Berlin, Townhouse
January 22, 1926
The party continued abated on the floor above, but the Count Mikhail Volkonsky and the Reichskanzler Johannes Sänger could not care less. The Count had been quite shocked at the request of the Reichskanzler, but having been silent for a good period of time and having imbibed another glass of scotch, the Count found the strength to continue the conversation. "Do you have means?"
Sänger relaxed, thanking the heavens and all that was holy that the Count had not immediately thrown him out of the house or worse. "My family's riches pale in comparison to your own, but I am to inherit half a villa in Bremen. That said, I have my pension as a civil servant and my salary as the Reichskanzler. If I am not reelected, I have been offered chairs at the universities of Berlin, Madrid, Münster, Hamburg and Bremen. I have also been offered several seats on the board of companies. And lacking much opportunities for spending, I have saved about six years worth of my salary. Certainly that pales in comparison to your own riches, Count, but I think we will be able to live in relative comfort."
The Count snorted. "Comfort befitting her status?" Sänger shrugged. "As I have no knowledge of how much you pay, I cannot possible answer that. I do however would like to note that if I appear to be somewhat worse-off than you, than no small part of that is due to me refusing any sort of gift, title or property bestowed upon me."
"Yes", the count nodded. "You
do have a reputation for that. The lack of a tilte does concern me. You do realize that she would be marrying below her status and that she would always take precedence over you in court protocol, providing you do not win reelection - which, pardon me, does not sound likely."
Sänger nodded, taking a sip of scotch to gain more time before answering. "Yes, I do realize your concern. However, I have received the highest academic titles in two disciplines of study. And you may certainly not be worried about me feeling inadequate. I have been decorated with 31
Orden and medals, including the highest honours of Cascadia, Belgium, the netherlands and Imperial Russia as well as those of over four german states. I have refused a title 18 times, including the offer of being made Duke twice and the offer of being made a count eight times. I refuse those honours because I do believe in the hanseatic tradition, not because I think I am not worthy of them or because I think that they are not worth anything. On the contrary, I deeply respect them - as I do respect my heritage."
Sänger paused for breath and then continued before the Count could retort. "I shall however feel forever inadequate of deserving her and no amount of titles is going to change that."
The count nodded, processing it. After taking another generous mouthful of scotch, he asked: "Where would you live?" Sänger shrugged. "Wherever she pleases. Of course, if I were to win reelection, her choice would have to wait until my time in office is over. I would like to return to Bremen or to one of the university cities some day, but I shall not force her to live somewhere she does not like."
"There is an age difference..." Sänger nodded. "I just turned 39 years of age. She is what, 21?" The count smiled. "My daughter reached the age of 18 eight months ago, Herr Kanzler. You are more than twice her age." Sänger almost did a spit take and coughed while swallowing more scotch than he wanted to, the sharp liquour burning his throat. When Sänger composed himself, he nodded at the count. "To be honest, Herr Graf - I did not know that. Still, I think your daughter and I share a bond regardless of the age differences. It is a bit hard to explain - " Sänger stopped babbling, though amazingly the count just swallowed more scotch.
After a while, the count whistfully looked at a picture on the wall. Sänger too focused on it and realized that the late countess had been of a different age than her husband as well. He could only guess what was running through the head of the count at the moment.
After a while, the silence was broken by another question from the count. "You do realize that this would put me into a difficult political position?" "Sod politics. I might be done with them anyway." This caused a short burst of laughter from the count. After he had composed himself, the count pressed on. "You also realize that many of her friends would ask to have her committed? And what do you think Wanja and Piotr will say when they return to find their sister engaged to someone Wanja pointed a gun at?"
Sänger played with his fingers for a while before answering those questions. "Truth to be told, I do not know. All I can say is that I believe your daughter and I can be happy together. If she is willing to take that risk - and if you are willing to do the same - I can only pledge that I will do my utmost to make her happy."
"Will you retire from politics?" Sänger took a deep breath. Would he be willing to do so? He had never really loved politics, but his talent for it and his assumption that he could be a force of good for Germans everywhere had prevented him from quitting it. Would he now leave all that behind? Would he leave the exhilaration, the sheer adrenaline? Could he leave now that Germany was at crossroads?
Yet then he also remembered that it had been the first time since he had been in Cascadia that he had really enjoyed himself - and even back in Cascadia had he remained guarded. Not with her. No, there could only be one answer to that question. Looking the count straight in the eyes, Sänger spoke with a firm, clear voice: "If she wants me to."
The Count nodded, then straightened himself. Finally, he managed to stand up, no small feat considering the amount of alcohol he had drunk over the course of the question. Sänger followed suit. Then, with a shaking voice, the Russian said. "Herr Kanzler. I can not speak for my daughter. But I saw you and her together - and she seems happy when she is with you. I dreaded this day ever since that night in Vienna, when she returned truly happy ever since...ever since my Maria died."
Sänger wanted to say something, but before he could speak, the Count continued. "Maybe - maybe someday you'll know how it feels being a father like I do right now. She is my only daughter and the second of my children. And while you have my blessing, also know that should you ever hurt her, I will kill you with my bare hands, Kanzler or not."
"If I do so, I shall let you." The vow to each other being made, the count pulled Sänger in for a bear hug, spilling scotch all over them. The party above being forgotten, the Count then demanded that they celebrate immediately, no matter what happened elsewhere in the house.
When the scotch was consumed, they switched to Vodka.
Next morning
When Sänger awakened the next morning, he had a splitting headache. And
somebody was snoring. Turning his head, he surveyed his surroundings. He was lying in an unfamiliar armchair, with the count Volkonsky lying on his huge mahagony desk, his deep snores reverberating in the room.
Slowly, Sänger stood up, swaying as his equilibrium had to reassert itself. Finally, after being sure that he would neither vomit nor faint, he slowly opened the door to the study, only to almost run into Hans, who had kept watch in front of the door all night long. Hans turned around, noticed the disheveled state of the chancellor - smelling as if he had spent the night in a scotch distillery, looking as if he had drunk said distillery dry and clutching his head as if the owner of said distillery had pounded on it - and smiled. "Am I right in assuming that your venture was successful?" Sänger winced, then nodded. "Yes. But please use a softer tone." "Congratulations, Herr Kanzler."
"She hasn't said yes yet. I haven't asked her. And considering my state I better not do so now. Let's go freshen up." Hans snorted. "Jawohl, Herr Kanzler."
As they were making their way through the house, Sänger noticed that the paint was chipped on the walls in a few places - places that looked surprisingly like the impact of a head. "Any special occurrences, Hans?" Hans shrugged. "The party took a turn to the wild side, Herr Kanzler."
Seeing that Hans was not any more forecoming, Sänger just nodded. The two had left the house and were passing the front garden to the car when they heard a window being opened. He and Hans promptly did the honorable thing - they legged it to the car.
Later that day
It was almost 3pm when Sänger had - after conferring with Elise - deemed himself presentable enough for returning to the Townhouse. They noticed that the cars were gone and that the front garden had been cleaned up. To their surprise, neither the count nor his daughter opened the door. Instead, a servant girl lead them inside and took their coats, shooting the Kanzler a look while she did so, eventually pointing to the stairs.
Sänger looked at Hans, who shrugged, indicating that he too had no clue. Stepping closer to the stairs heard music coming from the upper floor. Sänger immediately recognized it as Mozart - and a piece quite suited to the occasion.
Great.
Walking up the stairs towards the direction of the music, he eventually reached a room in which the Countess was playing. Not wishing to disturb her, Sänger looked at her from a distance.
His idea as to what she was playing were confirmed when he was able to read of the piece. After the countess had finished playing the current song, she changed to a different song, singing along.
Listening to the music, Sänger had the thought that somehow, the fates conspired against him.
Watching the countess concentrating on her music, Sänger thought
Ah well. Sod the fates and stepped forward when the countess was about to start the next piece. "Forgive the intrusion, Natasha." The young women was startled, but immediately recovered, standing up and moving towards Sänger while smiling. "Johannes. This is a pleasant surprise."
Sänger kissed the proffered hand. "Your father told me you had taken ill, Natasha." She frowned, then answered: "Oh, that. I am afraid I have deceived you in that regard. I just could not stand the speeches of yesterday's celebration. They were most dreadful."
Recalling the events of the night before, Sänger had a fair impression of what the speeches had been about. "Well, I am glad you have recovered from them then." The countess smiled, but the frown stayed on her face. Finally, after biting her lip, she asked: "Forgive me asking, Johannes - this may sound incredibly dumb - but was that you I noticed running from our property this morning?"
Sänger squirmed a little before nodding. "I have to admit that was me."
"And do you also know why my father has gone shooting pheasants for the day?" Seeing the rather confounded look playing on Sänger's face, she added: "He only goes pheasant-shooting when he has come to an important decision or when something upset him. When I woke him up this morning, he just grumbled something intellgible, hugged me and left. And ever since the morning the servants have given me odd looks and whispering to each other."
Sänger whinced. "Yes, I do admit that I am the likely cause of that as well." "Oh." She looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and mirth. "What did you do, pray tell?"
Oh, this is so not going according to plan, Sänger remarked to himself as his carefully prepared oration was now useless. Sighing, he went for broke. "I asked him for his blessing."
"His blessing...I do not understand...." She followed Sänger's gaze to the booklet and then understanding hit her. "Oooh."
Ooh indeed., Sänger thought as he watched confusion being replaced by understanding, shock and... a glance of happiness? Opening his mouth, he started to ask: "Gräfin Natasha Volkonskaya, it would be the greatest honor and joy on earth for me if you would consent to-" "Yes."
After hearing the word, the countess clamped her hands over her mouth as if she could not quite believe having said the words. After staring into each others eyes for a split second Sänger, not quite knowing what to say, chose to babble out the first thing that came to mind. "You did not even let me finish."
With that, the tension was lifted and the countess dissolved into laughter, in which he joined in. Squealing, Natasha rushed forward and hugged him.
Having gathered outside the room and overheard the conversation and the aftermath, the servant's reactions were more mixed. Some, especially the younger women, were overjoyed. Others, especially the male servants, proclaimed that they were wondering whether the countess had gone mental. Finally, the eldest and most trusted servant in the house, the cook, proclaimed that it was none of the business of the servants and that they should better get back to work or she would brain them with the soup ladle herself. The issue therefore settled, the servants went back towards their day work.
When the count returned two hours later, he noticed that the car of the Reichskanzler had been parked in the garage. After having handed the pheasants over to the cook, who informed him about the news, the count made his way up to the second floor. He noticed that Sängers valet, Hans, was standing guard in front of the corridor. The Count nodded at Hans, who moved to let him pass. However, instead of walking in, the count looked through the keyhole.
He saw his daughter and the Reichskanzler sitting next to each other on the sofa, with his daughter apparently speaking rapidly and the Reichskanzler nodding or voicing his assent now and then. His daughter then moved closer to the Reichskanzler and laid her head on his shoulder, which he reciprocated by moving to accomodate her by lifting up his right arm, which she then took and hugged close to her chest, the two apparently contend to sit just there in silence.
Hans noted that the Count stepped back, nodded at him and then descended the stairs. As he did so, Hans wondered if his eyes had played a trick on him or whether the Count had been crying.
Reichskanzlei, Berlin
January 23rd, 1926
Evening
Lonestar wrote:Altdorf Times
No matter who wins in Germany, we lose
THE Altdorf Times has learned from a foreign ministry source that the German Empire is planning on drastically increasing it's naval presense in the Indian Ocean. Seven battleships shall now sail under the ensign of the Kaiserliche Marine in the Grand Dominion Gulf. To add insult to injury, the sitting Reichskanzler has had the cheek to DEMAND that German firms be given equal bidding with Dominionite firms in the recently authorized coastal defense program. Unfortunately, barring a miracle the next Reichskanzler will be just as foul and expansionist as Sänger is, and his predecessor was...[More]
Sänger had eventually left the townhouse when dark was approaching rapidly at around 5pm and had returned straight to the Reichskanlei to finish paperwork. Eventually, he had slept in his office and had sent a secretary to the office of the Bremer Zeitung via train and another to the office of the Berliner Zeitung next morning.
He wondered whether this was the right thing - but Natasha and the Count had both concurred that it was better to brave the press now before it could become a scandal. The papers were running headlines about the Dominion now anyway, so he might just as well use it as a coverstory.
So he had sat down with reporters of the Berliner Zeitung and of other publishing houses to address the Indian Ocean issue. He had also received a tensely written note by his Majesty which amounted to a dismissive rant against the dominion and had instructed him to make sure that they got the message.
He was now looking at the Bremer Nachrichten and the Berliner Zeitung. Each had decided to put its own emphasis on the stories of the day.
Berliner Zeitung
Emperor and Chancellor determined to address Indian Ocean issue.
Giving a rare interview with the Berliner Zeitung today, Reichskanzler Sänger said that he understood the Dominion apprehension about foreign troops, but also added that the Gulf of Aden did not belong to any single nation. Sänger also said that "it is now up to the Dominion to find a solution if they find the German presence intolerable. If the Dominion cannot do so, it will continue to fall to the German Empire to safeguard its merchants. Our presence in the Indian Ocean is contingent upon the safety of our merchants." The Reichskanzler added that if the Dominion wanted less German warships in the Indian Ocean, it would have to find a way to assure Germany of the safety of its merchants. The Reichskanzler also hinted that oner such way might be the Dominion conducting shared maritime patrols with the German fleet.
When questioned towards the general state of affairs between Germany and the Dominion, the Reichskanzler said that he respected the might of the Dominion and the leadership of Lord Farifax. He added that "I am sure that Lord Fairfax would like to transform his nation into a shining beacon of civilization and power, but is held up by internal politics from doing so." Sänger declined to comment furhter on the apartheid state, stating that the internal affairs of other nations were generally of no concern to the German Empire unless they would threaten the balance of power.
The Reichskanzler also expressed his thanks to the Dominion for contributing so generously to the upcoming fleet review and said in closing, that he was sure Krupp would get a fair hearing considering the recent contract competition for Dominion coastal fortresses.
Krupp places bid for Dominion contract
The ammunition company of Krupp has announced that it will offer several weapons to the Dominion for consideration:
- the 16"/45 found on the Baden class battleships
- the 16"/50 found on the Ziethen-class battlecruisers, the newest gun in service with the German fleet
- the 16.5"/45 found on most German first-rank dreadnoughts, currently the heaviest German weapon in service with the german fleet itself
- the 18"/45 found on the newest German export designs (Krupp once more declined to comment on whether this is also be the armament for the Bismarck class)
The reasons behind the bid are not quite clear to most experts. Krupp declined charges of selling advanced technology for profit. Other experts also raised questions that the costs of shipping the guns all the way to the Indian Ocean might make the offer non-competittive with Dominion designs, but Krupp announced that the company would, if necessary, purchase a local company and that they were confident the German workmanship would be worth the extra costs of shipping.
(page 22)
Miscellaneous private announcements
1. Weddings and Betrothals
*snip*
6th. Countess Natasha Maria Volkonskaya
hereby announces her engagement to
Dr. mult. Johannes Sänger.
7th. Baron Franz von Falkenstein
*snip*
Of course, this had made fronpage news in his hometown of Bremen, even if the reaction had been tempered with typical hanseatic stiffness.
Bremer Nachrichten
Dominion public loses its temper
The recent public screechings from the Domion are just one more sign that this abomination of a state cannot be reasoned with. The German Empire should show a strong response to the insults thrown in the Dominion press against the Reichskanler....
Reichskanzler Dr. Sänger to marry
According to the Reichskanzler himself, he and Countess Natasha Maria Volkonskaya are engaged. A date has not been set yet. The Countess is the second child and only daughter of Count Mikhail Volkonsky and 18 years of age. The Bremer Nachrichten wishes to congratulate both her and the Reichskanzler on their engagement.
Norddeutscher Lloyd designing a new ocean liner?
The Norddeutsche Lloyd declined to comment on the reasons behind the new turbine design studies conducted in Bremerhaven today....
Sänger put away the newspaper and then stretched. Still, there was the nagging feeling he had forgotten something. Then Elise sticked her head into the room and said: "Herr Kanzler? I have got your mother on the phone. She seems quite irate."
Sänger nodded.
Oh, right. That was it.
Results:
- PR offensive essentially places the ball in the Dominions court
- Krupp places a bid for the Dominion contract, some experts wonder why
- mostly just a big fluff piece (I hope everyone got the injoke) which should finish most of that storyline until after the review. Next up: election results.
