I was standing with Paul next to one of the fields, watching some of the men planting. We were talking amicably about his two grown children. His son was a woodcutter in Alfer, and his daughter had married a farmer, Kerisi. In fact, it was those fields we were looking out at as his son-in-law and two of his Grandchildren worked. He had briefly introduced me to his family, but now they had returned to the fields. I needed candy to hand out to kids. It would be part of my PR campaign. I was actually happy about how things were going. The people in Kerisi looked less wary the more I walked around and greeted them.

"Hey Paul, do you have any sweet-tasting plants around here?" I asked out of curiosity.

"We have honeysuckle? The children will soon be sneaking out of town to grab some. Cofi has a small apple orchard."

"I am looking for a vegetable or stock-like plant."

"Oh, are you talking about a sweet pootba? The one that looks like a brown carrot. It isn't very sweet, but some like the taste of the water left behind after boiling it. It has a slightly sweet flavor."

"Yes, that is it," I said while snapping my fingers. Actually, I had no idea, but I didn't want to sound stupid.

"They are a little bland by themselves, so we don't raise many in our gardens. They are sometimes used to bait rabbit traps."

Ok, this might work. How do they extract sugar from sugar beets? Did they use the water? Or maybe press the beats into juice? Maybe they added something to it.

"Paul, I have a project I would like someone in your village to try. I want you to grab a bunch of Pootba and boil it for a while. When the pootba is soft, I want you to squeeze out the juice. Let me know how it tastes. I also want you to save the water you boil the pootba in and continue to boil it down. Let me know if anything remains at the bottom. I am looking to make something sweet. Maybe make a sweet bread or candy."

"What is candy?"

Oh, these poor people. If I could make a Snickers bar, they would crown me king. "If we can make it, I will share some with you. It might be a good export good."

"I will trust in your wisdom," he said. They will probably be ready to harvest in a few months."

We continued to talk about this year's harvest as we walked. As we got closer to Paul's house, we saw Captain Draves and, to my surprise, Jorb standing there. I have to admit I kind of freaked out. I hastened my pace towards them. Before I reached them, I called, "Jorb, where is your family? Are they alright? What is going on?"

"My lord, all is fine." Draves said in a calm voice.

"My Lord Amos, will you accept us back? I want my son to have a future even if I am no longer welcome. Can I return the money, and you will accept him and train him to be a scholar?"

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. My shock soon turned to excitement, and I couldn't contain myself. I stepped forward and embraced the man in a hug. Immediately, I realized what I had done and backed up. "Sorry, I uh… Thank you for coming back. I had no idea how we would get everything done without you."

I looked between the men, my embarrassment probably quite visible on my face. Paul looked shocked, Draves looked like he was trying not to grin, and Jorb… Jorb looked like I might have broken his brain. I can't imagine a nobleman hugging a peasant like a long-lost friend was a common occurrence. Ok, so it was probably more likely that the sky would turn purple than to see me hugging Jorb.

After what felt like forever, Jorb spoke, "My lord, this is hard for me. May I speak openly?"

"Oh, course, Jorb. Honesty is the best policy. Except for when women ask you questions they really don't want an honest answer to."

I saw Paul nod solemnly as if I had given sage wisdom.

I really should stop cracking jokes when I am uncomfortable. Sometimes, one of these commoners will take me seriously.

"I am having trouble letting go of my hate. For the sake of my son, though, I will try."

"As I said before, Jorb, I don't expect forgiveness. In your position, I don't know if I could even speak with the man who committed such a crime."

He nodded. "My lord, I gave one of the silvers to my wife's sister. She is a widow, and we wanted to help her before we left. I will repay the silver."

"You gave her an entire silver?" I said in surprise, "Jorb, if all men were as generous as you, the world would be a much better place."

"And the cloud accuses the snow of being white," the captain muttered to Paul. I think he was teasing me, but I was not familiar with the phrase. Paul just smiled.

"Is your family ok? They must be exhausted."

"It was a long trip. Fortunately, they rode in the wagon on the way back. They are resting at my sister-in-law's house now."

"Good," Then it dawned on me. We have a free cart and men. "Paul, you mentioned that sending some farmers to get beans would be a good idea. Since we already have a cart here, could you spare some farmers to take a few silvers and buy some beans to plant? The men were already planning on traveling out to the city."

"My son could go. I will help his sons plant the fields."

"The silver is back with my family, my lord," Jorb said.

"Excellent. Will four silver be enough?" I said.

Paul thought for a moment. "Well, at this time of year, the prices are slightly higher, so I think it would be enough for about forty bushels of beans. The wagon could probably carry that much. But I wouldn't buy more than thirty-five just to be safe. These roads are not the best.

Note to self: They call it a wagon, not a cart. Why didn't anyone correct me? Too afraid to probably.

"How many fields can we plant with that?" I said, exposing my ignorance.

"Our fields usually take about two bushels per acre," He said patiently.

"So we will only get twenty acres out of four silver." I sighed.

"At least it is not wheat. At this time of year, wheat is up to six silver pennies per bushel."

"Six of these for a bushel!"

Jorb coughed, probably trying to hide a snicker. Paul was the one to answer, though, "I said silver pennies, not crowns, my lord."

"Oh, of course. I wasn't paying attention, sorry. I wish my brother or father were here. They would know all this already. I am trying to play catch-up for all the things I never learned."

"My lord, Don't be so hard on yourself. You were not expected to learn the things your brother did."

"I appreciate your understanding, but I had every opportunity to better myself. I will just have to do better."

I caught Jorb nodding out of the corner of my eye. "Well, Paul, I will let you take care of the details of that project."

I think it is time we head back. Jorb, your family is probably exhausted. I could let your family ride in the carriage, and I could ride up top with Jack."

"My lord, I must protest. It would be improper for a peasant to ride in a nobleman's carriage." Draves said. He didn't seem shocked at my suggestion. I must be losing my touch. Or he was getting used to my way of thinking.

"Nonsense, we are in the middle of nowhere. It's not like anyone is going to report me to the king. The closest thing to a nobleman other than myself around here is you. So I just won't let you go to town and gossip about me."

"My lord, I would not do such a thing."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I know that, so it doesn't matter. Let's go get all the preparations done." I said cheerfully.

Draves just sighed.

Paul and I returned to his house, where we went inside and sat on the only two chairs. It was nice that he had chairs. A few serfs' houses I had seen in the village had only reed mats and no tables.

When Jorb's family arrived, they tied the handcart to the back of the carriage. I did not come out of the house until Mathew was in the carriage with the windows covered. It took me some effort to get up next to Jack in the driver's seat. The afternoon sun was above the trees when we returned to the village. Jorb and his wife brought their children into the house. The two youngest were sleeping. Jorb and his wife returned just as I was getting down from the carriage. My butt really hurt.

"Thank you, my lord, for accepting us back," his wife said.

"Thank you for coming back. As I told Jorb, I wasn't sure what we would do without all of you. And please, may I ask your name."

"I'm sorry, my lord, this is my wife, Janice." Jorb interrupted.

"A pleasure to meet you," I said with a smile. "Now I thought of how best to teach Mathew on the way back. Since I scare the boy, I wondered if I could use your daughter as a go-between. I will be teaching Emily at the manor. She is one of the maids, though you probably have already met her. Anyways, if you could spare your daughter for an hour a day, I could teach her along with Emily. If that makes you uncomfortable, know that we will be doing lessons in the great hall so that we will be observed often to maintain a level of propriety."

Both of them looked surprised. "You would teach both our children?" Janice said.

"Well, I would teach your daughter, and she would teach Mathew." I shrugged.

"My lord Amos, for this, we will be forever in your debt. If she is given an education, she might be able to catch the eye of a freeman. She might be able to marry the son of a freeman."

That got me excited. "Excellent idea. I understand that as a freeman, you would want to marry her to someone of your same status, and if we cannot find her someone who may come here, it leaves her little options but to travel outside."

"Yes, and there is no guarantee that we would be able to find her a suitable husband in Decmoore, which means we would have to travel further south. I will not have her marry just any freeman."

"I would be happy to send you south with an escort to a city. I think the blacksmith in Melnon could handle the workload you have for a month while you find your daughter someone to marry. There may be places where young people gather. Your daughter would surely catch a young man's eye."

"You would do that?"

"Of course, well, it is a little selfish of me. If she marries well, it will reflect well on the barony. Now, I would love to stay and chat, but if I don't get something in this stomach of mine, I think I will pass out. Oh, Jorb, can I borrow your hand cart? Since the wagon is going to decmoore, we must transport some more of the ore from Melnon. And we cannot use the planting wagons because we need to get the seeds in the ground."

"Of course, my lord, if my estimates are correct, I can finish the blade in five days. But I believe they have a mule driven cart in Melnon that they use for the mine. If you want them to bring down a larger load than what a hand cart can."

"I am so glad we needed to use the wagon for this trip. Otherwise, I would have sent the wagon back up to the Melnon blacksmith today, and then we would have just had to bring it back down for you. Also, Samuel is making a machine to grind wood for the paper I am making. He may need some pieces made."

"Yes, my lord," Jorb said.

"Jorb, I just want to thank you again for coming back." I turned and left them standing there. A huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Success is found in going the extra mile. Now, I needed to figure out how to get through to Marcus.

When we got back to the manor, most people had already eaten. Marsh and Emily were at a table talking, and Carrie was with her mother. There were a few others I didn't know. The captain and I sat at my table, but I longed to have some more company. I wanted to know if Emily had discovered anything else with the papermaking. I wanted to share the news about Jorb and his family and tell them about my trying to make sweet treats. Apple, pie, that was it. I was going to make pie filling.

I wanted to know if Carrie had told her mother her news, but when I looked up at her, trying to see if anything in her face would give it away, I already found her looking at me. Her face was drained of color, and her expression was one of... fear? That didn't make sense. I apologized for my behavior and let her marry Hyrum. What else did I have to do? As soon as our eyes met, she stood up and left. What the heck is going on here?

I was lost in my thoughts until the stew and bread came. I was starving and shoveled it down as if I was afraid someone would steal it. I probably looked ridiculous. I looked up from my food to find Marsh standing there.

"How was your meal, my lord." She asked politely.

"Well, if you couldn't tell by my shoving everything down my throat, it was good, thank you," I said with an unabashed smile.

Emily stood behind her and giggled. "How's the paper making, Em?"

Marsh gave an arched eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry," I said to Marsh, "I meant Emily."

Emily brightened, "It's good. I have been able to make a few more sheets just like the last one."

"Good, I can't wait to try it."

"Oh, and Samuel has the wood grinder mostly put together. We need to finish the tray for the water and wood chips. And he will need a smith to make the… what did he call it? A weight for the grinder."

"Counterweight," I said," And don't worry, Jorb decided to come back."

"What?! Why?" Emily said in surprise.

"Because he is a good man and wants what is best for his children."

"What did you offer him," Marsh said.

"Nothing, I was just trying to help him safely get to the next town. He decided it would be best for his family if they stayed. Either that or Captain Draves convinced him, but our good captain isn't saying anything. Either way, Jorb decided to stay, and that's all that matters."

They quieted at the last statement, so I switched topics. "Marshandra, do you have a time that would work best for Emily to be taught?"

"Would it be possible to do so after supper?"

"That works for me. I can get everything else done earlier. Oh, and Jorb's daughter will be joining us. What's her name?"

"Jacklyn's coming?" Emily said excitedly.

"Yes, so tomorrow morning, I want you to run down there and tell her. You could go tonight, but they just got back from a very long trip and probably need some rest. I would also invite Mathew up, but with his leg and the fact that I scare him, I will have Jacklyn teach him."

"That is a good idea, my lord," Marsh said.

"Thanks, it happens every once in a while," I chuckled.

"Well, speaking of people who have had a long day. I think I will retire for the evening. Emily, I need you to make as much paper as you can."

I departed the hall and retired to my room. I sat in my chair and started to meditate. I sank deep within myself and tried to ground myself. I floated in a state of semi-hypnosis. Thoughts of all the things I needed to do kept bombarding my mind. I had learned early on the best way to break focus was to try and force out the thoughts you didn't want. Instead, I let them pass through me, continuing to direct my thoughts toward the peace of null consciousness.

Janice

I sat at our small table, enjoying the bread and cheese left by Lord Amos. I was never so happy to be home. No home we could have built would have made up for replacing this one. Thirty silver in trade for our home and our friends, in trade for the life we have built. It was foolishness. Jorb sat silently brooding, not touching the bread or cheese. Even the small glass of sweet wine in front of him was only stared at.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Did we do the right thing?" he said almost in a whisper so the children wouldn't hear.

I couldn't help but smile. I knew he was just trying to protect us. "Yes, my love, and I could not be happier."

"What if he returns to his evil ways?" He said, finally voicing his real concern.

I laughed, "He cannot return to those ways?"

"How are you so sure he will not?"

"He cannot return to those evil ways because he is not Lord Amos Bicman." I laughed at what my husband couldn't see.

His head jerked up, "What do you mean?"

"Can you not see it? There is no possible way that man is Lord Bicman. The only thing he keeps is the boy's face. What type of noble hugs a peasant? He is more like a freeman or peasant, disguising himself as a nobleman by how he acts."

"Maybe the death of his family has driven him mad?"

"We have seen mad men before. He is not mad. I am telling you that is not Lord Bicman, or rather he is Lord Bicman but not the one we knew."

"Do you think it is a demonic possession?"

"A demon handing people a sack full of silver? Demons delight in misery. You see how eager he is to prevent anyone from feeling sorrow or discomfort?"

"Then what is he?"

"You may think your own thoughts, but I believe he is of the Endless Realm. He is a Chosen of the Endless One sent to Marth. He knows nothing of our ways, only the goodness of the Endless Realm."

"I will think about this, but I believe you are right. He cannot be the same person. It is the only thing that makes sense. Should we tell others?"

"Let them make their own decisions, but if someone asks, I will tell them what I think."

"Jacklyn, come here," Jorb said. She left little Ryan on the floor with Mathew and came over to the table. "We will send you up to the manor to study your letters with Emily."

"Why?"

"Because an educated girl will have better prospects for marriage. You might be able to marry a freeman someday and live in a house with a servant. You will have actual coin to spend on dresses. In some places, Freeman even goes to plays and dances."

"Who will teach us."

"It will be the baron himself."

"You want me to learn from the person who hurt Mathew?" She said in fear.

"No, the Baron we have now is not the one who hurt Mathew. The old one died, and the Endless one gave us one of his Chosen. Let me tell you what happened…"