Tilly gently poking me wakes me. "Time to train Fina." She lights the candle on the bed side table, then turns to leave.

"Thanks Tilly." Benny is snuggled against my left side with Beth behind him. Draped over the other side, head on my shoulder, lies Emi. "Emi, time to wake up, love." I gently blow in her ear which is even with my mouth. Her face doesn't move but she pinches my left nipple, leaning over I suck her ear into my mouth giving it a sloppy lick. She shakes her head then leans down and starts licking and sucking my right nipple. "If you wake the children, you get to explain what you're doing." I whisper in her ear, which gets her to stop.

"You fight dirty, you know that." she glares at me. I hug her with the arm she had be laying on. Pulling her up I kiss her. When we break the kiss, she whispers, "Your turn to explain, naughty princess."

"Love you Emi. Now help me up, please." She rises, pulling me up.

We go about our morning routine, chamber pot, clean up, select clothes, putting those on followed by putting on the armor. Emi leads me out to the sitting room where she kisses me some more then hands me my sword. "I'll get the children awake and dressed, have fun beating the post." Giving me one more kiss she sends me on my way. I watch as she walks back into the bed chamber, tail twitching. She hadn't bothered to dress so was still naked as when we went to bed, I enjoy looking at her butt.

A smile on my face I go to the back courtyard. I find Kalvin doing Karate moves. I lean my sword against the first post then approach him. "Not bad but several forms are wrong." Then as he watches I start doing the same forms, at a slow speed. Then I have him do them, slowly. Then we do them at speed. We start sparing. He spends several minutes looking at the sky from flat on his back. After helping him up he sets me to beating the post with the wooden sword. After thirty whacks he has me switch to sparing with him, now it's my turn to look at the sky.

"You are lasting longer, your majesty. Not bad for only doing it two weeks. Now it's time for T'ai Chi."

I pull the helmet from my head, giving my hair a shake. I lead Kalvin over to the others who are standing near the door to the garden. Eliza hugs him as I greet Beth and Benny,"Morning young ones, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, mama." "Yes, mama Fina." They hug me, Benny around the thigh, Beth around the waist.

"Morning everyone. Ready to T'ai Chi?" Removing my grieves, boots and stockings, laying them next to the sword. I lead them to the garden. I stand in vertical centering, waiting. Once they are ready, we begin. Sophia has been showing Beth and Benny the forms during lessons in the afternoon so they aren't too bad at it. Twenty five minutes later we go into vertical centering.

Beth and Benny know they are to set the table in the morning so they go to begin. Tilly and Abbey return to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, the others go do what they do before breakfast. Emi and I pickup my equipment and return to my rooms where Emi helps me out of the armor. After placing the gambeson on the rack she comments it needs cleaning again. I'll take her word for it, her nose is much more sensitive than mine. Once the gambeson is racked she leaves to get a pitcher of water. While she is gone I continue removing clothing, tossing them all into the basket. I drop to the floor, doing a few pushups, then some situps then feeling daring I try a hand stand but can't quite do it, I don't have the upper body strength yet. I can do a head stand though, which is where Emi finds me.

"Well, that is an interesting sight." She says as she mixes water.

In one motion I roll to my feet, coming up behind her hugging her. As I hug I undo her blouse and bra, then pull them off her. While one hand is undoing her skirt the other is caressing her breasts and my mouth is kissing the nape of her neck. Once the skirt drops to the floor her tail frog get undone by one hand as the other fingers her folds. She turns, catching my mouth with hers, sucking on my tongue. We are stroking each others folds. I reach behind her, stroking the full length of her tail. She shudders, the hand stroking her folds gets wet. I lick my fingers then stick them in her mouth, she sucks on them. Her fingers enter me, rubbing me. She drops to her knees, kissing my nubbin, sucking it. I soon start shuttering, going over the edge. We collapse to the floor, holding each other.

'If you two don't hurry you are going to miss breakfast.'

"We need to wash up, apparently they aren't waiting for us." I tell Emi.

She stands, pulling me up. Taking a cloth she starts cleaning my back, as I do the front. She is doing my legs as I do my arms. We rinse our cloths then I start on Emi's back as she washes her front. We finish by wiping the soap off then drying each other. As she put her clothes back on I got clean clothes from the wardrobe. As we are going to be in town later I dress nicely but still casually in long tunic, shorts and mid calf height stockings.

As Sophia had warned, we are late. The others are already eating. Emi fetches our plates from the kitchen, placing my plate before me. I find a omelet made with ham, onion and spinach with a slice of toast on the side. I ask what everyone has planned for today. Most have the normal routine planned, nothing special. I tell them I will be checking on different projects that the craftsmen are working on, then we will be at the house.

Beth and Benny collect the dirty dishes placing them on the tray. It's Sophia and Helen's turn to wash this morning so when we are finished, Emi and I get ready to leave. Emi fetching the basket and I give the children hugs and kisses say I will see them at dinner.

Emi and I put our shoes on at the garden door and meet Kalvin outside the garden gate. The guardsmen at the main gate salutes as we go through, Kalvin and I return the salute. When we reach the square we turn and cross the bridge to inspect the progress of the the new workshops.

Following the new road we see that they are progressing. The plots on the riverside of the road have the brush cleared. There are several work crews are moving rock and soil to the river edge to even it up. The plots on the other side of the road are being leveled by oxen drawn scrapers, what soil that doesn't go to filling low spots is moved to the river edge. The farthest plot from the bridge has workers busy mixing mud and forming bricks. I see Harry walking between the rows of bricks, occasionally stopping to inspect a mans work. I decide not to interrupt him but turn around and go back.

The first shop we visit is Steven's, to check on the food dryer. Steven is busy with his new apprentices so we talk to Samuel, the food dryer is nearing completion, with the heat exchanger and the tray frames to be completed yet. Samuel says those should be finished in four days. The dry toilet cabinet is finished but they have run into a problem with the mechanism working correctly so are reworking it. The children's chairs are also nearly finished, the finish was being applied, they should be delivered in three days. I thank Samuel then we leave.

Next we goto Jason's, to check on the seed drill, flax breaker, scutcher, the hand trucks and the bee hives. Jason is also busy with his new apprentices so we talk to Albert who tells me that all the machines are coming along. The breaker is nearest to completion, then the hand truck. The seed drill frame is finished, they are working on the hoppers now. The lumber for the bee hive boxes is being planed. He also mentions that Hans as ordered more sections of water trough for the ponds. I give authorization for those. Thanking him for the information we leave.

Next is Daniels shop, where we greeted by his new apprentice, Jerrie, who answers the bell. Jerrie is a petite girl of ten. When we ask to speak to Daniel she runs to the back to fetch him. "Good afternoon, your majesty, how may help you today?"

"Just checking up on projects. How are you doing on those?"

"Jose' and I are continuing to work on the cleaner, thresher and spinning wheel parts. I have yet to start on the stacking game components as I'm working on loom parts. I should have enough of those to start building a loom in a couple weeks. Is a frame being built?"

"Not yet, Jason and Steven are busy with other projects. Would you like to build the whole loom, frame included?"

"If I must."

I bid him farewell. We then go to Howard's shop.

After we enter Eliza comes out from the back to answer the bell. Seeing Kalvin she gives him a hug.

"Hello, love. Are you learning a lot from Howard?" He asks her as he returns her hug.

"Yes, I am. This morning we were carving the blocks for one of the pages of the alphabet book. We will mix the inks for it this afternoon and should have the first color printed by supper."

"So he is working on the book, good. That is what I wanted to check on. And you." I hug her. After chatting a few more minutes we leave, going to the house.

Once there we watch as workmen haul dirt and stone from the new cellar area, loading the soil into a cart to haul to the riverside workshops, while the stone are piled nearby. The foundation walls on the sides of the house where the windows for the cellar rooms will be has already been dug out. There are three piles of stone for the new cellar walls spaced around the rear of the house.

While we are watching them dig, a guardsman comes up at a run. Bowing he says,"Your majesty, a ship is dropping anchor in the harbor."

"Is it a company ship?" I ask.

"No, they are flying a different flag. The Captain says they are out of Monte'."

That is the island country that Mark just left. In his letter he mentioned that they would be sending a ship to pickup a load of grain. They must have left the next day to get here this fast. "We were expecting a ship from there, they made good time. When the captain lands, convey my greetings to him and invite him to the palace for supper. Would you inform Tilly stating we will be having guests for supper tonight, please." The guardsman departs, returning to the palace.

A short while later I am inspecting the modifications being made to the stable when I notice three strangers. There is a large man in armor, a smaller man dressed all in black and a finely dress man. The armored man is leading, hand on his weapon. The finely dressed fellow is looking the house over, walking slowly, the other man following behind. The armored man stops a workman, asking him something. When the man points in our direction, the armor man nods and workman returns to his work. The armored man turns to the finely dressed one, talking to him then points toward us.

When they approach, Kalvin steps in their direction, drawing his sword. They stop a short distance away from Kalvin. Kalvin and the armored man are both tense, ready to fight if commanded to.

"Stand down, Victor," the finely dressed one says.

"You also, Kalvin." I say.

"Would you be Rufina, Queen of Haven?" Asks the finely dress man.

"I am. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"I am Aaron, Prince of Monte'. He bows slightly, "These are my companions, Victor and Benson." Aaron is dressed in dark grey trousers with a matching vest over a white shirt, a sheathed dagger at his side. Benson is neatly dressed in dark trousers and shirt, he appears unarmed.

"Welcome to Haven, Prince Aaron. This is my companion Emi and my guard Kalvin." Kalvin has moved to stand near me but still between me and the three. "May I assume that you have come to pickup a load of grain?"

"That is the main purpose of the trip but I have come to see you. Merchant Mark was telling me of you one evening at supper. His tales of your inventiveness made me curious, so I came to visit." He has stepped quite close, though still a couple steps away. He is gazing at me a slight smile on his lips, nicely shaped lips, visible under a neatly trimmed mustache, even white teeth shining. His hair is dark brown, with the start of a widows peak, cut short on the sides, longish in the back. His eye though, such pretty eyes. We are staring at each other with goofy grins on our faces.

Emi looks at me then at him, getting a sad smile on her face. She pokes me in the ribs, causing me to jump.

"Yes, Emi?"

"You were in a rabbit hole." She looks at me, not smiling.

Looking at her, why is she sad? She looks away, toward Aaron. Oh, she's jealous. I quickly check her tail, yep, it's down. "Thank you, Emi."

Once we broke eye contact, Aaron looks at the stable. "What is happening here, your majesty?"

"I'm having this house and it's grounds improved so we can move in to it. The palace is in bad shape."

"What are you having done to the stable?" The door has been removed, exposing the interior. The interior has been gutted, so it is one large space. Workmen are digging the floor up, hauling baskets of dirt out.

"This is going to be a workshop for another of my companions who is a weaver. They are digging down so a new floor can be installed."

"And what are they doing to the house?"

"There is going to be a extension on the rear, for additional rooms. The hole is to add more cellar space."

"What is the propose of the holes along the side?"

"I'm having window openings put in the cellar walls, to supply light to the rooms that will be there."

"What changes are you making to the house? Beside adding to the cellar."

"The dining room is being enlarged, a bathing room is being added to the rear, two garderobes and a small bedchamber. In the cellar there will be five small bedchambers for the servants added, plus a small workshop and a parlor. The kitchen will be upgraded. Then a high fence will be added around the whole thing."

I glance at the sky, yes, I thought so. It's time to run. "Will you be staying long Prince Aaron?"

"As long as you will have me, your majesty. I have my own transportation so can leave any time."

I must have had a confused look on my face as he says, "I brought my personal vessel along with the cargo vessel. When the grain is loaded the cargo ship can leave."

"Are you the master of the cargo ship? I extended an invitation to supper to the ships captain, do you know if he will be coming?"

"He should be. I don't interfere with him in his duties."

"I have something scheduled shortly so need to return to the palace, care to come along?"

"With pleasure, your majesty."

We make our way away from the house, myself in the lead, Emi following behind, then Aaron and Benson. Victor and Kalvin in the rear.

"Miss Emi, are you the Emi that is the wife of Mark?" I hear Aaron ask Emi.

"I am."

"Ah, I see why Mark was so unhappy at times, having to leave such a lovely bride so soon after their wedding."

When he said that, Emi starts asking him questions about Mark, what he had done while on Monte', how he was feeling. She and Aaron talked all the way to palace only stopping when I took her by the hand and led her to my chambers so she could help me into my armor.

After attending to my toilet, I changed to one of my older tunics and a pair of shorts then started putting on the armor. When I walked out on the balcony, Benny and Beth were waiting. Knelling down, I gave them a hug, asking what they had been doing all afternoon. They replied that Aunties Sophia and Christina had taught them all kinds of interesting things today. As we talked I lead them around to Helen's workroom. When we arrived, I asked Helen to come meet our guests. I had left Aaron, Benson and Victor in the garden saying I would return shortly. They were wandering around the area, checking out the garden and the bathhouse.

Calling them over, I introduced the them to each other. "Prince Aaron, these are my wards, Beth and Benny. And this is one of my companions, Helen."

"Beth, Benny, Helen this is Prince Aaron of Monte'. Monte' is a country on the next big island to the north," I add for the children.

Helen is not paying much attention to Aaron, instead being focused on Benson. And he on her. Which is understandable because they are both Ovia. "Helen, this is Benson."

"Benson, this is Helen." They are staring at the face of the other. Helen reaches out, taking Benson by the hand leading him to the pergola, sitting him down on the bench.

Aaron has a grin on his face, looking at them. I wear a matching one.

Looking at me again, he asks, "And why are you in armor?"

As I sit on the patio bench and put my boots on I tell him, "Every day at this time I run the walls of the palace with Kalvin to train endurance, would you care to join us?"

He looks to Victor, who nods, "We would be happy to join you, your majesty."

"Emi, would you have the maids prepare the upper northwest room in the new section for prince Aaron's use. Making sure there is water for them to use." I lean over and whisper to her, "And prepare our bath also, please." Step back, I say louder, "We will return in 20 minutes or so." I lean down and hug Beth and Benny, giving them a kiss on the forehead, "You can go help set the table, Okay?"

"Okay, Mama Fina." They run into the palace.

I stretch several times, warming up. "Ready gentlemen?" when they nod I lead them out the gate, breaking into a trot as I clear the door.

The guards at the main gate salute as we pass, which Kalvin and I return. After we cross the draw bridge I turn left and speed up. Aaron behind me, then Victor and Kalvin. It is up hill on the first leg when running this direction, then more or less level as we cross the west end of the compound. The west end of the south side the same level, starting to descend at the half way point where it descends to the level of the river. When we turn the final corner it's uphill again to the draw bridge. As we climb this last, Kalvin calls,"Twice around your majesty."

As we cross the road, I can hear Aaron is breath hard,"You all right, prince Aaron?"

"I'm fine." He says.

Lair. He is breathing hard. I slow down a little. Kalvin and Victor run up beside me, looking back at the prince. Victor says very quietly, "He doesn't get as much exercise as he thinks he gets, so he maybe in for a hard time."

I slow a little more,"You can go ahead, I'll stay with him." They look at each other then accelerate, leaving Aaron and I in the dust.

"Damn, they sure know how to hurt a mans pride running off like that." he grumbles as he runs.

"Come on, you can do it." I encourage him.

"How do you do it with the armor on? Mark didn't say anything about you running when we spoke." he wheezed.

"That because I didn't start until after he left, we had a raider ship sighting on the eleventh of summer. I started training the next day. I barely made it the first time running the walls and it wasn't in armor. Today is the first time doing twice around in armor."

"Only sixteen days and you can do it twice and in armor to boot." He sounds depressed.

How can I get his mind off that, "Hey, is Benson married?"

"No, he isn't. Is Helen?"

"She's a widow, lost her husband a little over two years ago, after only being married three seasons."

"How old is she?"

"We celebrated her twentieth birthday three day ago. How old is he?"

"He's twenty four as of two weeks ago." He sounds a little happier.

"How long has he been with you?" We have slowed to a trot, barely faster than a walk. And are on the down hill on the south side.

"I hired him when we were both boys of eight, I talked father into letting me train as a knight and Benson was to be my squire. That didn't happen as I became ill shortly after, nearly dieing. I have never recovered fully. But Benson has been my companion the whole time."

"Sounds like Emi and I, I hired her the summer we were thirteen and we have been with each other ever since."

We ran for a short distance in silence then,"Mark didn't mention the children either, when did you get them?"

"The raider ship that was sighted attacked the farm of their parents. Their mother told them to flee to Haven, just before being killed by the raiders. When we checked the farm a few days later, the bastards apparently hadn't killed their mother or father right away. Kalvin found their father nailed to the wall of the barn and their mother was tied over a log, naked. If they ever come back, they will never leave if I catch them."

Aaron has stopped. When I turned he is pale. I run to him, catching him as he falls. When he came in to contact with the armor it started to glow, not nearly as bright when the children or I touched it but it did glow. I lay him on the ground, head down hill. Checking his pulse, it is erratic. Damn, don't have a heart attack on me.

'Sophia, Emergency, send Kalvin to the southeast end of the walls, now.'

I sit next to him for five minutes, holding his hand, monitoring his pulse the whole time. His color returns and his breathing slows and evens out.

Victor, Kalvin and Benson come running around the northeast corner of the walls just as he wakes up. He tries to sit up but I push him back down. "Stay down." I tell him. He falls back, to tired to move again.

"Aaron, are you all right?" Benson asks as he runs up to us.

"No, he's not. I think he has had a mild heart attack." I stand, remove my grieves. Holding them out, I change them, turning them into poles, a little over seven feet long. I remove one gauntlets, forming it into a piece of canvas, about six feet long by two wide, with the edges rolled and hemmed to form spaces for the poles to be inserted. I slide the poles through the canvas forming a stretcher.

"Victor take that end of those poles, Kalvin, the other end. When Benson and I roll him on his side you place the stretcher behind him. Come here Benson, take his shoulders, roll him over on his side." As Benson pulls on his shoulders, I pulled on his hips. Together we rolled him up on his side. Kalvin and Victor moved the stretcher behind him then Benson and I rolled him on to his back. "All right you two lift him up. Victor, you are the wrong direction, Benson take the handle and hold it while Victor turns around." I took the handle opposite Benson then Victor turned around, so Aaron is behind him. "Okay, move out, back to the palace." They start out quickly, slowing down after a short distance.

'Sophia, tell Emi to make the bed in the northwest ground floor room and to hurry. Gather candles, about ten, in that room.' 'What is going on?' 'Our guest has had a heart attack I think. Are you able to tell the condition of a heart in the chest?' 'Damn, you don't ask for simple things do you? I haven't done it but will try it on someone.'

I catch up to the stretcher, walking along on the opposite side as Benson. We have reached the road when, 'Fina, I can do it.' 'Okay, we are crossing the bridge, have the front door open. I want you and Helen to get Aaron in bed, stripped to his drawers, while Emi gets me out of this armor and washed. I'll join you as soon as I can. Is Christina still here or Abbey?' 'They are here.' 'Have them take care of Beth and Benny.'

We are crossing the bridge, I can see Sophia and Helen at the open door. Sophia says to Victor, "Follow me." She leads him into the palace. As I enter Emi takes my hand leading me to the stairs. We quickly ascend, going to my rooms. After entering, I raise my arms. Emi undoes the buckles on the scale shirt then helps me out of it. As she is placing it on the floor I undo the buckles on the gambeson, Emi then removes it, placing it on the rack. I sit on the chest, removing my boots and stockings. When I stand again i take the hem of the tunic lifting it over my head. It is thrown into the basket, followed by the rest of my clothes. Emi has a cloth soaped and starts scrubbing me.

After rinsing me off she hands me a towel then starts taking clothes from the wardrobe, laying them out for me. When I am dry she hand the clothes to me, I am soon dressed. I leave at a trot, around the balcony down the hall and down the back stairs. I enter the room, damn, I forgot how small these rooms are.

'How is he doing?' 'You were right, he has had a mild heart attack. There are restrictions in two of his veins feeding the heart, so if he over works it his heart runs low on blood.'

"Damn it." The others in the room look at me. The strangers don't know why I am upset but the others have an idea what I had been doing. "Is he stable for now?" Sophia nods. "Okay, we need to goto dream space. You and I, now."

Take her hand we go to the sitting room which has a two person couch. We sit, she looks in my eyes and we are in dream space. We are in a white room, brightly lit. "Can we do it?"

"Depends on what exactly 'it' is."

"I'm thinking stint." She gives me a blank look, then closes her eyes. After a minute she opens her eyes, nodding, "I can do that. But I could also just do it the godly way." Now it's my turn to look blank. She forms a image of Aaron then taking my hand we shrink, flying to his chest, hovering over it. His chest becomes translucent, I can see his heart beating. I can see the veins that are restricted, I will a closer look, my vision zooms in. I can now see the scar tissue in the walls of the veins. Sophia says, "What I would do is remove the scars then grow new vein walls, renewing them. The problems is energy, it takes a lot of energy to work on living tissue."

"I would run out of energy about half way though repairing one scar. It was easier when I repaired Rufina's body, she was dead. It it's harder to repair living bodies, their energy interferes with the process. We don't want to kill him so we can repair him, too much risk."

"How would you do it? Remove the scar or transform it. The cells of the scar are the correct types aren't they?"

"The cells are the correct ones, there are too many of them and are the wrong shape, making them stiff. I had thought to remove the scar tissue then replace it with new vein material, but run out of energy before I can get the new walls finished."

"How about removing a small piece of scar, say a tenth of the total, then renew the wall. Could you do it that way?"

She thinks, then nods, then frowns. "I still run out of energy, half way through, though Aaron would survive, I would need to do four procedures to repair everything. I would prefer doing it in one go, less stress on both of us."

"So it's a energy recovery problem, you can't pull energy in fast enough to keep up with expenditures, If your outside sources are closer can you receive more energy from them? Would direct contact make a difference?"

She gets a look on her face. She then takes my hand. She starts smiling. "Direct contact helps, holding your hand increase the energy transfer a quarter. I need to test this. Let return for a short while. I need to check Aaron."

"Okay, see you in real space."

We fade out.

I open my eyes, to find myself looking in the eyes of Emi. I smile, "Hello Love."

"What's going on, Fina?"

"Aaron has scar tissue in the veins of his heart. When he exercises too hard he can't get enough blood to his heart to keep it pumping like it should which causes it start beating erratically causing pain. If he pushes too hard he could die. Sophia can fix it but it takes more energy than she has. She can do it in stages but she says it causes stress to both her and Aaron to do it that way. We are trying to figure out how to supply her with enough energy so she can do the repairs in one go, though slowly."

"That's right. Every one, please come here." The ones in the room, Helen, Kalvin, Molly, Mabel, Tilly, Abbey, Victor and Benson all come stand close. "Stand in a circle please, then take the person next to you by the hand." Emi takes my hand and I take Sophia's. Emi has Kalvin's in the other hand. Soon we are all holding hands, "All right now relax, and start willing energy to me, Oh, does that feel good. I'm getting about 35% more energy than when we aren't hold hands, though something feels restricted. Victor, Benson could you drop the hands you are holding." They do. "I thought so, they don't believe. I'm getting as much energy without them as with. Rufina could we gather more believers? Nora, Harry, Daniel, the captain, Eliza, Howard, Christina, Aden and John."

"Tilly please fetch Nora. Emi go get Daniel and Harry, please. Kalvin go get John. Go."

They scatter. I take off for the stairs. Going up two steps at a time I burst into the guardrooms. It's supper time, he should be up here, I walk to their kitchen. There he is. "Captain, I need a word with you." He is about half finished with his meal. "When you are finished come down stairs, please."

I turn and return down stairs. I goto the children's room where Christina is reading to them. "Will you three come with me, Please."

"Hi mama Fina." Benny jumps up, giving me a hug. Beth is calmer, but still hugs me tight.

"How is he?" Christina asks.

"Better, sort of. Sophia will explain when we get back. Now Benny, we are going down stairs and we are going to do something serious, I want you to sit still and be very quiet. Beth, would you hold on to Benny while we are there?" She nods. "Thank you, sweetie."

As we walk out of the room the front door opens and Aden, Howard and Eliza come in. They look around, normally by this time the table is set and we are sitting around it waiting. "Go to the northwest room in the new section." I call down to them.

They look at each other then head that way. I lead the children and Christina to the back stairs then down. "What going on Rufina?" Aden asks.

"Victor, Benson would you bring Aaron out here, placing him in the center of the room, please." Sophia asks them. "The rest of you, I need two circles around Aaron, sit close enough that you can hold hands of the people next to you, we will be going into dream space. While we wait for the other to arrive, sit in centering stance, back straight, chin down and back, relax."

I sit Christina, Molly and Mabel next to Aaron when Victor and Benson bring him out. Sophia will sit at his head, The outer circle settles down, filling as people come in. Emi with Daniel and Harry are last, I have them sitting behind Sophia and me, Emi directly behind. Beth and Benny are sitting on the loveseat, watching wide eyed.

Sophia starts looking into peoples eyes sending them to dream space. When we are all there, "Good evening people. For those of you who don't know what is going on, the man in the center of the circles is Aaron, Prince of Monte'. He came to get a ship load of grain, Rufina ask if he would join her on her run. He accepted. While running he collapsed, when I checked him, he has had a heart attack. A heart attack is when the heart stops beating or beats in such a way that it can't do what it is supposed to do. Aaron has a defect in the veins of his heart that causes his heart to not get enough blood. We are gathered to fix his heart. I will be doing the repairs. You will be supplying the energy I need to make the repairs. What I want you to do is to sit in the circles like you are in real space, holding the hands of the people next to you and will energy to me."

"We are doing this in dream space because I receive more energy from you when we are here and touching me. Now please take a seat and hold the hands of your neighbors."

We settled down, holding hands. I started to meditate. Emi and I are the connection between the inner and outer circles, I have my left hand behind me for Emi to hold, Molly is holding my left bicep. My right hand is holding Sophia's hand. Harry has hold of Emi's right hand and Tilly is holding her left arm which is holding my left hand. I can feel the energy flow as Sophia starts the process. She feeds me a visual of what she is doing, which I project into the space in the center of the circles. Time becomes inconsequential, we are one, repairing the veins of Aaron.

When the final cell of the last bit of vein wall is renewed, we start to stir. The one becomes many. We sit looking at each other. Sophia speaks, "Thank you all. I am going to sleep now. Take care of my body when you wake please." We fade from the view of each other. I am the last, Sophia leans over to me, kissing me, "Well done, Fina. See you on the other side." I fade away.

When I wake, Sophia has her head on my lap, she is asleep. I look at Aaron, he is awake, sitting in the middle of the floor, looking around. "How do you feel Aaron?"

"Better than I have in years, what did you do to me? And who are all these people?"

"These are my friends and the people who helped restore your heart." I am sitting stroking Sophia's hair. "And this is Sophia, goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom, the one that actually did the deed."

I look around, Victor and Benson are looking at us all, wondering what had happened. Benny is asleep in Beth's arms. Beth is looking at me, a puzzled look on her face. "Mama Fina, is auntie Sophia really a Goddess?"

Whoops, she didn't want her to know that yet. "Yes, sweetie, she is."

"Why did she keep it a secret?"

"She thought you are too young to know, why I don't know. You will have to ask her about it when she wakes up. Was Benny a good boy?"

"Yes, Mama. He wanted to go get some thing to eat but I told him all the grown ups were here so there was no one to get him anything. He went to sleep after that. Is it time to eat?"

I look out the window, the courtyard is dark. Most of the people are still sitting where they had been. "Kalvin, Victor would you carry Sophia to her room, Helen would you put her to bed, please. Tilly, will supper be salvageable?"

"I got it off the fire before I came back to help, most of it can be reheated. Give me fifteen minutes and it will be ready. Abbey, come help with supper, please." They get up, working their way to the kitchen.

I feel my left hand being squeezed, looking over my shoulder I see Emi, still holding the hand of Harry. Harry has a glazed look to him. "Are you all right Harry?"

"That was amazing. How is that possible?"

"Knowledge and the power of a God. Many years of many people studying the body. They shared the knowledge they learned with doctors, those doctors treat the sick. And other people volunteering for doctors to attempt new procedures. And as the knowledge was shared even a person like my self could know how the body works. But the way Sophia did it is the way of a god, she has powers that men don't. If we were make a repair like that, it would be very different." Victor and Kalvin have brought the stretcher over and rolled Sophia on to it. Lifting her up they carry her to her room, Helen following.

Emi is standing, offering me a hand up. I pick up Benny, laying him on my shoulder. Taking Beth by the hand I start for the door but stop. Turning to Aaron,"Aaron, the room up stairs was going to be yours tonight. Do Victor and Benson stay with you? Or do they need their own rooms?"

"Usually Benson stays by my side, Victor has his own room."

"Molly, would you arrange for another bed to be place in the room up stairs. Victor can use the third single room up stairs, Nora would you mind a servants quarters? Harry are you staying? Oh to heck with it, supper first, rooms later. Tilly said fifteen minutes until supper, we will decide then." I walk out the door.

"You hungry Beth?" She nods. "Yes, me too. Shall we go sit at the table." Several people have the same idea. I sit Benny in his chair, on his book. Then Beth on hers. Howard, Harry, Daniel and John all sit down, greeting Beth and are greeted in return. She is a polite girl. Howard is the only one that she has had many words with before this but you wouldn't know it. She asks them about what happened as she couldn't see the image. The four men explained it to her, she asked some good questions, you would think she was much older by the question she asks. I had to explain some of it to all of them. More people join us, Aaron included. He is also curious about what happened as he was out during the procedure.

When Helen joins us I asks her if Sophia was all right. She replies that she was so deeply asleep at she hadn't moved a muscle when she had prepared her for bed.

Emi and Christina set the table, then bring out the meal, placing the main course in front of me. When everyone was seated, "Good evening friends, tonight we hopefully gave our new friend Aaron a new lease on life. With his heart repaired he should be in much better health going forward. I thank you all for coming tonight in support of this effort. After supper you are invited to stay the night, it may take a short while to get a bed arranged but there should be enough for everyone. As we are running so late, I declare that morning will be delayed until 700. Now lets eat." I lift the cover on the platter, there is a roast of pork, nicely slices. Plates are passed, meat dispensed. The vegetables are passed around, along with the bread plates. I wake Benny so he can eat, giving him a small portion of everything which he eats up. Beth gets a small amount more.

When we have finished Emi and I carry the now sleeping Beth and Benny up to my rooms. As I quietly explain to Emi, they will probably be in our bed in the morning anyway, they may as well start the night there. We lay the children on the bed, then undress them to their small clothes then tuck them in. Emi takes the pitcher to fetch hot water, when she returns I wash her, giving her some kisses. Then we switch places, I get a quick wipe down then we cuddle together.

"Fina, are you attracted to Aaron?"

"I may be. He is an attractive man and he's not stupid. But I have only known him a few hours."

"Time really doesn't count against him, I only knew Mark ten hours."

"And you had raging hormones to help, I don't. Not yet anyway." I yawn, "Sorry, Love. Can we continue this in the morning." I snuggle into her back, cupping her breast in my hand. I close my eyes, relax and am soon asleep.