Page 33 of The Last Kingdom

STEFAN GREETED HIS GUESTS.

The two had traveled from Berlin and busied themselves in Munich all day, giving him time to do what he’d planned. Of course, that had not gone well.

“Guten abend.Bitte,come in,” he said, keeping his voice jovial.

Julia Maas served as the federal minister for Special Affairs, a title bestowed to the chief of staff for the German Chancellery, a position that provided her both a vote and a voice in cabinet meetings. The current chancellor had come to power through a hastily arranged coalition, one Maas had personally orchestrated. She was here on behalf of the chancellor, as his personal envoy. Peter Scholtz was the current president of the Bundestag, charged with overseeing the federal parliament. He, too, had helped pull together the working coalition. Per the German constitution, the chancellor was selected by the Bundestag, so the current holder of the office also owed his post to Scholtz.

Talk about bought and paid for.

“There is food and drink there on the cart,” he said, motioning. “Please help yourselves.”

Neither accepted his offer and both sat. Apparently, they wanted to get down to business. Fine. So did he. But first he poured himself a drink.

“Has your day been productive?” Maas asked.

“Absolutely,” he said. “We continue to move forward.”

“What happened?” Scholtz asked.

He could not tell these two the whole truth. “It went as expected, and my expert is currently examining what we found at Herrenchiemsee. Hopefully, it will lead the way.”

Scholtz chuckled. “And I thought I was obtuse. What does that mean? What ofdas letzte königreich? Is the last kingdom real? Or just another Wittelsbach myth associated with Mad King Ludwig.”

He allowed the insult of his ancestor to pass. “That remains to be seen. But we found the book exactly where I thought it to be hidden. Now we have to study what we acquired today. But, yes, to answer your question, it seems thatdas letzte königreichis real.”

He was posturing, buying time.

But his ancestors had not made this easy.

Luitpold Karl Joseph Wilhelm Ludwig served as prince regent of Bavaria, the de facto ruler, from the removal of Ludwig II in 1886 to Luitpold’s death in 1912. Initially, many accused him of the murder of his nephew. But, over the course of his twenty-six-year regency, he overcame by modesty and ability all of that initial uneasiness and became quite popular. Ever so slowly he transferred Bavarian interests into those of the German Empire and pointed the country toward parliamentary rule. He’d also transformed Munich into a cultural center. His legacy remained in the many streets, towns, and institutions named after him. Even a pastry, theprinzregententorte, a multi-layered cake with chocolate buttercream, had been created in his honor.

“Luitpold may have left us a true gift,” he said. “Not so much one at the time of his death in 1912. But one much more important now.”

“You still have not fully answered the question,” Scholtz said. “Where do we stand?”

He caught the hint of irritation in the man’s voice. True, the day had not turned out as planned, and normally, he’d hold things close. But he also had to keep these two powerful politicians satisfied. Without them, nothing would happen. So he told them what he definitely knew.

“Luitpold used the desk, on display at Herrenchiemsee, for many years. It has long been known within our family that he may have also used it as a secret repository. My father hinted to that many times. I now know that information to be correct. The book was there.”

He paused a moment and sipped his drink.

“Luitpold spent his life protecting both Ludwig and Otto. He felt it his duty as their uncle. Otto was certified insane and institutionalized, though he was officially king for twenty-six years after Ludwig II died. To his credit, Luitpold never allowed the people to forget King Otto. He did the same for Ludwig. He was the one who opened Herrenchiemsee, Neuschwanstein, and Linderhof for public tours, allowing the people to see what Ludwig II had created. That shows respect. So it is logical to assume that he may have preserved what Ludwig had wanted most.”

“Das letzte königreich?”

He nodded. “And we now have what the regent left behind.”

“Which is?” Maas asked.

He waved off the inquiry. “I prefer to hold those details to myself. After all, this is a Bavarian endeavor.”

Maas shook her head. “Hardly. We are in this together, as is the chancellor. We all have vested interests here. And they all turn on the success of whatever it isyouare doing.”

“I am solving a mystery that is a hundred and thirty-five years old,” he said. “A mystery that has been a part of my family since the death of Ludwig II, which happened right out there”—he motioned to the window—“on the Starnberger See. This is not something easily accomplished. There are obstacles, placed there intentionally. But I shall get by them.”

“Do you really think the people here want to be separate from Germany?”

He did. With all his heart.