“Expected?” He thought about this for a second before answering. “Well, as a member of the royal family, you probably are expected. But that doesn’t mean you have to go.”
“My father isn’t going.”
“No, I would think not.”
“Who does attend this kind of party?”
“Some dignitaries, people of influence. The queen makes the guest list.”
Adelaide nodded. “Right. And they wear costumes?”
“Of a sort. Some wear furry headdresses with horns. Some go all out with devil costumes, forks and tails, you know. Most just don extravagant or provocative evening wear.”
“Do you go?”
“I’ve gone in the past. But it’s not really my cup of tea.”
“Do you think I should go?” she asked.
He rubbed his chin as they waited at the intersection for a bus to pass by. “Well, that depends. If you plan to stay on here, I guess it could be, uh, educational. Otherwise, I’d suggest you steer clear of it.”
“If I did decide to go, would you consider being my escort?” She felt a rush of nerves as she braced herself for his answer.
“Sure.” He brightened and, taking her arm, scooted them across the street before the next vehicle came. Soon they were seated by a fireplace in what looked like an old-fashioned German pub. As they dined on eggs and sausages, she asked what he would suggest she wear for the party.
“I don’t want to wear a costume,” she told him, “but I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb either.”
“Like a sore thumb?” He laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I guess it’s American slang.” She shrugged. “But I wonder what I could wear to help me to fit in. Nothing scandalous, of course, but—”
“Sounds like you need to visit Stilvoll again.”
“The women’s dress shop?”
“Yes.” He checked his watch. “Most shops open at nine during Christmas season. I’ll venture Stilvoll will open soon.”
After breakfast, Anton walked her down to the dress shop where, once again, Frieda helped Adelaide pick out a dress that was appropriate for her royal event. The ruby red satin gown with its slightly plunging neckline wasn’t something she would’ve worn normally, but for tonight’s party, Frieda assured Adelaide, it would be considered conservative. Agreeing to a slight alteration, Frieda promised to have it delivered to the palace by five, and Adelaide, with Anton carrying the bag that contained a pair of pretty red shoes, made it back to the palace before noon.
“Thank you.” She took the bag from him. “I guess I’ll see you tonight at seven?”
“I’m actually looking forward to it now.” He tipped his head. “See you then.”
After Adelaide put her shoes away, she sat down to read a bit more from the history book. Her appointment with her father wasn’t until two, but by one thirty, she felt hungry. Thinking she’d fix them a small tea tray, Adelaide let herself into the royal family kitchen. The king had assured her that she could use it as needed, but she still felt a bit like an interloper as she heated a kettle and laid a few snacks out on a serving tray. Fortunately, the royal quarters, as usual, were not occupied. By now, Adelaide knew the queen had a schedule that kept her away quite a bit during the day. What she did was a mystery, but it did make it easier for Adelaide to come and go.
The kettle had just boiled when Adelaide heard a cell phone ringing from the dining room. Thinking it was probably Georg, possibly looking for her, Adelaide turned off the flame and tried to be silent so he wouldn’t notice her and would soon go. But a woman’s voice answered with a brusque “Hallo?” Then, speaking in German, the woman’s tone became vexed. Adelaide recognized the queen’s voice and could translate some of the words. Not enough to make complete sense, but enough to feel serious concern. What was going on?
Using the notepad on her own phone, Adelaide made skeletal notes of the conversation, including some phonetic spellings of German words she didn’t know and names that seemed of interest. She heard the queen’s abrupt “adieu” and the sound of heels echoing through the dining room followed by the firm shut of the door. Adelaide let out a deep breath. Something about that conversation felt very suspicious and, although she was tempted to discuss it with the king, she worried that it might prove stressful for him.
She shot a text message to Anton, explaining she hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but had been trapped in the kitchen and now felt certain that something was amiss with the queen. She told him how she’d made notes about the conversation, and he asked her to send them. After she did so, she noticed the time and hurried to get the tea tray ready. Sending one last text, she told Anton she needed to meet with her father but hoped they could talk afterward. He promised to be at the palace waiting for her.
With an expression of nonchalance on her face, in case the queen was still about, Adelaide carried the tray through the living room and directly into the king’s private quarters, where she was greeted by Herr Schneider.
“The king is eager to see you,” he said quietly, “but your visit must be short. The physician comes again at three.”
She tightened her grip on the tea tray. “Is anything wrong?”
“Nothing to concern you.” His expression was impossible to read, but for some reason, she questioned his words. Something seemed to be troubling him. Still, she kept her doubts to herself and smiled brightly as she carried the tray to the king, then waited as Herr Schneider set up a table for the two of them.
Hoping the king didn’t suspect anything out of the ordinary, she talked about the history she’d read and informed him she planned to attend the Krampus party tonight. “It’s not so much that I want to go, but Anton suggested I should . . . just to see and understand what it’s all about.”
King Max nodded. “That is wise. This party is not a tradition I enjoy, but I have allowed the queen to do as she liked with it these last few years. She felt the celebration was important. I am not so sure. I will be very interested in your opinion.” He frowned slightly. “But do be careful, mein lieber. Sometimes I believe unscrupulous people take advantage of the merriments.”
“Anton will be my escort.”
He smiled. “You are in good hands then.”
They visited until the physician arrived again. After apologizing to Adelaide, he explained the need for new blood tests.
“And I thought bloodletting went out in the 1800s,” the king teased.
Adelaide laughed, promising to give her father the full report of tonight’s party tomorrow. He reminded her again to be careful.
She’d barely left the king’s quarters when Anton met her in the hall. “Albert is downstairs. He wants you to tell us everything you overheard earlier.” His words were hushed, and he glanced over his shoulder as he said them. “I’ll take you to him.”
In one of the Parliament offices, the three of them sat down behind closed doors. Anton made notes on a legal pad as Albert questioned Adelaide regarding the queen’s phone conversation. With her phone’s notes pulled up, Adelaide tried to replay all that she could recall.
“You think she was speaking to a man named Steffen, and you heard her mention Farcus?”