Cesarz

Click. Click. Click. Even her heels made her nervous; the idea of what she was about to do being foreign to her. She stepped in, finding her seat as the senate begun; prepared to discuss the war and their involvement. She watched in apprehension as the senate started; discussing the basic… rather trivial… American bills. And then they said it. Her name. She got up, walking through the many rows and to a podium.

“Hello, peoples of the American senate.” She started, pulling her notes out, hands clammy and nerves alive. “I come before you today with a cry for help.” She paused again, mumbling an apology as she tried so hard to collect herself. “Poland has, yet again, been invaded and the only thing that gives us hope is the help of the fins but we fear that soon; they too will fall.”

“I ask, not only for your open ears but-” She stalls again. “We need your help.” She breaks the script. “You are a strong country that we hope will come to our rescue; in hopes that you may destroy Russia and save the world.”

“We, the Polish Commonwealth, do acknowledge that you may be… very busy but it was a great risk getting me here to ask for your help. I ask that you- please.” She said, beginning to get emotional as the feelings overwhelmed her, dragging her soul into the depths of a fear that she could not quite grasp. Tears fell, a stunned silence filling the halls.

“My people are dying. Women are being-” She faltered again. Was she going to say it? “Assaulted. We need your help before Finland falls too- we need hope. Please. Give it to us!” Alozja stomps her foot, a subconscious show of the urgency she felt. She collected her papers and rushing back to her seat, embarrassed but otherwise fine. She sighed as the speaker got back up and orchestrated the vote. Yay to help Poland...Nay to leave it be.

She watched as each person raised their paddles...a barrage of nays flooding Alojza’s sight. She couldn’t watch, but she had to stay.

“America will not be aiding Poland in their efforts.” The words drilled a hole into Alojza’s heart. She got up, gathering her things. She rushed out of the room, the eyes of the entire senate following her. She didn’t stop, instead of rushing out the gate to leave; unable to fathom what had gone wrong. She walked down the steps, running to the street and hailing a cab.

A cab started almost immediately, and she got in, digging for the fare so she’d have it prepared.

“The Hilton, please."

“Yes, miss.” The cabbie said, flipping on the ticker. Like Alojza he was Slavic in origins, his accent thick.

“You’re from Slavia...eh?” She spoke, wanting to break the silence.

“Wroclaw born ’n raised!”

“That’s cool! I myself was raised in Krakow. Lovely country.” She smiled, a nostalgic look upon her face. Wroclaw was in Poland; the same country she sought to defend.

“Issa shame though; what’s ’appening now.”

“Yeah. I know. I just left parliament and uh- it’s a no go.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, miss. I’m sure it will turn out ’ight.”

“I hope so. After this I’m just going to get back to the band and try to settle down; you know.” She smiled, quite enjoying the conversation.

“Sounds nice. I’m sure it will all be okay, my sister is over there ’n all ’n I worry.”

“I understand what you mean. My brother is a student at the University of Warsaw.”

The cabbie nodded as they pulled up to a stop sign, putting out his cigar and jamming it into the ashtray. “Your brother, eh; he migh’ go to school with my niece then. Eva Mikolajewski if ’e knows ’er.” Alojza only smiled, recognizing the name almost immediately.

“She’s his girlfriend if we mean the same one. He talks about her all the time.” Alojza grinned, deciding that; if Eva was this man’s niece; he was family. She sighed as they came to the hotel; the large, expensive building towering over the car as he pulled into the drive and stopped by the front door. “That’ll be 46 dollars.” He announced Alojza handing over the money. She got out of the car, turning to head inside.

“Wait- what’s your name, miss.”

“Alojza! Tell Eva to have Krysta call me.” She smiled before walking into the building; looking around as she admired the divine construction. She walked to the elevator, pushing the up button. When the doors opened a startled, yet otherwise fine Aapo fell out; looking up at her.

“Oh. Lou! Hey; Quinn sent me to go find’ya.”

“Did they now?” She asked, brow raised in bemusement at her long-term friend. Aapo nodded.

“Yeah. But you’re here so let’s go back to the rooms.” He said, beaming in delight as Alojza stepped over him; offering a hand that he gladly took. Alojza had known Aapo for most of her life; a good friend that had always been with her.

“So, How’d it go?” Aapo asked before Alojza could get a word in, Alojza glancing over before sighing, a sense of dread filling the elevator as the doors closed.

“They said no.”

“What?”

“America’s not helping us, Aapo,” Alojza said as the dread returned. An overwhelming sense of sadness filled her heart and held her captive. Was this what hopelessness felt like? She glanced at her friend who had his brows furrowed. She had only ever seen Aapo this angry a few times...and each time was scarier than the last.

“They’re selfish.” Aapo declared, fists clenched and knuckles white. The elevator stopped with a ding and the two stepped out into an empty hall.

“I uh- I’m going to go- I-”“Go rest, Alojza. You need it. But do me a favor?” Aapo asked as Alojza turned away, stopping only as he spoke.

“Hm?”

“Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault.” Alojza took a deep breath, tears welling in her eyes. She shook her head; running down the hall. She wasn’t going to make a promise she couldn’t keep; especially not to Aapo. She stopped by her and Quinn’s room; digging into the front pocket of her suit only to find her keycard gone. She reached for her purse, only to find it gone. She groaned, realizing that she must have left it in the cab. She knocked on the door, waiting for Quinn to answer. Quinn did so almost immediately; Alojza falling into their arms and beginning to sob as the weight of what had happened crashed upon her.

Quinn sighed, leading her into the room and closing the door. They gently pushed her on the bed so they could go get water and get the story from her. Not that she minded, bouncing slightly on the springs of the mattress. She stared at the floor, rubbing her hands together. What would happen to her people now?

She was stopped from thinking by Quinn who handed her some bottled water; the only thing they could offer in the hotel room they were calling home for the time being.

“Do you need to cuddle?” They asked. Alojza nodded, sniffling as she opened the water downing it as Quinn got back in bed, patting the space next to them. Alojza crushed the bottle, letting it fall. She slipped her shoes off; shifting under the comforter and joining them, resting her head on their chest. Quinn wrapped their arms around her; choosing to stay silent for now.

“They said no.” Alojza sighed; breaking the silence.

“Do you know why?”

“They didn’t say.” She sighed as Quinn ran their fingers through her hair; trying to relax her. Even then Alojza wasn’t sure it was doing much more than lulling her to a night of restless sleep. She hummed contentedly, eyes closing as the eve of the hellish war ended.