I lead Rufina around to the back of the table then hold her chair for as she sits. As she greets the others I make my way to the kitchen to gather what is needed to set the table. As we are having quiche this morning I remove the forks from their case, laying them on the tray. I place a stack of plates, cups and saucers along with knives on the tray also then carry the tray out to the table. Walking around the table I place a setting in front of the each person. When finished I place the tray on the sideboard before returning to the kitchen. Abbey has a plates of buttered bread ready, along with pots of freshly brewed tea. I place these on another tray then take them out to the table. As I am placing these, Tilly and Abbey come down the stairs each carrying a tray with a large pie dish on it. As per our habit, Tilly places these in front of Rufina. Once Tilly and Abbey have taken their seats, Rufina begins cutting and serving the quiche.

Breakfast is as it normally is, everyone eating as Rufina speaks with each of us. We tell her what we each have planned for the day then she tells us her plans. When we finish eating, the table is cleared, those whose turn it is wash the dishes as the rest of us disperse to our work. Aden is going to visit the master craftsmen this morning to deliver the lists of apprentices and call them to a meeting in a few days.

The heralds will be announcing that the apprentice assignments will be posted at noon. Sophia will be assisting Helen with spinning again today. Eliza will be working on the next pages of the alphabet book. Tobias will be doing assorted work around the palace gardens, orchard and the bathhouse. The staff will be doing their tasks as usual, myself included. And Rufina will be sketching more plans.

My first task is the clean the queen chambers. I strip the bed, placing the bedding in the basket of soiled clothes. I remove the basket to the garden gate. I do the same in my rooms, taking the basket there to the gate. The other maids are doing the same in the bed chambers of the others. Then I dust both the bedchamber and the sitting room before sweeping and damp mopping the floors. Once that is complete the bed is remade, with fresh linens. The chamber pot is removed, emptied and cleaned. A fresh pitcher of water is brought up. By this time the laundry women have come and gone, trading the baskets of soil clothing for clean. The baskets are brought to the proper rooms and the clothing is placed in the wardrobes. The bedding and any towels are placed in the linen closet.

Once I have Rufina's rooms clean, I move to my own. As I don't spend much time in them it doesn't take long to do a quick dusting followed by a damp mopping. Then the empty rooms are cleaned, I do the large room between mine and the queen's. Having the new section of the palace closed makes the bed chamber cleaning go much quicker than it used to. We only clean those rooms weekly now instead of daily. Once the bed chambers are finished we take a break, going to the kitchen to have a cup of tea and some talk.

When we finish our tea the four of us clean the lower floor of the old section. Two of us clean the parlor while the other two do the dining room. Once those are finished we each take one to the offices or the study with the odd one starting on the hallways and atrium. I am responsible for the study today as Rufina is using it.

She is so concentrated on her sketching that she doesn't notice when I enter and begin cleaning. She has her crossbow disassembled on the desk in front of her. There is a large stack of papers on the corner of the desk being weighted down by the body of the crossbow. As I watch she puts down the charcoal stick and picks up a large instrument which she places on one of the parts then moves the instrument to the paper before making a mark. She does that several times then begins sketching again.

I dust the furniture and the book shelf then sweep and mop the floor. When I am finishing I glace at Rufina. She is in the process of reassembling the crossbow. Her fingers nimbly place parts then fasten them to the body of the bow. At the end she struggles a bit putting the string back in place but does it. As the crossbow returns to sword form she notices me watching her. She stands, laying the sword on the desk then comes to me.

"Have you be here long?" She takes my hands, stroking the backs with her thumbs.

"Long enough to clean the study. You were sketching the parts of your crossbow, why?"

"I would like to see if the craftsmen can make one similar using available material to arm the militia with. A weaponless armsman is not much use."

"True. Do you think they can?"

"The one they could make will not be nearly as strong as mine but they will be stronger and easier to draw than the current crossbows. Hopefully the bower that Mr. Hawkworth hires will be open minded enough to work with me. Are you finished in here?"

"Yes. Are you ready for a break?"

"I am. Lets take a walk in the garden." She waits while I place my dust cloth down then walks me out to the garden.

When we reach the back entrance we change our footwear to our shoes, leaving out slippers in exchange. She links her arm with mine after we leave the door and begin walking down the path.

Tobias and his friends are in the garden, weeding and watering. Rufina looks toward the bathhouse. The visible walls a covered in daub, the damp mud higher on the wall a darker brown than the drier lower portions. The roof structure is partially complete.

Rufina calls out, "Tobias, shall we go inspect the gray water system?"

"Yes, princess." Placing his tools in the wheel barrow he approaches us.

Three of us exit the garden, going around the garden wall to the west end of the palace walls. There are fruit trees growing about fifteen feet from the wall. Rufina and Tobias start talking about the drain from the bathhouse. Apparently the dirty water from the bath will drain under the the wall then enter a trench dug parallel to the wall. This trench is to be filled with gravel which will have water loving plants growing in it. These plants will clean the water which will then enter a shallow trench before soaking into the ground, watering the fruit trees.

Tobias ask a multitude of questions about the trench holding the gravel. It ends up that it is not a simple ditch full of gravel but a clay lined channel with baffles forcing the water to change level as it flows toward the exit. The shallow trench is also more complicated than it seems, being level along it's length, Rufina calls it a swale.

Once Tobias is satisfied, we return to the garden. When we pass through the gate, we are greeted by Molly, she has been searching for us, dinner is ready. We wash up after change our footwear then head to the dinning room. The table has already been set so I hold Rufina's chair as she sits then seat myself.

As we are talking with the others, Tilly and Abbey appear from the stairway bearing the meal, a pot of lamb stew and plates of bread. As per usual, the pot of the stew is placed in front of Rufina and the bread placed around the table.

As Rufina serves out the stew the others begin chatting, telling each other of the day. Each has been busy doing the things they do. Helen has been spinning and weaving, with Sophia's help. Aden has been to each of the craft masters, delivering the lists of apprentice applicants and it inform them of the meeting with the Queen. Kalvin reports that there are now twelve men in the militia. Eliza has two more pages of the alphabet book completed.

"Aden, did you get hold of Alton this morning?" Rufina asks.

"I did. He will be here this evening just before supper, as he intends to be deep in the forest by 700 tomorrow morning."

"Ah, thank you."

"And what did you sketch this morning, your majesty?"

"I transformed my sword into a crossbow which I made a detailed sketch of. Hopefully the bower I asked for can make a reasonable accurate copy of it in available materials." A scowl forms on her face. I hear her sigh.

I lean over, "What makes you scowl so?" I whisper in her ear.

In a whisper she replies, "A string of thought reminded me of something I have been putting off."

I give her a questioning look.

"The mine and the slaves," comes the reply.

"Ah." I remember her wanting to do something about the slaves.

She smiles again then continues eating, I do the same. When everyone is finishes eating they place their bowl and spoon on the tray before leaving. As Sophia places her bowl on the tray, Rufina speaks to her, "Sophia, will you be available after Emi and I finish the dishes?"

"I can be. Do you wish to speak in the study?"

"That would be good. If you will meet me there in 15 minutes or so." Sophia nods leaves to climb the stairs.

She turns to her left, "Aden would you join us?"

"Of course, your majesty," nodding.

Standing, she picks her bowl up, placing it on the tray, I do the same. Picking up the tray I head to the kitchen while Rufina brings stew kettle. We place these items next to the wash tub. Rufina places a pitcher in the tub then takes up one of the handles. I take the other and we carry the tub to the parlor. Using the pitcher we transfer water from the cauldron on the hearth to the tub then carry it back to the kitchen. Then using a pair of bucket refill the cauldron with cold water then feed wood to the small fire under the cauldron.

Returning to the kitchen we wash the dishes. This only takes ten or so minutes, as there are only the bowls, the bread plates, spoons and the kettle to wash.