The adventures of Prinz Eugen and the young engineer Volume 1.

No. 4 Chapter 2

"Third times the charm". Thought the young engineer, sitting on one of the rattan chairs waiting for Prinz Eugen to finish changing in the bathroom. He stood up and pulled his tuxedo into place before continuing to the large mirror next to the exit door to the room. His anthracite colored tweed suit still fit him well. He remembered the last time he wore it at the funeral of his parents. He discarded that thought and focused on tying his wine red bowtie. While he tugged it into the right position he asked through the closed bathroom door: "Are you ready yet? You would not want to come too late." He reminded her. Muffled through the door came an answer to him. "Don't forget, coming a bit too late is fashionable. But you can continue down into the lobby and wait there if you get bored or are afraid to arrive too late." She invited him. Taking her up on the offer, he left the room and walked down the stairs from the first floor to the stairs. The celebrations and opening of the ceremony were supposed to start at 8 pm at the Süderschanzen Memorial in the park right north of the hotel. Looking through the windows outside the young engineer could see huge tents in the park around the memorial. Everywhere there were extra lamps placed as well as standing tables and speakers. All together the arrangements were big enough for about 500 people, the young engineer guessed. Turning around he saw many other people dressed in their dress uniforms or dresses. Mostly it seemed to be other naval officers with their companions and wifes. A slight smile crept up on the young engineer's face when he saw a couple of staff officers in their 50s with girls about his age. His cynical mind asked the question how many of them had brought a companion for hire or their daughter with them. Discarding that thought he focused back on the officers themselves. The lowest rank he had seen so far were two men in their mid 30s who had the rank of Korvettenkapitän der Verwaltung (Lieutenant-Commander Staff and Administration department) on their sleeves and epaulettes. The highest rank he had seen so far was that of an Admiral. He felt completely wrong in this place and was somewhat glad that he had chosen his tuxedo instead of his dress uniform. He was not ashamed of his rank, position and work. But he knew that the engineers were looked down upon and he did not want to get into more social blunders than he will most likely end up in anyways. A more discreet appearance was therefore beneficial and he was glad to have thought about it before arriving here. It would also spare Prinz Eugen the direct involvement and odd comment about bringing her subordinate as her accompaniment. Sitting down in one of the chairs in the lobby he waited for the cruiser to come down from their room.

Meanwhile he watched with curiosity how many waiters and waitresses were already out and about serving sparkling wine and champagne to the attending guests. What fascinated him even more was how rapid the trays they carried emptied. His observations were interrupted by a polite cough. "I am ready." Interrupted him Prinz Eugen and brought the young engineers attention to her. The young engineer was baffled by the sight. The cruiser wore a black dress made out of balck velvet strips and translucent nylon and silk. The upper part of the dress only covered her front and hips while her back and shoulders were bare. Her arms were partially covered by short sleeves that left her shoulders free. The fabric around her neck was frilled and embroidered, the closed neck of her dress connecting the front with the straps holding the sleeves and the body covering part of her dress together. Around her neck she still had her knights cross hanging ornamenting her neck and collarbones. The tails of said dress covered her bottom from the waist onwards and showed off her long legs. On her thighs she wore a form of decorative suspender belts but no socks. Her hands were covered in black silk gloves with see through silk cuffs. She kept her hair the same way as usual but had replaced the rubber bands with ribbons in the same color as the ribbon of the Iron Cross. On top of the ribbon knots she had placed a miniature pin of said cross. Normally this version was worn on the chest of an earner of said decoration, when wearing civilian clothes. The rest of her black dress was accentuated by the use of metal and bronze clasps and decorations. The biggest eyecatcher was what looked like a navigational divider below her chest, to which a stylized trident head in gold was fixed with three small silver chains attached to it. These reached down to each of her suspenders and the middle one to the front piece of her dress covering the front between her legs. To that she wore open high heels with decorated heels and red accents around the sole.