Chapter 3 Diplomacy

Ludwig meets his niece for the first time. And Monika represents the current German state of Lower Saxony; she was the former Kingdom of Hannover, and she is my version of Fem!Germany. Heads up for references to sexual activity. Hope you enjoy!

Ludwig called Gilbert to find out when he and Monika could visit to see newest German state. Lili was still with them, and they had been busy visiting different Tagesmütter and comparing notes. Gilbert checked with Lili, who checked the weather report, and they agreed that the next Saturday would work very well. It was supposed to be a mild, sunny October day, good for a picnic in the local park.

"The apartment is just too small to have so many adults in it," Lili lamented. Gilbert thought it had more to do with the army of toys Maria scattered about. Despite his and Lili's best efforts, the child had a hard time picking up after herself. Lili claimed she wasn't at the right developmental stage to master tidiness, but Gilbert was convinced she was simply stubborn. "Or maybe she has too many toys and we should put most of them away," Lili responded.

"Where?" Gilbert was exasperated. He had stepped on too many blocks or almost slipped on towel dolls in the dark to have much patience with this.

"I can take some to Vaduz for her when she visits," Lili said, "and we can put some in a box in her closet to take out when she gets bored with the others, and some we should really give away."

"Sounds good," Gilbert said. He was about to go back to his computer to check e-mail when he felt Lili's stare focus on him. "Wat?"

"Do you expect me to do this all by myself?" Lili raised an eyebrow. "You are her official guardian, you hold Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in trust for her."

Gilbert was about to snap he was busy, but Lili's glare reminded him too much of Vash's to make him comfortable. One false move, he realized, and she could return to and stay in Liechtenstein for good, and he would be a full-time single parent. "Let's go sort toys while she watches a DVD, meine Dame," he offered, and he was relieved to see the smile return to Lili's face.

He shouldn't complain, he told himself as he and Lili figured out which dolls, books and puzzles should go where. Lili was patient, kind, and hard-working; she had volunteered to bake a cake for Ludwig and Monika's visit, and that was on top of her other duties. In a month, she would have to return to Vaduz, and he dreaded what that would do to Maria. He even dreaded what that would do to him.

At night, when they crawled into bed, he was grateful that she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Ich liebe dich, Gilbert." He was glad that the new form of sex they had discovered, karezza, didn't mean a lot of effort or noise to potentially frighten their child. He was tired too, and he was glad that he didn't have to perform or spur Lili or himself on to multiple orgasms. Instead they could hold and caress, kiss and snuggle, and if somehow he ended up inside her, wonderful. And if it didn't happen, at least they were skin-to-skin, close to each other, like survivors of a shipwreck. He loved to hear her deep, regular breaths at night, to run his hands up and down the slight curves of her smooth ivory body, and to look into her deep green eyes and see such affection and gratitude that he almost believed he was a wonderful lover and father. And when Lili murmured, "you are so sweet with her," he would shake his head, his chin ruffling her hair, and whisper, "You set a high standard to follow, Liebling." He hoped that when she lay in his arms, she felt renewed and not depleted; he knew that when he was still and inside her, he could feel her pulsing and massaging him, putting his anxiety about himself, her, and Maria's future at ease. He felt loved, and he wanted them both to know that he loved them more than he could put in words.

Saturday came and Gilbert and Lili had somehow managed to make his apartment in Neustrelitz look civilized. Maria's hair was combed and braided and she scratched at the wool tights that were supposed to keep her warm in the brisk weather. She and Lili were in the kitchen finishing up the sandwiches for the picnic, when Bruno and Willi started barking at a knock at the door. Gilbert followed them and saw Ludwig and Monika.

Ludwig held out some flowers and Monika pressed a wrapped box into Gilbert's hands. "Für die Kleinen," the former Kingdom of Hannover said as she kissed Gilbert's cheek.1 She peeled off her bright pink gloves as she stepped into the living room; Gilbert noted that even her attempts at whimsy were too earnest. "Where is she?" Monika's pale blue eyes shone with expectation.

"In the kitchen with Lili," replied Gilbert. He ushered the two guests to the sofa and shushed the dogs. Lili came in, leading Maria by the hand. The little girl had been babbling to her, but as soon as she saw the two tall blond strangers smiling hopefully at her, she grew quiet and wide-eyed, burrowing her face into Lili's skirts.

"Go to Vati," Lili urged. Gilbert could see that Lili herself was nervous; this was the first time in over a year that she had seen Ludwig outside of a World Meeting. His brother had been hurt by what he had perceived as her treachery to him, and Gilbert had warned her that his forgiveness would take a while. But Ludwig only had eyes for Maria. He watched her eagerly as Lili half-nudged, half-led the little entity to Gilbert. He held Monika's present out to her and she tentatively took it. "It's from Monika," he whispered to Lili, who replied, "This is your Tante Monika, Maria. And this is a present from her. What do you say?"

The little girl stared at the State of Lower Saxony. Lili cleared her throat. "We say 'Danke' when someone gives a present. Can you say 'Danke' to Tante Monika?"

"Danke." Maria's whisper could barely be heard past the wrapped box. To Gilbert's relief, Monika still smiled. "Open your present, Maria. You can use it in the park." With Gilbert's help, Maria tore off the paper and opened the box; it revealed a brightly colored ball. Maria clutched it and leaned against Gilbert as she kept staring at Monika and Ludwig.

"Danke for the ball, Monika," Gilbert said. He turned Maria so she could face Ludwig. "And this is your Onkel Ludwig, Maria. Say 'hello' to him."

Ludwig chuckled a little at the quiet toddler. "She's rather shy, isn't she?" He said. His deep voice startled Maria, who tried to hide her face in Gilbert's sweater. Feeling her tense body against his chest made Gilbert feel sorry for the little one. "She'll have time to get to know us," Ludwig continued. He stood up and crossed over to shake Lili's hand. "Liechtenstein." The smile left his voice and face.

Lili nodded. "Germany." At least, she thought to herself, his eyes were neutral and not hostile. "Please excuse me while I finish packing the picnic." She went back to the kitchen, Bruno and Willi following her.

Monika looked approvingly at Maria's clothing and hair. "So are you going to learn to braid her hair, Gilbert?" She darted an amused glance at him.

"Ja!" Gilbert huffed. He put that on a his mental list of "things to ask Lili to show him how to do before she leaves." Maria was busy studying the ball. Ludwig returned to them, squatted next to the child and asked softly, "Do you like your gift, Maria?" She nodded, eyes fixed on the brightly colored toy.

Gilbert examined his brother's face. His normally stern features were soft and they reminded him of when he was a young entity, the German, and later North German, Confederation. He looked less careworn and guarded than he usually did. But there was something else that Gilbert saw in his brother's eyes, something that made his kind expression sad as he smiled at the toddler. Longing, he realized. He found himself clutching Maria more closely to his body as the visitors asked him about Maria's daily routine, likes and dislikes, and future childcare arrangements.

When Lili announced that the picnic basket was ready and she had put the dogs in their crates, the child ran to her and clung to her hands. Gilbert got the picnic basket and the little group strolled to the park. It was a pleasant day for a walk along the small town's streets and the park was not too crowded. They made themselves comfortable and ate lunch. As the three German entities talked, Lili busied herself with making sure Maria ate tidily. Gilbert kept an eye on them; he was pleased to see Maria wait patiently as Lili took out the coffee cake and slice it. He was proud when Maria, with Lili's coaching, offered the first slice to Ludwig, and then the next to Monika. The child's quiet, earnest manner charmed the two. But after eating a few bites of cake, she began to fidget and Lili excused her and herself to play with the ball. Monika also got up to join them.

Ludwig and Gilbert watched the three females play. "You know," Ludwig finally said as he refilled his coffee cup from the thermos, "you have managed to offend several states by not asking them to help out with Maria."

Gilbert huffed and rolled his eyes. "We've barely had her for a month. I can't take her on a grand tour!"

"No one expects you to drag her around Germany right now," Ludwig said. "But Thuringia is very hurt you didn't consult her about childcare and Monika was less than pleased that you didn't tell her personally she had a new neighbor."2

"She got an announcement, like everybody else!" Gilbert retorted.

"Like everybody else," Ludwig repeated with a meaningful look. Gilbert glared back.

"The last time I asked her to take care of an entity, she had a hundred reasons why she couldn't do it. 'I am a warrior, not a mother! I've never raised a child! What would the United Kingdom say?'"3 Gilbert mimicked Monika's serious, perfect Hochdeutsch.

"But she did do it, and she did a fine job!" Ludwig glowered. Gilbert realized he was dangerously close to upsetting his younger brother; Monika had been a devoted older sister who had watched him when Gilbert was too busy with war and government.

"Well, I didn't want to impose on her again," he muttered. "Besides, Lili is doing an awesome job with her! Look at them." He nodded towards the three at play. Lili and Monika were encouraging Maria to try kicking the ball; the toddler managed one kick after a few tries, and the older females applauded.

"Ja, but Liechtenstein can't stay here and raise her. And she certainly can't take her back to Vaduz with her." Ludwig watched the happy scene without emotion. "She will leave in what, a month? And then what will you do?"

"I'm interviewing for a good Tagesmutter to take her for a couple of days a week. And when I return to full-time work, she can stay there every day until it's time for Kindergarten."

Ludwig grunted noncommittally. Gilbert knew his opinion on childcare for working parents differed from his. "Come on," Gilbert sighed, "You know I just can't dump her on Monika or Thuringia's doorstep everyday and race to Potsdam! She needs to grow up in her state."

"Ja, I know." Ludwig shrugged. "But it would be nice once in a while to bring her to visit on a weekend. Let her meet the other states and when they see how sweet and lovable she is, that will create a lot of goodwill. And you need goodwill." Gilbert jutted out his chin and glared. Ludwig was nonplussed. "States still remember the last time you raised an entity and tried to keep it all to yourself. Don't make that same mistake, Bruder."

Gilbert flinched. He knew exactly what Ludwig meant. Once Ludwig had gotten to be a boy and more interesting and educable, he had taken him from Monika and kept him away from the other German entities as much as he could. At the time, he had told everyone and himself that it was because he wanted to raise Ludwig to be cunning and strong, a warrior and strategist, not a weak intellectual like Saxony, a liberal dreamer like Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, or a castle-building maniac like Bavaria. Least of all, he didn't want an effete, music-loving snob like Austria. He had been convinced only he had the ability and the vision to make Ludwig great. Only recently had he been able to admit to himself that he had been lonely, and by making the young entity dependent on him, he had thought that he would never be alone again.

Maria's giggles and squeals of delight filled the blue October sky. Gilbert watched her dart up about, kicking up leaves as she chased the ball between Lili and Monika. He hated to admit that Ludwig was right; the child needed to know the other entities, since it could only help her and him in the long run. But she will always be meine Tochter, he reminded himself.4

"When will you forgive Lili?" He asked as he watched the scene.

Ludwig finished his coffee and cake. "When I am good and ready. Of course, seeing Maria healthy and well-cared for goes some way towards that. Not to mention this cake." He winked and got up. "Well, Gilbert, this has been very good." He stretched. "Do you need a fourth for football?" He called to the three players and Monika laughed and invited him.

Gilbert packed up the basket. He watched the football game, pleased to see Ludwig team up with Maria against Lili and Monika. But as the time passed, he could see the child begin to flag and grow more sulky with each missed kick. Lili went over to her and picked her up. He got up to help her as she struggled with the grumbling toddler.

"I think someone is overdue for a nap," Lili said. Monika and Ludwig nodded and agreed that it was time for them to head back to Berlin. They made their farewells and Gilbert was relieved to hear Ludwig say, "Have a safe trip back to Vaduz, Lili." She exchanged a look of hopeful relief with Gilbert as he took Maria from her and she carried the basket back to the apartment.

Monika smiled at her brother as she fastened her seatbelt. "The child is lovely! And who would have imagined that girlish Prinzessin would know anything about childrearing?"

"Ja," Ludwig grunted as he stuck the key into the ignition. "It would be better for everyone involved if she were more of eine Rabensmutter."5He ignored his sister's shocked face as he started the car.

So we got a little family visit and some tension. What do you think? I look forward to your reviews!

1 German: for the little one

2 Thuringia is one of the states from the former East Germany. Lower Saxony (Monika's state) is on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's western border.

3 From 1714 to 1837, the Kingdom of Hanover was in personal union with the United Kingdom. In Hetalia terms, Monika and Arthur Kirkland were in an arranged marriage that lasted until the ascension of Queen Victoria. In my head canon, it started as a political alliance that actually developed into an affectionate, respectful relationship that was reluctantly dissolved because the Kingdom of Hanover followed Salic Law and would not accept a queen. Who knows, there might be an EnglandxFem!Germany fanfic on the horizon...

4 German: my daughter

5 German: raven's mother. A very serious insult meaning a neglectful or uninvolved mother.