Synopsis
What if a woman ruled Germany in 1914? This alternate history explores that very question. An elaborate attempt to rid Germany of the Hohenzollerns has left a young sole heiress, Christiana, to take the throne of the German Empire. But this is no typical princess, hidden away in a gilded cage. This college educated, expert fencer, and accomplished equestrienne is not the meek little girl the politicians think they will be able to control. She has her own ideas how to rule!
Excerpt
Anna, Christa, and Louise Margaret retired to the sitting room in their guest quarters. A light snow was just beginning to fall, but the Prince of Wales had assured them that the weather would be clear enough for their travel to the English mainland in the morning.
“So, Christa,” began Maria Anna. “What do you think of Queen Victoria and her family?”
“Oh, Mama! They are all so very nice. The Queen is the most amazing woman! To think that she rules over one-quarter of the entire world! It is staggering! Mossy, as you know, is my best friend but I will be writing to the English princesses as well.” Turning toward her elder sister, she added, “And of course I will write to you and my niece, Margaret, and to little Arthur and Patricia when they are older. They are all so sweet.”
“What did you think of the young princes?” asked Louise Margaret.
“The sons of the Prince of Wales, Albert Victor and George, were very kind to me when we went shooting,” answered Christa diplomatically. “The other boys also were pleasant but, aside from croquet and a few other pastimes, they pretty much stuck together and played their own games away from the girls.”
“Christa, come sit with your sister and me,” said Maria Anna, sitting down on a divan, patting the space next to her. Christa could not help but note the somewhat serious tone in her mother’s voice, as if she was about to discuss an important matter. Christa glanced at Louise Margaret with an inquiring look as her elder sister took a seat in a plush, winged chair nearby, but her older sister gave no response.
“What did you think of Prince Henry?” asked Maria Anna.
“Henry?” Christa frowned. “Why do you ask about Henry?”
“You are getting older, Christa,” responded Louise Margaret. “In a few short years you will be presented at court and then…” Christa’s sister looked over at their mother.
“You will need to begin preparing for your eventual engagement and marriage,” finished Maria Anna.
“Marriage?” answered Christa slowly, with a puzzled expression. A moment later it struck her. “Oh, Mama! You cannot possibly mean to Prince Henry!” she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and biting her lower lip, her fists clenched at her sides in agitation.
“Christa, calm yourself! Lower your voice and sit down!” insisted Maria Anna. Christa stubbornly remained standing.
“Sister, it is the duty of parents of the high born to arrange appropriate marriages for their children,” put in Louise Margaret, soothingly. “Surely you understand this.”
“Henry is a prince of the British royal family,” added Maria Anna, archly. “You are both of equal station and he is an entirely appropriate match.”
“B-but to Henry? Why, the boy absolutely loathes me, Mama! And I think he’s a nasty little fool!”
“Christa!” exclaimed both her mother and sister.
“He doesn’t want to marry me any more than I want to marry him!” continued Christa. Another thought popped into her head. “Wait, does Henry know about this?” she asked accusingly. Her mother and sister glanced at one another, but neither responded. “Well, no wonder he hates me! He blames me for this arrangement,” murmured Christa, answering her own question.
“Henry will do his duty as a royal prince, as you must do as a royal princess,” responded Maria Anna, haughtily.
“Mama, I am telling you right now that I will not, under any circumstances, marry Henry of Edinburgh!”
“Christa!” exclaimed her mother once again.
“Well then, if not Henry, whom do you think you are going to marry?” asked Louise Margaret.
“I have not yet decided if I will get married,” answered Christa, calmly.
“What?!”
“Oh, I may marry and have children someday, but first I have other plans.”
Louise Margaret and her mother again looked at one another. “Such as?” asked Christa’s older sister.
“I plan to attend university.”
“Oh, Christa! Don’t be absurd!” exclaimed her mother.
“Christa, women cannot attend university in Germany,” pointed out Louise Margaret. “Not even those of noble birth.”
“No, but they can in Great Britain and France. There are even proposals to open Austrian universities to women. It is only a matter of time before German universities admit women as well. Please excuse me, Mama, Louise Margaret,” concluded Christa. “We are departing early in the morning and I must prepare for bed.” With that, Christa ended the discussion by striding purposefully out of the room. Maria Anna and Louise Margaret stared at Christa in astonishment as she departed, and then turned toward each other with stunned looks on their faces.
“What am I going to do with this child?” moaned Maria Anna.
“Oh, Mama,” soothed Louise Margaret, reaching over and patting her mother’s hand. “Christa is still young. She will come around.”
“Oh, no, my dear. You do not know this girl as I do. She is the epitome of stubbornness,” sighed Maria Anna. “There is too much of your father in her.” She stood, walked over to the window, and watched the tiny snowflakes waft in the frosty breeze.
“Perhaps she shouldn’t marry,” mused Maria Anna, with a bitter chuckle. “I think she probably would drive any future husband mad.”
Guest Review by Nora
What do you do when everything in your life changes in one fell swoop? When do you go from being a forgotten royal way down in the line of succession to being the queen? This is the question that confronts Christiana in the book, ‘Iron Maiden,’ by J.T. Maicke, and the question that she will have to answer all on her own.
For much of her life, only one thing was expected of Christiana: to marry a prince and have children. As a daughter of the royal house of Hohenzollern and cousin to the Kaiser, Christiana’s family considers her well-behaved so long as she does not bring any embarrassment to the family.
However, in this, Christiana does not always succeed.
Rather than wanting to marry and serve as a bargaining chip for her cousin in international politics, Christiana—or ‘Christa,’ as she is called by her family—wishes to carve her own path in life.
From a young age, she enjoys pursuits that many people in that time would not have thought fit for a young woman of her social standing. She hunts, she fights, and, worst of all, she wishes to go to University.
Christa chases her dreams and finds herself securing many of them, becoming college-educated and regularly winning saber duels, but her carefree lifestyle is abruptly shattered when tragedy knocks at her door one chilly Easter morning.
The Kaiser and his entire family are assassinated, wiped out simultaneously in what becomes the bloodiest day in German history. Utilizing her unique training, Christa escapes her own assassin, becoming one of the only members of her family to survive. As one of the few royals left—and the only one eligible to become queen—Christa must step up and lead the country through the many dark days ahead.
‘Iron Maiden’ is a knockout of a novel that I found myself absolutely loving! If you love alternative history, like me, you will definitely love this book! I’m giving it five stars across the board!
About the Author
A self-described Germanophile, J.T. Maicke writes historical fiction novels that take place in Germany or among German-American communities in the Midwest. He has spent most of his life studying German history, geography, language, culture, customs, and cuisine. Maicke also spent several years living in and traveling throughout Central Europe, and he has visited many of the locations depicted in his novels. Maicke’s debut novel was ‘The Humble Courier.’
When Paula Charles isn’t writing under the towering trees of the Pacific Northwest, she can be found in the garden with her hands in the dirt or sitting on her front porch with a good book and a glass of iced tea. She has a love for small towns, ghost stories, and pie. Paula lives on a small farm in Southwestern Washington with her patient husband and a handful of furry and feathered critters. Paula also writes cozy mysteries under the pen name of Janna Rollins.
Peter Kageyama is a third-generation Japanese American. He is a former Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Innovation and the author of four nonfiction books on cities and urban development. Peter was a finalist for the 2023 Roy Peter Clark Literary Award. He lives in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, with his wife, award-winning architect Lisa Wannemacher, and their dog, Dobby.
Ken Czech is a retired history professor whose passion has turned to writing fiction.
