When we arrive at the west gate I dismiss Vincent, thanking him for his help.

"Beth, Benny, would you like to see the baby horse? She is only a week old." I had not had a chance to see her yet, either. We laid our bag and basket inside the gate then went to the stable, where we quietly went in search of the foal. When we found her, she is nursing. I had Beth climb the gate of the stall, so she can look over the top. Benny does the same. She is a pretty little girl, roan, with two white stockings on the front and a blaze between her eyes.

"She's so little," Beth says. "Can I touch her?"

"Later, when she isn't eating. All right?" She nods. Benny apparently is not interested in horses because he hops down from the fence and starts exploring the stable. Emi follows him, making sure he stays out of mischief.

"What's her name?" Beth asks me.

"I don't know, you can ask Tobias at dinner. Shall we go?"

She sighs, "Do we have to?"

"I'm afraid so, it's close to dinner time and we need to put our new clothes away, wash up then help set the table."

She sighs again, "All right, mama Fina." She hops down, peers though the gate at the foal. She takes my hand again, tightly squeezing it.

"Emi, time to go." She takes Benny by the hand, pulling him away from what he is looking at. We return to the palace collecting the bag and basket, Emi and I remove our boots. Benny is off like a streak, running around the atrium. Beth still has a tight hold on my hand.

"Tilly, were home." Stepping in the kitchen, she sees our matching out fits, a smile comes to her face.

"Very pretty girls. Dinner is in twenty minutes so go wash up and come set the table." She turns back to her cooking.

"See, I told you dinner was almost ready. Let's go wash up." I lead Beth to the stairs, calling for Benny who comes running. I lead them up the stairs, Emi following with a pitcher of hot water. We goto my rooms, where we take turns using the pot, cleaning up after. Pouring the soiled water in the pot, I refill the basins, then soap a cloth and wash first Benny then Beth's face and hands. The bag and basket are emptied of clothes, some go in the clothes basket, others in the wardrobe, and still others get folded and handed to their owners to be placed in their wardrobe. Taking the candle, we go to the children's room to put their clothes away. Beth helps Benny put his away, then puts hers next to his.

We go set the table, Emi and I carry the trays of dishes, which Beth and Benny place once we are there. When the table is set we sit in silence, enjoying the quiet, or Emi, Beth and I do, Benny being Benny is squirming. I tell him, go, go run around the atrium, but quietly no yelling. He takes off.

I close my eyes, remembering what Beth said when she told her tale, tears start flowing down my cheeks. A small hand wipes the tears from my face,"Don't cry Mama Fina." Beth crawls into my lap, hugging me. We sit like until the others start to arrive.

"All right, sweetie goto your chair. Love you." I kiss her cheek. She smiles at me, sliding off my lap then gets on her chair. Emi has gotten Benny to come sit down. I lift him up, getting him on his book, I need to get a pair of adjustable chairs made. When everyone arrives and is seated, Tilly and Emi bring out the meal, a hearty stew of hare and root vegetables with sides of bread. Bowls are pass around the table and returned once filled. There is little conversation today, until Beth asks Tobias what the foal's name is. When he says she is unnamed yet, they all start suggesting names.

As they are discussing what to name the horse, I talk to Sophia in our heads. I ask her if she would start teaching Beth and Benny to read and write and start Beth on her sums, as I doubt Benny would understand them yet. When she asks what should she teach I suggest having Beth read to Benny until he wouldn't sit still, then let him run. While he is running around, have Beth do some writing to find what she can do. When Benny is ready to sit still teach him some letters and numbers. I suggest having Christina help.

When Rufina returns her attention to the table they are still discussing what to name the foal but not making much headway. She finishes her meal, letting the other continue their discussion. When finished, she stacks her dish, then raising her voice slightly, "I will be meeting with Aden this afternoon so will be busy for a while. Benny, Beth, after you have cleared the table, you will go with Aunt Sophia and Aunt Christina to your rooms for lessons. Christina, Sophia will explain what you will be doing. The rest of you have a good afternoon. And I will see you all at supper." She stands, taking her dishes which she places on the tray.

She walks to the study where she removes the document folders that contain the newest records. Then crossing the atrium she enters the Domain Office, where she starts reading the reports, looking for mention of the children's parents arrival. Beth said that they arrived before she had been born. With her being seven they would have arrived before then. She doesn't find a likely candidate in the eighth, ninth or tenth years previous but did in the eleventh. A couple arrived, with two large chests and thirty gold. It was noted that they visited the King. Their name was Hofstadter, Thomas and Ofilia. She copied the names down then returned the reports to their folders.

By this time Aden had entered the office and was sitting at his desk. "Aden, where are the tax records." He stands, going to a cabinet and opens the doors. "They are here, your majesty." I stand, coming to stand next to him. "Are they in alphabetic order by name?"

"They are. What is the name?"

"Hofstadter, Thomas."

He drops to his knees, apparently the Hs are near the floor. He pulls a file, standing. He hands me the file. I thank him. I take the file to where I had been sitting, where I started through it. Yes, Thomas and Ofilia Hofstadter, husband and wife, purchased a piece of land from the King on 14 spring 223 for 15 gold. Taxes paid in coin in 224 - 5 silver, in grain in 225-227 - 20 bushel per year, in grain 228-230 - 22.5 bushel per year, in grain 231-233 - 25 bushels per year.

"Aden, are children of freeholders taxed at 2.5 bushels a year?"

"They are. Who is Thomas Hofstadter?"

"Beth and Benny's father. Beth said that her parents arrived before she was born, as she is seven years old, I consulted the records starting seven years ago. The Hofstadters were the first couple to arrive before that. Their tax records show two children, one at seven years ago and one at four years ago which match Beth and Benny so it a good chance that they are the children's parents."

"It amazes me the way you can take one small statement, that her parents arrived before she was born, and figure out who they are."

"I couldn't do it with out the records though, no records, no trail to follow." Something is bothering me, but what? "What would a plot of land sell for?"

"Depends on where it is and how good it is. Why?"

"The tax records say they bought a piece of land from the King for 15 gold. From the King, not the kingdom. The record of their arrival states that they visited the king. I wish father kept a diary, at would be so helpful."

"Your father didn't keep a diary but the minster at the time did. What year did the Hofstadters arrive?"

"223, in the spring."

He went a to book shelf, searched for a short while then took one down.

Thumbing though it he stops, reads then continues to turn pages. "Ah, here to is. '14 spring, T and O Hofstadter to see K, O is K's cousin seeking asylum. The family on mainland in turmoil. K sells T land, with promise if the family comes asking he knows nothing.'" He looks at me, "You were right that the children are your cousins. How were you able to determine that?"

"On Earth, they had learned how the body passes on information from generation to generation. I had Sophia look at this information and compare Beth, Benny and myself. The more of this information that matches the closer the people are related. The three of us have about twelve percent matching so we have a common ancestor four generations back, not counting the Ajax connection."

"How far back does that diary go?"

"This volume starts on 1 winter 223, going to 91 fall 224. The first one starts on 1 winter 205 the day the minster started."

"May I have the volume that contains 218, Please." He hands me another volume. I start reading, skimming each day, searching. I find what I seek. The minster had written. 'The Q is with child, K ecstatic.' From there I read each day. There are only a few references to the queen. The week before the birthday of my little brother, there is an entry, 'The Q fell today.' Two day later, 'Q is a bed, in pain.' Several days later, 'K worried, Q has started labor, it's too early.' Two days later, 'A prince is born, Q is dead, K upset.' The next entry, is a week later, 'Have been forced to run kingdom alone, K uncommunicative. Have found wet nurse for babe and nanny for Prince and Princess.'

What follows is a listing of what the minster did to keep the kingdom functioning for the next year until the king recovered from his grief. I shut the book. So that is what happen to Rufina's mother. She takes the diary back to the shelf, retrieving the volume containing the year of her birth. Finding her birthday, she reads what happened that day. Then back tracking until she finds the first mention of the queen being with child. Apparently I was not a hard pregnancy or delivery as not much was mentioned. He did mention that I was a red head at birth and I was loud in the night as the King was so very vocal about it.

I replaced that volume fetching the last one. This volume covers 229-230. Taking it out to the parlor, I sit so I have good light then start reading. I am half way though spring 230 when Emi comes telling me it is time to run. I place the book on the study desk, planning on finishing it later. Reaching my rooms we change to shorts, tunics and knee stocking.

After donning our boots in the garden we do some stretches before we jog to the main gate. Reaching the gate we up the pace, at the pace we are running my breathing is not labored. On the final hill we up the pace so that I am breathing hard at the gate. Dropping back to a jog we cool down on the way to the garden. Changing to our slippers we head to my rooms, stop to get a pitcher of water and to check in with Tilly. Once in my rooms much touching and rubbing ensues, orgasms reached then bathing done. We are dressed and setting the table twenty some minutes later.

As we eat I talk with Howard, inquiring about what he has been doing today. He was ordering materials for shelving and print blocks, cleaning the shop and living area and making minor repairs. He will be able to move there in a couple of days if all goes well.

The others are getting thing accomplished, Helen has woven more linen, the walls of the bathhouse are nearing completion, things are going well in general.

Beth and Benny, having finished eating are for once not falling asleep right away but are listening to what the others are saying. Having noticed this, Rufina asks them what they did this afternoon. They told her that auntie Christina had read to them then in Benny's case took him out to the orchard and let him run. Beth and Sophia had spent that time, practicing writing. Beth hopped down and went upstairs soon returning with a paper which she handed to Rufina. The page was covered in large letters, drawn in charcoal. Rufina praised her, telling her she had done well. Beth continued, saying Sophia had explained numbers to her then had shown her the numbers. Then Benny had returned so she went with Christina on an errand into town for Tilly. On the way back they stopped and watched the foal.

As the others finished their supper they piled their dishes on the trays. When the tray was full, Rufina and Emi carried them to the kitchen and with Beth and Benny's help washed them. As they neared finishing, Emi poured water into the pitchers she had fetched from Rufina's room. Then with Rufina and Emi carrying pitchers Benny lead the way up the stairs. Beth carried the lit candle from the top of the stairs to the room, then lights a few more once there.

"Use the chamber pot while Emi and I go get the tub, we will be right back."

Returning down stairs the two of them went to the storage room off the kitchen. Hauling the tub between them they returned to children's room, where they stripped and scrubbed first Benny then Beth while they stand in the tub. When dried they are dressed for bed. Emi cuddles Benny as Beth sits between Rufina's legs reading aloud. Soon Benny is snoring lightly and Beth is having a hard time staying awake. Rufina placed the book on the table beside the bed, then cuddling with Beth until she is asleep.

After straightening the room they take the tub out to the sitting room, placing in a back corner out of the way. Not feeling like going to bed yet, Rufina goes to the study, asking Emi to come get her at dusk. Lighting the new lamp, she sits and reads the remainder of the 229-230 diary. She has finished it and is sitting in the dark, having extinguished the lamp, thinking about what she had read. The minster had his doubts about his replacement, Lain. He has had to correct several of the reports that Lian had submitted to the King. He had also caught him in places he shouldn't have been. When he mentioned this to the King, the King told him it was not a problem as Lain was soon to be the minister.

When Emi came to her at dusk, Rufina picked up the volume, taking it to the Domain Office. Once there she placed it back on the shelf where it came from. Emi and she were the last ones moving around, the rest had retired for the evening. Taking Emi by the hand they went up the stairs, entering her chambers. Once there they strip to their panties, crawling into bed where they snuggle together, soon falling asleep.