Bastian
Chapter Side Story 7 - When the Period is Over

✧When the Period is Over✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The lighter clicked to life in the silence of the office. Bastian held the receiver against his cheek with his shoulder as he lit another cigarette. Admiral Ryan was still deep in his monologue and showed no signs of stopping, not even for a breath.          

‘[I’ll be waiting for your response, Admiral Klauswitz, I hope it will be a positive one. I hope I can express enough the fact’ he droned on into the twentieth minute.…so I would appreciate it if you got back to me as soon as possible.] Admiral Ryan said. Finally, he was finished.

   “Yes, Admiral, you have nothing to worry about,” Bastian said and returned the phone to its hook.

As he drew closer to the window, the weak winter sun pierced through the slats and danced across his face.  Bastian blew a plume of smoke at the ceiling. This was already his second cigarette since the phone call and Bastian was starting to worry that he was going to run out before the conversation was finished. He looked down at the nearly empty cigar box, one left. Three a day was nowhere near enough and he was regretting the self imposed limit.

Ever since his days of rehabilitation on the quiet Trosa Islands, he had developed a habit of insulation. At first, he struggled with withdrawal symptoms, but now, one cigarette in the morning and one in the evening was enough to satisfy him. However, today was an anomaly as the two cigarettes ran out before sunset. It was strange for him to finish them so quickly.

   Bastian smoked the cigarette down as low as he dared, savouring every lung full until it was finished, then stubbed it out. He looked out the window at the frost covered fields. The frozen stream had become an ice rink, bustling with villagers, their joy only just reaching him. Beyond that, the houses were all decorated for Christmas.  The winter landscape came alive with vibrant decorations and prismatic glass adornments scattered on fences and gables.

   The last days of the honeymoon were upon them. Once Odette’s birthday was done and the new year passed, they would be returning to Ardenne. The whole period had passed like some kind of dream and they were ready to get on with the next chapter of their life together.

From the square beyond the village the church bells rang out for evening prayer.

Bastian took a drag from his cigarette and brushed off the accumulating ash. As he settled back at his desk and opened his documents, there was a faint knock on his door. 

   “The guests have gone,” Odette said, poking her head round the door. 

   “Ah, if I had known she was leaving, I would have come down,” Bastian said, putting out the half-remaining cigarette without hesitation. 

   “Nine didn’t want to drag you from your work, she is a considerate lady.” Odette sauntered over to his desk, and her gaze fixated on the ornate cigar box perched atop it. 

“Nina?” Bastian asked, lifting the lid of the box and quickly shutting it again.

   “Yes, that’s her name. Now that we’re friends, we’re going to call each other’s names.” Odette smiled and took his hand. Bastian, who was able to roughly guess what happened downstairs, tightened his grip on her hand.

   “What are these?” she said, noticing a pile of letters on Bastian’s desk. A bundle of letters, bound tightly with strings, sat upon the desk. It seemed to have been delivered by an attendant who came to drop off his company’s work data just yesterday.

Bastian calmly placed the letter in the desk drawer “It’s a letter of honor.” He explained.

“From the Navy?”

“Yes, Hans had stopped by the Admiralty to pick it up for him.”

“Why did they send your New Year’s card to the Navy…?”

“It’s a tradition for families of fallen sailors to send New Year’s cards. They don’t have my address, so I assume that’s why they sent it to the Navy for now.” Bastian closed the drawer with a faint smile on his face.

Bastian’s letter to honour his fallen comrade became a story that moved the Berg navy.Though Bastian remained silent, word of the letter spread through the bereaved families reporting it to the Navy Ministry and newspapers.

   Odette knew that Bastian had been writing letters to all the families that had lost their loved ones aboard the HMS Rayvaell while rehabilitating on Trosa island. A pang of sympathy struck Odette’s heart, to think that he would have to relieve that nightmare every year. Such a painful task.  

She patiently waited, hoping that one day he would tell her first. But as time passed and news of his achievements spread throughout the empire, Bastian remained silent. He acted as if nothing had ever happened, as if he had forgotten everything already. She didn’t want to push him to talk about it. She knew that when he was ready, he would open up to her. But until then, she couldn’t help but feel that he could never truly move on from his life as a soldier.

   “The Christmas market should be open by now, do you want to go?” Odette said, hoping the change of subject will bring their mood up again. “Now we have to prepare for Christmas, too. It’s time to go grocery shopping.” 

Bastian looked at her, his grip on the document loosening as he reached out for her hand. Their fingers intertwined, seamlessly becoming one.

“Yes, let’s do that.”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The twinkling lights of the Christmas market in the neighbouring village beckoned to them, reminding them of their first date as Marie Byller and Karl Lovis.  The Christmas market had become a grand spectacle. Hundreds of red tents lined every street of the village and the air was filled with the scent of spices, chocolate and earthy pine.

Bastian led Odette through the bustling market. The bustling market was alive with colour and cheer, a festive red tent at its heart, adorned with twinkling lights and shimmering tinsel. Underneath the towering tree, vendors proudly displayed their goods, enticing passersby with their wares.

Christmas decorations and groceries, simple treats. Odette carefully examined the market divided by compartment, and made a beeline for the food stalls, where she bought a cup of mulled wine for her and Bastian. She then went to fetch some hot doughnuts covered in thick chocolate gravy. She also got some spiced cookies for snacking on.

When she finished shopping, the sky was already turning into a clear ink colour. The crowd was packed tight and moving about the village was a slow and painful process. Whenever they would find island’s of open space it was a relief and they felt like they could breathe again, only to be pressed right back into the squeeze.

Odette strolled through the bustling Christmas market with a cup of spiced wine in hand. She perused the stands overflowing with glittering ornaments, delicate ribbons, and shimmering glass baubles to adorn the perfect tree. She carefully selected a walnut doll and a scented candle, adding them one by one to her overflowing shopping basket.

With the weight of luggage in tow, Bastian trailed behind Odette as they delved deeper into the darkening night. Surrounded by layers of darkness, their destination shone brighter and clearer – a bustling market adorned with twinkling lights. The distant music from a lively merry-go-round echoed through the square, adding to the already heightened buzz of excitement for the festival ahead.

Odette strolled through the nightly market until Her cheeks were blistering red with cold and she had childlike wonder on her face as she perused the trinkets and knick-knacks. Bastian did not mind in the slightest. He enjoyed watching his wife wander around from stall to stall and whenever she asked his opinion on something, she had the biggest smile on her face.

“Why don’t you eat that?”  Bastian’s eyes narrowed as he found an unopened bag of cookies. While everyone else indulged, Odette refused to even touch the snacks.

“Let’s eat it later, when we go back home.” 

Odette turned towards the bustling grocery stand, where Bastian silently trailed behind her. It didn’t take long for him to realise why she didn’t eat her snacks- the snowball-shaped snacks were covered in powdered sugar, making it nearly impossible to eat without getting messy. And for someone as poised and elegant as Odette, removing her black velvet gloves in the middle of a crowded market would be unthinkable. Her pride simply wouldn’t allow it

Bastian removed his gloves, and took the bag of cookies in Odette’s hand. With a slight pressure, he crushed the snack between his fingers. 

Odette’s eyes widened in surprise as he offered her a small, broken piece. She glanced around and then back at Bastian, unsure of what to do. With a mischievous grin, Bastian grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the towering spruce trees that stood between the bustling stalls.

“Bastian, I’m sorry, but here…….” Odette expressed her embarrassment, but before she could say anything more, Bastian turned around, the tree and his body serving as a wall to block the eyes of curious onlookers.

Odette couldn’t help but laugh at his intentions, understanding them perfectly. Bastian took a bite of the snack, almost as if he were demonstrating how to eat it, and then gently fed her a piece with his own hands, wiping off the sugar powder from her lips.

   If only he would touch the piano keys this softly, she thought.

Bastian’s piano performance was a disaster, like a turbulent sea in the midst of a storm. But Odette kept her thoughts to herself, not to dampen the magical atmosphere. The delicious blend of savoury and sweet treats, the dazzling lights reminiscent of fairy tales, and the adoring gaze of her lover enveloped her in a blissful moment of pure joy. She refused to let any negative thoughts spoil this precious memory.

When street lamps flickered on and trees casted shadows, she darted behind Bastian’s sturdy back, savouring bites of snacks, after finishing they transformed back into a royal princess and noble admiral, browsing the bustling market and indulging in treats. By the time they returned home, their snack bag was empty

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“Do you want to get more cookies?” Bastian said, looking at the empty pack.

   “No, I think that was more than enough for today,” Odette said with a smile. “But I think I would like some for tomorrow.”

   “Of course,” Bastian said. Odette beamed at him.

   Once they had stocked up on cookies and some apple cider to have with dinner, they left the Christmas market. Once away from the noisy village square, the silence of the winter covered countryside greeted them.

   “Not long now until we have to be back in Ardenne,” Odette said. “I don’t want to leave Rothewein, but at the same time, I am excited to go back, then will be the start of our new life together”

The gentle crunch of walking on the icy stone path was accompanied by the sweet sound of interlaced fingers. The couple strolled in perfect sync, their footsteps leaving behind temporary imprints on the frozen ground.

“I want to study music more, Bastian.” Odette opened up her heart when she began to see a dark green car in the otherwise colourless landscape “When I return to Ardenne, I want to prepare for the entrance exam into the Royal Conservatory of Music.”

   “Does that mean I will have a pianist as a wife?”

   “No, I don’t think I will be a professional musician, I just want to deepen my understanding of music. It might sound lofty, but its my dream, what do you think?”

   “Why are you asking me?” Bastian said calmly.

   “Because you are my family. If I do this, I will need to concentrate on my studies, which means I might inadvertently end up neglecting my role as the hostess of the famil. Of course, I will try my best to fulfil all my responsibilities…but…”

   “It’s fine, Odette,” Bastian cut her off with a genuine smile. “You do what you feel like doing, my princess.”

   “Really?”

   “Yes of course, so long as you pass.” he said with a playful smile.

   “Very well, I will repay you with my acceptance letter, and Bastian…”

   “Yes?”

   “I want to set up a foundation to support victims of war.” Odette’s face became suddenly serious.

   “A foundation?”

   “Yes, I want to be able to offer more sympathetic support, on a much larger scale than just sending a few donations. I want to establish a foundation under the Klauswitz name. I think that would bolster our reputation as a family that cares, but I don’t know anything about such endeavours, would you be able to teach me?”

    “You can teach me piano and I’ll teach you finances. Seems a fair trade,” Bastian said with a warm smile.

   “It’s your money, are you sure you don’t mind it?”

   “What do you mean?”

   “I plan to use the divorce alimony you gave me as a foundation fund.” 

Hearing her explanation, Bastian couldn’t hold his laughter,  “That’s not my money, Odette, since I gave it to you, it’s yours to do with what you want.” Bastian waved his hand dismissively and continued on toward the car that parked under the gaslight. He opened the passenger’s door with an elegant gesture.

“It’s getting late at night, so I’ll take you home now. Lady Odette, pianist and president of the Klauswitz Foundation.” 

   Odette trotted after Bastian with a dance in her step and a laugh in her heart. When the engine started she suddenly asked the last question she had in mind. “What about you?”

Bastian turned his head from the wheel and looked at Odette. 

“Bastian, what’s your dream?”