Tilly enters the queen's bed chamber, lighting the candle on her night stand with the one she carries. Reaching down she gives Rufina a shake, "Time to get up, Rufina." She gave her another shake. Rufina groans, rolling to her back from being draped over Emi. "I have to get to bed earlier, these crack of dawn wake ups are a bitch on only six hours sleep." Seeing that Rufina is awake Tilly leaves.

Rolling out of bed, Rufina does her morning visit to the chamber pot. Getting dressed in what she wears for morning training, shorts, med length tunic and knee length stockings she then starts to put on her armor starting with the greaves. After putting on the gambeson, she put on the scale shirt, buckling as many of the buckles as she can reach. Next are the gauntlets and the helmet, finally she picks up her sword which she buckled on. After opening the door she snuffed the candle then walks to the rear courtyard, she descends the back stairs she joined Kalvin at the training post.

"Kalvin would you finish buckling me up, please."

"And why are you not buckled up?"

"I let Emi sleep, it was a short night."

"All right rise your arms." He tightened and buckled the scale shirt. "There you go. Are you ready now?"

"Thank you and yes, I am ready. What are we doing today?"

"You are going to combine the forehand and backhand strokes." He started swing the wood sword against the post, first with a swing across the body from left to right followed by swing from right to left. He did it twice then handed me the sword. I started swinging, step in swing to the right, step back swing to the left. One hundred times.

He finally called a halt. I nearly dropped the sword my arms were so tired. The others are standing watching, waiting for me so we can do T'ai Chi. Handing him the sword I approached the others. The others, led by Emi head to the patio, I trailed behind. While they removed their footwear if they wore any, I stood near the center path, in centering stance. Once I could no longer hear them, I open my eyes. They stand in centering stance waiting. "Rotating the hips to the right 30 times." We began. When we finish the last of the twenty four forms they know, "And centering stance." After a minute, "And we are finished."

I made my way back to my room, followed by Emi. Once we are in my bed chamber I remove my sword, helmet, grieves and gauntlets then raise my arms so Emi can unbuckle me so we can remove the scale shirt. Once that is off, the gambeson follows. She places the gambeson then the scale shirt on the rack, then the helmet, gauntlets and grieves. The sword in it's sheath and its belt goes on last. As she is doing this I strip to my skin, my under garments are soaked. Everything goes in the basket. Then I start washing, when Emi is done I hand her the cloth so she can get my back for me. When she is done she wipes me down, removing the soap. Finishing that she leans in and kiss me, grabbing my butt, rubbing her body on mine.

"You are filling out, Fina, getting muscles. And look your breasts are growing." I look down, they do appear larger, they aren't a B cup yet but close. "And thank you for letting me sleep."

Kissing her, then saying, "They are waiting for us, love, or they should be." Getting clean underwear out of the wardrobe followed by another pair of shorts and a knee length tunic I dressed. As I dress she cleans up the water, snuffing all but one candle, which she carries with her as we leave. Blowing it out then laying it on the table in the sitting room we descend to the dining room.

We tell each other our plans for the day as we eat. I intend to sketch more plans today, I need to get the type designed for the printing press so I can design the mold. Then the type racks and the type cases. And the loom needs worked on. So much to do. When we are finished eating, I help clean up, washing the dishes. Emi dries. When we are done, Emi goes to my rooms to clean them and I goto the study to sketch.

Aden has gone to town. The first of the ships to haul grain had arrived the night before, bringing one of the craftsmen that Rufina had requested along with a number of the things they had ordered. The crew had offloaded those items first thing this morning, loading a cart. When Aden had arrive he accompanied the cart to the palace. As the cart was being unloaded Aden asked Rufina if she wished to observe the loading of the grain. She immediately gathered Emi and Kalvin and sets off to the docks.

They were currently standing on the end of the dock, trying to stay out of the way of the dock hands as they moved the sacks of grain from the warehouse a short distance inland. A cart would bring sixteen sack at a time down to the dock where workmen would transfer them one at a time to the ships boat tied to the dock. They were piled in a line down the center of the boat so that the crew had room to man the oars. Once loaded with the sixteen sacks the boat was rowed out to the ship where using the ships main boom as a crane they transferred the sacks to the hold of the ship. Once the sacks were transferred the boat returned to the dock where it was reloaded.

After watching the boat being load twice, Rufina lead the others to the warehouse where they watched the cart being loaded. Men each carrying a sack placed it in the cart then went back to get another until the cart was loaded then the cart went down to the dock.

After observing the operation, Rufina went searching for Aden, she had a suggestion or two for him when several men started shouting, point out into the harbor. When she looked where they were pointing she could see someone floundering, splashing about, then disappear for a few seconds to reappear.

'Crap, he's drowning.' She glanced around, no one was moving to save him. Undoing her belt, it drops to the deck. Bending she unbuckles her shoes, slipping them from her feet. On the way back up she grasped the hem of the tunic she is wearing, lifting it over her head. Throwing it down, she took the three steps to the edge of the dock at a run, diving off, arms over her head. Making a near splash less entry she swam, hard, a life depended on speed.

Reaching the area where they had been splashing about, she dives. She spots the person, slowly sinking a short distance away. Reaching him she put her arm around his neck and swims to the surface. Breaking the surface she swims toward the dock, pulling him with her. Upon reaching the dock, a pair of large hands grab them both, lifting the them to the dock. Only then does Rufina note that the other is a small boy.

Kneeling beside him, she checks his breathing, there is none. Then she checked his pulse, he has one but it's weak. She picks him up, laying him over her leg, face down she presses on his back, water gushes from his mouth. She lays him back down, leaning over him she tilts his head back. Putting her finger in his mouth she makes sure there is nothing in it, then takes a deep breath. Place her mouth over his mouth and nose she breathes into him, hard. From the corner of her eye she sees his chest rise. Removing her mouth, she quickly turns his head. More water gushes from him. He still isn't breathing. Taking another deep breath she breathes into him. His chest rises. Removing her mouth, she can feel the breath leave him. She sighs, smiling as he takes a breath on his own.

He starts coughing, water dribbling from his mouth. She picks him, holding him so he can breath, thumping his back. She hugs him close, tears flow down her cheeks. She holds him away from her, looking him in the eye, "Do you feel all right, boy?"

"Yes, mistress. What happened? I was in the water, I couldn't breath. Everything went dark."

"I came and got you. I got the water out of you so you could breath again then you woke up."

He throws his arms around her, hugging her tight, crying. She sits holding him, rocking back and forth. It isn't until Emi places a hand on her shoulder that she remembers where she is.

"Let me take him, Fina." Emi tells her. Taking the boy from Rufina she stands. Kalvin, who is standing beside Emi, reaches down and lifts Rufina to her feet. There is a crowd around them, burly men all, tears running down their cheeks. As one they all drop to the dock, bowing toward Rufina. She is about to tell them to get up when she hears something.

A young voice can be heard, "Benny, where are you? Benny!" Near the warehouse, a young girl, six maybe seven is shouting. She runs from one side of the road to the other, shouting.

Rufina rises her voice, "Girl! Is this Benny?" Pointing to Emi who is holding the still crying boy.

The girl stops, looking towards them then runs towards them, dodging around the bowing men. "Benny! what happened, is Benny hurt?" Running up to Emi, who kneels down so the girl can see. "Benny! I told you to stay away from the boats, I did, I did." She hits him, tears running down her cheeks.

Rufina, stepping forward, hugs the girl to her, stopping her from hitting the boy. "Child, peace, Benny is fine." She drops down so she can look the girl in eye. "What's your name child?"

"Beth, mistress." Her face is thin, dirty, with clean trails washed by tears, more tears are flowing down washing more of the dirt away.

"Beth where are your parents?"

"Got no parents, they died a few days ago. Benny and me, walked here from home, there's nothing left there, the raiders burned it all, kilt ma and pa, killed all the animals too. I took Benny and ran to the woods like ma told me." She broke down, hugging Rufina. Rufina gathered her in her arms, holding her, letting her cry.

The bowing men slowly rise their heads. The tears are still flowing. People that had not witnessed the drowning are standing behind the bowed men, whispering. A few men at the back of the crowd, whisper that the Queen brought the boy back from the dead. Soon more people were bowing.

Aden walks through the crowd of bowing people. Spying Kalvin standing there, with Emi and Rufina on their knees holding two crying children, he asks,"Kalvin, what is going on."

Kalvin turned to him, allowing Aden to see the tears falling freely from his eyes. "The boy was drowning, the queen removed her clothes, swam to him, brought him up from the depths and returned with him to the dock. Then kissed life back into him. The girl came saying that raiders killed their parents a few days ago. They escaped, coming to Haven."

Aden frowned. The raiders had landed then. But first the queen. Going to the pile of clothing laying nearby, he picked up the tunic. Going over to her majesty, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You should probably redress, Rufina."

Rufina starts, she has been comforting the girl, not being mindful of her surroundings. Looking around she nods, then whispers in Beth's ear,"Goto your brother, please. I need to talk to the people." Beth wipes her face with the back of her hand then goes over to Emi and her brother. Taking the tunic from Aden, she pulls in over her head, shaking it into place. She can hear the whispers of the people, calling it a miracle. She can see more people coming from town, kneeling. She needs to nip this in the bud, stopping the worship of herself.

"PEOPLE OF HAVEN, HEAR ME." The crowd falls silent.

"What some of you have witnessed is not a miracle but knowledge of the body. Anyone of you can do as I have done, breathing life into the recently drowned. If you wish I will teach you. You that work on and near the sea should know this so you can save your co workers if need be. Now rise and be about your work."

She turns to the Emi and the children with a sad smile on her face. Now what to do with them. No parents. Approaching Emi, she kneels next to them,"Beth do you have family here in Haven, uncles, aunts, grandparents?"

Beth shakes her head, "All our people are on the mainland, ma told me she and pa came here to get away from the bad people there."

Rufina frowns, she hadn't known people came as refugees. "Emi will you escort Beth and Benny to the palace, Kalvin would you go with them? I'll be with Aden until you return." She walks to where the rest of her clothes are, picking them up then sitting on a nearby crate puts them on. Emi stands, carrying the now sleeping Benny on her hip she takes Beth's hand and leads her and Kalvin back to the palace. Rufina watches them as they climb the slight slope into town. "Aden, how many orphans are on the island? This makes three I know of, Beth, Benny and Eliza."

"I'm not sure Rufina. The people take care of themselves mostly."

"I want you to find out. If any child younger than sixteen is orphaned and has no one to care for them I want to know. You saw the condition of Beth and Benny. If they are in that state in just a few days what would they be like in a week or two. Eliza survived because she had friends to help her, those two don't."

"What are you going to do with them Rufina?"

"They are my subjects, there for my responsibility, I will foster them. They are the Queens Children now, along with any other orphan that has no kith or kin."

"Very well, Your majesty." He bows to her, the first time he has done so.

She looks at him, "Why are you bowing?"

"This is the first time you have acted in a way I believe a queen should act."

"Well, get up. You know my feelings about that. Now, I was looking for you before I had to save Benny. I have some suggestions to make the loading of the ship faster." She told him if they could get another boat it could be loaded while the first one was out at the ship being unload. And a few more men to load the cart so it could keep up with the boats. Later a crane could be built dock side to load the boats, using nets like the ship did when unloading them. She tells him if they extend the dock out about three times, placing a pair of cranes, one on either side they could load two ships at a time. And if the ship could be next to the dock they could be loaded directly.

Kalvin approaches, "Your Majesty."

"I'll be returning to the palace, Aden. Will you start finding out about the orphans before dinner?"

"Yes, your majesty, as soon as I arrange another boat and a few more men." He bows slightly. She nods.

"Very well, see you at dinner. Kalvin, let's return."