"You want to make this place into a trap?" Griff said. "I don't understand."

  "Are you familiar with the project being run by Kylie?"

  "I was told that that project was classified. All I know is that their workshop burnt down, so they had to suspend the project until you got back."

  I looked at Draves, and he nodded.

  "Let's go to a more private location," I said.

  When we arrived at what I assumed was Griff's residence, we all stepped into the home's main room. However, it was not large enough for all of us to sit. I decided to pick up the conversation without any further delay. We had a lot of work to do.

  "What I am about to tell you is not to go beyond this room. Am I understood?"

  Everyone nodded and said, "Yes, my lord."

  "What Kylie has been working on is an explosive material. The best way I can explain it is if you were to seal a boiling pot. It would explode once the pressure got too great. Except this is much more powerful and deadly." I frowned. That really didn't make sense. How was I to explain the magnitude of black powder? Really they were just going to have to take it on faith.

  "This is the reason the forest burnt down. I was going to turn what she was making into something we could throw, but then I got a different idea when I found out it blew apart the building where the black powder was being stored. We are going to be outmatched in this attack. The cove is too large for us to defend the entire thing, so they will make landfall as soon as they find a spot to do so. They are raiders, and as far as I understand, they are not interested in sieging our fortified areas. We could put one hundred men in this fort, and they would just bypass it. They will want to draw us out by attacking people who cannot defend themselves."

  "Are you suggesting we give up the cove and retreat further in?" Terrance asked.

  "Yes and no. They must see us fleeing the outpost so that they can capture it."

  "And then you want to blow up the fort?" Draves asked. "How will you get them to light the black powder? Or will one of us sacrifice ourselves?"

  "No, I have some ideas on that, and we will go over them in a moment.

  "My lord, you have spoken to me about this black powder before. But I may have misunderstood. Are you saying that you can destroy the entire fort at one time with it?"

  "Yes, Which is why we need as many of the raiders in the fort as we can fit comfortably. It makes me sick to kill so many people, but if we can make one decisive blow, we may be able to prevent any of our men from dying."

  "I just can't seem to wrap my head around what you are saying, my lord. If we get them to put three hundred men in here, you can kill all of them at one time?" Tarrence asked in amazement.

  The disbelief was palpable. No one here could imagine a whole village's worth of people suddenly vanishing. I didn't blame them.

  "I will demonstrate its power as soon as we get more black powder. Tomorrow, however, we will start tearing down all the structures in the fort and digging a basement of sorts. It will only be a meter and a third deep. There will also be a tunnel large enough for a man to crawl through that extends two hundred meters outside of the fort. We have little time and a lot to do, men. I suggest we get some sleep and continue this conversation in the morning.

  ***********

  We did not continue the conversation the next morning, nor did we start any projects. It was the Day of Beginnings. Last night had been the darkest night of the year, and today was reserved for contemplating how all things pass away.

  I thought it was ridiculous to spend this whole day this way, but I wasn't going to fight it. It took hundreds of years and huge marketing campaigns to change traditions into something different.

  It wouldn't have been so bad, but I doubted the bandits in my lands were taking a day off. A day where my people in Bicman were not preparing for a campaign to eliminate the bandits was one more day for the bandits to rob people.

  However, after expressing my concern to Draves, he assured me that although all training would be suspended, planning logistics would still be going on. In fact, many people would skirt the edge of what was appropriate to do on this day. Unfortunately, a ruler was to be an example of proper observance.

  So, instead, Emily and I spent some time at the beach. I was seriously considering bringing in some sand to cover up the pebbles in an area. The wind was calm that day, so the waves were minimal.

  I borrowed a small fishing boat and decided to take Emily out on the water for the first time in her life. She was so afraid that her knuckles turned white as she gripped the side of the boat. I needed to invent a life preserver or think to bring a piece of wood she can hold on to. Maybe I will just teach her to swim.

  After half a bell, she finally began to relax.

  “This is really amazing, my lord. I never thought I would be out on the water,” she said as she looked around in amazement.

  I sighed, “Seriously, Em, I told you to call me Amos.”

  She squirmed uncomfortably, “But you are a count now. Even if you are a noble, I should still call you, my lord.”

  “But you are a lady, so I can give you permission to call me Amos. Call me Amos, or I’ll ruffle your hair.”

  Emily glared at me. “Don’t you dare! I spent all morning working on it for-” she stopped speaking abruptly and blushed.

  “Alright. Then stop calling me my lord. You're one of the only people who knows who I really am.”

  There was a long pause, and then meekly, she said, “Amos, tell me more about your world.”

  So I told her about everyday stuff. Things like going to the movies, high school, and chatting with people on the other side of the world via telephone.

  These were all things I could have spoken with Draves about but didn’t. Not that he wouldn't have found it interesting, but it would have felt like a waste of time. With Emily, however, it felt easier. She was the type of friend to share these casual things with. If it hadn't been for the cold weather, we probably would have stayed out on the lake for longer. Instead, we headed back after only an hour.

  “Thank you, Amos, for convincing me to go out on the boat. It was nice,” she said with a smile.

  It made me almost reach up and pat her head, but then I froze as something dawned on me. “Hey, Em, did you get taller while I was gone?”

  She beamed, “Almost six centimeters.”

  “Oh, that must be why you are eating so much.”

  Emily stopped and stared at me wide-eyed.

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

  Crap

  I put my hands up. “Emily, look, I didn't mean it that way. I said it without really thinking. It was just an observation. You really enjoyed that meal and...”

  After staring at me for a bit, she turned and stormed off towards the fort. Her guards, who had been at a respectable distance away so as not to intrude on our conversation, hurried after her.

  I watched her until she disappeared around the side of the wooden wall. At first, I was going to berate myself, but then I began to laugh. Carter was right; I really knew how to offend women.

  Would it make her feel better if I mentioned she wasn't just getting taller? That made me laugh even harder. My sister Natalie was always kind of touchy about that subject. Her physical development was really important to her. At least, that is what I gathered from the girl talks I had overheard. I’ll save that one for later. Just in case I need her to get really embarrassed. Just need to make sure she doesn't have a knife on her.

  Speaking of knives, I wonder if it would be appropriate for her to have a concealed knife on her. I’ll have to ask Benjamin.

  Speak of the devil. The first person to greet me at the fort was Benjamin.

  “How was your outing, my lord?” he asked in an extreamly formal tone. I think he did that to mask his disapproval.

  He did not like the informal nature of my relationship with Emily. It was not that he had anything against Emily; it was just that she wasn’t a good match for me as a spouse, and our relationship could cast me in a bad light among the nobility.

  After he had expressed his concern the first time, I told him he could shove his concern where the sun doesn’t shine. So Benjamin kept his disapproval hidden behind a mask of formality. I couldn't really blame him, though. It was his job to help the county prosper, and part of that was making sure that my bride had the proper connections and dowry.

  “My lord?”

  “Sorry, Benjamin. Your mask of formality made me lose my train of thought. The outing went well, and you will be happy to know that I even managed to offend Emily in the end,” I said. He knew me and Emily well enough to know that the situation was really not that bad.

  He just shook his head. “My lord, might I recommend not offending every woman you speak with? It is already going to be hard enough to find a spouse for you. It isn't really that hard not to offend women.”

  “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I just need practice.”

  “Perhaps you could practice with your next guest. Kylie has finally arrived.”

  “I make no promises, but yes, let's go talk to Ms. Fox.”

  Again, I found myself inside Lieutenant Griff’s home. This time, however, a very beautiful but weary young woman stood in front of me.

  She bowed deeply. “My lord.”

  Her formal tone completely took me aback. But when I met her eyes, the mischievous twinkle that I had grown accustomed to seeing was gone. It was as if she had aged a few years in the months that I was gone.

  “How are things going, Kylie?” I asked in the same formal tone.

  “The work has been suspended, my lord. We burnt down the forest and… and after what I saw, I realized what you meant. Black powder is…”

  She paused. Probably not having words to express what she felt. Unlike me, she saw the bodies that were torn apart and scorched. Sure, I had seen plenty of movies, but I knew that was different than being in the presence of a mutilated body.

  “Kylie, black powder was going to be a backup plan, but now it is going to be part if the plan,” I said in a serious tone. "I have a feeling if we don't use it, there will be a lot of people hurt on our side because of this conflict. I don't want to use it, Kylie, but if my people are captured or killed because I wasn't willing to do everything in my power to prevent it, then their blood is on my hands."

  And when I do use it a lot more blood will be on my hands. But at least it won't be my people's.

  She couldn’t look at me.

  “Kylie, I need black powder. A lot of black powder.”

  I saw a tear run down her cheek. After a while, she said, in barely a whisper, “Please, Amos. You didn't see it. The bodies. It was…”

  She shuddered and then continued.

  “I went to the spot where the shed was as soon as the ground was cool enough to walk on. Amos, they were torn to pieces. Their faces were melted from the flames. Now, I see the pieces of bodies every time I close my eyes. I didn't understand. You told me, but I didn't understand,” she said.

  I put my hand gently on her shoulder. “And now that you do understand, I can trust you that you will not allow what we are doing to ever get into anyone else's hands. But we cannot fight against trained raiders without losing some, possibly a lot, of our people. However, with your team's help, we might not lose anyone.”

  “I…Amos, please,” she begged.

  “I know it is awful, Kylie, but they’re going to take our children, and they will rape the women.” I knew it was a low blow, but I truly believed what I said.

  I knew I shouldn't, but I pulled her in and hugged her. She relaxed into my embrace and began to sob.

  “Don’t worry, Kylie. I have a plan, and once we are done, we can bury this secret.”

  These people were under my protection, and if hell claimed me for protecting my people, so be it.

  “I will not make you work with black powder, but the fewer people who know how to make it, the better. You must gather your team. Tomorrow, we are going to discuss how to make a lot of black powder and make sure nobody finds out what we are doing.”

  I held Kylie until she calmed down, and then I left her in Griff’s home and walked out into the crisp air. The weather was still not cold enough to snow. But if I had to guess, it was about fifty degrees Fahrenheit.

  It was funny. I grew up using Fahrenheit, but I had no idea how it was calculated. However, I knew that Celsius was on a 0 to 100 scale, with zero being the temperature at which water froze and 100 being the temperature at which water boiled. So, I guess we will be using Celsius when I get around to it. The thought was a welcome distraction and made me laugh, even though my mood was grim.

  Soon, my thoughts went back to how best to blow up this place. Should I place barrels of lamp oil here to help everything burn down faster, or would that be suspicious? Also, I’d have to check with Edward. I’m pretty sure lamp oil is expensive.

  What else could I use to help this place burnt to the ground? I knew some alcoholic beverages were flammable.

  The thought reminded me of when we used to pour isopropyl alcohol on our hands when we were younger and light it on fire. Then, we would shake it off when it got too hot. Ah, the good old days.

  I turned to one of my guards, “Have you ever heard of alcoholic beverages that were flammable?”

  The weird question caught my guards by surprise, “No, my lord.”

  “What is the strongest alcohol we have?”

  “I believe it is winter cider, but you would have to ask the people of Cofi how it is made,” one of the guards said.

  “Thank you.”

  I knew distilling increased the concentration of alcohol. And that was just turning it into vapor and then cooling it. Was it worth having someone do it, though, and how much could we make? If nothing else, it would be a trade good if we were the only ones making it.

  Just then, a messenger rode quickly through the gate. He jumped off his horse and approached me. I tensed as he handed me a letter made of parchment. We didn’t use parchment in Bicman, so it must’ve come from outside. I hated letters from outside the barony.

  “My lord, this letter arrived from Vaspar for steward Benjamin. The man who brought it to Bicman also warned there was a blockade south of the Nore he had to sneak past,” the messenger said.

  “Thank you. You may return to Bicman and inform Edward that we will be leaving here tomorrow. I expect them to have all preparations done and be ready to move out to deal with these bandits by the time I get back. First, get some rest.”

  “As you command, my lord.”

  With that, he turned and left, and I hurried to go find Benjamin. I found him conversing with Draves and Griff about the reconstruction project.

  “Benjamin, I have a letter for you. It may be from your father.”

  “Thank you, my Lord,” he said as he took the letter.

  As he read the letter, his face drained of color. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked up at me. His voice was measured and calm as he said, “My father is dead.”

  Duchess Cynthia Kimton

  “My husband wants assurances that there will be no moves against him,” I said firmly as I looked around the room at the other members of the council.

  “He is not loyal to the council. Why should we protect someone who would benefit if we were destroyed?” Count Rudar said.

  “Don’t play stupid, Rudar. He has no power left, and you know it. The key players in the political structure are already on our side here in Kimton. All he has left is a handful of sycophants.”

  Baron Sophis chuckled. “If you are going to ask Rudar not to play stupid, then don’t treat us like fools. You are just as concerned for his life as he is. I am quite aware of how much time you spend in his bed chamber. I have no doubt an heir to the duchy will be born next year.”

  I remained calm outwardly, but inwardly, I was seething. “Are you accusing me of disloyalty to the council? I was not only the wife of one of the founding members, but I am still doing some of your dirty work. Don’t accuse me of having my own agenda, Sophis, when we all have our own plans. We are all united by our distaste for this monarchy.”

  There was a pause before Sophis spoke again. “Very well, but I want Bicman.”

  “North Cove is mine, Sophis.” came an angry shout from the far end of the table.

  Sophis's voice was calm, and he almost sounded bored as he said, “I don't want the barony, Yabeth. I want the boy. After he flees his lands, he will be under my protection, and I will determine his fate.”

  Yabeth laughed, “Hoping to shake a few pictures out of him, Sophis. Or are you planning on making him your personal landscaper?”

  “It is none of your concern what I do with the boy,” he said while turning back to me. This is my price, duchess. Leave the boy alone.”

  Foolish waste of a favor. I had no interest in the boy in the first place. I nodded. “Very well, I won't touch your pet. The rest of you already owe me favors, and I am now collecting them. Leave my new family alone, and I will continue to make sure we finish what we started.”