Is it Love?

Roger was sitting in his normal spot at Knight's Landing listening to Andrew complain about Emperor Asoka not really paying attention when Jon swaggered in and sat down with them. Roger spoke up, "Hey Jon, how's the new assignment?"

"The Airship port is uneventful. The worst that happens there is we find a little contraband being smuggled out or a stowaway trying to sneak into the country." Jon smiled.

Roger nudged Andrew and said, "Oi, look at him. You seeing this?"

Andrew frowned and said, "Son of a bitch, who is it this time? That Actress maybe, the one with the huge..." He motioned his hands for breasts.

Jon acted cool and said, "She's no one you two would know. She works at the Palace as a maid. Her name is Gertrude." He smiled and leaned back looking smug, "I think it might just be love gentlemen."

Andrew looked at Roger and smirked, "He means she didn't let him have it yet."

Roger laughed and Jon protested, "A gentlemen does not kiss and tell!"

Roger shook his head still laughing, "You're right Andrew that's exactly what happened."

Jon waved his hand dismissively at the two of them and said, "Heathens, my Gertrude is not that cheap kind of lady who would sleep with just any man for the pleasure of it. She's a real lady who is only interested in husband material."

Andrew snorted, "Then why is she talking to you?"

Roger laughed and then clapped Jon on the shoulder, "We're just joking with you Jon, I am glad you found a woman that is right for you. I was worried about you before. Obsessing over women you shouldn't have been involved with really wasn't healthy for you."

Andrew looked at Roger and then turned to the bartender, "Hey Mike, a pitcher of beer. We're celebrating Jon's luck with love!"

Mike nodded and said, "As long as he doesn't chase off another barmaid, the pitcher is on me."

Roger looked at Jon and asked, "What? Trudy quit because of you?"

Jon looked a little sheepish, "It wasn't like that. She left suddenly one day, didn't even say goodbye. I went by her place and it was cleaned out. She must have gone back home to the farm."

Roger and Andrew looked at each other and Roger said, "I wonder which country she was working for?"

Andrew thought for a moment, "Probably one of Asoka's people, no, I'm guessing it was one of the Nobles. Probably House Harmon. They usually like to use honey traps."

Jon frowned and said, "You know what? Screw you guys, you'll probably think Gertrude is a plant too, right? Sometimes women make rash decisions like packing up and going back home when their lives just aren't going right. Trudy had big dreams and she felt that working here in the bar wasn't taking her to where she wanted to go."

Andrew looked at Jon and said, "Oh, and the farm will? Come on Jon, you aren't this dense. Trudy was way too beautiful to be working in a dive bar."

Roger shrugged and asked, "So when do we get to see this Gertrude? You aren't dumb enough to bring her to this pit I hope?"

Mike set the pitcher of beer down and said, "Come on Roger, this is my place, can you not refer to it as a dive and a pit?"

Roger laughed and said, "No, I'm sorry, you're right Mike. It's a wonderful tavern full of the best kinds of people."

A couple of soldiers at the bar started having a fart off with one of them shouting, "Lord Léon Jean Reno I think I just shat myself!"

Mike did a slow facepalm, "For fuck's sake."

Roger smiled and chuckled, "At least it's a new building?"

Jon cleared his throat and said, "I am meeting Gertrude outside in a few minutes, actually. We are going to see a play tonight. It's a Romance that she wants to see, I offered to take her when she talked about it the other night."

Andrew grinned and said, "Oh? Well, Roger and I were just about to walk down to Sammy's for dinner, we'll walk you out."

Roger shook his head and said, "You're buying your own food tonight Andrew, I am tapped out until payday."

Andrew snorted, "As if I was planning to have you pay." He held up a wad of bills, "I won enough off Asoka this week to pay for myself."

Roger and Jon laughed hard, Jon rubbed his eyes and said, "I still can't believe you never hid money for yourself in case of emergency. Even I did that and I am just a knight!"

Roger blushed and said, "I never thought of doing that either. I just expected to die in battle someday so I never saved any money."

Jon looked over at the clock and said, "Crap, I need to go, she'll be waiting outside if I don't go now."

Roger and Andrew followed him out to the street and saw Jon jog up to an incredibly attractive woman who was dressed more like a lady of Nobility than a palace maid. Jon smiled and spoke with her and then pointed at Roger and Andrew before leading her over to meet them. Andrew's face went pale as he got a good look at her face.

Gertrude allowed Jon to introduce her to them, "Sir Roger Colton, General of the Empire's Military, Colonel Andrew Windsor, head of Strategic Planning, this is..."

Andrew said softly, "Lady Hassard, it's been some time."

Gertrude giggled and said, "Hello Drew, it's been a while."

Jon stood up stiffly, "You two know each other?"

Andrew looked at Jon and said, "This is Gertrude Hassard, Duke Hassard's daughter, Jon. You don't remember her?"

"No... Wait, you mean?" Jon looked pale.

Gertrude smiled and said, "Yes, Andrew's ex-fiancé."

Andrew smiled softly and said, "I know it's probably too late to say so, but I am truly sorry about what happened. I was just a child when I forced my uncle to break the engagement."

Gertrude wrapped her arms around Jon's arm and smiled, "It's all for the best. I have a good life now and had I been your Queen, I might have been ruined worse than what happened so long ago." She looked at Jon and said, "Shouldn't we be going? The play will be starting at the top of the hour."

Jon nodded, "Of course, please, let's be on our way."

Jon and Gertrude walked off to the theater as Andrew and Roger watched them leave. Roger spoke softly, "Ok, there's a story here that needs to be told to me because what I just saw, Jon is together with a noble's daughter that is working as a palace maid?"

Andrew looked around, "Roger, we need to go somewhere private. I think Gertrude is not as simple as she appears."

*****

"Roger, your life is a little too sad, I mean, there is nothing in the place. A single chair? A few books and nothing else? How are you going to get a woman like this?" Andrew made faces as he walked around Roger's residence.

Roger sighed and said, "When you look like a one-armed brigand, the ladies aren't exactly pounding your door down, Andrew, now, tell me about this Gertrude."

Andrew sat down on the floor and said, "When I was fifteen a marriage was arranged between us. She was only twelve at the time and didn't have that figure yet. She was a very plain looking girl. At that point, I only had one girl on my mind, my niece, Emily. Not as a romantic partner, but more like a kid sister. When I was told that I would marry Gertrude in the future, I refused. I said that it would interfere with my training as a Knight to have to escort her to social functions, which honestly was more or less true at the time."

Roger nodded and said, "My order was the same, we were expected to concentrate on training above all else until we were eighteen."

Andrew nodded and went on, "Gertrude came to me in tears and begged me to reconsider canceling the marriage. I had no idea that to the women, having their arranged marriage canceled once, meant that they were most likely never going to have another offer. If I had truly known what I had done to her, I never would have canceled that arrangement. After the marriage arrangement was canceled, her father considered her to be a waste and sent her to the palace to work as a servant." He sighed and said, "We met again, here in Connaissance shortly after I built the Embassy. She was sent here to be one of the head servants. I didn't recognize her then, but on one of my visits here, I made a pass at her as she was changing my bedding and that's when she told me who she was. I felt devastated to know that I had ruined her life."

Roger looked concerned, "You didn't sleep with her did you?"

Andrew didn't meet his eyes, "I did, yes."

Roger shook his head, "You can't tell Jon, ever. Don't even hint about it. Out of anger or not."

Andrew nodded and said, "I think she is a spy. I don't know who she works for, possibly Duke Hassard? I don't know."

Roger nodded, "Duke Hassard is no longer in the picture, so probably isn't him."

Andrew looked interested, "What happened to Hassard?"

"Emily blew his head off when he tried to declare his independence. Pulled out a Tesla Wasp and popped him right in the face."

Andrew looked shocked, "What of Duke Morely?"

Roger shook his head, "The old Duke was murdered by someone in the Windsor Kingdom, the new Duke, Beaux Morely is one of Emily's stronger supporters. He even asked for her hand in marriage."

Andrew snorted, "As if! That man would rather marry his brother Lucas."

Roger shrugged and said, "Beaux asked for Her Majesty's hand in marriage while Lucas asked for Princess Teslaimia's hand in marriage."

Andrew looked stunned, "I have truly not been paying any attention to politics." He shook his head, "Then who would Gertrude be working against? Could she be just a palace maid? Perhaps I am wrong about her..."

Roger nodded and said, "I think it's a good idea to have intelligence look into her though, since she is seeing Jon, there is a chance she is getting information from him."

*****

The next morning Emily called Gertrude into her office and said, "Connaissance Intelligence is looking into you. Stay away from Mia's Secret for the next few weeks. Make sure you keep your life as simple as possible. What are you working on right now?"

Gertrude spoke softly, "I have been investigating a single target. Light dating only. Nothing obvious."

Emily nodded and said, "Ok, make sure you keep the relationship light enough that it appears normal. Don't break up with him unless you have to because he is an ass. I want you to take a few weeks to act above board. No side projects while you continue dating. The Connaissance intelligence team isn't at our level yet, but they are close. I don't want you to make it easy for them. A handsome gentleman will try to make a pass at you soon, make sure you don't fall for it. Don't be shocked if any of your maids start prying into your past subtly. Just tell the truth until it comes to meeting me."

Gertrude smiled and then sat on the edge of Emily's desk and smiled, "But meeting you is my favorite memory."

Emily rolled her eyes at Gertrude, "That reminds me, stop writing erotic reports. what happens if Mia finds one? I'm never going to be able to live that down."

Gertrude licked her finger and then slowly reached between her breasts and pulled out a folded up piece of paper, "I brought you a report about last night, are you sure you don't want to read it?"

Emily couldn't help staring into her cleavage as she brought the report out, "Fine, but keep things light. I'm serious. I need you, Gertrude. I don't want them exposing you."

Gertrude leaned down and said softly by Emily's ear, "You don't want to see me exposed?"

Emily swallowed and then said, "Stop that, woman! You are so bad Gertrude, go back to work."

Gertrude giggled as she bounced away with her abnormally aggressive seductive sway in her hips.

As Gertrude left the office, Emily lightly sniffed the report before shaking her head, "I need to go see Mia." She blushed fiercely.