Prisoner Negotiations
To Chancellor Luther,
I wish to advise you, in accordance with the wishes of His Majesty Prince Wilhelm Viktor von Hozollern and the Regency government of the Grand Duchy Letzenbourg, that the sovereign nation of Letzenbourg wishes to issue a diplomatic protest condemning the recent actions taken by Imperial officials.
As you are no doubt aware, on the evening of June 20th, armed Imperial Soldiers entered the Letzenbourg embassy under the direction of Vice Admiral Fredrick Canaris. The admiral went on to detain Major Tanya von Degurechaff, an imperial officer who had been placed under the diplomatic protection of Prince Wilhelm.
These incidents are in direct violation of the agreements enshrined between the European powers at the congress of Wein and a contravention of the terms of our alliance with the Empire.
The Empire and The Grand Duchy of Letzenbourg have a long and shared history and it is deeply saddening that the actions of certain individuals have pushed a wedge between our peoples. Especially since our governments are working so diligently to cooperate with one another in both civic and military matters.
His Majesty and the Regency government of the Grand Duchy Letzenbourg would like this matter resolved quickly and peacefully. As such, if the officer in question is returned to the embassy and diplomatic channels are used to resolve the dispute, the matter will be dropped and the Charlemagne negotiations can continue.
Fabian Schumacher
Letzenbourg Ambassador to The Empire
-Letzenbourg diplomatic protest found by Russy officers after the great war.
June 26th Unified Year 1925
Offices of the Abwehr, Berlun, 09:30hrs
Vice Admiral Fredrich Canaris suppressed a smile as bratty prince launched his latest objection to the confinement of Major von Degurechaff. It appeared he'd been correct in his assumption that Prince Wilhelm and the girl were close, and increasingly it seemed that the rumours that surrounded the pair might have some truth to them. This was now the third official protest the boy had lodged and despite the prince's efforts to keep up his innocent act for those around him, the Admiral could see the fury bubbling in the boy's eyes as he spoke. Canaris couldn't help but feel pleased that his strategy had worked so well.
"Please Admiral, there must be some mistake!" the young prince pretended to plead as his emerald eyes burned with hate. "I can't believe Major Degurechaff is a traitor! This isn't like her at all! Isn't that right General?" he finished as he turned to look at the men in the corner of the room for support.
The boy had gone all out to try to get his little friend released, even going so far as to fill his office with people to speak in support of Degurechaff. Aside from the Letzenbourg ambassador, who followed and parroted the boy in such a way that he wondered if the man possessed an independent thought of his own, the Prince had persuaded both Generals Zettour and Rudersdorf to speak for her. The military faction that had invaded his office had also brought the Major's adjutant, a pretty little lieutenant who was shuffling nervously in the corner.
The prince's near-constant complaints about the armed men entering the embassy and taking the young Major into custody had also brought the foreign minister and the Chancellor to his door to question his actions. The Prince had timed this meeting for maximum effect, so now all of these people swarmed his refuge at the same time. It was quite impressive how much of a nuisance the boy could make of himself when he wanted to.
Canaris wasn't concerned about this though, he had been expecting the prince to try something like this. It was true that his entrance into the Letzenbourg embassy had technically broken the rules of diplomatic immunity, even though he had been apprehending an Imperial citizen at the time. However, with Letzenbourg's imminent integration with the Empire, he could claim a certain amount of jurisdiction over the building, which gave him a legal loophole. Besides, he'd fabricated enough evidence for the rest of the High Command to convince them of the necessity of his actions and any other issues that had arisen would be forgotten soon enough. The Chancellor and the foreign minister were simply here for the sake of appearances.
"Major Degurechaff has been an exemplary officer," began General Rudersdorf between calmly smoking a large cigar as his colleague Zettour watched the exchange in silence. "With her war record, it's difficult to accept that she could have been working for the enemy."
It was these two men he was most wary of. The military was a formidable political force in the Empire at the moment and as the minds behind the revolving door strategy, these two men had a great deal of support. He needed to be careful not to upset the military too much, it could cause far too many problems later. However, these men were pragmatists, and although they may wish to help out their subordinate, they had been in this game long enough to know not to stick their necks out too far. Rudersdorf's calm statement was proof of that, he wasn't protesting directly, only stating the facts as he saw them.
"No one has said she is working for the enemy," he began shooting a sideways glance at the young prince as he calmly lit a cigarette of his own. "No formal charges have been raised at this time; we are simply performing an investigation within our remit. As to her record, was it not one of your own staff officers that once raised concerns about Major Degurechaff's character?"
It didn't hurt to remind everyone in the room that he was working within the limits of his authority, there was little they could really do about it. As for the Major's record, he'd expected to have to doctor some details, but it had turned out not to be necessary. During some routine background checks, he'd found some interesting information about the young girl's time at the military academy. A few incidents had caused a staff officer named Rerugen to question her suitability for the war college due to concerns about her personality. He had been quite surprised by the strength of the man's objections to her application and found himself wondering if he held some sort of grudge against her. Regardless it was excellent news for Canaris. It was so much easier to make a story believable when there was already a foundation to build on and Rerugen's concerns were ideal for his purposes.
"It was true one of our officers had some issues at the time, but Degurechaff has more than proven herself" Zettour replied as he too pulled a cigarette from a case in his breast pocket.
Again, the calmness of the two generals reassured Canaris that they wouldn't act rashly. They knew he was acting within his authority and although they didn't like it, there was little they could do without rocking the boat. So in the meantime, they were probing for weaknesses as any good warrior would, but they wouldn't find any, nobody ever did. He could almost hear the unspoken question on the man's lips as he spoke, do you have any evidence?
He fought to keep a sly grin from his face. Evidence was an interesting thing; it could tell a lie as eloquently as it could tell a truth. Depending on how you present your proof, and how much you allow it to be scrutinised, you could create an entirely different account of a situation. The true set of events could be rewritten if you presented evidence in the correct light and a new truth would be born in its place that seemed as plausible as reality, maybe more so. The prince's attempted coup had provided him with a plethora of information that he could twist for such a purpose.
The boy had initially been working with him to create his plot to take over Letzenbourg, as such he had access to much of its details. In addition, there had been some mysterious occurrences around the time of the Letzenbourg incident that Canaris suspected the prince had been involved in. It was likely only the prince knew the entire truth, but he couldn't admit it freely without damaging himself. So Canaris would explain it all away for him, any theory that explained these circumstances would be accepted by everyone else, almost without question.
Employing this information against the prince directly would be damaging to the Imperial Royal family, and although he didn't consider the Royals essential to the running of the Empire, they were a symbol of stability for the people. He couldn't afford to fail in his duty to the Empire by risking that stability but that didn't mean he couldn't use his information to act against the prince. He had taken a less direct approach instead and targeted one who he is close to, Major Degurechaff. She would be how he would finally get the boy under control.
"We have evidence that indicates signals were sent from the 203rds previous headquarters on the Rhine, but we have yet to trace who these were being sent to." He said allowing the half-truth to simmer in the smoky air.
They say the best lies have an element of truth. In this case, it was entirely true that signals were sent from the mansion, they were sent by the prince or one of his staff. The boy had been keeping in regular contact with Canaris to help with his coup in Letzenbourg and had relied on him to leak information to the Allied Kingdom. The prince could hardly admit that without implicating himself and the shocked look on the boy's face told him that the boy had already caught on to what crimes Degurechaff was being held accountable for. The only real lie in his statement was that he knew precisely who the signal had been sent to, after all, he'd been the recipient, but like the Prince, he wouldn't admit any involvement.
"Additionally, it seems the Major ordered the destruction of the prince's mansion in order to cover her tracks." He continued relishing the worried look that passed over Prince Wilhelm's face for a brief moment before he composed himself once again.
"We have testimony from an Artillery Captain Bohmer, it seems he received written orders from the Major to fire on the prince's mansion," he said, holding up a copy of the offending piece of paper.
It was fortunate that the captain had failed to destroy the document as he had been ordered too. After some analysis, it had turned out to be a well-made forgery, one he recognised as the handiwork of his once protégée, Sophia Zerbist. She would not have acted without instruction from her master however, her unflinching loyalty to the boy was the reason Canaris had not been able to have her in the Abwehr. It was clear that the prince ordered the strike and used Degurechaff's authority to hide his involvement. It was probably easier at the time since he had temporarily surrendered his own command to attach himself to the 203rd but it had backfired spectacularly.
"Why would she order the destruction of her own headquarters if not to cover for something? It's entirely possible her attempted attack of the Brest military port was for the same reason. It seems to me that there is a conspiracy and she could be a danger to Prince Wilhelm," He continued noting the momentary look of spite crossed the prince's face as the diplomats nodded sagely. "It is my duty to protect the entire Royal Family."
He cared little about the Prince's safety of course, but it helped give him justification to send troops into the embassy. The Prince's reaction had been quite satisfying however, it seemed the little prince understood what was happening. If the evidence hadn't been enough to prove to Canaris that the prince had ordered the destruction of the mansion, his reaction was. But he had yet to figure out why.
The Prince could now see that Degurechaff was going to take the wrap for everything that had happened in Letzenbourg, everything he had done. The only way the boy could get her out of it was to reveal his own misdeeds or do as Canaris asked.
For a brief moment, Canaris considered whether the prince had planned to let Degurechaff take the blame for the plan all along but he dismissed it as he saw the barely concealed anger bubbling below the prince's façade. Whatever the boy had been planning, Degurechaff's capture obviously hadn't been part of it. He must have expected that he would walk into the obvious trap he had laid for him with Sophia.
He smiled to himself, perhaps he'd overestimated the prince, it was true he possessed a devious mind, but he was still a child and a bratty one at that. Canaris was good at reading people and it seemed to him that the Prince had not foreseen this, whatever his reason for destroying his mansion, he hadn't expected it to be traced back to him or Degurechaff.
He glanced back at the Generals who stood impassive in the corner, Canaris could almost see the men's minds working to assimilate this new information. They probably still doubted that Degurechaff was guilty of anything, but they would have to accept that as Intelligence chief, he had the duty to investigate these occurrences. Not that it mattered, his goal was to get the Prince to sign the treaty and disappear into obscurity, not to punish Degurechaff. If the Boy behaved, she would go free, but if he didn't, he wouldn't hesitate to have her shot. If the Generals wanted evidence to make that happen, he could always fabricate it.
Next, he turned to the gathered diplomats, who by now were also smoking an assortment of tobacco products, and put on a wide and friendly grin for their benefit. He hated every single member of the Supreme High command. Although he was aware they performed important duties for the Empire, he knew that none of these men were true patriots. Even the chancellor was merely an old man clinging to his ill-gained power and hoarding his wealth. If he wasn't such a competent administrator, Canaris would have already had him quietly replaced. Still, these men were part of the Imperial leadership and he had to act out his role for these men too.
"As you can see gentlemen, I was forced to enter the embassy for the Prince's safe…." he began as the Prince stalked over to the windows and flung them open with a dramatic crash, letting a warm summer breeze into the room and causing all that were gathered to look over in shock.
As the prince turned Canaris could see a hint of defiance on his face before he hid it behind his mask of concern for the young major. Canaris smirked to himself, he boy obviously hadn't given up quite yet but he was obviously close to losing his composure, and it seemed he was about to do something rash. He was inclined to let the boy continue, if he was losing his temper, he could only make mistakes, if he did he would only weaken his position further. He would let the boy dig his own grave.
"It's getting a little smoky in here don't you think?" he said with an exaggerated cough causing the assembled men to share a look of embarrassment while Canaris regarded the boy with wry amusement. It was well known that the young prince didn't like tobacco smoke and out of deference to his rank most avoided smoking in front of him. It seemed the others had forgotten he was there, perhaps the young prince was feeling a little ignored. The boy had made the dramatic gesture to try and turn the attention back onto himself, he truly was a bratty little child.
"As I said, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. If you just let me talk to her, I'm sure we can clear all this up" the boy said looking at the chancellor and foreign minister with pleading eyes. The boy knew he wouldn't get what he wanted directly from Canaris and although he had support from the two generals, they clearly weren't ready to make a move without proper justification. The boy's only remaining option was to try pressuring him through the other council members.
"We are all aware of your fondness for this girl your highness, perhaps that is affecting your judgment on this matter" the elderly chancellor began diplomatically. He knew better than to poke too deeply into Canaris's business.
"Please sir, I'm sure she never meant any harm. If you just let me…." The boy began but the Admiral cut him off by clearing his throat.
"I'm afraid it will be impossible at this time Your Highness" he began making sure to keep a calm tone in his voice despite his growing frustration with the boy. "Major von Degurechaff has yet to be fully questioned. It would be imprudent to let you see her at this time."
He heard a bewildered murmur from some of the assembled gentlemen in the room, but he ignored it. They were likely surprised that he had not yet begun questioning the girl, but it was none of their business how he went about an interrogation, he preferred to let his subjects sweat for a while. Not that questioning the girl was really a priority for him. She was not his target, the prince was. The Degurechaff girl was just a hostage to get the prince to comply.
Still, the boy seemed far too eager to speak to his little companion and Canaris wasn't foolish enough to let the boy have his way, not at this crucial juncture. Although it was a clear sign of his concern for the girl, the prince didn't know when to give up and Canaris couldn't discount that the boy might try to plan something foolish if he allowed them to meet. Although there certainly was some merit in allowing the boy to see her imprisoned, it would drive home the point that he should comply or be punished further. It might finally convince the boy to stop resisting.
He would need to speak to her first to gauge her loyalty to him, her imprisonment may have caused her to reassess her fealty. If so, he could persuade her not to follow any of the child's schemes, she might even have some other information he could use.
"Then please allow Lieutenant Serabryakov to visit her at least, let her see a friendly face" the prince pushed gesturing to the nervous girl in the corner who jumped at the sound of her name being mentioned while Canaris frowned at the boy warily. He was about to deny this request when General Zettour cleared his throat drawing the attention of the room.
"You said Major von Degurechaff had yet to be formally charged, as such she should still have access to her adjutant to help her keep up with her work" the man observed quietly.
Canaris hid his annoyance from his face as he saw a glimmer of a smirk reach the prince's emerald eyes. The General was correct, technically since she hadn't been charged she still maintained the rights and privileges of her rank, including the right to an adjutant. Usually, this would be ignored on the grounds that anyone in questioning did not need an assistant, no one was really expected to carry on their regular duties from inside a cell. Unfortunately, it seemed the resistance that the prince had brought to bear against him had made everyone more defiant on the matter. He'd have to keep an eye on the loyalty of these military men in future.
Still, there shouldn't be a problem if the lieutenant's visit were supervised. He looked at the nervous-looking officer and studied her intensely, she didn't seem the type for subterfuge, her eyes were too innocent. He looked over the rest of her and subconsciously found herself licking his lips. She was a beautiful young woman, her curved body seemed to have a softer look to them than Sophia's did, although that only added to the innocent charm she exuded. Perhaps when this was all over, he would have this Lieutenant Serabryakov visit him at the office. He needed a new secretary. He was looking forward to finally having Sophia Zerbist to himself after all this time, he planned on forcing the prince to transfer her back to the Abwehr but there was no reason he couldn't have both of them around.
"Very well, I can agree to a daily supervised visit," the Admiral said eventually, causing some of the tension in the room to ease and the assembled men nodded in agreement. Soon after, despite some further protests from the prince, the Chancellor announced the matter closed and everyone began to shuffle out of the room. The prince shot a final glare at the admiral before he turned to leave but Canaris stopped him in his tracks.
"Prince Wilhelm, may I have a word in private before you leave?" he called knowing the boy would take the bait.
The Prince halted and Canaris suppressed a smile, it seemed he'd finally learnt to predict the boy's actions. The boy turned slowly and Canaris noted the tension in the prince's shoulders as he moved. Again, the boy wore a mask of naive innocence as he looked up at the Admiral expectantly, but his eyes now burned with anger as the boy struggled to keep his true feelings contained.
"Was there something else Vice-Admiral?" the boy asked, somehow keeping his anger from his voice.
Canaris gestured for him to take a seat and the boy reluctantly complied as the Admiral took his place opposite. The office was now quiet save for the sound of the warm breeze blowing through the window the boy had slammed open earlier.
"I notice you still haven't signed the Charlemagne treaty" he observed after a brief pause as he studied the boy's reaction.
The Prince's delaying of the treaty was beginning to cause issues. Many now believed this was a bargaining ploy set up by Letzenbourg's new prime minister, but it was simply the prince's stubborn streak. As the prince had delayed, the man had managed to amend the treaty to favour more autonomy for the small country. Additionally, the forces occupying the François Republic had found the locals much more compliant around the Letzenbourgers, so much so there was now talk of awarding some of the captured Republican territory to the small state for war reparations. The populace seemed to believe Prince Wilhelm's actions and the ferocity of the Letzenbourg soldiers more than made up for Ludwig's so-called betrayal and the people thought Letzenbourg should be compensated.
Canaris couldn't allow this, some short-term self-rule could be tolerated but for the good of the Empire, the little country had to be integrated into its larger sibling.
"I'm sorry, my prime minister is still concerned about the legal difficulties of the regency" the boy began before fixing him with a sickly-sweet smile. "Besides how can I focus on such things when my good friend is locked away like a common criminal?"
Canaris felt another flicker of annoyance as he saw the animosity behind the boy's mask of innocence. He was fed up with the Prince's pretence of ignorance, it was clear the boy knew what this was really about and now they had no witnesses, Canaris intended to force the boy to admit it. Still, that same animosity was precisely why he knew he'd won, the boy was frustrated and knew he had no way out. Canaris took a breath and buried his frustration, the time for games was over, it was time they laid their cards on the table,
"I see you really are quite fond of Major von Degurechaff, it seems there is something to those silly rumours" he began with a cruel smile as the boy frowned slightly in return. "But it seems to me that she'd be better off if she'd never met you."
Wilhelm remained silent but his face contorted with pain for a brief moment before he looked back at him with undisguised contempt. Without anyone around to impress the boy finally dropped his mask and Canaris could see he truly cared for the girl, that hurt couldn't be faked.
"You framed her, she didn't do anything you described," the boy spat back venomously and Canaris couldn't help but enjoy listening to the barely restrained fury.
"Oh, but who else could have done them, Your Highness?" Canaris returned smugly as the boy's frown deepened. "It was your actions that caused this, you bought this on her and yourself."
The boy clenched his fists and Canaris expected another angry outburst from the little prince but instead, his hands relaxed and he slumped in his chair, sulking quietly. He no longer met the Admirals gaze and instead stared off into the corner of the room gritting his teeth slightly. Canaris couldn't help but smile, the boy was like those foolish Republicans, utterly beaten but still daring to shout defiance. Well, the Republic would surrender any day now, they couldn't fight from their colonies, the Empire had them beaten. Then the Allied Kingdom would come with terms too, they had begun to realise they had lost, just like the child in front of him.
"It could get much worse for her you know, there's only one punishment for treason." He continued adding a threat of menace to his voice and he saw the prince wince as though he had been physically struck. Traitors faced the firing squad and Sophia would have no doubt informed the prince that he would not hesitate to kill if he thought it was for the good of the Empire. The young prince had finally learned how high the stakes really were.
"It's time you stopped playing soldier and spy, it's time you gave up politics and the limelight. It would be better if you disappeared quietly to the country and let your betters look after things," he said, earning a curious mixture of disgust and anguish from the young royal.
"There will be a High command hearing in a few days to decide if you should be punished for Letzenbourg. If you don't want Degurechaff to take the blame for your mess you will sign the treaty and announce your resignation from the army by then," Canaris demanded, studying the boy's reaction.
Again, the admiral expected an outburst but instead, he stared thoughtfully at the corner for a few moments before growing pale and worried. He looked as though he'd seen a ghost. The admiral found himself following the boy's gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary in the room. A pang of worry hit the admiral as he remembered something from the file they had on the young royal.
They'd never truly found out if he suffered the same mental instability as the rest of his family. They'd faked Dr Jung's test results in order to promote prince Wilhelm as a future pro-imperial candidate. They said that stress made the condition worse and the boy had been in a war, it was entirely possible he was beginning to show symptoms despite his youth. Had he pushed the boy too far? All the more reason to get the boy out a position of power as soon as possible Canaris reasoned.
Eventually, the boy mumbled something about souls and turned back to him looking anxious and bewildered.
"I want to see her before I agree to anything," said the prince trying to stiffen his resolve, "and I'll need some assurances."
Canaris studied the boy for a few moments, feeling uncomfortable as he looked into the boy's eyes. He seemed different, for once he seemed like a genuinely scared young child and the Admiral found himself reassessing what he knew of the young prince. He'd always thought of him as a spoiled brat that masqueraded as a naive little hero but now he wondered if that was just another layer to his act. Was this quietly fearful boy the real Wilhelm?
He considered the boy's request, it was clear the boy was almost ready to give up. Even with the help of the uniquely capable Zerbist sisters, this was far too much for him, seeing what he had done to Degurechaff would likely force his complete surrender. Still, he couldn't underestimate the Degurechaff girl either, it was clear she was intelligent and she had managed to worm her way into the young prince's affections. He needed to be sure what she would do before she could allow the boy to see her.
"You can see her in two days" Canaris declared, "when you are finished you can visit me at my home, and we'll discuss your assurances."
Two days would give him a little more time to observe and question the girl, he was sure that after all this he could easily persuade her to work with him to convince the boy to comply with Canairis's demands. He would even allow the pair to have their fairytale royal wedding one day if that was what they wanted, it would make for a good spectacle to control the population.
If she refused, he was sure he could find another way to persuade her. As for the prince's assurances, he would no doubt want some guarantee of the future safety of himself and Degurechaff. For that he would have to hand over Sophia and Serabryakov, he was looking forward to that.
The boy looked as if he might argue and the admiral still saw the hate burning in his eyes, but the prince stopped himself and nodded glumly. Canaris allowed himself a triumphant grin, once the prince had visited the young major he'd be able to sip from the cup of victory from the comfort of his own home. He could even try some of that blackcurrant schnapps his wife had sent from the country.
June 26th Unified Year 1925
Offices of the Abwehr, Berlun, 18:00hrs
If there was one thing Tanya valued above everything else, it was her personal freedoms. The loss of those personal freedoms was one of the things that had put her at odds with Being X. The creature seemed to delight in using it's otherworldly powers to interfere with people's minds and in her case directly control her actions through the type 95. She hated not being in control of herself because she valued her ability to choose her own fate, no fake god had the right to take it away from her.
Sure there were situations that could limit your personal liberties. Serving in the military was one such example but she had used her freedom to choose to accept those limitations in order to increase her chance of survival in this world. The Salaryman's experience and memories of events in the other world had given her enough knowledge to know that war was coming, it was better to exercise her freedom and serve now rather than be forced to do so later. This was the reason her incarceration bothered her so much, what she valued most had been taken away from her.
She was aware that humans need rules and laws to govern them, it was what separated humans from beasts. Despite being a limitation to one's personal freedom, they prevented others from infringing on your own. It had always been the opinion of both the Salaryman and Tanya that this was a fair trade, in exchange for not doing something that society found abhorrent, you were granted protection by the appointed authorities. You could even skirt close to the edges and find exploits and loopholes to the rules while retaining this protection. As long as everyone followed the rules, you would always be safe and successful. Or that was how it was supposed to be.
According to the rules put forward in the Empire's constitution, you couldn't be imprisoned without trial. However, you could be taken in for questioning for an indeterminate amount of time, depending on what you are being investigated for. The Abwher had special powers when it came to how they implemented their "questioning" and had no obligation to tell their captive exactly what they were being held for.
Fortunately, Tanya had only received some basic interrogation since she had arrived, the sort to confirm her name and rank before she had been bundled off to a cell. The Abwher had a reputation for cruel interrogation techniques so she had expected far worse but so far, she had barely seen anyone. She'd been kept in solitary confinement with no visitors until Lieutenant Serabyakov had been allowed to visit her on her fifth day of captivity. She had expected to receive some sort of official reprimand for her attempted assault on Brest military port but when she found out the true reason for her confinement she was beyond furious.
When Vice Admiral Canaris and the gendarmeries had first barged into the embassy, the little colonel had become slightly panicked and had immediately stepped between her and the admiral before protesting loudly at the man's entrance. He argued that the man had no right to bring armed soldiers into the diplomatically protected building and demanded they leave immediately. Unusually the boy had not adopted his usual childlike persona and had remained as his 'true self' when he challenged the intelligence chief but Tanya had been unable to tell whether this was accidental or deliberate.
Wilhelm's complaint was justified, it was entirely true that this was against usual diplomatic protocol for a state to send soldiers into an embassy or consulate, but it seemed the Admiral had no intention of keeping to those conventions. The little colonel had seemed both nervous and angry as he delivered his protest, this was clearly not part of one of his schemes, but it seemed she had blundered into the midst of something serious.
Unbidden a memory from Letzenbourg had filled her mind. When she had been staring down at the battered and broken body of Wilhelm in the Ducal Palace. She remembered seeing the dark expression on the boy's gaunt and waxy face as he'd hissed the words: "Canaris betrayed me" in a hate-filled whisper.
Shit! She thought as she realised what she'd gotten drawn into. Wilhelm had proven before that he would let his emotions overpower what passed for his rational mind, he wasn't the sort to let an apparent betrayal go unpunished. That was precisely why she had been so careful when dealing with him. Obviously, Wilhelm had been stirring up something with the Admiral to get some sort of petty revenge. This combined with the high command seeking to punish him for the loss of the city meant that a confrontation was inevitable, and she was unfortunate enough to be around when it happened.
The boy was an idiot, this wasn't just some officer he could replace to get his way like he had done to get her the preferential position under General von Hans. Canaris was part of the Supreme high command and one of the most powerful men in the Empire. Even with Wilhelm's fallacious position and reputation, provoking the intelligence chief was both foolish and dangerous. Worse still it seemed like she was being dragged into it.
The Admiral had apologised but insisted that he had the duty to ensure the safety of the entire Imperial royal family, including Wilhelm, before turning his steely gaze on her. She'd realised immediately that she had been chosen as the battleground for whatever little conflict the two were engaging in and it wasn't something she was pleased about. She decided there and then she would throw Wilhelm to the wolves if she needed to, she had no reason to be loyal to him. He had just admitted that he had been trying to prolong the war to get his own way. Even if his interference wasn't needed and he'd finally realised the danger of his meddling it was clear he would put his own interests first. If he was going to become a threat to her future, she would use everything she had at her disposal to counter him.
What the ageing admiral had said next had left her speechless, however. He claimed that they had intercepted encrypted signals that had been sent from Wilhelm's mansion, her former headquarters on the Rhine front. They had decrypted these signals and found that they contained information of a plot against the old regent, one that could cause him to defect to the Republic's side.
"It would be unthinkable that young prince Wilhelm would contemplate such a thing," she remembered the Admiral saying with a sly smile on his face as the little colonel regarded the man with contempt.
As the commanding officer of the facility, this mysterious signal leaving the building was ultimately her responsibility so she needed to be questioned. He claimed that this in conjunction with her latest attempt to misuse her authority to attack the Republicans was evidence that she had been trying to endanger the prince. He even voiced his concerns that she was the one behind the failure at Letzenbourg.
She couldn't believe it, she'd been set up! It had been Wilhelm and Canaris who had arranged everything that had happened during the Letzenbourg incident and all the brat's crimes had now been blamed on her. She almost couldn't breathe as she realised how truly bad things had suddenly gotten for her. She was being framed for treason! There was only one punishment for a soldier who committed treason in wartime. A firing squad.
She rallied her thoughts quickly however and pushed down her panic, if Admiral Canaris really only wanted to pin the blame on her, he wouldn't have waited so long after the fall of the city to arrest her. There had to be more to it than that, and looking at the smirk the Admiral gave the bratty colonel and the furious glare the boy returned, she judged that once again revolved around the bratty colonel.
She couldn't let it end this way. She wouldn't go down because of Wilhelm.
She had opted to go quietly with Canaris and the guards, despite the bratty colonel's protestations that she was under his diplomatic protection. She knew she was innocent so going without a fight was her best option. Running would make her seem guilty and relying on Wilhelm's protection was out of the question, she clearly couldn't rely on him for anything. Besides Canaris and his soldiers clearly had no respect for his diplomatic protection, there was little the boy could actually do.
She'd handed over her weapons and computation orbs without complaint, only commenting to the guards that they should make sure that they were kept safe as they were the property of the military. She'd then been cuffed and led out of the building into a military truck waiting just outside the embassy. Despite the humiliation of being led out like a criminal, she had resolved to keep her head high and make sure she showed nothing that could be interpreted as fear or guilt. She had done nothing wrong and she would not show weakness to the admiral. When the opportunity revealed itself, she would offer a trade to the man for her freedom. After all, Wilhelm had already given her the bargaining chip she needed for it.
After the short journey to the offices of the Abwher she had been unceremoniously searched and bundled into her cell. She had not seen the Admiral since then, or much of anyone else for that matter. She had been left almost completely alone save for the guards who would enter twice a day to bring food and occasionally fresh bedding.
She hadn't been idle during this time, however. Although she didn't have any way to send them, she had prepared a letter to Sister Mary at the orphanage and another to a well-known defence lawyer. She would undoubtedly need the evidence she had sent that proved Wilhelm's illegitimacy and if she ended up in court she needed all the help she could get. She had also been mentally preparing for her meeting with Vice Admiral Canaris, if she planned to win him over, she would need to be ready.
She planned to trade the information and evidence she had on Wilhelm for her freedom, but she couldn't simply hand it over. If she did, she could not be certain that the man would not keep his word so she would need to gauge the man to see how much he could be trusted. She didn't expect it to be easy however, she was negotiating from a position of weakness, being imprisoned wasn't exactly a strong bargaining position. She would have to convince the Admiral that she was not allied with the bratty colonel.
She became more convinced as to the necessity of this when Lieutenant Serabryakov had finally been allowed to visit earlier that day. After five days of solitude, she was more than pleased to see a familiar face, although she hadn't been expecting her subordinate to rush over and pull her into a tight hug.
Tanya had felt uncomfortable with the familiarity, but she'd been unable to say anything about it. In a strange way she appreciated the gesture, she hadn't realised how much she'd missed the company of her adjutant and the close proximity and familiar smell of the girl's perfume. She'd almost found herself lost in the girl's embrace before Visha stepped back abruptly apologising for her being so close. It was curious how much she felt Visha's absence once she released her.
Tanya accepted her apology and thanked her before asking her to fill her in on the events of the outside world while a guard studied them closely from the doorway, it was clear they were not going to be allowed any privacy.
She'd asked about the battalion and the war first, unsurprisingly the Republic had still not surrendered, and it seemed the General staff and politicians had still not accepted that it wouldn't happen. Meanwhile, they had officially rebuffed the Allied Kingdom's offer of restitutio in integrum, that would return the continent to its pre-war borders. Nobody had any intention of giving up the spoils while they felt they had defeated their foes.
The battalion had been confined to barracks and asked to give statements to the Abwehr. Visha herself had been questioned about several recent events involving the little colonel and about her opinions of serving under Tanya. The second part of the questioning bothered her, she wasn't sure why Canairs would need her subordinate's opinion of her and it was worrying. She'd suspected the battalion might be questioned, but she hadn't expected them to be confined too. As a good manager, she would have to make sure they were being treated fairly too, she would look like an incompetent and uncaring leader if she didn't.
Eventually, she found herself asking about what Wilhelm was up to, causing the guard in the corner to perk up slightly as he made an effort to listen in more carefully. Not that she particularly cared about him, but she knew she would have to keep track of what the boy was up to if she were to get through this. Visha's mood seemed to brighten as she heard this question and a beautiful and excited smile beamed from her face. She went on to explain in great detail how the little colonel was doing everything in his power to get her released and had been making protests at every level of government for days now. It even transpired that he had been responsible for Visha being allowed to visit her once a day.
Tanya found herself suppressing a sigh, she had almost forgotten that Wilhelm had almost everyone fooled by his little act. She had no doubt his efforts to have her freed were purely down to self-interest. He probably suspected that she might reveal his secret so was doing her best to get her out. She didn't expect him to succeed however, as much influence as he had, he was out of his depth now, it was better if she sided with Canaris.
Visha continued describing the bratty colonel's actions in a meeting with Canaris and some other officials earlier that day. Serabryakov seemed impressed with the boy's brash attitude but Tanya found herself wondering if the boy was actually trying to undermine his own efforts. As the account wore on the beautiful smile began to fade as her adjutant began to describe the evidence.
It was just as Tanya feared, she was being blamed for all of Wilhelm's wrongdoings including the destruction of the former headquarters. What infuriated Tanya the most was that the orders had been officially typed up and doctored to make it seem as though they had come from her. She knew Wilhelm had arranged it in an attempt to rob her of the evidence she had against him but she hadn't known he'd used her authority to do it. Anyone who discovered the orders would immediately suspect her. Whether he intended it or not, the brat had set her up. It was proof she could neither trust nor rely on him.
Eventually, Visha was ordered to leave and Tanya entrusted the letters to her before she was escorted out of the cell. Although the letters would undoubtedly be checked by the intelligence officers, Tanya had been careful not to put anything in them that would raise too much suspicion. Even the message to Sister Mary had only left instructions to send her adjutant the package she had left for safekeeping. Hopefully, this would be enough.
The room suddenly felt quiet and empty again and Tanya felt almost like a void filled the room where the lieutenant had once been. She hadn't realised how accustomed to the girl's company she had become. Serabryakov was an excellent subordinate and Tanya knew she could count on her for anything but it wasn't until she was no longer around that she realised how much she relied on the cheerful young officer to simply be there for her. She had never been the sort that needed other people, but she soon found that she felt almost lonely.
This unfamiliar feeling wasn't to last for long, however. Less than an hour later the guard returned and instructed her to leave her cell, it seemed it was finally time to meet with Vice Admiral Canaris. The walk to the interrogation room was short but slightly unnerving, the sounds from the other nearby cells told her that many of the Admiral's other guests had not been treated quite as civilly as she had. She found herself wondering if she would have a similar fate in store. Although she had trained her troops in the torture resistance techniques she remembered reading about in her past life, she had never experienced them herself. She wasn't keen on experiencing the barbaric act of torture first-hand.
She soon shook that worry from her mind however, she was certain it wouldn't come to that. She had every intention of cooperating with the intelligence chief, he would have nothing to gain from torturing her. Besides, that sort of treatment was a poor way to extract information, she was sure the Admiral was aware of that. This was likely a display to try to put her on edge and it had almost succeeded. Admiral Canaris was a wily one, she would have to be careful she decided as a smile touched her lips. It seems I'm doing the right thing, Wilhelm doesn't stand a chance against this guy.
Finally, they reached the interrogation room and the guard opened the door revealing a small dimly lit room with a table and two chairs. In one of those chairs sat Vice Admiral Fredrick Canaris waiting patiently with a malevolent smile.
"Please take a seat major," he said, gesturing to the other chair as he nodded for the guard to leave. "I hope the accommodation has been to your liking."
"It was a little Spartan but quite comfortable compared to the Rhine front," She said, snapping a crisp salute.
She made a point of following protocol as if this was any other meeting, she was still a member of the military after all and it would help the admiral get the right impression of her. Besides, it helped show her complete innocence; if she followed the rules she would get through this unscathed. It seemed to have the desired effect as the man raised a questioning eyebrow as she took her seat.
She appraised the man carefully with the eyes of a practised negotiator. He sat comfortably, leaning forward slightly on the table. He kept eye contact with her as she seated herself and both his body language and his smile and oozed easy confidence. It was a posture she recognised all too well, in her past life she doubtlessly appeared much the same when she wore the skin of the Salaryman. It was clear the man felt he was negotiating from a position of strength, he felt like he was prepared for any outcome of this conversation.
"I apologise for not coming to meet you sooner, your dear friend prince Wilhelm has kept me quite busy. He's very upset that you've been placed here" said the admiral with his unwavering smile.
"With respect sir, I doubt my wellbeing is at the heart of Colonel von Hozollern's concerns." She replied dryly as she considered the boy's selfish actions that had led her here. "We don't often see eye to eye."
It was a fine line she would have to walk in this negotiation. On the one hand, she would need to persuade the admiral she wasn't on Wilhelm's side and she had no interest in his quest for vengeance against the man. However, she knew she couldn't speak out against the boy too passionately. It was much like a job interview, it reflected very badly if you spoke out against your previous employers. Wilhelm may be a treacherous pain in the ass but he was still technically a superior, this meant the amount she could speak out against him was limited until she was invited to speak freely by the Admiral.
"Is that so?" the man said, raising a questioning eyebrow. "He's making a lot of trouble for someone he dislikes."
Tanya fought the frown that threatened to show on her face. No doubt the real reason the boy was causing such a ruckus was because he was worried she would reveal his secret. She couldn't reveal that to Canaris yet however, she would be tipping her hand too early if she opened negotiations by telling him about the evidence she had on him. She knew from the Salaryman's experience at the Chicago school of business that negotiation was a delicate art and one false move could cost you your advantage. She had to persuade the admiral that she was not part of Wilhelm's plot before she could negotiate in good faith.
"I cannot speak for the colonel sir, but our relationship has only ever been professional" she stated although she knew that was stretching the truth considering what she knew and how she treated the boy. "I personally find him difficult to work with."
The admiral regarded her doubtfully for a moment as he studied her statement. His ice-blue eyes seemed bore into her and it took all her willpower not to flinch under his gaze. After what seemed like an eternity he broke off their staring contest and the smile returned to his face. Whatever test he had laid out, it seemed she had passed.
"I'm sure Prince Wilhelm would be disappointed to hear that. I'm rather good at reading people and I'd say his affection towards you is genuine. Then again, it must be difficult to think too highly of him considering your current circumstances" he began almost casually. "You know why you are here I assume?"
Good, he seems to have got the message I'm not on Wilhelm's side she thought as she noted the pleased look on the admiral's face. This was good news, she had been working with Wilhelm for some time and she'd even written a report giving him some praise for his combat abilities. As such, if she came out and immediately discredited the boy it might have called her integrity into question, making her seem less trustworthy to negotiate with. By being a little more subtle, the Admiral had been able to pick up on it without losing that trust.
It was also pleasing to see that he was getting straight down to business. Although she was more than aware of the importance of building up a rapport with your negotiating partner, she and her past-self had always preferred to be direct and to the point in any enterprise wherever possible. It seemed the Admiral thought the same way, that meant that answering his question honestly and succinctly was the best option.
"I'm being held responsible for Colonel von Hozollern's crimes and the failed coup in Letzenbourg" she reported matter-of-factly, earning a curious raised brow from the Vice-Admiral. "The accusations are of course fallacious and I have no doubt that you are aware of that."
"Oh really?" the admiral returned with a slight chuckle. "You almost make it seem like I arranged for you to be a suspect."
Tanya wasn't foolish enough to directly accuse the man while she was attempting to earn his goodwill, but she wanted him to know that she understood the situation. They both knew that Canaris had been behind the 'evidence' needed for her unceremonious arrest, there was no point denying that. She simply had to be clear that she would not hold a grudge as Wilhelm would. So she pressed on.
"Considering that until recently you were pushing to have Colonel von Hozollern retire to avoid the complications of punishing him, I can assume this isn't simply a way of covering both his and your tracks." She said, explaining her thoughts as the Admiral's smile widened. "So, I assume there's more to this than I'm aware of."
She'd been thinking hard about what she knew while she had been incarcerated in order to figure out what she'd gotten dragged into, and everything led back to the incident at Letzenbourg.
She knew that Canaris had helped the little colonel plan the botched operation, but she also knew that the Admiral had called off the promised reinforcements in order to safeguard operation revolving door. Or at least that is what Wilhelm believed and the boy had vowed revenge even as he lay barely able to breathe in the ruins of the ducal palace.
Since then several members of the High Command, including the Vice-Admiral, had decided that Wilhelm should be forced to leave the military and had been preparing a hearing about the loss of the city for that purpose. Although she knew there had been a strong movement for this all along a combination of his injuries and the failure had persuaded many more it was time for him to step down. She suspected they'd been stalling, however, as they had taken a while to organise the hearing. No doubt they'd hoped that the brat would get the message and resign in order to save the Imperial royal family and the High command the embarrassment. Wilhelm would never agree to that though he had his debt to being X and he was convinced he would die if he didn't continue fighting. So in the meantime, he must have been making his own plans.
Tanya had seen first-hand that the boy was a favourite among the common soldiers, although she still couldn't fathom why. She'd also noted with increasing frustration that his name was often praised in the papers, with interviews with both by the man on the street and some members of the diet all openly praising him. Whether she liked it or not, Wilhelm was popular in the Empire and the boy knew how to use that. She also knew the General staff were savvy enough to realise this too, that must have been how the boy had persuaded them to give him a command again, but that wasn't all.
Since she had realised that the vindictive little colonel would want vengeance on the Admiral, certain other things had started to make more sense. She had read in the after-action reports that neither of the two Zerbist sisters had accompanied him during operation lockpick or his propaganda tour. She hadn't thought much of it at the time but in hindsight, it had been the clearest sign he was up to something. She had been right all along, she had just been watching the wrong person. She was sure the pair had been ordered to do something to earn the Admiral's ire while Wilhelm was away, and now she was paying the price for it. The question was, why her?
"They were right when they said you were an intelligent one, perhaps I should have recruited you for an intelligence post" the Admiral chuckled. "You are correct, there is more to it than that. You're here so that I can finally get the prince under control."
"Huh?" She blinked in genuine surprise, that didn't make any sense. Why would imprisoning her help control Wilhelm? The boy didn't even like her, did he?
"The Prince can be quite cunning," the Admiral began explaining. "I've come to realise that he'll find a way out of any situation that I create for him, so acting against him directly is pointless. There are however, three people who he would prioritise over his own needs."
Of course! The little colonel's staff he's always been especially close to them, she realised as she assimilated the information provided by the Admiral. She'd seen first-hand the irrational ferocity the boy had unleashed after Lieutenant Haussmann had fallen. It stood to reason that he'd move to protect anyone else he felt so strongly about. But why was she imprisoned? Why not the Zerbist sisters?
"As I said, the Prince is quite fond of you," the Admiral continued. "It's unfortunate but your stay here is necessary if I am to get the prince to sign the treaty and retire."
Crap! She screamed internally as she realised that the Admiral had misread the situation. He was unaware of Wilhelm's secret so had come to the conclusion that the boy's attempts to free her were a sign that she had somehow inherited the same sort of trust enjoyed by Wilhelm's servants. This misconception needed to be remedied immediately, it was time she played her hand.
"I'm afraid you're operating under a misconception sir" she stated fighting a flicker of nerves as she committed to her path, there was no turning back now. "As I said, Colonel von Hozollern and I don't see eye to eye. His attempts to free me are entirely motivated by self-preservation."
The Admiral's expression changed abruptly to one of serious contemplation as he studied her expression intently. After a moment of silence, he gestured for her to continue and she related the events from the very first time she had met Wilhelm. The man listened intently to her account of their negotiations in the railcar as they returned from his rescue operation. He laughed as she described the little colonel's confidence crumbling as she initially refused his offer but his serious manner was restored when she described the box.
She revealed that the boy had been terrified of being forced to return back to Letzenbourg, he had been utterly convinced his brother was out to get him. So much so, he had given her the means to blackmail him in order to get himself attached to her unit. She had been privy to a secret that almost nobody else knew about the Wilhelm Viktor von Hozollern that everyone knew. He wasn't the real thing.
The man remained serious and impassive for a few moments as he digested this information in silence until eventually, he spoke in a low voice.
"You refer to Operation Doppelgänger?" he said carefully.
"Yes," Tanya replied, feeling relief wash over her, it made things much easier if the man knew what he was talking about. "Wilhelm tried to have the evidence destroyed but I still have it. Using that would be far more effective than holding me here."
"I think it's you that has been operating under a misconception Major, I think prince Wilhelm has fooled you," the man said as a superior smile crept back onto his lips. "Operation Doppelgänger failed, the agent was discovered by the Regent himself. The Prince is without a doubt the real thing."
No! That's impossible! Tanya thought in a panic as her negotiating strategy fell apart in front of her. There was no way Wilhelm could have pulled the wool over her eyes for so long, she had always been able to see through his deceit. If he had been deceiving her this whole time, none of his other actions made any sense.
"That can't be right! He ordered the destruction of the headquarters to get rid of it, he even tried to kill me when he thought I was going to betray him!" She argued desperately as she tried to make sense of everything.
"Explain, now!" The Admiral said snapping his piercing gaze back at her and Tanya found herself relating the story almost automatically.
She explained the boy's attempts to bribe her into silence that eventually led to the confrontation on the rooftop, making sure to highlight the boy's irrational behaviour. His fear of exposure was the only explanation for his desperate actions. She described the foolish elation on his face as he'd found out they had misunderstood one another and she could hear the words he had spoken in her mind. "That's great! It must be true, only you would admit to breaking someone's arm due to a misunderstanding."
"He believes it's true! Did that fool Ludwig never tell his own brother?" He said laugh before he turned back towards Tanya. "I assure you Major, he is the real prince, but the knowledge you have just provided is priceless!"
He turned away and stared across the room thoughtfully digesting what to do with this new information whispering a few words under his breath.
"Even after a broken arm," He said quietly. "They do say it does strange things to a person."
Tanya wasn't entirely sure what the Admiral was talking about but it seemed things weren't lost yet. Although it hadn't been part of the original plan she had still been able to provide Canaris that she could use to bargain for her freedom. The evidence she possessed still had some worth and now was her last chance to use it.
"I can provide this evidence for you, but I want to be released and have this incident erased from my record," Tanya stated, feeling sure that the Admiral would jump to obtain this new information to control Wilhelm, she hoped he had better luck than she had.
"And why would I do that?" Canaris said, making Tanya's blood run cold. "You've provided me with the knowledge I need, I can recreate the evidence quite easily if necessary."
The Admiral chuckled darkly as he rose from his chair and headed towards the door.
"Besides, it'd crush the prince to know you betrayed him like this, I envisioned you as such a happy couple" he added mockingly.
"I keep telling you he hates me!" Tanya hissed hatefully as her plan once again fell apart. She didn't understand, for some reason, the Admiral was convinced that Wilhelm was close to her!
"I don't believe that's the case, at least not yet," said Canaris as he crossed to the door. "But I'm sure that will soon change if I reveal the information you shared, as far as he knows you are the only one who could have leaked it."
Tanya cursed, he was right, it was precisely the sort of conclusion Wilhelm's paranoid brain would jump to. If he found out, he'd no doubt abandon sense and do something drastic and foolish, precisely the opposite of what the Admiral wanted. She'd lost, her trump card had turned out to be a dud. The only person who believed Wilhelm wasn't Wilhelm, was Wilhelm.
"The Prince will visit you in two days, it would be for the best if you can persuade him to sign the treaty and retire. If he does you will be freed." Canaris stated with a smirk as he reached the door. "If you fail, then I have no more use for you."
The words echoed around the room as the door slammed shut. It seemed she'd misjudged the Admiral, although it seemed strange to admit it, he was worse than the little colonel. She'd been left with an impossible task to secure her survival. She had to persuade Wilhelm to give up, she had to persuade him to surrender to Being X.
Authors notes
I'm really sorry it's been a long time between updates. I've really struggled to concentrate lately so writing has been difficult. That combined with completely scrapping my original chapter meant this took some time to get out.
I'd originally hoped to be a few chapters along by now as Wilhelm's birthday is 1st July and I kinda wanted to do something special, but I suppose that's past now.
Hopefully, I'll be able to update more regularly again now things are starting to be normal again
I hope you are still enjoying my story and thank you for reading.
Xanen