Operation Red carpet: Stage 3 Coffee and Medals
40 years after the Great War
Londinium
As Spring approached in 1925, the Rhine front began to seem desperate. The François Republic was sending ever more desperate offensives against the Empire. While the still Neutral Allied kingdom fed information to the continent, knowing they did not yet have the resources to turn the tide. – Andrew WTN special correspondent
March 26th Unified Year 1925
SIS Headquarters, St James's Court, Londinium
Sir Harry Ainsley stared out at the grey overcast sky as the rain pattered down on the window, the Allied Kingdom of Albion was famous for its poor weather and right now it seemed to reflect the mood that had overtaken the country since the fall of the Entente Alliance and failed evacuation of its leaders. Although technically still neutral, the country and its commonwealth had already heavily invested in the other great powers to contain the Empire, but now it seemed there was only a matter of time until they would be forced to intervene directly or allow a European hegemony.
That prospect terrified Sir Ainsley, although boasting arguably the most powerful navy in the world, the Allied kingdom's army was tiny compared to the Imperial war machine. The government had begun scrabbling to increase its military capacity, but it would take time to train and equip the new troops, in the meantime, they had no choice but to sit and watch from the side-lines. This meant they had to help indirectly with volunteers and most importantly with their formidable intelligence network.
It was because of his role within the secret intelligence service that Sir Harry feared the coming storm more than most, he knew how powerful the Empire was. Thus, they had been helping the Republic ferment unrest in imperial controlled areas and with their few allies, while quietly gathering as much information as possible about the Empire's forces. When the wave of Imperial aggression finally hit the Allied Kingdom, they would be armed with the knowledge of how to fight back.
"Have you made any progress with their named, John?" Sir Harry asked the agent sat quietly at the other side of the room, looking through some files.
"Our network has confirmed that the Devil and the Saint have been deployed together in the Rhine theatre." John reported calmly, taking a sip of tea. Sir Harry considered this while rubbing his temples.
"So, it seems they have both Heaven and Hell on their side, I don't envy the republic troops," He frowned. "I hear one gives mercy and the other gives none, it must have a profound effect on morale."
"Indeed," John replied. "The Republic has stepped up their assaults across the front, I assume they hope that the pair can't be everywhere at once, and if they can push the lines forward it will negate some of the damage to morale." He finished, but Sir Harry could tell he wasn't convinced, although the front lines had moved slightly, losses to the republic had been heavy, and support in Parisii was beginning to waver. Further losses could result in unrest and even rebellion if things continued to go so badly, Major General de Lugo certainly had his hands full.
'We've still had no luck with the Devil, but I do have some interesting news about the Saint' John continued, Sir Harry braced himself, one didn't use the word 'interesting' if it was good news. 'We've confirmed his identity, it seems he really is Prince Wilhelm von Hozollern of Letzenbourg'
"But he's only a boy!" Sir harry replied looking at his agent aghast. Usually knowing the identity of an enemy 'Named' was a huge advantage, it meant you could make counter strategies and humanize them for the troops so that they no longer feared them. How could you tell any man, 'Go kill that ten-year-old boy?' On top of that, he was a known figure and 'The Saint' was respected even by Republican troops because of his reputation for being merciful, discrediting him would only undermine their own efforts.
"I know how it seems, but as far as we can tell it's true," John explained before pausing, "it's only a theory but I think the Empire has put him there because of the Letzenbourg situation."
Of course! If the information they had received from their field operatives were accurate, placing the younger heir so close, with access to an Imperial special forces' unit was ideal. Someone would have to act, and soon.
"I'll ask Major General Herbergram, to pass our information along to our republican allies," Sir Harry began, "It might also be worth contacting our man it the Dutchy, let's try approaching the Regent."
"I'll see to it." John nodded, taking another sip. The room went quiet once again, except for the rhythmic drumming of the rain on the window.
"Do you think he'll go for it?" Sir Harry stated, staring back out the window. John seemed to consider the question carefully before replying.
"If we provide him with the black file, he won't have much choice." The agent replied.
"True, but it'll be his people that will pay the price"
Xxxx
March 27th Unified Year 1925
203rd Temporary Command Centre
"How can you be so graceful in the air but as clumsy as an elephant in a waltz?" Visha heard the young prince cry in exasperation from the adjoining room. She had taken to 'accidentally' leaving the door to her superior's office ajar when the prince was around, she wanted to find out exactly how close her superiors were. There was a betting pool amongst the troops about the prince and the Major, so Visha's unique position had made her very popular. Not a day went past where she didn't receive a gift or bribe, to try to extract some more information, and truthfully, she was interested herself, she would love to see her commander happy.
It seemed everyone was united in keeping the pool secret however, nobody wanted to feel the major's ire. Officially Lieutenant Wiess had ordered it to be disbanded, but the fact he had put a bet on them 5 minutes afterward gave it an unofficial sanction. Visha hadn't bet anything herself, she was worried if she did, she might end up interfering too much, and she didn't want to do anything that would hurt either of the officers. Still, she really wanted to know how the two felt about each other.
"Now that was on purpose! My shins are going to be destroyed if you carry on like this!" The prince continued, the major must have stood on his toes or kicked him again.
The major was not enthusiastic about her dancing lessons, she'd even told Visha that she thought it was a complete waste of time. So, she wasn't sure if the prince was a bad teacher or if the commander was a bad student. However, it was expected at a high society gathering, so she didn't have much choice.
Visha did think it strange that this sort of gathering would happen at all, but apparently, the Grand Duke was ill and had only just heard of the prince's rescue. Besides, the nobility seemed to think differently from everyone else, that's why communism rose in the Russy Federation, and her family had suffered for it. The prince and the Emperor were different from the Russy Czars though, the little prince really seemed to care, and from what he had told her about the Emperor, he did too. Apparently, he was horrified by the war and hated that anyone should have to fight, that was why prince Wilhelm was fighting, he knew his uncle could not.
"Fine, I give up! You lead," She heard the prince yell in annoyance, "I'd rather take the embarrassment, than another bruise." He wailed dramatically.
Despite her poor and sheltered upbringing, even Visha knew that a man should lead when dancing, the major, however, was a leader in all things, so the prince's frustration was understandable. She smiled despite herself, these weren't the jibes of someone who disliked a person, they were the frustrations that only happened when you were close and cared. She was now utterly convinced that the prince was smitten with her superior, he'd spent even more time around her, being comfortable enough that he was even falling asleep in his perch on the windowsill in the major's office. Although if the rumors going around were true, the Major was keeping him close for his own protection.
The Major had been furious about the intruder, since then she'd had security stepped up and the prince now had an officer guarding him at all times. Of course, while in her office, the Major took care of that herself, she didn't like too many extra people crowding her office but seemed to have made an exception for the prince.
The pair decided to take a break and Visha was soon summoned to provide coffee and refreshments for them. She poured black coffee for the pair and passed the prince a copy of the Waldstätte Gazette that Christina had delivered earlier, before busying herself tidying the room. She smiled to herself as once again the prince imitated the commander by having his coffee black with no sugar, every sip he took was followed by a grimace, he obviously didn't enjoy the bitter drink but seemed intent mimic the Major's habits.
"I still don't see the point, who exactly am I supposed to be dancing with anyway?" The Major complained, taking a sip of her own drink.
"Well me for starters," The prince chuckled. "And they'll probably be a few sons of diplomats around, just because you're too short to dance with the regent or the ministers, doesn't mean nobody will want to dance with you."
Visha winced instinctively, the Major was a little insecure about her size, she had even sought advice from the army medical personnel about it. The prince's casual remark about it may not have been intended to cause offense, but it was practically a declaration of war. As suspected, she saw her superior's expression darken, tread carefully prince she thought.
"You'll be pretty popular I should think, you're a hero after all," He continued. "Everyone will want to meet my rescuer, you're the guest of honor! I'll hardly get any time with you myself." He finished, looking a little putout. Visha smiled to herself, it seemed the little prince didn't like the idea of having to share the Major's attention. The Major meanwhile was still glaring at him.
"You only really have to dance with me, that much is expected, then you can mingle," The prince sighed, sensing the major's frustration. "I don't think I'll be able to walk if I kept you too long." He finished rubbing a bruise on his leg.
"As to what the point is, it's supposed to be fun," The prince explained. "Besides it's pretty much the only chance you get to talk to people without being overheard." The prince clarified. The prince looked a little nervous for a moment as he began choosing his next words.
"I don't suppose you'd reconsider wearing…?" He began carefully but was cut off by an intense glare from the Major. Visha held her breath if looks could kill the prince would be 6 feet under right now, fortunately, he seemed to have realized, and began backpedaling. "You should wear your dress uniform of course." He finished quickly and Visha finally let out a breath. The prince had presented the commander with what Visha considered, a beautifully impressive and ornate ball gown a few days before. The Major had been less impressed, however, or at least she seemed too embarrassed to wear it, so had refused the gift. The prince had been trying, unsuccessfully for the last few days to change her mind but it was clearly a losing battle. It was a shame; she really thought the Major would look cute in it.
They were interrupted by a knock at the door, Lieutenant Wiess entered carrying a fresh pile of reports from western command, it seemed today's lessons would have to be postponed. Visha hoped the Major would decide to put a little more effort into her lessons with the prince, after all, the Major always excelled at everything.
xxxxx
March 31st Unified Year 1925
Letzenbourg City
Tanya stared out the window of her staff car into the darkened city of Letzenbourg, she was told the city was beautiful, but she wasn't really able to judge that right now. The city was engulfed in darkness, and she could only see the ominous shadows of old buildings draped across the narrow, cobbled streets. Imperial commanders had learned from her and her battalion's actions in Dacia and had quite wisely instituted Blackout orders, at least near the forward lines. Every building had thick blackout curtains and every streetlight was now extinguished for the foreseeable future. Even her own staff car, currently being piloted by her loyal adjutant, had its headlights dipped so as to minimize any threat from the Republic air force.
She had been surprised that the function would be held in the city at all. Although home to the Ducal Palace, the official head of the Grand Duchy's government, it was also dangerously close to the front lines. If anything, the 203rd command center was further from the fighting than the Ducal residence, and the thudding sound of artillery fire was clear, even through the windows of the car. The original location had been the castle in Grünvald forest, the known preferred residence for the local royalty, but this had been changed the day before. She had questioned Wilhelm on this, but he had shrugged it off, that in itself was enough to make Tanya suspect he was somehow involved.
Thinking of the little colonel bought a frown to her face, he was the reason she had to attend this ridiculous party at all, and he'd disappeared with his staff a few hours before. All that he had left was a handwritten note informing her that he would meet her at the palace. She'd expected at least some brief on what she could expect, especially with the Emperor's spymaster in attendance, but all he'd done to help her prepare was his idiotic dancing lessons.
She sighed, at least she'd managed to score a couple of minor personal victories against him. It hadn't taken her long to pick up the waltz, but she had purposely pretended to struggle so that he would be forced to allow her to lead. It was perhaps a little childish but sometimes you have to take a victory where you can, besides it had made for a good excuse to kick him without fear of reprisal. The other victory was that ridiculous gown, although she could appreciate the quality and expense of the opulent garment, she refused to be humiliated by wearing it. Fortunately, he had backed down, she had been worried he'd invoke the authority of the high command's 'request' to get his way, but maybe she had overestimated how childish he could be.
Visha slowed the car as they pulled up in front of the renaissance palace, although it too was shrouded in darkness, Tanya could make out the silhouettes of its châteauesque towers and tall chimneys. Gathered around the front security checkpoint was a group of both Letzenbourg and imperial soldiers, evidently, they were sharing security responsibilities for the evening. Something that Tanya was profoundly thankful for, her experience with Letzenbourg's forces thus far, had left plenty to be desired and knowing that some Imperial forces would around come as a pleasant surprise.
As they pulled up, an officer rushed forward to open her door and instructed the lieutenant on where to stow her vehicle. She also caught his quiet whisper as to where the driver's card game was going to be held while they waited for the party to end. Tanya smiled to herself, at least her adjutant would have a profitable evening. Visha had become infamous for her card-playing prowess, the local officers would likely be forfeiting most of this month's pay to her. She bid her subordinate adieu, presented her security credentials and wandered into the grand building, not entirely sure on what to do with herself.
She entered the main entranceway, it was decorated with marble columns, with a huge staircase at the far end. Above was balcony that curled around the upper floors and a huge crystal chandelier sparkling brightly. The walls were decorated with ornate wood paneling and gaudy paintings of the past inhabitants, surrounded by frames with far too much gold leaf. She paused at a huge mirror to straighten her uniform and cap. It had been some time since she wore her full dress-uniform, and she had been slightly disappointed to find it still fit since she last donned it during her War academy graduation. It seemed she hadn't grown since the year before, the only adjustments that had been made were adding her rank indicators.
The little colonel had also strictly instructed that she should wear every decoration she had ever received, including the silver wings and the badge given to her as one of the members of the war college 12 knights. Apparently, the nobility took great stock in the trinkets, but she supposed it would be nice to show off some of her achievements, wearing medals on the battlefield was like painting a target on yourself, so she didn't get to show them off especially often.
Seeing a young maid hurrying past her reflection, she turned and stopped the passing servant to ask exactly where she was supposed to go. The girl looked completely confused and looked around for help before curtsying and asking how a little girl had managed to get in, and if she left now, she wouldn't get into trouble.
Tanya fumed inwardly, so much for being the guest of honor she thought to herself. Before she could say anything further, she heard a familiar chuckling from above, the little colonel was leaning over the banister of the balcony with a smirk.
"Good evening Lady Degurechaff, are you lost already?" He called with a smile as he made his way down the stairs. Flanking him as expected, were the two sisters, there was no sign of Captain Hausmann however, she wondered where he was lurking, the prince had taken all three of his teammates when he left earlier.
Tanya regarded the little Machiavelli, as he approached her. He seemed covered in various royal insignia and medals, it was almost insulting, she doubted he was entitled to any of them. She looked closer and saw he had an Imperial aerial assault badge, the much lesser version of the silver wings and the only adornment they both shared. Seeing him in combat she could, reluctantly admit that he perhaps deserved that one, apart from that she couldn't make a case for anything else he wore. As far as she knew they hadn't made a medal for deception, but if they did, she'd be the first to recommend him for one.
The other thing that struck her as odd, was that he wasn't wearing his usual Letzenbourg uniform, instead, it was the dress uniform of an Imperial Artillery colonel, complete with a golden aiguillette and greatcoat, that could have been a jacket on any adult-sized officer. As always, he had his sword, and she couldn't help but notice it looked slightly shabby compared to her own decorative saber. Seeing her questioning look he glanced down at himself, as though he'd forgotten somehow what he was wearing, before returning his attention to her, still smiling cheerfully.
"Oh, didn't you know? I'm the colonel in chief of the 7th Imperial Artillery regiment, its honorary obviously, but you know what they say about artillery winning wars." He said grinning. Another honor you don't deserve she thought cynically, she knew royalty tended to get these honorary titles, but knowing what she knew made it all seem like a farce.
She wondered why he would choose a Letzenbourg high society gathering, to suddenly start posing as an imperial. This was supposed to be the Grand Duke's party, his own 'father,' it would seem like he was distancing himself from the rest of his 'Family' and his Country, especially with so many Imperial officers around. The little manipulator would know this she was sure, he was making a statement.
"Let's go! We'll be late for our own party." The little colonel said checking his watch and holding out his arm, reluctantly she took it and they walked through the maze-like corridors of the palace. As they went the Tanya noted the two sisters split off in different directions, obviously on some secret errand, while the little colonel explained the history of the building. They passed multiple servants and guards, all of which stopped and bowed as they passed, the boy seemed to ignore or acknowledge them at random.
Eventually, they reached a huge set of double doors, with an immaculately dressed butler waiting in front of them. He bowed and greeted the pair, before informing them that only themselves, the Regent and the Duke had yet to arrive. The little colonel nodded and told him to carry on adding 'mention the silver wings' before the man opened the doors and cleared his throat.
"My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen, I present His Royal Highness Colonel Wilhelm Viktor von Hozollern, Prince of Letzenbourg, Duke of Sarissony, Grand Officer of the Order of the Gold Lion, Knight of the Order of House Hohenzollen and Baron of Kayl" the butler called pausing for a second.
"And Major Tanya von Degurechaff, Member of the 12 knights of the Imperial war collage and holder of the silver wings." The butler finished bowing and stepping aside.
They walked through the doors, and Tanya couldn't help feeling annoyed that all her achievements had been condensed into so little compared to her companion's fraudulent reputation, she pushed those feelings aside, she needed to think clearly. There was still the opportunity to navigate this mess and have the counterfeit prince arrange for a safe and comfortable post for her somewhere, besides could she honestly say she wouldn't use her social status to her advantage if she were in the same position?
The room they entered was the grandest yet, a huge white and gold room with 3 enormous chandeliers illuminating it. Clustered around the edges of the room were various groups of men and women, in grand dress and officers in dress uniform mingling while sipping wine. They all turned to them as they entered, bowing or curtsying respectfully. The little colonel waved everyone to continue and guided her towards one of the closest groups.
She was relieved to see General von Hans in the group, at least she knew somebody here. He greeted them warmly and she was soon introduced to the Letzenbourg Prime minister and his wife, as well as the Imperial ambassador, and finally Vice Admiral Friedrich Canaris.
A servant appeared and offered her a glass which she took gratefully, while the prince waved him away. She was slightly disappointed to find it was just grape juice, giving me a machine gun is just fine, but a glass of wine is just too much, she complained inwardly. She pushed her frustration aside and took the opportunity to study the Imperial spymaster, while the little manipulator kept everyone else's attention.
He was a tall, balding man with strangely friendly eyes, he said very little but listened intently at everything around him with a small reassuring smile. His dark navy uniform made him seem taller and unlike many other officers around, he wore very few medals or adornments, other than a campaign strip and an Iron cross. He turned his head to look at her and suddenly she felt as if under a microscope, it reminded her of the past life, when a CEO noticed her past self's management skills, it was both exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.
"Major von Degurechaff, it's good to finally meet you," He began in a friendly but quiet tone. "Your name has been crossing my desk quite often recently."
"Thank you, sir, it's an honor to meet you," She replied, hoping he was referring to the reports she was sending to Berlun, rather than any of the Admiral's agents or worse still, his connection to Wilhelm.
"You already have an impressive record," He continued gesturing to the little colonel, who had moved on and now was talking to some noble ladies. "His Highness is particularly impressed with you. He's been singing your praises across the high command and mentioned you in his letters to the Emperor." Tanya made an effort to keep her expression neutral, she dearly wished she could know exactly what Wilhelm was saying about her behind her back.
"Indeed, if what he says is true. I'll have to see if I can persuade Zettour to part with you," He continued with a small chuckle. Tanya let out an involuntary sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Sir." Tanya replied sincerely, she was a little shocked at this news, she had begun to wonder if the boy was secretly undermining her. It seemed that since she'd found out about the box, he had become increasingly troublesome, she'd even started to suspect he might be trying to replace her, but the admiral was suggesting he was holding up his side of the bargain.
Before their conversation could continue further, however, the main doors once again flew open and the butler from earlier called once more. Wilhelm suddenly appeared by her side.
"My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, I present His Royal Highness Ludwig Albert Felix von Hozollern, Prince Regent of Letzenbourg, Grand Officer of the Oak crown, Baron of Belvaux and Princess Charlotte Élise von Hozollern."
The room went through the same ritual of showing acquiescence, by bowing or curtsying, Tanya herself chose to bow, much like the gown she had been immovable on that front. She couldn't help but notice the Regent had a smaller list of honors, obviously, some of the colonel's had come from the Empire as well as the little Dutchy. As she rose, she realized one person had not bowed, Wilhelm, the regent, and his wife moved towards them never taking his steely gaze off the young boy.
The regent was a tall man in his early 30s, his black hair was slicked back, and he wore a formal dinner suit complete with a tailcoat and a gold and green sash with a star to signify this order of the oak crown. He escorted his wife on his arm like a trophy, she was surprised and suspicious to find the dress she wore to be identical to the one the little colonel had tried to force on her. She felt her teeth grind instinctively, she was sure it was some subtle way to mock both of them and was glad to have dodged the situation.
"Big brother, dear sister, you both are looking well," Wilhelm called "May I introduce my Savior, Major Tanya von Degurechaff."
The Regent's eyes shot to Tanya giving her a calculating look, he bowed and greeted her.
"A pleasure Lady Degurechaff, I understand you've been keeping an eye on my dear brother, perhaps you'll have some luck persuading him to come home." He said, his voice devoid of even the slightest bit of compassion, it seemed the little colonel wasn't lying about there being any love lost between the two of them. He turned back to his brother fixing him with a disapproving stare.
"I see you've decided to forsake our country, Wilhelm." The regent said coldly earning shocked gasps from both Imperial and Letzenbourg listeners nearby. Tanya could almost see the little colonel summon all his acting prowess as she saw the boy's eyes begin to water and a look of shame appear on his face.
"B..Big brother, it's nothing like that," He began as tears fell down his innocent mask, "I just wanted to honor our allies, so many of our soldiers are fighting together I thought it would show everyone we're on the same team, I'm sorry, I'll go change."
Hushed whispers spread across the room, General von Hans looked genuinely insulted, while the Vice-admiral looked on impassively. Even some of the Letzenbourg nobles were whispering that the regent was being overly harsh, especially in front of so many Imperial officers. The Regent looked around with a look of surprise, it seemed he had not realized quite so many Imperial personnel were in attendance.
"That won't be necessary, Father will be here soon, try to behave yourself." He finished before he and his wife returned to the crowd. She turned back to the little colonel, who was now surrounded by well-wishers that wanted to assure him he'd done nothing wrong. She caught his eye briefly and he returned a quick flash of a triumphant smile, it was almost like he was trying to provoke the regent, but why? Her thoughts were cut off however as once again the Butler called for everyone's attention.
"My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen, I present His Royal Highness the Grand Duke Ferdinand Henri von Hozollern Of Letzenbourg, Prince of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon-Parma, Grand Master of the orders of the Gold Lion and Oak Crown, Baron of Grünvald." The servant called.
To her surprise, the Grand Duke didn't enter through the main doors as everyone else had. Instead, he appeared through a small hidden entranceway at the far end of the hall. Again, everyone bowed as the man shuffled along supported by a nurse.
As she rose, she studied the Grand Duke, he was supposed to be in his early sixties but he both looked and acted like a man approaching his nineties. He was a gaunt, thin figure, his clothes looked as though they were hanging from his bones. He looked confused and unsure of where he was, even from a distance you could see his eyes were glazed over.
As the Elderly man was seated in the large throne at the far end of the room, the Regent began a slow respectful walk towards his father. Suddenly the little colonel rushed from the crowd, towards the Grand Duke, embracing the man in a familiar hug.
"Papa, I'm so happy to see you, I'm so glad you're feeling better, I hardly ever get to see you!" The boy said, earning appreciative whispers from the crowd for his gentle and loving nature. Tanya almost wanted to laugh out loud, a few hours before she had witnessed him brutally skewer the inhabitants of a republican machine gun nest. She wondered how many of those present would still think he was gentle and loving if they saw the mess, he'd made of them.
The Regent frowned as the Grand Duke seemed to fawn over the little colonel, she couldn't tell if Wilhelm's friendliness was an act or not, but it was clear Duke Ferdinand cared deeply for the boy. The other guests had been momentarily forgotten, and it almost seemed as though they were intruding on a private moment.
Tanya turned away and studied the rest of the room, once again she heard the various dignitaries whispering their opinions on the scene in front of them. Admiral Canaris had escaped to a quiet corner and to her surprise was talking to the Letzenbourg captain Sophia Zerbist. Curiosity got the better of Tanya and she approached to join the conversation.
"Yes, the message has been passed along Captain Zerbist," Tanya heard the Admiral say. "I'm sure they'll be very interested in the news."
"Thank you, Sir, I'm sure the prince will be happy to hear that," Sophia said, noticing Tanya approach. "Major von Degurechaff, I'm glad I've found you, you'll be called forward soon, please be patient with the Grand Duke, he is easily confused." She explained, before excusing herself and disappearing once more.
"So many talented youngsters." She heard the Admiral mutter. She had no time to consider his words, however, as she was soon called to join the Ducal family.
Although Wilhelm had been less than helpful when it came to preparing her for this evening's events, she had been able to privately find out, at least some of the etiquette she was supposed to follow. She approached the Grand duke, bowed and then kneeled before him until given permission to rise, which was quickly given.
"Papa this is Lady von Degurechaff." Wilhelm said clutching the elderly man's hand.
"An Imperial? You know her from the academy yes?" The duke said in a crackly and weak voice, looking confused. Both the colonel and the Regent turned away with a look of awkward sadness.
"No Father, she's the one that rescued Wilhelm, remember?" the Regent replied quietly.
Tanya stood feeling awkward as the old man looked at her bewildered, evidently, his condition hadn't improved as much as had been reported, the rest of the guests shuffled uncomfortably around her. Eventually, the Regent took over with a sigh.
"Major Tanya von Degurechaff, we thank you for your gallant service to the Grand Duchy of Letzenbourg, in the rescue of my brother Prince Wilhelm," He began, not sounding especially enthusiastic. "For your Service, my brother will now honor you." He finished.
Tanya stared over at Wilhelm in confusion, nobody had said anything about honors. The boy stood in front of her and ordered her to kneel, she felt herself cringe internally. The thought of kneeling before the little colonel was a worse humiliation than the dress, but he also knew she would have no choice in this situation. Reluctantly she obeyed, vowing to find some way to get even with him one day, as he drew his sword and touched it to her shoulders.
"Tanya von Degurechaff, we award you the title of Knight of the Order of the Golden Lion," He began and passed her a large silver cross with a lion at its center. "And award you the Cross of Honor and Military Merit." He finished pinning another medal to her before bidding her rise to the sound of applause. He gestured her to join him at his side and soon the Regent waved the people for calm before turning back towards the Grand duke.
The confused old man seemed to have rallied some of his wits and slowly raised himself from his seat. He was passed a piece of paper and began reading aloud.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight I wish to give you some unfortunate news," The duke began, "As you all know, my health has been failing and the world is in a time of crisis. I know longer feel capable of leading our fine country at this time, so I will be officially be abdicating tomorrow morning, in favor of my son Prince Ludwig. I know he can count on your continued support." He finished slumping back into his chair.
There was a murmuring from around the room as the assembled guests assimilated this information. The Duke had been ill and unable to perform his duties for years, why suddenly abdicate now? She turned to Wilhelm, expecting disapproval at the idea of his hated brother taking over completely, but was surprised to see him smiling and leading the applause. Glancing around the room she noticed the spymaster admiral didn't look surprised at the news either.
She would like to have said that the rest of the event was pleasant, but it seemed to be dominated by Wilhelm trying to provoke the Regent at every turn. After a brief speech by the regent, they were led to a grand dining room and were going to be served an extravagant meal. The little colonel declared loudly that he could not in good conscience eat such a fine feast while the Soldiers of the Empire and Letzenbourg were still fighting. So donated his meal to one of the front-line troops, soon others followed suit, especially the Imperials and Tanya had been forced to do the same to save face. Their meals had been replaced by the same field rations they received back at the base and factions had begun to form at the party.
Later as the discussion had drawn on, one of the Regent's supporters had complained about how early the event was going to finish. Another had joked that it was because so many of the children had to be in bed. The Prince had heard this and immediately appeared with an apology in his mask of innocence. "I'm sorry, Lady Degurechaff and I don't mean to spoil your fun, but we have to take our place helping those poor men fighting the Republic." He had said and once again the Regent's faction had been made to seem foolish. The Grand Duke had been taken to bed not long afterward, the exertion obviously had become too much for him.
Finally, the dreaded Dance had come, and she had done her best to cling to the walls and converse with some of her fellow officers as much as possible. She had found the General and admiral once again and made an effort to show off her strategic and logistical ideas. She was often interrupted however and had been surprised to find she had received offers to dance from not only young noblemen but also some of the young ladies in their extravagant dresses. Apparently, the idea of dancing with a hero seemed more important than any other consideration as a dance partner.
Time wore on and the little colonel still had not approached her, he had been busy talking to every group, joking with nobles and dignitaries young and old and dancing with any young lady he could find, even those who were much taller than him and in her opinion made him look foolish.
It couldn't last forever, however, and finally, he strode confidently, bowed and asked her formally to dance. Of course, she had no choice but to accept, she would seem ungrateful for all the honors he'd bestowed on her, so she joined him in the center of the ballroom. She could feel all the eyes in the room on them, and it made her uncomfortable like she was in a sniper's scope. As the music began to play, the prince allowed her to take the lead and they fell into the rhythm and pattern of the formal dance.
"You didn't tell me I'd have to kneel." She said to him quietly and he laughed.
"Well, you didn't let me see you in the gown so I had to make some other fun. Besides, it was an excuse to boost your profile, next time you're on parade in Berlun you'll need Visha to follow you with all those medals." He chuckled. Tanya resisted the urge to 'accidentally' kick him in the shin again, although it was true, he'd given her a considerable boost in prestige, she really would have preferred some prior warning of the evening's events. Especially when it came to his strange actions towards the Regent.
"Is there a reason you've spent all evening antagonizing your new leader?" She asked and noticed his eyes shine with mischief.
"You'll find out soon Degurechaff," He smirked. "As long as you keep me safe that is." He finished with a hint of warning. The dance ended and he guided her towards the exit. She overheard one of the Regent supporters mention something about the puppet prince being led to dance by his imperial master. Wilhelm rounded on the man and looked up at him innocently.
"The Empire creates great leaders, it's fortunate the same isn't true for you and your Republican friends." He said silencing the man before grabbing her and stalking back off. A murmur went up amongst the crowd, he had effectively called the regent supporter a traitor and now the crowd seemed tense. The regent was desperately trying to calm the situation, to no avail.
Fortunately, Lieutenant Serebryakov and Captain Hausmann had appeared at the door and the little colonel seemed to be intent on getting towards them as soon as possible. They exited quickly and headed for the car that Visha had waiting.
"Well that was fun," The little colonel smiled. "Hausmann, how is everyone?"
"The Regiment all miss you and look forward to your return my prince," Hausmann began. "Apparently the officer the Regent got to replace you is a…," He stopped and looked at Tanya and Visha. "Erm, well it's not polite to say in front of ladies sir." He finished looking sheepish.
It was interesting information, Hausmann had been contacting the Letzenbourg mages, mustering forces loyal to the colonel. Knowing this, and the involvement of the Imperial spymaster, it now looked as though they were planning a coup, his belligerence at the party had been a challenge.
The boy laughed. "Well that's good, how did you get on in the card game?"
"I arrived late sir, but I still managed to lose half of this month's wages to Lieutenant Serebryakov." Hausmann replied sounding slightly bitter. Tanya looked to her adjutant, who was grinning broadly, as expected she had probably cleaned out the guardhouse coffers, Hausmann had been an unfortunate casualty of war.
"You didn't tell me you played Visha!" Wilhelm exclaimed with excitement. "We'll have a game next time if Tanya is too busy for me."
She ignored his familiarity and considered what she knew, he'd previously said a few months, so they weren't ready, but he had imperial support, why wait? Then again, attacking an ally would make the Empire look bad internationally, were they waiting for an excuse? Or were they manufacturing one?
"Don't look so worried Major, I always have an Ace up my sleeve" The little manipulator giggled opening the door to the car for her.
She stared at the boys smirking face, it didn't really matter if she had no choice, the Empire wanted this, and it was completely out of the usual chain of command. Despite her misgivings, it would happen, she would just have to hope it would work.
Maybe you are the work of Being X, If I'd have been anyone else, I might have prayed for this stupidity to work.
Authors note
Everyone forget I said about a word limit ok?!
I do worry I tried to fit an awful lot into this chapter but everything should be set up now, so horah! Less politics!
A few other notes you may or may not be interested in, the various Knightly orders, and the medal of honour and military merit mentioned actually exist in Luxembourg. And originally a looked around the city on google street view to see what it was like...then wrote it all in the dark because it was supposed to be evening.
I hope I never again have to list off so many meaningless noble titles, I 100% went overboard!
Anyhow, Thank you for reading as always, I hope you are still enjoying it and please leave feedback if you want
Xanen