Part 111, Chapter 1818
Chapter One Thousand Eight Hundred Eighteen
7th October 1967
Tempelhof
Everyone so rarely got together anymore because they all had busy lives. That was why it was special as they arrived at Kat’s house for a dinner party. As Anne observed as she entered the front doors, the house had taken on a comfortable, lived in feel. In addition to Kat’s family, Asia and her little boy still lived here along with Josefine and Suse Rosa. Asia remained the Mistress of Keys and still played the role as one who carried out the will of the Empress. Helene and her daughter had arrived earlier that day. Anne was a bit surprised to learn that Ina was going to university, studying Veterinary Medicine. It was a perfect fit, just Anne had always considered Helene’s daughter to be a bit too flighty for serious fields of study.
Gerta had been splitting her time between Berlin and Prague these days after overseeing the expansion of her production company to the capital of Bohemia. It had turned out that there was a demand for Czech language programing with high production values and Gerta had seen an opportunity. Presently, Gerta was talking at Kat the way she always had, and it was noticeable that Suse was staying as far away as she could from her mother without actually leaving the room.
Ilse’s husband was back at sea and it was fortunate that she was now the Head of the Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Breslau. Somehow, her son Nikolaus had gotten the idea in his mind of attending the Prussian Training Institute in Wahlstatt like his father and grandfather had before him. She and Helene found a great deal to dislike about that particular idea. The situation wasn’t helped by Niko’s best friend, Sabastian Schultz getting caught over the prior Summer Holiday after engaging in some rather creative vandalism. Tilo and Nancy had managed to keep him out of the Juvenile System, but it had been recommended that a boy with Sabastian’s clear intelligence, energy, and creativity be sent to where those could be channeled into less destructive ends. Wahlstatt had been at the top of the list.
It was nice to see that Kris was doing well. She was now the Headmistress of the secretive Falkensee School, where BND Field Agents were trained. Anne wasn’t supposed to know about that, just as she wasn’t supposed to know that Kat’s daughter Tatiana had approached Kris to talk about the requirements for entry. Kat would be absolutely livid if she ever learned that had happened, which was probably Tatiana’s intention. Leni was still the Director of the Berlin Library’s Rare Books Department. The annual grants that came from the Royal Houses of Germany into the Library System due to her presence insured that she could do what amounted to her dream job for as long as she was interested in keeping it. Over the last two decades Leni had cataloged and preserved some of the oldest and rarest manuscripts in the world. The top floor of the New Central Library Building had been designed to house the collection that she and her team had amassed.
Anne still maintained her boring routine. Seeing her children off to school in the morning. Then banging away at her typewriter for several hours before preparing a meal that she would eat with the children when they got home. Then helping them with their studies if they needed it. Eventually, Martin would come home. Later on, after the children were asleep Anne would open the latest volume of her diary and chronicle the day’s events.
While her friends were out in the world doing exciting things, Anne wrote about it. Her husband Martin’s novel had been a modest success, something that surprised him as much as anyone. While he still needed to go to the Accounting Firm every day, he could joke that it was his day job until he got his big break. Standing around the parlor and library, everyone was having an enjoyable time when Anne saw a pair of brown eyes and pale face peek around from the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. She had heard that Kat had taken in a new little bird who had gotten lost.
“Why aren’t you with the other children?” Anne asked as she approached the girl and joined her sitting on the stairs.
The girl didn’t speak, she just frowned and rested her chin on her knees.
“I’m Annelies” Anne said, “And you are.”
The girl looked at her, unsure how to respond.
“Sophie” The girl said at not much more than a whisper.
“Wonderful” Anne replied, “Lina is your age, why aren’t you playing with her?”
“Lina?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, my daughter” Anne replied. Something about that caused Sophie to withdraw into herself. Anne remembered that the girls that Kat took in didn’t come from the best of circumstances otherwise they would still be with their own families.
“I’m sorry” Anne said, “I didn’t mean to be so forward.”
“They’re strange” Sophie said, “Marie wants everyone to make-believe, and everyone has a different idea of what they are supposed to be.”
Anne understood Sophie’s reaction. The games that Kat’s youngest played in would be completely incomprehensible to anyone who hadn’t grown up understanding the rules.
“That is just the sort of thing that Marie does” Anne said only to see Sophie get a confused look on her face.
“She didn’t do that at the castle” Sophie said.
Anne didn’t laugh, the girl would probably take it the wrong way if she did. She had heard about where Marie had spent the Summer Holiday.
“Marie was living her fantasy at the castle” Anne said to Sophie’s wonderment.
“Found a new friend?” Kat asked as she rounded the corner.
Sophie cringed and tried to make herself smaller. Anne realized that she thought Kat was going to hit her.
“We were just visiting” Anne said as she put her hand on Sophie’s shoulder and felt her trembling and whispering. “No one here is going to hurt you Sophie” into the girl’s ear.
“I’m sorry Anne” Kat said, “Every time Sophie thinks she’s in trouble she does this.”
“There is no need to be sorry” Anne said, “Sophie just needs to learn that she now has a whole bunch of crazy sisters who will stand with her no matter what.”
7th October 1967
Tempelhof
Everyone so rarely got together anymore because they all had busy lives. That was why it was special as they arrived at Kat’s house for a dinner party. As Anne observed as she entered the front doors, the house had taken on a comfortable, lived in feel. In addition to Kat’s family, Asia and her little boy still lived here along with Josefine and Suse Rosa. Asia remained the Mistress of Keys and still played the role as one who carried out the will of the Empress. Helene and her daughter had arrived earlier that day. Anne was a bit surprised to learn that Ina was going to university, studying Veterinary Medicine. It was a perfect fit, just Anne had always considered Helene’s daughter to be a bit too flighty for serious fields of study.
Gerta had been splitting her time between Berlin and Prague these days after overseeing the expansion of her production company to the capital of Bohemia. It had turned out that there was a demand for Czech language programing with high production values and Gerta had seen an opportunity. Presently, Gerta was talking at Kat the way she always had, and it was noticeable that Suse was staying as far away as she could from her mother without actually leaving the room.
Ilse’s husband was back at sea and it was fortunate that she was now the Head of the Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Breslau. Somehow, her son Nikolaus had gotten the idea in his mind of attending the Prussian Training Institute in Wahlstatt like his father and grandfather had before him. She and Helene found a great deal to dislike about that particular idea. The situation wasn’t helped by Niko’s best friend, Sabastian Schultz getting caught over the prior Summer Holiday after engaging in some rather creative vandalism. Tilo and Nancy had managed to keep him out of the Juvenile System, but it had been recommended that a boy with Sabastian’s clear intelligence, energy, and creativity be sent to where those could be channeled into less destructive ends. Wahlstatt had been at the top of the list.
It was nice to see that Kris was doing well. She was now the Headmistress of the secretive Falkensee School, where BND Field Agents were trained. Anne wasn’t supposed to know about that, just as she wasn’t supposed to know that Kat’s daughter Tatiana had approached Kris to talk about the requirements for entry. Kat would be absolutely livid if she ever learned that had happened, which was probably Tatiana’s intention. Leni was still the Director of the Berlin Library’s Rare Books Department. The annual grants that came from the Royal Houses of Germany into the Library System due to her presence insured that she could do what amounted to her dream job for as long as she was interested in keeping it. Over the last two decades Leni had cataloged and preserved some of the oldest and rarest manuscripts in the world. The top floor of the New Central Library Building had been designed to house the collection that she and her team had amassed.
Anne still maintained her boring routine. Seeing her children off to school in the morning. Then banging away at her typewriter for several hours before preparing a meal that she would eat with the children when they got home. Then helping them with their studies if they needed it. Eventually, Martin would come home. Later on, after the children were asleep Anne would open the latest volume of her diary and chronicle the day’s events.
While her friends were out in the world doing exciting things, Anne wrote about it. Her husband Martin’s novel had been a modest success, something that surprised him as much as anyone. While he still needed to go to the Accounting Firm every day, he could joke that it was his day job until he got his big break. Standing around the parlor and library, everyone was having an enjoyable time when Anne saw a pair of brown eyes and pale face peek around from the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. She had heard that Kat had taken in a new little bird who had gotten lost.
“Why aren’t you with the other children?” Anne asked as she approached the girl and joined her sitting on the stairs.
The girl didn’t speak, she just frowned and rested her chin on her knees.
“I’m Annelies” Anne said, “And you are.”
The girl looked at her, unsure how to respond.
“Sophie” The girl said at not much more than a whisper.
“Wonderful” Anne replied, “Lina is your age, why aren’t you playing with her?”
“Lina?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, my daughter” Anne replied. Something about that caused Sophie to withdraw into herself. Anne remembered that the girls that Kat took in didn’t come from the best of circumstances otherwise they would still be with their own families.
“I’m sorry” Anne said, “I didn’t mean to be so forward.”
“They’re strange” Sophie said, “Marie wants everyone to make-believe, and everyone has a different idea of what they are supposed to be.”
Anne understood Sophie’s reaction. The games that Kat’s youngest played in would be completely incomprehensible to anyone who hadn’t grown up understanding the rules.
“That is just the sort of thing that Marie does” Anne said only to see Sophie get a confused look on her face.
“She didn’t do that at the castle” Sophie said.
Anne didn’t laugh, the girl would probably take it the wrong way if she did. She had heard about where Marie had spent the Summer Holiday.
“Marie was living her fantasy at the castle” Anne said to Sophie’s wonderment.
“Found a new friend?” Kat asked as she rounded the corner.
Sophie cringed and tried to make herself smaller. Anne realized that she thought Kat was going to hit her.
“We were just visiting” Anne said as she put her hand on Sophie’s shoulder and felt her trembling and whispering. “No one here is going to hurt you Sophie” into the girl’s ear.
“I’m sorry Anne” Kat said, “Every time Sophie thinks she’s in trouble she does this.”
“There is no need to be sorry” Anne said, “Sophie just needs to learn that she now has a whole bunch of crazy sisters who will stand with her no matter what.”
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