Through Blood

Chapter 1: Death

Antoine's wishes had been to be buried in his hometown of Haguenau; thus, her family and she traveled to another country for the first time in her life. She had dreamed of visiting France someday, never imagining that it would be under those circumstances. Yet Haguenau was not much different from any German town Ivy had seen. The houses and people all looked the same, even the town's church looked like Berlin's or Kiel's churches. But the people weren't German and they made that very clear. Ivy once thought that Berlin had too many German flags hanging everywhere, especially during the Olympics, but the people of Haguenau truly were proud of being French. French flags hung from shops and houses, it was rather pretty.

Red, white, and blue decorated the buildings wherever she looked. Oddly enough, most shop signs were in German, sometimes mixed with French, and the streets all had German names. That's what she had been able to notice on the car ride to the cemetery. She hadn't seen much of the town because they never stopped the car.  Ivy, the twins, her father, mother, and grandmother had taken a train to Baden-Baden and from there drove straight to Haguenau's church and cemetery. Antoine's body had been taken there in advance. They still hadn't been able to communicate with Kristian, and were all beginning to really worry. Ivy was also worried about Uli, she had no way of knowing whether he was well or not until it was time for him to return from the fight in Poland. Nobody knew when that would be.

As a general of the SS, Peter, Ivy's father, was obliged to wear his uniform in public at all times now that they were in a state of war. Getting through the French guards at the border had been truly unpleasant. They made them wait three hours and Ivy suspected they did that for the fun of it. The guards' dislike for Peter had been apparent, but Peter kept his temper under control and simply sat in the front passenger seat, frowning. Ivy just sat in the back, staring out the window. It all looked the same. The land was the same, no matter what side she looked at. Lots of forests and occasionally some troops that looked like they were camping. There was no difference between Germany and France from what she could see, there were no borders, but politics dictated otherwise. This would be France's third major war with Germany in the last 70 years alone.

The funeral had also been unpleasant, not only because it was a funeral, but because Antoine's friends attended it to pay their respects. They were veterans from The Great War just like he had been, they had fought alongside him in the trenches, and since the funeral was a proper military funeral, they wore their uniforms proudly. The French veterans glared at Peter as though they wished it was him under the earth and not Antoine. They probably did.

Peter didn't care, the war hadn't really begun yet, it was only days old and although it was official, the French and British were being very cautious. They had taken up a defensive position along the border, ready to take on a German invasion, yet they were the ones that could have easily invaded. Most of Germany's forces were still fighting in Poland, and the entire southwestern part of the country was practically defenseless. Yet the French held back, most of their generals were survivors of the bloody and cruel Great War, they didn't want to see any more bloodshed. Not a shot had been fired yet, but Peter did see that the army formations along the French border outnumbered the German formations by more than four to one.

Ivy truly did not want a war, although she felt curious and intrigued by the idea of it. She wondered what it was like to live through a war. Her curiosity had wandered on the edge of excitement, but that was before hearing that the news of war alone had taken her grandfather's life. Heidi laid the last rose on the pile of wet roses scattered over the tomb. The priest concluded the ceremony and said something in French which Ivy assumed had been a farewell to all present. He then went inside the church that was next to the cemetery.

"Come on, let's get back to the car. We're only staying in a hotel once we are in Baden-Baden again, God forbid we get trapped on this side of the border," Simone said. The clouds dispersed and the rain ceased. Peter walked ahead to speak with an SS officer who was also their driver for the long journey.

"Actually, darling, there is something I must tell you. I might as well tell you all now," Gerda said as they walked towards the car. She held her son's hand, Ivy could tell she had missed him a lot. It was mystery to her why her uncle, Antoine, whom she had just met for the first time ever, had never visited them in Germany. Ivy knew that her mother didn't get along with him, but she also knew that her grandparents loved him dearly. Yet he never bothered to visit them, or to meet his niece and nephew.

"I'm not going back, I'm staying here," Gerda said.
"What? What do you mean not going back?" Simone asked.
"I'm staying here in France. I'm going to return to Paris, spend some time with  young Antoine, and just... Paris is so lovely, it's what I need right now," Gerda replied.

"Mother! Antoine hasn't cared about us in how many years now? I can barely call him my brother, you really want to risk your safety in this country just to be with him?" Simone was outraged.

"You know, my German is not good but I can understand you, and I am right here," Uncle Antoine spoke for the first time.
"I am as safe in Paris as I am in Berlin, Simone, and now is not the time for you to question your brother's actions. We are all guilty of imperfect behaviour, but it's never too late to change," Gerda said.

"Do as you wish, Mother, but he has been a terrible son and brother for the past two decades, and I will not forgive that," Simone glared at her brother.

Antoine replied to her insults in French, with what must have been more insults, and they began arguing in two different languages. Gerda put up her hand to silence them both. "Enough, s'il vous plaît. Remember where you are standing! Let's all say goodbye for now, oui?" she hugged Simone.

When she hugged Ivy, she told her "Take care of yourself, my darling, I love you so much."
"Do you really have to go, Oma?" Ivy asked. She would miss her grandmother now more than ever, but Ivy understood that she needed to get away.
"Yes, love. You are welcome to come with us if you like," Gerda said.
"Absolutely not!" Simone interrupted.
"I would love to come with you, Oma, but I can't. I have Heidi and Trudi to care for and my place is in Berlin, where Uli will soon return," Ivy hugged her once more.

Gerda told them to bid Peter farewell in her stead. Antoine turned to Ivy and said "Mademoiselle," as he quickly bowed his head. They then headed for his car.

"I don't want to head back today, it's getting late and soon it will be dark. The border is extremely dangerous right now. Hofmann over here tells me that he spoke with the Reichstag and we should be okay to cross back, but it's best to wait until the morning. We should stay at your parent's cottage, do you have the keys?" Peter asked Simone.

"I do have the keys but I don't want to stay here tonight, the sooner we get back the better. What if a battle breaks out in the morning?" Simone asked him.
"It won't," he replied.
"How can you know?"
"Woman, I'm one of the Führer's advising generals," Peter told her.

"Nobody knows what goes on in the Führer's head. Also, the French might decide to attack first, and the Reichstag has no way of knowing that. I say we should go back," Simone protested.

"I think I would know if we were planning an attack on this fucking land. The French are too scared of us to strike first, so they won't. Now give me those keys. We are spending the night here and you are not questioning my authority as husband or General ever again," Peter was livid.

Ivy had never seen him so angry with her mother. He was changing. Things were changing.

She led the twins back to the car, Heidi held her right hand and Trudi her left. They looked incredibly adorable dressed in all black, and despite the horrible day Ivy was having, they always managed to make her smile. Follow your heart... My heart tells me that I love these little girls as if they were my own, and I love Ulrich. But I have a feeling Opa's death is only the beginning. Where do I follow my heart? How can I follow it if it doesn't know where to go?