Chapter 45: Harbingers of the Storm (3)
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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September 10, 1939
Kassel, Frankfurt, District 9 Command – Dietrich Schacht’s Residence
Just as I was settling in for a quiet weekend with Claudia, the peace was shattered by an uninvited guest. He sipped his coffee leisurely before speaking, as though he had all the time in the world.
“Hmm… nothing special, really.”
“I apologize for the lack of preparation. I didn’t expect such an esteemed guest.”
Claudia responded with a smile as polite as could be, though I’d bet my arm she was seething beneath it.
What I couldn’t understand was why Wilhelm seemed equally displeased with Claudia. Why?
“I hear you’re still unmarried.”
“She’s my fiancée. We haven’t had the ceremony yet, given the state of things.”
“I see.”
Wilhelm’s expression remained one of dissatisfaction. Why on earth was the prince here, breaking into my Sunday morning?
“If I may, Your Highness, could I ask why you’ve graced my humble abode?”
“Ah, forgive me for the sudden intrusion.” He offered a belated, hollow apology before glancing briefly at Claudia, then back at me.
This guy…
“She’s not just my fiancée; she’s my most trusted ally. If she can’t hear it, then neither will I, Your Highness.”
For the first time, Wilhelm seemed a little taken aback. Surprised, are you?
“Hm. I meant no offense. But I am… an old-fashioned man. It’s… improper to discuss politics in front of an unmarried lady.”
Seriously? He’s using that as an excuse?
As I debated whether to ask him to leave, Claudia squeezed my hand and rose gracefully.
“Well then, I wish you both a pleasant conversation, Your Highness.”
Claudia ascended the stairs, retreating to her room with deliberate grace.
There went my plans for an afternoon at the park. Guess I’ll need a sweet dessert to shake off this ruined mood.
The prince was undeniably important. As long as he remained neutral regarding the royalist faction, there was room for negotiation. Still, his presence rubbed me the wrong way.
“I hear you’re the connection between the civilian forces and the military within the new government.”
“That’s correct, Your Highness.”
Officially, I’m merely the spokesperson of the new government and a major overseeing radio broadcasts. Not exactly a prestigious title. How he knew about this… that was beyond me.
Wilhelm took another sip of coffee, studying me.
“Count Blumenthal is a close friend of my eldest son. Since the Munich Agreement, I’ve kept a close eye on what you and your associates have been doing.”
So, that’s how he knew.
I wondered how he had any knowledge of someone like me. But Count Blumenthal was, after all, one of the conspirators involved in the assault on Hitler’s headquarters and a key player in the Valkyrie operation.
So perhaps it’s no surprise he spilled the details to the prince. Even if his whereabouts are now unknown…
“Count Blumenthal is…”
“A loyal patriot who sacrificed himself for the Empire, a noble hero.”
I was about to express my sympathy regarding his missing friend, but the prince had already cast him as a dead hero.
Now I understood why Wilhelm’s attitude irked me.
“I heard you’re aiming for the revival of democracy, not the Empire. Is that true?”
“It is, Your Highness.”
There was no point denying it, so I confirmed immediately.
“No need for pointless mind games, then. Since you’re being straightforward, I’ll do the same.”
The prince chuckled lightly, then casually crossed his legs and folded his arms.
“I have no intention of restoring my father to the throne.”
Ah, so that’s it.
This explained his lukewarm stance toward Dr. Goerdeler and the royalists. He didn’t aspire to a constitutional monarchy. If he did, he wouldn’t have joined the new government.
After all, even if the new government were to restore the monarchy, the Nazis wouldn’t let him waltz in without resistance. If he simply wanted a symbolic role, he could’ve stayed in his castle in Oels, waiting for us to secure Germany.
Yet he chose to leave Oels, risk his life during the civil war, and come here, all the while enduring a strained relationship with the crown princess.
“So, Your Highness wishes to be the emperor himself?”
“You catch on quickly, just as the count said.”
Finally, his intentions started to make sense.
He was in his fifties. By now, it’s understandable if he no longer wanted his father on the throne.
“What is it you seek from me, Your Highness? As I said, I have little interest in the Empire.”
“I want an alliance with your faction.”
An alliance? I must have looked perplexed because Wilhelm’s expression grew somewhat hesitant.
“Why do you look so skeptical? I could be the strongest counterbalance against the extreme royalists who disdain your faction.”
That much is true. With his support, Goerdeler’s legitimacy weakens. However—
“What, then, would Your Highness ask of us?”
“Simple. Make it known to the people that restoring my father is unrealistic.”
This man… Is he asking us to publicly denounce the royalists?
“You seem to have a keen understanding of diplomacy. Realistically, if we announce a restoration of the Empire, do you think Britain and France will stand idle? Isn’t that right?”
“Indeed, Your Highness.”
Wilhelm leaned forward, his voice impassioned.
“I am not my father. He only repeated blunders during the Great War. Had I run for president during the Weimar years, a lunatic like Hitler would never have become Führer! If only Father hadn’t held me back! He must not return! I won’t let him endanger the Germany we’ve rebuilt at such a cost!”
His passion surprised me. I’d done my research after parting ways with Tresckow, so I knew.
He’d planned to run for president during the Weimar Republic, only to be stopped by Wilhelm II, who abhorred the very notion of democracy, forcing him to withdraw and eventually endorse Hitler.
I could somewhat sympathize with his feelings.
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“Whatever you think, I see the truth. Those so-called royalists claim loyalty, but in reality, they just want to regain noble privileges. They need a monarch to reclaim their place above the commoners.”
So that’s why he’s interested in us.
“Place a monarch on the throne and the uncontrolled military resurfaces, sparking another war. And when that happens, the blame falls on the monarch. I know full well what those leeches are up to. My family, the royalty, fought at the frontlines of a war we didn’t start, yet we were rewarded with the monarchy’s dissolution while the military kept silent.”
The First World War can’t solely be blamed on Wilhelm II. Still, the royal family isn’t entirely without fault.
“If you take my hand, my Germany will have a system where the old order of monarchy and nobility balances with the new order of democracy. We need the monarchy to check the military. Full democracy isn’t feasible.”
He certainly had a grasp on reality, and unlike Wilhelm II, he wasn’t incompetent.
“I want the name Wilhelm to evoke the image of a great monarch, not the defeated Kaiser, my father. I want to be remembered as the greatest ruler since Frederick the Great. And you… you could be my Bismarck.”
“Me? A mere major?”
Caught off guard, I replied bluntly. Wilhelm waved it off as insignificant.
“I’ve observed you all through Count Blumenthal. I know the so-called leaders of the new government are just flashy figureheads. It’s people like you who truly built it.”
He seemed determined to convince me.
It surprised me to see such passion from a prince who’d spent years in silent acquiescence, discarded by the Nazis.
“Oster and Tresckow are fervent soldiers, but that’s all. You, however, have vision. You’re willing to instigate a civil war, to gather various factions together, and to sway public opinion against all odds.”
The prince was showering me with praise—something I’d never expected.
“If status is an issue, I’ll marry you to my daughter, Cecilie. With that, no one could question your position.”
“I have a fiancée, Your Highness.”
Wilhelm’s face soured as he glanced toward Claudia’s room. Had he intended to make me his son-in-law all along?
“My daughter’s quite lovely herself, but if you prefer your fiancée, marry Cecilie only in name. Keep her as a mistress if you must. That’s how it works in high society. My own wife is an excellent princess, though lacking in charm as a woman. I wouldn’t object.”
“What…”
“If you need time to decide, take it. But given the situation, I’d prefer a prompt answer.”
“No, Your Highness. I can give my answer now.”
Wilhelm raised an eyebrow.
“Do you think it’s the best choice?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
He brushed his hand over his hair, sighing.
“Very well. Let’s hear your reasoning.”
“Pardon me, Your Highness, but Britain and France will oppose any restoration of the monarchy, regardless of whether it’s your father or not.”
Wilhelm’s expression turned grim. Sure, proclaiming him emperor on the spot might delay Britain and France, but only temporarily.
They’ve reached their limit of patience. If we handed them a pretext, they’d strike without hesitation.
“I won’t gamble Germany’s future on Britain and France.”
He frowned at me.
“But surely diplomatic efforts could solve this? You’re merely a major. Having contacts doesn’t equate to power. Imagine what you could achieve as a member of the royal family, my chancellor.”
“True, Your Highness. But that would be a betrayal of the people who followed me, who risked their lives for the promise of democracy. Just as you don’t want to depend on the royalists, I have no desire to rely solely on your authority, only to be easily discarded.”
He couldn’t argue. His offer sounded sweet—granting power to my faction while allowing a controlled role for the civilian government.
But ultimately, both sides would be confined within his grasp.
“Moreover, I won’t serve a man who would have me make his lover a mere mistress.”
If Claudia hadn’t connected me with the *Frankfurter Zeitung,* if she hadn’t lifted me up after the Munich Agreement, if she hadn’t risked everything to assassinate Ribbentrop—
Neither I nor our new government would exist.
“Allow me to make a proposal, Your Highness. Why not reign as an honorary monarch in a democratic government? The House of Hohenzollern would be cherished by the German people, free from the taint of tyranny.”
Wilhelm scoffed.
“You’ve squandered the chance to be a renowned chancellor under a great emperor.”
I don’t believe democracy is inherently superior to monarchy. History proves that a wise dictatorship can be better than a poor democracy.
But not in this Germany. Not in these times.
“May Your Highness achieve the greatness you seek.”
“And may your democratic Germany come to pass.”
We turned our backs, each envisioning a different Germany.
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