cahn

So, you know, if Uncle George *had* sent a rescue force, Fritz could easily have lost this encounter, Luh. Even by your definition of losing (which is rather different than salon's).

Indeed. I guess Luh would argue that this applied only to a very limited time space, i.e. the way to Küstrin, and that Fritz was playing the long game. Even so: dead is dead. You bet that those soldiers who just saw that even an officer from an old family like Katte got punished for planning desertion would obey a direct royal order over sparing the life of the Crown Prince, especially since the later wasn't the only male heir.

But I can't help wondering if having to relieve yourself in a wide open field with all eyes and possibly pistols trained on you was maybe traumatic.

No kidding. Incidentally, that's one of the things I credit Der Thronfolger with - they do show Fritz was never alone, even under those circumstances, though in that case it's him and Not!Robert Keith while he's relieving himself and Fritz drops the "btw, get me a horse!" bomb. But as with the scene with child!Fritz and the people sleeping with him in the same room, it's a good way to get across that as a prince, he's hardly ever alone - even before attempting to desert. After, there's the staring at the trip, and also the utter lack of privacy the first few months in Küstrin - the servants he was given there not being allowed to speak with him would make it more alienating, not less.

This said, there's always the chance that somewhere in the SD/FW correspondence there#s the buried remark little Fritz already doesn't like being undressed etc. - all things are possible. But unless someone, probably felis, discovers it, I think your theory has much merit.