This story set in the Tammyverse, guess who owns it.
Final Chapter
He would never forget kneeling in front of Her Imperial Highness Berenene of the Namorn Empire, fully expecting to die and hearing the sound of metal sliding on metal as the Slayer drew her sword..
Then came the Tap of the sword on each shoulder as the Empress Raised him to the peerage for service to the crown.
Baron Briar Moss, Baroness Daja Kisubo, and Baroness Trisana Chandler were all elevated together for saving the life's of Countess Lady Sandrilene fa Torenis, cousin of Her Imperial Highness Empress Berenene of the Namorn Empire and Duke Vedris IV of Emelan during the assignation attempt by his oldest son.
The three had also been granted in common the lands of Green Acres because Baron Frantson had died without children to inherit either his title or his lands.
When they arrived back at Green Acres they called a meeting, in the barracks common room, of the staff, retainers and guards. The room was crowded when Briar, Daja and Tris used a bench to step up on a table at the end of the room. Daja nudged Tris "No Shakeprod." Tris grinned at her.
"Friends, we have news for all of you. The Empress came to Emelan last week to investigate the circumstances of Baron Frantson's death. The investigation is finished and the fate of Green Acres decided."
The rising tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Allow me to introduce the new owners of Green Acres"
Laying his palm on his chest he said, "Baron Briar Moss."
Pointing to Daja he said, "Baroness Daja Kisubo."
Pointing to Daja he said, "Baroness Trisana Chandler,"
"We were all raised to the nobility for saving the lives of Countess Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, cousin of Her Imperial Highness Empress Berenene of the Namorn Empire and Duke Vedris IV of Emelan during the assassination attempt by his oldest son and granted in common the estate of Green Acres."
The cheers drowned out every other sound in the room for ten minutes.
First Daja gave the loud whistle that Briar had taught her, Tris joined in, then Briar joined in. After the crowd laughed they quieted down.
"We told you when you came that we couldn't guarantee your employment with the new owners. Now I think we can."
Cheers erupted once again.
Waving his hands, Briar and quieted the crowd.
Soberly Tris told the crowd, "You realize of course, now that we are part of the nobility we are obligated to treat you as if you are not quite human. Beat you on the smallest pretext and pay you starvation wages."
The crowd stared at her uncertainly.
Daja punched Tris on the arm, "Any more of you corny jokes and I will make you climb stairs for a week."
Smiles started appearing among the crowd.
"Goddess of the Moon, not that," said Tris, "I hate stairs."
Laughter: Whoops, giggles and guffaws.
Briar raised his hands and told the group, "Today we are going to get ready for a celebration tomorrow, messages will go out to all the farms and invite everyone to the party. The cooks have a chance to show us what they can do in the way of party food."
Briar asked Tris telepathically to ask Sandry and the Duke to come to the celebration.
"Sandry?"
"Yes Tris, how is it going?"
"We are planning a party for tomorrow could you, the Duke, Yazman, Keth, Evvy, Glaki and Pasco like to come out and celebrate with us."
"Uncle, Green Acres is throwing a party tomorrow and they have invited us to come out for it."
"Sounds like fun," said the Duke, "we'll go."
"I'll send some notes to Yazman, Keth, Evvy, Glaki and Pasco to see if they will want to go."
"Make sure they know that we are going."
"Tris, Uncle and I will be there, I'm checking with the others."
"Ok, we will see you tomorrow then."
Tris held up her hand, "The Duke is coming tomorrow, lets make this the best party possible."
Briar clapped his hands, "Let's get busy." He stepped down from the table.
As Tris stepped down Daja could here her singing softly, "Hi ho, hi ho, It's off to work we go."
She asked, "Tris, are we going to have good weather for the party tomorrow?"
Tris sent her magic into the prevailing winds from the sea, where the storms came from and searched for bad weather patterns.
"Everything looks good, it appears to be a spring day for tomorrow."
The three members of the new nobility followed the happy crowd out of the common room, as they went out of the door they found two men waiting for them.
"You have arrived," Briar said, "good."
The first man stood 5 foot 10 inches, with a stocky build, fair hair and blue eyes. The second man was 5 foot 8 inches slender with brown hair and hazel eyes. Both men were in the mid thirties and had the callused hands of working men.
The men bowed, "Baron Moss, Baroness Kisubo, Baroness Chandler, our congratulations on your good fortune."
"Daja, Tris you know of these men even though you haven't met them before. This," indicating the stocky man, "is Bud Wizer the brew master for our brewery and this," indicating the slender man, "is Juleo Galow the vintner for the winery."
The two men bowed again, "Ladies."
"Welcome to Green Acres." Daja told them.
"Settled in all right?" asked Tris.
"Yes M'Lady, we arrived just after you left to go to Summersea. We have settled into our rooms and have been out to both the brewery and winery." Wizer answered.
"Rumors report that you all can see magic, is this true?" asked Galow.
"Yes," Briar answered, "why do you ask."
"While we were out at the winery I located the records of the last vintner, I brought them back to here and have been reading them in order to get some idea of what types of grapes and wines were made here. And there is indications of something unusual in them."
"What do you mean, unusual?"
"The last vintner used the records as a sort of daily diary, and in it he made it clear that he disliked Baron Frantson intently. When the Baron started selling off the stored wine the records get spotty. There are odd gaps in them."
'Go on."
"Well, as you know, wine is best stored in cool dark areas where the temperature stays constant, that is why is often stored in basements. Now one of the record books I brought back was a history of the winery, in it is when and how the building were constructed, when the assorted vines were planted and where they come from," Waving a hand he said, "but your not interested in that, in the book was a map of the caves that were hollowed out to act as cellars for the wine. The two of us explored the caves and when we compared what we found with the map there is a section of the caves missing."
"Missing?" Tris asked.
"That's why I asked about seeing magic, would you come out to the winery and check a wall located where is there is supposed to be an entrance to a rather large wine gallery."
Briar grinned at Tris and Daja, "Shall we go treasure hunting?"
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A/N
Sorry about the lack of action but when you finish one story line it takes a little time to develop a new one.
Still haven't used my eight pages of notes on making beer and wine, white lighting. Added some on making brandy and mead.
Final Chapter
He would never forget kneeling in front of Her Imperial Highness Berenene of the Namorn Empire, fully expecting to die and hearing the sound of metal sliding on metal as the Slayer drew her sword..
Then came the Tap of the sword on each shoulder as the Empress Raised him to the peerage for service to the crown.
Baron Briar Moss, Baroness Daja Kisubo, and Baroness Trisana Chandler were all elevated together for saving the life's of Countess Lady Sandrilene fa Torenis, cousin of Her Imperial Highness Empress Berenene of the Namorn Empire and Duke Vedris IV of Emelan during the assignation attempt by his oldest son.
The three had also been granted in common the lands of Green Acres because Baron Frantson had died without children to inherit either his title or his lands.
When they arrived back at Green Acres they called a meeting, in the barracks common room, of the staff, retainers and guards. The room was crowded when Briar, Daja and Tris used a bench to step up on a table at the end of the room. Daja nudged Tris "No Shakeprod." Tris grinned at her.
"Friends, we have news for all of you. The Empress came to Emelan last week to investigate the circumstances of Baron Frantson's death. The investigation is finished and the fate of Green Acres decided."
The rising tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Allow me to introduce the new owners of Green Acres"
Laying his palm on his chest he said, "Baron Briar Moss."
Pointing to Daja he said, "Baroness Daja Kisubo."
Pointing to Daja he said, "Baroness Trisana Chandler,"
"We were all raised to the nobility for saving the lives of Countess Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, cousin of Her Imperial Highness Empress Berenene of the Namorn Empire and Duke Vedris IV of Emelan during the assassination attempt by his oldest son and granted in common the estate of Green Acres."
The cheers drowned out every other sound in the room for ten minutes.
First Daja gave the loud whistle that Briar had taught her, Tris joined in, then Briar joined in. After the crowd laughed they quieted down.
"We told you when you came that we couldn't guarantee your employment with the new owners. Now I think we can."
Cheers erupted once again.
Waving his hands, Briar and quieted the crowd.
Soberly Tris told the crowd, "You realize of course, now that we are part of the nobility we are obligated to treat you as if you are not quite human. Beat you on the smallest pretext and pay you starvation wages."
The crowd stared at her uncertainly.
Daja punched Tris on the arm, "Any more of you corny jokes and I will make you climb stairs for a week."
Smiles started appearing among the crowd.
"Goddess of the Moon, not that," said Tris, "I hate stairs."
Laughter: Whoops, giggles and guffaws.
Briar raised his hands and told the group, "Today we are going to get ready for a celebration tomorrow, messages will go out to all the farms and invite everyone to the party. The cooks have a chance to show us what they can do in the way of party food."
Briar asked Tris telepathically to ask Sandry and the Duke to come to the celebration.
"Sandry?"
"Yes Tris, how is it going?"
"We are planning a party for tomorrow could you, the Duke, Yazman, Keth, Evvy, Glaki and Pasco like to come out and celebrate with us."
"Uncle, Green Acres is throwing a party tomorrow and they have invited us to come out for it."
"Sounds like fun," said the Duke, "we'll go."
"I'll send some notes to Yazman, Keth, Evvy, Glaki and Pasco to see if they will want to go."
"Make sure they know that we are going."
"Tris, Uncle and I will be there, I'm checking with the others."
"Ok, we will see you tomorrow then."
Tris held up her hand, "The Duke is coming tomorrow, lets make this the best party possible."
Briar clapped his hands, "Let's get busy." He stepped down from the table.
As Tris stepped down Daja could here her singing softly, "Hi ho, hi ho, It's off to work we go."
She asked, "Tris, are we going to have good weather for the party tomorrow?"
Tris sent her magic into the prevailing winds from the sea, where the storms came from and searched for bad weather patterns.
"Everything looks good, it appears to be a spring day for tomorrow."
The three members of the new nobility followed the happy crowd out of the common room, as they went out of the door they found two men waiting for them.
"You have arrived," Briar said, "good."
The first man stood 5 foot 10 inches, with a stocky build, fair hair and blue eyes. The second man was 5 foot 8 inches slender with brown hair and hazel eyes. Both men were in the mid thirties and had the callused hands of working men.
The men bowed, "Baron Moss, Baroness Kisubo, Baroness Chandler, our congratulations on your good fortune."
"Daja, Tris you know of these men even though you haven't met them before. This," indicating the stocky man, "is Bud Wizer the brew master for our brewery and this," indicating the slender man, "is Juleo Galow the vintner for the winery."
The two men bowed again, "Ladies."
"Welcome to Green Acres." Daja told them.
"Settled in all right?" asked Tris.
"Yes M'Lady, we arrived just after you left to go to Summersea. We have settled into our rooms and have been out to both the brewery and winery." Wizer answered.
"Rumors report that you all can see magic, is this true?" asked Galow.
"Yes," Briar answered, "why do you ask."
"While we were out at the winery I located the records of the last vintner, I brought them back to here and have been reading them in order to get some idea of what types of grapes and wines were made here. And there is indications of something unusual in them."
"What do you mean, unusual?"
"The last vintner used the records as a sort of daily diary, and in it he made it clear that he disliked Baron Frantson intently. When the Baron started selling off the stored wine the records get spotty. There are odd gaps in them."
'Go on."
"Well, as you know, wine is best stored in cool dark areas where the temperature stays constant, that is why is often stored in basements. Now one of the record books I brought back was a history of the winery, in it is when and how the building were constructed, when the assorted vines were planted and where they come from," Waving a hand he said, "but your not interested in that, in the book was a map of the caves that were hollowed out to act as cellars for the wine. The two of us explored the caves and when we compared what we found with the map there is a section of the caves missing."
"Missing?" Tris asked.
"That's why I asked about seeing magic, would you come out to the winery and check a wall located where is there is supposed to be an entrance to a rather large wine gallery."
Briar grinned at Tris and Daja, "Shall we go treasure hunting?"
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A/N
Sorry about the lack of action but when you finish one story line it takes a little time to develop a new one.
Still haven't used my eight pages of notes on making beer and wine, white lighting. Added some on making brandy and mead.