When all hope is lost…

A group of men and women were crouched down in an office on the ninth floor. One of the men smashed the glass window out allowing the smoke to escape the room giving everyone a blast of fresh air. "Did we check every office?"

"Everyone made it here, the stairwell down to the eighth is cut off by the fire. I don't think we're going to make it." One of the men said.

One of the women pointed out the window, "One of the ships is coming!"

Another one of the men said, "We have to get up to the dock! As long as at least one of the docks is open, they'll be able to get us out of here."

"We can crawl over to the stairwell. I'll go up and see if there is anywhere for us to go. The rest of you wait by the window." One of the men said.

One of the women cried out, "There's coming down to get us!"

All of them crawled over to the window and saw the Zealous's basket coming down. The basket was blown by the wind swaying back and forth against the building two soldiers with long hooks grabbed on to the sides of the broken window and then other soldiers clamped jumped out of the basket and started to escort the women into the basket.

One of the women asked, "Why are you taking us first, aren't they more important?" She pointed to the group of men.

The soldier looked her in the eyes and said seriously, "You're better looking and smell nicer."

Another soldier spoke up, "Smitty's law number five."

Once they had all the women in the basket, two more soldiers jumped out of the basket and brought four of the men over and asked, "Can we get to the other floors by the stairs?"

One of the men shook his head, "Stairway is on fire below our floor we cleared all the offices on this floor, everyone still alive is here."

The soldier gave a hand signal to the basket which unlatched from the window and started heading up to the ship. The soldier walked back over to the group of men crouched down and said, "It's going to take ten minutes for the basket to return. I am going to have my guys take a look around here. I want you all to stay put. We'll be back soon."

Each of the soldiers went to a different office with one checking the stairs. A few minutes later two soldiers brought in unconscious people into the office. The soldier who checked the stairs returned and said, "I made contact with the fire department guys coming up from the stairs. They are stopped on the seventh floor. They asked us to check the eighth. We'll have to punch out a window and make a search."

The basket came down once again with a different team. The soldier in charge yelled to the men, "Pop a window on the eighth and do a search. The fire department is stuck on the seventh." A few minutes later the basket returned to the ninth floor mostly empty. Once again the men hooked the window frame and then started helping the men from the office get into the basket including the unconscious ones.

Roger sat in a chair off to the side on the bridge and watched as Captain Gibb and his men worked. One of the crew members manning a far speak called out, "Basket room says all teams back on board requesting that we head straight to the hospital to unload the injured."

The Captain walked over to the helmsman and asked, "Jimmy I want us on the fucking roof of the hospital, what can you do for me?"

He replied, "Captain, it's just like parking at the dock."

The Captain gently pressed a hand on his shoulder, "You pull this off and I'll beg the General over there to give you a medal."

Roger smiled and shook his head. "You have a fine crew Gibbs, I just don't know if I have enough medals for you all."

*****

Teslaimia was sitting on the bed with Emily. "I have invited Doctor Shore over, he should be here soon. I am really worried about you. These headaches of yours have been getting worse lately."

Emily smiled, "I feel fine, Mia, it was just the stress of everything happening at once. I need to get back to the office and find out how bad it was."

"Not until you see Doctor Shore." She frowned at Emily.

The doorbell rang and the new butler answered the door. A moment later he brought an older man dressed in black to the bedroom door knocking softly, "Your Highnesses, I present Doctor Shore."

The doctor removed his hat and place his black bag down on a bedside table as he asked, "Your messenger said that you fainted today. Were you dizzy at all before this or did it happen suddenly from seeing the explosion."

Emily spoke softly, "I was a little dizzy, and I had a kind of rushing sound in my ears too."

The Doctor opened his bag and put on a cloth mask before he put on a pair of leather gloves. He took out a stethoscope and asked, "Can you extend your arm out for me?"

He pressed the end of the stethoscope on her arm while pinching her wrist, "Hmm", he took it off and let go of her wrist as he pulled a tongue depressor out of his bag and asked her, "Say ah."

Teslaimia looked a little concerned, "Doctor is she alright?"

He shook his head and looked at Teslaimia, "No, I am afraid she is being poisoned."

Teslaimia gasped and covered her mouth as the Doctor reached over and picked up a small brown bottle from the bedside table and read out loud, "Doctor Goodman's miracle tonic. Stops headaches, body pain, colds, and anything that ails you!"

He looked over at Teslaimia, "Did you get this for her?"

Teslaimia nodded, "Yes, she was out and I got it for her."

He looked at Emily and showed her the bottle, "You pick this brand out yourself, or did someone give it to you?"

Emily shook her head, "I just found it at the store. Why?"

"Well you see, it's Doctor Goodman here that is poisoning you. Do you visit the opium dens?"

Emily shook her head, "No, I would never do that!"

He laughed, "What did you think was in Doctor Goodman's bottle?"

Emily frowned, "It's opium?"

Teslaimia asked, "What about her pain. She started having really bad pain and headaches that's why she looked for something to help?"

He looked over at Teslaimia and then turned back to Emily and asked, "How long do you sit and read each day?"

Emily thought for a while, "Ten hours maybe?"

He nodded and said, "You are too sedentary. You need to vigorously exercise thirty minutes a day at least. You are also overworking. Your blood pressure is too high. Reduce the amount of coffee and tea you drink and stop eating so many salty foods. It'll be good for your complexion too."

"What about her head? She hit her head a few months ago." Teslaimia asked.

He turned to Teslaimia and asked, "You're Fursian. Right? So you received your medical education in Parsa?"

She shook her head, "No, I didn't go to school in Parsa. I am not a doctor."

He nodded and then said, "Oh? Well, in that case, how about you let me make the medical decisions."

Emily frowned, "Doctor there was no reason for you to be rude to her, she is just worried about me."

He smiled at Emily and put all of his items back into his black bag. Placing his hat back on his head he said to them, "Ladies, good evening to you. I'll see myself out."

After he had left Teslaimia frowned and said, "I'm sorry, Emmy, I asked for the best doctor. I didn't know he was also the biggest asshole."

Emily shook her head and then with a smile on her face she asked, "Want to help me get my thirty minutes of vigorous exercise in?"

Teslaimia raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? Do you want to go for a walk?"

Emily stripped off her bedclothes and crawled over the covers to Teslaimia's side of the bed. "You know what I mean..."

Teslaimia looked at the open door to the bedroom, "Emmy the door is still open and it's still light out!"

Emily smiled and started to undo the buttons on Teslaimia's outfit, "So?"

Teslaimia shook her head, "What would your Church say about this side of you?"

"Who is that likes to dress in lingerie in front of Jon?"

*****

Lucas raced into the Duke's office where Beaux was looking over some documents, "Beaux! Our men just brought back proof it wasn't the Harmons. Looks like you were right, Duke Hassard's men made a move the day Father was murdered."

Beaux nodded and then said, "I already called for the General. He's on his way over right now so we can discuss military options."

Lucas clapped his hands and grinned, "The General? With the General's help that bastard hog of a man, Duke Hassard, doesn't stand a chance."

Beaux nodded looking deadly serious, "With General Lee's help, our House Morely has always been one of the top three families of the Windsor Kingdom. Even the Windsor's themselves had to expand their army just to keep him contained."

A gruff dry voice spoke from the hallway, "Number one family, My Duke, House Morely is and will continue to be the number one family in the Windsor Kingdom." The man gently knocked on the door and asked, "My Duke, you have need of this old servant?"

Beaux nodded and spoke in a softer tone, "Sir Lee, I need your expert advice. Duke Hassard murdered my father, we have all the proof we need. I am considered taking military action against him."

"Do you want the man dead, or do you want House Hassard to pay for what they have done?"

Beaux looked confused, "Sir Lee, please advise."

The General reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a folded up paper as he spoke, "We can assassinate the man at any time. We can also bring our soldiers to his castle and put it under siege. Are these the methods of justice that will leave our house better off or is there a better path forward? One that brings you, My Duke, and your brother to a place of power you never dreamed of having?" He finished unfolding the paper and handed it to Lucas who read the circled article.

"I don't understand, it's just a gossip column about the Princess from Fursia and Lady Connaissance from the City of Connaissance." Lucas handed the article to Beaux who read it over as well.

The General shook his head, "You boys have done well to keep your secret from outside eyes, however, the Duke had known for a long time now. He didn't want to embarrass either of you so we have protected your privacy from outside eyes. The reason I brought this article to your attention is that if true, this is the answer to every problem you have mentioned and every problem that you keep in the closet." He smiled and then said, "My Duke, Lady Connaissance is Princess Windsor-Smith. The woman who you just argued should be granted the throne. A very suitable wife. Marriage to her would make you King. As for Lucas, as the first prince of the Windsor Kingdom a marriage to Princess Teslaimia, in the eyes of the nobility would be the perfect alliance marriage with Fursia."

Beaux and Lucas looked at each other with very complex expressions. Beaux started to speak, "General I understand what you are saying, however..."

"Don't be so quick to say no, my thought is that you have two couples each with no reason to marry the other emotionally and perfect reasons to be publicly married. The Queen would have a capable King willing to live apart from her so that she and her lover can enjoy her life in her city to the north free of that gossip. While the two of you would be happy to live here in the south together without them. The benefits to our side are obvious, you'll just need to convince the two of them that there are benefits to marrying beyond the public appearance of having husbands. I suggest giving her the rights to certain mines under our control as a marriage gift." The General smiled.

Lucas thought it over for a while and then asked, "Are they at least attractive women?"

The General nodded, "Quite possibly the two most attractive women in the world. No one would dare question your sexuality, young master Lucas."

Lucas looked at Beaux and said, "I'm willing if you are..."

Beaux nodded and said, "Thank you General, I understand your true genius now. Please close the door on your way out."

Once the door was closed, Lucas threw the deadbolt closed locking the door. He turned to Beaux, "Beaux... I think we should consider this..."

Beaux pulled Lucas close and gently kissed him, "You want me to be King, don't you?"

Lucas chuckled and said, "You have always been my King, I just want you to have the crown you deserve to go with the title."