Chapter 9

The women’s locker room was pretty much empty when Helga arrived to take a shower after a hard days work.  She found her locker and opened it to find her towel, soap and shampoo.  After stripping off the last of her clothing, she gathered the items and headed to the nearest shower when she heard to familiar voices talking in the shower room.  After entering the shower room, she saw that it was both Hilda and Sheila taking a shower in two separate stalls.

“You really rode him like a horse didn’t you?” Hilda asked as she rubbed soap on her face.  “Oh yeah honey, Hans Bruckner ain’t no bum that’s all talk and no show, he’s as real man” she said as she began running her fingers through her hair to make sure she got every fiber of her hair wet.  “And here I thought you didn’t like most men” Helga said as she entered a stall next to Sheila.

“How’s it going Helga?” Sheila said pleasantly.  “I’m doing fine, I guess” Helga responded plainly.  “Honey, don’t lie to me, I’ve known you five years and yet when you say your fine, sometimes you ain’t” Sheila responded as she applied the shampoo to her hair.  Helga wanted to protest Sheila poking around her personal business, but Helga figured that Sheila wouldn’t drop it until said otherwise.

“It’s Heinrich again” she sighed as she turned on the shower.  “Here I thought you kissed and made up back at Greydorf” Sheila said as she began washing her hair in the shower.  “He’s still justified his reason for breaking off his marriage to me.  I know that what his older brother did was criminal and that it ruined his family’s reputation, but he still couldn’t find the time for me” Helga finished as she applied the soap to herself.

“If he came from a notable family that had its reputation tarnished, then it would make sense why he wouldn’t want to marry you” Hilda added.  “Then what would people think of your family, marrying into a family that committed a dishonorable act would make your family look bad” she then said as she then stepped out of the shower naked before she wrapped a towel  around her.

“That’s not it” Helga spat back at Hilda, remaining unfazed by Helga’s words.  “Then what is it sweetie?” Sheila added as she also stepped out of the shower stall, wrapping a towel around her and ringing out her hair.  “It’s the very thought of Heinrich getting killed in battle” she said sadly.  Hilda and Sheila looked at her for a moment before she continued “I had always loved Heinrich and I still do, but the thought of me becoming a widow with or without children was too painful to think about” she said as she began to start crying. 

“I can’t stand the fact of having to see the ones I know and love die in battle.  My uncle died in the same conflict with the corrupt Polish nobleman that Ulrich was sent to fight against as well” she said falling onto the hard, wet floor crying with her hands over her eyes. “It sounds more like it’s your fault rather than his for not getting married” Hilda added in, Sheila gave a nasty stare and was about to go up to her and slap her, when Helga motioned for her “No, she’s right Sheila, it is my fault” she said as she began sobbing harder.

“Then there was the German Wars of Unification” she said as she was sobbing “My brother died fighting the Austrian’s after he suffered a several fracture in his skull” she continued sobbing on the wet floor. Sheila went up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.  “I know how you feel honey; I lost my father when he was fighting the Union forces at Gettysburg” she then looked to Hilda “and Hilda’s father died from an illness during the Crimean War.  We’ve all lost someone, but what matters is we still love them for they are and what they did.  It’s heartbreaking to know that they have died or that they may die, but as long as they exist in our hearts and memories, that’s all it matters.  Get what I’m saying sweetie?” Sheila asked sympathetically.

Helga sniffed “I guess so” she said as she looked up to Sheila.  Sheila smiled “That’s the spirit hon, now get yourself cleaned up for tonight, our men want us smelling and looking our finest when we show up for dinner tonight.”  Helga nodded and stood back up to continue taking her shower, when a thought crossed her mind.  “Wait, you mean Hilda’s got a man now?” She asked surprisingly.  Sheila looked back with a grin as Hilda was blushing with a smile “She will when tonight is through.  She’s attracted to that Corporal Wolfgang fella and she needs help getting with him, so I’d figure I show her a few pointers that’ll help her develop a relationship with him” Sheila maintained her grin as she and Hilda went back to their lockers to change.

When they were gone once again leaned against the wall, falling to the floor as she began to cry again.  “Oh Heinrich, how could I thrown away my love for you like that?  I hope you forgive me.”

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After getting the troops set up in the barracks, Heinrich wanted to be shown to his quarters.  It had been a long tiring day for him, with the train ride, the tour of the place and the horrible intentions of the Blood Knights.  “What sort of God could create a man capable of such a thing?” Heinrich said to himself “or is it not the work of God, but the warped minds of power hungry individuals who want nothing more than world domination?”  Heinrich continued to maintain such thoughts despite his fatigue, as he was shown to his room by the trooper.  “Here’s your room Herr Captain” the man said as he opened the door.  The room was very Spartan looking, double bed with pillows and blanket, chest of drawers, coat rack with the dress uniform the General said would be there, bathtub with facet and wash basin with mirror, wash clothes and soap.

Heinrich could have cared less what the room looked like, as long as there was a bed he could collapse in.  The trooper set his stuff down at the foot of the bed.  “Dinner is a six sir, any particular time you wish to wake up?” the trooper asked.  “Wake me up at five, I’d take a bath now if I wasn’t so fucking tired, so I’ll take one then” Heinrich just as he had to suppress the urge to yawn.  “Very well sir, I return at five then” he said saluting as he closed the door on his way out.

Heinrich then began taking off his combat outfit, then his pants and finally his dress shirt underneath leaving him in nothing but his boxers as he collapsed into bed face down on his pillow, he then looked up at the brick and wood ceiling until he could keep his eyes open no more and fell into a deep sleep.

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“Do you think they suspect anything?” Wulfcastle asked the general.  The general shook his head “I doubt it very much, Heinrich is a bright lad, but he didn’t seem to notice anything that indicated your families dark history” the general said as he lit a cigar.  General von Krieger was sharing Baron Wulfcastle’s room in the private quarters reserved only for themselves.  ‘Then why don’t you tell him and the rest of the newcomers” a cold voice rang out.  The general and lord Wulfcastle didn’t seem surprised by the shadowy figure that emerged from the corner of the chambers.  It was Kurt.

“Damnit Kurt, you know I’ve told you not to come in here when I am meeting with his lordship, especially like this, so mind your own business” von Krieger snarled.  “If lives are going to be sacrificed because of the lordship’s dark history of his family, then I will make it my business” Kurt replied coldly.  “You know why we can’t tell them” Wulfcastle added in sternly “At least not yet” he then finished.  “If the new recruits are told too soon, they will began to then question my motives even my loyalty to Prussia and humanity” he added in marinating his stern voice and facial expression.

Kurt seemed somewhat convinced but not entirely.  “I won’t be joining any of you for tonight’s dinner, I want to check in with the local townsfolk and see if anyone suspicious has shown up” he said maintaining a poker face.  “I just hope that by the time you do get around to telling him and the rest of the recruits, it won’t be too late” he finished with venom in voice as he opened a window and began climbing down the side of the castle wall.

When he was gone, the general closed the window while maintaining a grim look on his face “He right you know” the General began “You have to be honest with the troops someday, even the townsfolk as well.”  Wulfcastle developed a look of shame on his face “You know I want to General, but I fear what would happen if the truth ever came out.”  The general maintained the grim look on his face “The truth always comes out, old friend.  No one has to like it, but it can’t be helped.  You have the love of the people around here and they may question your family’s history, but they would not easily betray you.”

Wulfcastle blinked as the general said that “Besides” von Krieger continued “You done many things for the people, for Prussia and even humanity, even if you have a small black mark on your family name, few people would hold it against you” the general concluded. “You may be right” Wulfcastle said plainly “For I have done nothing but good for humanity and have wanted to ever since” Wulfcastle shuddered as he was about to say the next words “ever since I learned of the Great Expulsion” he said as there was a trace of bitterness in his voice. 

The general nodded in agreement.  He also knew of the Great Expulsion ever since he had been assigned to Baron von Wulfcastle’s organization.  “Anyway” he then began to sound more optimistic “For now I think we should put aside such thoughts and look forward to tonight’s dinner, what do you say General?” Wulfcastle began smiling.  Von Krieger began to smile to “I couldn’t agree with you more” as he and Wulfcastle hugged each other in friendship.