Mable's Tea Shop

Emily after meeting the young couple, Emily felt that it would be better to take the shop over herself and hire full-time employees. Jamie was put in place as the shop's manager and given directions on what type of employees to hire. Jamie sighed as she looked over the directions Emily had given her, "Does Her Majesty ever sleep? How could she have such a detailed list of what she wants here at the tea shop? She has everything from the type of teas down to the snacks that will be offered. Even a detailed list of what the employees should be like?"

Teslaimia laughed and said, "Emily wouldn't be successful if she wasn't like this, you know. Winston and Norville get the same treatment." She giggled and said, "To be fair, I am the same way. I made my girls crazy the first time I opened a Mia's Secret."

Jamie smiled and nodded, "Mm, working for Her Majesty is always like this, I just can't believe she cares about these small details on a simple Tea Shop. Do you know why she named it, 'Mable's Tea Shop?' It seems to me like it should be called Emily's Tea Shop."

Teslaimia sighed and replied softly, "Emily feels like this was a failure she was responsible for when she first started as the City Lord. Mable wasn't even someone that she liked, in fact, Mable had stabbed her in the back, to be honest with you."

Jamie seemed to remember something, "This was the newspaperwoman?"

Teslaimia nodded, "Mhm, that's right. She was filling her gossip column by chatting with Emily while pretending to just be interested in her stories."

Jamie shook her head and said, "I think she figured it out very early was planting things in the column on purpose to make herself seem more human."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "Mm, that's just like her to do those kinds of things."

Jamie looked at Emily's notes again and asked, "How am I going to find an attractive woman that is a good listener with a great memory for detail... Wait, I think Emily is going to use this shop for data collection as well."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "Do you need me to send one of my girls over?"

Jaime shook her head, "No, we have a few like that. I just don't want them to feel like I am demoting them by bringing them here."

Teslaimia smiled and said, "Well, if you bring one of them here, just make sure they understand how important this place is to Her Majesty."

Jaime nodded, "And you right?"

Teslaimia nodded, "That's right. One of the first times I recognized that I was truly in love with Emily was while I was at Mable's Tea Shop. Dan's tea shop was a poor replacement, but I did enjoy talking to him. It's always nice to visit a place I don't have to worry about for a while just to relax and enjoy a cup of tea as I people-watch." She looked out the window and said, "I think for Emily it doesn't matter as much because she always feels that kind of pressure no matter where she is or what she does, but for me, I like being able to just sit down and watch for what's going on... Like now for instance. There is a man there walking down the street with his penis exposed letting women see. Someone should probably do something about that. I wonder why Sir Killington hasn't taken action."

Charles put his paper down and sighed, "Fine, but don't leave the shop."

She watched through the window as Sir Killington ran out and violently captured the man having one of the guards rush up to take the man toward the local Constable's precinct. She couldn't help laughing as the man started to urinate all over the pair. Jamie rushed over to the window and gasped before falling into a hearty belly laugh as Sir Killington turned and looked at them both with a death glare. He pointed at his eyes and then pointed back at the two of them which caused them to laugh even harder.

Jamie shook her head and then said to Teslaimia, "Sir Killington is going to be smelly now."

Teslaimia snorted and said, "Him? No way, he'll race back to the palace, shower, and change while his soldiers seal this place off. He has no sense of humor."

Jamie watched as he angrily jumped into the fast car and sped toward the Palace, "Oh my! He really did that!"

Teslaimia nodded and said, "The Palace is only five minutes by fast car. He will be back here in exactly fifteen minutes."

*****

Amelia sat in the kitchen she had shared with Dmitri her entire life and looked out the window. She remembered how suffocating it felt to live here growing up and how she had always dreamed about how amazing it would be to go somewhere else. Yet as she sat in the empty Kitchen, now she could only feel like she wished she could have just a little more time. She looked at the note from the bank giving her just thirty days before she had to be gone and wept.

She spoke out loud, "Teacher, I know I said I wanted to leave, but... I am afraid. What if I am not welcome there. What if I get lost and end up someplace much worse." She shivered at the thought. She pulled out the small box of money she had managed to earn in the months she had been back in Langland, "Is this enough?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself and then gathered up her things and walked out to the Barn. She looked around her teacher's shop and knew it would be impossible to bring it all so she grabbed enough of the tools to allow her to repair the ship and to earn a little money with her skills if needed. Then she untied it from the mooring and pulled it out of the barn into the morning light. She swung herself up on to the ship using the guidelines and pulled the rest on board before unfurling the sail and letting the wind take the ship high up into the air.

For the first time in her life, she looked at the disappearing house and barn with a deep feeling of regret.

*****

Katarina smiled and shook hands with Emily as they spoke in fluent Jermanlic, "Then the old Dane West Injia Company is no more and my new Dane East Injia Company will now have control over the assets of the old company. I think we should share a toast to our new partnership, Emily."

Emily turned to Gertrude and said in Langlish, "Pour two glasses for us, and then you may be excused. Thank you for your help, Gertrude."

She poured the drinks and then smiled to them both and gave a light bow before gently closing the doors on her way out.

Emily took one glass and then gave the other to Katarina and spoke in Jermanlic, "Here's to the new world."

They gently touched their glasses together and began to drink. Katarina smiled and asked, "Where is that beautiful wife of yours?"

Emily shrugged and chuckled, "Mia likes to go out people watching during the day. She is most likely at the tea shop or her own clothing boutique."

Katarina nodded and said, "I went to her shop the other day, I had no idea she was so talented. Her clothing is so beautiful. I feel so sexy when I wear it."

Emily snorted and said, "Katarina, you could make anything clothing look sexy."

"Oh, and the two of you can't? I feel like a fat pig when I am around you two." Katarina chuckled.

Emily smiled at the flattery and then asked, "Why did you lie to me about your husband?"

Katarina set her glass down and sighed, "I didn't think you would understand my feelings and feel guilty." She looked down into her empty glass and said, "I hated him. He was an awful hateful man. I had to marry him but they couldn't force me to love him." She smiled and then looked up at Emily with tears in her eyes, "When I heard that he was dead it felt like a heavy object was lifted from my shoulders until I knew it was you who had killed him. I was afraid that you would see me as some kind of vengeful window trying to strike down the woman who took my man."

Emily nodded and said, "That's exactly what I am worried about, Katarina. Every time you flirt with my wife, I can't help wondering if I won't have to have you killed at some point."

Katarina looked at Emily with surprise, "I swear to you, I meant nothing! She's just very beautiful, it would be weird if I wasn't attracted to her."

"Mm, well I am keeping my eye on you. I trust that we are still friends, but know that sometimes I put my role as Empress ahead of all other things. If I feel that you are scheming or plotting, I won't hesitate to do what needs to be done." She took a drink from her own glass and then smiled, "She is very beautiful and yes, it would be strange not to be attracted to her. Keep your hands off though."

Katarina shook her head and asked, "Are you always so serious these days? When we were children you used to laugh all the time. What happened to you?"

"The Church forced my uncle to kill my mother and father. The smiling Nobles supported it and supported me being thrown out of my own country only to call me back to lead them once my uncle failed to bring them to glory and profit." She smiled politely and brushed the hair from her eyes and said, "By the time I was twelve I knew that no one was going to ride up on his white horse and save me, I needed to save myself."

Katarina nodded and said, "Mm, it was the same for me. I suppose. Only the man rode up on his white horse, wanted sex, and then left me to fend for myself while he spent his time on the other side of Eurment from me." She thought for a moment and then asked, "How did you meet your wife?"

Emily shook her head rolled her eyes, "Do you remember Polo? The dark-skinned boy we used to play with that always said he was going to marry me when he was older?"

Katarina laughed and said, "I do! He always called you 'Emmy Lee' and said that he would be your emperor."

Emily facepalmed and nodded, "Teslaimia was his arranged marriage. He went to see her and dumped her telling her that she wasn't as good as me so he was breaking off the marriage."

Katarina gasped, "What an ass!"

Emily nodded, "Well, Mia lost her wits and came here to fight with me or something. I never really understood what it was she came here for honestly, but suddenly she was always by my side. When I first met her, she kissed me and asked me what I felt. I was stunned at the time, so I said confused. Over the months that followed, we just seemed to bond I guess?"

Katarina thought for a moment and then asked, "Was she trying to use you to get into his harem?"

Emily blinked, "Why would that work?"

Katarina shook her head, "Seriously? She was trying to get you to bring her into his harem by becoming close enough friends with you, that you would want to bring her with you no matter what. You never realized that?"

Emily looked blank, "No that can't be right, I think she was just interested in me."

Katarina laughed and said, "She definitely is now, but back then she was using you. You just ask her, that woman is terrifying she'll admit it and even be proud of it."

Emily looked a little angry and said softly, "No, I didn't even want to get together with him. That can't be right." She remembered going on the maiden flight of the Zealous. How Teslaimia was so eager to attend the funeral. "Did I get hurt because she wanted me to get closer to Polo?"