Trouble Between Allies

Emily hadn't been into City Hall for the better part of a week. She stayed at home taking care of Teslaimia, who complained, "Can you please just go to your office? You are driving me crazy here. Your cooking is pretty much the worst thing in the world and I just have a tiny cut on my shoulder. I won't go out swashbuckling for a while, I promise."

Emily frowned and said, "If they need me at City Hall they'll knock on the..."

The sound of knocking came from the door interrupting her thought. Emily sighed and set down the bowl of soup she had just made. She made her way over to the door and was greeted with an unusual sight, "Uncle?"

King Andrew motioned to his men to wait outside in the hallway as he walked in and took a seat. "You live in such a tiny portion of this large building? Why don't you have a palace?"

Emily smirked and then sat down across from her uncle. "I don't use much space, this is already more than I need. I usually only come here to sleep."

King Andrew glanced down the hall and smiled, "Just sleep?"

Emily frowned, "Uncle, what brings you to my home?"

King Andrew leaned forward and looked at Emily, "Congratulations on defeating the Kreussians. Have you considered the Ramifications of the Fursians and Chadtom Imperials not having to use their armies due to the action of your what? Two hundred men?"

Emily leaned back, "What about you Uncle, are you also in fear of my power now?"

"I admit the threat is real. I did murder your parents and exile you after all." King Andrew tapped his finger on her coffee table. "I know something that those others don't know about you. You are not the kind of leader that cares about personal ambition. It's one of your flaws, Emmy."

"Oh, and what are my flaws?" She looked at him with curiosity.

He shrugged, "One, you care about your people too much. Two, your desire to reach for the future doesn't look at the ramifications of your quest to see tomorrow's gold. Three, the lady in the back room there." He pointed at where Teslaimia was resting, "Four, you spend your own fortune like it's going to last you forever instead of looking to get a return on your investment. Five, you put trust in people who don't deserve your trust." He leaned back, "Should I go on?"

Emily shrugged and then asked, "Again let me ask, what brings you here today, Uncle?"

"Had enough then? Very well. I am here today because in one week's time the King of Fursia, Emperor Pao'ko-olo, myself, and you will be meeting to create a formal treaty on banning the use of weapons of mass destruction like your Airships in conflicts between our three nations and hopefully the rest of the world. The last thing any of us wants to see is a million people put to death without having fought in a battle. Frankly, it's beyond scary. This way of fighting you have created leaves the soldiers no chance for surrender, no chance to come home to see their families. It's not war as we know it. It's genocide." He looked her straight in the eye. "You only ever look at results in black and white, Emmy. You want to keep your soldiers alive and kill theirs so you created your military with that in mind. How many casualties have you lost in battle now? A dozen total since you have been in power? How many have you killed? Two million? That is disgusting for any of us who have seen a battlefield, Emmy. You aren't just winning your fights, you are ruining generations for the nations you fight. Even the Church's inquisition is not as effective as your forces."

Emily frowned and said, "I have never invaded another nation to grab territory or even launched the first strike on an innocent nation."

King Andrew shook his head, "Your airship was fired on by the Kreussians and you lost what, three, four men? That deserved a retaliation of that level? What happens if one of my border guard squads gets into a skirmish against one of yours while hunting brigands in the forest? Are we going to see your airships over our capital? You might think, that I am overreacting, but what if one of your ship captains makes that decision based on how you have reacted to past incursions?"

Emily stood up and picked up her cane pacing around her living room, "I see what you mean, but we don't have the liberty of keeping a two million man army as you do. Our city here only has a population and resources that can support an army of a few thousand."

"That's why we are requesting this treaty and we implore you and your research team to think of the larger picture than just win vs loss. Past wars, even the worst wars of the past allowed soldiers to come home so that nations could repopulate. What you are doing is taking that needed part of war out of the picture." King Andrew sighed, "I know you feel I am a monster for the things I have done, but I have never put my own interests or the interests of my Kingdom above my own. I loved my sister, Emmy. I respected William. If I wasn't being pressed by the Church, I would never have had to make that choice."

Princess Teslaimia came walking out in her silk pajamas which did very little to hide her body and took a seat on the couch opposite of King Andrew's. She looked at Emily and said, "Come, sit down."

Emily hesitated for a moment and then took a seat next to her, "You shouldn't be up right now."

Princess Teslaimia sighed and then said softly, "King Andrew, I'm sorry I was listening from the other room, I felt it was rude of me. I am unable to leave at the moment, so I thought I would join you both. If I may speak?"

King Andrew nodded and said, "Please, I am curious what your own thoughts on this matter are since you have the benefit of understanding both ways of thought."

Princess Teslaimia smiled, "In my country, there is an old tale of when our armies spread our empire from east to west due to a novel invention called Bronze. Our swords were sharper and our armor was tougher so our troops cut through the continent with unstoppable might. For dozens of years, our armies were unrivaled until another nation made a discovery. Steel. The steel weapons and armor cut through the bronze weapons and armor like they were mud. Our empire slowly but surely shrunk as a new empire claimed our territories. Eventually, our nation built its own steel and we survived as the nation we are today. Emily's ships are Bronze. You and your men carry Iron. That's why you are scared. Just remember, steel is coming. Your iron weapons need to be replaced before the steel arrives."

King Andrew looked at her with newfound interest, "I would ask again if you wanted to be my queen, but I would be going to war with the only other woman I love were I to do so... I think in this case, the problem that I, your father, and that boy emperor face are that we are truly carrying weapons of iron, but Emily's men are carrying what comes after steel. It's like men going to war with infants. Hanston isn't ready for this much of a leap in technology. I only see a war coming to us the likes of which humanity won't be able to survive."

Emily thought for a while and then asked, "So the biggest problem is that the soldiers have no chance for surrender or any way to survive the attack?"

King Andrew smiled at her and nodded, "That's exactly it Emmy. War can't be this brutal, we need to allow for diplomacy and the chance to surrender without ceasing to be."

Emily nodded and then asked, "And what about if we created a zone in which no one could enter with an army on pain of death?"

King Andrew frowned, "How would a small squad deep in a forest know when they have come to this invisible boundary line?"

Emily nodded and said, "I am considering making a hard boundary around my City."

King Andrew shook his head, "And when you need to expand to support the population that is going grow unchecked in your city?"

"Unchecked, what do you mean?" King Andrew sighed and then said, "Hasn't it ever occurred to you that people who are well-fed and living in good conditions breed more often? A city of one million will become a city of two million in a couple of generations. Then three million or five million. Your city is going to face this kind of serious problem in your lifetime, Emmy. Do a census, look at the data yourself. Part of the reason we have always allowed wars was a form of population control, Emmy."

"What about murders?" She asked hoping for an exit from this thought process.

King Andrew shook his head, "Murders, disease, death by natural causes... Tell me, what is your true first instinct when faced by such a crisis? The Emmy I know would try to solve these with better medicine, better law enforcement, and scientific advancement. "

She chewed on her bottom lip, "You're right. That is exactly how I would deal with a crisis."

King Andrew stood up and said, "The meeting will take place here in Connaissance since we all have embassies here. The Fursian King will be here in five days, Emperor Pao'ko-olo said he would be here in six days. We would like the conference to happen at your City Hall building in seven days assuming all the leaders are present."

Emily nodded, "I will make the arrangements thank you, Drew, for coming to see me personally. I can't say that I return the love you hold for me, but I remember what it was like to love you." She stood on tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I will have an answer for you all at that time."

As he left, she slowly closed the door. A moment later a soft knock came from the door. Emily took a deep breath and then opened the door to find a worried looking Jon Alexander there. She rolled her eyes and said, "Come in."

Jon walked into the room looking around for signs of conflict when his eyes caught sight of the Princess he froze up. She purposely moved so that her near see-through pajamas gave him a look at her most intimate of places. He stammered, "I just wanted to make sure everything was ok, my men allowed him through but contacted me that he was here so I..."

Emily rolled her eyes again and facepalmed, "Mi~a! You're doing that to him on purpose."

The Princess laughed happily, "He is the one who came barging in here after the devil had left."

Emily said, "Everything is fine, Jon. was there anything else?"

Jon was staring at the Princess like his eyes would stop working if he turned away as he answered, "Ah? Oh, yeah. Captain Gibbs requested a medal for a James Smith from his crew. He cited two instances when he bravely went unarmed to face the enemy. One of which was your rescue."

Emily reached up and took his face in her hand turning it to look at her, "James Smith, I don't remember meeting a James Smith."

The Princess spoke up, "Sure you do, that was Smitty."

Emily nodded, "Oh! I was unconscious when I was saved. I did meet Smitty on the ship. I will definitely give him a medal."

Jon's eyes turned in Teslaimia's direction even as Emily spoke to him, "Oh yeah, there is one other thing. I don't know if you have read about this Westside Ripper, but he has been targeting attractive women. So far the Chief Constable hasn't been able to find many clues, they suspect he may be a doctor or a butcher. I doubled your guard because of that. As usual, they will stay in the distance unless you call for them."

Teslaimia sighed and shook her head, "Your men do not fill me with much confidence, Jon, I was nearly killed under their protection and the man who killed Emily's parents was allowed to walk right up to our door."

Jon thought for a moment and then smiled, "You're right there's only one thing I can do in that case. I'll move in here with you both and stick by your side night and day."

Emily pushed him to the door, "No, you'll just show up when I need to leave in the morning and you'll keep guards here at the door and in the lobby. No one up to see me. At all." Teslaimia was waving from the couch as he was finally pushed out enough she could close the door. "That is beyond just teasing him, I thought he was going to attack you just now."

Teslaimia smiled at Emily, "I know how you are though, Emily, come over here and show me how he would have attacked me."

Emily took three steps and then stopped. She quickly yanked open the door causing an embarrassed Jon to fall in. He got up dusting himself off, "Just making sure the door could hold a man's weight. Good night ladies."

Emily watched him head down the hall before closing the door and locking it. Teslaimia laughed so hard she cried out, "Ow, I pulled my stitches!"

Emily shook her head, "Serves you right, you naughty, naughty Princess."