Re: Blood and Iron

Chapter 193: Godspeed, Soldier...

 n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Bruno quickly absconded from the spotlight and instead began searching for the Prussian Princess who by now was a full-fledged adult. Time had of course passed far quicker than Bruno could have ever realistically imagined when he was first reincarnated into this world.

The first time he had ever given the young woman any thought during this new lease on life was when Bruno was a mere fifteen years old.

He stood up for his then fiancee's honor at the Princess's second birthday in 1894. Eighteen years had come and gone since then, and in September of the current year of 1912 the young lady would turn twenty.

It was only a year before she would marry the man she was supposed to be with in life, which was Earnest August a man who was currently the heir to the Duchy of Brunswick. And yet Bruno had heard no mention of her engagement to the man.

Needless to say it was not surprising when he found the young woman surrounded by various other German ladies of high noble heritage. These young women who were the same age or younger than the Prussian Princess gave Bruno complicated expressions, that is until they ignored them entirely and spoke to the woman he had come to see.

"Your highness, your father said that you have some sort of grievance with me... Is that true? If so, can I know what I have done to offend you?"

The various noble ladies broke out into fits of giggles, being well accustomed to hearing the young Prussian Princess express her grievances with the man she had formed a crush on much earlier in her life.

However, she was quick to give them the evil eye, before dismissing them from her presence entirely with an authoritative tone and aura Bruno was not expecting to witness.

"Leave us..."

The various young noble ladies curtseyed before the Princess and Bruno alike before fleeing while laughing and whispering among themselves all sorts of gossip. Once they were gone, Princess Victoria-Louise gave Bruno a stern gaze before speaking to him in an almost commanding tone.

"Take a walk with me... And no, I won't accept your refusal. I want you to listen to my story as this... This may very well be my last chance to speak my mind..."

Bruno took one look back at the glimmering lights in the background as the young Princess motioned towards a staircase which led out of the palace and into the palace gardens below. Which though covered in snow, were no less beautiful beneath the wide and starry moonlit sky above.

Because of this, Bruno nodded his head and agreed to follow the Princess into the great outdoors, even if she was not dressed for the part.

As the two trudged through the snow, after exiting the venue of the party, Victoria-Louise damn near slipped on the snow and ice which coated the walkway, causing Bruno to grasp hold of her arm and steady her against him. All while scolding her as if she were some clumsy child.

"Be careful! Your father would have my head if anything happened to you on my watch..."

Though Bruno couldn't see it as the Princess cast her face away from his gaze, there was a bitter smile on her face. As if she were compelling herself to enjoy what she knew would be the last conversation she had with the man alone together.

After consciously coming to this conclusion, she stopped dead in her tracks, even as Bruno walked beyond her reach, causing the man to turn around and look at the severe expression on the Princess's regal face.

He was about to say something, even if he wasn't sure what when she commanded him to stop, before giving him a piece of her mind.

"Not a word... Not until I have said everything that needs to be said..."

Bruno, having finally come to the conclusion that he must have somehow, someway serious hurt the young woman bit down on his tongue even though he wanted to defend his ignorance. Instead of nodding as it was clear to him this was a royal decree. One which he could not disobey.

It took the princess several moments to gather her thoughts, and in the end she broke out into a bitter laugh, while shaking her head, sighing heavily, almost as if she wanted every gasp of breath to exude from her lungs before she finally shared her thoughts, and finally she opened with an insult to the man.

"You have to be the single dumbest, yet brilliant man I have ever met in my life, did you know that? Were you even the slightest bit aware of how I? How we all felt throughout all these years? I mean it was abundantly clear to your wife... But I don't think you ever really figured it out, did you?"

Victoria-Louise was correct. Bruno had never once had a single inclination that he had left an impression on the various princesses he had come into contact with over the years. One that in their young and impressionable minds made him the object of their affections.

Because of this, Bruno was quick to confirm he had no idea what the Prussian Princess was talking about, even if he could surmise when she used terms like "We" and "Us" she was referring to Olga, Sakura, and Hedwig.

"I'm sorry. What precisely are you referring to?"

After realizing it was true that Bruno was not pretending, he genuinely never once considered the various princesses as a possible romantic interest, and rightfully so considering the age gap between them. She shook her head once more, before kicking the snow beneath her feet in an act of immature indignation.

"If only I had been born a decade earlier... Maybe then... Maybe it would have been me and not Heidi... But fine... Since you can't seem to figure it out, I will say it outright, you were my first crush... And it's not just me, Olga, Sakura, and Hedwig all feel the same way.

And like the stupid little girls that we were we all clung onto the idea that maybe, just maybe one day you would see us as woman. But you never did. We were always just children to you. Even now I can see the look on your face, as if you can't comprehend it.

Whatever... It's too late now. By this time next year I will be married to a man far beneath you in terms of quality. Perhaps at one point he would have been able to boast that his lineage was greater than yours, but you are Prince now, even if it is a Prince in Russia, and he is a mere Duke...

My father worries too much. I have already accepted my fate, my place in this world. He thinks I will foolishly reject the betrothal he has arranged for me because of some childish fancy I once held for you. But I am glad he had enough foresight to have you seek me out so I could vent to you about all of my frustrations...

I suppose it was simply never meant to be..."

Princess Victoria Louise had not even allowed Bruno to respond, she picked up the bottom of her dress and began to walk back to the venue, all the while snow began to fall from the sky once more, the dark clouds of winter had during her rant covered the moonlight above and replaced it with darkness.

The only source of illumination were the lamp posts stationed in the garden, of which Bruno stood nearby as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and began to smoke in silence. He could tell by the trail being indented in the snow that the Princess had begun to cry, and because of this he made one last remark to her before walking off himself.

"You know... I didn't lie to you... That one time in the garden when we shared tea together... I really am I man from the future... Or at least I have the memories of such a life. It was never my destiny to become a Prince of legend, and marry into the Royal Family.

That is not the cross in which I must bear. I am no monarch, no philosopher king who will usher in a new era of prosperity for the German people. I am a soldier, whose singular purpose in this life is to ensure that the Reich survives the turbulent era which is to come.

Don't feel too bad... There was simply never a chance for us be together... God made sure of that from the moment he brought me into this life... And if it makes you feel any better, you are the only person I have ever told this, even Heidi doesn't know the truth..." After saying this, Bruno walked off, not saying another word to the Princess. He was, after all, bewildered by the sudden confession and had nothing to say other than he never felt that way about her. At most, she was like a niece to him, one which he felt an obligation to protect.

As for Victoria-Louise, she broke out into a fit of giggles while wiping the last tears she would ever shed over this matter from her eyes. She didn't know which of the two of them was more insane. The madman preaching false prophecy, or the Princess crazy enough to believe him.

All she could do was turn around and gaze upon Bruno's backside as he walked away in the snow, making a comment about what he had said in a whisper so low the man could not

possibly hear her.

"Godspeed, soldier..."