Trust

"Emily, if you have a question just ask me. You are doing that thing you do when you have conversations in your mind again. You are pacing a hole in the floor too." Teslaimia said as softly spoke as she still read her book.

Emily stopped and looked at Teslaimia, "Did you intend to have me marry Iopolo and then teg along with me to be a part of his harem?"

Teslaimia closed her book and stared at Emily like she was asking a dumb question, "Emily, haven't we talked about this before? Yes. At one point that was exactly my intention. I wanted to use you to get into his harem. It was a very poorly thought out, emotional reaction to him telling me that I wasn't good enough. I thought you had always known that? You usually know things before I do."

Emily frowned and said, "Katarina brought it up today."

Teslaimia sighed and said, "Well doesn't that just figure? You have nothing to fear from me, I am not using you for anything. I protect you as I would protect myself. I place your needs even above my own at times. If you can't or won't see that, then there isn't anything more I can say or do to prove that to you."

"Was I injured in The Holy Chadtom Empire because you wanted to use me to get close to him?" Emily stared at her with questions in her heart.

Teslaimia cocked her head to the side and asked, "You are saying then, that when I asked you to attend his father's funeral, that in some way I put you in harm's way? Even though no one could have predicted that the actions you took against the Church's forces are what led to them being in Diamondtown in the first place and that a slight miscalculation by the crew of the Zealous left us at the wrong palace? You are trying to imply that all of those things should be blamed on me now?" Teslaimia set her book to the side and climbed out of bed, "Is that really where you are going with this right now?"

Emily thought about it and shook her head, "No, you're right. I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me. I think I am a little jealous that Katarina is interested in you."

Teslaimia raised an eyebrow and then laughed, "Well, stop that, you know I can't stand that woman. She's so annoying." She walked over and gave Emily a hug and said, "She has a great body and she's beautiful, but she's as dumb as a box of rocks. I like my women to be ruthless and scary."

Emily pouted, "I am not scary."

"You're incredibly scary." Teslaimia laughed.

Emily frowned and muttered, "You're the scary one, you even started your own intelligence network."

"So did you, and you did yours when you were just a kid," Teslaimia smirked. She pulled Emily into bed and said, "Stop overthinking things. This is your worst habit. You have plenty of real things to worry about. My loyalty and love for you just aren't one of them."

Emily nodded and said, "I'm sorry, you're right. I think maybe I am just having a hard time trusting the Nobles to do the right thing. A few of them are achieving very good results in their territories and a couple of them refuse to let go of their old ways. I heard that Lucas Morely was murdered for instance."

Teslaimia blushed and said, "Erm, about that. I was the one that had him killed. Hear me out though, I had a good reason to take action."

Emily glared at Teslaimia and softly replied, "I hope it is a good reason, he was a friend of mine."

Teslaimia nodded, "Beaux and Lucas were so wrapped up in their hero fantasies that Beaux missed the fact that their General, Jesse Lee, was stealing control of their territory and reverting things back to the feudal system you asked them to replace."

Emily thought for a while and said, "So you killed Lucas in order to wake up Beaux. I assume that all signs pointed to the General?"

Teslaimia nodded, "He had been asking the Harmons to kill Lucas and they refused. It was an opportune time to push a domino and hopefully jump start Beaux's self-reliance. I think it was obvious to both of us that Lucas was the one calling the shots when we met with them. That wasn't going to be sustainable with Beaux being the Duke."

Emily nodded and said, "No, you made the right decision. I'm sorry that I questioned you. I am surprised that Gertrude didn't tell me about it first. The two of you must really be hitting it off now."

"Don't go killing Gertrude off now, I mean it." Teslaimia noticed something in the look of Emily's eye, "She's good at what she does and exceedingly loyal to you. I told her that I would take care of it this time. Her trust in you is why she had that trust in me."

Emily nodded and said, "Fine, how did you find out about Roland?"

"I was looking into your people and we happened to chance upon someone we had already confirmed as being from Slavistan meeting with him." Teslaimia was already crawling into bed again as she spoke. "It's my guess that he wanted to be caught. He made no real effort not to be seen."

Emily sighed and then climbed into bed herself. "I just hope things can stay uneventful for a while."

*****

Amelia's airship gently floated in the air until she grew tired. In the past, she would continue on trusting that by tying things down the ship would fly straight. Today she brought the airship down and tied it off to a tree before she went to sleep. Also unlike the past, Amelia had become a very light sleeper. She woke several times during the night when the ship moved because of the wind.

The next morning Amelia made herself breakfast and then had a strong cup of coffee before untying from the tree and verifying her course before heading on her way. Like this, she didn't make a very good time, but she was much safer and was sure of her path. While she passed over what she thought was the Windsor Kingdom she noticed that they had a much better system of roads than she remembered and new buildings similar to those she saw in Connaissance.

Late in the day she finally saw the mountains that surrounded the City of Connaissance as she flew over the main gate she noticed that even the city itself had changed a lot since the last time she had been here. There were more large buildings and the airship port looked slightly different. A loud steam horn sounded and then the sun was suddenly blocked as a giant airship slowly crept over the top of her own. A man with a speaking horn called out to her, "Heave to and prepare to be boarded."

Amelia brought her sail down and switched off her engine and waited as a couple of men from the airship repelled down lines and swung on to her ship. The first man said, "Welcome to Connaissance, can I ask your name and the nature of your visit?"

She stammered, "M-my name is Amelia Earnhardt. I'm here for a job. I came to ask Mr. Hudsucker for a job as an airship technician. Lady Connaissance gave me a reference."

The man from the airship looked at her and then asked, "You haven't been to Connaissance for a while, have you?"

"No sir, it's been about six months or maybe a little more." She noticed that the second man had already looked through her belongings.

He said to the first man, "All clear, just tools, some food, and a few hundred Sprite."

The first man from the airship said, "If you don't mind, I'm going to take the controls and make the landing at the airship port. You are in an unregistered airship so we have to take precautions."

Amelia nodded and said, "It's ok. I understand. Last time I was here I caused a scene as well."

The man smiled at her and said, "I remember reading about you in the Observer." the two men from the airship worked quickly and had Amelia's airship moving to the Airship port as quickly as Amelia could do it. He looked at her and smiled, "Speaking of that, my sister is a big fan of yours. She loved that a woman could become an inventor and an airship pilot. If you don't mind, could I get you to sign an autograph for her?"

Amelia looked shocked, "What?"

"You know, just say something like 'to my fan, Lilly.' or something. She wants to be just like you when she grows up." He smiled at her.

The other man from the Airship laughed and said, "Miss Earnhardt, you are something of a legend in Connaissance now. If not for our Empress herself, you might be the most popular woman in Connaissance."

"Empress?" Amelia looked confused.

The first man answered as he turned the ship into its final approach for the civilian dock, "The city of Connaissance and the Windsor Kingdom is one place now, the Empire of Connaissance. We also defeated Injia in the one day war and they are a territory of the Empire as well. You know, your ship is very easy to pilot. is this a new design?"

Amelia nodded before she asked, "Is Lady Connaissance still in charge or was she removed by the King of the Windsor Kingdom?"

The two men laughed at each other and then the second man said, "Lady Connaissance is now Empress Emily the first of Connaissance. The Windsor Nobility had her coronated once the former King of the Windsor Kingdom was lost in a war with Injia."

Amelia seemed dazed by the information. "Thank you, I appreciate you letting me know."

*****

Gertrude ran into Emily's office carrying a letter, "Your Majesty, I think this might be urgent."

Emily made a face as she looked at the letter, the front was blank and on the back was only a wax seal stamped with the sock and buskin. Emily thought for a moment and said, "Gertrude, could you wait for me in the other room, please?"

Once Emily was alone she took out her letter opener and slit the seal and read the letter, 'When the wolves learn to fly the birds will surely die. A naughty Empress owes a show when the devil has a thing she needs to know."

Emily sighed and then thought about the letter again, "The Kreussians maybe?" Emily stood up and walked into the other room and said to Gertrude, "I have a riddle for you, 'When the wolves learn to fly the birds will surely die.' What do you think that means?"

Gertrude thought for a minute, "Kreussians? Could they have started to build airships?"

Emily nodded and said, "I think that's what it means as well, I need intel on Kreussia. Go talk with Mia's girls and see what we can get." She sighed, "It looks like I'll need to go to the club tonight."

Gertrude shook her head and said, "Oh, I thought you should know, that girl, Amelia Earnhardt arrived in the city again. She went to meet with Norville Hudsucker."

Emily smiled and nodded, "If he sends anyone, I want him to hire her in the position she is qualified to work in if she isn't qualified then he can send her over here."

Gertrude nodded and then said, "I'm heading over that way at lunchtime, want me to check in with him about her?"

Emily asked, "You're still seeing Jon?"

Gertrude blushed and nodded, "Yes, I am." Gertrude smiled and said, "I plan to bring him to the club tonight." She giggled.

Emily nodded and said, "Ok, after you spend time with Jon, see Norville before going to Mia's place. Wait, did you say you are taking him to the club tonight?"

Gertrude nodded and said, "Jon, not Norville."

Emily shrugged and then sighed, "Well we'll all be in masks anyway."

"Are you going tonight too?" Gertrude asked.

Emily nodded and held up the letter, "It seems I must, Teslaimia will get a huge laugh out of it I am sure. I should invite Katarina then, that way Mia will be too uncomfortable to make fun."

Gertrude laughed, "Well, I doubt Jon will be obvious, he is probably going to want to sit in the back anyway." She giggled, "I bet he is too scared to really look at anyone anyway."