Amos dies of blood loss, but Heaven doesn't want him, and Hell is overcrowded.

The darkness was absolute. When I first opened my eyes, I thought I had gone blind. The only thing that gave me assurance that I was alive was the pain. I had a splitting headache, and the pain in my leg was excruciating.

I tried to move and let out a heavy grunt. Then I heard movement in the darkness, and the curtains were pulled aside. This itself did not add much light, but I could make out the outline of a dark figure in front of me.

"My lord, are you awake?" said the voice of my guard, Rick.

"Pretty sure, Rick. I don't think I have ever been in this much pain in a dream."

"I have a root given to me by the bonesetter if you need it," he said.

"Maybe later, tell me what is going on," I said.

"I only know the basics. Nobody in the palace is talking. You got stabbed in the leg while saving the duke's life."

"He is alive then?" I said in disappointment.

"As far as I know. Like I said, the news is being kept quiet. Alternatively, news that the Baron of Bicman saved The duke's life at great risk to his own is spreading like wildfire," he said as if he were a proud parent.

If the duke did survive, that is going to suck, but maybe they won't hang me for treason. Can't blame me for putting something in his soup if I was trying to save the guy, can they?

"That is excellent news."

"The count, however, died."

Guilt welled up inside me. This was my fault. Had I not put the powder in the soup, that kind man would still be alive. It felt like no matter how much good I tried to bring to this world, some of my choices would always lead to harm.

I began to breathe deeply and center myself. I had to remember that as long as I was doing my best, I could not let my mistakes weigh me down. That is the way to despair, and I had no desire to go down that road again. Worrying about it would not help my people. And getting rid of the duke would have been a good thing. If the count died without the duke dying, I am going to be pissed.

"Rick, I think it is time for some of that root. Staying awake and in pain is not going to help me recover."

I chewed the small brown root until it was nothing more than paste, and half an hour later, I had drifted off to sleep.

When I awoke next, I had a splitting headache again, and my mouth felt like sandpaper. The pain in my leg was a dull throb, but when I shifted, it intensified to the point that I almost thought I had been stabbed again.

The sun was shining through the window now, and Benjamin was in the room.

"Am I going to live, Doc?" I said.

"Doc?" Benjamin asked.

"Sorry, Benjamin, bad joke."

"Oh, I thought you had become delusional. I had almost forgotten about your bad sense of humor."

I smiled. "Nice Benjamin. So, do we have any more information? Is the duke still alive? I would hate to have gotten stabbed for nothing."

That was a balf-faced lie. That was the exact opposite of what I was thinking. I would have gladly gotten stabbed if it meant the duke died.

"Eh hem, my lord, may I present the duke's son Phillip the second."

I looked over and saw a man who looked very similar to Duke Kimton standing near the doorway. He was shorter and had less fat, but the biggest difference was that his eyes did not have a manic look. Two other men in the uniforms of scribes stood behind him.

"I apologize, my lord. I must still be under the influence of the root," I said with a grimace.

His expression remained indifferent, "Indeed, I came to see if you had woken, and it looks like I arrived just in time. I wanted to thank you for your astonishing bravery in saving the life of my father even while he was threatening your life with a knife."

He didn't seem all that thrilled about it.

"I am a loyal subject of the duchy. It is my duty to protect the duke even unto death."

"That is the type of service that I would hope from all our subjects. You have pleased me, and so you shall be rewarded. Such a heroic deed, though, requires a reward fitting the service rendered. Discussing the matter with my advisors, we feel that your deeds are worthy of elevating you to the title of count. As of today, you are now Count Bicman of the County of North Cove. This county includes the Barony of Bicman, Plimgus, and Malcomp. As well as all the lands north of Bicman. Though it is unusual to have only three baronies in a county, my advisors assure me that each of those baronies can be split at least once. We will assist you in the development of these baronies and your county. My advisors and I have one requirement. The County seat must be built on the cove. We believe that in the future, that cove will become a major trading port. You are required to stay there and defend the northern border of our lands."

I was stunned. He made me count just like that. Something wasn't adding up. Before I could lose myself in my thoughts, I said, "Thank you for this great honor and responsibility. I will serve with all diligence."

"There is much more to the swearing-in and obligations, but we feel it is important that you return to Bicman and begin work on organizing your county now. Then, you will come back next year and swear your fielty to the Duke. As soon as you are well enough, you should return to your lands. We will find a new Baron to govern Bicman at a later date," he said.

A chill ran down my spine at those words. How much influence would I have over the new Baron to make sure he treats the people well? How many of my own people could I bring to the North Cove with me? Surly Benjamin would know. Now was not the time to discuss private matters, though.

And with that, he turned to leave. One of the scribes handed me a stack of parchment.

"These are your titles and obligations as a count. Familiarize yourself with them. You will be required to adhere to them whether you know them or not, my lord."

"Of course, thank you, scribe."

With that, the man left, and Benjamin asked, "Do you have any thoughts, my lord."

I looked around and said, "None that I wish to share here. Unfortunately, I do not think I will be moving any time soon."

"There is a litter being brought for you so that you may return to Baron Frabak's residence, and from there, we will make preparations for travel to Bicman, my lord."

"Fish and guest," I said with a sigh.

"What is that, my lord?"

"Oh, just something a wise man once said. Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days."

Benjamin thought about it for a bit and then laughed. "I really want to know who some of these wise men you speak of are."

"Maybe later. I think I am overdoing it here, and this is a lot to take in. Let me rest for a bit.

******

I chewed some root before the carriage ride and ended up passing out the whole trip, which was good, but again, I woke up with a splitting headache.

Ok, that stuff can't be good for me, and it might be addictive, so I am going to try and suffer through the pain from now on.

I was back in my room at the Frabak mansion and trying to get some sleep, but people kept coming in to check on me and make sure I wasn't getting sick. There didn't seem to be any infection, and the bonesetter had said that it pierced the muscle, but there was no major tearing. He recommended bed rest for a week and no pressure on it for two weeks.

After he left, I had my first real visitor.

"Count Bicman, it is an honor to have you in my humble home," Carter said as he entered.

"Seriously, I was just told this morning, and I told Benjamin not to tell anyone."

"Ha, you think you knew about it before the rest of the nobles. You, my dear count, were probably the last person to hear about it. Don't worry, though, nobody is coming to visit you. Nobody cares about a backwater count any more than they care about a backwater baron."

"Thank goodness for small favors."

"Well, you will still have a few people stop by and congratulate you. It never hurts to have a good relationship with a count. So what are your thoughts?"

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

I did not tell him my actual thoughts.

"It will be an interesting opportunity. I have a small fishing village on the cove that I have to turn into a County Seat."

"Now that I did not hear. So they want you in the swamp."

"Yes, I am Count Bicman of the County of North Cove."

"Sorry, my friend, but I would say someone is not too pleased with you."

"I will say nothing," I said with a smile.

Just then, other well-wishers entered. Catherine was beaming, while Elizabeth was slightly subdued. Aramis was nowhere to be seen.

"Amos, I can't believe you have become a count," Catherine practically squealed. "My father will be so pleased. He may even… Well, it will be very good."

I gave an internal eye roll. Sorry, girl, I am not going to marry you.

"It is good to see you, Kate. Elizabeth, it was kind of you to visit," I said with a smile. "It looks like I will be immobile for a bit, so I will need to depend on you both for the gossip."

"Of course, Amos. We have a function to attend in an hour, and there will be plenty of gossip to hear. May I bring one of your books?" Catherine asked.

"Of course, just remember I need to know what people are talking about, and not just what outfits are in style."

"You have my word, Amos," Catherine said.

We talked for a bit, and then Benjamin came so I could finally dismiss Chatty Cathy and her silent partner.

"Well, Benjamin, I have had time to think over what is going on and read through some of those documents, and I would say that this title I have been given is a very bad joke or a setup."

"A very astute observation. I think it is very similar to what happened to your grandfather. You saved the life of the duke, so you need to be rewarded. They want you in Bicman so you can die during the invasion. Vaspar loses almost nothing from the three baronies except for the mines Malcomp and Plimgus have. Ours are too small to mention. He will probably send a letter of complaint to the Duke and the king, but it will only be a formality. He will be compensated for the loss in one way or another."

"So why make me a count? Why not just tell me they want me to build a city on the cove and stay there to protect it."

"Because when the commotion started in the castle, the room quickly filled with people. Guards and servants mainly, but there may have been spies as well. I guarantee that most of the cities in the duchy know some version of the story. Falmoor may even already have news of it."

The council had great sway in the duchy. They will hold you up as an example of how they reward loyalty. By doing this, it quickly shows that they did not wait for the king to do something. It shows independence on their part.

It was just what I thought it was. I was the poor, lonely orphan a senator needed for a PR campaign. The masses would be told of my heroic deeds and how I had been rewarded. The lower nobility would see that the Duke had the power to give them more, and the upper nobility would not be angry because I was a count in name only. They would laugh as they told the joke about how the Count of North Cove was exiled to live in a swamp. Of course, this was only one possibility. The plot could be much more complicated.

"Benjamin is the duke's son working for the council?"

"Not as far as we can tell, but the majority of his advisors are. Like his father, he is not really interested in the title of duke other than the power it gives him."

"So they just told him what to do, and he did it."

"Don't simplify it too much," Benjamin warned. "Remember that the council is not a cohesive unit. I imagined this worked with some of the council members' agendas, and they got to Philip the second's ear first before the others.

Blackwell, no doubt.

"Well, Benjamin, at least we learned a few things from this. We now know the attack is most definitely coming from the north. We also know it hasn't happened yet, or there wouldn't be such a rush to make me leave. We also know that I am supposed to die in the attack. Well, actually, they could just want to make me look bad, but I bet they are hoping for my death."

"I think I will have to agree with you on your deductions. So what are your orders?"

"I think it is time we pack our things and get back to Bicman as soon as possible. I want to be gone in three days."

"I believe that is doable. But it means you will have a lot of well-wishers coming in back to back."

"I thought Carter said nobody cared."

"He was somewhat truthful. But there are still barons and knights who want to have the favor of any count. Especially if they do not pay attention to the political situation. And then there are wealthy commoners. We also need to call the priest to cancel the engagement. And we need to pick up your glassmaker."

"Dang, I almost forgot about that. Things have just been so crazy. OK, get a hold of the priest. We will pick up the kid on our way out of town."

The next three days went by in a blur. Many people wanted to see me. Most brought small gifts like coins or jewelry, and others brought trade agreements they wanted me to sign.

"My lord, as you can see here, I am incurring a huge expense in traveling to the county seat. I believe the terms of three percent are quite reasonable.

"Three percent is ludicrous. We will sign for seven percent," I said to the well-tanned merchant.

"That is most generous of you, my lord. I hope that we are able to add you to our stop sometime in the future."

"What, that's it?"

"My lord?" he said questioningly.

"You folded easier than the first piece of paper I made, and then you threatened not to be able to come anytime soon. Where is the fun in that? I thought we were negotiating here," I said disappointedly.

The man looked confused, "You are a count."

"We are negotiating a contract, so let's negotiate," I said in an exasperated tone. If no one was going to negotiate with me because I am a count, then this was definitely a deal breaker. They can have their stupid title back.

Finally, the man decided I was serious and continued his counter. Now, this is what I am talking about.

News quickly spread that the new count liked to haggle, so I received calls from merchants and traders. Some of the offers were actually investments in trade opportunities, and I used some of the funds I received as gifts to invest in trade.

I didn't want to travel back with a caravan, so I didn't buy a lot of stuff for the trip back. Really, just enough to get us to Vaspar, where the prices were cheaper due to the port.

Finally, it was time for the visit with the priest. Only the priestess, Elizabeth, and I were in the room. The priestess was probably in her thirties and had a permanent look of disapproval on her face. I could tell she valued efficiency, and I could tell that the fact that I had lost my copy of the contract displeased her. Apparently, a copy was to be kept by both parties and in the county seat of whatever barony the male was from. After the annulment was signed, everything was to be sent to Vaspar, and they would all be destroyed together. The fact that I didn't have mine meant that I should have needed to go and get another copy from Vaspar before it could be annulled. The thing that saved us was that I was now a count. Counts did not marry commoners. Even if I had been a baron, it would have been enough to void the contract without my own copy since my father was dead.

So, even though the lady complained, she signed the termination of the engagement contract. I wasn't going to stiff Elizabeth on the 200 gold I had promised, but I included that in the paperwork anyway. Dot your "Is" and cross your "Ts," as they say. I was still mad that I had wasted that money on something that didn't work.

Finally, it was over, and Elizabeth gave me a bow and left. It was odd, but it was more than I would have expected from our first meeting.

The next day, Catherine's company packed up to leave. I was in a device that I had ordered built as fast as possible. It was a thrown-together rickshaw with a place for my leg to stay extended. A servant could easily roll me around. Baron Frabak was intrigued by the device, and I explained that I thought it would do well as a means of transportation in a city like this one where space was limited on the road. He loved it.

I found Carter speaking with Catherine. "It is imperative that your father get this letter, Cathy. It is from a mutual friend of ours."

"Don't worry, Carter, I will get the letter to Father," she said with an eye roll.

He smiled at her and then turned to look at me. "Well, Count Bicman, do you have any final words for your beautiful cousin?"

"None that concern you," I said jokingly.

"I see. Well, then, I will leave you to propose on your own," he said.

Catherine blushed deeply, and I really wanted to smack Carter. It was mean of him to tease her like that. "Enough of that. Kate, it has been a pleasure getting to know you. I truly hope to see you again."

"You must come to Manticole next winter. I want to introduce you to Father and Mother. Promise me you won't marry before then. I am sure we can find you a suitable match," she said with a beaming smile.

"I will do my best. Now, I have a private matter to discuss with Elizabeth. Could you please escort me there?"

"Of course."

We left Carter, and my servant brought me toward Elizabeth and Aramis, who were standing in the courtyard. They both bowed to me.

"Elizabeth, I am sorry that I could not provide you with what you desired as repayment for what you suffered at my hand. However, I do have something that may work." I waved to some soldiers who brought over a large chest.

When she lifted the lid, the cotton cloth was exposed. She did not look impressed, but being polite she knelt and grabbed the cloth. Her eyes went wide. "Catherine feels this. I have never felt anything like this. It is almost like cotton, but look at the thread—it is so fine, and the weave is so tight.

"Where- How?" was all she managed to say.

I had prepared a lie earlier when I first decided to gift this to her, but now that I had been made count, I had a better idea.

"I have had many visitors and many more gifts brought to me over the last few days. I now have access to this special cloth. I am giving the two chests of the cloth to you as compensation for the termination of the engagement. I don't believe it to be equivalent to 2000 gold, but now I have a supplier, and I can get much more. Tell your father that I have with me a contract. I will give your father access to my supply chain as compensation for the termination of the marriage. It is a five-year contract."

I did not bother to mention that Mit Trading House would be handling the shipping. I would just have to make sure the Mit's didn't try to gouge them. I had a feeling I was going to need a lot of cotton.

Elizabeth looked up at me with disbelief. And then a single tear rolled down her cheek. She turned to Aramis. "This will work, Aramis. My father will not refuse this."

For the first time since he first found out who I was, Aramis smiled in my presence. "Thank you, my lord. This is more than I could have hoped for."

I reached out with my hand, and he came forward to grip it. "I am glad that I could find a way to help."

Just then, Another of my guards arrived. "My lord, everything is loaded. We are set to travel."

"Excellent, I am so ready to leave. We need to travel quickly. I have had no news from Draves since we arrived, and I am beginning to worry."

"If there is one person I feel you don't have to worry about, it is the captain, my lord."

"I am sure the captain could hold back an army, but I worry about the collateral damage."

We continued to joke about Draves until I was lifted into the carriage. I had already said my goodbyes to the family and Rulot. Frabak had left for the day, and Carter said he wasn't big on good-byes, so in the end, only Trish was there to see us off. She clutched a book in her hand as she waved farewell.

"Well, Benjamin," I said with a smile. "Let's go get ourselves a glassmaker."

"My lord, I don't see why you are so eager to have a glassmaker. It was painful for me to hand over that fifty gold for a mere apprentice."

"The glassmaker will help you see that himself. Very soon, that fifty gold will be a drop in the bucket compared to what we will get in return. I would hate to ruin the surprise. It is time to make North Cove County the greatest place on Marth. There is just the little matter of Rabiss Raiders to deal with first."