have our under clothes on we both get on the bed and gently tickle Helen's ribs saying, "Time to wake up, sleepy head."

She lets out an squeak as she tries to flee but we had placed our knees on the chemise she is using as a nightgown so she can't get far. We relent when she pleads to having to pee. She flees to her room to do that and dress. We finish dressing, Emi in her maid outfit, me in a short skirt and blouse, as we don't need to go anywhere until after dinner. We take our time so all of us can go down at the same time. When we knock on Helen's door she is ready, so down we go.

Either we are early or Aden is late because he isn't here. After greeting Tilly we go out to the garden for our morning T'ai Chi. I show them a couple of new forms, which we practice a few times. Then we do the forms Helen knows, ending with the two newest ones. Emi and I do the forms Emi knows that we haven't done yet, while Helen watches. Then Emi watches as I do more of the forms I know, which I haven't done in quite a while, some of which take awhile to do and are complicated. When they ask how many forms I know I say, over 100, most they haven't seen yet.

When we go in, Aden and Kalvin have arrived, Aden apologizing for being late, he had over slept. Emi soon had the table set and Tilly brought out breakfast, small bowls of cracked and steamed oats with butter and honey and some eggs, soft cooked in their shells. She has done it again, made something I have described in passing.

As we eat I ask what everyone has planned for the day. Aden will be at the harvest as usual, Kalvin will be with the guards until I need him, Tilly is going to market in a bit, Helen says she'll be working on cloth again today. I have some plans to work on and Emi has her duties to do. I ask Helen if she can stay a while, I would like to talk to her. She agrees. I ask Aden if he has asked about panniers yet. Yes, he has, a set should be delivered today. Good, I say. I then ask who will be joining us to swim this afternoon, they all say they will. I say if the pannier arrive early enough they won't need to change to their suits at dinner. I ask would they rather swim in the sea or the river? They have a short discussion about this but decide on the sea. I ask Aden if he would ask the cooper to come see me this morning if he can.

After we clean up after breakfast we all go about our business. Emi, Helen and I go to my sitting room to have a talk. I think Helen is a little nervous, her head is down and she doesn't have her usual smile. The first thing I ask her is, "How old are you, Helen?"

"I'll be twenty in a few weeks." was the reply.

"Really, I thought you were older. So how old were you when you married?"

"I had just turned seventeen, I meet Harold when I was fifteen, he was twenty. We courted for close to two years. I miss him so."

She was tearing up, so I changed the subject. "How large is your family?"

"Mama, Papa and 5 brothers and 4 sisters, I was the third oldest and second oldest girl. Brother helped Papa with the farm and sister Mama with the kids. Mama taught me to weave when I was little, so I made a lot of the clothes for everyone. When I was older she sent me to the village weaver to learn more than she could teach me."

"Did you share a bed with your sisters?"

"Yes, it was kind of crowded with all five of us in one bed, Big sister and I on the outside with the little ones between us, it's no fun getting kicked in the stomach by a two year old in the middle of the night. But it was warm in the winter. It took so long to get used to sleeping alone." She was getting teary again.

"This question may be a bit personal, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. What was your sexual experience before getting married?"

"I had seen the farm animals breeding and saw Mama and Papa doing it a couple of times, I watched big sister rubbing herself a couple of times until she caught me, then she had me join her. We did things together for a while, until Mama caught us, she told us to stop. Mostly we did but we still did it a few times, usually when we bathed together, it was fun. Later, after I meet him, Harold and I did it. It was fun, too, but in a different way."

I looked at Emi, who nodded. "When you got in bed with us this morning, did you notice anything strange?"

"Not really, big sister slept in the nude sometimes, especially in summer when it was hot. I tried it but I didn't like going out to the outhouse like that so I wore a chemise to bed. Mama and Papa slept nude too. I figured you were lonely, too." Her eyes got big, "OH, you mean you and Emi do what sister and I did? Should I not sleep with you then?"

"If we were uncomfortable with you in the bed you wouldn't have been able to stay, sweetie. And yes, we do that, though you and Tilly are the only ones that know and we would like it to stay that way so no blabbing it about."

"Alright, no blabbing."

"Would you like to live with us in the palace, Helen? Not move your shop, just you."

"May I? Oh, yes yes. Thank you, Thank you." She starts to cry again, this time I just take her in my arms and hug her. Emi soon joins us. I wipe her tears and kiss her forehead.

"Why don't you go to your shop and pack your clothes and any thing else you want to bring. And before dinner Emi can come and help you move it here." I pause, an idea coming to me, "How much do you think you'll have?"

"A couple of large baskets anyway, because I make my own clothes I have quite a lot."

"Alright, I'll borrow Tobias' wheelbarrow for you to use."

"Now go, gather your clothes. I'll see you at dinner." She dashes out then rush back in giving us each a big hug then out again.

"How's it feel to be a big sister, Love?" I ask Emi.

"Am I the only one? And did I just get put aside?" She looks a little jealous.

"No, you are still my number one girl." I kiss her, with lots of tongue action. "Don't doubt it, you are still the first and oldest friend."

"Now, off with you, I have plans to sketch up and you have things to do,too, I am sure. I need to find Tobias and arrange for you to use the wheelbarrow." I give her one more kiss then we part. I head out to the garden to put on my boots. When I get there Tobias is wheeling a load of muck down the garden path so I don't need to change to my boots. I greet him, "Good morning Tobias."

"Good morning, your majesty. How may I help you." He stops, putting the wheelbarrow down.

"I have come to ask if I may borrow your wheelbarrow later this morning, I have asked Helen, the woman that was here last evening, to move into the palace. She has several baskets of things to bring."

"Of course you may borrow it, your majesty. I will wash the dung out and have it ready for you. When will you need it?"

"Not until an hour before dinner. You can used it until then I am sure. To another matter, have you started on a chicken breeding program?"

"I have, princess. I took some thinking on how to tell one bird from another but I figured out a way. I have started taking notes on each bird. It's going to take awhile but I'll get it done."

I thank him for let us use the wheel barrow and let him get back to work. He has the barrow loaded with three baskets of muck so I know he is getting good use out of it already.

I go back in to the palace to start working on sketches. I am passing the kitchen when Tilly calls to me. "Your majesty, what was Helen so happy about?"

"I have invited her to move into the palace. She will be in the room upstairs." I point overhead to the location of Helen's room.

"Good, the women of the town have been worried about her, she is rarely seen away from her shop since the death of her husband. She was just starting to get acquainted with people when that happened. She just disappeared for a while but she would be at her shop if you went there. Anyway she is most welcome, I say."

I am soon at the desk sketching, first a kiln for making charcoal, plus I think the way it's designed it can be used to make fired bricks,too. Next is the fan for the cleaner, should I put gears on it so the crank speed is lower, yes. Humm, does anyone know how to make gears? I will need to ask, maybe a questionnaire to find out what all the woodworkers can do. How many rpm can you maintain by hand, bicyclists can hit 80 rpm or so, but that's fast and with legs. Arms are slower, probably. The shaker doesn't need to be that fast either. One to ten maybe twelve, yea, that should be enough. Gears take a long time to make though, maybe go with belts instead, but what to use as belting, don't have the materials for V belts, flat leather would be the only opinion, but how wide? 2 inches?

Emi comes in and says it 900, time to go to town and get Helen, I tell her that Tobias is going have the wheelbarrow ready. So we go out to the garden, then out the gate, there it is waiting, all cleaned up. As I am telling her some of the things to watch out for when loading a wheel barrow, the cooper comes around from the front of the palace. I send Emi on her way.

Then I lead the cooper though to the study where I show him the plan for the mixer. I ask if he can modify a barrel like that for me. He can. He asks what does it do? It mixes materials together, when turned this direction and moves them out to the mouth of the barrel when turned in the other direction. It could be used to mix mud for bricks and the like, but then you need to clean it between uses. It's going to be mounted on a frame so it can be tipped. But I needed to make sure the barrel could be made. Next I show him the sketch of the scoop for the water lift, asking if he can make one of those. He didn't know, he would have to think about that, could he get back to me? I told him yes and he could send word or tell Aden when he had an answer. I thank him for taking the time to come talk to me.

As I walk him to the door he asks about the thing the young women was pushing. I told him it's called a wheelbarrow, it's used to haul small but heavy loads. If he wants one carpenter Jason and blacksmith John could make him one. As he is walking down the path he passes Aden. Is it that late?

Aden is early, he has brought the panniers is why. I ask him to bring them around to the garden gate. He dismounts, then removes them from his horse. They consist of two deep baskets, big enough I could stand in them, that mount to a harness that goes over the back of the pack animal. Once he has the panniers removed and placed by the gate I have him have Tobias find an axe and a ball of heavy twine. While Aden is gone I roll up the tarps that are there and place them in the panniers. Aden soon returns with the axe and ball of twine.

Once those are placed in the baskets, we enter the garden. I make sure to get the sand off my slippers before going in to the palace as I hadn't changed to my boots. I asked Aden if he had seen Emi on his way up the hill. Yes, he had. Where was she going? To help Helen bring her clothes and things to the palace as I had invited her to join us. I then asked him if he knew of any other Gwynn on the island? Other Gwynn? He didn't know of any Gwynn being on the island. I tell him there is at least one, Helen. Helen being a Gwynn surprises him, he hadn't known that. I ask what species are on the island? He would have to consult the records, anyone that had immigrated to the island would be in the records.

We goto the study, Aden to find the immigration records for the last twenty years, me to find them for three and four years ago. We sit and study our records, I am looking for when Helen and Harold moved here. They aren't in the records for four years ago, so I start looking at three years ago. There they are, arriving in the seventh week of the year, Harold and wife, Helen, weavers, 100 gold in cash and 80 gold in goods. Harold was fairly well off for someone so young. It doesn't state their species though. I scan the rest of the immigration record for that year, only two other people, both males. No species noted there either. I tell Aden that species isn't noted in the records. That least for three years ago.

I ask Aden if the exact number of people on the island is known? No. Sounds like it's time for a census then. What is a census he asks. A counting of citizens, their occupation, number of people in their household. Governments use censuses for all kinds of things, taxes, how many schools to build, to know where services are needed. Shall we count the people this fall? We should he says.

I hear Emi and Helen return, they are each carrying a large basket loaded with things. I ask if that is all? No, there is one more on the wheel barrow. I have Aden go get it. I take up a lit candle and we go up to her room. Helen placed her basket on floor by the wardrobe and Emi placed hers next to the bed. When Aden arrived he placed the basket he had next to the bed also. I suggested the we go down to dinner, Helen could unpack the baskets after dinner.

Emi goes to the kitchen to help Tilly while the rest of us get settled at the table. I ask Helen if she had every thing she needed from her shop, she thought she had gotten it all. She mentioned that people were curious about the wheel barrow and where they could get one. Emi had told them what it was and where to have one made. It sure made moving things easy, they would still be carrying the first two baskets up the hill without it. Kalvin has joined us while we were talking, taking his seat next to Aden.

Emi arrives to set the table, which is soon done. Then Tilly brings out a large pot full of some thing. Placing it in front of me, she lifts the lid. Stew, pork with carrots, onions, garlic and barley. The herbs seasoning it smell wonderful. Emi had returned to the kitchen and has come back with plates of bread and butter. I serve everyone some stew and we start eating.

I tell them that they will not have to wear their swimsuits to the swimming hole, as the panniers have arrived so we can build a cabana to change in. Of course they all want to know what a cabana is. I tell them a temporary hut to change clothes in when at the beach. We will have to construct it but that should not be a problem. I arrange for Aden to carry the panniers on his horse and escort Helen and Tilly to the inlet, to arrive at about 1330. I ask Tilly to bring some towels along.

When we have eaten we all help with the clean up, which gets it done quickly. Kalvin goes to get the horses ready, I tell him to let the groom know to have two horses ready at about 1300 for Tilly and Helen. We bid Aden farewell. I give Tilly a hug, telling her dinner was splendid as usual. The rest of us go up stairs, Helen to her room to put her clothes away and Emi and I to change into our work clothes; trousers and knee length tunics. Emi packs our swimsuits in the basket so we have them along with a pair of large towels. Once we are ready, we stop to say goodbye to Helen who is busy unpacking then down to do the same with Tilly. Then out to the garden to change to our boots. Kalvin has the horses ready by the garden gate, he has also moved the the wheelbarrow there.

As we ride to the inlet I ask when was the last time it rained? They answered about six weeks ago. Is that normal? For the summer it is. So all the rain falls in late fall though early spring? Yes. Does it ever snow? Not near the coast, in the high mountains it does, but it doesn't stay there long. Does this side of the island get a lot of rain? They say it seems to rain a lot in the winter but don't know how much. Which direction does the wind usually blow from? Kalvin says when it storms it blows out of the northwest in summer and the southwest in winter , but it blows towards the sea in the morning and toward land in the evening on most days.

When we arrive at the inlet the serfs are busy moving baskets of sand from the pile on the beach to the floors of the ponds. As we watch two of them put down their baskets and take up hoes, mixing the sand into the clay. They already have two of the ponds finished, I can tell by the color of the soil in the bottom of the ponds. We move to the far side of the ponds, to the trees, where Kalvin ties the horse out to graze. Emi and I go down to inspect the ponds that they have finished mixing. I get down on my knees and dig up some of the soil, it is well mixed, about two hand width deep. Did the straw get delivered like I asked, looking around I see a pile of straw near the beach, good. I check the liner hole just for kicks, it's down another finger width and there is definitely salt on the walls.

We might as well start the lining process. After picking up a basket we goto the straw pile and start to break the straw into shorter pieces of about a hand length, placing it in the basket. When the basket is full we haul it to the first pond which has mixed sand and clay, spreading the straw there in a thin layer. We repeat this eight more times until the pond floor is a quarter covered in straw. Then going behind the trees near the horses, Emi and I take off our trousers, boots and stockings. We then wet the mixed soil and straw with water from the sea. One of us carrying water while the other mixes it together with her feet, switching off every couple of bucket of water. Once all the straw is mixed in well we start to smooth it out, coating the sides with mud, making it as level as we can. I will have to get a board to us as a scree tomorrow.

The serfs have finished mixing in the sand and Hans approaches us, asking if they should do the same as we are. I tell him they can spread the straw on the floors of the ponds, but we will need a board to smooth the bottoms so no water today. They can go home after spreading the straw, I tell him. He thanks me, leaving to tell the others.

We continue to spread and smooth mud until the serfs leave for home. Then using as little water as possible we rinse each others feet and legs off in the pond we have been working in, no use wasting the mud. I tell Emi and Kalvin we need four straight poles about Kalvin's height and so around, hold my fingers in a circle and four shorter one about to the top of my shoulder long and the same diameter as the others. I get one of the shovels and dig four holes in a square about two paces to a side, slightly down hill from where the horse are. Emi as found two trees that could supply two long poles. When Kalvin return he has found four trees that could make four long poles. Now we just need to wait for the others. Emi thinks it won't be long, she thinks it's about 1300. I lay down in the grass in the shade and relax.

I must have nodded off, because when I reopen my eyes, Emi is beside me asleep and the others are here. I give Emi a shake to wake her then get up. Aden and Kalvin take the pannier down from the horse laying them near Emi, who is now sitting up. I explain to the others that Emi and Kalvin have found trees to make the poles needed for the cabana. Aden digs out the axe then Kalvin and he go to chop some trees down. I dig the tarps out of the panniers, laying them near the holes I had dug. Aden soon returns dragging a pole. I have him put the larger end in one of the holes and we tamp it in firmly while he goes to another. Soon all four uprights are in and tamped. The next time he returns he is carrying two shorter poles. These are lashed to opposite sides of the square at the same height. When Kalvin returns he has two shorter poles also. These are lashed above the others, linking them together. While the guys hold the tarps up so the top edges line up with the cross bars, the girls lash the tarps to them. We soon have our cabana, with a front flap to enter by. Kalvin's head sticks over the wall when he is inside, but that's all you can see. Aden passes him his suit while he is in there, so he can change. He soon come out in his suit holding a bundle of clothes. One after another we all change.

Kalvin, Tilly and Helen have wandered down to the ponds to look them over. Aden, Emi and I soon join them. I explain how they are to work and what needs to be done yet. I also explain the pier, the trough and the water lifter. I get them to imagine the lever with the weight on one end and scoop on the other. Then pulling the scoop down into the water, letting it rise up and dumping it in the trough then repeating. With the trough high enough the water could flow to a third level of ponds and if not, a second water lift could be installed. I show them the liner test hole with the salt on the walls. I ask if they can imagine the big ponds with salt deep as my thumb joint in the bottom. It would take three or four fillings to get that much salt but it wouldn't take long in warm weather. Over winter it would slow down a lot.

I shoo them into the water, it's time to swim. With Emi's help I teach Tilly and Aden the back float, while keeping an eye on Helen and Kalvin as they float and backstroke back and forth across the inlet. When Tilly and Aden have been shown the backstroke and are getting tired, I have the tadpoles lay on the beach for awhile. Emi and I go out to deeper water and start to crawl back and forth across the inlet. We do that four times before we too are tired, we then back float to the beach, rejoining the others.

I suggest that it's time to go home and have supper but Tilly says no need. She goes to one of the panniers and removes a smallish basket and a jug. When she brings it down to where we are and open it up, I see napkin wrapped sandwiches and a stack of cups. With a grin she says, surprise, a picnic supper. We sit there on the sand, in the rays of the sun eating our sandwiches and drinking cool tea. When we have the sandwiches gone, Tilly pulls the deck of cards out of her basket and we play rummy until the sun is about to set. We reluctantly gather our stuff and get dressed. As we ride back to the palace the I glance out to sea, then do a double take. Yes, it is there.

"Hey guys, I think the merchants have arrived," as I point out beyond the harbor at the twin masted ship, it's sails visible in the last of the setting sun shine.

When I said that, they all turned to look.

"What's the procedure, Aden?" I ask, wondering if they will land tonight or wait until morning.

"Usually the ships arrive earlier in the day, about mid afternoon. The captain and the merchants come ashore, register with the guard then the merchants find a inn to stay at. The captain allows the crew to come ashore in small groups in the days after. The merchants go about their business until the ship is scheduled to leave."

"In that case we should return to the palace as soon as possible." We increase our speed. though it's not too fast as most of us aren't adept at riding. "Aden, I assume you will be on the dock to greet the captain, you should remind the guards in charge of the registering of visitors of that person of interest. Kalvin, ask the captain of the guard to increase the guard presences at Lian's home, I would like a minimum of three guards there at all times. Tilly, let's plan for six more for supper tomorrow evening. Emi, make sure all the rooms in the palace are inhabitable, as we wouldn't know who or how many we will be hosting. Helen, will you please help Emi." We have arrived at the palace, the captain of the guard is waiting along with a pair of stable hands and Tobias.

"Your majesty, the merchant ship was sighted. Do you have any instruction?" The captain of the guard addresses me as we come to stop.

"Thank you, captain. Coordinate with Kalvin for instructions. Have they dropped anchor yet?"

"Not yet, your majesty. They were taking in the sails when I came down."

"Alright, return to your duties." The captain turns to talk to Kalvin. Aden, who is still mounted rides back down the hill, heading to the docks.

I hand my reins to Tobias who leads our horses away. I lead the way into the palace, Emi, Helen and Tilly following. Tilly asks if I would like anything special for supper tomorrow, I reply no, make what you wish. Tilly heads to the kitchen carrying the picnic basket. Emi, Helen and I go up stairs, where I tell Emi and Helen to get a change of clothes, as we need to bathe. After I put the bundle in the laundry basket I head back to the kitchen with one of the water pitchers. I fill the pitcher with hot water then return to my rooms, meeting Helen and Emi there. We all strip down and wash each others backs and hair. After getting all the sand and salt off of us, we dress, Emi in her maid uniform, Helen and I in skirts and blouses. Emi brushes my hair while I brush Helen's. Helen's hair is short and curly so doesn't take long to brush, when I finished she started to brush Emi's hair. Soon our hair is brushed. We clean up the room afterward.

I have come down to the study while Emi and Helen check that the palace is ready for guests. I am sketching parts for the grain cleaner when Aden and a strange woman enter though the front door. Aden spots me in the study and escorts the woman to me. "Your majesty, may I present Sophia. She claims to know you, so I brought her to see you."

I don't remember her, and neither does Rufina. Still I stand, "Good evening, Sophia. I am sorry but I don't remember meeting you. How do I know you?"

"Ah, excuse me. I think your man has it confused, I claimed to know of you, from my brother, Benten." Ah, when she says that it clicks.

"How is Benten doing lately, I haven't heard from him in a while. He said he was going to visit but was vague as to when he would."

"I must apologize, he sent me in his stead, feeling that I would fit into your household better."

"That does sound like your brother." I can play along with this charade. "I take it that you will be staying on Haven for a while then."

"Yes, dear brother thought you would appreciate my presence. I have some gifts for you but they are in the bowels of the ship at the moment. Brother was most insistent that I greet two of your servants upon my arrival as he has sent gifts for them also, are they available?"

"Tilly is in the kitchen and Emi is checking the condition of the rooms. Oh, you can stop with the brother sister story, Aden is in on the secret, so is my guard, Kalvin and a new friend Helen. It appears you have limited information gathering power while in physical form." I had lead us to the kitchen after she talked of greeting Tilly and Emi.

"Tilly, I have someone that wants to meet you." I said on entering the kitchen. "This is Sophia."

Tilly looks at Sophia, then at me. "Happy to meet you, Sophia. Will you be staying with us while the ship is in port?"

"If Rosa will allow it. Eleven days on a ship at sea is not the best way to travel, in my opinion." When Sophia said 'Rosa' Tilly's eyebrows rose.

"Oh, would you be related to Benten then, Sophia?" She is quick.

"Ah, very good Tilly, you could say that we are the different sides of the coin."

"I see."

"Tilly have yo..." Emi walks in asking Tilly asking if she had seen me, "Ah, there you are, your majesty."

"Good timing Emi. This is Sophia, she was saying she wished to meet you, Sophia this is Emi, my companion." When I introduced her as my companion Emi got a large smile on her face.

"Good evening, Sophia. May I inquire why you wished to make my acquaintance?"

"The last time we spoke I asked you to use your nose to help solve a puzzle, has that puzzle been solved to the satisfaction of all involved?"

Emi has a puzzled look for a few moments,"Oh... Yes the puzzle was solved but to the satisfaction of all is open to debate. The one that began the puzzle is incarcerated awaiting judgement. But there appear to be others involved."

"Sophia this is Helen, the newest member of the council, Helen this is Sophia also known as Benten."

"I welcome you Sophia." Helen gave a small bow.

"And I you." replied Sophia, giving Helen a hug, then whispering to her, "I grieve with you at your loss."

"Thank you, Sophia."

I ask Sophia if she had eaten this evening, if not Tilly could make her something. She replied that with the final approach being when it was she hadn't eaten. I asked Tilly to make Sophia a sandwich, which she does straight away and a cup of tea. I ask Sophia if any of the merchants would be coming to the palace tonight? She didn't think so, though they had spoken of talking with the minster in the morning, which got a laugh from us.

I lead them all to the dinning room, where we sat and talked. Sophia had appeared in a port city on the mainland shortly after our shared dream and had promptly bought passage to Haven. The journey took eleven days to make, as the winds were unfavorable. Her powers granting her knowledge of what was happening is limited to a short distance around her while she is in physical form, which is why she hadn't known that Aden was in on the secret. She had know Helen's background as soon as she had been introduced. We told her of what had been going on the last eleven days. She ask to see the sketches I had drawn, which she made a few suggestions about, saying that they would work as drawn but if you do this or that they would work better or would be feasible at this tech level. When she saw the kiln drawing she said it would work as a charcoal, pottery and brick kiln but that was all, other uses required higher heat levels.

When Tilly started yawning, I knew it was time to retire. We said goodnight to Aden, then lead Sophia to the rooms above the office next to the dinning room. Emi made sure she had fresh water and bedding. Then we lead Helen to her room as she was asleep while walking, we stripped her down to her chemise and put her to bed. When Emi and I reached my rooms we just removed our clothes and crawled into bed, cuddled up and were asleep in seconds.

Some time in the night a third warm body joined us, snuggling up to me, waking me for a moment but I was soon back to sleep. Later in the night I awoke with the urge to pee, so crawled out of bed as quietly as possible. After I finished my business I snuggled next to Helen who had moved over into the warm spot next to Emi, draping my arm over her and resting my hand on Emi's stomach. I soon returned to sleep.