Bring Me Edelweiss (Five Points Stories Book 2)

by Kyle Baxter

  Again, Joel thought Freddie was being naïve. But the prince’s foul mood from the train had evaporated, so Joel pushed his concerns and his desire to protect the man aside. He marveled at this change in his friend. Freddie was happy and smiling and that made Joel happy. The prince’s warm smile was contagious.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A Whole New World

  It was late in the afternoon when they made their way to the outskirts of town in the lower city. Joel found the area grungier and more real. No longer the picture-perfect postcard. When they came up to the doors of a soup kitchen, Joel voiced his surprise. “I thought the standard of living in Etreustein was too high for this.” As he said it, he realized how silly that was. I’m an idiot.

  “There’s always some poverty, some need for this. And when the refugees started coming across Europe, it changed things. It is needed even more now.” Freddie opened the door and led him through a small foyer and into a large open dining room with long family-style aluminum tables and benches. Young women placed flowers on all the tables, brightening the space up. Freddie waved to them and they smiled back. “We’re a very small country and don’t have a lot of industry, not a lot of opportunities, but we do what we can. You want to be involved in your community and I thought . . . Well, I wanted to show you this.”

  “This is amazing, thank you.” Joel was floored. He mentioned charity work once to Freddie and the man immediately thought to bring him here. He is so thoughtful. And more layers.

  They entered the kitchen area in the back, and with a “hallo” to everyone, Freddie waved to a small elderly woman. She squealed in delight and rushed to give him a hug and a kiss on each cheek.

  Beaming, Freddie introduced her. “This is Frau Meike Müller, my aunt.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you.” Joel dipped his head slightly. I’m meeting his family now? Wow. “Should I call you ‘Your Royal Highness’ or—”

  “None of that nonsense.” She waved it off with a gravelly chuckle. “I am no verdammte princess. Here, we just help people.”

  This was something. He looked around the industrial kitchen. Workers were busy prepping the next meal. I work in restaurants. I can do this. “Wonderful, tell us what we can do.” Joel took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

  “Lunch is over, but we have dishes in the back that need washing,” she said in English accented by the Etreustein German dialect. Her finger toyed with the crucifix around her neck as she showed them around.

  They spent the next few hours cleaning the kitchen and helping the staff and volunteers get ready for the dinner shift. Joel was helping Frau Müller fill the warmers with water where the large metal pans with food would go when he glanced up to see Freddie carrying in boxes of donated food and dry goods.

  He jumped a little when he caught the Frau’s sharp eye.

  “He likes you.” She indicated Frederick.

  “He’s a good man.”

  “Yes, he’s been coming here since he was a child,” she said. “With his brother Alois and his sister Astrid. Karl never cared much for this sort of thing.”

  “He’s the oldest brother, right?” Joel asked. As far as he knew, Karl was still MIA. “What do you mean ‘this sort of thing’?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Karl believes in service, but there are many ways of going about it. He believes in reforming the institutions to hopefully make this”—she gestured around—“unnecessary. At least he used to believe that.” Wiping her hands on a cloth, she walked back into the kitchen. Joel followed along. Putting on oven mitts, she took a deep breath, then grabbed a pan of stew. “Frederick was always more hands on, as you American’s say, than the others, even Astrid. Why do you help?”

  Joel picked up his own mitts and grabbed a pan of rice. “What do you mean?”

  “Frederick says you help people.” She looked over her shoulder at him as she walked into the dining room with the tray. “He called me this morning and told me he was bringing you.”

  “He exaggerates,” Joel mumbled, trailing after her to the serving line.

  “If you say so.” She eyed him carefully as she sat the covered pan in the warmer.

  “I heard that his uncle passed away, and as a result, his father became king?”

  “Ah, yes, the family curse.” She waved both hands in the air. Then she crossed herself and sadness passed over her face.

  “I heard intimations. What is that about?” Joel asked.

  “The royal family has always been big on military service. And, well, people die in war. Unfortunately, it’s happened to be the firstborn of the family several times. It is just the luck of the draw. I don’t believe in curses myself.” But Meike fingered her crucifix again anyway and went back into the kitchen. “Frederick’s uncle, my husband, served in Vietnam as a medic with the British, and he died there. Helicopter accident.” She put her oven mitts on and picked up another tray of stew.

  “I did not know that.” He followed, stunned. “I am so sorry.”

  “It was so many years ago, and we were so young. We had no children, so the crown passed to Frederick’s father.” She dropped the tray in the warmer in the dining hall and took off the mitts. “I remarried and dedicated my time to helping people.”

  “So were you the queen?” Joel asked in amazement.

  “No, no, my husband was the crown prince.” She patted his shoulder as she passed by him. “His father hadn’t passed down the throne yet.”

  “I am so sorry,” he repeated, but she only shrugged. Meike was something else. That was a lot. She was a part of the royal family and lost her husband, the crown prince, and now she dedicated her time to helping people? That’s impressive. What would he have done? What would anyone have done? He watched her move around the kitchen in awe.

  “Now, Frederick’s great uncle,” she continued. “He died in World War Two fighting with the Germans. He was also the firstborn, and so it goes, even further back. And that’s why both of Frederick’s older brothers never served. The family wouldn’t let them.”

  “Trying to avoid fate?” Joel asked. That seemed difficult. He didn’t believe in fate per se, but patterns repeated. He saw it in nature, in science, and in history.

  “If such a thing is possible.” She snorted. “Crown Prince Karl is a student of history and world economics. He’s going to help shepherd Etreustein forward. There are so many troubles now with the refugee problems, the decline of American involvement, the exit of the UK from the European Union, and the rise of Russia. The coming century will be challenging for us, for all of us. It would be devastating if something happened to him.”

  Joel looked over to his friend. Freddie laughed and talked with the workers. So at home as one of the guys. But he wasn’t one of the guys; he never would be. Freddie was kind and compassionate, as well as a fighter. Joel admired it, and his chest swelled as he watched him.

  But Joel grew up on the Gulf Coast. He knew hurricanes and the calm before the storm. There was tension in the air. The situation with Freddie’s family—it felt like that.

  Then there was this thing between them. What could they ever have, really? Part of Joel wanted to run away and hide, go back to his family, and ignore all of this, all of his suddenly complicated feelings. Another part of him wanted to hold on tighter, to ride this storm out for all he was worth.

  Freddie looked over and smiled at him. Joel saw the clear affection in his eyes and his heart leaped into his throat. He reciprocated it. He’d do anything he could to help him, to protect him. That’s silly. He’s Special Forces. How can he need my help?

  Joel stood near the prince and put a hand on his shoulder. He gave him his best smile. Freddie reached up and put a hand over Joel’s and returned the smile.

  Later, they were gearing up to serve dinner, gloves on and hairnets comically in place, when Frau Müller rushed over to them in a huff. “There are men with cameras outside. They’re looking for you, Frederick. Something is going on. I put them off, but you sh
ould probably go before they see you.”

  “Shit shit shit,” Joel said. This could not be good. Why were they looking for Freddie?

  “Scheiße,” Freddie cursed and grabbed his hand. “Let’s get out of here.” After snagging their coats off a hook in the kitchen, they ran out the back door and into the alley. They looked toward the street and saw a small crowd.

  “Da sind sie!” someone shouted and several people ran toward them.

  “Follow me!” Freddie ran in the opposite direction.

  At the end of the alley, they climbed over a chain-link fence and ran into the next street. As they ran, they passed through buildings and around obstacles only a native could possibly know about. Joel had trouble keeping up. Freddie ran with purpose. Joel saw a little catch in his friend’s stride like he had injured a leg at some point. But he was happy to trail after him if only for the view of his nice round butt. Focus.

  Freddie clearly knew these streets well, even though he hadn’t been home in months or even years. It might be blind luck, or he simply trusted his Special Forces training to get them out of this. Or maybe it was both.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dancing in the Living Room

  One particular street turned from pavement into cobblestone, and Joel realized he knew where he was. They were back in the tourist area and close to the Sonne Hotel.

  With a yelp, he slipped and pitched forward. Freddie’s strong hands immediately caught him.

  “You okay?” Freddie looked into his eyes.

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  Freddie gave him a pat on the back, and they kept moving. Finally, they ran down a side street and into an abandoned five-story building. Slamming the door behind him, Freddie stopped and put his hands on his hips. Joel’s hands were on his knees and he took deep gulps of air. Looking up, he found such a look of affection on the prince’s handsome face that he couldn’t help but smile back and say, “You are something else.”

  Freddie put his arm on his shoulder and led Joel down the hall to a large freight elevator. It looked derelict, but when Freddie pulled open the large doors, he hit a switch and it started right up. The building wasn’t abandoned; it was all artifice.

  On the top floor, Freddie stepped out and pulled on a decorative horseshoe-shaped lever only a mad scientist could love. Several lights immediately came on, illuminating a large but spartan living space. Hardwood covered the floors, and the little décor lay in the modern industrial vein. Metal pendant lamps hung at regular intervals from a ceiling of exposed pipes and vents. But it was all clean with little to no dust. Clearly someone kept it up regularly.

  Joel walked around and let out a low whistle. “This is nice. What is this?”

  “This is my apartment, you goof.” Freddie took Joel’s jacket and hung it on a hook by the elevator beside his own.

  “You don’t live at the castle?”

  Freddie snickered. “God no, I have rooms there, but I moved over here during my gap year—after prep school and before university.”

  The living area was large but surprisingly warm, plainly well sealed from the elements. Joel stopped in the center of the living area and turned in place, taking everything in. “This is amazing. I love it.”

  “I’m glad.” Freddie stepped down the hall and opened the door to a back room. A large Irish wolfhound rushed out and lumbered over to Joel, immediately sniffing him out. Joel scratched him behind the ears, and with a snuffle, the dog stood on his back legs. Putting his front paws on Joel’s chest, he licked his face.

  “Eeww,” Joel moaned and then laughed. “Good boy.”

  “He likes you.” Freddie watched them with a smile, his hands on his waist. “His name is Kaiser, and he’s six years old.”

  Joel fell back onto the couch. Kaiser climbed into his lap, making Joel let out an “oof.” He asked, “Who looks after him when you’re deployed?”

  “I had him boarded in a kennel in the UK. My handlers shipped him home for me. I came right over to see him the moment I got in.” There was something in the way Freddie said “handlers” that caught Joel’s notice. A touch of resentment?

  “He’s great.” Joel rubbed the bridge of the dog’s snout, right between his eyes. “This is a sweet apartment. I mean, it’s amazing!” The dog settled on the couch beside him. Joel looked up at Freddie watching them. A handsome man who loves dogs? Hngh.

  “Thank you. I cannot take full credit for it. My sister helped furnish and design it.” He walked over to the kitchen area. “Wine?”

  “God, yes please. That’s your older sister, Astrid, right?”

  “Yes, she’s great. You two will get along.” Freddie selected a bottle from a small selection in a wooden rack on the island kitchen cabinet.

  “Well, I’m not likely to meet her.” Joel waved a hand in the air.

  “Oh, no, you’re definitely meeting her.” Freddie walked over with two glasses and a bottle of Pinot Noir. He handed a glass to Joel and then opened the bottle.

  “What was all that about back there?” Joel gestured in the general direction of the soup kitchen, as best as he remembered it. “And why did we run? It seems like being at a soup kitchen would be good for your image.” Unless you don’t want to be seen with me. His stomach twisted.

  “I don’t like ambushes.” Freddie plopped onto the sofa next to him and slid a coaster over for Joel. “My work there is private, but it’s also . . . How do I say this? As you saw in Geneva, the refugee situation is very controversial at the moment. Even here in Etreustein. Some factions do not like us helping refugees at all. They think we should deny them any services.”

  Joel sat his wine on the coffee table. “What do you think?” With a snort, Kaiser got up and walked to his dog bed in the corner.

  Growling, Freddie reached over and put Joel’s glass on a coaster. “I think we shouldn’t let anyone go hungry. Feed them first and decide whether to admit them or not later. But we cannot let people go hungry.” Freddie lay back against his chest, and Joel immediately put his arm around him.

  “I thought maybe you were avoiding them because of me . . .” His voice trailed off. The chance of their ever being together looked more complicated and unlikely every moment. He didn’t want to date a royal. The prospect of always being chased by paparazzi was daunting.

  Get a grip. See where this goes before you make life decisions.

  “No, it was not because of you.” Freddie reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m not really out, as they say, but I’m not ashamed or anything. I kept that intel on a need-to-know basis in the service. And now, I want to be the one to make the decision on how I come out publicly, not have the media do it for me. I know how they can be. They hound people, and I don’t want that to happen to you.”

  “That leaves the question, why were they there?”

  Freddie’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know. They usually leave me alone.” He leaned back against him, and Joel felt the prince’s body relax. “Let’s worry about it later. I just want this moment right here. Whatever it is, there’s not much I can do about it tonight.”

  Again, Freddie’s naïveté surprised him. This would not be the man’s life for long. What little he knew about royals suggested they were always on. Life in the military was not the same as civilian life, much less life as a royal. Joel feared his friend had a rude awakening coming.

  Joel’s phone picked that moment to go off. Freddie recognized the tone and groaned. Seth. Joel declined the call and set the phone aside.

  Freddie sat up. “Can I ask you a question? Are you really over him?”

  “Yeah, I am.” Joel rubbed his back. “I really am.”

  “Good. Now, take your phone and change that ringtone,” the prince demanded. Joel gave him a questioning eye, and Freddie asked softly, “Just do it. Please?”

  Joel hesitated. Wow, am I doing this? He looked into Freddie’s deep eyes. Yeah, I am. It’s long past time, anyway. He scrolled down the contact file for Seth and reset the ringt
one to default. Then he wagged his phone. “It’s done. Happy?”

  “Very,” Freddie said softly, taking his hand and squeezing it. “I know that was a big deal.” He laid his head against Joel’s for a moment. “Thank you.” Then he picked up his remote, waved it, and turned on his entertainment system. “Now, connect your phone to my stereo through Bluetooth.”

  “Okay . . .” Joel’s hands flew over his phone. What . . . ?

  Freddie looked at him and smiled. “Now play that song, your song, ‘10,000 Hours.’”

  “But . . . ?”

  “Do it. Please?” Freddie asked.

  Joel let out a puff of air but did as the prince asked. As the opening chords started, Freddie stood up and carefully pushed his coffee table away. Using the remote again, he dimmed the lights. Staring down at Joel, he held out his hand. “Come on.”

  Getting to his feet, Joel was immediately pulled into an embrace. Freddie took his hands and made small steps, leading him, swaying with him, moving to the music. Slow dancing to that song. Freddie laid his head on Joel’s shoulder as he laid his own against the prince’s head. Joel smelled the product in Frederick’s red hair and the natural musk that was all him. Nice and simple and good. This was everything, being here with Freddie.

  The song ended and it wasn’t Seth’s anymore; it belonged to Joel again.

  As his Romantic Songs playlist shuffled, they kept moving together. Freddie looked up; their lips hovered near each other. So close. The prince pulled Joel down to him and their lips met, tentative and longing.

  Joel could taste the wine they drank as he nipped and bit and licked at Freddie’s lips, his perfect mouth. And then Freddie’s tongue was in his mouth. Joel heard a moan but wasn’t sure if it was him or the prince. His heart beat faster and faster. Joel was lightheaded, and tremors ran down his body to his toes. For a brief moment, only the two of them existed in the entire world.