Iron Maiden: An Alternate History of the German Empire

By J.T. Maicke

What if a woman ruled Germany in 1914?

This alternate history explores that very question. An elaborate attempt to rid Germany of the Hohenzollerns has left a young sole heiress, Christiana, to take the throne of the German Empire. But this is no typical princess, hidden away in a gilded cage. This college educated, expert fencer, and accomplished equestrienne is not the meek little girl the politicians think they will be able to control. She has her own ideas how to rule!

About the Author
A self-described Germanophile, J.T. Maicke writes historical fiction novels that take place in Germany or among German-American communities in the Midwest. He has spent most of his life studying German history, geography, language, culture, customs, and cuisine. Maicke also spent several years living in and traveling throughout Central Europe, and he has visited many of the locations depicted in his novels. Maicke’s debut novel was The Humble Courier.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DX Varos Publishing
• Release date: Oct 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9781955065924

Book preview

1

Christa

The young rider walked her chestnut gelding over the rolling green hills of her father’s estate. The girl was outfitted in boyish riding attire. No skirts for her! Dressed in tight, dark grey leather riding trousers, a short, quilted black jacket, and shod with highly-polished, black riding boots that reached up to just below her knees, the girl would have looked like a tiny Prussian cavalryman, had she been wearing a saber and the Hussar’s traditional fur shako. As it was, she peered out with crystal blue eyes from beneath the wide brim of a battered, grey slouch hat of the type worn by German soldiers in the Reich’s African colonies. The hat hid part of her face and covered her light blonde hair with the exception of the French braid running down to between her shoulder blades, tied at the end with a black ribbon.

It was a fine day for a ride in late March 1885, the mid-morning sun just beginning to burn through the fog and mist which always seemed to plague Berlin and its environs through the beginning of spring. From her vantage point, the girl could see the light sparkling off the wave tops of the nearby lake as its waters gently churned beneath the Glienicke Bridge. To the left of the bridge, she could see the city of Potsdam and, before it, Babelsberg Palace, with its curious mixture of octagonal, round, and square turrets, one of the residences of the elderly Kaiser Wilhelm I and his wife. Further to the west, she could make out the green-corroded copper dome of the New Palace in Sanssouci Park, the summer residence of the Crown Prince and his family.

Suddenly, the gelding snorted, anxious for exercise and urging his mistress to let him run. The girl reached down and patted the horse’s neck, lovingly.

Easy, Hektor, she cooed. We will go very soon.

The horse was a Trakehner, a light, warmblood variety originally developed 150 years earlier at an East Prussian stud farm near the town of Trakehnen. The girl’s father and grandfather both had an admiration for the breed and had raised them on their estates for decades. A cross between the powerful, hearty old Prussian Schwaikenpferd ponies dating back to the 13th century Teutonic Knights with Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Hanoverian strains, the Trakehner was both athletic and trainable, combining speed with strength and endurance, and made an excellent medium-build cavalry horse. Hektor, standing at fifteen hands, was on the smaller end in size for his breed and was a gift from the girl’s father for her tenth birthday the previous month. The young mistress and her horse adored one another.

The rider’s head snapped up as she was broken out of her reverie by the wet, clopping sound of galloping hooves over soft turf in the distance accompanied by feminine shrieks. Peering to the northwest, the girl saw a woman on a horse, which clearly was out of control, speeding down the gently sloping field about a half kilometer away. At their present rate of speed and direction, the distressed rider and her berserk horse would pass the girl and Hektor about a quarter kilometer to their left.

Come on, Hektor! ordered the girl, biting her lower lip in excitement and anxiety. She flicked the reins, urged her mount forward with a nudge from her heels, and crouched low to her horse’s neck. The rider refused to wear spurs or to use a riding crop. She considered such implements cruel and unnecessary and she refused to hurt her horse who, along with her older brother, was her best friend in the world. Hektor responded gleefully, happy to finally be allowed to blow off some steam. He let out another snort and a loud neigh before jumping forward to cross the field and chase down his target.

The lady’s mount, a beautiful, black Thoroughbred mare, was larger than Hektor but, despite its agitation, appeared to be tiring and was no match for the younger, well-rested, and powerful Trakehner. The girl quickly closed the distance just as the runaway horse was nearing a tree line. Before the young rider could reach out to grab the mare’s bridle, however, the horse stumbled and the woman bounced from the saddle with a squeal and hit the damp ground. The girl managed to halt the mare, turned both horses, and walked them back toward the distressed woman who sat on the grass, clutching her left ankle.

Oh, dear! Oh my, I’ve done it now. Oh, Martha, you naughty girl! the lady scolded the mare. To the girl’s surprise, the woman was speaking English! She leapt from Hektor’s saddle, walked the gelding and the mare over to a nearby fallen log at the edge of the tree line, and tied them securely. She quickly congratulated Hektor on a fine race and cooed to and stroked the mare in an effort to further quiet the exhausted horse. Once she was certain the mare was calm, she ran back to the lady and helped pull her up to her feet. The woman, obviously wealthy and well-born, was dressed in the fashion worn by upper class equestriennes of the day, with an olive jacket, black skirts over black riding pants, and deeply polished knee boots, now splattered with mud. Her brown hair, now in a bit of disarray, clearly had been expertly coiffured. The girl picked up the lady’s black top hat and handed it to her.

Come, Madam, she said calmly to the lady in English. Please allow me to assist you. The girl held out an arm to help the lady hobble over and sit on the log where the horses were tied.

You speak English! the lady exclaimed, her eyes widening before she winced and limped with the girl’s help to her seat.

Yes, Madam, answered the girl with a nod. She then ran over to Hektor, grabbed a canteen and a scarf from a small saddle bag, and brought them back to the lady. Here, Madam. Please have a drink while I inspect your injury, the girl said, handing the woman the canteen. She dropped to her knee and gently palpitated the lady’s ankle.

Your ankle does not appear to be broken, but you may have a sprain, the girl stated in a detached, almost professional manner. It appears to be swelling somewhat. With your permission, I will wrap it with this scarf and then seek assistance.

Thank you, young man, answered the lady. The girl, who had not had an opportunity to remove her slouch hat, was about to correct her when she heard the pounding of hooves from several riders approaching from the same direction the lady and her runaway mare had come. The girl stood, turned, and peered into the distance. The riders wore cavalry uniforms and one was carrying a distinct guidon attached to the end of a lance.

Cuirassiers! the girl murmured, squinting her eyes quizzically. And that is the imperial standard! she added, now with wonder in her voice. She then spun around and stared at the injured lady with eyes the size of saucers, finally recognizing the woman. Euere königliche Hoheit!—Your Royal Highness—she gasped in German, dropping to a knee and bowing her head before the lady.

Her Royal Highness is over here, sir! called one of the cuirassiers. Another rider approached behind the cavalrymen. He was also in uniform but dressed more splendidly with loops of gold braid and numerous medals bedecking his tunic. He was also older than the cavalrymen, clearly middle aged, with wavy brown hair and a long, thick brown beard just beginning to turn grey around his mouth and his chin.

He was Crown Prince Friedrich, son of Kaiser Wilhelm I and heir to the thrones of Prussia and of the German Empire. Seated on the log before the girl was his wife, Victoria, the Princess Royal and eldest daughter of the English sovereign Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India.

Leaping from his saddle, Prince Friedrich ran to his wife. Are you alright, my dear?" he asked in German, his face painted with concern.

You should ask my rescuer, Fritz, smiled Princess Victoria, answering her husband in German while glancing down at the kneeling girl. This young gentleman here is both a brave horseman and a fine physician. Please, stand, my young sir.

I beg your pardon, Your Royal Highness said the girl, coming to her feet and sweeping off her slouch hat. But I am no gentleman.

A girl! exclaimed Victoria, jolting upright on her log seat. Prince Friedrich gaped but then broke into a wide grin and chuckled while the cavalrymen murmured to one another in surprise.

What is your name, young lady, asked Friedrich.

I am Christiana Maria Louisa von Preussen, if it please Your Royal Highness, answered the girl, her curtsy to the Crown Prince and his wife looking somewhat comical in her masculine riding attire. But I am known to my family as Christa.

Of course! answered Prince Friedrich. You are the youngest daughter of my cousin, Friedrich Karl, are you not? We have not seen you since your baptism, Princess. That must have been…

I just turned ten years old, last month, sir, helped Christa.

Indeed, responded the Crown Prince. And you are staying at Jagdschloss Glienicke? The Crown Prince was referring to the Berlin estate of Christa’s father, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, nephew to the elderly Kaiser. Although the residence was referred to as a Jagdschloss—a hunting manor—it was in truth a small palace situated in the countryside, across Glienicke Lake from Potsdam, approximately 25 kilometers southwest from the heart of Berlin.

"Yes, sir. If I may be so bold, sir, the Crown Princess is in no condition to ride. If you will allow me, I will ride back to the manor and return with a suitable carriage to convey the Princess back to your palace in central Berlin. However, your palace is quite distant and you are most welcome to come to our home. The manor is just over the rise to the south and Dr. Rudolf Virchow is visiting us this week. He would be available to provide a professional diagnosis and treatment of the Crown Princess’ injury. By your leave, I can ride swiftly back to the manor and return with a carriage within minutes.

Dr. Virchow? asked Prince Friedrich. The noted pathologist? He turned to his wife, I daresay, my dear, a more eminent physician could not be found in such close proximity at this hour on a Saturday.

The Crown Princess smiled and nodded. Turning to Christa, she said, We accept your gracious hospitality, Christa, and we thank you for your kind assistance. In truth, Victoria’s injury was minor and the royal couple could have easily traveled back to their palace in central Berlin, but both she and Friedrich were absolutely enchanted with Christa and curious to learn more about this precocious girl. Neither had ever met a child—girl or boy—so capable, confident, and well-spoken at such a young age.

Christa beamed, dropped another quick curtsey to the royal couple, turned, ran, and leapt back onto Hektor. She trotted the gelding for several yards before urging him into a gallop so as to avoid spraying the royal party with mud clods from Hektor’s hooves. She quickly shot away and disappeared over the top of the rise.

What an extraordinary girl, murmured Prince Friedrich with awe.

***

Christa returned a short time later mounted on Hektor, accompanied by a four-wheeled buggy with driver and two other riders: her father, Prince Friedrich Karl, cousin to the Crown Prince, and Christa’s brother, Leopold, ten years her senior. As soon as the Crown Princess was assisted into the carriage, Friedrich Karl commanded his daughter to return immediately to the manor with a stern order to change into appropriate attire, much to her chagrin. For his part, Friedrich Karl, an army commander and hero of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, was resplendent in his field marshal’s uniform. His tunic was bedecked with various medals including the Pour le Merite and the Orders of the Black and Red Eagles—the highest military honors of the German Empire—and he wore his gleaming, spiked Pickelhaube headgear. Leopold, a senior lieutenant in the 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade, was dressed in his blue cuirassier’s uniform with gleaming helmet.

When the buggy and riders arrived in the cobblestone courtyard in front of the three-story manor, Christa and her mother, Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau, dressed in formal, full-length gowns, and Dr. Virchow were already waiting at the main entrance to greet them. Christa’s three older sisters had married and moved away years earlier; a fourth older sister had died in infancy.

With her petite features, flowing brown hair, and angelic smile, Christa’s mother was considered by many social observers to be one of the most beautiful women of her generation. Princess Maria Anna had successfully steered her three older daughters through the upper echelons of Berlin society and had worked to arrange propitious marriages for them within the higher European nobility.

Princess Maria Anna’s marriage to Christa’s father had not been a happy one. Prince Friedrich Karl was a taciturn, bad-tempered man by disposition. Christa had overheard rumors among the servants that her father had beaten her mother after the birth of their fourth daughter for not having produced a son. Middle age, combined with the eventual birth of a son and heir, Leopold, their fifth child, had thawed Prince Friedrich Karl’s icy manner somewhat. Nowadays, he and his wife were civil, if not loving, with one another. While he may not have been a kind and loving husband, Friedrich Karl was a devoted father. He loved Christa more than his older girls and almost as much as his son. Despite his conservative attitudes on all issues, including the role of women in society, Friedrich Karl admired the girl’s spunk and was often entertained by her refusal to accept the societal conventions and boundaries to which her older sisters and other highborn young ladies of this age so easily acquiesced. His gifting of the beautiful gelding, Hektor, was one of the ways he expressed regard for his sixth and youngest child.

After the Crown Princess was moved into a plush, comfortable armchair in the drawing room of the estate, Dr. Virchow unwrapped Christa’s scarf from Victoria’s ankle and examined her injury. After he confirmed Christa’s diagnosis of a sprain, both Victoria and her husband looked over at the young princess and nodded and smiled. Christa blushed in response. A servant was dispatched to fetch cold compresses, which Virchow wrapped around the royal ankle with advice that the Crown Princess remain off her feet for a week. In the meantime, light refreshments were laid out, including sliced cheeses and cold meats, petite mushroom omelets, fresh berries with cream, and champaign. The servants brought a tray table to the Crown Princess’ seat so she could enjoy some of the food. Christa stood next to Victoria and waited on her as if she were the princess’ equerry. Christa’s mother sat nearby in a matching plush armchair with a small bowl of berries and cream.

You look quite lovely in a formal gown, Christa, said Victoria. I am still quite embarrassed that I mistook you for a lad earlier.

Oh, Madam, answered the girl, clasping her hands before her chest. I am the one who was embarrassed! I should have recognized you immediately and introduced myself. The Crown Princess went on to explain to Maria Anna the tale of how her horse had suddenly bolted and how Christa had come to her rescue."

Yes, cousin, said Crown Prince Friedrich, turning toward Christa’s father. Your daughter is quite the equestrienne.

Indeed, sir, acknowledged Friedrich Karl, his voice suggesting a hint of pride. She also enjoys hunting and is a rather good shot. I draw the line at fencing, however, although I suspect a certain lieutenant has been tutoring her behind my back. Christa’s father gave his son a sidelong glance. Leopold reddened and the Crown Prince chuckled indulgently in response.

Christa was somewhat perplexed by the entire dialogue. Why was it so strange that she enjoyed riding, hunting, and even fencing? She was very good at all three pastimes. In fact, she honestly believed she was as fine a horseman as most men, including her older brother, and an even better marksman. Christa’s brother, Leopold, whom she simply called Leo, secretly had a smaller, lighter version of a cuirassier’s saber crafted for his little sister, and noted in private that her swordsmanship was coming along nicely.

Your Royal Highness! interposed Princess Maria Anna in a melodramatic tone. I am at a loss with this girl! She is the most beautiful of my daughters, and yet she has no interest in feminine pursuits. Her riding and hunting are all well and good for now, but in a few years’ time she will come of age and be presented at court. She needs to begin to pay more attention to studying her social graces and preparing for her responsibilities as a Prussian princess.

Christa, do you look forward to being presented at court and becoming a fine noble lady? asked Victoria, turning toward the girl with a smile.

Christa hesitated, biting her lower lip before responding. Do I have permission to speak frankly, Madam? Both Crown Prince Friedrich and Christa’s father started, then looked at each other, and smiled. It was the sort of question a subaltern would ask of his superior officer, not a young girl of a high-born princess.

Why, yes. Of course, stammered Victoria, also a bit taken aback.

I would rather command one of the Kaiser’s cavalry regiments, said Christa.

After a moment of silence, both the Crown Prince and Christa’s father looked at one another with surprise before erupting into laughter. Christa bit her lower lip, her face burning with embarrassment and frustration. She was being entirely serious and now she was being laughed at by her father and her future King and Kaiser. Leo, who would never say or do anything to hurt his beloved baby sister, sat in silence and looked at her with compassion. Christa looked back at her mother and at the Crown Princess who smiled sympathetically. Victoria reached out and patted Christa’s hand.

Do not listen to the laughter of men, Christa, said the Crown Princess softly. They believe that only they are born to command. But is not my own mother the ruler of the greatest empire ever known? Just be true to yourself, always.

Surprise and gratitude flooded Christa’s deep blue eyes and softened her distressed features. She was amazed that the future Queen of Prussia and German Empress would address her familiarly and so kindly, and she was cheered by her words.

Taking both of Christa’s hands in her own, the Crown Princess continued. I would like for you to write to me just as often as you like and tell me what you are thinking about and what you are doing, continued Victoria. I promise I shall answer every letter.

Christa was overjoyed! She looked over at her mother who also was beaming with pleasure, if perhaps for a different reason. Princess Maria Anna hoped that a relationship with the Crown Princess would influence her daughter to become more ladylike and mindful of her station as a princess of the Prussian royal family.

Oh, I will, Madam! answered Christa enthusiastically, squeezing Victoria’s hands before bobbing her another curtsey. Thank you so much! I will write to you every day!

***

There was mild, sunny weather on the day of the funeral service for the monarch known as Friedrich III, King of Prussia and German Kaiser, on Tuesday, June 19, 1888. It was late spring in the time that would become known in Germany as the Year of the Three Emperors. Born one year before Napoleon Bonaparte had come to power, old Kaiser Wilhelm I had finally died in early March at the ripe age of 90 and was succeeded by his son, the former Crown Prince Friedrich, who, sadly, had been diagnosed with throat cancer the previous year. Friedrich reigned for only 99 days before succumbing to his illness and was succeeded by his eldest son, who was immediately crowned upon his father’s death as Kaiser Wilhelm II.

The official funeral service for Kaiser Friedrich had already been held the previous day in Sanssouci Park. His wife, Victoria, now known as the Dowager Empress, did not attend. She had opted instead to hold a smaller, more intimate memorial service for her beloved husband the following day in the chapel at the Crown Estate of Bornstedt, also in Sanssouci Park. Bornstedt had been a Prussian family possession for over two hundred years, since the days of the Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg. The manor house and chapel had been rebuilt in the style of an Italian monastery about thirty years earlier. Bornstedt would now serve as the Dowager Empress’ residence for the time being.

Most of Friedrich and Victoria’s children were in attendance for the Bornstedt service, as were most of the Dowager Empress’ siblings. Both Christa and her mother also had been invited along with a small number of other Prussian cousins. Christa’s father, Prince Friedrich Karl, had died of a sudden heart attack in June 1885, only three months after Christa’s first meeting with then-Crown Prince Friedrich and his wife on the grounds of Glienicke manor. Both Friedrich and Victoria were considerate enough to attend Friedrich Karl’s funeral. Christa’s older brother, Leo, now a newly-promoted cavalry captain, was also invited to Bornstedt but was away on maneuvers and unable to attend.

Christa and her mother could not help but notice that neither the Dowager Empress’ eldest son, the newly-crowned Kaiser Wilhelm II, nor his wife, Augusta Victoria, known within the family as Dona, were present at the Bornstedt service. Married since 1881, Wilhelm and his wife already had four sons and Dona was pregnant with a fifth child. Christa did not know why the new Kaiser and his family were not at the service. It may have been that he was not invited or that he had chosen not to attend. It was no secret that Wilhelm had been highly critical of his parents. Heavily influenced by his grandfather, Wilhelm I, and the headstrong Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the new Kaiser strongly opposed Friedrich’s liberal views, which conservative Prussian circles had blamed on the influence of his British-born wife. Indeed, Victoria’s late father, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the consort of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, had seen the marriage of their eldest daughter to Friedrich in 1858 as a prelude to a united, liberal democratic Germany under Prussian leadership, ruled by Friedrich and his wife as constitutional monarchs. However, Wilhelm I’s longevity, combined with the premature death of Friedrich, had frustrated these hopes.

The young princess was heartbroken for Victoria upon the death of her husband and angered at the way her eldest son, the new Kaiser, had treated her. The girl had overheard her mother telling one of her close friends that immediately upon learning of his father’s death, Wilhelm II had ordered troops to surround the imperial residence and search his parents’ quarters. Wilhelm claimed that he had taken these steps to secure any sensitive government documents in the building for purposes of state security. However, rumor circulated throughout Berlin that, in reality, he was attempting to seize any correspondence that might have contained embarrassing revelations or criticisms of him. As it turned out, Wilhelm’s search had proven fruitless. Victoria had already had all of her and her husband’s personal papers secretly transported out of Germany to Windsor Castle in England the previous year, and the episode did nothing to improve the already strained relationship between mother and son.

Christa had never spoken with her distant cousin Wilhelm but she had seen him last year at the baptism of his fourth son, Prince August Wilhelm, nicknamed Auwi by his family. Wilhelm was resplendent in dress military uniform bedecked with various medals and wore a severe expression, accentuated by his large brush of a moustache, groomed upwards at the ends in an aggressive manner. Whereas Kaiser Friedrich had always looked natural in his royal regalia, Christa could not help but think that his son Wilhelm looked very uncomfortable, as if he was awkwardly trying to play the role of the proud and indomitable Prussian war lord. Perhaps the then 28-year-old prince had felt a need to compensate somewhat for his disability. Wilhelm’s shoulder had been dislocated during birth, resulting in paralysis to his left arm, which was several centimeters shorter than his right. Christa thought that the prince would have benefited from the advice that his mother, Victoria, gave her during their first meeting a little over three years earlier to be true to yourself, always.

After the service, the Dowager Empress, her family, and close friends gathered for a small luncheon in the gardens of the Bornstedt estate. This gave Victoria and Princess Maria Anna an opportunity to introduce Christa to the rest of the Dowager Empress’ children. Christa found Victoria’s elder children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Heinrich, very stuffy and formal. But she immediately took a liking to the three younger daughters, especially the youngest, Princess Margarete, known within the family as Mossy, who, at age 16, was three years older than Christa. All three of these younger princesses were very kind to Christa and, like her, adored their mother, the Dowager Empress.

Lastly, Christa and her mother were introduced to a middle-aged gentleman immaculately dressed in a black mourning suit and bowler hat. Christa had noticed that the man had been seated next to the Dowager Empress during the service and at times had even held her arm and patted her hand sympathetically. The gentleman had brown hair, thinning toward baldness on the top of his skull, and a full but neatly-trimmed beard that was just beginning to turn grey. He was of average height and portly to the point of obese. Christa noticed that the man kept the bottom button of his waistcoat open and that he had a tendency to waddle when he walked.

He was Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, younger brother to the Dowager Empress and heir to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland. Christa and her mother curtsied and the prince bowed politely during Victoria’s introductions.

Ah! So, this is the brave young princess who came to your rescue a few years ago. I must say, Vicky, Mama and I were both intrigued and highly entertained by your letter describing the event. Christa was utterly astonished that the Dowager Empress would have written to her mother, Queen Victoria, about Christa’s encounter with the Princess Royal and then Crown Prince Friedrich at Glienicke manor. Glancing up at her mother, the girl could see that Princess Maria Anna was equally surprised.

After lunch, Victoria invited Christa and her mother to walk with her in the estate gardens.

How are you coping, Your Imperial Majesty? asked Maria Anna, solicitously.

I suppose I am still an ‘Imperial Majesty,’ aren’t I? answered Victoria, with a sad smile. Although I believe Dona has truly taken on that role, she added, her features dropping with resentment, a trace of bitterness in her tone. My beloved husband’s death is a great loss—not just for me personally, but for Prussia and the German Empire. You see, Fritz and I wanted to transform our country into a constitutional monarchy, not unlike my native Great Britain. We were both strong believers in liberalism and in equal opportunity and consideration under the law for all of our citizens, not merely the wealthy and the landed aristocracy. We both realized that it would have been a difficult struggle against Bismarck and the rest of the Prussian ruling classes, but with time and patience I am certain we could have succeeded. Now, I fear with my son on the throne that militarism and the privileges of the nobility will continue. I just pray that this does not result in tragedy for our nation and our neighbors.

Princess Maria Anna squirmed, uncomfortable with this turn of conversation, which Victoria’s son, the new Kaiser, might very well have considered treasonous. She attempted to change the subject. This is a beautiful estate, Your Majesty. I have always considered it the most picturesque in Sanssouci Park. I hope you will be comfortable here.

Yes, for a little while, at least, Victoria said wistfully. I fear, however, that Willy would rather I depart the capital as soon as possible. Neither he nor Prince Bismarck have ever been fond of my opinions. In an earlier age, our ‘Iron Chancellor’ probably would have tried to persuade Willy to banish me to a convent in the provinces. Maria Anna suppressed another wince and again wished Victoria would refrain from criticizing the Kaiser in her and her daughter’s presence.

Christa, for her part, was uninterested in the political content of the Dowager Empress’ comments. Instead, she was dismayed at the prospect of Victoria leaving Potsdam. She took the Dowager Empress’ hand and looked up at her with distress. Victoria looked down sympathetically at the girl, gently squeezed her hand, and smiled.

Princess, I have a favor to ask of you, Victoria continued, looking up from Christa and turning toward Maria Anna. After a proper mourning period, I plan to travel to Britain to visit Her Imperial Majesty, my mother, and my English family. My youngest daughter, Margarete, will accompany me. I would like for you and Christa to join us, if you please and if you are available.

Christa stared up at Maria Anna in amazement. To her credit, she did not plead with her mother—this would have been unseemly in front of the Dowager Empress—but the look in Christa’s eyes told her mother that the girl clearly was desperate for her to agree. Maria Anna, for her part, needed no persuading. While Christa’s correspondence with Victoria had not succeeded in entirely converting the girl from a tomboy to a young lady, an introduction of Christa before Queen Victoria and the British royal family by the Dowager Empress herself could lead to a favorable marriage, such as Maria Anna had arranged for Christa’s older sisters. Maria Anna noted that the timing was propitious: her third daughter, Louise Margaret, was married to the Dowager Empress’s younger brother, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. Louise Margaret and her children had accompanied her husband on an army tour-of-duty in India but she was planning to return to Britain with her children for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Maria Anna already was drafting a letter in her mind asking Louise Margaret to return to England a bit earlier than planned and requesting her assistance in shepherding Christa through her introductions to the British royal family.

Of course, Your Majesty, answered Maria Anna, gratefully. Thank you very much for your kindness. I think this would be a wonderful opportunity for my daughter.

It was only the presence of the Dowager Empress and the somber character of the occasion that prevented Christa from turning cartwheels on the perfectly manicured lawn of the estate in her full-length, black mourning gown.

***

In late November, the Dowager Empress, her daughter Princess Mossy, Princess Maria Anna, and Christa arrived at Osborne House, the British Royal residence in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight off the coast of Hampshire in the English Channel. The huge estate had been purchased by Queen Victoria and her late husband, Prince Albert, in 1845 and the large summer home and rural retreat was designed by Albert himself in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo. Christa immediately liked the palace: it reminded her of a larger version of the Bornstedt estate in Sanssouci Park back home.

The Dowager Empress escorted her party to the main hall, where they were received by Queen Victoria. In attendance were numerous other members of the British royal family, including most of the Queen’s children and grandchildren. Princess Mossy ran to her grandmother, dropped a quick curtsey, and then took the Queen’s hand. The elderly monarch kissed her granddaughter on the cheek, smiled, patted her hand happily, and directed her to a nearby seat. The Dowager Empress introduced Maria Anna and Christa, both of whom curtsied before the Queen’s sizable, winged sitting chair.

We are pleased to meet you. Our Prussian cousins are always most welcome, intoned the 69-year-old queen in a pleasant voice. Christa noticed that the Queen’s greeting brought a scowl to the face of Alexandra, wife to Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. It was not until later that Christa learned that Alexandra, a Danish princess, disliked Prussians intensely due to the Prussian army’s seizure of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein during the war against Denmark in 1864. The conflict had taken place almost a quarter of a century earlier, and Christa was dismayed to discover that hatred could last so long.

Princess Christiana, continued the Queen. I understand that a few years ago you saved my daughter Victoria’s life, is that not so?

Christa’s cheeks reddened and she tried not to feel intimidated as everyone in the main hall stared at her. I would not go so far as to claim I saved the Dowager Empress’ life, Your Majesty. I simply saw a lady in distress and lent what assistance I was able.

A most modest answer for a proud Prussian princess, responded the Queen, glancing up at her assembled family members. Christa quickly looked around and again blushed as the assembled British royals chuckled and grinned in response. She turned back toward the Queen but found the elderly monarch smiling benevolently at her. Christa’s resentment at what she initially perceived to be ridicule evaporated. She smiled back at the Queen and curtsied again in response.

We are most grateful for your bravery and skill, Princess Christiana, continued the Queen, still smiling. Would that all of our children and grandchildren prove themselves so selfless and daring, she added in a louder tone, looking around the room. This admonishment stifled the chuckling from the assembled British royals. Come, child, and sit with us. The Queen motioned to a small, ornate, red velvet chair situated next to her seat. Mossy,

Reviews for Iron Maiden

[Roger Pearce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Captivating ! I really enjoyed this alt-hist. Thank you for such an inspiring and well researched piece of work.