We travelled quickly to the midway point, where we met our supply chain. Glissselda stuck by Jenna's side, even as Lyssrah stayed close to me. The woman who seemed oddly attached to her hoard of Bronze intrigued me, but now was not the time to approach her. Only our camping areas proved how we had travelled, as we dispersed into our smaller groups when travelling. I ordered a light feast when we had converged with the supply group, so as to further build up my people's strength and appetite. Their stomachs were all somewhat shrunken due to the Lizardmen's cruelty and fear of uprising.

  As we arrived at the Castle, I noticed that the building project was nearing completion, this led me to think of the next requirement, a forge. Even Bronze needed a forge to work properly, though it didn't need to be as sturdy as a steel forge; I wouldn't cut corners. Moving to the woman who had the hoard of bronze metal, I spoke. "I assume by your possessive control over that bronze that you know how to work it?"

  The woman jumped in surprise at being addressed by me. "Yes...My Queen... Sssorry I am not gggoood with wordsss."

  I smiled. "Words matter not when metal needs working. Show me where you want your forge, so I can clear the location for building. I already know what's needed for the forge itself, but not where in the ruined city would be best. The metal itself will be stored in the meantime, you are the only metal worker I know of so far, so fret not as to what will happen with it."

  She, somewhat grudgingly, allowed others to carry the metal away, knowing that all the metal in the world was useless without a forge to work it. Once she got the lay of the land, she led me to a place near the riverbank, which was to allow for fires to be quickly extinguished if needed. Even as she stood there beside Lyssrah, mouth gaping, I tossed the broken stones across the river and piled good blocks ready for use. I then trotted off and began hauling the beams I'd need for my forge design. Less than an hour later, I had set the support beams into place with mortar so they'd dry firm. "This is all that can be managed today... I never got your name."

  Startled once more, she tried to answer me. "Apppologgez...My Qqqueen... my name isss... Ttrrinna!" Frustrated at her own speech issues, she blushed, embarrassed.

  Just then, another woman came running up. "Trina! I lost sight of you, I've been looking all over the Castle trying to find you, what if you had offended the Queen by not speaking?! Who knows what might have happened?!"

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  I cleared my throat, and the woman, more a girl really, turned white-faced to see me standing there. "Trina didn't offend me in the slightest, She's my chief, and currently, only... metal worker. I needed her to guide me to a spot for her forge. I take it you've been her interpreter for some time, then? What is your name?"

  "Gabby, if it please you, My Queen!" Said the clearly worried girl. Her hair whipped around her face in the strong sea breeze.

  "Excellent, Gabby, will you work with Trina as her receptionist? You'd take the orders, show them to Trina so she can nod, or shake her head, to say if she can accept the work or not, then assuming she accepts haggle for price of the work, and if she rejects it, she can hold one finger for resources being short, and two for her ability being insufficient, or three for too much work already, and needing to come back later. I think that's a fair setup to keep things simple." Gabby's eyes filled with wonder and joy at being able to help her friend, or maybe sister, officially.

  "Yes! Um... My Queen, forgive my excitement. Trina is my best friend; getting to work with her is a dream. If only..." Just then, I got a pulse of power from the Emerald on my Coronet. I now knew that Gabby and Trina were half-siblings of the house of Tolmar.

  "Well, Gabby and Trina of the house of Tolmar, when the forge is complete, the two of you will live here inside the building. Half-sisters should live together when possible, don't you think?" I smiled at their stunned faces. "I didn't make that name up either, you are literally family, the Coronet knows who's of noble blood and who isn't. Don't worry about court stuff, just live your life here together, it's what you want, and besides, nothing saying there isn't another Tolmar family member who's more suited to court life... when there is a court to have a life in that is."

  The two clung to each other with happy tears running down their cheeks. "On behalf of my Sister and I, Thank You, My Queen, for telling us that we are family after all!" I smiled, and waved as Lyssrah and I went off to the Castle.

  When we reached the audience hall, I found ten men prostrate on the ground in front of my throne, under guard. "Let me guess, the idiot new rule morons got another clever idea in their heads while I was out?!" Marta, standing beside my throne, bowed with a grin.

  "It seems, Your Majesty, that the Castle knows your will, even when you are gone. Eight of these are new rule morons, but the other two, well, I guess three executions wasn't enough to send the message." My rage boiled as I looked at the line of ten men kneeling with their heads on the floor. "None of them can move/ Once they had stepped one toe where they weren't supposed to be, they fell to the ground just like that, and haven't been able to move since; we carried them here as they were. They haven't eaten or drunk since then either, though they have soiled themselves. We've cleaned the mess as we noticed. I expect the Castle is awaiting your judgment."

  "Take them to the square, I don't want their blood on my Audience Chamber floor. Defying my will in and of itself is treason, and attacking the Lizardwomen, or their eggs, is pure evil! There's only one sentence, death!" The execution was swift, and unfortunately, as painless as possible. I'd have loved to publicly torture them for their crimes in front of everyone, until they eventually died, but that would stain my soul, thus giving them a victory that I wouldn't allow them.