That whey had been discarded initially. She had picked up a tip from Charlie to have that grass and the whey collected and then fed to the beasts. It was seemingly little, but it still had some food value for the beasts. Charlie had said something about things that could be made from the whey but for the time being just feeding it to beasts was enough.
The cheese maker explained that he left the cheese overnight and then salted it in the morning. He had a few in metal cages drying for high-end clients; they dried faster in open air.
He then aged them in the basement cavern below his home.
Charlie had told Zara that one of the reasons the cheeses were so flavorful was because they were not fed soy or corn. The hay and natural grasses meant the beasts had much less milk but far more flavor. It was a tip the princess intended to keep in mind.
She made a point of saying that the cheeses in Duluth were the best on their world, which amused the group. She enjoyed the cheese tasting afterward, and she was amused by the dazed expression from Gunnar, the cheese maker. He seemed a bit alarmed at the number of orders but also excited by them too.
She had a feeling he would be buying up milk from other dairy farms in the area as well as hitting up Tacitus or others to make improvements soon.
~~~^~~~
Baron Farragut thought that the schedule and the different events scattered around the capital was a stroke of genius. It highlighted the changes in the capital, how the princeps and her people had cleaned it up and made changes, but it also let them see what was to come.
He didn't even try to get in to the medicus event where they were holding free exams and classes on first aide. He did send at least two of his servants in though. One needed a tooth pulled anyway.
He did get a front row seat to watch one of the technical smiths show off a steam engine. The smiths had one hooked up to a wheel, another to a loom, but it was the cutting blades that were the most impressive. One cutter sliced through wood in a blink of an eye. He understood the warning to watch their fingers. The other moved slower and had water coursing over the blade as it steadily sawed through a stone. He knew the energy it took to do both jobs; he was sorely tempted to put an order in for the devices.
But he'd heard that there were electrical ones coming in the future. They were supposedly better, faster, and far more efficient. He still wanted to see about a power plant for his domain first.
~~~^~~~
Domina Rasmussen played the elder as they went about some of the events. The free food and drink were much appreciated. She saw what Zara was doing; she was drumming up business for the local merchants. That amused her a little.
There were a few things she was interested in. She forced herself to listen, to not automatically dismiss everything as a show like some of the other elders did. It wasn't that hard to do; after the tough winter and with the lack of rusticus to take up the slack, anything that could help was appreciated.
Even if it had the hidden string of investment costs.
She noted Percival and the other men were more interested in the displays put on by Tacitus and the other smiths. Let the men folk have their fun with the machinery she thought. If Fenton could entice Tacitus into their graces, all the better, though she highly doubted his chances of success.
~~~^~~~
Dominus Wesdt had arrived late but eager. He tried to purchase a combine after the demonstration but ran short on funds for even the deposit.
Tacitus suggested he band together with his neighboring lords in order to raise the funds rather than raise the tribute taxes in his domain. “The combine is only needed during the harvests. Stagger the harvest time and everyone will get the job done,” the smith said.
The dominus nodded at that wisdom and went off to find allies he could recruit for that endeavor. If it worked, they could work jointly on other projects too, like a power station and water pumping stations.
~~~^~~~
In the late evening, Zara had meetings but eventually called it an evening. She was sometimes too eager to sleep and of course the nocturnal imps were waking up and eager to play. She tried to be patient and teach them manners.
Just watching them crawl on her bed, roll, and play brought a smile on her face. She loved to watch them glide about, sometimes wobbling in the air. They would pick up an updraft from the fireplace and went up it from time to time.
She went over and looked within. "Just don't get comfortable up there, if we start a fire you'll be trapped," she warned.
Eyes blinked at her from above. She brushed soot from her hair and shook her head. "That's for my troubles I suppose," she muttered.
"Need the fire lit, milady?" a lady's voice asked softly.
She turned to see Emma there. She shook her head. "Nay, my pets went up within, and I was telling them to come out. But they rather like being mischievous," she said as she went over to get her hairbrush. The girl turned her bed coverings out and then waited.
"Ah. Very good. Is everything going well for you, Emma?" she asked.
The girl nodded, eyes downcast.
"Do you need anything?" she asked as she finished brushing her hair and left it by the nightstand. "Are any of the men chasing you? The young men?"
"I have duties," the girl said.
Zara snorted. "Any favorites? If you need help with a dowry, you need but ask," she offered.
The girl looked up startled, caught her eyes and then immediately dropped her own. Her fingers played with each other. Eventually, she shook her head.
"Well, you've done great work here; I have no complaints. Please keep it in mind. And do try to find a bit of time to have fun yourself," Zara said indulgently.
"Yes, Princeps. Perhaps after the Thing ."
"Oh, do try to get a dance in now and again," Zara said. She eyed the girl. "I was going to say try one of my gowns on but I think we are too dissimilar in size."
The girl bit her lip.
"But that's fine. At least I didn't scandalize them by wearing trousers," Zara said impishly as her pets came out from the fireplace. "Do not come over here covered in soot," she scolded, shaking a finger at them.
Some of them cheeped and went out the window. She snorted and turned to her attendant. "I'm all set. Have a good evening, Emma," she said.
The girl gave a curt nod, picked up the dirty clothes under one arm and then retreated.
Zara turned the lights off and then stared up at the ceiling, watching her pets play in the rafters before sleep finally caught up with her.
~~~^~~~
Zara arranged for the radio to be brought to the hall for Deidra to address the Thing .
Deidra did a simple speech, then she and Zara arranged for her to take a series of questions to prove she wasn't a recording. That surprised the dominus and domina.
~~~^~~~
During meals together, Zara arranged to rotate people near her. She explained it off as a way to get to know everyone and for others to have an opportunity to catch up with and discuss important matters with friends and allies. Baron Farragut approved once he considered the political wisdom she was giving and using.
In the evening, they had dancers and entertainers to help wind the night down. Occasionally, they had dances. She had Agnes and others use her precious digital camera to take photos and video. She had the images and video shown to the dominus who wanted copies.
“I only have the one machine. It will be some time before more are made. But I can send to the Imperium and have prints made of the images for you if you so desire,” she said. Heads nodded.
They did arrange to pose people with their families for photos and even a group shot of all of the lords in their finery. Zara grinned after that shot. “I want that big and placed on the wall,” she said, pointing to a tapestry that was a bit worn. “We'll have to relocate that of course.”
That compliment made some of the dominus and domina talk thoughtfully of her.
~~~^~~~
"So, what are you planning to do with
us?" Siegfried asked after breakfast. He indicated the capital and then the breadth of the land. He was eager to talk to her; it had taken a while to manage to get the chance.
Zara smiled slightly. She'd waited for someone to ask that. "Well, eventually I'd like to see this land united with the south but still retaining most of their traditions and stuff. Culture the Terrans called it."
"Ah?" Siegfried cocked his head.
"And I'd really like to make a zoo. A preserve and stuff like that. But that's a whim," Zara said with an impish smile.
Siegfried's brows knit over that statement. "A hunting preserve?" he asked carefully. Those he knew of. Many dominus kept them to keep special game to hunt for their amusement.
"More like a place to grow rare animals and plants but similar to a hunting preserve," Zara stated.
"Oh."
"I'd like to introduce more to the people. I know some of the Terrans would like to have a museum. I saw some of their videos; they are intriguing." She tried to temper her eagerness for the subject matter but it was hard. She'd wanted someone else to talk about the idea with for a long time. Someone other than Eugene and the others that was.
"What is this … museum?" Siegfried asked, wrinkling his nose.
"It's …," she frowned thoughtfully. "How to describe it," she murmured, looking away. "Okay, it is a big building, very big," she said, indicating the castle. "Now imagine it filled with displays."
"Displays?"
"Things to learn from. Terrans have different kinds of museums. Some show art, some history. Some animals. Imagine all the history of this Imperium in a great building." She wanted to mention an aquarium but held off.
"Hmm. Like a trophy room or a bibliotheca . What is the purpose?"
"To learn! To show the people so they can learn it too and take pride in it."
"Ah."
The fires of her imagination lit a bit. "Imagine paintings of past lords and royalty. Paintings of major events. Pictures too, moving pictures."
"Like the ones you've shown?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes!"
"Ah. Intriguing."
"The displays can be of armor, weapons, imagine a famous sword shown for all to see or a figure of a famous king."
"Erik."
"Okay, Erik," she said with a nod. "The Terrans can make figures and dress them like what that person wore. Much like a painting but brought to life. They can make a sculpture of them from images."
"Ah," Siegfried said thoughtfully.
"Now, imagine a place showing our history here on this world. Images of how the castles were built. Or what they call a natural history museum, with pictures and displays of animals and plants. Land, how it is formed, how the waves move …"
"They have those?"
"Yes! It is so grand! Imagine a …," she thought about it and waved her hands upward. "Imagine a great beast skeleton in the room! Or … or a basilisk!"
He cocked his head. "That would be interesting. Smelly though."
"Not if the skeleton is preserved right."
He cocked his head as he considered that concept and then nodded. He had seen skulls preserved, and tusks and bone. "True."
"And they can do that. And pose them to make them look so lifelike!" She made a pose like an animal about to strike.
"Interesting," he said thoughtfully.
"Now imagine models of those animals or their hides mounted on figures made to look like they are living and breathing."
"Why go see a fake when you can see the real thing?" he asked.
She snorted. "I've seen a living basilisk," she said. " Pass ," she said with a shake of her head.
He stared at her. "Truly?" He had not been close when the basilisk had attacked their convoy on the way to the capital. By the time he'd gotten into view of it, the thunder of the Imperial weapons had brought the beast down.
He had seen the body though and seen the head as it had been chopped off and presented to Dominus Hansen.
She nodded but her eyes were troubled. "Yes. The beast attacked the Terrans when we were with them. Eugene and the others killed it. I was bare steps away from it."
"Ah." He blinked and then pursed his lips. "Terran weapons?"
She nodded. "He was slightly injured but of course survived. One of their people was badly hurt, another died."
"Oh."
"But that brings me back to the zoo I mentioned."
"Zoo?"
"A place to have plants and animals. Living ones to show people. In cages or pits or places where they cannot harm people. Their enclosures are made to look like where they live." She waved a hand. "They have them on Patria with thick glass between the beasts and the people. You can get up within a digitus of a beast like a basilisk.
He cocked his head. "Hmm. I think I've seen them in the arena." He hid a shiver. He'd rather see them there, where they could be killed.
"Yes, but imagine it cleaner with displays to explain how the animal lives, where, and so on. The same for the museum. And people do not fight the animals; the beasts are used to breed and display."
"Huh," he said. To him it sounded boring but she seemed passionate about the idea.
"And museums for the making of things. How they work … all to teach people. The Terrans have all sorts of museums; I've seen them in the videos. They are used to educate and to entertain. Nate once worked at one briefly. He said these places often held parties and such," she admitted shyly.
Siegfried nodded, suddenly interested once more. "That would be an interesting place to dance," he said with a smile.
She blushed.
"It would be interesting to see," he said. "Pity it cannot be done here."
She started to object but then he shrugged. She grimaced ever so slightly. "Many things can be done in time."
"Well, we shall see," he said with a shrug as a paige came to collect them.
~~~^~~~
On the last evening of the Thing , Zara was in a whirlwind of activity. They'd had meetings and some dinners, but the final night was a ball. Zara had worked with Agnes and her other ladies and the castle cooks and stewards to plan and put the event on. She just wished she'd had time for a nap beforehand. She had never truly understood what had gone into the planning until it had fallen on her shoulders.
They had tried to blend traditions of Duluth with Imperial traditions, hoping it would spark common interest. Some of the Terran technology had come to the fore; she used Terran lights to light the Magna Praetorium . The fans that had been installed in the rafters above turned only gently.
The tables had been moved to the sides to allow a large space for the dancing. She was privately amused to see some of the domina eager at getting a chance to dance with their partners. The dominus were engaged in talks around the room but allowed themselves to be dragged to the floor every once and a while. When the band was swapped out and they played more brisk tunes, the party really began. By that time, the mead and other spirits had flowed freely for some time.
Siegfried came to her in his best outfit and bowed and asked for a chance to dance with her on a slow set. She accepted but also accepted the dance invitations of several of the other prospective males too. It was invigorating. She blushed a bit, noting Siegfried's possessive eyes on her. She felt a bit of alarm over it but also an odd thrill too.
She noted that the party was a hit with some of the dominus and domina, but she couldn't tell if it was polite fondness or feigned. Some looked at the changes in disdain.
She made sure each of her ladies had a chance to dance as well, for they'd earned it. Well, all but one, but she didn't make a scene when Euphrosyne arrived and danced with a variety of partners.
Who knows, the chubby girl might find a suitor she liked and would wed him, taking him off of the list of suitors chasing Zara and getting the girl out of her hair.
At least, she dreamed of that ending she thought in bemusement.
Imperial guards were as unobtrusive as possible in the room as well
as guarding the doors to it. They were in their best finery as well. Some wondered why they were there. She merely pointed to the occasional argument that broke out. A stomp of a foot by a nearby guard usually was enough keep any hot heads from coming to blows.
Despite her youth she kept clear of the spirits and thus had her mind when others became too drunk to handle themselves. She managed to brush off the impolite advances, usually with a giggle and a polite demure. A few hora before dawn she made her goodbyes. Only the truly stubborn remained, most of them the heavy drinkers. She nodded to a steward to keep an eye on them and try to switch them to lighter drinks and food, and then took herself and her guard off to her suite.
Hostage Rescue (Princess Rescue Inc Book 2) Page 24