RE: BLOOD AND IRON

Bruno had stayed up all night discussing his stories with Erich from the time they first met and he was the most entitled brat he had ever met in his life, all the way up until his bitter end.

Discussions were had that depicted Erich as he was, not some romanticized friend who was only displayed in a good light to the Kaiser, as painful as it was recounting these tales, especially those that were brutal, in the end Bruno knew that Erich would have risen from the grave and haunted him for life if he dared dishonor the man’s memory by lying about him.

By the end, the Kaiser had a better understanding of the man who had sacrificed everything to fulfill orders that while cruel and ruthless were necessary for the long-term stability and survival of the German Reich.

In the end the Kaiser, perhaps having fully realized the true horrors of war, and what they could truly do to a man remained silent… By now the two men had long since switched from alcohol to coffee, sobering themselves up as best as they could manage in order to prepare for the new day.

Upon seeing the complicated and bitter smile on Bruno’s face, Wilhelm asked the man a question that he was not the least bit expecting.

“Tell me, Bruno, how has a lifetime of war affected you? From what you tell me by the end of his life your friend Erich had become incapable of living in a time of peace. Are you wounded in such a way as well?”

Bruno suddenly became stern as he thought about this question in solemn silence for a long time, before placing his coffee mug on the table and uncrossing his legs. After doing so, he was quick to answer with his true thoughts on the matter.

“Honestly? Had you asked me this same question and demanded the truth from me at the start of the war? I would have told you nothing terrifies me more than coming home from the war and living in the peace after the gunshots have settled.

After what I have done, what I have ordered men to do, how can I ever face my wife and children with my bloodstained hands? I’m honestly not sure when it happened, as it seems so long ago from my own perspective.

But I have found my peace. My family, and the love they bear for me, they are the reason I can never allow myself to slip into the darkness that is ever reaching towards me.”

Wilhelm nodded slightly. He didn’t say what he meant, but his eyes conveyed it perfectly. There had been a great worry in the man’s mind that perhaps Bruno and his cruelty was growing out of hand. This, combined with the immense power he wielded made Bruno the greatest threat the Hohenzollern dynasty and its reign.

As much as Wilhelm thought of Bruno as a good friend, he was indeed worrying about Bruno’s mental state as Bruno began to devise ever increasing destructive weapons for the sake of war. Many of these concerns had been assuaged with this discussion, but there was still one left on the Kaiser’s mind, which he was quick to give voice to.

“Have you ever thought of pursuing a career in politics? You have the makings of a great statesman, or dare I say, an emperor?”

Bruno instantly rejected the notion, not even giving himself the time to think, as if the very idea was reprehensible to him.

“No, my place is on the battlefield keeping your enemies at bay, and reminding them there is always a greater force of evil in this world that they are not prepared to deal with.

I may have the skills to be an efficient statesman, but that is not my cross to bear, and only if it were absolutely necessary to preserve the Reich and the continued legitimacy of your dynasty would I ever accept such a burden…”

It was hard to believe such am an existed, sure Wilhelm valued his friendship with Bruno, but sometimes the loyalty which Bruno showed him, and the fervor in which he served, willingly, when he could easily have it all, it was hard to believe a man lacked such ambition when the power was well within his grasp; he need only reach out and take it and he could become the most powerful man in the world.

So much so that the Kaiser could not help but be wary, and was forced to ask the next question on his mind, even if it risked insulting a close friend.

“Still, if you ran for chancellor, it might be the closest thing to a unanimous mandate of the people’s history as ever seen in a free and fair election. You’re popular with the lower class, the working class, and the upper class. Only the ancient nobility, despite you, and they are not large enough in number to affect such an outcome.

On the one hand, you would be Chancellor, having unrivaled political power, and on the other hand the military ,or at least a large part of it would be loyal to you before all else after what you have done for them.

Military, political, and economic strength unrivaled in the world, and yet, you dare to tell me you don’t desire it?”

Bruno obviously knew what the Kaiser was getting at, and understood his intentions for doing so. Only a creature with the mind of prey would ignore the threat sitting in front of him. And because of this, Bruno was quick to respond honestly once more, as honesty was his only way out of this precarious situation he had suddenly found himself in.

“Oh by all means, I am not some saint or divine like entity who is immune to corrupting influence of human nature. There will always be that voice in the back of my head, whispering to me to commit sins that would damn me for eternity.

The devil is ever present in each of us, and if it were so easy to reject his influence, then we would all be destined for heaven’s gates would we not? But to do what you have subtly implied, and pursue greater power for my own interests, well than the chaos that would cause would surely damn us all, now wouldn’t it?

No… I have but one life to give, one life to sacrifice… For my family, my nation, my people, my kaiser… And there is no temptation on this earth great enough to sway me from my purpose. I am what you need me to be, nothing more, nothing less.

To desire more, and to selfishly act upon it, especially if it were to cost us everything, how could I ever face those who have already made the greatest sacrifice under my orders when I see them in the next life?

Your majesty, I chose the words of my house, or at least the cadet branch of my house, not because they sound nice, but because they are words which I have sought to live by ,and most certainly will die by when the time comes to do so.

My honor is loyalty… Loyalty to you… To the Reich… and to its people… And while I understand your concerns, considering the enigma that I am when compared to other men throughout history. At the end of the day, I am a soldier… Not an Emperor…” Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire

After saying this, the sun began to rise high in the air, and Bruno used this as his chance to leave, requesting permission to do so, as if emphasizing the point one final time.

“Well, would you look at that? The two of us have been up all night… My wife must be worried sick about me, so may I please be excused?”

The kaiser gave a silent nod of his head and spent the rest of the morning contemplation his conversation with Bruno and every interaction had in it. One thing was certain at the end of his introspection. Bruno was either the most loyal man who could serve him, or the most capable liar in human history.

And judging by Bruno’s track record, and willingness to hand him the evidence of his own “wrongdoing,” the Kaiser was willing to bet his life and the fortunes of his family on the former. Any potential concerns he may have had of Bruno slipping into madness, or desiring his throne had come to a sudden halt.

Especially since Erich’s death seemed to be a heavy anchor for Bruno’s own sense of duty, loyalty, and obligation. As for Bruno, he ultimately decided to return home and get some proper rest.

Heidi was not remotely displeased with her husband. In fact, she was gratefully concerned about his whereabouts the entire night and what he had been up to. After enough time, she performed a personal investigation into what had happened and concluded that Bruno had earned a night off to drink with the Kaiser.

Bruno was indeed surprised to find his wife waiting for him in their bedroom when he tried to get some rest. He thought at first she would be mad that he had stayed out all night without explanation.

But when the man tried to defend himself, his wife simply raised her finger to his lips before hugging him tightly, a somber expression on her otherwise flawless face, before she whispered the words into Bruno’s ears that he would never forget.

“Shh… Forget about everything that has happened… You are home now… Let me help you get dressed into something comfortable so that we can get some proper rest… Together…”

Despite Bruno’s absolute refusal to cry in front of his wife, he fell to sleep in her arms, as she too slept by her man’s side, hugging him tightly, and assuring him that the world had indeed not ended after the events of the previous night.

Heidi would not leave Bruno’s arms until the man himself felt he was ready to do so, and naturally orders had been given to the estate’s staff throughout the night to prepare for such an eventuality. Meaning that Bruno had all the time he needed to properly recover from the shock of the previous night.

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