Jorb was a rock star! It was noon on Mathew's third day here, and the carriage was complete. Now we could get this nosy messenger out of here. Seriously, I swear that man was either following me around or talking to different people in the barony every second of the day. I had taken the carriage for a test run up to the manor, and although not a perfect solution with the roads the way they were, I was not going to be black and blue by the time we reached Vaspar.
For the trip, I brought my nicest clothes with me, but Marshandra insisted that I bring money with me to buy new things. She ganged up on me with Draves, and when I complained to Chris, he turned traitor. Of course, he commented that maybe I could get clothes that didn’t make me look so ugly.
It wasn’t the only thing I needed money for. I figured as long as I was going, I would buy stuff with the old steward's money. I wonder how much of it was stolen from us and how much was being paid as a bribe to spy on and assassinate my family. It really didn’t matter. We were running low on ink with all the new students. Honestly, I had been stupid and going through it a little too quickly without resupplying. In my History of Art class, I learned about different inks and paints. Flaxseed and ash was simple, but nobody saved the flax seed around here for ink. This meant that I would have to buy some. I wonder if that is what they used here. If I were going to eventually make a printing press, I would need to start saving the flaxseed. Thank goodness the main ingredient was ash. Paints were another matter. Learning about the different paints and how they were made was interesting. We even made a few batches in the class. Unfortunately, those raw materials were not something we had on hand here, and I was not going to wait 2000 years so I could do an online order. I realized that buying paints was a luxury and that I needed to be frugal with our money, but there was no harm in looking, right.
I promised myself I would only buy paint if I got the things I thought were essential for the barony. I wanted to see if I could get winter wheat, mules or sturdy horses, tin, and a myriad of other things. Yes, Harold and the other farmers had convinced me to try the winter wheat again. They said that there hadn’t been a rapid freeze and thaw like those that had caused the northern baronies from using it in a long time. I figured that even if a winter freeze did occur, we could take what survived and use that for the next year. Eventually, we might get a strain that was resistant to the abrupt changes.
If the Messanger wasn’t there, Draves and I might have gotten into a big fight. He wanted to bring ten of his men and leave the rest with the recruits. I told him there was no way I was going to leave Aaron with so few trained men. I would bring Draves, four of his men, along with ten recruits. He argued that those recruits also had responsibilities to their farms, but I said that it was either that or we would only take him and five. When the Messanger approached Draves, he bowed his head and said, “As My Lord commands.” And took off to find the people he wanted to bring. I was really hoping Mathew hadn’t heard much of that.
I had written diagrams for a few things I wanted my people to try if they got the chance, but I was pretty sure they would all be too busy with other things. I was having a really hard time leaving Aaron. What if something happened while I was gone? I wanted to bring him with, but I was assured he would be safer at the manor than traveling the roads. A long journey would be hard on him, and we would be camping some of the time. I had to put my faith in my people.
This Count should be more considerate since I am the only member of my family. Wouldn’t it be best if I sent a representative so I could continue to run the barony? I didn’t even have a steward, and the one who I considered to be the closest thing to a steward was coming with me. Draves refused to allow me to go anywhere without him after the slaver incident. I ended up borrowing Richard to oversee everything while I was gone. He probably was my favorite headman.
I wish I could have brought Chris instead of the captain, but I ended up having to put him in charge of maintaining the guard force while I was gone. He was also excellent with the recruits. I felt bad for those kids. They left their families in the late afternoon. Came to the manor, slept in the barracks and tents, got up in the early morning to train, and then headed back home if they were needed. If they lived in Alfer or Cofi. They would usually spend one out of every five days training instead of heading home. It all depended on family situations. We just didn’t have enough people.
Sooner than I would have liked, it was time to leave. And I have to admit the trip to Kerisi was actually quite pleasant. The leaf springs were doing their jobs, and although there was a little jostling, it was hardly noticed. That all ended when we reached the outskirts of the farms south of Kerisi. The road started to narrow, and it became very rough. It felt like more a wide trail than an actual road. I had a client from Georgia who swore the roads there were just paved over cow trails. This is how the “road” to civilization felt as we wound our way south. I was so glad for the leaf springs, or the trip would be so much worse. As it was, even with the slower speed and leaf springs, I felt like I was once again riding without them. No wonder no one ever came north. I would rather be riding a horse right now.
“Who maintains this road? I asked the guard, Nicolas, who was riding the coach with me.
“Your guards, serfs, and peasants try and beat back the forest from swallowing it up. We usually start the process after the harvest is in. Forgive us for our inability to do more, My Lord, but there is a lot of road to cover between Kerisi and the Nore River.”
“Wait, are you telling me that we are responsible for maintaining the road all the way down to the Nore? Isn’t it considered a trade road? What are we paying taxes for? We are supposed to pay taxes for civic upkeep. We have no military presence, and there are no civic improvements. I have no records of us getting relief in any way. This is ridiculous.”
I probably shouldn’t be spewing out my discontent with the government, but seriously. Yes, it is true that we rarely paid our taxes in full, but this seemed more like a tribute to keep us in the good graces of a foreign government than taxes. As I was jostled along, my mood became worse and worse. Then it started to rain.
Overall, it was a miserable day and a half down to the Nore. I did feel a little guilty because most of the people were outside. Once it started to rain, Mathew, the messenger, joined me. He had preferred to ride a horse rather than be jostled like me. But he also preferred to be dry rather than wet. He spent some of the time reading a few of the books that I had made. Books that I hoped would present me in a better light to the Count.
When we got to the Nore River bridge, I had to admit that I was quite impressed. The bridge was an arch type, showing that I lived in a civilization that had at least developed that. It was a large bridge that took three arches to reach across. I marveled at what the cost of building it must have been. I knew a little of the history of my barony after living there for over a month, and the fact that good old Lenord had wasted a bunch of money and resources to conquer a few backwater villages showed a level of incompetence that I just didn’t understand. I wonder if they built the bridge before or after it was conquered. Either way, it looks like it was conquered and forgotten. We had our taxes collected once a year after harvest, and very few of the years did the tax collector even come to the manor. Unless directed otherwise, he just met our people at the Nore. Like I said, we were paying tribute.
The next day, we started to see the roads that were branching into other villages. I’m guessing these were the old Pollman villages. The road also started to improve, and with each passing village, they slowly became closer to the level that I had going between Bicman and Kerisi. Later in the day, we made it to a village near a large lake. It had kept the name Pollman even though all the Pollman’s had been forcefully moved out. The manor was impressive. It was twice the size of my own and even had a second floor. The only reason I knew that was because it poked out above the wall surrounding it. I have to admit I was a little envious, but I remembered that if I had something this big, then it would have to be maintained, and since I wasn’t a big fan of the architecture anyway, it didn’t really matter. Our entering the village caused quite the commotion. People were running to get the headman, and children were lining the streets to see my carriage. Dang, I wish I had candy.
As my group reached the headman’s hut, he came running out of his house. He was dressed in simple, sturdy clothes with the sash of his office tied around his waist. He fell to his knees as I approached. “My Lord, had we known of your arrival, we would have prepared you a feast. Not that you are at fault, My Lord, it was simply an oversight on our part. Please forgive us.”
“Stand up, headman. It is not your fault, and I do not desire that your people be forced to make exceptions to their daily lives to accommodate my abrupt arrival. We are only here for the evening, and then we will continue on. May I have your name?”
“My Lord, forgive my thoughtlessness. My name is Barak.”
“Well, met Headman Barak. I am Lord Amos Bicman. You may arise.”
After he stood up, he said. “My Lord, I am having the guest quarters prepared for you, and although I do not have a place for your men, I will have some of my serfs relocated for the evening to accommodate them.”
I was stunned. I had not thought about the fact that there wouldn’t be an inn for my men to sleep in. I mean, it made sense. These people would not see a huge number of travelers, so why put up an inn? I recovered quickly and said, “Nonsense, I will not have you expel your people from their homes for the comfort of my own. We are guests here, and my men have the means to provide shelter for themselves. Now, if you will have someone show my men to an area where they could set up camp, that would be wonderful. I see that you have some family at your door. Would you be so kind as to introduce us?”
At this, the man brightened. “Of course, My Lord, this is my wife Mary, my son Patrick, and his son Patrick."
Patrick Jr. was shyly peeking out from around his grandmother.
“Well, young man,” I said, kneeling so that we were at eye level. “I think I have something that you may like. Draves, could you fetch a piece of paper from the trunk?”
Draves returned quickly with a piece of paper. By this point, Patrick had hidden completely behind his grandmother. “Now watch this, Patrick.” I knelt in the dirt. You know, exactly like I wasn’t supposed to do. Then I made the boy a paper airplane. Standing up, I ignored the shocked look of the people around me. I tossed the paper airplane, and it floated right past Patrick’s amazed face. “That is for you, young man, but don’t be too disappointed if it gets ruined. It isn’t made of sturdy material.”
The boy went over to the plane and gently picked it up. After staring at it for a moment, the little boy turned to me and bowed perfectly. “Thank you, My Lord.”
“You are certainly welcome. Excellent bow, young man. Your father taught you well.” I said with a smile.
Looking around, the only people who weren’t in shock were my own guards. Even Mathew seemed surprised at what I had done. I don’t know if it was the airplane or me kneeling in the dirt that surprised them more. Now that I had created that little spectacle, I turned to the headman and asked, “Is there a place where I can bathe?”
That night was spent eating more food than I had had since I came to this world. At least they tried to feed me all the food in the village. I had to politely decline most of it, explaining that I was trying to get down to a healthy weight. That confused the headman as he was pretty sure all nobles prided themselves on how much they could eat. When I refused alcohol and asked for water, I think he almost had a heart attack. That brought us to a conversation on healthy foods. Try explaining macronutrients to people who were lucky to get two meals a day sometimes.
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Besides all that, it was a pleasant evening with the headman and his family. The guest room behind the headman's residence was twice the size of his own and was only used for visiting nobility and their representatives. I asked him what the manor was used for now, and apparently, it was a great place to keep livestock, and the farm there was still maintained. Living in a manor was against the law for any person except a nobleman. I chuckled at the loophole that animals didn’t count. Waste not, want not.
The morning came earlier than I would have liked, but I got up and did my earlier morning routine. My men were used to it by now, but the early-rising villagers were stunned to see a baron moving in slow, practiced movements followed by jogging and exercising. I knew that many barons fought, so they had to know that at least some nobility exercised. Maybe it was the fact that I was doing it out in the open rather than on training grounds. It isn’t like I could use the training grounds at the manor. It was probably filled with pigs. Maybe it was the Tai Chi that caused them to surreptitiously stare. I caught Mathew openly staring at me when he saw me doing it for the first time.
We left shortly after I bathed and continued to the next town. The road had greatly improved, and we reached the village before evening on the next day. The reception was about the same, and though it was a little annoying, I bore it well and tried to make a good impression. The guest house was almost identical to Pollman’s. I had to push a little harder before they accepted the fact that I wouldn’t expel the villagers from their homes to accommodate my men. I left early the next morning when I found out we could make it to Decmoore if we hurried.
We did indeed make it to the town of Decmoore by evening. The town had a wooden palisade around the inner town, much like the manor house I had. The city had expanded beyond that, but a new palisade had yet to be built. Fortunately, those citizens who were outside the town wall lived along the main roads, so it was easy to get to the town proper. Oddly enough, the town didn’t smell as pleasant as the villages. Those who maintained the street and allies must not have been doing their jobs well. As we walked along the street, people moved out of the way and bowed. I was really not looking forward to this next visit.
As we approached the manor the light was just beginning to fade. Two guards stood to either side of the grand doors that led inside the manor gates. The road up to the actual manor house was lined with well-manicured bushes. Leaving the coach, I found a man in the livery of the baron standing there to greet us. The sash tied around his waist was white, with black tassels on the end, marking him as the Steward of the house.
“I am Steward Barney of the Barony of Decmoore. Welcome to the manor, My Lord.” He said with a bow.
“Steward Barney, I present Lord Amos Bicman Regent to Baron Aaron Bicman the third,” Captain Draves said. Although it was getting dark, I thought I saw a flicker of surprise on the steward's face. "Also, may I present Mathew Vaspar, Messenger of Count Vaspar?” I knew Mathew had visited with Decmoore on the way to my barony, so the introduction was one of courtesy.
“Welcome, honored guests. I will escort you to the Baron of the house.”
The manor was built more like I would imagine a squat keep. It was an intimidating structure that would not be easy to penetrate. I was jealous. If I had something like this, I would have nothing to fear from a band of slavers. This was so on my to-do list. Well, maybe my ten-year plan. The foyer was small but well-lit, with expensive candles in a chandelier on the ceiling and candelabras in alcoves on the wall. Somebody was trying to show off.
We entered the manor’s great hall, which was again well-lit and impeccably clean. I was frankly worried about how it was going to smell because of the way his town was maintained. But I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that they kept the rules of cleanliness in the manor Most of the faint odors in here came from unwashed bodies. On a raised dais at the far end of the hall were three ornate chairs. Sitting in the center is who I presumed to be, the Baron. He was a bit on the larger size, not because of his frame but due to an abundance of fat. He had dark black hair and a full beard. He appeared to be in his thirties.
To his right was a young woman who I thought might be his daughter. Her face was beautiful, with bright green eyes that complimented her long brown hair. The only thing that ruined the image was her stone-like expression of indifference.
The young man to the left of the baron was his heir. He was the spitting image of his father. Except for the fact that he was my age. What truly separated them was the muscle that covered his body instead of flab. This boy was a warrior, and the clothing he wore accentuated this fact. Unlike his father, he did not hide his disdain when looking at me. Behind the three chairs stood a young lady, probably about Emily’s age or just a little younger. Although she was impeccably dressed, she, like her older sister, must have taken after her mother, whom I assumed was deceased. Awfully rude not to give her a chair.
“Baron Decmoore, may I present Mathew Vaspar, Messenger of Count Vaspar, and Lord Amos Bicman, Regent of Baron Aaron Bicman the Third.” Once again, my introduction elicited a look of surprise from my host and his family.
“Messanger Vaspar, Lord Bicman, may I present Baron Kyle Decmoore, his wife Margret Decmoore, his son and heir Lord Kyle Decmoore the Second, and his wife, Amelia Decmoore."
Wait! That lady was his wife? She had to be at least fifteen years younger than him. I was starting to get used to the whole kids marrying each other, so Kyle the Second and Amelia were less of a shock now, but Decmore and Margerate were still a little hard to wrap my head around. Logically, I knew it happened; I was just not used to seeing it.
“Welcome to my home once again, Messanger Vaspar.” In a tone that showed the utmost respect. In a less respectful tone, he said, “Lord Bicman, you are also most welcome. I was surprised when Sir Vaspar told me of his reason for traveling to the lands of the Marsh-Dwellers.” The title Marsh Dwellers was not something I had ever heard before, and the condescending smirk the baron gave me made me realize it was a slur. Rude!
I caught myself before I snapped something back at him, which gave him time to continue. “So the young Baron is in good health, then?”
I would not let this man get under my skin. I put a smile on my face and pretended as if I was talking to someone who was actually concerned, not just fishing for information. “My nephew is in excellent health. He has shown himself to be quite a quick learner. He has learned to walk even before he is one year old, and I fear it won’t be long before the nursemaid is run ragged from chasing after him. He is teething right now, though, so it has been hard on him.”
“Not yet one. Then he is still very young, and with the marshes so close, it is possible that he might not survive long.”
Again, he was fishing so blatantly that he must have thought me stupid. I decided to put this matter to rest, “I have sworn an oath to do everything in my power to make sure that Lord Aaron makes it to his eighteenth birthday in excellent health so that he may officially take over his barony. And I keep my word,” I said firmly.
Amelia's eyes went wide at this declaration, and Kyle the Second's eyebrows rose slightly, but there was no emotion on the baron’s face as he said, “Very honorable of you. I understand it has been a long journey, and you must be hungry. Although my family and I have already eaten, I have instructed my cooks to prepare a meal for you and yours. It is late, and as I age, I find staying up exhausting. I beg that you excuse me. We will continue our discussion in the morning." With that, he stood, and the rest of his family followed suit. As they said their goodbyes, servants flooded the room, bringing the tables back to the center and laying out food. Leaving us to eat alone would be considered a snub in normal society, but due to the late hour, he was able to get away with it.
At least the dinner was good. They had actual sausage! I needed to borrow their chief and bring him to Bicman. The sausage wasn’t quite as good as a bratwurst, but the sauce they had to dip it in had a nice tangy flavor. I have to admit when I first got here, I wasn’t a fan of some of the weird foods like pickled eggs, but they were growing on me. The bread was dense and had a multitude of grains in it. I don’t know if everything tasted so good because I was tired of the fare we had been eating on the road or if it was just that good, but in my opinion, it was the best meal I had had since I got here.
I woke up stiff and tired. Fortunately, there weren’t any bugs in the bed. Breakfast was had with the Baron, but everyone was silent the whole time. It was rather eerie. Amelia kept giving me odd, furtive glances. When we all stood up from the table, I noticed something I hadn’t last night: she was pregnant. We might have Kyle the Third soon. Hopefully, he and Aaron could be friends, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath.
As we prepared to leave, Lord Decmoore approached me with a young woman in her mid-teens. She wore a plain grey servant dress, and she kept her eyes down. “Lord Bicman, As you have shown yourself to be an honorable man, I was wondering if you might do me a favor.”
“As a fellow noble, I would love to assist you in your time of need. However, I must know what this favor is. I would not want to give my word if I cannot fulfill it.”
“Indeed. But do not worry. It is but a trifle. This girl is the daughter of an old favorite of mine. On her deathbed, I foolishly promised the woman I would take the girl under my protection. A mistake I made in my youth. I have since learned better. The girl has been a servant in my house since the death of her mother. Recently she has taken up the practice of whoring herself out.”
At this, the girl's face turned bright red.
“I ask that you have her join your party down to Vaspar. There are expungers there that should be able to remedy her most recent indiscretion. You need to worry about her slowing you down as she is a sturdy girl used to walking.”
So the girl had gone and gotten herself pregnant, and now he wanted me to take her to a clinic in Vaspar to fix the problem. Though she remained silent, I saw a tear dripping from her cheek. To be honest, I was very uncomfortable with this. I knew this was a touchy subject for people back in my world. There were clear battle lines, and the internet was full of haters on both sides. Personally, I did not feel good about abortion, but I also wasn’t one to hate those who made the choice. I would express my opinion if asked, but I refused to get in a fight about something that I would never have to personally make the choice for. Maybe I was wrong, but this decision was not mine to make.
“I would be happy to escort your daughter to the clinic and return her to you.”
The baron ground his teeth. Apparently, I had hit a nerve. “This girl will not be returning. I am sending her with enough money to set herself up in Vaspar. Thus, I have fulfilled my duty to her mother.”
“You have my word that I will put my life between hers and danger until we reach the clinic.”
“A very gallant promise and above what I require.” He said flatly. “Your help is appreciated. Now, I must bid you farewell as I have pressing matters to attend to.” With that, he turned on his heels and left. Very rude treatment to give to a fellow noble. If this is what I had to look forward to with every noble, I will be happy to hide away in Bicman.
“May I have your name?” I said, addressing the girl who now stood quivering in front of Captain Draves and me.
She mumbled something too soft and garbled to understand. “I’m sorry I didn’t quite get that. Could you repeat it?”
“Tanya, My Lord,” She said only slightly louder.
“Well, Tanya, allow me to escort you to the carriage,” I said cheerfully.
This caused her head to snap up, and she looked at me in bewilderment. “But, I… I cannot ride in the carriage with a nobleman,” she whispered in a mortified voice. I glanced at Draves, who had a look of disapproval on his face, but said nothing. I would get a lecture about this later.
“Nonsense,” I said, “The baron acknowledges you as his daughter, and therefore you have noble blood. I would not be a man of honor if I allowed a young lady with noble blood to walk like a commoner. And how am I supposed to protect you with my life if you are walking.”
I heard Draves mumble under his breath. “He allows commoners in his carriage anyways.” Probably referring to Jorb’s family. That just made me smile.
I still got pushback from Tanya. “He told you I’m a whore,” she muttered while putting her face back down.
“You are as far from being a whore than I am from being a king,” I said sternly. I had a theory, but I was not going to shout it out here. If the baron cared so little for the girl, why was he so willing to have the child aborted?
Again, her head jerked up, and she stared at me. “How-”
“Come, Tanya,” I said, interrupting her, “You may have noble blood, but I am the Regent of Bicman. That means I automatically win every argument with you. So let’s get going.”
I turned and she followed behind me and Draves. After Draves got to the carriage, I assisted Tanya. I was about to climb in afterward when I felt like I was being watched. Turning around, I saw Kyle the Second standing not too far off with a malicious grin on his face. It sent chills down my spine. I couldn’t help but feel like I was a fly that just got caught in a spider's web.