Part 77, Chapter 1146
Chapter One Thousand One Hundred Forty-Six
11th September 1955
Potsdam
Kira had requested Kat’s presence immediately at the Summer Residence. There were serious security matters to discuss and other more personal matters that the Empress felt that they should touch on. It was a reminder of something that Kat had made sure of when the streets of Tempelhof had been laid out. Kaiserin-Kira-straße went right through the campus of Humboldt University and would be one of the main streets through the development, which happened to be as far as it could be from Kat’s house and still be inside project’s boundaries. Kira was happy with that and Kat didn’t have to drive on it any time she took her car anywhere.
It had turned out that she was stuck with Sigi for the next six months and that the girl was supposed to learn from her. When Kat had called the Commandant of the Berlin War Academy he had apologized that he had not warned Kat beforehand. Sigi’s family sat on the Corporate Board of Rheinmetall so accommodating her was in the interest of the OKW and the entire military by extension. It was also a major feather in Kat’s cap. Kat had told him that she was due to retire in less than two years, was also going to be required take Maternity Leave in December. So, what did she care about the Heer’s internal politics? Kat had unthinkingly made that call in front of Sigi who looked completely shell-shocked. The first shock that afternoon was that she had assumed that Oberst von Mischner was a man and she had managed to offend Gräfin Katherine von Mischner. The second was hearing the language that Kat had used to describe her. Seriously, Sigi had never heard the term fuckwit until Kat had used it to describe her. The third was that yes, her new CO was pregnant, so she could deal with it or get lost.
By then the Sisterhood was showing up for Sunday dinner and the appetizer was clearly Sieglinde Grimmelshausen. The Star Chamber had absolutely nothing on the Sisterhood when they found that they had an interloper among them who had not earned her place at the table. By the end of the evening Kat knew everything about Sigi as the girls had gotten her to divulge a lot of embarrassing personal details. They had also reduced her to a blubbering wreck, so Kat had to find a place in the house for Sigi to sleep that night as well as being a sympathetic shoulder for Sigi to cry on. Despite her efforts to appear grown up, Sigi still had a lot of maturing ahead of her and the world wasn’t always a nice place.
Now, a week later Sigi had found her place, sort of. Sleeping on the couch in the parlor didn’t agree with her and she was having to adjust to having the girls around constantly. It was Kat’s hope that today Sigi would start to learn and stop jumping at her own shadow.
“You are only to speak if spoken to” Kat said to Sigi as they entered the Western Wing of the Sanssouci Palace where Kira had her Court during the summer months and as long into the autumn as she could get away with. “You are not to stare and try to keep focused on the topic at hand. The Empress is going to want to talk about personal matters, answer her questions succinctly. Understand?”
“Yes, Ma’am” Sigi said in a small voice.
As they entered the Court, Lea was just wrapping up the briefing that she was giving the Empress. The wave of rioting and arson that had swept the South-Eastern United States over the last few days was the topic. Kat wondered about the sort of madness that would cause people to burn public buildings, schools and churches within their own community. It was difficult to make sense of it.
“Katherine” Kira said in greeting, “If I didn’t know any better, I might say that you have been avoiding me.”
Possibly because she had.
“I’ve been busy getting my family ready to move” Kat replied, “The new house is supposed to be finished before the end of the month.”
“I understand that you’ve other news as well” Kira said, “I need some happy news after what has been going on with Masha.”
That was the other reason that Kat had avoided the Empress, a week earlier her sister Maria, who Kira called the nickname Masha, had suffered a major cardiac event at her husband’s estate in Alsace. Kat knew that a heart attack like the one that Masha had suffered, while not immediately fatal, resulted in a grim prognosis. It was a glimpse of what might happen if Kat failed in her efforts to get the Empress to take care of herself. That was when Kat noticed that she had unconsciously betrayed herself by moving her right hand protectively over her belly where she knew potential life was growing.
“It is a bit too soon to make an official announcement” Kat replied as she withdrew her hand.
Then Kira leaned forward, “You can tell me Katherine” She said conspiratorially. How many times had Marcella told Kat that she was Kira’s window into the wider world? At the same time her relationship with the Empress had grown strained because of the manipulations that Kat felt were frequently not necessary.
“I’m due in late March or early April” Kat said.
“That’s wonderful” Kira replied.
“I’m hoping for a girl but with my luck it will be a boy” Kat said, “I love Malcolm, but having him pulling Tatiana’s hair, hiding her dolls and being troublesome makes me glad there’s only one of him. Two boys would be too much.”
“That changes when they're older, girls get more complicated” Kira said, “Just the other day Kristina…”
“Excuse me?” Sigi asked.
“Who is this?” Kira asked Kat, pointedly ignoring Sigi who had gone pale with fear when she realized her mistake.
“Fraulein Grimmelshausen” Kat replied, “She was recently appointed to be my aide, and she’s still learning.”
11th September 1955
Potsdam
Kira had requested Kat’s presence immediately at the Summer Residence. There were serious security matters to discuss and other more personal matters that the Empress felt that they should touch on. It was a reminder of something that Kat had made sure of when the streets of Tempelhof had been laid out. Kaiserin-Kira-straße went right through the campus of Humboldt University and would be one of the main streets through the development, which happened to be as far as it could be from Kat’s house and still be inside project’s boundaries. Kira was happy with that and Kat didn’t have to drive on it any time she took her car anywhere.
It had turned out that she was stuck with Sigi for the next six months and that the girl was supposed to learn from her. When Kat had called the Commandant of the Berlin War Academy he had apologized that he had not warned Kat beforehand. Sigi’s family sat on the Corporate Board of Rheinmetall so accommodating her was in the interest of the OKW and the entire military by extension. It was also a major feather in Kat’s cap. Kat had told him that she was due to retire in less than two years, was also going to be required take Maternity Leave in December. So, what did she care about the Heer’s internal politics? Kat had unthinkingly made that call in front of Sigi who looked completely shell-shocked. The first shock that afternoon was that she had assumed that Oberst von Mischner was a man and she had managed to offend Gräfin Katherine von Mischner. The second was hearing the language that Kat had used to describe her. Seriously, Sigi had never heard the term fuckwit until Kat had used it to describe her. The third was that yes, her new CO was pregnant, so she could deal with it or get lost.
By then the Sisterhood was showing up for Sunday dinner and the appetizer was clearly Sieglinde Grimmelshausen. The Star Chamber had absolutely nothing on the Sisterhood when they found that they had an interloper among them who had not earned her place at the table. By the end of the evening Kat knew everything about Sigi as the girls had gotten her to divulge a lot of embarrassing personal details. They had also reduced her to a blubbering wreck, so Kat had to find a place in the house for Sigi to sleep that night as well as being a sympathetic shoulder for Sigi to cry on. Despite her efforts to appear grown up, Sigi still had a lot of maturing ahead of her and the world wasn’t always a nice place.
Now, a week later Sigi had found her place, sort of. Sleeping on the couch in the parlor didn’t agree with her and she was having to adjust to having the girls around constantly. It was Kat’s hope that today Sigi would start to learn and stop jumping at her own shadow.
“You are only to speak if spoken to” Kat said to Sigi as they entered the Western Wing of the Sanssouci Palace where Kira had her Court during the summer months and as long into the autumn as she could get away with. “You are not to stare and try to keep focused on the topic at hand. The Empress is going to want to talk about personal matters, answer her questions succinctly. Understand?”
“Yes, Ma’am” Sigi said in a small voice.
As they entered the Court, Lea was just wrapping up the briefing that she was giving the Empress. The wave of rioting and arson that had swept the South-Eastern United States over the last few days was the topic. Kat wondered about the sort of madness that would cause people to burn public buildings, schools and churches within their own community. It was difficult to make sense of it.
“Katherine” Kira said in greeting, “If I didn’t know any better, I might say that you have been avoiding me.”
Possibly because she had.
“I’ve been busy getting my family ready to move” Kat replied, “The new house is supposed to be finished before the end of the month.”
“I understand that you’ve other news as well” Kira said, “I need some happy news after what has been going on with Masha.”
That was the other reason that Kat had avoided the Empress, a week earlier her sister Maria, who Kira called the nickname Masha, had suffered a major cardiac event at her husband’s estate in Alsace. Kat knew that a heart attack like the one that Masha had suffered, while not immediately fatal, resulted in a grim prognosis. It was a glimpse of what might happen if Kat failed in her efforts to get the Empress to take care of herself. That was when Kat noticed that she had unconsciously betrayed herself by moving her right hand protectively over her belly where she knew potential life was growing.
“It is a bit too soon to make an official announcement” Kat replied as she withdrew her hand.
Then Kira leaned forward, “You can tell me Katherine” She said conspiratorially. How many times had Marcella told Kat that she was Kira’s window into the wider world? At the same time her relationship with the Empress had grown strained because of the manipulations that Kat felt were frequently not necessary.
“I’m due in late March or early April” Kat said.
“That’s wonderful” Kira replied.
“I’m hoping for a girl but with my luck it will be a boy” Kat said, “I love Malcolm, but having him pulling Tatiana’s hair, hiding her dolls and being troublesome makes me glad there’s only one of him. Two boys would be too much.”
“That changes when they're older, girls get more complicated” Kira said, “Just the other day Kristina…”
“Excuse me?” Sigi asked.
“Who is this?” Kira asked Kat, pointedly ignoring Sigi who had gone pale with fear when she realized her mistake.
“Fraulein Grimmelshausen” Kat replied, “She was recently appointed to be my aide, and she’s still learning.”
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