Neglected

The seasons changed, the people of the Empire of Connaissance fell into a safe routine of work and progress as time seemed to pass by at an astonishing rate. New buildings appeared in the city and all over the Empire. Katarina's Dane East Injia Company slowly grew until it was rivalling Duke and Duke. The mighty airship fleet of Connaissance that was only two ships became four with two more under construction. The Connaissance Defense Force which once only had a few thousand men now had half a million.

Emily sat at her desk reading a report when another letter came from the sock and buskin. Gertrude looked concerned as Emily opened the letter and read aloud, "You and your Swan must come on a date, you have until dawn before it's too late." Emily frowned and said, "Ignore it, like the others."

Gertrude looked a little unconvinced, "He has been sending letters like that for the last month, why aren't you going to see him?"

Emily shook her head and said, "Because he wants to play these little games with the information he has for me. Unless he gives me a good reason to go there, I have no interest."

Gertrude nodded and then said, "Mr. Hudsucker said they will have the next two military airships completed in five months. The civilian airship factory has already five airships which are now in service between Injia and the various territories in Connaissance."

Teslaimia cleared her throat and said, "I wouldn't mind going to the club, we haven't been in a long time."

Emily looked over at Teslaimia and asked, "You'd rather go to the club than see the Opera tonight?"

Teslaimia smiled and said, "We can go to the club after we see the Opera. The club doesn't usually get fun until after midnight anyway."

Emily nodded and then said, "Very well, we can go to the club tonight. You know, there is a very good chance we'll run into those two while we are there."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "They come to my store once a week, they are more into each other than me or you these days."

Emily shook her head, "Who would have thought Amelia and Katarina would fall for each other? How did they even meet?"

Teslaimia chuckled and said, "I am not sure, but they do make a cute couple. Amelia has really changed. She's so quiet and well mannered now."

Emily nodded and said, "Norville said she is diligent and a hard worker. He is going to promote her from the repair crew to one of his design teams." Emily thought for a while and then said, "Katarina is a much better business person than I ever imagined. She brought her company from absolute ruin to one of the top two businesses in Connaissance."

A knock came from the door and then a young butler spoke, "Norville Hudsucker to see you, Your Majesty."

Emily smiled and said, "Thank you, Roland, you can send him in."

Norville looked at Emily with a huge grin and said, "We've done it! The new design that came from Future War, we managed to make an all-new airship engine with it. It's extremely fuel-efficient and gives us a new top speed that makes our old engine design feel like walking in comparison."

Emily had a bright smile on her face, "We'll be able to make transgalactic flights now?"

Norville nodded and said, "That's right. Once we build a couple of exploration ships we can set up an airship port on the new continent and start bringing in Harbenite or even build a new factory there. Crossing the Galactic Ocean will no longer be a problem at all."

Emily nodded and said, "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I want long-distance communication solved before I start any colony there. Waiting for news to come by ship won't be fast enough."

*****

"Ah, Percival, how are things going with the new job? Any troubles so far?" The older man asked as he brought some dishes into the kitchen.

The young man stopped and then replied softly, "No, the job is no problem. I do have one question that I hope you can help me with..."

The older man smiled, "How can I help?"

"Why does her Majesty call me Roland? I am happy to serve here in the Palace and I am honored to be Her Majesty's personal butler, but well. I mean, it's a little strange that she won't even use my name. Why Roland?"

The older man looked confused, "No one told you?"

"Told me what? They just assigned me to be her butler."

The older man looked concerned and then motioned to another room, "Come with me, I need to tell you a story." The two men walked into the servant's break room and took a seat at a small four-person table. The older man looked at the young butler and said, "Her Majesty grew up with a butler named Roland. Just after her parents were murdered, Roland was also murdered, most likely to keep the truth from Her Majesty. The new butler was a man employed by Prince Andrew named Buttersmouth or something like that Buttermaker? Butterman? Anyway, that's unimportant. That man betrayed Her Majesty. A young butler also named Roland replaced him and came with her here to Connaissance. That man died trying to protect Her Majesty as well. I think losing him was something of a shock to her, so now anytime a butler brings her a drink or helps her out, she calls him Roland."

The young man named Percival nodded and said, "I understand. I still wish she would acknowledge me for who I am, but I won't complain that she isn't calling me the right name. How many Rolands have there been?"

The older man counted on his fingers and then said, "Seven, all of whom have died ghastly deaths."

Percival jumped to his feet, "I'm cursed!"

The older man shook his head and said, "Most of the Rolands have died trying too hard to get Her Majesty to acknowledge them for who they are. For instance, the Roland just prior to you noticed that Her Majesty enjoyed a glass of orange juice in the morning. He climbed up a ladder to get the oranges from the top of the orange tree outside to make freshly squeezed juice for her, but slipped from the ladder and fell on the wrought iron fence"

Percival gasped, "What about before him?"

The older man shook his head, "That Roland took note that Her Majesty enjoyed pastries from a particular pastry shop on the other side of town and to get points he rushed over to get one before his shift but was run over by one of the new delivery trucks."

Percival stared at the older man, "How is that not cursed? Have any of them quit before they were killed?"

"There was an older Roland that simply disappeared from the Palace, but there were some who thought they heard the sound of a weapon being discharged the same day." The older man nodded and then he said, "Now us older butlers just assign the Roland position to the younger men who have a better chance at survival... That is I mean a better chance to serve Her Majesty well."

Percival gave the older man a death stare, "What the hell did I do to you for you to sentence me to death?"

The older man chuckled and said, "No, no young Roland, I have no issue with you. In fact, I think you have the best chance of any of us to break the curse of the Rolands."

"You old bastard, call me Percival, not Roland! I refuse to let my end come from this curse!" He stood up and walked out of the room in a hurry and banged on Emily's office door.

Emily called out, "Come in."

Percival stood at attention and said heroically, "Your Majesty, my name is Percival, not Roland. Could you please stop calling me Roland?"

Emily looked up from her work with a confused expression, "I'm sorry Percival, I called you Roland? I am so sorry. It's just that you do such a good job you reminded me of him. Please forgive me."

Percival stammered, "T-thank you, Your Majesty." He stood there awkwardly for a few moments.

"Was there anything else, Percival?" Emily asked looking a little confused.

Percival blinked and then said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Your Majesty." He quietly pulled the door closed and in a daze walked back to the kitchen and sat down across from the older butler. "I asked her to stop calling me Roland."

The older man's eyes opened wide, "What did she say?"

"She called me Percival and apologized for calling me the wrong name." He said.

The older man stared at the table in silence, "That actually worked?"

He nodded. A few moments later he got up and said, "I need to go up to the roof and finish setting up her new rooftop office. If you'll excuse me."

The older man poured himself a cup of coffee and started to stir it looking out the window, "Was it really that easy?"

*****

Teslaimia and Emily walked in and showed their pins to the mask check girl who smiled and said, "He's been waiting for you." She led them over to the secret passageway pulling the curtain aside for them after giving them their masks.

They walked into the large empty room only to see him come out immediately with no fanfare. he stormed up to Emily and started to poke her as he spoke, "Six months! I have been trying to get you to come here for six months! I sent you at least a dozen letters!"

Emily giggled and said, "Well I am rather busy, you know?"

He sighed and then pulled his cape closed to cover the bottom half of his face, and then stopped dropping the cape and just saying, "You know what, just no. Kreussia is building an invasion force. They have airships and something they call a tank they are planning to use. As for the rest, find it on your own."

Emily frowned and said, "That wasn't as fun."

He waved his hand dismissively, "You ignored me for six months! Do you know how long I spend coming up with the perfect rhymes and thinking up new ways to make our meetings entertaining?"

Emily pouted cutely and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't consider any of that."

He turned with his back to her and grumbled.

"You want us to do a show?"

He nodded and said, "If you have something new...."

Emily thought for a moment and then said, "I could sing?"

He turned back and asked, "What song?"

Ten minutes later the curtain fell to rampant applause and Teslaimia came over and gave Emily a hug and said, "You were wonderful."

The devil walked up to her and put a robe on her and said, "I admit, that was very good."

Emily smiled and asked, "Can I hear your rhyme now?"

He frowned at her and then sang, "Your voice was divine, better than mine when next I give you a letter, you better not whine."

Emily chuckled and said, "I'm sorry that I neglected you."

He waved her off with a single finger and then went back out on stage to invite the next performer.

*****

Nicolas and Gorki walked out and looked at their new forces. One hundred square-shaped steel boxes with tank treads on the sides and gun ports on three sides sat at the front. Behind that were hundreds of thousands of men holding muskets. In the skies above them, all ten small airships equipped with a cannon on the nose floated gracefully. Gorki smiled at Nicolas and said, "These men have been trained in the new tactics of war we devised. They won't group up and be taken apart by the Connaissance airships stupidly. Our airships are designed to kill those behemoths from distance as well. With our new tanks, even if they manage to kill some of our ground forces, we can still slaughter their knights and archers like men fighting children."

Nicolas nodded and said, "My friend, Gorki, you will go down in history as the greatest general in history."

Gorki shook his head, "Your Majesty, will be known as it's greatest Tzar. I would just be another soldier without you taking me as your friend."

They each made a fist and touched them together, "Gorki my friend, give the command. Today we march on destiny!"