Anno had few chores that she couldn't rush through, shirk, or bumble so thoroughly that it would be reassigned. But she liked anything that might be considered boys work and while she knew her uncle would likely condemn her to the law if he knew how far her boyhood fascination had been allowed to go; he did occasionally give her 'boys' chores as long as they were the sort that were done alone and away from any prying eyes.

That particular afternoon she was in the deep fields dusting the golems. Golems were clay men that were often utilized as tireless labor on farms and in simple industry. They never ate, they never tired. They were cheaper, more efficient, and for simple repetitive work they were in all ways better than slaves. But to function they had to have the spell that animated them and the instructions they were to follow carved into their skin. As they got dirty and dusty with their work and the writing became marred their functionality would become impaired. So someone would have to come out to where they were working and clean them. The golems would continue to work, ignoring the cleaner, thereby making his, or in Anno's case her, job all the harder. But she had fun wrestling the big oblivious behemoths.

As she finished cleaning the dust from the forehead where the life spell was inscribed she looked up into the air to see a parachute bearing down on her. She was able to gauge their trajectory well enough to assure that they wouldn't be crashing on top of her head. It wasn't long before they joined her in a precipitation of thin strong cloth covered in a pattern of tiny imperial symbols on a silvery blue background.

Before it had even all pooled to the ground, Anno was already gathering it up. Like any commander of a child army she understood the cornerstone of scavenging anything she could.

Suddenly the air was filled with the plaintive whine of complaining. "Get your hands off me. I certainly do not require your help. Your idea of help has been nothing but a burden to be suffered for me. Now if that child we saw has not run off, perhaps I can ask the location of the nearest Homefast and I can be reassigned and free of you forever.." At that point a gangly, prissy monk in Allbrother robes struggled out of the tangled cloth.

Anno hadn't met many Allbrothers, the most liberal and forgiving of all orders. But it did seem that while they were all kind enough; the ones who sacrificed their manhood to service when given the choice between celibacy and silence were prissy, fastidious, and prone to whining. While those who sacrificed their tongues were usually rough, common, and prone to workman's humor. She had heard rumors that they had started partnering dissimilar Albs, to create balance. This was proven when his partner appeared folding the cloth efficiently from below as he came. He was broad, with an abundance of wiry hair and a long rough beard. His skin was weather hardened and looked almost like wood..

"Greetings Child." The smaller one spoke, noticing her. "I am Alb King and this, my companion, is Alb Sven. We had a bit of trouble with our transport and were wondering if you knew the way to the nearest Homefast."

Anno did know the way, but she also knew that Allbrothers took an oath of service to their fellow man. Anyone finding an unattached Alb could request service. As long as there was work and they weren't mistreated they would serve throughout their lives. "The Allbrother Homefast is ever so far away. If you have the time and are willing, my uncle could certainly use your help around here. I'd be happy to help you. I always found the Allbrother life so fascinating."

King looked confused and said, "Well, child, we have just had a very traumatic event that caused us to leave our transport in parachutes. Perhaps you could take us to somewhere we could sit for a moment and collect ourselves."

"Of course, Alb King. I will take you up to the main house; where you will dine with us and stay the night. Tomorrow everything will look much more clear. I'm sure my uncle would enjoy the chance to discuss the Allbrother life and the Oath of Service." Anno said. "Well either way, load into the wagon and I can take you somewhere where you can rest and plan your next move."

The wagon had a high bench seat and a cargo area the size of a large bed. It had wooden spoke wheels, shod in thin iron to minimize wear. The awning was light and delicate, attached with bolts and a frame much heavier than would seem necessary. This was due to its method of locomotion. The front half of the awning was sailcloth, so when it was uncovered it pulled so hard in an attempt to fly, that it pulled the entire wagon along at a very respectable speed. At least that is what her uncle thought. It was not as fast as any number of animal mounts would be running full tilt, Anno pointed out. She always drove it completely uncovered and as fast as it would go. However, with her uncle, her objections always fell on aggressively indifferent ears.

Naturally, Alb King barely waited until they were underway to comment. "I'm sure that is quite fast enough, child. My companion and I are in no hurry. Come now child, I must insist you adopt a speed more appropriate for these uneven roads." He looked at her expectantly for a few moments obviously becoming steadily more vexed until he said, "It is obvious from your behavior that your uncle and I have a great deal more than The Oath of Service to discuss." Then he turned away from her, quite deliberately, in a pout.


Lord Hans waited until he was on solid ground and in the Ministry of Service building to speak to his prodigal bride. A real, if proprietary, affection warred within him with a gut boiling rage at her behavior.

Hans, who unlike many of his class was not enamored of such play, disliked seeing his bride bound hand to ankle and kneeling. He did feel it was necessary, however, both to break her spirit and to show publicly that no one was above Imperial justice. All the more important because her public disrespect paid both to him and the Imperial Patriarch, demanded a public rebuke and possible punishment.

The constant attention the platoon set to guard her observed her with, was met by her own balefire glare sweeping each faceplate in turn. Boring into the eyes that were the only visible feature, and the minds behind them. As she stared at each, the soldier broke eye contact first, to stare blankly at her feet. Wanting to keep her always in sight, as ordered; but not wanting to catch her attention a second time.

When Lord Hans's shadow touched her skin, her eyes immediately snapped to his face. His body; long, athletic, and sharp as any blade looming over her. His eyes wide and white with rage did not intimidate her in the slightest as she knelt bound on the floor. "Hans, I should have expected his Holy Majesty's most inveterate oathbreaker would show up before this was allowed to end peacefully. I was told I could be given to you in marriage or I could spend the rest of my life chained to a loom in a work convent. I was reporting to my loom, Sir." She spat the last word like an angry expletive.

Lord Hans looked at her long hair, so pale a blonde it looked like spun snow, spread out submissively on the floor for the soldiers and him to tread on. Her thin wiry body that he expected to find vibrating with rage like a bowstring was calm and even. Though she was obviously furious. The thin high plains of her face were calm and her ice blue eyes didn't betray her true feelings, they just bore into him with almost physical force.

"Lady Elsa, I would suggest that no matter how repugnant you act, I will see you trained in proper behavior. I believe all women can be trained. The threat of a work convent was a metaphor. To state that if you do not accept your fate, I will make your life a living hell. But no female of your breeding could be seen in a work convent. A street slattern has a choice to obey a male or enter a work convent. A women of birth and blood has a choice to obey a male or to be corrected so strictly and impressively that she chooses to obey.
Since a true lady is never seen in public without gloves, I can start by smashing every bone in your hands. I will have as long as I need to train you. I will have years of experience informing my every movement. And, of course, I will have a team of professionals, shall I require assistance." He paced around her as he spoke and on the last sentence he stepped onto her hair. Pinning her to the ground facing one direction. He went down to one knee out of her field of vision and whispered in her ear. "But first, you will answer, why your trip to a 'work convent' landed you on the ship of known anti-Imperialists? We already have the captain, his officers and a suspected traitor from within my own guard in custody, so there is no reason to lie.

Lady Elsa calmly replied, "Oh Hans, you do babble on, don't you? I have no idea where you find the paranoid energy to turn a completely innocuous charter crew into armed insurgents. And whatever happens to whatever loyal soldier was unlucky enough to catch your mad gaze. He at least will know the true reward of misplaced loyalty."

Lord Hans leapt to his feet.. "I think I would prefer to listen to your traitor's tongue scream and beg, than to lie about the obvious.' He unsheathed his saber with a fluid movement and struck near her tender flesh. But she knew she was not yet in that sort of danger as her ropes fell away. "Take her somewhere to think and await my pleasure."


Hans left the Lady in the hands of his soldiers as he sought out the prelate responsible for this world.

"I am uncertain, Lord Hans," The Prelate said, looking at him. "Your assurances that she can be trained will cripple you in public opinion, if she humiliates you yet again."

Hans had hoped Lady Elsa, at sixteen, would not be a match for his methods and what he had seen so far had truly frightened him. But he could not say that. "Prelate, I will devote myself to proving she can be trained. I suggest your energies would be better spent pondering how I might retaliate against a low level bureaucratic functionary speaking of my premarital stress in such combative terms. A female humiliate me? What sort of repellent eunuch do you take me for?"

The Prelate paled and then greened a bit around the edges as he said, "I am certainly sorry sir. I never intended to imply any such thing."

"You might make it up to me by locating these clerics that were seen arriving on your planet with Imperial contraband. I believe they are using their clerical dispensation to mask pirate or loyalist activity. I'll leave it to you to bring forward any suspicious strange clerics. Directly to me Prelate."

"Of course my lord, happy to serve, my lord." The bureaucrat bowed and backed away.

Lord Hans left the room himself as soon as his inferior had backed out the door.


Anno pulled the brakes with one hand while pulling the fabric cover over the roof blocking the light from it with the other, bringing the wagon to a gentle stop in front of a large brick and stone ranch house.

"I am pleased child," Alb King said, "To see you know more about stopping appropriately than you do about driving." He turned to see a large man whose muscular frame hung with a generous roll of fat around the middle that put the Allbrother in mind of a prize bull that had been put out to stud for a bit too long.

Anno called out, "Uncle, look I've found some stray Allbrothers. I thought you might like to meet them. I know how curious you'd be about the Allbrother life, and the Oath of Service." She gave her uncle a broad wink, as if there could be any mistaking her meaning.

He approached the wagon, examining King closely. "I see you are a fellow Arrendellean. How long has it been since you last walked those shores?"

It was the first time Anno really looked at Alb King. His hair and mustache were a deep russet. A darker version of her own red auburn. And he had the high cheekbones and cream skin with scattered light freckles of many of her countrymen. Fewer than she had herself, but he did not appear the outdoors type. She had come to this world as a baby, but had always dreamed of seeing the land where she was born. Many Arrendellian emigrants had moved here a generation ago when the Imperium took it. Which was why this island had been named for it. Little did they know that the Imperium would soon have this world as well. Along with nearly every world within those reaches of the Void explored so far.

"I'm sure you understand sir," King began, "Everyone is from somewhere. We are born, we live a life, we die. Some of us die more than once. When I took the Oath of Service, I left behind everything I was before in favor of being a brother to all things. Now my companion and I have had a very trying day. Which has ended on your front door step. I am accomplished negotiating with merchants and market keepers. I have experience overseeing the staff of larger kinfasts than this, and I have experience educating children. Including children who have abilities and ambitions beyond their station in life. Something I suspect you could greatly use. My Companion, Alb Sven, can fix anything magic or man-made. Both of us are hard working and greatly determined to impress. We take our oath of service very seriously. I think we could be a fantastic addition to your house. What say you Goodman?"

Anno's uncle nodded slowly and said, "Aye, 'brother. Go to the cookhouse, the cook will feed you something and there is always work there. I will speak to you later regarding regular duties. But at present I must speak to my niece."

Her uncle led Anno inside. Into his office, as she knew he would. He felt she provided the servants with plenty of opportunity for gossip without his collaboration.

"Anna, I'm sorry but this has to end.
I know you think I love the Imperial Regime. In truth, I am nowhere near that pleased with them.
However I understand safety. I understand the way things is the way things are.
No matter how I feel, or how you feel, this is the real world and you have to make peace with that.
I have not done my duty by you, and for that I am sorry. I have turned the other way, so as not to see all you've done.
I pray half the things I've heard about this Anno Simian character you have so enjoyed playing are not true.
But true or not, you must put it behind you. You should have been married off two or even three years ago.
Your prospects are slim now, but if I do not assert my hand in your life, there will be no choice but the work convent.
You must know any marriage is better then that.
Next week we will be presenting Anna Farmer formally at services and town meeting, and you will be betrothed before two months pass.
It is decided.
Now you best get up to your room and start picking those braids out, and rebraid them properly.
If you don't, there are always wigs and shaving a girl's head is common punishment for all sorts of misdemeanors"

"Uncle Farmer, I owe you so much." Anna replied.
"I respect you, and know the truth of your words.
But marriage would be the death of me. Either it would kill me or I would.
I'm just not ready to die yet. Give me these next two days to make my peace. We will speak again on Marketday."

"Anna, this is not a matter for discussion. This is a matter for obedience." Her uncle was not enjoying this, but was so determined to do what must be done, that he was not even hearing what his niece said.

"Later, Uncle." Anno said and left to the sound of her uncle loudly calling her back.

Anno found the monks eating in the workman's dining room. The cook and maids serving and scurrying out, worried that they might see a man they weren't related to eating. Which was ridiculous. The Albs would know the law as well as anyone, and did not strike her as the sort who would do something as pointlessly cruel as that.

Anno, of course, was having none of it. She'd broken worse laws and was planning an utter destruction of the very concept of an statutory life for herself. So a misdemeanor harlotry like seeing men eating was practically nothing.

As the cook was leaving, she said, "Miss Anna," in preparation for some rebuke.
Anno, had had enough rebukes about her sex, and even more so enough unwarranted blows from this particular bully of a woman.

Anno raised her hand as if to strike her and held it there until the older woman looked away, turning her eyes to the floor. She pointed imperiously at the door and glared at the cook until she was gone.

With darkly flashing eyes and a string of angry muttering, the larger woman left.

Anno sat across from the Albs as they ate. "I'm calling in your Oath of Service." She said. "Between my uncle and Goodwife Steep, I am likely to be charged with sex crime. No man will marry a sex offender. Which would have only been slightly better than the work convents. Girls like me, who are willing to do what we need to to survive. We don't often last long in work convents. They like to make examples of us."

King answered, "Survive, Miss Anna? While the Imperium's treatment of women may be unfortunate. Women who obey have no trouble surviving."

"Anno, if you please, Alb King. With an ought. And it would certainly seem we define survival a bit differently. I include mental and spiritual survival as well. Not only the act of not physically dying. I don't know you personally, but I know your order. While ministering neutrality, yours is the only one who never ratified the Statutes of Control that did this to women."

"That is true Miss. However, not only would we not know how to help, but your uncle already claimed our oath." King said.

"I was standing there Alb King, and I beg to differ. He presumed he had your oath. And you allowed him to assume and encouraged him, seeing no reason not to. If you had actually begun serving, then your service would have proven his presumption correct. If he had explicitly claimed it, as I have, that too would be a different story.
As it stands now, I got to you first. I never behaved as if I did not have your oath. I just assumed, as did you, that I had no need for it. However, I have now made a formal claim. Plus I think you can agree, my need is greater"

"An invocation of our oath to commit treason is not binding." King said.

"Please do not be melodramatic, Allbrother. It is not treason. It is illegal, but it is not immoral and I think you know it."

Alb Sven caught King's eye and signed to him.

"Of course you want to help her, you would choose it just to go against me.
-You're right, it's no more dangerous than what you've gotten me into so far.
And if I die in Service, I won't have to listen to you complain anymore."

Sven found this very funny, for some reason. And his laughter made his hands move too much to sign for a moment.

When he continued signing, King said. "Apparently my companion already has an appointment in the village. I suggest you gather what you can by way of clothing and supplies, and we will finish our meal. Then we will once again entrust ourselves to chance.

Anno knew that it was blasphemy for a monk to say 'chance' instead of 'providence'. Since the Imperial Patriarch took office the fact of a Divine Plan for every single action was no longer safe to dispute. She also knew King said it intentionally, possibly to see what she did. She chose to not react at all and just file it away as a curiosity, as she climbed the stairs to her room to pack.

Because of her cover story as an urchin, she only had three outfits of boys clothes. Even though they were incredibly easy to steal and she had previously had access to money if she wanted it.
She took all three outfits and her much patched heavy weather cloak. Taking a moment to wish they all were in better shape. Since she didn't know when she might buy others.
She took the few pieces of jewelry Anna had, as most jewelry was considered unladylike.
She also took a garment that was basically three meters of finished raw weave silk. The wrapping of which she had never mastered. But the fabric itself was worth equal to all her other possessions put together.

She finally brought out her most prized possession from where she kept it hidden.
The pistol she had stolen from the troop transport, when she hijacked it nearly a year ago yet had never fired. She was more scared of it than excited by the thought of such power.
She packed a straight razor, a two bladed dailyknife, and a short sword, all of which were taken from the family stores and may once have belonged to her uncle. She also chose to take her heavy leather razor strop. Which was very useful in it's original purpose as well as being the only weapon she'd ever actually used in combat.
Everything went into a leather across the shoulder carryall. Except for the dailyknife and razor strop, both of which she secured to her belt.

When she returned downstairs the Allbrothers were waiting by the door. She walked straight out without slowing or stopping, the Allbrothers falling into step with her as she passed.

She'd made the decision to take the wagon when she decided to leave. Not only was it the only vehicle she was allowed to drive, she was almost the only one who ever drove it. Which made it hers enough that since transportation was obviously necessary, she felt it could be taken without regret.

As she drove off the property, she asked. "So who are we going to see, and why?"

King answered, "My companion was apparently given a message for Noble Stone. An older gentleman of some renown, in certain circles. Perhaps he can aid your own escape."

"The only Stone in town I know of is Tomten Stone. And he is only known as an old madman. He sits in an shack of gray poured stone blocks. No one ever sees him. I heard he kills anyone who knocks on his door and eats them." Anno said scared and excited, in the manner of a teenaged adventurer.

"That is our gentleman.' King said. "Noble is his title not his name. He was Lord Stone before the Imperial Patriarch gained power. He renounced his title, but the worlds insisted on some honorific and started calling him Noble Stone. He allowed it, but does not use it himself.
I assure you if he is locked away it is in study, not in madness. And I am certain he does not eat visitors.
Cannibalism fell out of favor, even in the upper classes, when he was a child."

"Oh that is a comfort." Anno said sarcastically, but King chose not to hear the sarcasm and acted as if that settled it.


Soldiers of the Imperium thought nothing of invading private land in their pursuit of the two escaped monks. They found a field that was directly in the projected line of descent. There, beside a group of laboring golems, they found a trampled patch of about nine feet across that absolutely looked like the landing place of two men in a parachute. The lieutenant knew his life would be worthless and likely forfeit if he failed to complete Lord Hans's bidding.

Obviously the golems were useless for what he needed. But he had no difficulty in finding who the land belonged to. And when he arrived at the moderately sized but very well appointed estate house of Goodman Farmer he found the entire place in disarray. A chaotic melange of servants and townspeople.

The Lieutenant grabbed a passing servant. "What is going on here, crone?"

The servant pulled herself up standing straight, "Crone, sir? I am only a Matron, Sir." She said indignantly.

"I cannot imagine anything mattering less than your age, crone. Now tell me what transpires here, without asides to your foolish women's vanity."

The servant women almost looked like she was considering rebuking him, but in the end she hung her head and said. "The Master's niece, his ward, is gone."

The lieutenant did not expect that this would have anything to do with his mission, but he could take no chances. "Gone? Gone where?"

"I wouldn't know sir, but I do know she's wickedness's own child. There were two monks here. Some say they stole her. I don't know about that, I'd wager it is just as likely, she stole them. Somehow."

"That is ridiculous, crone. To even suggest a young girl could somehow abscond with two grown men, is sacrilege." The lieutenant said, caught between laughing at the foolish servant and anger on behalf of right thinking males everywhere.

The lord of the house provided adequate distraction, cuffing the crone on the back of the head, hard. "I won't have you speaking against my sainted niece. Those two scoundrels, probably not even true Allbrothers stole her.
I ask, what use do Allbrothers have for a girl? They must truly have been wife slavers, masquerading as monks. Now you soldier, you must come in for information. I am glad to see the Imperial soldiers taking a personal interest. Of course, it was my intent to insist they do, but this saves time."

The lieutenant puzzled a moment, he cared nothing if this niece was taken by wife slavers. But it did sound like his monks. "Sir, the best I can do for you is get on their tail while it is still fresh. Can you give me a description?"

Anno's uncle gave the descriptions, thinking that since he was describing his niece as the properly-bred female she was not, the descriptions given were not the sort that would be of any use to anybody. He also felt a little bad sending Imperial soldiers after King, when he knew his niece had railroaded him into any action he might take. But he figured the future would see her punished for the life she'd chosen. And while she may be barely grown, grown she was. She needed to be accountable.

The lieutenant knew something was a little dodgy about this landholder and his niece, but he had work to do so he put it out of his mind.


Hans went into Lady Elsa's cell. Where she was tied with ropes and chained to the stone floor. "I have had my eye on you for years." He said.

She looked into his eyes, maintaining a strong and disdainful glare. Although her head was bound inches from his boots. "Do you have any idea how repugnant that is to a lady who has only been of marriageable age for less than a year. I was twelve the first time I heard my father say that he would prefer me dead by his own hand than bound to you.
And even though he is dead by your hand now, it does not erase his wishes from my mind.
There is no torture great enough to break my spirit sufficiently to make me safe.
You could mutilate me until children cried and matrons screamed "Dear God, what is that thing?" if I dare to venture out by light of day, and still I will quietly plot.
Your only safety lies in killing me.
For if you don't, no matter how long it takes and how much I lose, I will first take your manhood and then take your life."

Lord Hans smiled down at her. "I know spells and torments that will lock your mind helplessly within a body I control like a puppet.."

Lady Elsa's eyes sparked. "Oh Hans, do please do that to me. It would be worth spending the rest of my life silently wishing I could vomit, trapped within my own head. If I know even your lowest functionary servant knows that you had to work the strongest spell you know to control a girl half your size, nearly half your age, who knows no magic.
Oh Hans, that is more than I could hope for. That would annihilate you politically and socially. Yes that suits me perfectly."
She paused and smiled, "Unless she's scared. Is that it, Miss Hans, Are you a scared little maiden? Does the Lady Hans require her wetnurse? Or do you just want mummy?"

He kicked her in the face with a scream that showed the exact lack of control she was hoping for. As he spun and left she laughed, blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. "You come on back sweetie if you need help with your corset." She laughed to herself and then mumbled, "You're a girl." under her breath.

He almost went back to kick her again, but even he knew he was not thinking clearly. That he could not think clearly around her.


Anno had driven them around the town, rather than through, at King's instruction. On the south side of the moderate staid town they rode into the lowlands where the road was built up on stone pilings, and on one side was the thorny twisted bramble forest with it's dangerous and delightful blackberries. Where Anno had spent many days playing and warring with her cadre. On the other was the soft fields of peat bog, divided by low hard clay plateaus leading to the Riverfolk compound.

Onward they rode until Anno said. "Just where does this Noble Stone live?"

"Soon child, quite soon." He pointed slowly to a side road that led practically to the front of a medium, dome shaped brick and clay hut built against the southern wall of the Riverfolk compound, like a wasps nest.

Standing at the door, arm raised in greeting, was the elder who had smuggled her out of the compound when she crashed an Imperial transport into it.
The moment that Anno saw Noble Stone, she knew that she knew him, but it took her a moment to think of the circumstances. "You're the old man from the Sailmakers' compound.
You smuggled me and the boys out when we stole that troop transport. What were you doing in the Sailmakers compound anyway?"

"Noble Stone goes where he wishes child, and is welcomed wherever he goes." King said.

"Please King, I can speak for myself. Young Master Simian, I think you'd be better served to spend less energy wondering why I was there and just be grateful I was."

"I certainly am sir, and make no mistake. But I was curious." Anno said.

"Curiosity is a powerful force. But it is a double edged blade. Without it there would be no knowledge. But without it your father would doubtless still be with us." Stone said.

"You knew my father?" She asked.

"Briefly, like everything in his short life. I met him in passing when he was twelve. Spent the better part of a year on a freighter with him when he was eighteen. Before he was twenty you were born and he was gone. I saw and spoke to him on the day he disappeared, but that was just a coincidence. I do believe I know where he went and what happened there. So I didn't know him long, but I thought I knew him well." He swept them with a bitter and angry glare pausing a moment on each of them as if deciding which of them he was mad at. "It was your uncle who I really knew."

"My Uncle, Sir?" Anno asked, unsure if the master meant her 'uncle' who had raised her. Or another relative who had not previously been mentioned.

"Not the distant relative who raised you, son. Your actual uncle, your father's brother." Stone said, correctly reading the question in her tone.

"If you have no need of me Miss Anno I will take the rig round the side to water the horses, while you and my counterpart take Noble Stone inside to converse."

"That's fine King." Anno said. As Noble Stone gave a hand to Alb Sven and the two of them stood on each side to offer help, which she ignored.