Chapter 5: Flu

"Alexandrei, what has the doctor told you about the Prince's condition?" Oliver asked with intense concern.

It's been 3 days since they set sail for Berlin but yesterday the Prince had dizziness, and nausea almost every night, and today he woke up in worse condition with high fever and delusions.

"Yes, apparently it's the flu that everyone was talking about, as well as the fact that it's the first time the Prince has traveled by boat both are the cause of his condition" Alexandrei with a cold tone.

"But will he recover soon? Rudolph, he also has severe dizziness and hasn't left the cabin" Oliver asked again, a little more relieved.

"According to the doctor, there is nothing to worry about, the Prince is in good health and the flu only kills the "untouchables" who by bad luck contract the disease. In a few days, he should be fine after taking his medication"

"I just hope he can recover soon, There's still a lot of time left from the Voyage and I'm worried to see the Prince in that state." Oliver reiterates.

Alexandrei just stares at the ground in deep thought and doesn't respond.

5 days later, in a spacious and well-decorated cabin, a 14-year-old boy with black hair and eyes is sitting on a chair, tapping the wood of a table while his gaze is lost on the kerosene lamps that illuminate his surroundings.

'What bad luck, but fortunately I'm cured of the damned plague that tormented me. Who would have thought that he would get the flu even though I did my best to take care of myself.

He thought relieved to already be in good condition again.

'From what I heard from Rudolph, he was very interested in chatting with the ship's workers and sailors, even though he also suffered from continuous nausea and dizziness for the first few days. According to him, he had asked a lot about the steam-powered boat that we are traveling which reaches a speed of 10 to 11 knots (18.5 to 20.4 km/h), according to the captain it is an old boat but It is perfect for commercial activities. The ship had an approximate cost of 70 thousand pounds (£11,775,884.50), It was inspired by the USS Great Britain and after making some improvements to the design, the ship has been used to transport passengers around the world.' I thought before going to sleep.

The next day, I heard someone knocking on the cabin door. After answering, I proceeded to get out of bed and get dressed. When I opened the door, it was Alexandrei informing me that in a few hours, we would arrive in Berlin, when I looked at my watch I was surprised that it was already 6 pm.

'Apparently, I paid for the sleepless nights I had for being sick. Nothing better than arriving at our destination, and taking a bath with hot water to de-stress a bit.'

Upon disembarking, and wandering around the port for a bit, we met a servant of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen house, who was waiting for us to escort us to the family Mansion in Berlin.

My father also has properties in Berlin, but at my young age, it is more appropriate to stay at the Mansion and meet my relatives.

A little surprised, through the window of the carriage I saw the prosperity of Berlin, incomparable with that of Sinaia, Romania. At the distance, I can see a few poles with lamps turned off, but those are electric lamps.

'Apparently, it's already a bit late to invest in the great invention of electricity and subsequent inventions'

I thought a little embarrassed, that I almost made us a laughingstock for wanting to enter the millionaire electricitical business.

I have to remember that my budget is nothing more and nothing less than 25 thousand pounds, which with great effort I managed to save. It would serve to buy shares in a project that few believe in, but now it is a business that will soon change the century and humanity, I doubt that it is even enough to talk with the inventor's assistant's assistant.

Between laughing at my ignorance, and ordering Alexandrei that there was a change of plans and we will modify what he will be in charge of doing in Berlin, while we discussed we arrived at our destination.

In front, the mansion with a strong classic and elegant atmosphere, I have never taken art classes or on how to distinguish it in buildings but it seems that it is a very well-maintained mansion, I suppose it must have been around for decades and even had other owners before the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

In the distance, I can see that there are servants lined up on both sides of the road and two people in the middle waiting for us...

Note: (1) The comparisons in the price of the pound are made by its purchasing power, that is, the purchasing power of 1 pound in 1887 to today 2023.

(2) The price of ships is variable, the ship I am talking about is based on the USS Great Britain, which later models used more machinery to replace the sails, and other characteristics of older ships, its price increased. A state-of-the-art ship from 1887 to one from 1910, for example, is incomparable. The value cannot be measured by inflation but by technology, so I will take references and change the prices a bit to get closer to the "reality" of the 19th century and the environment of the novel.

(3) I am not a historical expert, if you find significant discrepancies you can always comment to correct them in the future.

(4) These notes will decrease significantly as the chapters progress, I just want to make a few things clear.

(5) The 25 thousand pounds of budget are worth £2,693,349.83 in 2023.

(6) "Untouchables" are the poor civilians. The term is widely used by elitists, nobles, politicians, and merchants. Uk, Fr, Gr, US, and so on... Agree with this term, that's why this century is no different from hell or modern war zones, A simple flu can kill you and nobody except for a few with a good heart would care.