The Heart of the City

Emily and Teslaimia were the first to arrive at her office followed shortly after by a miserable looking Sir Colton. Emily sat at her desk and said softly, "I am not going to drag this meeting out, we are all adults here in the room. You are going to explain yourselves to me and I am going to listen." She turned first to Sir Colton, "Roger, you start." She looked at Teslaimia, "I will give you as much time as you need, so don't interrupt him. Roger?"

He looked as if his entire world was crumbling apart as he started to speak in a dry soft voice, "I was assigned to Archbishop Josciox's Inquisition army as its tactician and second in command. The Archbishop was given the order to find out what happened to the Windsor Kingdom's Inquisition Brigade. We knew that their last know direction of travel was north of the Kingdom, so we took the shortest route through the Holy Chadtom Empire. Archbishop Josciox interpreted the order as an execution order for the Holy Chadtom Empire so he brought his entire army and planned to kill every man, woman, and child in the Empire.

I will say it plainly, the Archbishop was a madman addicted to war for the sake of war. What he loved was the sack of a town. Watching the people screaming in terror once their army was defeated. After the Zealous attacked The Army under his command, I was injured and dying. My men propped me up onto a horse and I gave the last command to the soldiers that were left... Destroy Diamondtown. A small squad of men and myself then headed for the river and took small boats downriver to look for a larger boat that we could use to hopefully make it to the Windsor Kingdom and the safety of the Church. We found the ship and its soldiers staring at fighting between the remnants of our army and the forces from the Holy Chadtom empire so I ordered my men to capture the ship.

You and Princess Teslaimia were also on board so my men knocked you both out intending to use you as hostages against the Emperor as we believed you both to be his wives. I was dying at that point, my men didn't have the medical knowledge to help me and I was riddled with wounds on the right half of my body. The crew from the Zealous landed the pickup basket on the ship and made it clear we touched the wrong women. I ordered my men to release you both to them and shortly after I lost consciousness. I know we saw the Emperor's men coming. It seems my soldiers or possibly theirs put me in the river.

I woke up sinking to the bottom of the river as my armor was too heavy to allow me to float. My survival instincts kicked in and I found the strength to struggle out of my armor and break to the surface. I drifted a while down the river and managed to be brought to safety by a Church member who had advanced medical knowledge. I know you don't believe in Lord Léon Jean Reno, but at the time I was pulled out of the river, I felt like he had granted me a second chance. A chance to amend my wrongs and serve the greater good.

The man who pulled me out of the River was named Tim, he brought me back to life and once I was well enough to return to my life without his help he brought me to the road here. He said I could go south and find the Church. Living the rest of my life off the alms given to those who can't work anymore. Or I could head north, to the City of Connaissance and find work and live out my life as a man should. I chose the north. I met Captain Alexander and again it felt as if it was the work of Lord Léon Jean Reno. I wasn't just allowed to work, he gave me a chance to be a Knight Commander once again." He sighed and said, "That's all of it."

Emily turned to Teslaimia who gave an exasperated sigh, "I saw him at the medal ceremony and recognized who he was... I won't forget those men until the day I die so, of course, I was upset to see him here and in a position of leadership. Maybe I went a little overboard with my picking on him, and I should have just told you who he was at the beginning instead of holding it over his head."

Emily stared at Teslaimia waiting for the rest of the story before rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Roger, I have already made you the General of my armed forces. Do you believe that this was a mistake due to your past?"

Roger's head sunk he didn't have an answer for her and just choked out, "I do believe in Lord Léon Jean Reno as I have stated, and I am certain he sent me here this way at this time in order to be your left arm. The Church and the country of Cambria taught me to be a soldier, made me a knight, yes that's true and I was as loyal as anyone can be, but if I went back to them I would only be allowed to beg. I have already made the City of Connaissance my home. The home I have sworn an oath to serve and to protect, my Lady. I have no allegiances left to that outside world that would only allow me to continue my life as a beggar. My oath as a knight ended with them once I was no longer fit for duty in their eyes."

Emily nodded and then looked at Teslaimia, "Do you want me to fire him and have him expelled from the country? Do you want me to have him charged as a war criminal and sent to the Holy Chadtom Empire to face the consequences of being ordered to fight a war? I feel I'd be losing quite possibly the greatest tactical mind in the City, but I don't want you to have to suffer, Mia. I never saw my attackers in Diamondtown, so when I see Roger, I just see the brilliant heroic man who has done nothing but perfect service for the City."

Teslaimia frowned and said, "I know we need him here, Emmy, I just didn't want him to feel like all was forgotten or forgiven."

Roger stood up abruptly and then walked over and kneeled before Teslaimia and stared into her eyes, "Princess Teslaimia, I swear to you on my oath as a Knight I am loyal to Lady Connaissance and the City of Connaissance. I know that you both were hurt under my orders and you can't find it in your heart to forgive me, but I have given my word that I would protect this city and it's people as my if they were my own family."

Teslaimia tried not to look him directly in the eyes but finally sighed and said, "Fine I won't pick on Roger anymore." She looked at him and said, "I haven't forgiven you, even if she has... She still can't walk without a cane and this your fault."

Roger nodded and said, "The men who took my arm are now my brothers in arms, Princess, I know how hard it is to bury those kinds of feelings. The Captain who gave the order to murder me and my friends is someone I have stood shoulder to shoulder with in order to protect this city. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but I swore an oath of service just the same as him. That's why the two of us can go to war together and then come home to toast our victory in the pub afterward."

Emily nodded and said, "Thank you, Roger, you may return to your duties now."

After he left the office, Emily stood up and walked over to the couch sitting down next to Teslaimia and leaning against her, "I was taught from an early age that your enemy can be just as useful as your ally and that the only real difference between the two groups was their motivations. The reason I haven't run Roger out of my city is that he is a true ally. His motivations for being here are the same as my own. He is here for a second chance. He truly loves his life here. It's easy to see on a man like him."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "Is that how you can smile while facing your uncle?"

Emily nodded, "My Uncle believes that we are allies, but for me, he will always be my enemy. His motivation is his own personal power and glory."

Teslaimia nodded, "So acting like family around him is the way you keep him useful?"

"That's exactly right." She smiled and said, "Sometimes your allies can hurt you, and sometimes your enemies can help you. It's just how life works. I once read a book from a northeastern general who said that you should keep your allies close to you, but your enemies closer."

Teslaimia laughed and then asked, "Am I your enemy too?"

Emily leaned into Teslaimia and said, "No, you are my weakness, because you are the only one I can't control myself around."

*****

Gorki walked over and gently shook Amelia who cried out, "Don't touch me!"

Gorki smiled at her and said softly, "I'm sorry to wake you, Lady Amelia, I just wanted to say I think we are very close to your home."

Amelia roused herself and took out her spyglass and compass looking at the map, "Yes! I can see my house from here, we are over my city Gorki! You should wake up Nicolas as well, We're going to be landing at my teacher's building and we'll need to bring the Airship inside."

As the small airship slowed to a crawl heading down to a large barn with specially made large doors a stern-looking old man stomped out of his house shouting, "Amelia you brat! Where did you take my ship this time!"

Amelia swung down with Gorki and Nicolas, the three of them working quickly to push the ship into the barn and tying it off. The old man stomped over to the two men looking them up and down and said in Kreussian, "You two are a little far from home aren't you?"

Nicolas looked a little shocked and replied in Kreussian, "I am Nicolas and this is Gorki, Amelia showed up at our base one night, and the two of us had to save her."

Gorki nodded looking serious, "We didn't like what they were doing to her, she is a nice girl and didn't deserve to be tortured, just because she showed up in the balloon."

The old man snorted and then said to Amelia speaking in Langlish, "You didn't listen to me again and flew at night while sleeping didn't you?" She looked down afraid to meet his eyes. "It's bad enough you have been stealing my ship to go on your little adventures when I haven't even finished the damn thing!" He looked at in the barn and said, "That's not even my ship. It's a copy with some structural improvements."

Amelia nodded and said, "They ruined the real one. I had to use hydrogen to fill the lift bags."

He clicked his tongue and said, "Well go empty those bags carefully." He turned to Gorki and Nicolas and spoke in Kreussian, "You two come with me I assume the real reason you came here is to learn from me, right? Let's go inside and discuss the details."

Nicolas and Gorki felt everything was going out of control as they sat down with the old man. He took a breath and said to Gorki, "You, I don't recognize. You... " He pointed at Nicolas, "...Are the spitting image of your father Piotr. You won't remember me since you were just a baby when I left, but I am Dmitri Rasputin-Novyi. It was I who brought the secret of the black powder to Father Kreussia."

Gorki stared at the man and said softly, "I am Gorki Kuznetsov, you worked with my father Felix."

The old man chuckled and said, "Oh! I see the resemblance now, yes, you have your mother's eyes." He looked at them both and smiled, "That girl is your sister, Gorki." He pointed out to the barn, "When this boy's father had your father put to death Gorki, I only managed to save his daughter. I bet you didn't know that right? The reason I left Kreussia and came down here to Langland was because of that boy's father. I assumed that you had been killed, Gorki because when I found your mother being interrogated they only had her with them."

Gorki's eyes started to turn red as he choked out, "I was raised by my uncle."

The old man snorted and said, "Uncle? Your father was an only child, who was he?"

"Vladamir Kuznetsov," Gorki softly replied, "My uncle Vladamir."

The old man nodded and said, "Ah, I see. Vladamir was your grandfather's brother. He must have escaped the punishment." He turned to Nicolas and said, "So, Nicolas the fifth, tell me, did you come here knowing all this already?"

Nicolas shook his head really not knowing any of this, "Why did father want Gorki and his family dead?"

"He blamed our black powder and muskets for his father's loss against the south. He was young, about your age at the time. He was full of rage for having lost his father so young." The old man shook his head, "I managed to get away, I went to save Gorki's father and his family, but the soldiers were already there. I managed to save the girl and that was it. I brought her down here to Langland and did my best to raise her as a Langlish."