Chapter 24: The Great War – 1914–1918
The war that Adrian had foreseen consumed Europe. Zeelandia, half a world away, watched in horror as the armies bled themselves white. But the kingdom was not untouched. Its ships carried oil to Britain and coal to Germany. Its banks financed trade across the globe. Its factories produced ammunition for both sides.
Adrian's grandfather, King Willem, died in 1915, exhausted by the strain. Adrian, at fifteen, was too young to rule. A regency council governed in his name, but everyone knew that the young prince's voice carried weight.
In 1916, a German U‑boat sank a Zeelandian merchant vessel off the coast of Southdown. The crew survived, but the ship was lost. The German ambassador offered an apology; the British ambassador demanded retaliation.
Adrian called a meeting of the regency council. "We will not retaliate," he said. "We will demand compensation, but we will not enter the war."
"And if the Germans sink another ship?" asked Admiral van Speijk, now an old man.
"Then we will arm our merchant vessels," Adrian replied. "But we will not declare war."
The council agreed. Zeelandian merchant ships were fitted with deck guns, and the navy increased its patrols. The submarines stayed away.
But the war brought more than danger; it brought opportunity. The Future Trust, now managed by Professor Bergman, invested heavily in American war bonds and European distressed assets. By 1917, the sovereign wealth fund had doubled in size.
Adrian also launched his refugee program. The first scholars arrived in 1916: Jewish scientists fleeing the German army, Belgian artists escaping the occupation, Polish intellectuals seeking safety. The University of Koningstad became a haven for Europe's displaced minds.
One evening in 1917, a young American naval officer named Chester Nimitz visited Port Victoria. He was an attaché, studying Zeelandian submarine tactics. Adrian met him at the naval club.
"Your Highness," Nimitz said, "your submarines are more advanced than anything we have. How did you develop them so quickly?"
Adrian shrugged. "We had the advantage of starting later. We could learn from the mistakes of others."
Nimitz laughed. "That is a polite way of saying you stole our best ideas."
"Not stole," Adrian corrected. "Adapted. And improved."
The war ended on November 11, 1918. Adrian stood on the palace balcony as the bells of Koningstad rang out. Beside him stood Professor Bergman.
"We survived," Adrian said.
"We prospered," Bergman added. "The Future Trust is worth billions. The kingdom is stronger than ever."
Adrian nodded. "And now the real work begins."
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