Did you read the pre-chapter notes, or did you ignore them as I usually do?

On the tenth day, I was done with the moody duke. After that, I used a model for the body and brought the rest of the background details to life, which took an additional three days.

Unlike my other pictures, where I was eager to show off my work in front of other people, I was hoping that the duke would keep this one to himself. Surprisingly, he did. When I told the servant that the painting was done, he went and fetched the Duke. After looking it over for a while, he left the room without saying anything.

Again, I waited to be dismissed. It was another hour of waiting before I got a hold of someone to confirm I could leave.

When I got back to my room in the inn, I started packing up to leave, glad the whole ordeal was over. I was not expecting a reward or anything, so I decided to leave this place as soon as possible. I might have been allowed to paint more people but it just wasn't worth it. Maybe I would stop in another county on my way home and drum up some business.

Unfortunately, my escape did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. Partway through my packing, a letter was dropped off. I had been called to attend another session of the duke's court. This time, the letter did not indicate whether I was being punished or rewarded. It also told me that I was allowed to move back into the Upper City, which meant the duke was at least a little pleased.

I really didn't want to move again. It probably meant that I would not be allowed to visit the shops in Middle City anymore. Although I wasn't making any money, it had been nice to have a break from the parties. I wonder if it was worth risking the Duke's ire to start drawing people again.

When we got back to Upper City, I picked a different inn to stay at and paid for only one night. I actually had to show the letter in order to get a room. Apparently, hotels had blacklists and my name was on everybody's lips since I was painting the duke.

The rooms in this inn were nicer, but there was a price for the luxury. I would trade all this luxury for the rooms at my manor. I missed my dresser and desks back home. I really was contemplating sharing the idea here just so that it would spread and I could stop living out of a chest. After I spread the idea, I just needed to create an IKEA furniture store, and we would be all set. I wonder how pressboard is made?

By the afternoon, news had already spread to some corners of the Upper City that I was back. That meant that I had already received two invitations to events later in the week. I wrote back that I must first attend court tomorrow, and that would determine my future availability.

I also received an invitation to visit Carter at his place. One thing I learned from my evenings with him and Rulot is that I was horrible at betting on fights. I was actually excited to go back to his place because I missed watching the two of them fight. They were the best of any two duelists I had seen. Unfortunately, they did not duel each other at the arena. I planned on visiting tomorrow afternoon after the meeting in court.

**********

The evening had passed quickly, and I soon found myself in the throne room of the duke. The proceedings went as they had last time. People came to petition, and the mad duke dealt out judgment according to his whims or according to whoever was pulling his strings. I sat there the whole time, waiting for something to happen, but it wasn't until the third bell past noon that anything regarding me was said.

“The Baron Amos Bicman has finished my painting. I am pleased with it. There are three members of the nobility that I have decided will have the honor of being painted by my artist.”

His artist? What does he mean by that?

“Count Blackwell, Count Vimb, and Count Awell. This session is adjourned.”

What the Crap? I have to stay here longer. How long am I going to be trapped here? I have people to take care of.

When I met Benjamin in the carriage, I explained what happened. He looked very worried.

“This is not good, my lord. To answer the first question you have. You will be here until Kimton tires of you. It will probably be less than a year."

“A year! Benjamin, my barony could be gone by then if we aren’t prepared.” I shouted.

“Which might be the objective here. I will need to speak with my father."

"Is this something your father would do to try and keep you here?"

"I won't say that the possibility isn't there, but I doubt it. I know my father, but this isn't his way of handling things."

I wasn't so sure. Sometimes, we do things we wouldn't otherwise do when loved ones are involved. I would have to let Benjamin get to the bottom of this. Right now, I just want to go home, eat something, and take a nap. This whole day has been emotionally exhausting.

I wrote a letter to the two people who had sent me invitations, letting them know I would be happy to attend. I also sent a message to Carter and said I would love to stop by.

**********

When I arrived at Baron Frabak's home, I was greeted by the man himself in the entryway. He looked me up and down and said, "As a favorite of the Duke and a friend of my son, I invite you to stay with us."

By the ugly grimace I was getting from the man, I could not tell if he was pleased with the idea or if it was something his son asked for. "Your generosity is appreciated greatly. I would be honored to stay in the home of such an illustrious resident of Kimton. I hope I will not cause any imposition."

"Not at all. This mansion is big enough to hold multiple families. Most of my other guests left last week. There will be one other guest arriving sometime this week. She is the daughter of a man I fought side by side with at the Hitub border."

"If you insist on me staying, I will not refuse, and once again, thank you for your hospitality."

He nodded and began to walk away but suddenly turned back and gave me a menacing glare. "Do not think this gives you permission to court my daughter," he said.

Once again, I was so glad for his disagreeableness. From the stories Carter had told me of his sister, I was so glad I hadn't met her.

The steward, Jimmy, had been standing off to the side. "Allow me to take you to the young Master Carter, my lord."

I nodded, and we left to go see my friend. Carter and Trish were sitting outside relaxing in their little garden. From the back, I could see Carter's hand around Trish's waist, holding her close as they sat on a stone bench. They were watching the fish swimming in the pond. Trish had her head on his shoulder as they spoke softly to each other. I was glad I had brought my small notebook. I had to draw this picture.

I held up my hand to Jim before he could announce me. We both paused, and I brought out my notebook. Pulling my pencils from my inside pocket, I began to draw. Jim stood there watching me as I took the next ten minutes to draw this beautiful scene of two people in love. When I finished, I showed the picture to Jim, and he nodded with approval.

We continued to walk up to them, and Jim announced me. "Lord Carter, your guest has arrived."

Both of them stood up and turned to face me.

"Welcome back to society, my friend," Carter said while coming up to give me a hug.

After we embraced, I stepped back and said, "I brought you a gift to commemorate." I then showed both of them the picture I had just drawn.

Trish stared for a moment, and then her eyes began to glisten with tears. Suddenly, she had her arms around me in a hug.

"Hmm, maybe I should try my hand at artistry," Carter said with a contemplative look.

"It is never too late to start," I said as I handed Trish the picture.

"So, how are you feeling about the honor of being the Duke's personal artist?" Carter asked.

"Honestly, I just want to go home. I miss the quiet country life. Don't get me wrong, I love having friends like you with whom I can associate, but I am tired of most parties and social events."

"Why are you still going then?"

"I need to become well-known and make connections with people. Also, what else am I supposed to do? I cannot paint who I want to anymore, and I am out of book paper to write. The hunts have to be scheduled, and I do not yet have as many friends as you do."

Carter laughed. "That is about to change. You just became one of the most famous people in Kimton. Do not worry about making friends. In fact, I may be able to find you some associations outside of Kimton shortly," he said. "A good friend of mine is coming to town, and I would love to introduce you to her."

I groaned. "You are not seriously trying to set me up again, are you?"

"Ha, you wish. She is much too good for you. Her father would never allow you to drag one of his daughters off to your swamps. She will be married to a baron who actually has money and land worth something."

"Wow, cutting deep there, Carter," I said with false dismay.

"You're too afraid of girls to get married anyways."

"What?"

Trish giggled. "He is right. You avoid the subject of marriage as if it is a plague."

"I just don't want to be rushed, is all. I am not afraid of marriage." I said defensively.

"Good. We have a social event tomorrow, and there will be a lot of eligible ladies there who would love to have a moment of the Baron of Bicman's time."

I took a step back. "Whoa, I never said-"

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"You," a voice called out from a balcony above.

We all looked up, and Carter groaned. On the balcony stood a girl of about thirteen or fourteen with the longest black hair I had ever seen. Not only did it go almost to her ankles, but it could definitely use a good brushing. I wanted to run back to the inn and get my brush for her immediately. The best way to describe the girl was slightly feral.

"Carter, don't let him leave!"

"Don't worry, Dianne. Father invited him to stay." Carter said with an exasperated look on his face. She probably didn't hear him, though, because she had already disappeared from the balcony."

"I am really sorry about this, Amos. I knew you would not be able to escape her once Father invited you, but I was hoping it would be at dinner when she would be more manageable."

"More manageable?"

"She is always better behaved when my father is around. Well, uh, you'll see."

A minute later, she came charging out into the courtyard like A bull released from its pen.

"You will paint me." She said with such force I almost agreed.

Instead, I gave her my best bow and said, "Lady Dianne, it is a pleasure to meet you. Let me introduce myself. I am, Lord Amos Bicman."

She looked at me like I was the stupidest person she had ever met. "Of course you are. Do you think I would ask someone else to paint me?"

Well, she did have a point there. "Nevertheless, manners are important."

"You are as bad as him." She said while glaring at her brother.

"I will actually accept that as a compliment," I said with a grin.

"It doesn't matter. Paint me!"

"Ah, no."

"No? No! What does he mean no?" She said to her brother. Trish had started to back away.

"I believe he means to deny your request," Carter said, trying not to show emotions.

The girl started to turn red. Some girls were pretty when they were mad. Dianne wasn't ugly, but she wasn't going to win any beauty contests. When she was angry, though, she became absolutely terrifying. "Paint me!"

"No," I said flatly.

"Paint me!"

"No."

Her nostrils flared.

"Why not?"

"A few reasons. First, the Duke forbade me from painting anybody but who he said to. Second, I don't have my things. Third, and probably most important, you are rude."

Now Carter started to back away. I, however, stood my ground.

"I am not rude!"

"Yes, you are," I said calmly.

"I'm telling Daddy!" She said threateningly.

"Ok."

"He will have you killed."

"No, he won't. Otherwise, the duke will find out and kill your family."

"My daddy isn't afraid of the Duke. My daddy is the most important person in the city."

Suddenly, Carter jumped in, "That is enough, Dianne. Father will not be happy."

She stood there glaring at me for a minute and then said, "I hate you!"

Spinning around, she stormed off.

"Well, that went surprisingly…horrible," Carter said. "You have such a way with women. I now understand your aversion to them." Carter said.

"She wanted to get me killed. What did you want me to do, lie to her? I am a guest here. I can't just leave." I replied defensively.

"Humm. I guess you have a point. Just watch out for any dark corners. I will have the staff make sure she isn't allowed near the knives until after you leave."

"She isn't that bad," Trish said as she walked back up to us.

"You backed away awfully fast," I said in a teasing tone.

Trish lifted her chin. "I don't like when she screams."

"Well, that was fun. Fancy going to the archery range? Conversations with my sister always make me want to shoot something," Carter said.

"Let's do it," I said.

*******

Dinner that evening was wonderful. It included some sort of steak with mushroom gravy. The vegetables were steamed and salted. Baron Frabak sat at the head of the table, which easily accommodated sixteen people. Carter and Trish sat to his left. I sat next to Trish. Dianne sat on the right side of the table, except she sat at the far end, away from the rest of us. Carter said she did this when she was mad at someone.

I wanted to shake my head. We had a lively conversation in which we discussed politics. Carter talked, and the rest of us listened. The topic was how the king's foolish appointment of the Magister Ulom to oversee the taxation of grains had led to large amounts of corruption.

"The problem is mainly in the Duchy of Falmor right now, but it is spreading. More and more money is being spent bribing the right person, causing the price for grain to go up," he said passionately.

"And the solution?" I asked.

"First, we have to cut out the infection. That means getting rid of the minister and then auditing every business in the capital. Once that happens, the other businesses will start to worry and get in line."

It was a nice thought. I was not convinced it would work.

"And who will do the audit?" I asked.

"Well, they could appoint…"

He realized the problem. Would we just be substituting one corrupt official for multiple?

I continued, "The problem is that there has to be the proper motivating force. Also, those who are auditing have to be protected. A noble whose sister's husband got audited will not be happy if you put a commoner in charge of the audits. So it would be best if those doing the audits were nobles, but we are both nobles, and we understand that favors are how things really get done among nobles."

"So how do we fix this?" He said, throwing his hands up.

"We think on it. Then, we poke holes in ideas and find solutions. When we can poke no more holes in the idea, we create a petition." I said with a smile. I didn't really think it would change anything, but it was a fun mind exercise. We discussed more ideas for about half a bell until the Baron apparently became bored.

As much as I enjoyed dinner, though, the after-dinner entertainment was even better.

"So, my daughter tells me you have greatly offended her, " the baron said with steel in his voice.

I did my best to keep my composure. "She made a request that I was not able to fulfill. However, I have retrieved a gift that I hope will make up for it."

The girl at the end of the table grunted as she glared at me.

"Good man, could you hand me the box I left with you?" I asked a servant. He brought over the small box I had left with him at the start of the meal.

I opened the box and produced a brush with a handle. It was finely crafted with a glossy dark brown finish.

"This is something that a master craftsman made for me. "I call it a hairbrush, and it works better than a comb," I said as I began to brush my hair.

"Ooo, may I try, " Trish said.

"That is up to Lady Dianne. It is my gift to her," I said, looking down the table at the girl. She intentionally looked away as if uninterested.

After a moment, I said, "I suppose she doesn't mind." And handed over the brush.

Trish began to brush, and after a minute, a moan escaped her lips as she felt her hair. "This is wonderful," she said. "Carter, I must have this. How much?"

I started to respond, "Ah, well-"

"It's mine!" Dianne shouted from the end of the table as she leaped to her feet and marched towards us.

"Dianne." Came the steely voice of Baron Frabak.

The girl immediately changed her whole demeanor. Her march turned into a dignified walk, and as she approached, she asked politely, "May I have my gift?"

As Trish handed it to her, she smiled and thanked her.

Whoa. That was Dr. Jeckley, Mr. Hyde, type crazy.

The calm didn't last long. Dianne's hair was thicker than Trish's and not well maintained.

"This isn't working."

"You will have to work through the snarls. Given how much hair you have, it will take some time. I recommend being patient, and once it has been thoroughly combed it will become easier. Your hair will look beautiful when it is done." I said, trying to be helpful.

After a few more brushes, she growled in anger and lunged forward, snatching my knife off the table. At first, I thought she was going to stab me, but then she reached behind her hair and began to hack at it. We all sat there in shock until the first locks started to fall.

"Dianne, if you desire to cut your hair, have a servant do it." Baron Frabak said calmly.

She immediately tossed the knife on the table and huffed. "Jimmy, have Kristy come to my room and cut this stupid hair," she said while storming off with her brush.

The Baron let out a sigh. "Please excuse my daughter. She was not raised with a strong hand. Her mother died shortly after she was born, and I spent most of my time away at various battles. The nursemaid spoiled her, and her tutors were little better. It takes a lot of pruning to correct a tree that has grown crooked."

"She certainly makes things lively," I said, trying to be polite.

"Well, congratulations on fixing one of the issues that were plaguing this house," Carter said.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Her foolishness about her hair. She refused to let anyone cut it."

"I still want one of those, Carter," Trish demanded.

"Of course you do." he sighed. "How much, Amos."

"Free. I will send her one as soon as I can procure another one. I will see if I can have one made in the next few days."

"You need to keep him here, Carter. Don't let him go back to that little barony of his." Trish said.

"You can't have two husbands, Trish. That's not how it works." He said with a grin. "Let's go out to the courtyard."

So we left for the courtyard to stretch our legs after dinner.

As we walked, Carter began to regale me with stories of Dianne growing up. The conclusion was that the girl was spoiled rotten. Rulot and Carter even bet how long it would take Baron Frabak to fix the girl. The guy would have to have the patience of a saint to fix that mess. She may have a slight mental affliction, but I wasn't going to say that out loud.

Just as the shadows were starting to grow long across the yard, a voice called out from the south entrance. "Carter, Trish."

Trish immediately stopped talking and ran over to greet their new guests. The girl was tall and slender, with a beautiful figure. Her dark hair was done up in a traveler's braid. The girl who walked in next was petite but also surprisingly beautiful. Next to enter was a young man in a well-cut outfit. He was slender but toned—the body of an anime hero.

This must have been his friend from the capital.

Dang. They have a good breeding program there.

"Catherine!" Trish said, running up to give the young woman a hug. "You finally came. How in the world did you convince your father to let you out of the barony?"

"Hey, little Cathy," Carter said cheerfully. She was at least his height, so it made it all the funnier when she glared at him while looking him straight in the eye.

"You're such a bully, Carter. I haven't seen you in two years, and you immediately try to embarrass me in front of my friends."

"That is simply not true. I am trying to embarrass you in front of my friend, " he said, looking back at me.

At that moment, our eyes met, and after a moment, her jaw dropped. She stared at me for an uncomfortably long time.

Did I have something on my face?

I sighed internally. I wasn't clueless. This wasn't the first time young ladies had done this. It started in Vaspar when I was introduced to young ladies there. After six months in this world, I had slimmed down. I wasn't at my goal weight, but I cut an impressive figure.

Most girls who were interested in me gave sideways glances, but there were a few like this Catherine who got the deer in the headlights look when they met me. To be fair, though, she was hard not to look at as well. If I had time to date, I would definitely ask her out. The Endless one did me a solid when it came to my body.

I looked around at everyone else. Trish was trying not to smirk. The girl who came with them looked at me as if I were a mystery she couldn't quite put her finger on. The young man looked friendly, as if he was ready to introduce himself and try to lessen the awkward moment.

"Well, my friend, this is the lovely Catherine Monticole," Carter said, politely ignoring Catherine's gawking.

The name bounced around in my head for a bit before clicking into place.

Well, dating is off the table. Talk about serendipity.

"Excuse me, Lady Monticole. You do not happen to be the daughter of Jerimiah and Ashley Monticole?" I asked.

She had just started to recover when my statement caused her jaw to once again drop open. "How…"

I smiled my most dashing smile, and I said, "Let me introduce myself. I am Baron Amos Bicman, dear cousin." I finished with a flourishing bow.

As I finished my bow, I heard a small shriek escape her friend's lips. As I looked up, I could see that all the color had drained from the petite girl's face. Her right hand was clenching her hair so hard I thought she was going to pull it out. She gave a quiver, and then her eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed.

Well, dang, that's a first.