CHAPTER 288: THE LORD’S LARGESSE

The Lord’s Largesse

Canardia

Inside the city’s main street, a stream of carts creaked past under the near midday sun. Horse and mule-drawn carts were laden with the previous day’s harvest, already dried and measured, bound either for the city granary or the owners’ warehouses. The air carried the mingled scents of grain dust that marked the harvest week. At one corner of the town, where a stream passed through the walls by way of a fortified water gate, a crowd had gathered around the newly restored waterwheel.

A carriage and escort approached at a steady pace, and the crowd shifted and parted to make way, their curious gazes and eager murmurs following close. Despite the searing sun, the townsfolk showed no sign of weariness. From the waterwheel building, a group of men responsible for the project emerged. They shaded their eyes against the glare, waiting in the open, eager to greet a member of the House.

Though they did not recognize the heraldry of blue and bronze, marked with three white balls of wool yarn stitched at the corner, they knew that only a member of the House would dare to display such a standard. Moreover, there was the presence of half-breeds among the escort. Even if many noticed it was not Francisca, whose face was well known in taverns and stalls, the very sight of half-breeds was as sure a mark of the ruling House as any banner.

Amid the rising curiosity, the carriage, drawn by four horses and guarded by dozens of men, and followed closely by another, finally arrived at the waterwheel complex. Hooves struck the cobbles in a steady rhythm as it slowed to a halt before the building. The crowd pressed closer, eager.

The escort quickly fanned out, forming a protective line alongside the lesser guild members who maintained order at the site. Only then did the half-breed swing the carriage door open. From inside, a maid emerged first, raising a broad umbrella. As she opened it, an older woman descended. Many who had dealt with the Lord and Lady in the past recognized her at once as the chamberlain of House Korimor, Lady Ingrid.

Behind her, a youthful lady with long blonde hair stepped down. She was supported by Lady Ingrid and the half-breed. Her sweet and innocent charm left the crowd, the guildsmen, and all who looked on momentarily stunned.

“Who is she?” many murmured, while others craned their necks, standing on tiptoe or jostling for a clearer view. A few pressed forward, elbowing their neighbors, eager not to miss the sight.

Yet there was no herald’s call or formal announcement, a sign that her rank was not high enough for such honors. The half-breed, Lady Ingrid, and a maid holding a broad umbrella simply flanked the blonde lady as she walked toward the guildsmen who waited in front. There, the chamberlain spoke a few words, and whatever was said was enough to make the guildsmen straighten, draw off their hats, and press them to their breasts in solemn greeting.

Though the crowd could not hear, their excitement only grew. Whispers ran from mouth to mouth, for many were more curious about the mysterious lady than about the newly repaired waterwheel or the hollowed barrels. They watched as the guildsmen exchanged pleasantries and, with practiced courtesy, invited her and her escort inside to inspect the waterwheel building.

Speculation spread like fire through dry straw.

“Could it be that the Lord has a new wife?” some hissed over shoulders.

“A concubine?” one voice blurted, and at once more rumors broke loose, each wilder than the last.

“Can’t be!” a woman rejected the notion and quickly met with a chorus of approval and nods from others who despised the thought of a second woman in marriage.

An elderly man raised his voice above the din. “But it makes a lot of sense. The Lord needs allies, and what stronger bond is there than marriage?”

“But to whom?” another man called out.

At this, many began to shout the names of neighboring nobles with daughters. Even Lord Bengrieve and Reginald were not spared from the gossip, until others quickly pointed out that Bengrieve’s daughter was far too young, and Reginald’s was already married.

While the crowd, numbering in the hundreds, busied themselves with wild speculation, the guildsmen emerged from the waterwheel and began to lead the lady and her entourage toward the hollowed barrels for inspection.

...

Tanya’s breath grew heavy, yet she fought with every fiber of her being not to panic. Her mind returned to the discussion she had that morning with the chamberlain, who was also her mentor.

“Are you sure you wish to participate in this?” Ingrid asked from behind her desk in the study, her voice seasoned with experience and solemn in manner.

“Yes. I want to help the Lord,” Tanya replied, standing with her hands clasped tightly behind her back.

“The Lord could still shield you for years, and he intends for you to study at least a few more. You need not come out so soon.”

“But brother is always busy. I can’t help but try to ease his burdens, at least with small ceremonial duties.”

Ingrid was piqued. She fixed her eyes on the girl and asked, “Who taught you about ceremonial duties?”

“Sir Omin,” Tanya answered. Her innocent eyes shone with quiet confidence.

Ingrid remained expressionless and said, “Have you not considered that the Lord trusts you with his son? Is that not a great honor and duty to the House? It's a role they could only entrust to a very few.” S

“I honor that trust, but there is already Mother, the nanny, and Lady Valerie—”

“Lady Valerie is already bound for the campaign.”

“Mother is still in charge, and there is also Lady Astrid now.”

Ingrid did not nod. She wanted to be certain this was truly what Tanya desired. She did not wish her charge to bear regrets. “If that is your wish," she finally said.

Tanya swallowed dryly, but she did not take a step back.

The chamberlain continued, “Until the Lord bestows you with land, or formally recognizes you as his kin, you will be known only as Lady Tanya. Thus, we cannot introduce you by title, for you have none. I believe that will not be a problem?”

“It will not. I merely wish to help.”

“To serve,” Ingrid corrected.

“Yes, to serve.”

“Good,” the older woman remarked. “I shall introduce you as a member of the Lord’s extended family. It carries more weight than merely adopted kin.”

“It is fine,” Tanya replied without hesitation, her confidence growing.

“Very well then,” Ingrid said, rising to take a long wooden box and placing it upon the table. She lifted the lid and revealed a banner rolled within. Drawing it out, she unrolled the thick cloth, its weight heavy in her hands. The fabric gleamed with rich color, embroidered with fine thread and edged with careful trim. When she spread it wide, Tanya beheld her brother’s heraldry, but with one addition: three white balls of wool yarn stitched neatly in the lower right corner.

“This will be your temporary heraldry.”

“It is beautiful...” Tanya breathed as she examined the banner, her fingers tracing the embroidery and the smooth weave of the cloth. A few years ago, she had not even a new dress to wear, and now a costly fabric had been made just for her banner alone. She was overwhelmed. “Did you order this for me?”

“I often read in your essays about working with wool yarn,” Ingrid explained. “So I suggested this design to the Lord, and he approved it.”

“I was a wool dyer,” she murmured, more to herself.

Ingrid continued, “Lady Arryn has three family members, so the three yarn balls correspond to that.”

“Marc,” Tanya murmured softly, tracing the first ball with her touch.

“You will make your own banner when the time comes,” Ingrid said, “but for now, this must suffice, for we cannot use that of the Lord or the Lady.”

“I’ll trust your decision.”

With that memory still fresh in her mind, Tanya steadied herself and tried to focus on the guildsman’s explanation of the contraptions her brother and his men had built. When the explanation of the hollowed barrels ended, they quietly moved to the open hall where ten cauldrons were kept. There, beneath the shade of the hall, she was invited to examine the new stove design, where the fire was enclosed by brick, leaving only a narrow vent at the top.

“By using brick, we're able to produce more heat, keeping the fire trapped so that it only escapes at the bottom of the cauldron,” the leading guildsman explained.

Tanya was fascinated. “So this can heat the cauldron with less firewood?”

“Yes. We are even working on a different design that uses coal, since it lasts longer and is more economical.”

Tanya nodded, allowing the guildsman to speak on, for it was her role to listen and learn. When at last the explanation drew to a close, her head was brimming with details. She inclined her head slightly and said, “Gratitude for the explanation, gentlemen. Now I would like to call the maids to test these contraptions.”

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“By all means,” the leading guildsman said, giving a signal to his men, who scrambled to make ready.

Tanya turned to the maid she trusted most and instructed, “Bring the other maids from the carriage and the baskets. It is time to test the Lord’s newest invention.”

The young maid, unused to such a task, hesitated. She wanted to obey, yet the umbrella was still in her hand. What if Lady Tanya were to walk in the open? Would she be blamed? Meanwhile, there was no other maid or servant to take it. She could hardly hand it to the chamberlain, whose cold stare made her shrink all the more.

Lady Ingrid gave no hint, choosing instead to see how the maid would resolve it. Tanya would need to build her own household, and this was a good starting point to discover worthy candidates.

Fortunately, or unfortunately in Ingrid’s eyes, the half-breed was quick to notice. He took the umbrella gently from the maid’s hand with a kind smile and said, “Go on.”

Freed, the maid hurried with quick steps, though she was not permitted to run, and waved toward the other carriage. Four maids descended at once, while a male servant and a coachman went to the rear and lifted down baskets filled with linen and woolen laundry.

As the maids set to their task, the crowd started to murmur fresh speculations.

Soon, steam rose in thick clouds as a line of maids bent over cauldrons, lowering dirty linens into the boiling water. They stirred them with paddles in a mixture of water and ash. After some time, they used long poles to haul the cloth up, letting it cool before wringing it against wooden poles, then plunging it back again to let the heat and ash work deeper into the fabric and drive out lice and filth.

A short distance away, other maids tended to a different task. Inside the cauldrons, they had laid a bed of glowing wood embers, then scattered juniper and rosemary upon them. The mixture smoldered and sent a steady smoke upward, where woolen cloaks, coats, and blankets were hung. These cauldrons were not for boiling but for smoking garments that could not be boiled, for heat and water would ruin the material. Slowly, the clothing grew heavy with the fragrant haze, and the women turned the garments from time to time so the smoke reached every fold.

As they worked, the chamberlain quietly signaled the guards to allow the crowd to draw nearer so they could watch the process. After all, the Lord had confided his plan to her, and it depended on the people. He wanted them to be curious, to gather in numbers, and to try it in droves. He needed the popularity, which in turn would provide benefits for everyone involved.

The sharp scent of herbs mingled with ash in boiling water swept through the area, carrying the smell that people had long come to associate with cleanliness and safety against creeping pests and insects.

Watching the steaming vats and breathing in the mingled scents of boiling ash and burning herbs, the crowd began to understand that this place had been built for cleaning. Murmurs spread in surprise. The men exchanged glances, furrowing their brows, wondering aloud why the Lord would concern himself with such menial labors. The women, however, grew excited, praising him for giving them a place to wash, since not all possessed a cauldron large enough to smoke their wool blankets when lice were found.

Yet even as they spoke with delight, worries lingered over the cost. From the look of things, it seemed expensive.

Moreover, it was not as if they needed to boil or smoke the clothes every day, knowing it would damage the fabric. Still, they watched eagerly.

Before half an hour had passed, the maids collected the clothing. The crowd thought the work was finished, but the baskets were carried instead toward the hollowed wooden barrels. Curiosity was piqued again at once.

They watched as the maids loaded the laundry into four wooden barrels and then gave it a mixture of ash and lye before filling it with buckets of water. The wooden barrels were not level but tilted so they could hold water.

Tanya and Ingrid stood close beneath the shade of the umbrella as the guildsman demonstrated how the contraption worked. With a turn of a lever fixed to the side, the wooden barrel began to spin, its motion powered by a cone pulley fixed to the rear axle. In turn, it was driven by an individual wooden shaft that ran back to a separate distributor house reinforced with stonework beside the wheel house.

There were two distributor houses, to the left and right of the waterwheel house. Each distributor house was connected by a thick wooden shaft to a large-diameter wheel set on either side of the waterwheel house. In turn, these large wheels drew their strength from the waterwheel through a train of massive wooden cogs.

If one were to make a diagram, it would be:

- One waterwheel

- Two large wheels, left and right

- Two distributor houses, left and right

- Five shafts connected to five barrels on each side

Most of the complexity lay inside the distributor houses, where sturdy gears divided the power into five separate shafts, each driving a single barrel. To keep the mechanism in good order, the gears were enclosed in casings to shut out grit and damp and were loaded with clear tallow for smooth running.

Unlike the old arrangement, where the paddles had been pushed sluggishly by the stream, the newly built embankment forced the current to run swifter, giving the wheel far greater power.

The crowd watched with raised eyebrows and expressions full of questions as they exchanged glances or spoke among themselves. Some were clearly excited, others doubtful and not too keen about all this. With so much money being used, everyone expected more.

Sensing their reaction, Ingrid instructed the guards to allow two dozen women to approach and watch closely. When the group of women, young and old alike, had stepped near and offered their greetings, they saw the garments within tossed and churned by the sloshing water as the barrel turned.

“What do you think?” Tanya asked them about the contraption. “Would that clean the clothes?”

“Boiling and smoking alone should already be enough,” a confident, motherly woman among them answered, choosing her words with care.

The rest of the women, however, did not bother to hide their doubtful expressions.

Tanya, who had done years of laundry since she was able, shared their doubt and said, “I doubt this would clean enough. Maybe for clothes worn in the castle, yes. But what about garments soiled from work in the fields, barns, and pens?”

“Ah,” an elderly woman exclaimed in agreement, “around fish and raw leather too, they make everything stink.”

Her comment brought a ripple of giggles and laughter, which Tanya joined. She then turned to the leading guildsman. “Meister, we are concerned that just spinning them in ash-water like this will not be enough to clean truly dirty clothes.”

“Indeed,” the leading guildsman unexpectedly agreed before adding, “fortunately, the Lord and I had thought this through.”

The women watched as the still-athletic gentleman kicked down a wooden pedal with his foot. The movement lowered an already spinning long rod that served as a tensioner and forced the belt of thick hemp rope, several cords bound side by side into a broad band, down toward the narrower end of the cone pulley. The wooden shaft gave a low groan as it took on the added load, but at once the barrel began to spin faster.

The cone pulley had been the Lord’s idea. It was made of cured hardwood, fixed to the rear axle to bear the turning force. The cone pulley's surface was cut with coarse grooves and dressed with a layer of resin so that the broad hemp ropes could bite firmly and hold their traction.

As the barrel spun nearly twice as fast, there were murmurs of wonder among the women. Even Tanya and Ingrid looked on with quiet astonishment.

The barrel sloshed loudly as it turned. Its hollow interior was not smooth but lined with three shallow wooden ribs set lengthwise, which kept the laundry from massing together. With greater speed, the ribs drove cloth and water alike, flinging the garments through the wash.

“Now this,” one of the women remarked, “this might just do the trick.”

“I think it will clean as well as hand washing or beating,” another happily agreed.

“Now I cannot wait to try it,” someone said eagerly.

“Plenty of dirty laundry waiting at home, is there?” another teased, and the women laughed, this time a little more unrestrained.

Watching the exchange, Ingrid turned to Tanya and said politely, “Lady, you might want to offer them the chance.”

“Ah, yes,” Tanya exclaimed, turning to the gathered women. “We are only using four barrels and will likely finish…” She turned to the guildsman.

The leading guildsman glanced at the spinning barrel for a moment before saying, “I would say an hour should be enough.”

“Right, then we should be finished in an hour,” Tanya told the women. “So, bring your laundry here. For ten days, all of this will be free to use. You only need to bring your own firewood if you wish to boil or smoke.”

“Cleaning clothes in just an hour?” one woman blurted, and the others echoed her disbelief, their astonishment quickly turning into excitement. This was a task that usually consumed half a day.

“Without having to do anything at all, too,” another added, eyes wide.

“I would be glad to use it even if I had to spin the barrel by hand,” a third remarked in jest, and laughter broke out among them.

A few women glanced at the clear sky above, the sun burning strong, and smiled at their luck. It was a good day for washing, even if they hadn't planned for it.

Ingrid added in a firm, dignified voice, “You will only need to pay if you lack firewood. Bring your own lye and ash. If you have no lye, you may buy it at the market. Approved peddlers will be invited here to sell their wares.”

There was a stir of murmurs, some chuckling, some doubting if such an offer could be true, others debating whether it was worth the try. But the shrewder ones broke away first, hurrying through the curious crowd outside, intent on testing it for themselves, and soon enough the rest scrambled to follow.

Watching them leave, Tanya let out a long sigh of relief. This had been her first task for her brother’s House, and she could only hope it would satisfy both her mentor and her brother.

...

Chamberlain, Ingrid

Ingrid saw Tanya’s reaction and, as a mentor, felt satisfied, though she would not show it, lest the girl grow complacent. At her side, the half-breed gave her a sharp nudge, signaling for a private word.

Understanding the sign, Ingrid said calmly to Tanya, “Lady, it is nearly midday. Shall we wait in the shade? How about returning to the waterwheel house?”

“Of course.” Tanya followed her suggestion and walked toward the waterwheel house. The guildsmen were all too pleased for the chance to walk beside her. Many had barely introduced themselves and were eager to explain more about their part in the project.

Ingrid, with only her eyes, signaled the maid with the umbrella to stay close to Tanya’s side. Then, falling back with the half-breed, she asked in a low voice, “What is it?”

“You do not feel it?”

Ingrid gave her a sharp look. “No. Why?”

“I can smell it,” the half-breed said grimly. “A mage is hiding among the crowd, and it is likely not one of ours.”

Ingrid quickly ventured, “Mage, or Hunter reinforcements for the monastery?”

“Fran’s sister told me the Lord ordered them to march straight to Monastery Hill, since assassins might use them as cover.”

“Then?” Ingrid’s tone grew troubled. “Should we call for help?”

“I already did.” The half-breed touched the special whistle she wore on a cord around her neck. “I could only do this discreetly. I did not want to ruin the lady’s moment.”

“You did rightly,” Ingrid said as the two walked on toward the waterwheel house, now guarded against attack.

But the half-breed suddenly halted, turning her head sharply into the coming wind and drawing in a deep breath. Her wolfish eyes swept the distance before her jaw stretched into a lupine grin, teeth bared.

Ingrid stopped as well, her face betraying concern despite her best effort. “What is it?” she asked in a low, tense voice.

The half-breed’s eyes, glowing with their feral light, fixed on her. “You need not worry, Chamberlain. Another mage is coming.”

The older woman’s eyes widened. “Who...?”

“The most powerful in this city. One that might be as strong as Sister Fran." Her voice trembling with a thrill she could not contain.

As if on cue, the far side of town erupted to life, surprising everyone. Uproar and cheers rolled through the streets until they carried across the city. Under the blaze of the midday sun, that part of the city seemed to empty itself at once. Men abandoned their workshops, women rushed from their yards, and children were tugged along by eager hands. Door after door flew open as though no one wished to be left behind. Frenzy and excitement were thick in the air, all pressing for a glimpse of what was to come.

And what they beheld was worthy of it.

Riding a black destrier, impromptu as was their privilege, the Lord and Lady had come in person, and the people cheered as though royalty had descended among them. It was their first appearance this close and personal since before the rebellion, apart from those brief rides behind a carriage under heavy escort.

For Ingrid, the fact that the Lady emitted such a force of aura, strong enough to be scented by a half-breed from afar despite concealment training, meant only one thing. She had sensed an unknown mage lurking, and she was here on a hunt.

***

Again, for anyone who has not gotten the 1st book, or has been waiting for a discount, now is the moment. Thanks to the publisher’s discount, it is currently less than a dollar. Book Link 🤗 Big gratitude if you pick up a copy, and kindly leave a good rating.