Our Lady of Connaissance

"I'd like two tickets, please. Can you tell me, which of the Cardinals is holding the service today?" Emily was dressed in a simple grey common dress wearing a black with a partial veil. Standing next to her was Captain Alexander wearing his daily work uniform.

The pretty nun at the door smiled and said, "Oh, on Tuesday one of the Priests will be holding service. The Cardinals only hold service on Saturday and Sunday."

Captain Alexander gave the pretty nun a handsome smile and asked, "Do you know, will today's service include the new chapters?"

The pretty nun smiled at the Captain and said, "That's right. Since the Chief Cardinals have been inspired here in Connaissance by Lord Léon Jean Reno they have been writing the new testament. Our Priest today is one of the most excited about the new testament in fact. You are lucky to have chosen today to come and hear for yourselves."

Captain Alexander and Emily walked together into the main room that seemed more like a theater for acting than a Church. at one end of the room was a small stage. Right next to the small stage was a tiny orchestra pit with a string quartet who were playing popular music as people found their seats. The room was rather dark with the only real light focused down on the stage drawing your eyes to it. Unlike a normal church, there were no statues or stained glass depictions of the holy words. The room was entirely plain. The seating was arranged in a bowl shape meaning the people who came late had to climb upstairs to reach the furthest seats. Captain Alexander and Emily were seated near the bottom because they had come early.

As the main doors were closed the string quartet started to play a soft tune that was building in ferocity as a priest walked slowly out onto the stage and said in a booming voice, "Three thousand years ago, our Lord, Léon Jean Reno brought the message of steel and the determination to fight against the northern armies when all hope had been lost." The music roared momentarily and then started to turn peacefully and uplifting, "For three thousand years we have lived peacefully under our Lord's gift of steel..." The music started to build as the Priest's voice boomed, "The Church fought against progress trying to maintain the peace for as long as possible and then.."

The quartet all smacked their strings at once. The music stopping to an awkward silence. The Priest said nothing looking around the room and then he broke the silence and said, "Once again the northern armies stirred..." The music started again with an ominous build-up. The Priest spoke in a softer tone, "The northern armies came with a new weapon. A weapon that killed our knights and soldiers more accurately from long distances than our archers. The entire south lead by the Church roared back and struck down the northern armies once again, at great cost."

The music returned to peaceful music as the Priest walked around the stage, he lifted his finger up and shook it, "The northern armies, weren't destroyed. No, instead they rebuilt their armies. Improved their weapons. A new kind of war was fast approaching. The lessons of Lord Léon Jean Reno three thousand years earlier had been muddied over time. The greatest lesson he taught was that when faced with weapons of steel, you don't cling to your weapons of bronze, you make your own weapons of steel."

The music changed once again becoming inspiring and powerful. The Priest walked to the edge of the stage and said in a loud voice, "Lord Léon Jean Reno sent to us another hero, another forward-thinking individual that could uncloud our eyes and bring a new era of peace and prosperity. Who here can't see it? Who here hasn't seen the very city we live and work in change dramatically in the last few years..." He pointed at an older woman, "Can you breathe better?" He pointed at a young man, "Do brigands raid the city?" He pointed at Emily, "Do you not live in the most marvelous buildings in the world?"

The music turned into a joyous anthem, "The Chief Cardinal from the Church of the Risen Son himself came to our City of Connaissance and recognized at once that a new Saint had arisen here. A new figure much like our Lord Léon Jean Reno, a figure of destiny! She is amongst us right now! I don't need to speak her name, you all know who she is, don't you?"

He pointed at a woman in the front row who shouted out, "Lady Connaissance!"

The music dropped in its intensity until it was a mere whisper behind the Priest's voice, "Figures of destiny ask us for things that are uncomfortable. They change how we live. They take us out of our comfort zone with how things were done in the past and jolt us into the future into the way of doing things that make sense for our time and for times to come. In the book of Paul chapter one verse three, Peter said to the Langlish, 'If you give a man a weapon he can defend his home. If you teach a man to forge weapons, he can defend his country!"

*****

Gorki stared out the window watching Amelia walking around the airship. A dog barked causing her to hide in the barn. He sighed and asked in Kreussian, "You are sure that she is my sister? My blood-related sister?"

The old man nodded and said, "She is if you are the son of Felix Kuznetsov. She is your older sister by one year."

Gorki nodded and then stood up and punched Nicolas hard in the face knocking him backward off his chair onto the floor. Nicolas said, "Ah, yeah. Neither of us knew Gorki, but I would do the same as you if it were reversed." He climbed back to his feet and sat down again rubbing his jar, "Damn, Gorki, your punch is like being kicked by a mule."

The old man made an angry face, "Something I should know about?"

Nicolas waved his hand like it should be dismissed, "Older brother punched me for hitting on his sister, nothing important Great Smith Rasputin-Novyi. She is a pretty woman, and I am a hot-blooded man, these things are natural until they become family, no?"

Gorki said nothing and asked, "Should I go tell her? Does she know who her parents are?"

The old man shook his head, "She thinks that she is the daughter of Chip Earnhardt, a wagon driver from Kidneypool Langland that skipped out of town when she was a young girl."

Gorki looked at the old man and said, "She is the only family I have left and she doesn't even know our family name, can we tell her. Please?"

The old man sighed but didn't answer.

Nicolas asked, "Gorki, you know that to me, you are like my brother. Knowing that it was my family that wronged you, can we still be friends? Be honest with me, man." He looked at the old man and said, "My father won't be Tzar for much longer. He is dying and I intend to make changes to my country once he is gone."

Gorki was still watching Amelia as he replied without looking, "Nicolas and I want to see a Kreussian Empire that covers the entire continent. A Kreussian Empire that doesn't cling to old ways but embraces modern ways and thinking."

The old man shook his head and said, "Part of the old ways and thinking is that you need to conquer the world in order to lead it. Gorki, ask yourself this, do you want your sister in that Kreussia or do you want her safe, here in a free country?"

Gorki looked at both of them before offering his hand to Nicolas, "You are my brother, Nicolas. I forgive you. From now on though, stay away from my sister."

Nicolas laughed and grabbed him in a bear hug slapping his back, "What kind of man would I be if I touched my best friend's sister?"

Gorki then looked at the old man and said, "I was raised to be a good Kreussian man. I am a soldier and a smith. I met Nicolas and became his friend by fate. Fate also brought my sister to me that night and here to see you today. All of these could be called coincidence, but I think not. God wanted us to meet here together like this in order to allow our great Kreussia to rise again! I am sure of it. You and my father once believed in father Kreussia just like Nicolas and I do now. Will teach us and help us to bring this freedom there?"

The old man closed his eyes as if remembering something from long ago. He opened his eyes and stared at Nicolas, "If I give you the power to rule the world, what will you do with it?"

Nicolas smiled and shook his head, "My grandmother said that my grandfather's dream was for the sun to never set on the Kreussian empire. I thought that was a pretty good dream. My father was happy just to have the southern armies stay in the south. What I want is to live in the most majestic city in the world, my own Saint Nicolasberg."

Amelia came in the door and asked, "Are you all speaking in Kreussian? That's not fair, you know I can't understand it."

Gorki walked over to her and said in broken Langlish, "Nicolas say, he want to live in the most best city in the world. Saint Nicolasberg."

Amelia thought for a moment and then laughed, "Saint Nicolasberg is not even the third most impressive city I have seen. If you really want to see an amazing city you need to visit the City of Connaissance."

*****

Emily walked out holding Jon's arm as the two walked down the street he asked, "I know you are upset, but you have to admit it is kind of flattering to be thought of as a living Goddess right?"

Emily said nothing as they continued to the corner where Jon signaled his men to bring the pedicab. He and Emily climbed on board as his men formed a circle around them jogging back down the street. She finally broke her silence and said, "Take me to the Windsor Kingdom Embassy."

Jon raised an eyebrow as the soldier pulling the cab responded, "Yes Lady Connaissance."

Jon kept silent for a few minutes before asking, "Why there?"

Emily glanced over at Jon and said, "I need information."

Jon frowned, "Why not ask my intelligence unit then?"

Emily looked at the pouting Captain Alexander and replied emotionlessly, "I need information you simply don't have the reach to attain."

"How do you know if you don't ask first?"

Emily looked at Jon and answered truthfully, "I know your pride won't allow you to believe this, but my intelligence network is far beyond your understanding. I have been building it since I was fifteen years old. Your intelligence network is coming along nicely, but it needs several more years. This embassy belongs to the Windsor Kingdom in name, but in reality, it belongs to me. The only information that leaves this embassy to reach the King's ear is the intelligence I allow him to see."

"Isn't it dangerous to say this in front of my men?"

The driver chuckled, "Sir, you are mistaken, we are Her Highness's men."

Emily looked at him and smiled with a shrug. A few minutes later they arrived at the embassy. Her guards took up station outside of the building as Jon followed her inside. An older man walked to the front entrance after the doorbell rang and seeing who was at the door, he quickly took a knee and bowed his head, "Your Highness, please come in."

Emily walked in like she owned the place and asked, "Do we have any special guests today?"

The older man stood and shook his head, "Only our people are here at the moment."

Emily nodded and then walked into the embassy's office and took a seat at the desk and asked, "Roland, please have Jamie and Gertrude come see me. I'll need the latest intelligence package on the CotRS."

He bowed again and said, "Of course, Your Highness."

Jon sat in a chair feeling very uncomfortable as he looked around, "When did you...."

Two very attractive women entered the office and curtsied deeply saying together, "Your Highness, how may we assist?"

Roland returned with two thick folders which Emily started reading through as she asked, "Jamie, how far has this nonsense spread so far?"

Jamie smiled and replied, "His Majesty has been secretly assisting the two Cardinals in the distribution of their new theology. We know that it has appeared in all of the outlying villages in the Windsor Kingdom and as well as outlying villages here in Connaissance. He has not yet permitted it to head over Vernmont pass."

Emily nodded and then she made a troubled face as she read something in the folder, "Those two managed to take such huge losses in Injia?

The other woman responded, "Yes, Your Highness. The campaign in Injia so far as been a major loss for both the Kingdom of Fursia and the Windsor Kingdom."

Emily looked up at her and asked, "Gertrude, is this right? He only left the Sleeping Dragon Brigade in the Kingdom and marched the rest of his army? Who is ruling the Kingdom is his absence?"

She replied almost instantly, "Duke Morely."

Emily tapped her finger on the desk and then said, "Have him assassinated. Link it back to House Harmon. They are probably already plotting it anyway." Emily then turned to Jamie and asked, "The new Theology, how is it being talked about amongst the peasantry?"

Jamie replied swiftly, "The Church is seeing a rise in attendance in all areas it is being taught thanks in most part to results you have been achieving here in the city and militarily at the villages. The sight of the airships and reports of total victory is making the people curious about you."

Emily folded her hands in front of her face, "The genie is out of the bottle. Very well, allow it to spread but keep tight reigns on the Church officials. If you notice any of them trying to push a political agenda counter to my plans, eliminate them quietly. Once the two Cardinals finish their book, start spreading it over the pass, discretely."

Jon spoke up, "Wait, you are going to allow this to continue?"

Emily nodded her head and said, "It solves a problem for me, so I am going to use it."

Jon then asked, "Why assassinate Duke Morely? I thought he was one of your father's people?"

Emily looked at Jon and shook her head, "My father had no people, the nobility wanted him only as a puppet they could control. When it turned out he was a brilliant leader they went running to the Church with false testimony." She stood up and said, "That will be all Roland you two may leave us." She looked at Jamie and Gertrude who curtsied and then left quietly.

Jon slumped in the chair and then asked, "Why did you have me create an intelligence office?"

Roland cleared his throat and said respectfully, "Sir Alexander, you must know that here in the city there are spies from at least fourteen different nations as well as Andrew's loyal men planted here during the take over a few years back. If you didn't create an intelligence office it would look obvious that Her Highness was already working with an established clandestine organization would it not?"

Jon looked at Emily, "I'm an idiot, aren't I? That's why you promoted Roger over my head."

Emily sighed and patted Jon on the shoulder, "Captain, you have already saved my life more than once, I put Roger in charge of the military because I need you to concentrate on protecting Mia."

Jon looked at Emily and asked, "And you, right?"

Emily smiled showing a dimple in her cheek, "Sure."