Chapter One Thousand Five Hundred Thirty
31st December 1962
Mitte, Berlin
The Grand Ballroom was lit up with brilliant multi-colored lights and the scene was like something from another century. Louis knew that of his ancestors with the exception of those who had been warriors in the Medieval period, would have been perfectly at home here. Louis was playing to role of host as they counted down the remaining minutes of 1962.
The reaction that Louis got when he returned to the Winter Residence was a reminder that he was counting down the days when he would no longer be Emperor. Everything that had happened in his absence over the prior week needed to be addressed that instant. When the day came that all of that was someone else’s problem was going to be welcome. Charlotte had asked him what he would do with himself. Louis had said that his grandfather had gone fishing in Gulf of Mexico with General von Wolvogle. Then they had gone to Samoa. When she had said that she had a hard time imagining him doing that Louis had said that he would think of something.
Spending the Christmas Holiday at the Castle had been a welcome retreat, but now everyone needed to go back to their lives. In Louis’ case, he needed to be present to host the royal New Year’s Ball in Berlin, Freddy and Suga were expected to be present as well. The announcement of their impending marriage saw to it that all eyes would be on them. Everyone knew that barring misadventure Freddy would be Friedrich the IV of Germany in only a decade and he was an apprentice of sorts presently. In addition to attending Law School, he was being seen in public with increasing frequency acting as his father’s proxy.
It should have been no surprise that Kristina was going back to the boat she had moored behind the War Museum. It would probably be to her dismay that security at the museum had been markedly increased in her absence. There was also no guarantee that she wouldn’t just cast off and go somewhere else up or down the river. Louis wasn’t worried too much though. She was supposed to report back to FSR in a few weeks and would need to come to a determination about her future. Even if it was to learn that they were giving her the boot, Kiki would still show up for it. She had always taken obligations seriously.
For Louis though, it had been nice to see that his oldest daughter had a life beyond the FSR or Medical Service. Extending the invitation to Benjamin Hirsch had been Charlotte’s idea. To get a measure of the boy, was how she put it, what wasn’t on paper. The son of a Chemistry Professor, Ben had met Kiki when she had lived across the alleyway at Katherine von Mischner’s house. These days when Ben wasn’t a student at the University of Berlin, he was a Reserve Officer in the Luftwaffe. That last part was something that Louis approved of. He had mentioned that he had been trying to volunteer for the Space Program. A glance at his record had revealed to Louis that Ben had come in just shy of induction into the Order of the Pour le Mérite, something that would advance his application.
The misgiving that Louis did have with Benjamin was that his middle-class background and how he was completely unfamiliar royal protocol that was bloody serious business. As much as Kiki tried to reject that, she took to it like breathing because it was a part of who she was. Charlotte thought that Louis was being a bit of a snob. Her perspective was that, yes, Ben was a commoner, but he probably wouldn’t be forever at the rate he was going. He would a Ritter at least if ever made it into orbit. The real question if he was a good fit for Louis’ daughter?
Still, it had been amusing to watch Ben and Kiki on their best behavior with Friedrich, Michael and Louis Junior in the background. At the same time, Friedrich had Suga on hand who he was trying to impress. Freddy had finally just played the role of the protective older brother when he had dumped a shovel full of snow on Kiki and Ben’s heads when he had caught them trying to steal a kiss out on one of the castle’s terraces. Later, Kiki had come to Louis and had asked what her options were. Could she have her brother removed from her property? And did Hohenzollern Castle have a dungeon? Kiki was ultimately disappointed when…
The band stopped playing and everyone started with the countdown. At the stroke of midnight, the netting up by the ceiling parted, hundreds of balloons, copious amounts of confetti dropped down, fireworks were going off outside. Louis set propriety aside and shared a kiss with Charlotte, he was aware of the flash bulbs going off. Let them see, he thought to himself unaware that he had provided a photograph that would run the front page of every newspaper in Germany the next morning.
1963 had arrived.
Pacoima, Los Angeles, California
Ritchie’s head had been swimming long before midnight rolled around and he was currently laying on the concrete patio behind his parent’s house trying not to be sick while his older brother, Bob was on the rusted lounge chair. They were currently playing a game of fireworks or gunshot as they were looking at the city lights reflecting off the smog. The television was on in the house and Ritchie could hear the program that his mother was watching with his younger brothers and sisters in the living room to kill time.
Ritchie had made the mistake of matching shots with Bob earlier in the night. The result was that their mother was not happy about having them getting drunk in her house and had said that their father would give them a sound thrashing when he got home from work. She had then made them take it out back.
A few hours later, they were out of tequila and midnight was finally rolling around.
“I think there is some beer left in the refrigerator” Bob said absently.
“And have Mom kill me?” Ritchie asked, “Fuck that.”
“Brave Army man” Bob replied.
“I know Sergeants who wouldn’t mess with Mom”
Bob laughed at that and there was a loud BOOM! from a few streets over.
“I think that was a cherry bomb” Ritchie said.
“Nope” Bob replied, “Thirty-Eight, someone shooting the moon.”
The tempo of the background noise increased, and Ritchie heard cheering. “Happy New Year!” Richie yelled. With any luck this one would go a Hell of lot better than the previous one had.