The Great Library at Stansfield

Cardinal Pujols and Cardinal Gibson took the time to meet with the rest of the Cardinals in Stansfield as Emily and Grace were escorted to the Great Library. A short pudgy friar in a brown robe led them through the maze-like corridors of thousands of handwritten books. Grace asked, "Friar Chuck, how many of these books are copies?"

He gave a soft chuckle and spoke in a near whisper, "We have a total of thirty thousand volumes, with at least ten copies here, of each them. There are also several other libraries in other countries that have two copies each of these."

Emily had a bright smile on her face and said, "Someday I will build a grand Library like this in the Empire of Connaissance."

Friar Chuck smiled at her and said, "The Church would be grateful if you would, we can provide you with two copies of each volume if you can prepare a large enough building to house them."

Grace looked surprised, "You don't try to keep these volumes sealed away from the people?"

"No, if we could, we would want to make these volumes available to everyone, it's just that most of the people simply aren't taught to read and those who have been taught have little interest in reading the collected works here." Friar Chuck spoke in a sad tone.

Friar Chuck walked to a shelf and said, "The writings of Lord Léon Jean Reno and his early followers can be found here, they are arranged from his first journals to his last."

Emily was shocked at the number of books, "Cardinal Gibson said I should look for the books where he spoke of the sock and buskin."

Friar Chuck nodded and then went to the shelf and slightly pulled a book out and then said, "From this book to..." He looked along the shelf, "To this book, he often mentions his network of the sock and buskin. I would say the definitive work on the sock and buskin is this volume right here." He pulled a book out and handed it to Emily, "If you only read one book on the sock and buskin you should read this one."

Emily smiled, "Thank you so much, you have been very helpful."

He bowed respectfully and then spoke softly, "There are tables and chairs around the corner there, we ask that you try to keep quiet while reading to be considerate of those who come here to study."

Emily walked over with the book selected by Friar Chuck and started to read as Grace started to read from the first book indicated. Grace skimmed through the book and would write down notes from time to time while Emily finished reading her book cover to cover in a few hours. She whispered softly to Grace, "I have found the answer I was looking for if this version of the sock and buskin is the same one as back then, I have the answer on how to activate it. Seeing as how I found the answer, that means others could have in the past as well."

Grace nodded and whispered back, "I found a few things as well, I have notes right now, I will put it together in a formal report for you and maybe with what you found, we'll have the whole picture."

Emily nodded and whispered softly, "How many more volumes are left to skim through?"

Grace thought for a moment, "Another forty, I think if we work together we can finish it up in about five hours."

Friar Chuck walked over and said softly, "I am afraid we won't have light here soon, you can leave these books out and come back to them tomorrow if you'd like?"

Grace and Emily looked at each other and nodded. Emily spoke softly, "Thank you Friar, I would like to come back tomorrow."

*****

Teslaimia was sitting at a meeting of the Nobles in place of Emily. She had her eyes on an older Baron who complaining about the brigands in his territory, which amounted to a small town and a single village at the edge of the Harmon lands. Count Harmon shouted, "Why haven't you dealt with the brigands if they are a problem!"

The Baron made a disgusted face and shouted back, "If our men still had weapons we could fight them, these little clubs we were given are fine to break up brawls in town, but we can't kill brigands with them!"

Teslaimia tried to think about how Emily would handle the issue and finally just gave up and decided to handle it her way. "Baron Davis, did you know that your territory has the lowest per household income in the Empire?"

The Baron looked a little pale, "What do you mean?"

Teslaimia looked at the numbers reported by the Empire's census takers, She tapped her finger on a line and said, "It's half of what every other territory has reported. I also see that your own personal holdings are at the same level as many of the viscounts in the Empire. Even though the viscounts are responsible for much more territory than your barony. Could you explain that anomaly to me?"

The Baron stammered, "Our land isn't as fertile and we don't have any large commercial centers. I still need to raise taxes to support my army!"

Teslaimia nodded and then asked, "Is it possible. Is it even a little possible, that you have a brigand problem because the households in your barony aren't being left with enough to eat?"

The Baron's cheeks burst out in a red and white flustered pattern as he stood up, "If my men had their weapons we could make things run the way they always have and there wouldn't be an issue!"

Teslaimia shook her head and sighed, "Baron, you would still have an issue. The people are starving under your governance. You are a bad leader. Also, I have at least seventeen accusations from the women in your territory that you sexually assaulted them. Could you explain that please?"

The Baron pointed his finger at her and shouted, "Those women are my ex-wives, I have marriage contracts and signed divorces with all of them! That has nothing to do with how I run my territory."

Teslaimia called out, "Victoria, would you come in please?"

Victoria walked in wearing a black hat with a white veil over her face and conservative dress. She curtsied and asked, "Your Majesty?"

Teslaimia picked up a paper and asked, "Could you please tell me the story of how your face was ruined?"

Victoria lifted the veil over her face allowing the Nobles sitting around the table to get a good look at the horrible scar that stretched across her otherwise incredibly beautiful face from the left corner of her forehead down through her nose, over her right cheek and ending at the lower right part of her jaw. She sighed and spoke in a clear voice, "When I was fifteen my father was approached by the Baron. He offered my father a second farm and serfs to tend it if he could have me as his concubine. I was brought to his castle and used for sex from time to time. Once he found out that my fiancé was a member of his guards he brought him into the room to guard us while making him watch." Tears started to roll down her cheeks, "A few weeks after that my fiancé was accepted as a squire for the Red Lion Brigade. The Baron decided that I was no longer worthy of being one of his women, so he took his dagger and ruined my face before throwing me out of his castle with no clothing." She took a deep breath, "I walked to my father's house that way and found that once I was there, my mother and father had been made serfs and their farm had been given to another man as dowery for his daughter. Six months later the baby Lord Davis put inside of me was starting to show. For the last fifteen years, I have raised her on my own."

Teslaimia walked over and rubbed Victoria's back, "Thank you Victoria, you may go now."

The Baron looked confused as he spoke out, "I didn't know she was with my child."

Teslaimia sighed and then asked again, "Is it possible, that you have a brigand problem because the households in your barony aren't being left with enough to eat?"

The Baron sat down roughly, "It is."

Teslaimia smiled and then said, "Tell me, knowing that you have been taking too much from your people and that you have been committing unspeakable crimes against them such as with dear Mrs. Staughler, how would you solve your problem without further ruining the lives of the people with military force?"

The Baron said flatly, "I need to reduce my taxes and raise the level of income for my people. Stop terrorizing young women and conscripting young men."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "Then it's decided. The Baron will report at the next meeting about the ways in which he has raised his people out of poverty."

*****

Victoria walked together with a few of the girls from Mia's Secret who came in support of Victoria toward the Palace gates when a portly Baron Davis came jogging up nearly out of breath from the short run, "Victoria! Please wait!"

Victoria stopped and turned to the Baron. He held up his finger indicating to give him a moment as he gasped for breath, "My... My daughter. May I see her?"

Victoria shook her head no, "I don't think that would be appropriate."

He fell down to his knees, "Please, I beg you. She's my only heir. I swear to you, I would never do any harm to her. I know that having done what I have done to you, I have no right to ask, but please. She is my only heir. I just want to see her, from a distance is fine, please?"

Victoria looked confused as she looked at the disgusting man, "What good will it do her for you to see her?"

He looked down, "None. It will do nothing for her. I know that I wasn't a father to her. She grew up in poverty because of me." He looked up at Victoria, "I'm dying. The doctors say I won't be able to live more than a couple of years, I am not telling you that because I want you to feel sorry for me, I am telling you that because your daughter will rightfully inherit my lands and title. She is my only flesh and blood heir."

Victoria stared at him and said, "No, she doesn't need it."

He nodded and said, "I know how much wrong I have done to you, to your daughter. But you said she is my daughter too and because of that, she is my heir. That is a fact. She will be the Baroness when I pass away. If and when she marries, her husband will be the Baron."

Victoria frowned and then said, "What will a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl do with a barony? Run it? She has grown up in a village! A village girl is expected to suddenly become a noble?"

He bowed his head and said, "She is a Noble. From the day she was born, she was noble. It was only my foolishness and jealousy that kept her from her birthright."

Victoria frowned and then said, "You want her to be your heir? Send her to the Academy." Victoria crossed her arms under her breasts, "She's had no education, she can't even read and write."

He looked up, "Of course! I will arrange it today! Can you tell me her name?"

*****

Emily and Grace finished up early and made their way back to the ship's pickup area. At the landing zone, Cardinal Pujols greeted her and said, "Cardinal Gibson is going back with you this time, I am going to arrange for the books to be sent for your Library. Both Cardinal Gibson and I have been discussing a library with your Duke Connaissance and now that Your Majesty has also shown an interest, we are moving forward. The building should be complete by the time I arrive with the books."

Emily smiled and said, "Then I'll be seeing you again, thank you Cardinal for all that you've done."

He nodded and said, "Lord Léon Jean Reno be with you, Empress Connaissance." He made the sign of the hammer and anvil.