He was calm. All things considered. He couldn't do anything but laugh at the situation.

I'm going to die today. And I'm laughing.

If Felix stopped and thought about the situation, it made sense, at least in his mind. During the war, he could have, should have, died hundreds of times in situations far and away outside of his control. If thought back long enough, the Police who took him away from Katrin's house should have shot him when he didn't drop that lamp.

Even further back, when he was barely more than a baby and stealing the watches of gentlemen on Schalcten Street. The Gentleman with the Black Gloves should have taken him around the corner and beat the senselessness right out of him. No one would have noticed, or cared. Just one more street kid on the wrong end of his better's hand.

Maybe I was lucky all along, I should have been a gambler.

But he dismissed that thought. He was terrible at cards, even when he didn't let the squad win. He wasn't like Karl, who could roll a pair of dice as round as a roll of ham at his Deli. Felix wouldn't have lasted long if he was a gambler.

Probably, I'm just too stubborn.

That made more sense. When his foot was blown off by that mine on that could field, he was too stubborn to die even then. He got up on his good foot, and hobbled all the way back to his camp. The Fat Colonel may have called him a coward (and he got socked in the face for that), but the men called him a brave, damned fool. The line of blood from his foot dragged all the way from the battlefield to the camp, and the men had even hoisted Felix up on their shoulders to take him to the field hospital.

But if it was luck or stubbornness that kept him alive all this time, both had finally run out. It was Wednesday today. And the Princess would be having her birthday on Friday. He had to be dealt with, today.

As was custom, Felix had the right to certain luxuries the day before an execution. The Warden's Wife could make him a special meal, if he asked for it. He could sleep his final night in a cabin in the woods not far from the prison. Even though it was – technically – a crime, The Warden had offered to arrange "company" from a beautiful woman. And if he had any family, they'd be allowed to visit and spend the day with him, in quiet and comfort away from the prison.

But he didn't want any of that. As he said to the Warden before, all those things were just temporary. Once they were over, they'd be gone, and it never would have mattered. All Felix wanted was his story finished, which he knew it was. But the Warden pressed the issue, and Felix did allow himself one final luxury.

He sat up from the cold, iron bed, walked over to the player, and lifted the needle. He took the record off, returned it to it's place in the sleeve, and picked up another record, the last one in the pile. Felix had asked the Warden if he could go to the Opera that night. The Opera had refused to allow prisoners in their house, but they provided the next best thing, a record player and a collection of their most popular performances.

Felix looked at he sleeve of the final record. He couldn't the read the words of the title, so he looked at the pictures and the colours to make sense of it. It was aquamarine, the colour of Katrin's eyes. And on the cover was a woman in a red dress, staring out at an ocean of blue. The Woman wasn't Katrin; her hair was too long and she was too short, but she looked beautiful and sad all the same.

Just like Violet.

He placed the record on the bed, lowered the needle, and flipped the toggle switch. A few seconds later, the music started, and Felix turned the dial over as far as it could. All night, the music had played in the prison walls, and the men were calm and relaxed, enjoying the sounds that took them away from this place.

First, the sounds of the ocean played. The waves broke gently against the rocks of the shore. The wind blew in a calm breeze to the left. Gulls and Birds flew above the sea, free and flying anywhere they wanted. And the violins started, a calm tune playing to the theme of the waves. And then the woman in the red dress began singing.

My heart belongs to the sea

Calm and so far away

If my heart is ever broken again

Ill find you lost at sea

Felix closed his eyes and tried to imagine the scene. The Woman stood against the edge of a ship's rails. A young man had broken her heart, and she escaped to the sea to find it again. But along the way, she forgot the love she had for the young man, and instead gave her heart to the deep, blue ocean.

It was a calming piece. The Woman wasn't quite as good a singer as Katrin, but she was very calm and beautiful. The violins were played with care and paitence, and the house had done a great job of capturing the sounds of the sea.

For just a minute, Felix felt like he was somewhere else.


Tap, tap , tap

"I'm sorry Felix, but it's time. On your feet, Young Man" said Olaf, sad and tired at his duty today.

Felix opened his eyes and sighed, "I was on the ocean, Old Man. Or at least I thought I was. Can we leave the record on though? I'm pretty sure I can hear it from the yard"

"Doesn't bother me. Let's get going" Olaf said, lifting his jangling keys to open Felix's cell.

The Bars opened, and Olaf stepped to the side to let Felix out. Before he left the Cell, Felix lifted the needle and moved it back to the start of the record. There should be just enough time for the record to play fully before he died.

"No cuffs?" Felix asked, surprised that Olaf was simply standing still.

"What's the point? You know where your going" Olaf replied.

"I do, yeah" Felix said, walking down the hallway with Olaf following behind. He was far enough away to let Felix walk free, but close enough to keep an eye on him anyway.

The old and young man stepped out into the yard. The Sun was shining bright again, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. And Olaf left the door to the prison open, so Felix could still hear the sounds of the sea.

At least I'll die on a nice day.

The Yard was empty, but he could see the other prisoner's watching through the few cells to overlook the yard. Only Felix, Olaf, the Shooting Detail and the Warden were in the yard. But suddenly, someone else stepped out from behind the Warden, and Felix had one final surprise on this day.

"Good Morning, Felix. Did you sleep well?" Violet asked, walking calmly and grasping a think book in her metal arms.

"Violet?! What the hell are you doing here?" Felix asked in shock.

She smiled, gently, something else he'd never seen her do.

"There is one final matter before I can complete my contract with the prison. You never told me who should read your story" said Violet.

Again, Felix couldn't do anything but laugh, "To be honest. I never thought about it. I wasn't even expecting to get the story finished, let alone have it finished to the point that someone could read it. Seems a little late to worry about that now"

"Every letter deserves to be sent, and every story deserves to be told. It is the motto of CH Postal Company" replied Violet, letting the smile fade from her face.

Felix thought for a long moment about the question.

I don't have any family. She's my only friend now. Olaf can't stay awake long enough to read it. I can't read.

"You know, you should know me pretty well by now" Felix said, staring at the grass beneath his feet, "Would you read my story Violet? Even if your the only one who reads it?"

She nodded, "Yes. I will keep it close to my heart, and tell it to anyone who asks. Would that be okay?"

Felix returned her nod, "Sure. You'll probably meet a lot of people over the years. It'd be nice if someone remembered me"

He sighed, and then looked at the post which would be his final resting place, "Well. Time's up. Thanks, by the way. For listening to me, and for coming today"

"There is no need to thank me. You are my friend, Felix. I would travel anywhere to see you again" She replied, repeating her first words but with more sincerity this time.

Olaf gently led Felix to the post. By regulation, he was supposed to tie his prisoner to the post and blindfold him, but he refused, either out of respect to Felix, or defiance of the Warden.

"Thanks Olaf, I wanted to see it coming" Felix said, straightening out his prison smock and standing at attention, with his hands behind his back.

The Warden step forward and spoke loudly, "Felix Schlager. By the laws of God, and his majesty the King, you have been found guilty of displaying cowardice before the enemy in a time of war. For this crime, you will be shot until you are dead. Do you have any final words before the sentence is carried out?"

Again, Felix thought for a long a moment. He looked once to the sky, staring at the blue that he wished was the colour of the ocean.

I wonder if I'll see the sea when I'm gone

"No Sir. Everything is in my story there" Felix said at last, pointing at Violet.

The Warden nodded, and held his arm high, "Detail, stand to!"

Six uniformed officers, armed with rifles, stepped forward and faced down Felix. He didn't recognize any of the faces. And they were all so young.

"Make ready!" The Warden cried out.

The Detail loaded a single round into the breach of each rifle. They pulled their bolts back, and let the bolts fly home. The sound made several people finch, including the Warden. But Felix didn't flinch.

It's strange. All the times that Violet's damned typewriter made me flinch. But not now, with actual rifles in front of me

"Take aim!" commanded the Warden.

The Detail shouldered their rifles, and each of the six men were aiming at Felix's heart. He looked at each of the six in their eyes. They were so young, and at least two were shaking in terror

Don't Miss

Violet, suddenly, dropped her book, and offered Felix a sharp salute. He was touched.

We really are friends

Felix snapped a salute back, and held his arm until the final command.

"May God take mercy on your soul. Fire!"

The shots cracked out, like a tree being felled by an axe. And they didn't miss. A single bullet struck Felix's heart.

And without a fuss, without a single word, he made his way out of this life, and into the next.

Look at that, an ocean.

1 Year Later

"Your tickets, Miss?" the Steward said, holding his hand open respectfully but firmly. There were a lot of grifters about today. Everyone wanted a spot on the liner.

"Evergarden, Violet. My companion's name is Isis" Violet replied, extending the tickets into the Steward's hand.

Today was the maiden voyage of Northern Starlight. A luxury liner that would sail the Leiden coast from north to south for seven days and nights. She was advertised as a floating hotel at sea. The hull was painted a bright white, with real gold coating the railings over the many observation decks of the private cabins.

A year ago, Violet had made a promise to her friend, Felix. She would go see the ocean, and learn more about music along the way. Since the private cabins were for two, she had brought her own best friend for the journey, a fellow Auto-Memories Doll named Isis.

After the Steward had confirmed the tickets were genuine, he looked up at smiled at the two dolls, "Everything is order here. May I be the first to welcome such beautiful ladies aboard the Northern Starlight. We'll be sailing along the coast for the next week, and our charts predict fine weather of sunshine for the entire journey"

He motioned for some common hands to take the Doll's belongings, "The men here will see that your possessions are stowed in your cabin. We intend to set sail in an hour from now."

Violet handed over her parasol and case to the common hands, while Isis did the same with her own suitcase.

Isis shouted back "I'm hungry! What's there to eat on this tub?!"

The Steward Laughed, "For you, my dear, we have the finest meats from the Capital City. A young man from Felix's Deli on Schalcten Street has a tray of sandwiches laid out on the sundeck just above us, feel free to feast"

Isis took off at her best speed to the sandwiches, while Violet politely asked with her book in her hands, "Excuse me sir, is there a particular place on the ship where I can watch the sea?"

The Steward pointed at a place halfway down the middle of the ship, "The sundeck, where your friend is running to at the moment. If you look to the starboard, which is the right, as we leave the harbour, you'll have a magnificent view of the ocean. My name is Smith, please let me know if there's anything you need during the trip"

Violet bowed before she walked calmly up the gangway. A short time later, she found a bench on the sundeck, and looked starboard as Smith had told her. The horn of the ship sounded loudly, and Northern Starlight proceeded gently out of the harbour. The Sun was just begining to set, and the light was shimmering brightly on the waves of the ocean.

Isis sat down next to her on the bench, a plate full of sandwiches between the two Dolls, "Have you tried these yet, Violet?! These are the best sandwiches ever!"

Violet nodded, keeping her eyes on the ocean, "The roast beef is the best. Three slices, each a quarter inch thick. Lettuce, tomato, and a single stroke of mustard between two pieces of rye"

Isis dug through her plate, and found the sandwich Violet was talking about. She took a massive bite, and smiled between pieces of the sandwich, "Holy! You weren't kidding. This is the best!"

Violet patted her book, "My friend thought so to. It was his favourite sandwich"

Isis cocked her head to the side, "That's the client you had in the prison right? What happened to him? You just came back that one day, and you didn't say anything about him"

Violet closed her eyes, even though Felix would be angry that she wasn't looking at the ocean, "He was executed. A year ago today. The sentence had to be carried out before the Princess's Birthday Celebration".

Isis sighed, and put a hand on Violet's shoulder, "Wow. I'm sorry. It sounds like you miss him. Does he have any family or friends?"

Violet shook her head, "No family. And I was, am, his only remaining friend. His wish was that I could see the ocean, and learn about music. That is why we are here today"

"I see," said Isis, taking another bite of the delicious sandwich, "Well, did you deliver his letter?"

Violet opened her eyes, and held up the book, "He did not compose a letter. Instead, Felix asked if I could write the story of his life. It is here, in this book"

"Did anyone read it yet?" Isis asked, chewing away.

Violet stood, and walked over to the railing. Northern Starlight turned right, and the ocean took over the whole horizon, with the sun meeting the water at the horizon.

She opened the book and spoke gently next, "You will be the first. The story is called A Soldier's Tale"...

The End.


AN: Thank you so much to everyone who liked my little story. There will be more VE stories if you'd like to hear them. As always, please feel free to review or PM me with your thoughts, the support is appreciated immensely 3