The days became routine. I would spend my days painting and my evenings writing or attending various events where I was introduced to more people. The house became popular as the news of my artwork spread. There was usually a crowd of people at the manor waiting to be let in by fourth bell in the morning, and then they would form a line and walk through the manor as if attending an art exhibit. It was very popular for the young men to bring dates to.

The fact that I drew sketches at parties soon became known, and I then received piles of invitations. Benjamin would sort through them all and write responses. I also had to attend private luncheons, where sometimes it was only me and a particular couple. It was just another excuse to get a sketch out of me. I really didn't mind, though, because that meant I was getting paid at least ten gold per luncheon.

All the money I was collecting was going into the bank as soon as I received it. I was getting close to two hundred gold, and it didn't look like the money was going to stop flowing any time soon. I wanted to use my money to find things that would benefit my barony. I would love to have time to go out and explore what Vaspar had to offer, but I was stuck making money all day.

It reminded me of when I was self-employed. Some people think that being a business owner is the same as being self-employed. Self-employed people still do all the work, while business owners get to delegate. I really didn't have much to complain about, though. In the last week, I had made more than the total annual income of my barony.

So I ended up sending my men out and having them report back on all the shops and tools they came across that we didn't have at the barony. I had already made a copy of the design for a lathe, but we would need more. I was also sending out inquiries for skilled laborers who wanted to move to an expanding barony.

Then there were the educators. Slowly but surely, my people in Bicman were beginning to learn to read. Now, I wanted to get people who had more technical knowledge and start a trade school. It was going to be really essential when I needed fewer people to produce the same amount of food. Some of that could be offset by using more land for cash crops, but if I am also able to get the death rate down to 20%, we would have a population explosion. I wonder if I could evolve my militia training into a full-blown military academy.

I couldn't flood my barony with money unless people had something to spend it on besides grain. Otherwise, the value of the money would go down, and the price of food would skyrocket. By the end of this trip, I wanted to be able to move to a gold standard for the barony. That won't be too hard with such a small population. Most of my people have never even seen silver, let alone gold.

Most of the gold would be stored in Vaspar banks since I didn't want to carry it back and forth every time I needed something. Then, as we expanded, I would build a treasury/Bank of Bicman.

And that is why we were currently in the market district in front of a large building. I had brought the captain, four guards, and Benjamin. My escort, as well as the small chest the captain was carrying, immediately caught the eye of a well-groomed man standing near the entrance.

"Welcome to the Vaspar Market Square Bank. The man said with a bow."

No points for originality on the name of these guys.

My name is Manson. How may I help you, my lord."

Benjamin stepped forward. "Let me introduce his lordship, Amos Bicman. He is attending the Festivities and would like to open an account while he is here."

"I see. Well, let me get you a private room and a scribe, " he said in a monotone voice.

I wonder if he had to take classes to get it that flat. We were led to a small room with simple wooden chairs and a table. Before I could sit down, a new chair was brought in for me. The procedure went well, but it did not end as I expected. I had come here because I heard they offered investment opportunities, but it hadn't been brought up at all. Not very good salesmanship. Isn't that how these people make their money?

"Excuse me, but I was wondering about your investment opportunities," I said.

This caught the man off guard. "Investments?"

"Yes, one of the reasons I came to this particular bank was that you also manage trade investments."

"Well, Um… Forgive me, my lord. It is not common for one of your standings to desire investing."

"Too bad for my peers who don't get to experience the pleasure of investing. Now, what do you have available?"

"My lord, I cannot guarantee a return on your investment, and some are quite risky," he said nervously.

"You seem to be worried about upsetting me if things don't turn out," I said with a smile. "Don't fear. I am not one to take out my anger on others. I understand that investing is a gamble. People waste their money in gambling dens all the time, knowing they are just throwing their money away. The risk here is much more acceptable."

The man noticeably relaxed. "Very well, my lord. What type of investment are you looking for."

"What do you have?"

"We have a few people looking to start businesses in the city as well as overland and sea trade. Overland is less risky, but the return is much lower."

"What do you have for sea shipments?

"There is a ship in the harbor about to leave on a silk run. The investment slots fill up pretty quickly, but I can see if they need any more capital. There is a spice run that is trying to gather a few hundred more gold. They will be exporting grain south and returning it with spices after the winter. They are a new trading company, so there is quite a bit of risk involved, even if you don't include the risk of shipwreck or damaged goods. Also, it will take at least six months before you see any returns."

I was still going to make plenty of money here, so I really wanted to risk the spice trade, but I knew it was foolish to do so. High risk is something you do when you gamble. I only wanted moderate risk.

After going over the land options, I settled on a cargo shipment of reapers oil. I had no idea what that was. I also invested in an expanding Fuller/Laundry service business. I had fond memories as a kid of waiting out a rainstorm in Ms. Pham's Laundromat. She fed Allen and me some really good cookies. As my barony grew, I was going to need one there, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to have an in with a current successful business.

The last thing I did was ask where I might find someone who made glass. Unfortunately, glassmaking wasn't a popular profession, and Vaspar did not have one. So, with that business out of the way, I decided to head back to the house and get more painting done before I had to attend Fredrick's get-together.

"Are you sure I look ok," I asked Benjamin nervously as we headed towards the castle.

I could tell he was holding back a sigh as he said, "My lord, I have not changed in my opinion that you look fine. Also, there is no need to ask me about your dancing or social skills. You will be fine."

"I wish Chris were here. He would tell me the truth."

"He would only insult you. If you want to be insulted, I am sure we could stop by a tavern and ask someone drunk to insult you," Draves said.

"Sorry, just nervous," I said lamely.

"It has been noted, and remember, these events are quite informal, so you don't have to stay long if you are feeling uncomfortable."

At that moment, the carriage pulled up, and a servant opened the carriage door. I stepped out. After Benjamin and Draves got out, Benjamin introduced me as "His Lordship, Amos Bicman."

"Ah, yes, you are expected." The steward looked into the carriage. "I see you have come without a companion or escort."

Seriously! Was I supposed to bring a date? I'm going to kill Fredrick.

"I was not made aware of the need for a companion."

"Do not concern yourself. Although it is most common, it is not a necessity."

Translation: You're going to stick out like a sore thumb.

"Young Lord, if you will follow me, I will bring you to the hall," the servant said.

"Thank you," I said. I gathered my drawing materials and was escorted to the hall while my men were sent to different quarters. I had to wonder if all the gathered servants had a good time hanging around each other. I became lost in thought until we entered the hall.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"I present Lord Amos Bicman," the servant said as soon as we entered the room.

I looked out at the gathered crowd. There were about twenty people already in attendance, gathered together in various small groups. At the mention of my name, all of them turned to look at me. I don't know if the same attention was paid to everyone who entered or if it was because I was a new name among peers who were well acquainted with each other. There seemed to be an equal amount of each gender, which gave weight to my assumption that I was the odd one out. It was like those kids who showed up to prom all by themselves.

I was quickly approached by a couple of guys about my age with predatory smiles on their faces.

"Well, well, well, it looks like we have some fresh meat, Henrick." One of them laughed. He was a thin, wiry boy who had a lot of acne. His voice was high-pitched and nasally.

The pudgy boy next to him chuckled as well. "It looks like you lost your escort, Baron."

It was obvious they were testing me, so I smiled and laughed along, "I believe I was a last minute addition to this party of Fredricks, and he conveniently forgot to mention that I should appear with a partner."

"Sounds about like Fredrick, but don't worry, he is probably going to ambush you with one of his many lady friends." The unknown kid said while shaking his head. "I'm Nick, by the way. This is Henrick."

Both of them were wearing baron scarves over their right shoulder, indicating they were the children of Barons. "A pleasure to meet both of you," I said with a nod.

"So where in the world is Bicman? " Henrick asked.

"If you go as far north as you can travel and then swim across the Nore River, you will reach my home."

Understanding showed in Nick's eyes as he said, "You're the one that was caught up in the Decmoore scandal. The painter, right?"

"I am."

"I am not much for art myself," Nick said. "But Milinda, my wife, said she heard you are displaying your artwork. She insisted yesterday that we go to view it."

"I am surprised the news of my paintings has spread so quickly," I said.

"You shouldn't be. Vaspar is small enough that news travels from one end of it to the other within a night sometimes."

"I hear your winters are cold up there." Henrick butted in.

I had actually not experienced it myself, but Draves explained that Bicman became unusually cold compared to the other parts of the kingdom. It was thought to be the north wind. And how close the coast is to the mountains. But I wasn't a meteorologist, so why this world had strange pockets of weather in certain areas was not something I was going to try and find an answer to. All that meant to me was that I had to keep my people from freezing in the winter. Also, I heard that even though the Kingdom took a few months to travel from top to bottom, the temperature did not change too much. Did that mean that the world was larger or tilted less? Or did it have to do with all three? It really wasn't a huge concern of mine, but it was interesting.

"Yes, it is an odd phenomenon that we will get snow a few times a year. The mountains get quite a bit in winter."

"Not to be blunt. Well, I guess I am being blunt, but I ask that you excuse me for my forwardness. You are the youngest baron I have ever met. What happened to your father?

"Actually, my whole family was murdered. I almost died of the poison as well."

The reaction I got surprised me. Neither of them looked shocked. They looked more curious than anything. "Interesting. Did you find out who did it?" Henrick said.

"Yes, it was actually a conspiracy involving the steward and one of our headmen. They were trying to cover up the embezzlement of funds and a slavery operation that they had been running for the last couple of years. I believe they meant to kill all of us, steal whatever wasn't nailed down, and flee in the confusion."

That wasn't the truth, but I didn't want the speculation that it involved people higher up in the Dukedom spreading.

"Awfully bold of a bunch of commoners. But all's well that ends well. At least you get your barony at a young age. It will probably be another fifteen years before I inherit unless my father falls in battle." Henrick grumbled.

I kept my face neutral even though I wanted to let my jaw hit the floor. This kid was complaining because his father wasn't going to die soon enough.

"At least you get to inherit. I will be lucky if my brother gives me a fiefdom to run. At least my Milinda is not a shrew, always complaining about our lot in life. My poor brother William has to deal with his awful woman's nagging constantly. It's no wonder he has two on the side."

I wanted to shake my head at the weird world I had landed myself in.

"Hey, looks like Fredrick is trying to catch our attention," Henrick said.

At the far end of the room, Fredrick stood with a group of people. He kept looking over at us, though. As we walked up, Henrick said, "So what's up, Cousin Freddy?" He smirked as if he just told a funny joke.

"Oh, things are going well. How is your father's health?" Fredrick grinned maliciously.

Henrick looked like he had just bit into a lemon.

Diverting the conversation, I said, "Fredrick, thank you for the invitation, but I think you forgot to mention that I was supposed to escort a lady to dance with."

He waved off my comment. "If you had brought someone, I could not have introduced you to the lovely ladies I have lined up for you to pick from. Let me introduce my cousin, Jamie."

A very tall woman with a lovely figure and black hair done up in an elaborate bun turned at the mention of the name. She looked to be in her early twenties.

The look she gave Fredrick was icy, "I told you I was not interested." She looked up at me and then spoke again. "Did you pick me out just because this man is taller than me? Or did you think I would be impressed by the books and paintings?"

"Both and more. He is already a Baron. You could get straight into your politicking." Fredrick said with a smile.

"This is Lord Bicman, is it not? What sort of politicking do you expect me to do in the middle of nowhere? The barony is too poor to support my ambitions."

"It appears you know a lot about me and my barony. I have to say, I am flattered," I said, trying to establish some sort of rapport with her.

"Don't be," Frederick said. "She knows everything about everybody in the kingdom."

"I also know that your grandfather is to blame for the current problems in the kingdom," Jamie said in an irritated tone.

"Whoa, how do you figure that?" I said in surprise.

"If he had saved the king's son rather than the king, we would have the true heir on the throne, not the sad excuse for a king we have now."

"That is quite the leap in logic. We have no idea if his brother would be a better king. You can gather all the information you want, but this is politics. Until a person has the position, you cannot be sure." I said defensively.

Fredrick sighed, "She knows that; she is just trying to get under your skin."

I tried to lighten the mood. "Well, then, this is your fault. She is probably trying to make me avoid her so I won't propose marriage. Don't worry, Jamie. I am not planning on sweeping you off your feet and whisking you away up north with promises of a passionate and adventurous marriage. I am already engaged. I thought Fredrick knew that."

He shrugged, "You won't be for long."

Jamie was still looking hostile at the both of us. But I had a thought, "Jamie, to make up for your cousin's teasing I would like to draw a sketch of you and discuss politics while I work."

That got her attention, and after a moment's hesitation, she said, "That would be acceptable. Let us retire to a corner."

After getting her properly positioned, I began to work.

"So, what do you want to talk about," she said.

"Politics," I said.

"I thought that might have been a ruse to get me over here."

"Then why did you agree? I said.

"For the picture, of course. It is rare that I have someone in this crowd who actually wants to discuss something other than the latest fashion."

"Well, you probably already know that my family was murdered. I believe the order came from somewhere in Kimton. I don't expect you to know who it was, but if I knew more about the political situation, I might be more prepared in the future."

Jamie tilted her head a bit as if looking at me for the first time. "You are smarter than you look."

"Not really, you just haven't spent enough time with me," I said jokingly.

"Well, then, let's give you the basics of what is going on. The king is embroiled in a war with Hitub that has been going on since before he was king. Unlike his father, he cannot get himself out of it. He has surrounded himself with advisors who have told him what he wants to hear, and he has started accruing debts in money and favors. He is pretty much beholden to his debtors, who benefit from the war.

"His biggest opponents are based out of Kimton and call themselves the council. I do not know who is on the council. I don't think even the king knows who is on it. They are saying the war has gone on long enough and that we need to sign a peace treaty. I agree, but they also say that we need to get rid of the current king and his family. That would help with the animosity between our nations."

"What do you think?"

"People are idiots. We need to end the war so we can build up our economic base. But killing the king would plunge us into civil war. Instead of making concessions as part of a peace treaty, the Hitub would just rampage and steal everything we bleed for as soon as we pulled back to fight amongst ourselves. The king needs to step down and let a relative take over. That would be a decent compromise."

We continued to discuss various government issues at a high level and some local issues. Although I didn't have much interest in politics, this was information I sorely needed.

"So I am almost done, but I was wondering if you could help me with one more thing."

"Well, you have been pleasant company so far, so I am willing to hear your request."

"I am extremely impressed with your information gathering abilities. I would be willing to pay you as an informant if you would keep me updated on the politics going on in Falmoren. A monthly letter is all I am asking for."

"I will think on it. If I decide to take you up on the offer, I will write to you," She said.

"That sounds fair," I said with a nod.

I turned the picture around, and she looked at it for a moment before saying. "It is lovely, thank you."

Then she stood up and left. I should have expected that type of reaction from Jamie. But she was the first person not to be excited about the picture they received.

As soon as she vacated the seat, a young man sat down. "I would pay well for you to draw my friend and me." He said quickly while pointing to a young lady. It was then that I noticed a crowd had started to gather a little ways away from the table.

Well, it looks like I know what I will be doing for the rest of the night.