"Time to get ready for your run, your majesty."

"All ready?" I lay my charcoal stick down. "I will be leaving for now, Bob. If you would leave the material lists here when you finish, I'll look at them when I return. Excuse me."

I follow Emi up stairs. The rooms are lit, my running clothes are laid out on the bed. I take off the tunic I am wearing, putting it on the chest, I'll wear it again after my run. I use the pot, clean up, then put on my running outfit, shorts and a hip length sleeve less tunic. I kiss Emi, then go to the garden via the back stairs. Kalvin is waiting at the west gate, after greeting him I stretch before we start jogging toward the main gate. As we round the corner of the palace I see Harry walking to the front door. "Go on in Harry, I'll be back in fifteen minutes or so."

After crossing the draw bridge, we speed up. My breathing deepens, I feel like I'm running well today. We are running the opposite direction than we have run before. I wave to the laundry ladies as we go pass, I need to get the bricks for their stove done. And the poles for the drying racks. After passing the laundry we turn to the east. As we run I see that the brush has been cleared, the forest is a couple hundred yards away. This area is fairly flat.

"Kalvin, how is the militia recruitment coming?"

"Twenty men have asked to join so far."

"I was just thinking that this would make a good training area for them. There is space, it's close to the guard tower and not to far from town."

"I'll mention it to the Captain."

"How many spears are available?"

"Forty some." We have slowed a bit as it is uphill from here. "Why do you ask?"

"The men that have joined could start training with them. Some of those men could become the trainers for the other 80 that have yet to join or to replace the guards on the walls allowing the guards to train the men." We are trotting up the hill as I say this. Rounding the corner, Kalvin starts sprinting, I trail behind but not far. As we cross the bridge into the baily I am breathing deeply, but not out of breathe.

After entering the garden Kalvin says,"I'll tell the Captain your ideas, your majesty. You ran well today. I'll see you at supper." He heads up the stairs.

"Thank you, Kalvin." I see Harry and Bob talking in the parlor, should I join them or go change? I'll join them, if I change I won't get to snuggle with Emi. Walking to the parlor, "Hello Harry, I am sorry I couldn't stop earlier, you arrived during my time to run." He runs his eyes over me, smiling a bit.

"That's all right your majesty, I got to talk with Bob while I waited."

"Bob, did you get the list done?"

"Yes, your majesty. Just finished it." He hands me several sheets of paper. I scan them, there are neat rows and columns of materials and amounts.

"And what will you need first, beside the cement?" I have sat down where I had been before my run, ready to write down what he says.

"Stone for the foundation walls, the cement you know, after the cellar walls are done, the floor beams. I tried to make the list in order of need. The last page has the quantity of tiles you need to order for your bathhouse. The amounts needed for the house are on the second to last page. When do you think you will have the cement?"

"It could be here in three weeks to five weeks. Unless Harry knows how to make cement. Do you Harry?"

"Sorry your majesty, that I do not know."

"That all right Harry, we can't know everything."

"I will start the excavation of the cellar then, your majesty. Are there any wheel barrows available? They would make the excavation of the cellar go much quicker."

"I have two on order, they should be done in a couple of days. I'll check on them tomorrow." I make a note of that. Turning to the last page I find the numbers for the tiles.

I hand Harry the sketches of the floor tiles, the chutes for the toilets and the vent pipes. As he is looking them over I write out an order. The first item is the roof tiles for the bathhouse, then the floor tiles for it. Then the items for the house, roof tiles, floor tiles, chutes and vent pipes.

"Are we finished, your majesty?" Bob wants to know.

"Oh, sorry Bob, yes you may go. Thank you for coming. I will send word about the wheel barrows tomorrow. Have a good evening." I show him to the door.

Returning to Harry, I look my order over before handing it to him. "The top two items are needed right away, Harry. The rest are for the house and will not be needed for at least ten to twelve weeks if not longer."

"It will take at least two weeks for the tiles."

Sigh, "If that is what it takes,that is what it takes."

Looking at Harry, I remember what Sophia said a couple nights ago, about him being general material. "Are you busy tonight, Harry?"

"Not really."

"Would you like to stay for supper then have a rematch with Sophia? or play Kalvin?"

He looks like he is thinking about it. "I think I will."

'Sophia?' 'Yes, dear one.' 'I have invited Harry to supper and a rematch at Go. Could you persuade him to be my general?' 'I can but try.'

Harry is looking at me strangely. I raise a brow at him. I had better tell Tilly we have a guest for supper. "Excuse me Harry, I need to talk with my cook." Standing I go to the kitchen,"Tilly, we have a guest tonight, do we have enough?"

"It can be stretched. Who did you invite?"

"Harry, the potter. What is for supper?"

"Meat pies, as my cook area is under construction." She looks at the partial completed stove, "It does look to be well underway. Is it going to be finished tomorrow?"

I turn looking at the stove. Three more layers of bricks left to place, but they are the layers with the largest number of bricks, being the layers to form the fire box and stove top. "If I'm not interrupted in the morning it should be done before dinner." Maybe I can get Kalvin to train me before breakfast tomorrow so I have a three hour block to work in.

"Are you going to change for supper?"

I look at myself, I'm still in my running outfit. "Oh, I got talking with Harry and Bob and totally forgot about changing. How long would I have?"

"About fifteen minutes. I could hold it until you are ready."

"No, I think I'll just wear this. Let me wash up and I'll set the table, be right back." I turn to go up to my room and nearly run in to Emi.

"There you are. Are you going to change?"

"No. I got talking to Bob and Harry and have run out of time. I was going to wash my hands and face then set the table." We are climbing the stairs. "Is there water in my rooms?"

"Yes, I was prepared for you to come back and wash up before supper." She pouts.

By now we are in my rooms so I give her a hug and a long kiss. "Sorry love, I had to talk to Harry so I could order the last parts needed for the bathhouse. It's only three weeks from being done, now." I use the pot, then clean up. After dumping the water, I refill the basin, then soap my face and hands. After rinsing off, Emi hands me a towel.

"Let's go set the table," taking Emi's hand I lead her down stairs. Harry is studying the sketches of the parts for the house as he waits for supper. Emi and I goto the kitchen where we load up the tray with plates, cups and utensils. I am laying the plates down, Emi following placing the utensils. On the second round she places a saucer which I put a cup on. Harry is watching us do this.

"You are most definitely not a noble born, your majesty. A noble would not set a table if their life depended on it. Nor dress as you do. You said I came during your time to run, why are you running?"

"I need to become stronger and need more stamina so I run." I stand near my spot, 'Sophia, supper will be served shortly' 'On my way.' I start calling everyone to supper, starting with Tobias in the garden. Then Helen in her workroom, then Eliza in her rooms. Finally Aden in the palace office. As I head back to the table, Kalvin comes down from upstairs, holding hands with Eliza. Tobias and Helen come from the new section and Tilly and Abbey come down from upstairs with trays. After sitting the pies and plates of bread on the table they sit.

"Good evening everyone. You all know Harry, he's joining us tonight so he and Sophia can have a rematch. Have you all had a productive day?"

We sit and tell each other of our days, things have been accomplished. Helen reports that she spun another five spools of yarn with Sophia's help. Eliza finished the drafts for three more pages in the alphabet book. Tobias says the bathhouse walls have been woven, they are ready for mud. I report that Harry has the order for the roofing tiles, they should be done in two weeks or so. I ask Aden when the next courier is due. He replies on the evening of 19 summer, in four days. Aden reports that he has received letters from four of the craftsmen, saying that they can train seven apprentices.

I ask Aden if a work party could be put together to clear the land up stream of the bridge in preparation for building the workshops. He asks when did I want them to start on it? The day after tomorrow. I then ask Eliza, Sophia, Emi and Tobias if they would help make more bricks in the morning along with helping finish the stove. They say they will. Then I ask Kalvin if we can move training to before breakfast. Doing it before dinner took to much time out of my morning. I would no more than get started on something then it was time to go train. He agreed. He then asked if I would show him some of the unarmed combat in the morning, which I agreed to. He told me I didn't need to wear the armor in the morning then.

We all finished eating and as usual the dish were piled on the trays which are taken to the kitchen where Emi and I started washing them. As we did the dishes, Sophia and Harry squared off over the Go board. The others play rummy or watched them play. When we are close to being finished with the dishes, I suggest to Emi she go bring the pitchers down to be filled, I'll finish the dishes. Taking them back to my rooms we prepared to bathe. After mixing the water, we stripped, Emi washed my hair then the rest of me. When she finished I start on her, starting with her hair. After drying off, straightening the room, we lay in each others arms, talking, just being alone together.

I was about to fall asleep when Sophia call to me. 'Sorry to disturb you, Dear. I thought I would let you know you have a general now.' 'He say he would do it?' 'He agreed to strategize with you.' 'That will help.' 'He also thinks you look very nice in your shorts and sleeve less tunic.' 'Is he married?' 'I don't know.' 'He may be one of those men that are married to their jobs.' 'You can goto sleep now, I'll see you in the morning.'

I big spoon Emi, pressing myself into her back. She wiggles closer, hugging my arm, we are soon asleep.