When we are all seated at the table, I have Helen show the measuring tape to everyone. As they examined it I start explaining what it is and why it is important. "Aden, do you remember me ranting about standardized weights and measures last week? Well, that piece of cloth is the answer to that problem. With that I can establish common measures for both length and weight. On Earth countless countries tried to establish a system of weights and measure but none were adopted until less than three hundred years ago. That is a metric measuring tape, each of those smallest marks is a millimeter, milli meaning thousandth, the next largest marks are centimeters, one hundredth, there is measure at come next but is not shown on that tape, decimeters or tenth and the longest mark, at the number one hundred is a meter. The meter is the base for the whole system. Scientists divided the distance from the equator and the north pole by 10 million to arrive at that length. The weight system is based on the meter, one cubic centimeter of pure water at a temperature of just above freezing is a gram. The first country to use the metric system had bars of metal created to use as a standard. Those bars were used for a couple hundred years until technology developed that made them redundant."

"What I want to do is, using that tape, is to create a system of weight and measures for local use, at least for now. If a shop sells their product by weight, if the price is x per gram and the customer pays for 100 grams, they will get at least 100 grams of product or the shop pays a penalty. Or if Helen sells a piece of cloth for x a meter and the customer pays for one meter she had better get at least one meter of cloth. No more selling something by volume, all sales will be by weight or length. Grain may be sold in a barrel but not by the barrel. If others want to sell to us they will need to do it in meters or grams."

"Alright, enough ranting, lets eat."

"Why pure water, your majesty? Why not pure from the the river or the sea?"

"Both river and sea water have minerals dissolved in it, making it denser than pure water, changing the weight of a given amount of water. Water also changes density as it's temperature changes. If you take a volume of water at room temperature then lower its temperature, the closer it gets to freezing the denser it becomes. Until it reaches a temperature slightly above freezing then it starts to become less dense again. That is why ice floats."

"Sophia, where did you get the tape?" Helen asked, others must have been wondering that also, as I saw some nods.

"Using my powers I transported it from Earth, I barely had enough energy to do it, that is why passed out like I did."

"Where does your power come from?" ask Kalvin.

"Some is generated by being me, some comes from the people who know me. All of you give me a small amount of power."

"If you use too much power what would happen?" asks Aden.

"I would disappear, this body would be gone but the essence that is me will return to that space where you first meet me. It would take a while for me to return, years probably, it takes a lot of energy to create a body to dwell in."

I had finished eating and am talking with the others when there is a knock at the door, being the only one finished I go to answer it. When I open the door, there is Claude, the cooper, delivering my tub.

"Good afternoon, your majesty. I have the tub you ordered, where would you like it placed."

"In the garden, my good man." Hopefully it will fit though the door, which I had totally forgotten about when ordering the tub. I point to the corner, "The access is around the corner there, I'll go open the gate."

I dash inside, running to the garden, then to the gate, opening it just in time. They have backed their cart close to the gate and are preparing to unload it. I still have the tape in my pocket where I had placed it during dinner, so take it out and measured the outer depth of the tub against the gate. It will fit, barely. They have a block and tackle setup on the cart, with which they lower the tub gently to the ground. They then rolled it though the gate, down the path to the far end of the garden. I have them leave it on the path, near where I eventually want it to go. I then wonder if it would fit through the palace door, should I want to place it in the new section of the palace. I take the tape measuring the door, darn it, the door is too narrow. It stays in the garden then.

The others have come out to see what has me running though the palace. "What is this, Rufina?"

"It's a bathing tub." Emi knows as she was there when I ordered it and I have talked about it to her. She walks up, looks in to it, then placing a hand on my shoulder for support steps in. Holding out her hand she helps first Helen then Sophia in to the tub. They sit down on the benches built in to the sides. There is still room. Good, it would put a crimp in our socializing if only three could fit at a time.

Sophia makes a comment, "Isn't this a bit public for a bath? Every guard on the wall can get an eyeful if we were to bathe here."

"I had planned a nice stone and wood building to be built just there," pointing to the area in the corner of the garden, "but the builder can't start on it for eight or more weeks and he said it would take thirty weeks or more to finish."

"In that case, build a daub and wattle hut, your serfs know how to build those. If you want to replace it later it would be relatively easy to remove."

Doh. I had focused on the Japanese style building to the point I forgot the local building technology. Hot dog, I can have my bath soon. "Aden, get a message to Alton the wood cutter, I have another order for him." I looked up to the walls, searching until I spotted a guard, raising my voice, "Yo guard, have you seen Tobias in the last few minutes?"

"Yes, your majesty. He was just at the well, do you wish to speak to him?"

"Yes, please."

The guard goes to the center of the south wall, calling down to Tobias, "Tobias, her majesty wishes to speak with you in the garden." I couldn't hear what the reply was but the guard indicated that he was on his way.

Soon Tobias entered though the gate and approached us. "Your majesty."

"Tobias, I wish to have a hut built in this corner of the garden, I will draw a plan, I want you to gather several men and build if for me, please. It will house this tub and will need a floor that can drain water. What are your thoughts?"

"Can it be built against the palace wall?" looking at the three women sit in the tub, "If there is water to be drained I assume this is bath. Where do you plan for the water to go when you drain the tub."

"I was thinking of draining the water to the pond, filtering it using a bed of reeds, and only draining a small amount at a time. Unless you have a better idea, that is."

"The orchard is on the other side of this wall, your majesty, and it always need more water during the heat of summer. I believe a hole could be dug under or though the wall and the water drained into the orchard. Could you explain filtering with bed of reeds?"

"Have you ever noticed if you dig a hole and it fills with water that the water stays murky and soon has green scum floating in it. But look at this pond, the water is clear and clean looking. What's the difference?" I pause for a minute to let the idea simmer in their brains, Sophia is grinning, like she is happy. I think back to what she told me in one of the dreams, she wants me to do what I do. What do I do? Teach. She wants me to teach? Yes, that's it.

"Plants and animals, the pond has them and a hole doesn't. But why?" he is confused yet.

"When you put muck on the garden, why do you do that? You are giving the plants something they need. Do you think the plants in the pond have the same needs? If they do, where do they get those needs met? The fish poop in the water, why isn't the pond full of fish poop then? Because the plants take the poop and turn it in to leaves, stems and flowers. So to filter water using reeds, you dig a trench, fill it with gravel, plant reeds and other water plants in it then put the water that is dirty in one end, as it flows to the other end it passes over the roots of the reeds which takes out the nasty stuff. The bed is made so the water can move slowly from one end to the other."

Tobias is looking at me strangely, like he has something to say but is afraid. Oh dear, I think I did it again. "Emi, I think I did it again, what do you think?"

Emi, Aden and Sophia look at me then Tobias, then all three nod, "Yes, I think you have." Emi answers.

Tobias looks at Emi and Aden, he doesn't know Sophia yet, "Did what again?" he asks.

"You are questioning who the queen is, she looks like our queen but she knows things our queen shouldn't know, she as changed in the last couple of weeks and she no longer acts like a noble." This is said by Aden.

"She is the queen, but she isn't just the queen any longer, she is a reincarnate, sent by a god to live in the body of our queen, I don't know why but I like the changes." Emi adds.

"She is here to teach and guild, to hopefully bring this world to a better place." Sophia closes.

"Tobias, you were a friend to young girl, you taught her things, her father made her stop coming to talk to you, you were beneath her station, but she still longed for your friendship. One of the oldest memories Rufina has is of you showing her a bug in the garden, it must have been a very monumental moment for her to remember it. She has no memories of her mother but she does of you." I stopped because the tears are flowing, from both him and me. I reached out and hugged him close.

"Princess, my princess. Your father was a strict and narrow minded man, like his father. And your brothers were being cast in the same mold. After you stopped coming to talk with me I could see you becoming like that, though you relaxed a little when Emi came, but that soon ended. I heard what had happened, how you stood up to your father for her. And I saw the sadness in both of you afterwards. I have noticed that you are both happier now. You have been much more curious and knowledgeable than you were, I thought it was because you had stopped drinking, You had always been a curious child. But today is exceptional, you have knowledge that no one has." He shakes himself, "Anyway, I will build you a bath hut like no other. Let me know what you want done and I or one of my friends with do it."

"Thank you, Tobias. First could you explore the possibility of going though or under the wall. Some where about here I think," pointing to a spot several feet off the path, "I will get a plan to you soon." I hug him again.

With that bit of drama finished, we all return to the tasks at hand. Helen and Sophia return to my rooms to make clothes, Aden to supervise the harvest, Emi to maid duties, Kalvin to training, Tilly to the kitchen, and I to sketching plans for machines and buildings.