Late night of the second day of the tenth month, going into the third day, 214.
The Church of Tubbius.
The office of Tubbius Regalis Aloisius Treadwell.
"James. . . ."
"My Lord?"
"It's not a decision I've come to lightly. To think that not three months ago, I was planning a second Council of the Round. Now, I've come to worry that, mmph, if I'm not to draw potential ire from the king and his men, all of whom are believers of their One True Faith, it would be best to ask the Tubbians here to depart for the safety of the church where all this began."
"There's no shame in it all, Lord Tubbius. You are thought no less for it. But why ought this worry even arise?"
"It's simple, mmph. We are the minority, here: fifty in this town, a little over two hundred total across Amasynia, not counting the fairies of Hibera. This town and its surroundings are just recovering from a famine, mmph, and even if we did help alleviate some of that with our own pigs and stores, the Tubbians are still ever suspect that we're at the heart of any other shortages to come. Add to that the One True Faith's having a history of, ahem, getting its way, hm hm? This. . . Well, this is a move I see necessary with foresight, whether I'm right or not."
Treadwell lets forth a wheeeeeeze of a breath.
"I care for this province, James, mmph mmph, as much as I do for this Church. I want the best for both of them. But. . . were I not stuck here dealing with an absent king's business for likely years to come?"
"You would come with us, My Lord. All will be quite well, good Tubbius. As the divine, you are with your faithful in spirit if not in your blessed body."
"Mmph. I can't be expected to lead the Church, James, and govern Myrken Wood, and likely end up sitting on its Council. King Chedwry would certainly turn a grave countenance on such, hmph. Therefore you, Tubbius Princeps, are to lead in my stead, of course, until such a time that I'm freed from this whole situation and can rejoin the lot of you, mmph mmph, should that time ever come."
"And if it shouldn't, then I continue as you asked for as long as I have breath. Now, what shall we do with the pigs?"
"Either slaughter them properly and sell the meat, or donate it to the poor, mmph, or take it with you, or drive them alongside. Likely some of each would be best."
"And this Church building?"
"It's in my name. I've plans for it already. One of my new servant girls at home, one Sascha, mmph, has plans for an orphanage. This building would be suitable to such, I think, and would be a pleasing use of the facilities. Besides, it would let me keep an office here, mmph, as benefactor and owner of the building. I wouldn't have to give up the hot spring below and the property around, mmph mmph."
"Very well."
"Do you think that they will take well to this, James?"
"The ones not Myrken born should accept it. We traveled for how long to seek you here, My Lord? Now we but continue doing what you ask. The ones who live here in Myrken, such as your town crier, Jack Alldale?"
A shrug of the shoulders.
"Lord Tubbius, you may wish to speak to them personally as you find the time."
"Of course."
A sniff. A sniffle. Plump tears roll slowly down plumper cheeks. An embrace from arms in voluminous sleeves.
"Shush, shush. All will be well. We shall leave in the next few days, but we will stay in proper contact once we're settled again."
Another squoosh of arms around shoulders.
"And to think! This but allows you to focus your suitable talents to seeing the best for this land, just as you have done for us!"