The Vienna Game

[Traudel Habermeyer]

Once more Traudel found herself en route to a meeting with a significant figure in Rheinland. First Großadmiral von Thielau, now a part of the Kaiser's family summoned her. Naturally nervosity and tension was at an all time high, expressed by constantly fidgeting with an old fashioned locket. The image contained within modelled on archaic pictures of times neither Traudel nor her own family ever really knew, but clearly favored. A vintage or even antiquated style some might say, depicting a much more modern object - an Oder-class gunboat. Opening and closing it while bright blue eyes stared holes in the floor of the shuttle she had boarded earlier. The flight was almost over, time of idling and potentially panicking nearing its end. Shaky, gloved hands almost drop it as the shuttle lands. One last time its clasp makes a snapping sound, then the locked vanishes inside one of the dress uniform's breast pockets.

"This is it. Landfall. Links, zwo, drei, vier!" Thoughts are silenced, a mind put at ease by being tricked. With almost robotic movements Traudel gets up and leaves the shuttle, one short look around - then polished boots carry Oberleutnant Habermeyer over to Wolf. Simple and straight forward information as well direction, easy to work with. A nod is all that follows, as the man already turned. Prompting her to follow, presence of guards unexpectedly assisting in the literal mind game she successfully played with herself. Echoing footsteps a reminder to not think. To follow the rythm. "... zwo, drei, vier!" Only after the small group entered the palace, passed busts and paintings of Rheinland's leading figures, the gravity of it all began to sink in. Traudel was here. Here. And not just to guard the entrance. No, she had to walk inside. And the door had just been opened. Ever the good soldier, Traudel does as instructed. Eyes quickly scanning the room she found herself in. Layout, choice of colors and furniture, some of the papers on the desk... and then the balcony. The second her mind had managed to process the fact someone was in here with her, her posture automatically adjusted itself. The few steps needed to reach the table out on the balcony, nothing in comparison to all the ones taken before, ironically appeared never ending.

Having reached her destination, close but not too close to the man sitting at the table, not a single word was uttered. Neutral expression, blank. Clicking her heels, Oberleutnant Habermeyer remains at attention. Watching the rays of sunshine simply due to facing that way.
Oh how free the birds were out there...