Chapter Text
“If we don’t end war, war will end us.” —H.G. Wells.
March 26th, 1939 —Prague, Czechia
Czechia was a little shocked to receive the summons to Hitler’s office. She hadn’t even realized that he was still in her country. His takeover had happened almost two weeks ago; she hadn’t expected him to stay.
She scoffed when the letter had addressed her Prague Castle as his private office. The castle would never belong to anyone other than the people of her nation.
Still, this would be the perfect time for her to speak with the ‘Führer’ and discuss the problems going on within the country. Mainly address how citizens were being dragged out of their homes and beaten.
Anger bubbled in her stomach as she approached the castle, covered in Nazi flags. The sounds of the usually vibrant city had been quieted, replaced with quick whispers and the sounds of soldiers marching. The whispers seemed to follow her everywhere— even in her own home with her personal staff.
Around every corner, at all of her favorite cafes and shops, were the Nazis. They seemed to make even the brightest colors and people dull, sucking out their beautiful life like vampires.
But the presence that was missing stood out the most. Czechia half expected Slovakia to appear by her side, still able to talk about silly hyphens when the world was starting to fracture again. But she hadn’t seen him in almost two weeks.
At first, she enjoyed having her own space. Her home was no longer a mess, and she could do whatever she wanted. But the novelty had started wearing off quickly. There was no one she could talk to who understood her, no one to argue with; she was alone.
The other nation hadn’t visited her yet, hadn't even sent a letter. She knew his country had not willingly declared independence under the protection of Germany, but it still hurt that he hadn’t stopped by. Deep down, it was starting to worry her. Slovakia liked talking, adding more worry to her mind. While she was at the castle, she would ask Hitler if she had heard from the other.
She lifted her head high as she approached her castle, wanting to rip all of the red flags from the walls and gates that decorated the street. She tried to tone down the anger, smoothing out her dress as she approached the entrance, guarded by a group of Nazis in black.
The group had been looking bored, leaning onto the gate, eyes lazily skimming. When they saw the Czechia approaching them, they elbowed each other, giving her long, leering gazes.
“Are you lost, little lady?” One of the guards asked, leaning in close to her face. “If you are trying to find your way home, I would be more than happy to accompany you.” He slid an arm around Czechia, hand creeping lower than she tolerated.
Czechia scoffed in disgust, hands scrunching together in an attempt not to punch the man, choosing instead to take a few steps away from him. “I have a summons for the Führer.” She handed the guard the letter, who seemed shocked as he verified it, but still let her through, now giving her an odd look. The guards there gave her cold glances, but she supposed they were better than the lustful glare the other guards had given her.
She took the letter back, her head high as she walked up the steps to the door. Inside, she was trying not to shake. She could still feel the man’s hands and gaze, making bile rise in her throat.
They let her through the doors after verifying her letter. They followed her inside, the doors shut loudly behind them, echoing down the large hall. They whispered something in German to two of the other guards in the hall, too quietly for Czechia.
The two guards who had let her into the castle gestured for her to follow. She knew the palace like the back of her hand, but the atmosphere was entirely different. On any given day, there would usually be lots of people. Tourists milling about, tour guides telling them facts, workers cleaning the floor or dusting ledges.
The only thing that stayed the same was the guards, but even then, these guards were completely different. They stood tall, eyes unblinking and tracking every step she took.
She ignored their stares and focused instead on what she was going to say to Hitler. She didn’t truly understand what the summons was for, only that this was her opportunity to see Slovakia again.
The walk to the ‘office’ seemed to take ages, and every step forward made her want to run twenty steps away. A set of doors approached, two more Nazis in the dark guarding Hitler.
The taller of the two knocked. Minutes seemed to pass before a muffled ‘come in’ was heard through the door. Czechia released a sigh of relief, glad that the room and the man weren't intimidating in the least.
Adolf Hitler sat in a comfy chair, upholstered in an oddly cheerful yellow. Next to him in a similar chair was a man with little round glasses perched on his nose, in front of a set of dead eyes. They sat at a small round table, one chair left empty.
Hitler frowned. “Who is this? I do not recall having a scheduled appointment with a girl.”
“You did, sir.” Czechia corrected, handing the letter to the confused man. “I am Czechia, you summoned me for a meeting in your office at 14:45.” She kept her distance from the man as she read the letter, her hand fidgeting with her sleeves.
“It seems you are,” Hitler said with a slight grimace, then waved the two guards out of the room. “I didn’t realize that personifications could be women as well.”
“Some of us are, but the majority are men.” She told him simply, still standing awkwardly in front of the table.
“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you! Please take a seat!” Hitler said cheerfully, gesturing to the last yellow chair. She obliged, angling herself more to face Hitler and not the dead-eyed man.
“Let me introduce you to my colleague!” Hitler said, gesturing to the man. “This is Heinrich Himmler, the Reichsführer-SS.” Czechia forced herself to face him, giving a small nod of her head in acknowledgement.
“Is- Is there a specific reason you wanted to talk to me?” Czechia asked, silent scolding herself for the slight stutter.
“We have been anxious to meet the personification of Czechoslovakia,” Hitler answered. “We also wanted to talk to you about how to improve the lives of your citizens.”
Czechia was a little shocked by how sincere he sounded. The politeness set her on edge; no person talked like this and meant their words. Still, she noticed his mistake. They thought she was the entire personification of the country. They didn’t know about Slovakia. And they didn’t need to know about him.
“Yes, and I as well.” She told him.
Himmler frowned, making his face look even more sour than it had already been. He didn’t say anything, just continued to give her a narrow-eyed look. Hitler, however, still had a big smile on his face, one that made him look more atrocious than he already was.
“You have a wonderful country! Your people are very hardworking,” Hitler complimented.
“Thank you…?” She hadn’t meant for it to sound like a question, but she was shocked that Hitler had complimented the Czechs. Hadn’t he taken over because he thought that the Czechs were being rude to ethnic Germans?
“It’s a nice place, I suppose,” Hitler commented, gesturing to the room. “It’s a nice castle. Not quite like the cathedrals back home, but still nice.”
“I suppose.” She agreed, not quite sure where the conversation was going.
“If only the people were as nice,” Himmler said, finally speaking, his voice calm and cold, like a winter’s day. His accusation was a bit of a shock, but Czech quickly recovered.
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve been hearing rumors,” Himmler answered, sitting up straighter in his chair. “That there is anti-German sentiment throughout your state. Labor unions, resistance, and whatnot."
“We are just concerned about where your loyalty stands,” Hitler added, messing with one of the cups on the table absentmindedly before looking up to meet the Czech’s gaze. “Tell me, where is your loyalty?”
Czechia stuttered a little. “My loyalty lies in improving this country for all who are in it. I have done nothing wrong, and neither have my people. That is actually one of the things I wished to talk to you about today.”
“Come now,” Hitler said, smiling. “It is not nice to lie. Especially to your Führer.”
“W-What have I lied about?” Czechia asked, starting to grip the edge of the seat to keep from bolting up. “I have barely even spoken.”
“Not speaking is still hiding the truth,” Himmler answered. There was conviction in his voice. He knew she was hiding something.
“I do not know who takes part in the unions and resistances,” She defended, beginning to grow sweaty. “I handle economic things more than the social aspects."
“We are not interested in that,” Hitler said, waving her off. “We know that there is something more.” His blue eyes fixed upon her. The cheerful light had disappeared from them, replaced by what he had been hiding the entire meeting; how powerful he was, and that he would do anything to keep it that way.
“I assure you, there is nothing. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” She bolted off the chair, making a brisk walk to the door.
A cold, gloved hand grabbed her wrist. “We will help you remember,” Himmler said, his voice like the stabs of icicles. He called for two of his SS guards, who walked into the room, their boots stomping against the hardwood floor.
They grabbed her wrists, and as she was dragged out of the room, Hitler had the gall to bid her a farewell. “It really was a pleasure meeting you! We’ll have to talk soon, very soon.” His voice wasn’t kind anymore; it was a mock.
Czechia would have charged over and punched him if she weren’t detained. Instead, she didn’t give the satisfaction of acting scared. She lifted her chin, eyes trained on the path she was being forced to walk.
Two more SS guards came to walk in front of her. The silent air of the cathedral didn’t change as she walked back out into her city. She had been hearing rumors. Rumors of families being dragged off at night, taken somewhere, never to be seen again. She reminded herself that she couldn’t die — and somehow, that made it worse.
They led her to a black car, Nazi flags flapping on the front. They shoved her into the backseat. Next, one of the guards put a gag in her mouth, cuffs on her wrists, and a sack over her head.
Her breath picked up as she heard the car doors slam shut, locking her in.
She felt the car start, accompanied by the sharp smell of gasoline, and they drove off. That’s when she started crying. She didn’t know where she was being taken. She didn’t know when she was going home.
She said a silent cry to her beloved capital, her heart, tears continuing to fall down her face. And yet, as she chose to close her eyes and think of anything else, her mind went to the other place her heart held. Slovakia.
As much of a nuisance he was, she still loved him. His stupid smile and ridiculous obsession with hyphens. And his pretty light brown hair that was like caramel when the sun hit it. His hazel eyes always seemed to glow with happiness, even in darker times. And his stupid smile. The one that had set her heart racing and made her smile, too.
But that smile wasn’t here. It was in a different place, and she was going to a place where happiness couldn’t ever reach.