Loose ends II: Decanonized Saint

40 Years after the War

Londinium

- Professor Sherlock, exactly how important was the Charlemagne treaty to Letzenbourg? -

- Incredibly important! Although many of the terms of the agreement were never fully implemented, it served as the foundation for democracy in what became the republic of Letzenbourg. At the time the terms guaranteed Letzenbourg's continued independence from the Empire and after the war it allowed the little country to negotiate peace separate from the Empire, thus saving it from the harsh terms imposed on the Germanians in the Treaty of Rocquencourt. Prime Minister Bech was without a doubt a diplomatic genius! -

- The late Prime Minister always maintained that his success with the treaty was due to the efforts of Prince Wilhelm Von Hozollern. –

- I'm sure we can all agree that a young boy could never have accomplished such a thing, it's merely another case of the Letzenbourgers perpetuating the myth of their so-called Saint. It's a nice story, but a story is all it is.-

– Interview with Professor Sherlock of Londinium University Political Science Faculty. Andrew WTN Special correspondent.

July 1st Unified Year 1925

Outside the Supreme High Command Conference Chamber, The Reichstag, Berlun

What just happened? Will asked himself as he tried to process his sudden change in fortune.

He felt like he could hardly breathe, and not because of his cracked rib. Tanya had knocked the wind out of him more effectively with two words than when her knee had connected with his unmentionables back in Letzenbourg. The whole situation left him feeling queasy as he tried to come to terms with how quickly things had turned against him.

He felt his legs start to wobble and he instinctively staggered towards the window before leaning against it in an effort to support himself. It felt like the meeting had squeezed the life out of him and he barely had the energy to stand anymore.

Now that they were alone in the corridor outside the conference room, he could gather his thoughts without having to worry about what anyone watching might think of him. Anyone aside from her that is, but he didn't care what she might think of him was right now. He was just glad they'd been afforded this small amount of privacy; he didn't think he was capable of keeping up the facade of 'the Saint' right now.

Why? He wanted to ask the girl standing silently behind him, but he couldn't quite persuade the words to leave his lips. He was still struggling to comprehend what had happened and his mind swam with barely contained conflicting emotions, causing his head to throb painfully.

It had all been going so well.

Only a few minutes ago, he'd been on top of the world, although he'd been careful not to show his elation in front of the cabal of councillors. His plan to rid himself of Canaris and save Tanya had worked out perfectly; he'd gotten revenge for Haussmann, cleared Tanya and caused enough confusion that it was impossible for anyone to pin any of the blame on him.

He'd finally won.

Better still, it had given him a golden opportunity to get back at some of the other members of the High Command who'd been making things difficult for him over the past few weeks. Both the Finance and Industrial Ministers had always sat firmly with the late Admiral in their opposition against him. Although their primary motivation had been to profit from the treaty, they had always sided with Canaris and insisted he resign from the military whenever they could. This had obviously been a major problem for Will, he couldn't even consider quitting while the monster still demanded payment, and the opposition of these men had been a major source of his recent stress.

Fortunately for him, the atmosphere of suspicion and their connection to Canaris had caused people to begin to question the pair's true motives. Meanwhile, Will had been receiving sympathy for being the Admiral's "last victim". All this, combined with the Charlemagne treaty, provided him with the perfect opportunity to get a little payback.

He didn't much care about what the terms of the treaty were, he'd never really had any interest in ruling Letzenbourg, it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. He'd only overthrown Ludwig because the man had been trying to kill him, he never wanted to be Regent or Grand Duke. He didn't even want to go back to his former home. Why would he? The inhabitants of the little country hated him for losing their city and plunging them into a civil war. Now that he was selling their country to the Empire, that hatred would only grow.

Going back sounded like it would be detrimental to his health; as far as he was concerned, the Empire could take the place off his hands. It was only due to a quirk in history that it wasn't already part of its more powerful neighbour anyway. He just wanted to pay off the entity that Tanya called Being X and use his wealth to make sure he and his friends could live out a comfortable life somewhere. He just wanted to live the life he knew deep down that he deserved.

However, if his enemies were so keen to carve up his former homeland and take its resources and wealth for themselves, then he would do everything he could to make life difficult for them. Even if it was merely a petty act of spite.

He had already been using legal loopholes to stall for time with the Treaty and the Letzenbourg Prime minister had taken it upon himself to use that extra time to continue negotiations. To Will's amazement, the obsequious yes man had managed to get concessions from the Empire. Apparently, everyone was desperate to get the deal signed so that they could focus on the Republic, this meant they were willing to give a lot more than anyone would have expected.

It had worked out well for Will, the more they demanded, the more it would upset his opponents in the High Command and he knew he could use that frustration against them when the time came. Additionally gaining a few concessions in the treaty would go a long way towards persuading the inhabitants of his former home to be a little more forgiving. At the moment, he suspected they'd prefer to see his head on a spike but with a decent deal they might only complain about him rather than want to harm him.

The Foreign minister had agreed to the changes and Will signed the treaty without a second thought. He was especially pleased about the clause promising that the Empire would pay back the Letzenbourg banks. It was like taking money directly from the Finance Minister's wallet and he couldn't help but smile when he thought about how furious the man would be.

When the hearing came around, he'd barely needed to say anything, all the pieces were in place for him. The evidence they'd planted against the late Admiral had been incriminating enough to cause division within the High Command. When the mountain of material showing what he'd really been doing was revealed, it made the split even worse. The tension in the room had been obvious, especially between the military and the civilian branches of the Government.

As expected, his two enemies were vocal in their opposition to the changes to the treaty and they quickly became angry but there was little they could do. However, their displeasure caused them to lash out later in the meeting and that was to be their undoing.

All that was needed was a few words from the sweet, compassionate, and dutiful 'Saint' to win over the rest of the room. To everyone present, it looked like the two old men were attacking and blaming a young boy for the crimes of their comrade and since he enjoyed a great deal of support from the military, they'd been quick to defend him. Will had been able to sit back and enjoy watching the ministers end their own careers.

There had also been another convenient stroke of luck for him. The situation with Canaris and the Abwehr had sent shockwaves of panic through the Imperial court; so much so that his uncle, the Emperor, had sent someone to sit in on the day's meeting to keep an eye on the High Command.

Will couldn't have asked for a friendlier face to represent the Imperial Royal Family. Cousin Bertie had always had a soft spot for him, the man treated him like a younger brother, he probably liked him more than his uncle did. The Crown Prince had looked ready to blow a blood vessel as the Finance minister foolishly tried to have Will punished. He knew there and then that the bureaucrat was unlikely to keep his job for much longer. Once Bertie told Uncle what had happened, there would likely be a few changes to the Imperial Cabinet, but this wasn't enough for Will. He felt like embarrassing the man a little more before he was ousted.

So, the Saint had demanded to be punished.

He'd wanted to laugh out loud as silence descended on the room; he obviously hadn't meant a word of it and he'd known the military faction would never accept such a thing. He was playing the part of the guilty leader, taking responsibility for failures that he could do nothing about, how could they punish him for that without losing face? It had been Canaris who had advised the General Staff not to send reinforcements after all, wasn't he the one to blame?

The effect was hilarious, almost everyone in the room was looking at the Finance Minister like he was something they'd scraped off their boots. It was the icing on the cake for Will's victory. He'd been about to get everything he wanted, the Chancellor had even said he should retain his position in the Imperial army, meaning he would be able to prevent any future attempts to remove him from the front lines. Everything was perfect.

Then she said two words that changed everything.

"I object"

The words still echoed in his mind.

Confusion had been his primary emotion at the time, what exactly was she objecting to? And why? Hadn't they already gotten everything they wanted? Did she think they could shake them down for more? Will thought that was a little greedy but it was understandable; she was probably annoyed that all she'd gained from this whole mess was an apology. He'd considered arranging some sort of compensation for all the trouble she'd been through once this mess had been sorted out, she'd had to put up with a lot recently.

"Major Degurechaff?" The Chancellor replied equally perplexed by her sudden interjection. "You have more to add to the Letzenbourg Enquiry?"

"No Sir, the available evidence clearly shows that Colonel von Hozollern cannot be blamed for what happened at Letzenbourg," she said carefully as she marched towards the council table. "I have other reasons to object to him retaining his position in the Imperial Army."

It was then that he first realised how damaging those first two words really were, not only to his carefully constructed plan but to all his future hopes and dreams. She was objecting his place in the military, the one thing above all else that he needed to keep if he were to survive.

Had she betrayed him?

In a moment he felt like his world had been turned upside down, far from total victory he was now on the verge of unmitigated disaster. Her tone made it clear she wasn't trying to get him promoted; objecting to him retaining his rank could only mean she wanted to force him to resign, just like the civilian ministers. If he were forced to do that, he wouldn't be able to pay back Being X and the monster would end his existence.

He felt sick from the shock and the sudden rush of panic left him feeling like the room was spinning as he stared at her, unable to speak and wondering why she would do such a thing. Didn't she realise that if she succeeded in ousting him from the military, she would be condemning him to something worse than death? They were both victims of an uncaring god, they were the same, so how could she turn on him like this?

True they'd had their differences in the past, but he had thought they'd put all that aside. Although they often bickered and argued, he considered her a friend and he appreciated her forthright personality and hardworking nature. He looked up to her, he cared about her, she was supposed to share in his success, not bring it down from the inside. Above all else, he had truly believed she'd finally learned to trust him.

It seemed he had been mistaken.

Why Tanya? I just saved you! He thought bitterly as he felt the sting of tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He had lost the mask of 'the Saint' now, this sudden change of fate had robbed him of the ability to maintain the façade. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, this betrayal hurt more than Ludwig or Canaris's, and it felt as though she was plunging a knife directly into his heart.

"The Colonel's actions today and in the past prove he is ill-suited to handle the responsibilities of his current rank," she continued causing murmurs of confusion to ripple through the assembled dignitaries.

Tanya and Will's eyes met briefly as she spoke. Her expression betrayed no emotion and her tone remained neutral and business-like. It was like she didn't feel the slightest hint of remorse for her actions and he felt his chest tighten in pain as he searched in vain for any sign that she might have cared about what she was putting him through. There was none.

Don't you care? Does everything we've been through mean nothing to you?

Will balled his fingers into a fist as he felt his shock and confusion transform into rage at Tanya's treachery. He poured every part of this newfound anger into a fierce glare that could pierce stone; she may not care what she was doing to him, but he would make sure she knew how he now felt about this betrayal.

How dare you?! After everything I put myself through for you! He raged internally, willing his thoughts through his eyes, I won't let you get away with this.

Unfortunately, she'd picked the worst possible time to attack him. He'd just freely admitted that he should be punished, and he couldn't retract that statement without severely damaging his fraudulent reputation. If he did, it could turn more of the Council against him, it might even expose his true nature to Bertie and he'd lose the goodwill of the Royal Family. It wasn't over yet however, he'd always been good at turning situations to his advantage, he would just have to bide his time and wait for an opening.

"You see, even his contemporaries feel the Prince is lacking" the Financial minister interjected, much to Will's chagrin. Evidently, the man had seen the opportunity to get a little payback of his own. "It is as I have been saying all along the boy should resign."

"With respect sir," Tanya replied quickly and calmly, cutting the man's rude interruption short. "Colonel von Hozollern is no longer a political entity; his military rank is the responsibility of the military and the General Staff, not the High Command or the Treasury."

The man bristled at her words while Will narrowed his eyes at her with suspicion. Although the point was debatable, by claiming he was no longer a political figure, she was effectively removing the civilian portion of the High Command's influence over his position in the military. It seemed odd that she should refuse the support the faction most likely to force him out. Then again, with Canaris's fall, the councillor's untrustworthy natures had been exposed and with men like the Finance Minister on her side, she might have decided they were less allies and more potential hindrances to her cause.

"I'm afraid I don't understand Major" General Marchesse said eventually and with obvious discomfort, he clearly disliked that his faction had been plunged into the centre of this situation. "Both General's Zettour and Rudersdorf were just speaking quite highly of the Prince's abilities."

Will felt himself calm slightly, it appeared that Tanya had misread the room. The military had already endorsed him, and nothing had changed so far that would cause them to withdraw their support. Although he knew many of the generals didn't like the idea that someone so connected to the Emperor was running around the battlefield, they wouldn't contradict each other in front of the rest of the High command.

"I Agree" a new and familiar voice interrupted indignantly from behind them. "Wilhelm has proven time and again that he is a hero, we should be thanking him for ridding us of the traitor not punishing him!"

Will struggled to hide a smirk; it seemed once again, he wouldn't need to say anything to defend himself. The allies he had assembled to see off the attacks of the civilian councillors had rallied to his defence once again. Even cousin Bertie had finally grown tired of all this and had broken his silence and interjected what would be considered the official opinion of the Imperial Royal Family. He'd won.

It seemed he had been worried for nothing. Tanya's actions still stung though; he would have to come up with some way to get back at her. He could probably have her drummed out of the army but that didn't seem like enough, she needed a suitable punishment for her betrayal. One way or another he'd have her begging him for forgiveness.

Tanya turned to study Bertie for a moment and raised a surprised eyebrow. Perhaps she hadn't noticed the man before now, but Will could see the flicker of recognition in her eyes as she realised who she was talking to. She'd probably seen him in the newspapers at some point and now that memory had resurfaced, she would realise her cause was lost.

"Prince Adalbert, General," Tanya began bowing to the crown prince before turning back to the assembled officers. "You misunderstand me, I have no arguments about the Colonel's skill in combat or his ability to inspire those around him. I have served with him long enough that I can confirm he is uniquely talented in these regards."

Most of the assembled generals shared perplexed looks with one another as they considered Tanya's words. Will felt similarly confused, what she was saying didn't make sense. She had admitted that the evidence they had didn't allow for him to be blamed for Letzenbourg and that he was a good soldier and leader, what exactly was she objecting to?

Will glanced around as the puzzled murmuring echoed through the room. Only General's Zettour and Rudersdorf seemed unaffected by the girl's words, remaining quiet and impassive while everyone shared their confused mutterings. While Colonel von Rerugen sat with a strained and worried look on his face as he grasped his stomach as if he was in pain. In hindsight Will should have been suspicious about that, these men had known Tanya longer than almost anyone else and knew she had a nasty habit of seeing things in a different light to normal people. They were simply waiting for her to get to her point.

"Then what is the reason for your concern Major?" General Von Miltke asked over the din.

"I'd have thought that was obvious General," said Tanya as she turned her head back to Will and for the first time that day he saw a hint of emotion in the corners of her eyes. "It is the Colonel's kindly disposition that makes him unsuitable to be an officer."

Will felt another twinge of unease in his stomach as he saw the cruel glint in the corner of Tanya's eyes as she spoke. It was one he'd seen her wear before when she was feeling confident, and it was not the sort of look he felt comfortable being on the receiving end of.

What does she mean by my "kindly disposition"? He thought as he tried to decipher some meaning from her words. Technically few people knew what his temperament was, he rarely showed his true self in front of anyone and he doubted Tanya of all people would describe him as kind. What was she getting at?

"The Colonel has both stated and proven on many occasions that he despises violence and desires only peace," Tanya continued turning back to the assembled dignitaries. "Although this should be the attitude of all civilised men and women during times of peace, it cannot be the attitude of a soldier on the front lines during combat."

She paused for a moment and Will saw her expression morph into a sad smile before as she looked around the room before her gaze finally fell on Adalbert.

"You gentlemen haven't had the honour of serving with him, but I'm sure you've all heard of the efforts of the Saint to encourage the enemy to surrender without bloodshed" Tanya began, giving Cousin Bertie a performance that rivalled one of Will's own. "You can hear in his voice the thought of having to hurt another is incredibly distressing for him."

YOU BITCH! He screamed internally as he realised what she was up to. She was using the reputation of the Saint against him! He'd spent years nurturing the idea that he was an honest, conscientious and gentle soul that only fought reluctantly out of a sense of honour and duty. He'd managed to wrap almost everyone around his little finger with that act and now Tanya was using it against him.

"He proved it again today by trying to accept responsibility for the fall of Letzenbourg when it is clear to everyone here that he did everything in his power to prevent it" she continued sadly. "And we all know he desperately tried to spare everyone the guilt of the unfortunate actions in Arene by accepting personal responsibility, despite the orders coming from the General Staff. The Saint may have proven to be an honourable and merciful warrior, but his conscience prevents him from being an effective field officer."

Not only was she using his reputation, but she was also using his own tactics against him. He hadn't realised that Tanya was such a good liar and actress, she knew better than anyone he never really showed mercy to the enemy, their deaths were needed to satisfy the monstrous god. If he'd known that she could be this dangerous, he would have been much more careful around her.

"What are you suggesting?" Bertie stuttered with shock and barely hidden frustration. "Surely these are the traits of a great leader?"

"They are traits that all soldiers hope their leaders and generals possess Your Highness" she began, and Will noticed some of the General staff members shift uncomfortably in their seats. "But this war has proven that there is no place for honour on the front lines and the sometimes we must put aside our moral scruples until the job is done. Can you really say that Wilhelm has been doing that? What do you think will happen to him if he cannot?"

Will found himself grinding his teeth with frustration at her words, moral scruples? He'd had to abandon those long ago to pay the debt to Being X but the Saint always gave the impression of having a conscience. The Saint had always offered mercy, even if Will had no intension of delivering it, the Saint felt guilt about the unfortunate deaths on both sides, to Will they were a number. Tanya had cornered him with his own fake persona.

He looked around the room again and tried to see how many were being swayed by her words as he attempted to push down his growing sense of alarm. For the most part, the civilians looked shocked at the girl's words, most still foolishly believed that war was a grand adventure, and it was a great honour to fight for your country. Hearing such a brutal truth come straight from the mouth of a young officer was no doubt surprising, to say the least. If circumstances were different, he might have found their reactions funny.

Meanwhile, the generals sat sullenly and tried not to make eye contact with one another. They all knew that Degurechaff's words were true, this war had quickly devolved into a numbers game and their decisions indirectly meant the lives of thousands could be snuffed out in less than a few hours. Where was the honour in that kind of war? The days of valiant charges and heroic last stands were long gone. The generals all knew that, but it was a convenient lie that kept both the public and civilian ministers happy. War was a messy business, so it was better to hide it behind a façade of honour and courage.

That was precisely why the Saint had been able to thrive; Will had been able to play the noble warrior while secretly increasing his blood tally to satiate the thirst of the evil creature that demanded souls. The Saint was just like the Army in that way, an ugly truth hidden behind a virtuous exterior and now Tanya had exposed it, leaving him in a position where he would expose himself if he tried to argue against her.

He could imagine what they all thought, they believed his Saint persona was a true representation of his thoughts and feelings. He was a foolish little boy that felt he needed to fight like the knights of old to defend his country. They would no doubt believe he was being crushed by guilt due to his actions in this war.

They couldn't have been much further from the truth, but they believed the lie he had created and now he was trapped by it.

He turned back to Bertie and saw the man's anger waver and eventually disappear as he processed everything that Tanya had said. His shoulders slumped and he was silent for a moment before he raised his head a stared back at Will with sad eyes that told him that Tanya had all but swayed him over to her side.

"I see, so your concern is that the Prince's good nature inhibits his ability to command in difficult situations?" General Zettour asked thoughtfully.

"Indeed Sir," Tanya replied. "I have stated in my reports that Colonel von Hozollern can be overly aggressive on the offensive and often exposes himself to unnecessary danger. I believe it is in his nature to endanger himself in order to decrease the risk to others, however, we both know that this is a dangerous attitude to have in a commander and his actions could easily cause a breakdown in the chain of command. Not to mention the damage to morale should he fall in one of these reckless assaults."

"Some could say you are similarly aggressive Major" Zettour returned with a slight smile gesturing the silver wings on her uniform. "You are hardly a stranger to risks on the battlefield."

"There are always risks on the front lines General" replied Tanya seeming slightly confused by the man's words. "I would not endanger the operation by allowing emotions to cloud my judgement; I simply follow my orders and do my utmost to complete my missions."

Zettour nodded judiciously while Will had to resist the urge to yell out; couldn't they see she was manipulating them? All she'd done was follow orders? Do you realise they call you a mad dog Tanya? He thought bitterly, you don't follow orders they let you off the leash.

He took a deep breath to try and calm himself and assess his options. Things were looking bad; he hadn't found an opportunity to interject yet and she was winning over more allies to her cause. Worst of all she was making it seem like it would benefit him, or at least his alter ego, but what exactly could he say to counter her argument? He could hardly tell them he couldn't resign because God wanted him to kill people in exchange for his life. They'd assume he was insane and lock him up.

"I see your point Major" replied General Machesse thoughtfully. "Perhaps it would be better for the Prince if he retired his commission or at least take a leave of absence."

Will felt his chest tighten in horror and panic, he was running out of time, they were already suggesting he quit. If he didn't do something quickly, he'd be done for.

"I can't" he exclaimed as he desperately tried to think of something to turn them back to his side while protecting his carefully crafted image. "I made a promise to the people of Letzenbourg that I wouldn't return until the war was over."

It was a weak excuse he knew but it had been the first thing that came to mind as his thoughts scrambled to find any hope to cling to. He knew immediately that it had been a mistake however as he was met with weak smiles by almost everyone in the room. All he was doing was proving Tanya's point, in their minds he was taking responsibility for things he didn't need to again.

"They're right Wilhelm," Bertie said quietly to Will's immeasurable horror as the man stood and joined them in the centre of the room. "You don't need to do this anymore, no one expects you to put yourself through all this."

Et Tu Bertie.

How had she done this? How had she managed to turn them all against him so quickly? Had he become so used to using the Saint to get his own way that he had no way out when it was used against him?

"B...but I have to Bertie," he stammered starting to feel dizzy as his world slowly crumbled around him. "I…it's my duty, you and Uncle can't fight so I fight for you."

His mind was blank, by now his mouth moved automatically and told the same lies he'd been telling them for years. He knew every word was hammering another nail into his own coffin, but he was trapped within his own falsehoods and he could see no way out.

Bertie knelt in front of him and grabbed him gently by the shoulders, giving him what he no doubt thought was an encouraging smile that did nothing but fill Will with dread. Will could feel the tears building in the corners of his eyes again as he felt his doom approaching. He knew Bertie would probably misinterpret it, and it would only make things worse, but he couldn't stop himself, his situation seemed hopeless.

"Will, nobody expects you to do this," he said softly as he pulled him into what was supposed to be a comforting hug, "you can come and stay with me and Father at Babelsberg palace."

Will wanted to cry but found himself unable to move as he stood there dumbly. Once again, he was being offered exactly what he wanted but he couldn't take it. If not for the debt he would have loved to join the rest of the royals at the summer palace but right now, it would be a death sentence for him, that monster Being X would see to that.

He was frozen in place, he had lost. He felt numb, as though his sense of self had already begun to unravel itself from his body to be consumed by the ever hungry Being X. For a moment he saw Hausmann in the corner of his eye and heard the sound of Ludwig laughing at him echoing through his mind.

"Excuse me Sir's" Tanya interrupted bringing Will back to reality for a brief moment as he wondered what new torture, she had planned for him. "I didn't mean to suggest that the Colonel be forced to retire."

Will gave her a withering look as he heard her words, is retirement not enough? Do you need to twist the knife more? He thought bitterly as he felt another wave of hopelessness descend on him. He felt weak and listless, he didn't even have the energy to be angry at her anymore. He was defeated and he just wanted this ordeal to end.

"As I mentioned before, Colonel von Hozollern is a skilled fighter and is exceptionally good at inspiring those around him. He is a valuable human resource for the military, one that cannot be wasted in times of war." She continued causing a new wave of confusion through the room.

"But Major, you just argued that his compassionate nature meant he shouldn't be fighting" a puzzled crown prince replied. Will was similarly confused, by now he'd completely lost track of what was happening and felt like he was being swept away by events as they unfolded.

"I think I understand what you're getting at" General Rudersdorf interjected through a puff of smoke. "Prince Wilhelm's shortcomings as an officer are not unique. Many young officers struggle to come to terms with the necessities of war at first, especially when they are first sent to the front."

"Indeed General, the Colonel's problem isn't that he's not capable, simply that he has been thrust into a position without the proper field experience to back it up." She stated matter-of-factly. "The Imperial army would never give a command rank to an untested officer straight out of the war college but since the Colonel was part of the Letzenbourg forces, he was given his position despite his lack of front line experience."

The last echoes of Ludwig's laughter faded away as Tanya spoke, only to be replaced by a new wave of confusion. He felt himself sway slightly as he stared at the girl with complete bewilderment. It didn't make any sense, Tanya had suddenly shifted gears and started to defend him, he didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified of what she might do next.

"But didn't you start in similar circumstances, Major?" Adalbert asked seeming almost as baffled as Will at the girl's sudden turnaround.

"No Sir, I graduated as a captain before I was given command of the 203rd and already had experience fighting in Norden and on the Rhine under the mentorship of Major Schwarzkopf" she replied frankly. "These experiences allowed me to put my personal feelings aside and act rationally when I later came to make my own command decisions. Colonel von Hozollern never had this crucial experience, hence his understandable deficiencies."

Liar, thought Will sceptically, he was sure Tanya had always been the way she was, she never agonised over the fates of a few soldiers as she was implying. The Generals all lapped it up, however, and were all nodding sagely in agreement.

Will didn't care what they believed, he had more important things to worry about. None of this explained what Tanya was up to. He still couldn't figure out what she was trying to achieve; first, she persuades them he should retire or resign, then she says they need him and argues he should stay? What is she doing?

"And you have a solution to this problem?" asked Zettour with a slight smile that told Will that the man was sure she did.

"Yes General, he needs a similar experience in order to grow and allow his talents to be properly utilised without being burdened with the moral responsibilities of command. That is why I would like him and his company transferred to a more experienced commander. Since I have already worked with him, and our teams work well together it may be prudent to place him with the 203rd, especially given the findings of my report about his company's close combat specialisation."

Will stood with his mouth agape at Tanya's words. A wave of relief washed over him as he realised, he had been the victim of a cruel prank by Tanya. He wanted to laugh out loud, but the surprise had left him unable to even make a noise.

He was elated, she hadn't betrayed him at all.

She was even trying to get him reassigned back to her unit, she must have changed her mind about wanting him to stay away. This was great news, not only would he likely get stationed at the front, but he would also get to stick around with Tanya and the 203rd. He felt strangely pleased about that and he felt a warm feeling begin to replace queasiness in his stomach.

If you were that desperate to have me back on the team you could have just asked, he smiled wryly to himself.

How could he have ever doubted her? If she had wanted to betray him, she could have done it a hundred times before now. He felt foolish for even thinking it. She'd obviously been angrier than he'd realised about her imprisonment and had done all this to get back at him.

Alright, Tanya, I get it; I'll be more careful not to get you into trouble in the future he thought cheerfully, feeling the stress and fear melting away. Well done, you got me, I fell for it hook line and sinker.

"He should of course be demoted to maintain the chain of command and properly relieve him of any lingering feelings of responsibility." She continued almost idly causing Will's thoughts to derail again in an instant.

Again, Will's jaw dropped with surprise and the queasy feeling in his stomach returned almost immediately. He felt like a mouse that had been cornered by a particularly playful cat, every time he thought he had an escape the cat yanked him back by the tail.

Demotion? You can't be serious?

"I see your point Major, but demotion seems a little drastic, Prince Wilhelm still has a very distinguished record" the Chief of staff returned uncertainly. "It wouldn't be right to demote him without a good reason."

"If he retains his current rank, there's no point in the exercise" Rudersdorf pointed out. "It's supposed to relieve him of the responsibilities of overall command, even if he joins as an observer, he still has the right to take command if he feels it's necessary."

"True, but wouldn't demoting him send the wrong message to the troops?" Marchesse pressed. "As we pointed out before, he hasn't done anything to warrant punishment."

"I believe I have a solution, General." Tanya declared before turning to Will with a devious grin.

Tanya's solution had been one of the most humiliating ordeals Will had ever experienced, although out of all those who witnessed it, only Tanya would have known how he truly felt. He had voluntarily demoted himself or more accurately Tanya's trap had forced him to accept voluntary demotion.

In the eyes of the assembled dignitaries, it was so that he could better develop his ability to command; a way for the noble and pure Prince Wilhelm to learn to control his emotions on the battlefield so he would no longer be overwhelmed by them. Since it was his choice to be demoted, the rest of the world wouldn't see it as a punishment, so they didn't need to worry about sending the wrong message.

To Will, it was Tanya's way of humbling him in front of the country's most important figures. The worst part is that he'd had to go along with it, what other choice did he have? She'd trapped him completely.

He'd even had to suffer the ignominy of having to publicly thank her for giving him such a wonderful opportunity. He'd had to don the Saint's persona once again and tell everyone how much he'd already learned from her and how much he was looking forward to serving under her again. Cousin Bertie had even thanked her for thinking about his wellbeing and asked her to look after him. The shame made Will feel sick.

Thankfully, he and Tanya had left the meeting soon after, along with a handful of others. The meeting had moved onto how best to continue persecuting the war against the Republic and the Allied Kingdom and those not relevant to the discussion had been dismissed. As they left, Will was sure he heard mutterings about those rumours again, although he had no idea whether all this had fuelled them further or snuffed them out. Regardless it added an extra layer to his humiliation, he felt sure he'd never live this day down.

All this had led him to this window outside the conference room, still struggling to figure out what went wrong. He couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened and he wasn't ready to face Tanya yet, who was standing uncharacteristically quiet and patiently behind him. So instead he tried to take stock of the situation he had found himself in.

He had dropped three ranks and was now a Captain. Tanya had been very insistent that her authority should not be challenged so he was forced to accept a rank lower than hers. Additionally, he and the remainder of the Letzenbourg mages had been assigned to Tanya's Battalion, they were now under her direct command. From a military standpoint, he was entirely at her mercy, but at least still had his social rank so she would still have to show him some respect, at least in public. Although in private she would doubtlessly treat him the same way she always did.

Will took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pain in his side. He needed to face Tanya, even if he wouldn't like the answers. There was no point putting it off any longer.

"Why?" he asked eventually, turning and forcing himself to look the girl in the eyes. "After what I did for you? I killed Canaris for you, I saved your life! So why?"

"You said yourself you didn't kill him just for me" Tanya answered with a frown.

"Stop splitting hairs! What the hell was all that? Do you just enjoy torturing me?" Will hissed at her, trying his best not to raise his voice and alert the people in the other room.

"It's nothing personal Wilhelm," Tanya said calmly, "But I can't let you use the Empire as your personal playground anymore, your scheming is going destroy everything."

"What are you talking about?" Will asked irritably, "I told you before I'm not up to anything! I took down Canaris to get revenge and saved you in the process! You should be thanking me!"

"You really don't understand how much damage you've caused, do you?" She asked incredulously. "Do you know what removing Canaris has done to Imperial Intelligence?"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Will returned in exasperation, she'd just demoted him, and she wanted to talk about the imperial spy network, what was she even thinking?

He was aware his actions had caused some unintentional consequences, but it wasn't all that bad. The Abwehr had collapsed without Canaris's leadership, but so what? Everyone would be better off without the corrupt organisation; it wasn't as if the individual departments needed the kind of oversight the former Admiral provided. True, things might be a little hectic in the short term, but ultimately, he was sure everyone would be better off without it.

Regardless, he still didn't know what it had to do with her little stunt in the conference room.

"Have you spoken to Colonel Ruregen? No department in either Intelligence or the Government trusts each other anymore! They are all so busy looking for spies that they can't do their jobs. By exposing Canaris you've blinded the Empire and crippled its leadership!" She explained with irritation. "If the Republic's main force hadn't already fled you could have lost us the war with this mess."

"You're exaggerating" Will replied uncertainly upon hearing the conviction in her voice. "It's not that bad."

"Were you in the same meeting as I was? You almost had the military turning on the government!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Will snapped petulantly, "let Canaris win? Or should I have let him shoot you instead?"

"You should have worked with me instead of keeping your plan to yourself and being reckless." The girl replied, clearly struggling to hide her growing frustration. "And from now on I can make sure you do just that."

Will stared at her for a moment and his lips curled into a mirthless smile.

"I see, this is all about control, is it?" He said testily, "are you so desperate to have me salute you and call you Sir that you'd force me to humiliate myself to get your way? What next? Shall I kneel and call you princess? I almost wish I hadn't bothered saving you at all."

He didn't mean it, he was just upset with her for what she'd just put him through. Despite the demeaning incident she had just subjected him to, he was still happy that she hadn't really betrayed him. Part of him was actually excited that they'd be together again from now on, but he couldn't exactly tell her that. He was genuinely angry about being forced to accept demotion like this, but he was glad that he still had her as a friend and companion. In truth, he was more upset that she still didn't trust him.

"It wasn't my intention to humiliate you, but you certainly deserve to be taken down a peg," she returned with annoyance. "I told you it's not personal, this is the only way I can be sure you won't do something stupid to lose us the war. If you're with me then I can keep an eye on you and stop you doing anything irresponsible."

Why does she always think I'm planning something? Will complained inwardly, she seemed to think he was some sort of all-seeing puppet master. All I want to do is get rid of this damned sword!

Silence passed between them for a few moments as they both refused to back down. Tanya was convinced that he'd somehow done something wrong by getting rid of Canaris the way he did but Will refused to accept it. He'd gotten his vengeance and freed Tanya, that was what mattered the most. So, what if he'd caused a bit of collateral along the way, it was bound to happen at some point, it wasn't his fault. Why couldn't she see that?

"I am thankful for what you did to free me Wilhelm" Tanya said softly, and Will found himself staring at her with undisguised surprise. "But you can't act that without considering the consequences."

Will's anger started slipping away as he heard her words, he wanted to stay angry at her but as their eyes met, he found he wasn't able to. She'd thanked him. He hadn't expected that the small gesture would mean so much to him.

As always, he couldn't stay mad at her, he never could. Despite how much they argued he always found her company calming. Even after she'd publicly humiliated him, he still found his anger evaporating now they were alone together.

"You should think of this as an opportunity" she continued returning to her normal professional self. "You wanted to stay on the front lines, right? Now's your chance, as long as you behave yourself."

Will considered her words, she was right, the war wasn't over, and he still needed to feed the sword. Doubtless, Tanya and the 203rd would be the ones sent to where the fighting was thickest and now, he would be going with them. It was the ideal way to pay his debt and now he wasn't in command, he could focus on increasing the tally without worrying about the bigger picture.

Still, he didn't much like the idea that he was no longer the ranking officer in the room and Tanya would no doubt give him the worst jobs if he upset her even a little bit.

"You're right" he sighed, "but did you have to put me through this on today of all days?"

Tanya raised a questioning eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a familiar voice calling them from down the hall.

"Prince Wilhelm, Major! I finally found you!" Said Visha with her usual friendly smile before remembering protocol and hastily throwing up a salute.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing here?" asked a confused Tanya ignoring her adjutant's brief lapse of etiquette. She'd obviously not expected to see the girl in the halls of the Empire's most powerful.

"I'm here to take you to the party of course!" The teen beamed, "Oh that's right, Happy Birthday Prince Wilhelm!"

End of part 2

Authors Notes

Hi everyone and thank you all for reading.

Well, we're at the end of what I'm calling part 2, I'd like to say that it means the story is almost done but we aren't even close haha. This story will span to the end of the war, but from now on the timeline will start to move a little quicker, with more time advancing between events. (Currently, only a few months have passed in-universe, so I really need to pick up the pace).

The next few chapters will be what I'm calling additional operations. They might seem a little like filler, but I wanted a few chapters to have some character time between Tanya and Wilhelm without them being at each other's throats for whatever reason. I also think it'll be fun to see how their new power dynamic works between them. I think we can assume Will is going to be a little rebellious and Tanya is going to have to work to keep him in line.

It'll also help me put in a few things that just won't fit into the main story while filling some time between the fall of the Republic and the 203rds deployment on the southern continent (they don't get deployed until September). Those who are re-reading later may or may not want to skip them for that reason but hopefully, those who are reading as we go along will still enjoy them.

This chapter is a little shorter than some of the previous ones, so I had really hoped to have it finished a little earlier than the three-week target. Unfortunately, I have been a little under the weather again so haven't been able to get as much done as I had hoped. This is also part of the reason I haven't managed to post this story anywhere else and sort out a new cover. (Although admittedly it's also because it takes me a long time to do anything).

For those that don't know, Babelsberg palace was the summer residence of the Kaiser in our universe, so also is in this one because I couldn't be bothered to make a fake name.

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

Xanen