The One Who Hates Satan
When the calendar turned and the year became 1883, Waldemar grew one year older.
Around this time, Wilhelm II began to move more actively as the heir to the throne.
Waldemar worried that his eldest brother might cause some incident, but fortunately Billy knew how to restrain himself at this stage. More precisely, there were adults within the royal family who could keep him in check, so he had no choice but to restrain himself — but the result was the same.
Even so, Wilhelm II's innate temperament could not be completely hidden. As a representative example, Wilhelm visited Wilhelmshaven, the principal base of the German Navy, personally inspected the fleet, and afterward stressed in private the importance of oceanic naval power. Considering he had not yet had the chance to read Alfred Mahan's work, The Influence of Sea Power upon History (1890), it was a truly remarkable move.
Waldemar had no intention of obstructing his brother's path — nor the ability to stop him.
It's Wilhelm drawing all the aggro that makes it a problem; the direction of possessing naval power isn't wrong.
It was not illogical for a country that would hold the world's second-largest merchant fleet and the greatest export volume to hold the second-largest navy as well. Yet Billy's shipbuilding projects became a point of contention because Germany's national power was becoming a threat to Britain.
Waldemar sipped his coffee, hoping his brother's mouth would stay quiet.
Just then, his second brother Heinrich approached and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Baldi, you'll have to debut in society soon enough. How about practicing a few dances with the cousins?"
"Hmm, I don't really want to think about romance yet."
"Two years will pass in a flash."
Waldemar could not deny his brother's advice. Until now, he had stuck to a strategy of not appearing at official occasions except for royal family events. His plan was to remain in the shadows until the moment he truly could not avoid it. But once he reached the age of debut in society — seventeen — custom would require him to go out and seek a match.
"I'll think about that when the time comes."
At Waldemar's reply, Heinrich made a peculiar expression.
"None of the relatives you see in Germany catch your fancy?"
"To be honest, no."
"Then which house would you want to marry into?"
The pool of spouses the ruling Hohenzollern house of Germany could choose from was quite narrow.
"If I absolutely had to, Britain."
Heinrich looked puzzled at Waldemar's answer.
"Your mother's side? Why?"
"Because I want to ease relations with Britain in the future."
Heinrich's expression grew complicated at those words. The disastrous relationship between their mother and eldest brother was a knot no one could untie. If the eldest brother ever took the throne, a deterioration of Anglo-German relations was inevitable.
"Then do you have someone in mind?"
"Not yet."
"What about Uncle Ed's daughters?"
Waldemar had not considered Edward's daughters. The reason was simple: he did not want Edward as a father-in-law. The Edward Waldemar knew was a playboy with a dissolute image, a man who did not know how to manage his own dignity. And yet, if anyone pointed out this problem, he would nurse a grudge and always seek revenge. Having such a man as a father-in-law would clearly make life several times harder.
Of course, having the next King of England as a father-in-law might win him some business consideration in Britain, but even that was hard to count as a pure gain. He would have to pay the price of the Kaiser's hostility toward the man he regarded as Satan.
Then wouldn't any other British royal be the same? Not quite. The only one Wilhelm hated this much among his British maternal relatives was Edward.
"You've got quite a few thoughts of your own."
"Maybe."
"What if you overthink it and can't find a match?"
"Then I'll just have to make a morganatic marriage."
"Don't even joke about that. Mother would be furious if she heard."
Heinrich offered the gentle warning.
"Do you have any thoughts of marriage, Brother?"
Born in 1862, Heinrich was at the age society considered most ideal for a man to marry. Nobles generally looked favorably on marrying around seventeen to twenty. Men were granted a few more years of leeway, but the difference was not that great.
"I'll take my time choosing too."
Waldemar knew his brother would not marry for another five years. Of course, whether he would actually marry then, and whether the match would still be Princess Irene of Hesse, no one could say. Too much had already changed under Waldemar's influence.
"You'll find a match in good time, Brother."
"And you?"
"I don't know."
Waldemar steered the topic away, ready to end the marriage talk.
"By the way, how's life in the navy?"
"The navy? Hard but rewarding. Why? Thinking of serving in the navy yourself?"
"Not that."
Waldemar had no desire to get seasick on a cramped warship.
"If you're interested, apply boldly. Being a man of the sea isn't bad. At least in the navy you don't have to worry about the petty interference of the lesser principalities."
As Prince Heinrich said, the Imperial Navy's circumstances were different from the army, which was a coalition of German states' forces. In the true sense, the only integrated German military was the navy.
"I'll think about it."
While Waldemar was talking with Heinrich, Billy had somehow drawn near. Beside Billy stood his sister-in-law, Auguste. Waldemar quickly bowed his head in greeting to her.
Wilhelm, glass in hand, spoke to Heinrich.
"Heinz, what were you and Baldi chatting about so cheerfully?"
"Just navy service talk."
"Is that so?"
Wilhelm swept his eyes over Waldemar.
"I thought you were a little girl raised under some Englishwoman — but at least you haven't forgotten the blood of the Hohenzollerns."
Wilhelm was as prickly as ever. At his rude words, sister-in-law Auguste looked more flustered than anyone.
Well, this is the warm, familiar everyday life I always get whenever I meet our Billy.
Waldemar gave his sister-in-law a look that said he was fine.
"I am still a member of the house, Brother. Was there something you needed?"
"What, I need a reason just to join a conversation?"
"Of course not."
Wilhelm toyed with his glass, then spoke.
"Truth is, I overheard you talking about Uncle Edward and a British royal marriage as I was passing by."
Ah, Edward. Hearing the name from Billy's mouth, Waldemar understood at once.
Edward VII. Why Wilhelm II reacted so sensitively to Edward could be explained with a single anecdote. In 1863, at the age of four, Wilhelm II attended the wedding of Britain's Edward VII, where he threw a tantrum, threatened his uncle Alfred with a dagger, and bit him on the leg.
After that incident their relationship soured badly; the uncle regarded his nephew as an "evil creature," and the nephew made no effort to hide his hostility toward his uncle.
The conflict only deepened as Wilhelm came of age. Later, once the relationship had completely broken down, the nephew on the throne would call his uncle "the most clever but vulgar child in Europe," while the uncle called the nephew "Satan" — each slandering the other. Those feelings were not much different now.
Because of the British royal family's and Victoria the Crown Princess's favoritism toward Waldemar, the hostility toward Edward had grown even greater than in the original history. Wilhelm still showed affection only for his grandmother, who had been kind to him. His mother, of course — whom he called the Englishwoman — he hated even more than in the original timeline.
In other words, to Wilhelm II, Edward VII was the sort of existence whose name, even if heard in his sleep, he simply had to tear into.
"I didn't mishear that, did I?"
At Wilhelm's blunt question, Waldemar answered with due courtesy.
"If it's a matter of a royal marriage with Britain, I'm only considering it as far as fulfilling my duties as a prince."
Wilhelm sneered at that.
"Duties. Of all the people in the world, it has to be the British royal family? Was one Englishwoman in our house not enough?"
At that cold sneer, Waldemar understood the real reason Wilhelm had joined the conversation. This was a warning not to marry any daughters of the British royal family — especially Edward's. Waldemar added a careful clarification.
"Of course, I'm not considering Uncle Edward's daughters."
At Waldemar's firm assurance, Wilhelm replied coldly.
"Remember those words. Whether it's Edward or Uncle Alfred — no daughter born of the British royal line will ever set foot in this house."
"Understood."
Wilhelm gave Waldemar a light clap on the shoulder and walked past. Auguste, wearing an apologetic look, bowed her head in greeting and followed him.
Once they were gone, Heinrich gave a bitter smile.
"You already know Brother gets a bit nasty whenever Uncle or Mother comes up. Just understand."
"I know."
Waldemar thought Wilhelm's symptoms were worse than in the original history.
"Still, while Father is around, it'll be fine."
Father. Waldemar recalled that his father, Friedrich III, did not have much time left. That time was five years at most.
"I suppose so."
Waldemar returned to his own circle and looked with heavy eyes at Wilhelm II, who was laughing loudly.