"Did you find your saber?" Hermine asked her husband through the half-open door of his study, tilting her head into the narrow gap.
He did not answer. With his back to the door, he stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the large window front.
Slowly, Hermine stepped closer. He remained lost in a trance, absent-mindedly stroking his snow-white mustache.
"Wilhelm?" she asked again, gently patting his shoulder. Only then did the man turn, looking surprised at his wife.
"Huh?" he murmured, blinking.
"I asked if you had found your saber. Are you all right?" Hermine repeated, taking his hand.
The sun shone brightly upon the old man's face, illuminating the sharp features he had retained through the years. Yet a fleeting sadness still lingered on the late Kaiser's expression.
The twittering of a little bird broke the silence, and only then did Wilhelm's lips slowly part again.
"It is… nothing, dear wife. I was merely reminiscing," Wilhelm answered, sighing deeply before reaching for the majestic scabbard of a saber leaning against his desk.
"Here it is," he said, holding it up, a faint smile crossing his face.
Suddenly, a sound reached them. Both turned toward the window of his second-floor study.
Three black Mercedes limousines entered the property, halting skillfully before the house.
Wilhelm and Hermine exchanged a brief glance before quickly leaving the study and descending the stairs.
Wilhelm continued to adjust his collar while Hermine smoothed her hair, and together they stepped through the front door, standing at the forefront of their house beneath the summer sun. Wilhelm leaned on his saber, while Hermine crossed her hands, waiting expectantly.
Soldiers clad in Wehrmacht uniforms stepped out of each car. The man from the middle vehicle moved forward with ceremonial precision, his movements sharp and deliberate, before opening the door of the Mercedes.
Wilhelm and Hermine raised their eyebrows, watching as a young man exited the car. He wore dark leather boots, polished to a shine that reflected the sunlight, white trousers, and a simple white ceremonial military uniform. From the opposite side, a lady stepped out as well. She wore a beautiful blue dress, her blonde hair standing in stark contrast to the man's black. The gentle curvature beneath the fabric did not escape their eyes.
Wilhelm immediately brightened upon seeing that the other party also wore a military uniform, just like himself, though this had been to be expected, considering what he had heard about the young man before him.
Slowly, almost as if time itself had slowed, Wilhelm extended his hand without waiting for any formal courtesy, a struggle he had long since lost.
"Your Majesty," Paul said, inclining his head ever so slightly. The gesture did not go unnoticed, and Wilhelm clasped his hand with enthusiasm.
"General Jaeger? The Führer? How should I address you?" Wilhelm asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"Herr Jaeger will suffice," Paul replied with a nod, before turning to Hermine.
They exchanged polite courtesies, while Elisabeth stepped forward to greet the former Kaiser.
"Elisabeth," Wilhelm murmured, his voice once more carrying a heavy trace of fading melancholy.
"Your father spoke often of you. I met you when you were still a child," Wilhelm added, a gentle smile touching his lips.
Elisabeth returned the smile politely, before the group entered the modest yet spacious house in exile. Although the soldiers attempted to follow, Paul raised his hand, signaling for them to remain outside.
"We have prepared a meal for you," Hermine said, gesturing toward the living room.
They made their way through the corridor and entered the dining room, where a large oak table stood laden with numerous warm dishes.
Paul glanced briefly at the chair at the head of the table, then deliberately chose the seat beside it. Elisabeth sat down next to him.
After a moment, Wilhelm opened the conversation.
"You know, my son came to visit me the other day and told me about the attack on Scapa Flow," Wilhelm said, laughing heartily.
"I must say, it was a masterful move. The British are in an uproar, or so I hear."
Paul nodded.
"Indeed. Churchill is trying to ease the tension, but it has become a nationwide embarrassment."
"The Royal Oak, the Norfolk. Those heavy monsters now resting on the seabed," Wilhelm murmured, still amused.
Paul smiled. One of his rare, genuine smiles. Not because he found the situation amusing, but because the praise came from Kaiser Wilhelm himself, lending quiet validation to all his efforts thus far.
"We did lose one U-boat as well," Paul added. "Thankfully not the one Prien commanded."
Wilhelm nodded, taking another bite of his steak and chewing thoughtfully.
"Brave men. True Germans," he said, narrowing his eyes.
"Indeed," Paul replied, finishing his meal as well.
For a moment, an awkward silence settled over the table, which Hermine was quick to dispel.
"How about the men go hunting, while I show you the garden, Elisabeth?" she suggested enthusiastically.
Wilhelm nodded.
"Yes, we should do that," he muttered, summoning an attendant.
"Hans, could you bring us my hunting equipment?"
The attendant nodded and hurried off.
Soon the two men made their way into the garden.
"Here it is," the attendant said. He handed them two rifles, ammunition, and two combat knives. Paul and Wilhelm took the equipment and turned toward the vast stretch of forest beyond the estate.
They walked slowly through the woods where the large shadows of the towering oaks created a cool, damp atmosphere. It was a refreshing change on a hot summer day.
"How is it?" Paul suddenly asked in a quiet voice. The old Wilhelm tilted his head toward him.
"How is what?"
"Your life in exile," Paul continued. Suddenly he raised his rifle and pulled the trigger. A bird fell from the sky, landing not far from them.
Wilhelm looked at Paul with a mixture of respect and confusion.
"Lonely," Wilhelm said as they made their way toward the fallen bird. "I could talk about how quiet and peaceful it is, but in the end it comes down to the same emptiness that no garden or hunt could ever fill."
Paul watched his reaction with genuine interest.
"Ludendorff and Hindenburg, they gambled with foreign stakes, and the worst of it all," Wilhelm spat the words out with evident anger and sadness.
"They lost. They lost me my country."
"And what is a Kaiser without a country? Nothing. Nothing, dear friend," Wilhelm said as he picked up the bird.
"A good shot."
"Do you think I am here to reinstate the monarchy?" Paul asked quietly.
Wilhelm looked into the sky for a moment. His last hope seemed to fly away with the rest of the birds. "Are you? Or are you just visiting a museum? Am I merely a piece in it?"
Paul sighed, before opening his mouth.
"You know, when I first had the idea of taking power and when I first shared it, people from left and right shouted. Bring back the Kaiser. Support the Kaiser. They looked for my support like hungry wolves. Then came the others. They told me to support Hitler, to support the Führer. Both sides shouted and screamed, tearing at each other and completely forgetting what they fought for in the end."
A fresh leaf fell slowly from one of the trees. It drifted softly, blowing left and right in the wind until it landed on Wilhelm's shoulder.
"This philosophy has been like poison for Germany. It is an everlasting battle between the supporters of the Wolf and the Lion. I refused both of them. I refused to be part of them and I still do."
Wilhelm nodded, obviously dejected, but deep inside he already knew the truth.
"But," Paul began, taking a step forward. "I have always favored the wolves for their single most important characteristic. Their loyalty. It is astonishing. Their loyalty remained through every hardship. They tried hard to bring you back. In the end, I was the one who stopped their endeavor."
Suddenly, Paul stopped mid sentence. His eyes grew sharp as he looked past Wilhelm. The old man turned to follow his gaze and saw a deer about a hundred meters away, walking slowly through the forest. Paul nodded toward Wilhelm, who slowly raised his rifle.
The old Kaiser took a deep breath. His finger shook slightly, almost fleetingly, but his eyes focused and regained their sharpness for a brief moment.
Then he fired.
The echo traveled through the forest like a thunderclap. The deer collapsed, blood oozing from its stomach.
Paul and Wilhelm made their way over to the fallen animal. It was still panting heavily and was obviously in pain.
"You know, Jaeger, you have taught me more than once today. Now it is my turn."
Wilhelm pulled out his combat knife and crouched down slowly. With a quick movement, he pierced the blade into the head to end the suffering of the deer.
"Tell me, Jaeger, what is the real reason you are here?" Wilhelm asked. He stood up once more, adjusting his uniform and polishing the knife with a cloth.
Paul nodded.
"There will be a memorial for the fallen sailors of a submarine. It was one of the vessels from the Scapa Flow mission, the one the British managed to catch."
Paul paused to study the old Kaiser.
"I wanted to invite you to be part of it. You have always loved the navy, and the navy always loved their Kaiser."
Wilhelm's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You may return to Germany. You may retain all your valuables and your land. I will reinstate your position as Kaiser, but only symbolically."
Wilhelm took a long, heavy breath. He was shaking visibly. "What of my supporters? Do you not fear them becoming active again?"
Paul smiled. "No, I do not. I have chosen my surroundings carefully. Those you are talking about have long been stripped of any real power."
"My Kaiser," Paul added.
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