Saint's Vengeance

40 years after the War

Londinium

As mentioned previously in this program, Vice Admiral Canaris has become quite a controversial figure amongst those who have studied the Great war. Soon after the end of the conflict, it emerged that the Admiral had been passing on information to the heroic agencies of the Allied Kingdom, who had in turn been using it to help the Republic and Entente orchestrate their response.

The fact that the Imperial intelligence chief had been supplying them with valuable information was not known to anyone. Even General Habergram, the head of Albish Intelligence, had not known at the time, showing just how careful the Vice-admiral had been. However, much of the information he provided proved to be accurate and had a huge impact on the war effort.

It is believed that the admiral had been so appalled by the war, that he had decided to do everything in his power to bring it to a swift end. Because of this, the man is seen as a hero amongst the allies as his actions saved the lives of a great many allied troops in the early years of the war. His efforts even earned him the George's Cross for bravery, and he is one of the first foreign officers to be awarded the Albish medal, albeit posthumously.

Amongst the Imperial's, of course, the man is known as a traitor for his actions and after his murder at the hands of an unknown assailant, many dreadful rumours began to surface about his private life.

We will perhaps never know the entire truth behind this interesting figure, but we can be certain that his help was invaluable to the allies in the early war. – Andrew WTN Special correspondent.

June 28th Unified Year 1925

Residence of Vice-Admiral Fredrich Canaris, Berlun, 18:00hrs

What is the nature of victory?

This was the question that Vice-Admiral Fredrich Canaris pondered to himself with a smile as he watched the young Prince exit his car before he turned and trudged towards the entranceway of his humble home. Much like the Empire itself, Canaris had found himself in the strange position of having utterly crushed his enemy but having to wait for them to realise it, and the situation made him feel unusually philosophical about what victory really meant.

He didn't really mind this situation, unlike the rest of the military, the members of the Abwehr rarely got to celebrate their successes for very long. The world of intelligence was a never-ending and ever-shifting battlefield, and since the Abwehr oversaw both military and civilian operations, their battles did not cease simply because the soldiers had stopped fighting. He had to carry on the struggle in order to make sure that the victories of others weren't wasted and make sure that irritating anomalies like the little Prince were kept away from things that they shouldn't be interfering with. He had to keep his Empire safe.

It was because his victories were usually so fleeting that he found occasions like this so enjoyable, he had won this particular battle long before now and for once he had the opportunity to savour it. This must have been how the general staff had felt upon hearing that operation revolving door was a success. He could understand why they were still celebrating, the feeling of elation and excitement that followed the news of one's triumph was intoxicating, even if the Francois had yet to formally surrender.

The outcome of this entire situation reminded him of the words of an ancient far eastern philosopher, "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

On the surface, these words may not have seemed like they applied to the Empire during this most recent conflict. They had been taken by surprise by both the Francois Republic and the Legadonian Entente Alliance which had initially left them wrongfooted. However, both nations had made the mistake of not truly planning for their war. Legadonia had somehow managed to convince themselves that the Empire would allow itself to be invaded and would surrender Scania and Norden to its Northern neighbour. While the Republic had seen the opportunity to exploit the Empire's weakened flank and seized it without giving themselves enough time to fully mobilise. Neither had realistically figured out exactly how their war was going to be won before they had declared it. Thus, they had been doomed to failure.

Meanwhile, the Empire had seen the dangers posed by its hostile neighbours long ago and had prepared measures such as the non-aggression pact with the Russy Federation and created the interior lines strategy to counter them. The latter of these, known as plan 315, was especially effective. It was an almost foolproof defensive plan designed to delay any attacking force in order to give the Empire's extensive war machine time to mobilise and crush their attackers one at a time.

Even with the foolish actions of Lieutenant-General von Lugwig and the other previous members of the general staff, plan 315 had worked just as it had been designed to. Although admittedly, their decision to move the Grand Army north just before the Republic's sneak attack had meant it had been much more difficult to achieve final victory than it otherwise might have been. Still, the Empire had significant defences in place in case of these sorts of assaults so although they had been surprised, they had been not been unprepared. This meant that ultimately, due to their foresight, they had won the war before any battle had been fought.

He liked to think the same was true with his little contest of wits with Prince Wilhelm, especially if you followed the saying more literally. After all, the boy had gone to war without thinking of the greater ramifications of his actions, although he would admit the boy was rather good at taking advantage of some of the consequences he caused. Canaris meanwhile, had never served his country on the frontlines, but he had served to further the Empire's interests in hundreds of small and subtle ways. His expertise lay with obtaining, analysing, and utilising information and his battlefields were built around it. Although the Prince could be cunning and adaptive, when it came to subterfuge Canaris had the upper hand and he had easily planned the Prince's downfall.

The boy had also lost his battle before it had even begun.

Another saying about victory sprang to mind. "The secret of all victory lies in the organisation of the non-obvious." He could certainly agree with that, given his line of work it would be strange if he did not. It could be said that the non-obvious aspects of the entire nation were organised by him, or at very least he kept a close eye on everything to ensure it was properly organised.

This little victory over the little Prince had been long in the making and had involved a great deal of manipulation of these non-obvious and hidden pieces of information. He had known of the boy's dislike of his brother for a long time of course and had fed that animosity in order to use the boy as a pawn in order to have the Empire peacefully annex Letzenbourg.

Now his triumph had been assured he could admit there had been mistakes made in those early days and he had failed in properly controlling the impulsive Prince and his quest for personal glory. He had, however, learned from his mistakes, adapted, and overcome them.

He had also known about Prince Wilhelm's idea to oust his brother via popular support. The boy had rightly assumed that Ludwig's ever unpopular decisions combined with Wilhelm's ever brazen insolence and growing popularity would likely see the then regent ousted from power eventually. However, this would not happen fast enough for Canaris's needs, especially not once war broke out, he needed more expedient and reliable results.

Fortunately, he had fed the boy's hatred of his brother enough that little Wilhelm had believed his elder sibling truly meant him harm. Once that had been achieved, it hadn't been too hard to persuade the younger prince to be a little more proactive with his little coup. He had originally thought he would have to plan the uprising for him, but the boy was unusually cunning and the boy had cooked up quite the scheme. He had to admit he'd been impressed at his plan to force Ludwig to change sides, it had the advantage of painting the ex-regent as a traitor in the eyes of the people while Wilhelm would be seen as a hero and liberator. The boy could be surprisingly adept at manipulating people's perceptions, it was a shame he couldn't be controlled easier so that skill could be utilised properly.

It was almost sad really considering the lengths that Ludwig had gone to in order to try and protect his younger brother. He'd wasted a great deal of power and prestige in the vain attempt to get his brother to return to the tiny country and away from imperial influences like Cararis, the foreign ministry and the Emperor. Perhaps if he had succeeded, things may have been different but if what Major Degurechaff had told him was true, Ludwig never stood a chance.

For whatever reason, he had never told his little brother of the botched doppelganger incident but somehow the boy had learned of it and reached the wrong conclusion. The young princeling suffered from imposter syndrome, believing he was the fake. Was it any wonder he mistrusted his older brother? He didn't even believe they were related.

Yet again it had been the young Prince who had formulated the scheme to keep himself out of his older brother's grasp and into the assumed safety of the Major Degurechaff and the 203rd. Canaris hadn't been pleased with the idea, it had almost gotten the young royal captured by the Francois but the boy had already enacted it by the time he could do anything about it. Fortunately, Degurechaff was a very adept officer and it had all worked out in the end.

So, the little princeling had been able to safely plan his coup while serving with the young Major and had managed to gain the support of the Empire's elite mage unit in the bargain. Canaris had lent his support to the boy's plan of course, at least on the surface, and he had leaked the appropriate information to the Allied Kingdom for him. With that and the other information Canaris had been collecting to use against him, the wheels that would lead to the undoing of both brothers had been set in motion.

Ludwig had the choice to abdicate or switch sides, for him that was no choice at all. One thing that could be said about the man is that he had a strong sense of obligation, Ludwig could not abdicate in favour of his brother while he was so young, no matter the threat. He also seemed to suspect that the Empire was interested in absorbing Letzenbourg and that they would use Wilhelm to achieve that goal.

He was right of course, Ludwig was no fool. He had seen what the Empire was trying to achieve with Wilhelm but could do nothing to prevent it while their relationship was so strained, and he was quickly painted as an anti-imperial. Although some thought he was pro-republic, the truth was that all he wanted was to keep his small country independent from either faction. It was admirable in its own way but futile and had ultimately led his undoing. In the end, he had been forced to side with the Republic in order to preserve the country's independence.

Meanwhile, Canaris had already known that Operation Revolving Door was being planned by this point and that sending reinforcements to Wilhelm and his loyalists would jeopardise the operation. So, he had quietly advised the General staff to build fortifications behind the city and seen to it that no troops would ever be sent.

This too was part of his plan, the revolving door operation would be the decisive battle that would end the war, allowing the Republic to seize the little country was an acceptable trade-off to see that happen. Additionally, the blame for the failure to capture the city would fall on the little Prince and would bring his competence for leadership into question, meaning they could finally get the boy away from the front lines.

All this presented an ideal opportunity for the Empire to begin integrating the little country after the war. Wilhelm was too young to legally act as head of state and his recent failure would prove he was too immature to be leading anyone, on or off the battlefield. The logical solution was that the Empire would step in and help administer the little country, while the little Prince retired to the countryside to rest. If they needed him, they could always wheel him out for a public appearance like they often did with the rest of the Imperial royal family, but otherwise, he would be kept quiet and powerless. Thus, the Charlemagne treaty was born.

It seemed the brat didn't plan on going down quietly however and the rebellious little Prince had been doing his utmost to cause trouble, as always. He'd even resorted to having the Admiral's former protégée, Sophia, sniff around to try and attempt to rally resistance against him. It had been for nought though, the only people willing to stand against him were already kept under close watch, just in case. Everyone else knew better.

The Prince had already lost and had no alternative but to sign the treaty. Unfortunately, the boy was being stubborn and had been delaying signing the document in the vain hope that they would be able to turn things around. He had also managed to gain some support from the army and his involvement in operation lock pick had negated some of his earlier failures. Additionally, the new Letzenbourg prime minister was a shrewd man who had used this opportunity to re-negotiate the treaty while the Prince dragged his feet.

This couldn't be allowed to continue. Fortunately, Canaris had already made plans should the boy decide to be non-compliant.

It had been the brat's stubborn streak that had forced Canaris to seize Major Degurechaff, the boy's continued resistance had been irritating and he wanted the Letzenbourg business dealt with sooner rather than later. Although the Prince's efforts wouldn't affect the ultimate outcome, he was having some success in improving the terms for the small country and that would cause problems in the future. These small victories were also making the little Prince bolder and it couldn't be allowed to continue if he were to be kept under control in the long term. He'd brought this on himself.

The funny thing was that Sophia and the Prince had obviously expected he would try to seize someone close to the boy in order to punish him. It had been clear they were trying to goad him into taking one of the Zerbist sisters. He wasn't sure exactly what they had hoped to achieve but he wasn't so foolish as to fall for such an obvious trap. There had already been rumours that Prince Wilhelm and the Degurechaff girl were becoming close, and the gifts the boy had sent had not gone unnoticed, so she seemed like a much better choice for a hostage. Judging by the boy's reactions since then, his choice had been the right one.

The boy had to learn that he had lost and that he could no longer escape the consequences of his actions. Canaris was happy to teach him those lessons, even if a talented young mage was caught in the crossfire in order to achieve it. It was also about time Canaris claimed a prize or two for himself, he'd worked hard for his Empire and as the saying goes "to the victor goes the spoils."

He deserved to be compensated for his efforts, just as the Francois and the Legadonians would compensate the Empire for their aggression. Besides, it would teach the Prince another important lesson about defeat. The more you resist, the more you have to pay when it's all over.

The car that was now disappearing into the distance contained one of the prizes he sought to keep, but he did not feel overly concerned that his reward was speeding away. Sophia would do whatever she could to make sure her master was free from harm. Once she learned the Prince would be forever under his control, she would yield to him in order to keep the boy safe, although he may have to take precautions to declaw that kitten. Perhaps I should keep her here at the house he thought to himself licking his lips at the thought of what he could do to her, the house has been quite empty since Hilde left to stay with her sister.

He had also decided that he would take Degurechaff's adjutant as his new secretary, she was still a little young, but she had a fine figure and it would be nice to have something to play with at the office. It would also be wise to keep some insurance in case the young Major decided to be troublesome. The Girl may not think too highly of the Prince that fawned over her, but the guards had observed that she seemed to have a soft spot for her loyal subordinate and she might just be a little more cooperative if she thought the girl was at risk. I'll arrange for her transfer in the morning.

He smiled to himself as he thought of his rewards before moving off towards the entranceway. He reached the door just as the boy rang the bell and opened it immediately, letting in a warm breeze and revealing the small royal. He was dressed in his usual black, silver and red Letzenbourg uniform and despite the heat of the summer evening, was wearing a long coat over the top of it. The boy seemed surprised to be greeted by the spymaster and he immediately adopted his fake persona upon seeing him.

"Hello Admiral, I didn't expect you to welcome me in personally. I'm honoured" the little Prince said with a slight bow and faux innocence.

"I've sent the servants away for the evening so we can conduct our business in private" Canaris replied politely and the mask immediately slipped from the boy's face as he stared up at him with undisguised contempt from underneath his cap.

Canaris found his smile widening at the sight of the displeased Prince, the boy was clearly a sore loser and far from happy about his current situation. He found himself taking a slightly perverse enjoyment from seeing the usually duplicitous Prince show such an honest expression of malice on his face, it was a true confirmation of his victory. Although it wasn't exactly the same as having the boy on his knees and begging for mercy in front of him, the feeling of power was similar enough that it mimicked the exhilarating sensation that such dominance brought. It wasn't as much fun as the little games of control he played with the girls that served as his usual rewards and prizes, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Perhaps I'll let you stay in Berlun, so I can enjoy that look a little more he thought with a grin.

It was also clear that the little Prince had not quite resigned himself to his inevitable defeat just yet. That stubborn streak of his was still showing in his eyes but the fact that he was here at all proved he was coming to the realisation there was little more he could do. He still wore his sword, pistol and computation orb, and that coat was an obvious attempt to hide something; he'd expected better, the boy was clearly running out of ideas. I'll give you points for trying Your Highness but it's not very subtle he thought as his smirk widened.

"Please come inside Your Highness, we have much to discuss" he began stepping aside with a slight bow as the boy grunted before stepping inside warily.

"If you don't mind, we have a house rule about weapons. That, of course, includes your computation orb" he continued with a wry smile as the boy's frown deepened slightly.

The boy looked as if he might argue for a moment but said nothing as he began slowly and deliberately removing his weapon belt. Canaris watched as the boy placed it on a nearby table with a soft thud before his hands went to his neck to remove the type 97 attached to the Hozollern cross on his collar. He couldn't help wondering if the Prince would feel more or less like a fraud without the trinket that denoted his social rank, although he doubted it make any difference to the outcome of their talks. The boy placed it down carefully with his sword and pistol and turned his contemptuous glare back towards him.

"I believe you usually carry a spare do you not?" The Admiral said with an unconcerned air while enjoying watching the young Prince's angry scowl deepen.

He obviously hadn't been aware that that particular piece of trivia was widely known thanks in part to the attention he had gained from those ridiculous propaganda papers. They enjoyed printing nonsense about his "heroics" and had once written an article about how the boy had once used his spare orb while in freefall. True, most propaganda was nothing but half-truths and fairy stories but that didn't mean there was nothing to be gleaned from it.

Even a mage as young as Prince Wilhelm could be a threat if he kept a computation orb on hand, why else would they send such young children out into the field? With magic, they could enhance their speed, strength and endurance beyond that of a normal human and Canaris wouldn't underestimate that threat. Without a jewel, however, mages were just average people. There had been some cases where a mage had managed a formula without one but it was supposed to be difficult and very rarely worked. Without the orb, Wilhelm was nothing but a child and could be easily overpowered if he tried anything. The boy knew that and had probably hoped to keep the orb for emergencies, Canaris could not allow that.

The boy growled with obvious annoyance as he reached into his pocket and produced the second orb, an older model with a green jewel that matched the colour of the Prince's eyes before depositing with the rest of his gear.

"Anything else Admiral?" The boy spat petulantly, "Perhaps you want to have me searched like a common criminal while we're at it?"

By this point, Canaris was struggling to hide his amusement. In usual circumstances, he would never be able to get away with treating a member of the Imperial Royal family in such a disrespectful way, even in private. These were not usual circumstances however and the little royal could hardly complain to his uncle about all this.

He also found it humorous that the Prince didn't seem to believe he would go as far as searching him, he should know better and Sophia should have warned him. He wouldn't be too invasive, there wasn't the time and he didn't believe it was necessary, however, he could see the boy was trying to hide something so he would make sure he found it before they continued.

Canaris had made a lot of enemies during his career and he was very careful about his own security. He wouldn't hesitate to make certain the boy wasn't up to something, he had already proven to be less than trustworthy and there was no such thing as being too cautious. Besides the extra level of shame would teach the boy to be careful what he wished for.

"A simple pat-down should do in this instance; we'd have to go back to headquarters if you want the full experience. I'm sure that could be arranged if you like," he answered with a smile and he relished the expression of indignant shock that crossed the young Prince's slightly pale face. "I'll take your hat and coat first of course."

Prince Wilhelm looked like he might argue for a moment before he huffed irritably and took the extra layer of clothing off before passing the items to him with a slight twinge of anxiety. Canaris took the opportunity to have a quick riffle through the Prince's long coat and found a bundle of documents hidden neatly in the inside pocket. At a glance, they seemed to relate to the Charlemagne treaty, but it seemed unusual that the boy would be nervous about the man finding them considering what their meeting was about. He folded the bundle neatly and placed them in his own pocket. He would study them more carefully later.

He placed the boy's apparel on a hanger by the door before turning back to the little Prince who now looked even smaller without it. He instructed him to lift his arms as he kneeled in front of the boy and began patting him down for any further articles the Prince had decided to keep hidden. He ignored the mixture of disgust, outrage and nervousness in the boy's expression as he carefully checked the slender child for anything amiss. His suspicions were soon confirmed as he found a small bulge by the boy's trouser pocket and the little royal immediately tensed as the Admiral paused before reaching in and removing a small paper bag with two white pills inside.

"My my, what do we have here Your Highness?" He said watching the Prince squirm slightly under his gaze. "This doesn't look like the sort of thing a young man such as yourself should be carrying, I'll put these somewhere safe."

He recognised the pills immediately, they were a type of poison that when mixed with certain other ingredients could cause a temporary but powerful paralysis. It was used by the Abwehr, but not very often as the body processed the substance quickly and didn't leave too much time for operatives to achieve their missions. However, they were easy enough to get hold of if you had the right contacts, Sophia must still have some friends amongst some less than savoury people. He wondered what the boy had been trying to achieve with such a weak poison, perhaps there was more to the papers he'd found. Not that it mattered now he'd been found out. Once again, he had lost before he even had the chance to enact his plan, another failure Prince Wilhelm.

He felt his lips curl in amusement once again as the boy's face flushed with embarrassment and he refused to meet his gaze. This was amateurish, he was almost disappointed with this whole little game, he'd expected better from Sophia and her little master. He even knew how they'd smuggled the rest of the ingredients into the house for their little poison trick. The boy said nothing however and didn't look like he would, so Canaris made an exaggerated sigh like a disappointed father before stuffing the pills in his pocket and rising back to his feet.

"Well, now I've disabused you of your foolish schemes, shall we head to the parlour and discuss our business?" He said gesturing the Prince to take the lead, as they retreated further into the house. Despite how humorous he found the boy's failed attempts at subterfuge, he wasn't about to let the boy out of his sight.

"It's not like I expected that to work" the boy grunted with annoyance once again before they started to make their way through the house. Canaris was pleased to see the boy's shoulders had slumped a little, it seemed that despite his statement he'd actually hoped to catch him out with that little ploy. It seemed the little princeling was beginning to realise that there was no choice for him and Degurechaff except to do as they were commanded. No doubt that was why he was being so uncharacteristically quiet and sullen.

Their journey to the reception room was silent save for the odd word from Canaris to guide the Prince through the building and eventually, they reached their destination towards the back of the building. The parlour was the Admiral's favourite room in the house, aside from perhaps the bedroom. The south-facing room let in the most light during the summer and the view of the well-kept garden was sublime, especially from the comfort of one of the two leather wing back chairs. It also contained a bookcase, drinks cabinet and wireless. He often enjoyed relaxing in this room in the evenings with a glass of his favoured blackcurrant schnapps and a good book while listening to music. At least on evenings he wasn't working or entertaining his 'special' guests.

As they entered, Canaris gestured for the boy to take a seat in one of the chairs facing towards the sun-filled window. The Prince silently complied and took his place in the seat, looking almost comical as his small frame was swallowed by the large throne-like chair as he fidgeted in it to try and get comfortable. Meanwhile, the Admiral crossed to the drinks cabinet and grabbed one of the bottles of the schnapps his wife had sent, along with two glasses before joining the boy in the seat next to him. He placed the glasses down on the table between them and poured some of the purple liquid into the two tumblers while studying the little Prince's expression.

Although he tried to hide it, Canaris could see the boy eying his glass with a pang of excitement as he filled it with a measure of the alcoholic beverage. However, this was short-lived and quickly turned slightly worried as the Admiral poured another measure for the Prince.

"Thank you, Admiral, but as I'm sure you are aware, I am too young for alcohol," he said, attempting to keep his voice level.

"I'm sure a little tipple won't hurt" the Admiral began grinning triumphantly, "Besides those chemicals Sophia had put in there are completely harmless without those pills you bought with you, aren't they?"

"You knew all along?" the boy growled sounding more disappointed than shocked at the revelation.

"There is a reason I am the Empire's intelligence chief, I know everything you and Sophia have been up to. It's been quite entertaining to watch" he chuckled with a sly smile, feeling particularly pleased as he saw the Prince ball his fists with frustration before he turned serious once again. "However, this continued defiance is becoming tiresome, perhaps I should order Major Degurechaff's immediate execution as your punishment."

"Please…don't," the boy said quickly before he quietened and as his shoulders slumped further, "I'll do what you want, just let her go."

He had no intention of doing anything so drastic to the Major over the boy's last desperate act of defiance. He'd expected something like this from him and in this situation, retribution could actually do more harm than good. The threat would be enough to keep him in check from now on.

The glum expression on the boy's face told him that he had obviously realised that his continued disruptive attitude had far-reaching consequences for him and his little friend. It seemed he'd finally realised that this was not a game and his actions would no longer go unpunished. Hopefully, the little troublemaker had finally gotten the point and his disobedient streak had finally run its course.

"Take a drink, Your Highness," Canaris said as the boy stared at the floor glumly, "It's really quite good and it'll help the soothe the sting of defeat."

The little Prince hesitated for a moment before reluctantly taking a sip of the liqueur. He frowned slightly, obviously unused to the bitterness that accompanied the sweet liquid but swallowed it without complaint. Satisfied, the Admiral took a sip of his favoured spirit with a contented smile. It really was good schnapps.

There had been an ulterior motive for giving the Prince the drink of course. He had suspected that Sophia had tampered with his favourite treat and although it had been tested by his agents, many poisons did not show up during usual tests. He'd had others taste test it of course but it had only been the pills on the Prince's person that had confirmed his suspicion that his favourite drink had been spiked.

However, he was reluctant to waste it and knew that it would be harmless without the final ingredient stowed away in his pocket. That the Prince had drunk it proved it was entirely safe to drink, Sophia wouldn't risk her precious master by putting anything else in it, even to get at Canaris.

"Good, perhaps we can get back to the matter at hand then," Canaris continued. "You will tell Prime Minister Bech, you wish to sign the original treaty without his amendments. His negotiations have become problematic, it would be better for everyone if Letzenbourg's autonomy is curtailed."

"Fine I'll do it, although I don't know if he'll be willing to back down after all the work he's put in," the Prince replied quietly while staring thoughtfully at the purple liquid in the tumbler in his hands.

Canaris studied the boy for a moment, this almost seemed too easy.

"I know you can be persuasive when you want to be" the older man returned dismissively taking another sip of his drink. "By the time you're old enough to truly take over Letzenbourg it will be fully annexed by the Empire, you can keep the titles and the money but you'll stay quiet unless your called upon understand?"

The Prince seemed to tense for a moment and shifted uncomfortably in his seat before swallowing down the rest of his drink and placing the empty glass down on the table grumpily. He still avoided the man's gaze as he huffed in his chair and turned away folding his arms petulantly.

"Fine," he grumbled irritably as Canaris found himself cocking an eyebrow at the boy's behaviour. He had expected him to argue at least a little bit, he'd always seemed the sort that desired more power than was good for him. Instead, he'd given in almost immediately, although he was clearly unhappy about it. It was unusual, the boy was normally far more stubborn than this, had the threat to Degurechaff truly caused his surrender.

Then again if what the girl had told him was true, the little Prince believed he was not the real Wilhelm Viktor von Hozollern. Perhaps the knowledge that this false secret was in danger had shaken his confidence. Now he'd seen his other little schemes fail, he might have seen the writing on the wall.

"You will then resign your commission and announce you are going to the country to rest." He continued trying to discern a clue from the boy's body language since he was still avoiding eye contact. "If you do this before the hearing about the Letzenbourg incident we can drop the whole issue along with the charges against Major Degurechaff. She can be released by the end of the month, if you comply."

The Prince continued to stare silently at the floor, barely moving while Canaris finished his drink and poured a fresh glass for both of them which the boy snatched up immediately and took a few more careful sips. Canaris studied the boy for a few moments and noticed that he had again tensed up and seemed slightly agitated.

"Why are you all so desperate to drum me out of the military? What exactly do you expect me to do out there that's so bad?" The boy mumbled angrily into his drink, slurring his words slightly as the potent alcohol began to affect his small frame.

Is this the hill you've chosen to die on Prince Wilhelm? Canaris thought with a smirk as he heard the words come out of the boy's mouth. It explained his willingness to agree to the treaty at least, such things could be undone in time if he gained enough backing. He wasn't stupid enough to allow the Prince that chance however and would nip that in the bud as early as possible.

"I expect you'd continue to gain popular support, perhaps even ferment another mutiny like you did against your brother. Only this time with Imperial forces, I can't allow you to damage the Empire with your selfishness, so you will disappear until we need you. You know what will happen if you refuse" the Admiral warned darkly eliciting a resigned but clearly annoyed sigh from the Prince.

"Christina, Sophia and I will go to the estate in Sarissony, I'm sure you'll be happier if we stay in the Empire. Besides, I don't want to go back to Letzenbourg" the Prince murmured unhappily, "Tanya will no doubt want to return to work, I want you to guarantee that you won't interfere with her career."

Canaris couldn't help but be a little pleasantly surprised once again, by his own volition the Prince had offered to stay within the confines of the Empire. Although he could have kept control of the boy had he decided to return to the small country, it would be much easier to keep an eye on him in Sarissony, where there was a larger Abwehr presence. Additionally, the boy's desire to see Degurechaff's career unaffected was rather helpful, if he were to find out she had already tried to sell him out, he may become less cooperative. However, if he had judged the girl correctly, she would stay quiet as long as she remained unaffected by the Prince's downfall. And since she would still be in the Empire, he would still be able to use her as leverage against the boy if necessary. He could agree to the Prince's condition without needing to do anything. Best of all, it had given him the opportunity to acquire his own prizes.

"Very well" he began magnanimously "But in order to make sure you continue to behave yourself in exile, I will also be needing some further assurances," Canaris said, unable to stop himself licking his lips with excitement.

The boy gave him a sideways glance filled with hatred and disgust but Canaris paid it no mind, he'd seen that kind of look before, usually from a young lady that was much more attractive than the Prince. The boy tensed and balled his fingers into a fist once again, his mouth opened slightly and for a moment it looked like he might say something, but he quickly stopped himself and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Go on," he said as he strained to keep the bile from his voice.

"I very much enjoyed the time that Sophia spent with us at the Abwehr but she left us to go back to work for you. It would be nice to have her working for me again" the Admiral said casually as he enjoyed his schnapps, "perhaps you could persuade her to come back to us."

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE ANYTHING ELSE FROM ME!" Wilhelm yelled leaping to his feet and rounding on the Admiral. "Even if you tried, she knows you're nothing but a filthy old rapist, you won't get anything from her! They are both mine! Part of my happiness, I won't let you have either of them!"

Canaris's expression darkened as he glared at the boy standing in front of him and he took another sip of his drink to calm his temper. He knew it was only a matter of time before the Prince blew his fuse like this, but it still took a great deal of self-control to listen to himself be insulted without biting back. He told himself not to be surprised, the boy was known to be protective over those who were close to him, that was why he was willing to cooperate at all. But this was where the boy would learn the true pain of defeat, the true price for disobedience and treachery against his Empire.

"Sit down Wilhelm," he said threateningly as he continued to stare at the furious boy, "how you behave here today affects other people, remember."

The boy's eyes burned for a few moments as he continued to meet the Admiral's gaze. Canaris didn't flinch however and eventually, the boy seemed to calm slightly, and his expression turned into a pained frown before he reluctantly lowered himself back into the chair and shifted uncomfortably as he repositioned himself back into the oversized chair. There was silence in the room for a few moments as the Prince seemed to struggle to compose himself before he spoke once again.

"She won't work for someone like you again, and I won't force her to" the boy spat, struggling to keep his voice level. "If I'd had known how bad you were, I wouldn't have agreed to work with you either. Even monsters have standards."

"Force her?" he replied innocently, ignoring the strange monster comment and finishing the rest of his drink before pouring himself another. "I'm sure she'll be happy to return to us knowing that you'll be under the watchful eye of the Abwehr, besides we both know she'll do anything if you ask her to."

Canaris smiled again as the Prince stared back down at the ground once again as he shook slightly with anger. His hair had fallen across his face, partially covering his expression but the Admiral could tell the boy was barely able to contain his emotions. Seeing someone break down like this was almost as sweet as the schnapps he was drinking and almost as pleasurable as the time he spent with his prizes.

"Sophia for Tanya is that it?" growled the boy bitterly at the floor.

"I think it's a fair trade, don't you? It's the only way I can be sure you'll behave" Canaris said happily, feeling a thrill as he thought of how he might use his new prize. "You can carry on your courtship with Degurechaff if you wish, the public seems to like the idea, I'm sure it'll be a useful tool in the future."

"And if I refuse?" The boy said quickly, his face hidden from view and his shoulders still shaking with anger.

"You will lose both of them," Canaris warned, taking another triumphant sip of his sickly-sweet beverage.

That was when he realised something was wrong. The glass in his hand seemed heavier somehow and he struggled to keep hold of it as the strength seemed to flee from his fingers. He started feeling almost detached from his body as the tumbler fell from his grasp and plummeted onto the floor causing the crystal to smash and purple liquid to spill onto the ornate tiles. Was he drunk? That wasn't right; he hadn't drank that much!

He struggled to raise his head as the rest of his body began to feel numb and with extreme effort turned towards the Prince. The boy was still slumped forwards and shaking but Canaris could now hear a soft chuckling as he saw the Prince's shoulders bob up and down. He wasn't shaking with anger he realised, he was laughing, but why? His eyes shot to the bottle of schnapps on the table, impossible, I took the pills away from him he thought with rising panic I've even had some of this taste-tested without any problems, how could this be?

He had now fallen back in his chair and was unable to move his limbs, as the boy's laughter grew louder and began echoing around the room. He tried to open his mouth to speak but no sound escaped, and his eyes fixed on the boy as he slowly raised his head and turned to face him.

The first thing he noticed was his eyes, they still burned with hatred but now that fiery gaze was accompanied by a smile that radiated pure malevolence. The boy stood slowly as his laughter increased in volume and intensity. It was manic to the point of insanity, the boy sounded unhinged and Canaris began to feel a cold dread run down his paralysed spine. Gradually the boy's mirth subsided slightly, and he fixed the Admiral with a wide grin. Canaris felt a pang of fear as his heart began to race, did they really call this boy a saint?

"I don't think I'll be losing either of them to you Admiral" the boy smirked, still fighting a chuckle.

Canaris desperately tried to rise but his body disobeyed him, and he was forced to sit motionless in his chair as the boy laughed at his sudden infirmity. How could this be? How had this happened? None of this made sense, he'd planned for everything. Why was he paralysed? It couldn't be the Schnapps, he'd taken the pills from him, even if he had more there was no way the boy could have snuck them into his drink without him noticing. Besides, he had forced the Prince to drink some of the liquid and he was completely unaffected, how could this be?

"Oh dear, have you had a little too much Admiral?" The boy mocked as he leaned over and retrieved the documents and the pills from Canaris's pockets.

"You obviously don't employ many mages in the Abwehr so let me tell you a few things you might not know" the boy began explaining with a cruel smirk. "Did you know for instance that one of the earliest uses for magic was to stimulate chemical reactions? Chemistry was originally known as alchemy after all. With the right formula, a mage could subtly change the chemical composition of say, a glass of schnapps."

He hadn't known that, why would he care? He knew that most magical formulas required very complicated and precise calculations to achieve the desired effect. Before computation orbs, vast laboratories were required to achieve any kind of reliable results. He had seized the Prince's orbs when he first arrived, and he clearly wasn't wielding one now. But the boy was clearly gloating that he had managed to activate the poison, even without the pills. How? You don't have an orb! The Admiral screamed with his eyes, unable to force the words from his mouth.

"Another interesting fact is that a mage can utilise a computation orb as long as he or she is in physical contact with it. It doesn't even need to be direct, that's why we can wear them around our necks. In short, I still have another orb in my possession, but don't feel bad, you would have had to look very hard to find it" the boy smirked as Canaris's eyes widened. "Perhaps you really should have taken me back to HQ for a full search."

He couldn't have gone that far, could he? Even his agents didn't like hiding things in such a way, no noble brat would ever consider hiding something that size there. Then Canaris's blood ran cold as he remembered what the young Major had told him about Wilhelm, he didn't believe he was noble, he thought he had been switched when he was a child. He might just be desperate enough to attempt it, did his imposter syndrome run that deep?

"I could have boosted the toxin and had you die immediately, but you don't deserve that kind of mercy" he grinned ruthlessly.

Suddenly the young Prince's face grew dark and serious. His eyes glowed with cruelty as he stared at the Admiral like a predator does its prey. He still wore a grin, but it was devoid of humour and seemed strange and unnatural on the child's face.

"You shouldn't have taken what is mine" the boy growled darkly. "You betrayed me, you turned Letzenbourg against me, you killed Haussmann and you tried to take Tanya from me."

The boy leaned forward until their faces were level and stared directly into his eyes for a moment. The boy's green orbs looked wild and manic, but they contained a frightening focus that would have made him shiver if his body had been able. What the boy was saying didn't quite make sense, true he had reneged on his promise to bring volunteers but he hadn't turned the little country against him, they still viewed him as a hero. And who was this Haussmann? He didn't remember ordering the death of anyone by that name. He'd only taken Degurechaff because the boy had continually refused to do as he was told. That was his own fault, couldn't he see that?

"I won't forgive you" he growled, "especially after that sick attempt at a trade. I'm going to kill you today, and everyone will praise me for it."

With that declaration, the Prince's smile returned as he straightened and began examining the room thoughtfully. Canaris tried to calm himself and think of some way to escape but what could he do? He was completely paralysed and unable to speak, the house was empty except for the pair so there would be no one there to help him. It seemed he had no choice but to wait for the paralysis to wear off. It shouldn't last longer than 15 minutes, I just have to pray that whatever the boy is planning takes longer than that.

"You know, I was close to giving up and letting him win," the boy said absently. "But then she asked for my help, can you believe that? I really thought she hated me."

Clearly, he was talking about Degurechaff. She tried to sell you out you fool! I was never on your side, she's the only one that has tried to betray you! Canaris yelled internally but was unable to produce the correct noises in order to communicate them out loud.

"It looks like you were wrong this time" the boy snarled, staring off into the corner before his cruel smile twisted strangely. "I doubt he's faithful, but I don't really care, he deserves what's coming."

Canaris found his fear rising further, who exactly was the boy talking to? There was no one there. He'd gone mad! Perhaps he had pushed the boy too far, perhaps the horrors of war had been too much for the mind of a child. Or maybe, he really had been insane all along.

Meanwhile, the Prince had begun flipping through the reclaimed papers while humming cheerfully to himself. Occasionally he would pick out one of the documents and study it for a moment before placing it in the writing desk in the corner. Once again, he wondered what they contained, what could the boy be planning? He would be branded a murderer if he simply killed Canaris, there had to be more to his scheme than that.

Eventually, the boy seemed satisfied and placed the remaining papers on a shelf on the bookcase. The boy turned back and faced the Admiral once again with a cruel grin and approached him once more.

"Hardly anyone knows the real reason I'm here today," he began as his eyes glowed maddeningly. "Only Sophia, Christina, you and I know the real reason. I know you wouldn't have mentioned it, you don't trust your subordinates enough, so most will wonder why I would visit you at home. What do you think I'll tell them?"

The boy brought himself down to Canaris's eye level again before continuing and his green eyes seemed to gaze right through him. He dearly wished he could move, even a little bit. The boy was within his grasp and he could take him out right now if he could only move a little.

"My concern for Lady Degurechaff has been keeping me up at night so I've been doing some investigating to see if I could help," the Boy began returning to his fake innocent act. "I looked over all the evidence and there were so many things that I didn't understand. So I come here to ask you for your help, I was sure that together we could find out what had really happened and clear dear Tanya of any wrongdoing."

Although the boy's voice radiated a childlike naivety his eyes burned with contempt and his grin was anything but innocent. It almost seemed like the Prince was some dark creature wearing the skin of a young boy. He had completely abandoned his saintly persona for this venture, and he didn't seem to regret it.

"At first everything was fine, you even gave me a little sip of that blackcurrant drink that made me feel a little dizzy. You really shouldn't give alcohol to children." The boy chastised before raising himself back up and resting his hand upon the chair he had so recently abandoned.

"I asked you about the confusing nature of some of the evidence. It seems the signals you believe the Major sent were actually in a code used by the Abwher, Sophia recognised it from her time working with you and it's supposed to be top secret, there was no way that Major Degurechaff could have known about it. Also, Sophia had a look at the orders to destroy the mansion and she thinks someone forged them!" The boy said with fake concern as he explained the very actions he had ordered Sophia to do in the first place, in order to keep him informed of his plans and later cover his tracks.

"The whole thing frightened me! I asked you, do you think it's possible a spy might have gotten into the HQ? One that had learned the Abwehr's codes? If so, the whole organisation could be at risk, even the whole Empire! We should tell the High command and General staff at once!" The boy smirked at the man for a moment before forcefully toppling the chair backwards, knocking the remaining schnapps and other glass onto the floor with a smash.

"That's when you became violent! I was so scared that I tried to run but you pushed me hard into the drinks cabinet" the boy continued excitedly before he launched himself backwards into the bottles and neat stack of crystal glasses. The room erupted in a loud crash as glass shards flew in every direction and the tainted schnapps spilt over the floor.

The Prince pulled himself upright. His hands, arms and face were covered in a myriad of tiny cuts caused by the glass, and small trickles of blood could be seen but the boy ignored them as he turned back to the older man.

"I tried to scramble away but you charged me, and I crashed into the bookcase as I tried to dodge," the boy said, flinging himself into the bookshelf with a loud thud. Books and papers flew in every direction and a heavy bronze statue that had been gifted to him by the Emperor fell smashing the ornate floor tiles. Canaris fancied he heard a crack as the boy landed and this time when he rose to a seated position on the floor, he winced a little in pain.

"Damn, that rib had only just healed" he growled as he looked up to Canaris and the mad grin returned to his face. "Why? They'll ask when they find me, why did he attack you?"

"I'll tell them I don't know; it was such a blur!" he wheezed as he continued explaining. "They'll be duty-bound to search the place, after all, a member of the Imperial Royal family just killed a member of the high command in self-defence! Then they'll find the papers I put in your desk. There's nothing too incriminating there, you wouldn't keep anything dangerous at home but it's suspicious enough that they'll want to search your office and your files."

Canaris felt a twinge of panic before he composed himself. They wouldn't find anything, he kept the most compromising secrets locked away in his safe. It was vitally important that no one else looked through his secret files, they wouldn't understand. The Abwehr operated through him, no one else truly knew everything the organisation was doing. Even his closest subordinates did not know the extent that he knew and controlled the various components of the Empire through his information network. He essentially controlled the High command through blackmail, every one of them would resume their petty schemes and greedy actions if he didn't. Unfortunately, that extortion meant that they would all no doubt be very happy to see him out of the picture, but would they be happy enough to forgive the Prince for all this?

"Right about now, Sophia is meeting with one of your former secretaries, one of the ones you blackmailed and used until you became bored with them. She still has a key to your office and drawers, she even knows the combination to your safe, they'll be adding the evidence that you sent the information regarding a coup in Letzenbourg to the Allied Kingdom. It's only right there should be some traces of it, it's not a lie after all." The boy grinned again before returning to his innocent persona.

"A coup in Letzenbourg? Ludwig thought I wanted to overthrow him?" The boy pretended to say sadly as crocodile tears formed around his eyes, "I just wanted to help Uncle with this terrible war, I know we had our differences, but I loved my brother, I would never do such a thing. Why would the Admiral lie? Why would he do this?"

Canaris felt his sense of dread grow further, and he tried to force himself to move again but to no avail. If they found his safe, there was no telling what might happen and the knowledge that he had been interacting with the Abwehr was even more worrying. I cannot let the military find any of the information about my activities with the Allied Kingdom, he thought in a panic.

The island nation thought they had a spy within the Abwehr; that spy was, in fact, a fabrication made by him. He had spent a great deal of time building the trust of Albion's intelligence agency so that he could find out about something known as project Ultra, it was vital to the security of the Empire. Unfortunately, part of that had involved passing along reliable intelligence to them in order to build their trust. Intelligence that had been passed along to the Francois Republic and Legadonian Entente.

At least two major defeats on the Rhine front could be attributed to that information, for Canaris these were acceptable losses for the potential gains, but he doubted the General staff would see it that way. He had never told them that he had fed this information to the enemy, he knew they would change their plans to avoid the losses and his plan would be ruined. They would be furious, that secret alone could have the ignorant believe him to be a traitor. When they found out he had sent the information that led to Ludwig's defection, they would be even more convinced of this. Especially since he had been the one to persuade them not to send reinforcements. I'm not a traitor! I gave everything I had for my Empire!

"I am obviously unaware of any of that yet, I simply came here to help my dear friend Tanya when you suddenly attacked me! Perhaps you thought I had stumbled onto your treachery and panicked, I suppose we'll never know for sure," the Prince grinned before looking back towards the bookcase thoughtfully.

"I was shocked as you attacked me, but I am a veteran mage and I quickly regained my wits despite my wounds" he continued dramatically. "You'd already taken my sword and orb at the door so I was almost defenceless! So, I desperately looked around for a weapon…"

Suddenly the boy stopped as his eyes fell on the statue lying amongst the shattered remains of the ceramic floor tiles. He stared at it intently a few moments before very carefully picking it up and studying it. It almost seemed as though the crazed royal had forgotten about him as he turned the statue over in his hands. Then the unhinged look began to return to his eyes and his grin began to widen once more as he began laughing out loud once again.

"That monster truly does work in mysterious ways" he wheezed as he glared back at Canaris, repositioning the statue in his hand in order to use it as a club. "Or at least it has a cruel sense of humour, I'm not sure which."

Canaris had no clue what the boy was talking about. It was clear now that the boy had completely gone off the deep end. If he were to get out of this mess, he would make sure the boy was committed and would never be let out, but he needed to get out of this first, the Empire depended on his survival.

He had no idea what was going through the boy's head, something about the statue had set him off again. Still, this wasn't all bad, the Princes gloating, and his deranged outbursts were buying him time. He could feel the feeling begin to creep back into his features as the drug began to wear off, a few more minutes and he might be able to move again but it seemed the boy was not going to wait.

"I grasped the nearest thing I could find, a statue, and readied it to defend myself." The boy winced again as he struggled to his feet, leaving patches of blood from his cuts on the floor. He hobbled over to him, holding his side with one hand and the make-shift club in the other. He knew well enough that the statue was heavy enough that it could do a great deal of damage and a good blow to the head would likely mean he would never get up again. He struggled to move, he could feel his fingers begin to twitch as he used all his force of will to try to force his body into motion but to no avail.

This can't happen, the Empire can't survive without me! He thought desperately as the boy stood over him menacingly before kicking him hard in the stomach, forcing the wind out of him as the chair fell backwards onto the floor.

He found himself staring up at the ceiling almost in a daze as the evil little Prince appeared in his vision. This was it, Canaris realised, he still couldn't move and there was no one coming to help. He would die and his beloved Empire would believe he was a traitor.

When investigators came across the scene, they would find a battered and bruised child in tears claiming he had been attacked. By then, the drugs will have disappeared from Canaris's system, although it would be doubtful that they would have found them anyway. No one would conclude that an unarmed Wilhelm had murdered him in cold blood, he was a smooth manipulator and would easily get people to believe his story. Even if they were suspicious, they would see that he was disarmed and without a computation orb, they'd assume that mage or not a grown man should easily be able to overwhelm the small boy.

Assuming what the boy said was true, once they found the evidence it would be disastrous. It wasn't just his files, the nature of the organisation meant that they would be forced to look into activities of his subordinates too. He had ordered them to avoid sharing information, should other parts of the government and military find out the depths of what they had been withholding it would cause earthquakes through them both. It would cause the end of the Abwehr.

He doubted the Prince knew this, he was on some crusade for revenge for this Hausmann and to clear Degurechaff's name. This would undoubtedly achieve that, but at what cost? With this foolish act he had done more damage to the Empire than anyone else ever could, he knew the nation could not survive without his guidance.

The boy now stared down at him devoid of all humour as he readied the statue in his other hand for the final blow.

"You should never have tried to take them away from me," he whispered quietly, "the moment you did, you lost this battle."

Authors notes

Hi all and thanks as always for reading.

RIP Vice Admiral Fredrick Canaris

This was another longer one and it took a little longer than I expected, but I'm gradually getting chapters out a little quicker now. It probably didn't help that it's written from Canaris's POV and I don't really enjoy writing as him.

I apologise that my updates have been less consistent over the last few months, I did see the review about that. However, since COVID hit I have actually had to work more and with different hours each week, so I have very much struggled to create a good work/life balance whilst also fitting in time for other projects and simply just playing games and chilling out. That is ongoing, but hopefully, I'm gradually getting better.

It was a little tough as I had to put in a lot of dialogue that was just Wilhelm as Canaris couldn't talk. This made it seem rather strange when I was writing so hopefully it's ok when you read it. Still, I liked being able to describe Wilhelm having a crazy moment from a pov other than his own, I haven't been able to do that much yet. I also really like that Canaris gets remembered as a hero for the allies, it seems like exactly the last thing he would want.

Tanya will be back in the next one, and we will see what she thinks about all this.

Thank you to all of those who gave me feedback as far as reposting the story elsewhere. I still plan on doing that, but I haven't quite gotten around to it yet. Putting up the whole story elsewhere seems kind of daunting, especially since I'll probably want to look them all over again as I do it.

Once again, I hope you are still enjoying my story and thank you for reading.

Xanen