Chapter 2

Princess Emma was surprised to see the open pavilion area with the children sitting in mixed groups. “This does not look like any classroom I’ve ever imagined,” she said.

I nodded. “This is the morning assembly. Once children demonstrate the basics of reading, writing, and math, they are moved out from the classrooms and into learning groups. Today is a mix-day, with groups formed from all age levels. Tomorrow is an age-group day where they will be in their year groupings, and then they’ll have a gender-day where girls and boys will be grouped for activities. The academy meets for seven out of ten days. The groupings are rotated to create different opportunities for interaction, learning, and teaching. For today, The older children have been given the objectives for the day, and will ensure the discussions are held and the scheduled activities are completed. The instructors,” I pointed at several adults circulating in the pavilion, “will monitor groups to ensure things are on track.”

“That seems strange,” she said. “My tutors were all much older and I was forced to learn and repeat what was taught. I only had a handful of times I was with other children.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice.

“We do that for the youngsters, but once they reach a certain point, where they can articulate their thoughts effectively, we move them into groups like this. The older children are given responsibility to the younger ones. In turn, they have to be able to explain what they learned when they were at this stage, which reinforces their own understanding. If they realize they can’t explain it adequately, they ask an instructor to help.” I saw a teenage girl motion to one of the instructors and pointed it out to Emma.

The instructor listened, and then sat down with the group. Soon he was pointing at different students and asking them clarifying questions until heads started to nod. The girl that originally summoned the instructor was listening intently, nodding as well. Once all the children were nodding, the instructor turned the group back over to the young girl. All of them pulled out small tablets and began writing notes.

“But, they just talked,” Emma said. “Do they get tests? Who administers them? I don’t understand.”

“Tests come later, but not just on random facts or figures. This mixed-group will be together for the entire term. The age and gender groupings get mixed up some over the course of the term. Near the end of the term, each grouping will have projects to work on where everyone has to contribute. They will have to complete the project, as a group, and achieve a passing grade on their overall effort. They will also be graded on individual work and knowledge to pass to the next level. Some will have oral presentations and others will have written work to assess their group and individual scores.

“What sort of projects?” she asked.

I thought back to my own schooling. It was in a different city and part of the empire, but I was certain it was similar to what these kids would face. “The first project I remember in a mixed group was figuring out the fastest way our group could harvest an apple orchard.”

“That just sounds like work. You went out to harvest in school? What learning does that give you?” Her voice was incredulous.

“It wasn’t just a task, we had to figure out the best way to get the work done. We collected our own data on how fast a tree could be harvested by our group, then took different approaches to working on multiple trees safely with the smaller group members helping steady ladders or pull carts with baskets on them. Once we knew the fastest method we could clear a set of trees, we had to work out how many teams were needed for a single row, then calculate the total orchard size. The older members had to figure out storage and transport costs and then calculate what sort of effort could be done by adults. We then had to write up our recommendation and present it to the owner of the orchard as well as the instructors and the foreman. They gave us feedback and graded our efforts. Applying the logic, math, and communications skills we had learned that term reinforced our learning more than any test.”

She frowned, but nodded. “I suppose having to apply what you learn would reinforce the lessons. What if someone doesn’t want to participate?”

“Let’s ask,” I said as the group we were nearest stood up. I caught the eye of one of the older students.

“My friend is from outside the empire, and curious about our schools. Can she ask you some questions?”

The group all nodded and clustered around us. I motioned Emma to speak.

“Cosimo,” she said motioning to me, “told me about the type of projects you’ll do later this term. What happens if you don’t all do your fair share of work?”

A young girl, not the oldest and not the youngest raised her hand. Their leader nodded at her. “If you can’t do the work, the group must help you. If you won’t do the work, the group will shun you.”

Everyone was nodding.

“Shun you?” Emma asked.

The girl nodded. “If you are shunned, you can’t participate in the final presentation, and you won’t be able to be passed out if the group passes. You don’t want to have to go back to a different group and repeat all the lessons for the term. Who would want to do that?”

Emma did not look anymore comfortable with the answer. “Have you ever shunned someone here?” she asked.

Two of the children nodded.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Ionia got shunned last term,” a young man said. “She refused to help set the pier, even though she was the one who was in charge of the design and calculations. She just wanted to tell our group what to do, not to help do it. We took the calculations and did the work and got the pier built in the time allowed. When it came time to test the pier and explain what we had done, Giselle tied Ionia up and left her in a classroom while we were graded. She was furious, but since we all agreed to shun her, she had to repeat the term.”

“Do you think that was fair?” Emma asked.

Several children snorted or laughed. Finally the first girl raised her hand. The leader nodded again.

“Why do you think the world should be fair?” she asked Emma. “Logically, we know that’s a false statement. The world has no obligation to treat you the same way it treats me. You are pretty. I’m not. Should we expect the same man to pay us both the same amount of attention? We are all given the same opportunity here in school. We all have an obligation to make the most of it, if we want to succeed. Ionia did not share that belief, it sounds like. Why is it fair for the group to work hard and she get the same rewards for only working on what she wanted to work on?”

All of their heads were nodding.

“But what if she wasn’t able to do the work she was asked to perform?” Emma countered.

The young man spoke up. “She didn’t want to get dirty doing the work. Setting the pier had to be done at low tide, and it was messy, hard work. Ionia thought that was beneath her and refused. As a result, we all had to work harder and stay in the cold water longer as we did the job. She was older and could have helped the smaller members by lending a hand. It was no question to anyone that she should be shunned for that attitude.”

Emma frowned, but then looked at me before speaking. “Thank you all for explaining this to me. I’m sorry I interrupted your work.”

The leader of the group now spoke up. “It’s our pleasure. You’ve let us share some of our group’s knowledge with you, and possibly kept some of our newest members from learning a hard lesson as well. When we get to the projects, we all help as best we can, and we all succeed, right?”

Heads nodded.

Emma watched them go as they went on their way toward a different section of the academy.

“That girl was only ten or eleven,” she said to me. “I know adults in my father’s kingdom that would argue against her and lose. Our serfs all talk about ‘fair’ treatment from the nobles. Our nobles all talk about my father treating with them fairly, especially if their own failings have put them in a poor situation. Your empire is astounding for the mindset you embrace,” she concluded.

“The imperial constitution espouses that subjects of the empire are responsible and accountable for their own actions once they reach adulthood. Children learn at the academy and from their parents, who are accountable for their children’s actions as well. Parents mostly ensure children are safe and that the lasting consequences of their choices and behavior are survivable. I remember quite a few lessons that were not enjoyable, but ones I’m unlikely to forget.”

Emma shook her head and took my arm as we moved from the pavilion. “I’m not sure I or Ethan would do well here,” she said. “Are the children from all classes?”

I nodded. “We don’t have a lot of the aristocracy here in Cardino, especially children of those families. This is more a vacation town for the upper class. The normal guild and plebeian families will send their children here. If an Aristocrat family lived here, they might send a child to the junior academy, but would probably move to the capital or San Mateo for their time in a senior academy to ensure they were well prepared for the collegium. High guilder families frequently do the same.”

“No boarding schools?” she asked. “Mother always threatened me with a boarding school in the Free Cities when I misbehaved.”

“There are some, but I don’t know much about them. Our normal junior and senior academies are all I’ve attended. Since parents are responsible for their children, I’m not sure what sort of arrangements would have to be made for boarding a student away from their family. I’m sure it happens, but I don’t know about it. I’m much too young to be concerned about things like that.”

She laughed at my words.

We went through the building holding the younger classes, seeing children standing at boards, sitting at desks, and clustered around tables before arriving at the gymnasium.

“The academies don’t just focus on student’s minds,” I said as we stepped into the large covered room with a towering ceiling.

Four mixed groups were there, all in loose fitting shorts and tops. One group was on mats, stretching in unison. Another group was playing a game with a ball and two goal nets, kicking the ball and working on plays to get around the defenders. The third and fourth groups were in a relay race. They were racing the length of the gym, solving a problem on a board, and then racing back.

“Math in the gym?” Emma asked when she saw what they were doing.

“Not just math,” I said. An older student arrived at the board and a sentence appeared. He used his fingers to circle a word, then another, before turning and running back to the starting point. The next person had to use the two words in a new sentence.

“Why do that?” Emma asked.

“It reinforces lessons again, while also exercising their bodies. Watch,” I commanded. “Their performance level will set their next task.”

The next person arrived and read the sentence, then wrote another beneath it. The board cleared suddenly and flashed all blue and a count-down timer appeared. The student ran back to the group and they all raced for the door.

“Where are they going?” Emma asked. I just motioned and we followed them out the door.

They were running down the sloped lawn outside, staying together heading for the cool blue water at the edge of the campus. Emma and I strolled at a more sedate pace. She gave a little gasp of surprise as they reached the pebbled beach and pulled their tops off and shucked their shorts and shoes. Boys and girls hurried into the water and began swimming strongly toward a blue buoy anchored off-shore. One of the older students reached the buoy and held on as the others circled it and headed back to shore. Another older student stayed with the last of the group to ensure everyone was accounted for. The buoy tender resumed swimming when about half the group was past her. She caught the leaders as they reached the shore and waded out.

“She’s naked,” Emma said with a frown.

“So?” I asked. “The water is warm enough, as is the weather here. All of her group are swimming the same way.”

Emma watched another pair of classmates rise, staring intently, but then looking away. This pair had been boys.

The group stood with their backs to us, watching the rest of the group swim to the shore and shouting encouragement. A few of the older children waded back out in the water to help the younger ones manage crossing the light surf zone. Once they were all back on firm land, they grabbed their shoes, pulled them on, and walked back toward us carrying their clothes. They were all talking animatedly and laughing. Emma watched them while trying not to stare.

“They’re all going to the sauna now before they dress for lunch and afternoon assignments,” a voice said behind us. We turned and saw one of the instructors. “I’m Master Erwine,” he said. “I’m one of the heads here at the academy.”

I introduced Emma and myself. “I hope us dropping by isn’t a problem,” I added.

“Not at all. We often have folks drop in, but usually family members who happen to be in the area. Princess Emma, we don’t often get people from outside the empire visiting. Would you be willing to talk to some of the students? I’m sure they’d be fascinated to hear about life outside the empire.”

Emma blushed. “Thank you, but I don’t know that I could share too much. Our worlds are so different.”

“All the more reason to share experiences. Please?”

Emma nodded reluctantly.

“Excellent. I promise not to keep you too long, as I’m sure you have other things to do today.”

We went with the master, and he arranged a stool in a different pavilion for Emma and groups of students gathered around. She answered questions and asked several of her own for the next hour or so. By the time it was over, I could see she was drained and rescued her.

She held my arm as we left the academy and walked back toward the harbor along the coastal road.

“Did you see all you wanted to at the academy?” I asked.

She nodded, distractedly. Then looked up from the pathway along the road. “It opened my eyes quite a bit,” she said.

“Oh? How so?”

“At home, we talk about the evil empire, forcing people to support the emperor,” she finally said after walking a short way. “Nothing could be further from the truth, could it?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that,” I said. “I don’t think the empire is evil, no matter what traditions have been passed down through your people. I also don’t believe we are all good. We try to put checks and balances in place to keep us from becoming evil, however.”

“I don’t mean the political structures, I mean the culture. Most of those children are better educated than our population. If we were faced with a challenge, my people would be the children while yours would be leaders thinking and planning. Do you know the question that I can’t stop thinking about?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, what?”

“A little boy, maybe ten years old asked what made my father a good king and what makes my brother more fit to rule than myself or any other noble in our kingdom.

“I tried to answer it as I have been taught. I said that our tradition is that the eldest child succeeds to the throne and that my brother is the eldest. I tried to justify that he has been trained since birth to understand the nobles and our kingdom. He has travelled with my father over the past three years, learning of our people and their needs. His entire education has been focused on him ruling in the future, but he still has much to learn.”

“Was the boy satisfied with that answer?” I asked.

“Not really. I didn’t want to tell him what I really thought,” she said after a pause. “In truth, I don’t think my brother will be a good king when his time comes,” she admitted.

“Why’s that?”

“I think he’s too selfish.” She looked at me for a reaction, then continued. “I mean, I love him, and my father, but if there comes a time in the near future when he needed to make a decision that was better for him or better for our people, I know what he would do.”

“Isn’t that what experience is for? Surely he’ll see your father make similar hard decisions and follow that training. Isn’t it possible that’s why he’ll be betrothed once you get home so he will have a wife to temper his impulses? History has told us that having children and wanting a legacy is important for taming man’s nature.”

“That’s just it!” she exclaimed. “You and these children learn from history. We don’t. My father is the law in our Kingdom. His nobles may be able to close the passes and have some control over trade inside and outside the kingdom, but he controls our army. The people mostly try to survive. Here, your people can argue with anyone. I could not tell the difference among those students as to who was an aristocrat, a high guilder, or a simple plebe. I know there are class differences, but you all have the same opportunity that we deny everyone at home.”

Her cheeks were flushed as she spoke.

“I was shocked by that one group stripping and swimming all together even though we saw plenty of casual nudity in our travels here. Your comment about the temperature made me think more critically. Yes, it’s colder at home, but the real difference is that your culture demands people be accountable for their own actions and equips them for that. At home, girls would be afraid, since running around naked would lead to rape, pregnancy, and possibly becoming outcast by their family. Boys would think nothing of it, except bragging to their friends. Eventually, if they developed a taste for it, they might have to live with the consequences of their actions, but most likely not for several years. That’s why I am never alone with a group of boys or men at home. My father’s word is law, but there are words he doesn’t even know to speak!”

I thought about her words. I knew there was truth in them, but I also knew that she was forming an idolized view of our own society.

“We’re far from perfect, Emma,” I said. “We have our own classes of users and abusers. Our laws try to hold them accountable, but even still we have people who think only of themselves.” I went on to tell her a little about the plot against the emperor hatched by vain-glory men who thought they deserved more.

“In the end, none of our laws or culture stopped them from trying to dominate and set themselves above others. The result was hundreds of their household members, mothers, daughters, sons, being placed as indentures.”

“They are still alive,” Emma countered. “At home, anyone who plotted treason would be killed, along with their families. I’ve seen your indetures here and in the capital. Even they live better lives than most of my people.”

“What would you have me do?” I asked softly. I had thought a trip to the academy was a simple curtesy. It had taken on much greater meaning for Emma.

“The history I’ve been taught is that we stood apart from the empire when we came to this world centuries ago. My distant ancestors staked a claim to the high meadows that formed our kingdom and sought to live in harmony with nature and one another. Peace was the path we were supposed to pursue, but that turned into isolationist thinking when we were attacked for the minerals available in our lands. Only a century ago did my great grandfather block the Free Cities from annexing us and the Gannonex from conquering us for the gold and minerals in our hills. Father decided that we had to trade for stronger fortunes and convinced his father. He was betrothed to my mother, and she’s the one who insisted my brother and I receive the best education in our country and made sure we both came on this journey. She’s the one that warns me that we can’t ignore our history unless we want to fall to the same perils, but we only know scraps of the history that matters. Those children have a better grasp of the perils we face than I do, and I’m one of the best and brightest in my father’s kingdom. When I return home, I’m damned to become a pawn to politics, regardless of what my mother and father want! What I would have you do, Cosimo, is keep me here. Keep me from my fate.”

“That is something, I can’t do, Emma. But there may be something to be done to help you.”

“Cosimo, what have you done?” Grandmother asked as we sat alone in her office.

“I simply gave Emma a chance to have a modicum of control in her own life, grandmother.”

She tsked at me and shook her head. “You may have signed a death warrant for her, Cosimo. She’ll be married soon after arriving home. A two year birth control shot could mean her husband believes her to be infertile. Depending on his station, he could beat her or divorce her, or take some more extreme measure to secure his own line. Their culture is not ours! You had no right to interfere.”

“Grandmother, she is terrified of walking alone amongst men of her father’s kingdom. All I did was give her a small peace of mind that if she is attacked or raped, she won’t become pregnant.”

“But you used the club to give her that. What if we are accused of damaging her? Her father may feel we have taken something from him and use that as leverage. I just spent the afternoon saying no to her brother a hundred times, so this gives them a reason to ask again.”

“Ask for what?” I asked. I had heard that Ethan had met with Master Geraldo and grandmother while Emma and I were touring the academy.

“They want trade with the empire. The have negotiated some contracts for rare minerals our electronics industry needs, but want more. They want an embassy and a club to anchor the far end of the trade route in their kingdom.”

“A club? That seems ambitious,” I said.

“What they really want is to add slaves to the trade mix. Somehow, because of our training and the value of our club-trained indentures, they thought we would traffic in lives with them.”

“That seems vile,” I replied.

“Look at it from their viewpoint, Cosimo. They don’t really recognize the difference between our indentures and slaves as many nations outside the empire practice it. To Ethan, he sees cleaner, better behaved versions of what he considers slaves, and assumes that is all they are.” She paused with a sigh. “What’s done is done. They have only two more days here. Let’s see if they do ask once again, and if they do, we’ll worry about it then.”

I sat still, thinking.

“Would our house benefit from having business relationships outside the empire?” I finally asked.

Grandmother looked at me. “What do you think?”

“These scientists from Muskeleon,” I said. “If we had eyes and ears outside the empire, we would likely know where they are already. If Muskeleon could hatch a plot to work on foreign soil, I’m sure others can reach the same conclusion.”

Grandmother stared at me for a moment, looking as if I had said something incredibly offensive or something very clever. Finally, “If we were to establish such a presence, how would you go about it?” she asked.

I thought furiously. This was another test, I knew, and one I had brought on myself. “Open an inn, or maybe several. We would never establish a full club outside the empire, unless it was literally part of an embassy with the same types of protection such an embassy would have. Using an inn, similar to several of our affiliated properties would be best. Senior staff would have to be very carefully vetted, but then locals could be used for most of the jobs. It would have to be on the trade routes, to bring in some of the things only available from the empire, but no prescribed technology. I don’t know how we would handle reports or communications. That would be tricky.”

Grandmother was nodding. “Couriers on the trade route would be required. You would only get strategic intelligence from such a network. Tactical intelligence would be out of date by the time it arrived. There is some merit to your idea. Is the Kingdom of the Clouds a good location for such an endeavor?”

I nodded. “All the trade from the west into the Free Cities comes through them. There may be some smuggler routes through the Great Western Range, but it would be very low volume trade. The equatorial currents veer to the south at the Albion Straights which make sailing very dangerous for local technology ships. Even if the trade vessels sail the straights, they will come into the Free Cities, so maybe some inns there as well,” I said.

Grandmother waved me off. “Let others worry about the Free Cities. The Empire keeps a full embassy there, and we hear plenty from them already. Your idea has merit, but we can’t just blindly commit to such a plan. We’ll need to assess it carefully.”

“Should I prepare to travel?” I asked.

Grandmother scowled. “No. Your education and work here is more important. I’ll send someone with their entourage to assess the possibilities. I’m not entering the slave trade, so we’ll need some ulterior story to gain an invitation to their company.”

“Is there a guild presence returning with them?”

“It wasn’t mentioned, but that might be an avenue to explore. Draft me a message for the capital office. We need to know who they met with and what trade arrangements were discussed. Eight!” she called as she rang a small bell on her desk.

The office door opened and the young male indent of her house stepped into the office. “Go find Devon, and ask him to attend me,” grandmother commanded. The young man nodded and hurried away.

“Cosimo,” grandmother said. “You have a good heart and mind. In the future, use the second before listening to the first. We may have ended up in the same situation, but you must think before you act if you are to succeed me. Understood?”

I knew she was right, no matter how I felt. Obligation weighed on our decisions. Helping Emma had nothing to do with our role within the Empire.

“I understand, grandmother. I’ll strive to do better.”

“Cosimo,” Devon said by way of greeting as he fell into step next to me. We were in the sub-basement, using the tunnels to go over to the club.

“It seems like coincidence, but as grandmother says, I don’t like to trust in coincidence,” I said.

“I agree. What are the odds that another of our missing scientists arrive in the free trade port at Romanifo, don’t leave the free port, and are now booked on the same vessel back to the Free Cities that your new friends are taking?”

We passed through the security door and into the tunnels for the short walk. “Do you think the prince and princess know the scientists?” I asked.

Devon shrugged without breaking stride. “Hard to tell. For all we know, the scientists could be looking to attach themselves to the group to gain passage to the Kingdom in the Clouds or be looking for a favorable introduction to the King.”

“If they’ve been able to make even some of the compound they need, they could easily buy access to leaders outside the empire,” I said.

“Which is why it’s important that I attach myself to their group now,” Devon concluded.

“Prince or princess?” I asked.

“You know them both better than I do, Cosimo. Who do you think I should approach?”

We passed through the security door into the staff stairway of the club. “Become friends with the Prince. Emma is leery of men. You’ll raise too many flags if you approach her. She’s with Samantha in the club, so I’ll see if I can hint that you’re willing to be a friend, but I think the Prince is more likely to latch onto you if you hint at favors you can deliver from the club. Emma thinks he is selfish and vain, so maybe play on that.”

Devon nodded and then I stopped at the internal monitoring station. It only took a few minutes to ascertain where the royal twins were. “Ethan is at the blue pool on the south terrace. Emma is also in the blue, but in the eastern section. I’ll go find her and Samantha.”

“Try to let Samantha know I plan on escorting the twins to Romafino at least, and possibly further, in case she mentions recognizing me.”

I nodded and we parted ways.

The eastern section of the blue wing was adjacent to one of the club spas, so I suspected Samantha was treating Princess Emma to some relaxation on their last days in the Empire. Their ship would be departing Romafino in three days.

I used the staff hallway and checked the status board. It looked like the two ladies had just finished massages. The wing manager told me they had adjourned to the sauna. I thought about it for a moment, then stepped into the locker room and stripped before grabbing a towel to wrap around myself. A quick shower and then I went to find my girlfriend and her guest.

“Cosimo!” Emma said with almost a shriek as I stepped into the sauna with a cup of mint tea.

“Hi, Emma,” I said as I walked closer to her and then leaned over to kiss Samantha. They were both wrapped in thick white towels, but looked equally attractive despite the sheen of sweat on them. I handed Emma the cup of tea, and sat next to Samantha.

“What brings you into the sauna, interrupting our girls day out, Cosimo?” Samantha asked as she leaned her bare shoulders against mine.