Archduchess Hedwig was the granddaughter of Franz Joseph I, she had of course been invited to this gathering to honor the German Kaiser’s personal representative, and the general tasked with leading the Military Exercises in the alps that would be conducted within the next few days.
Though only currently roughly ten years of age, she had an almost innate understanding of people and their character. The expressions worn on one’s face were often contrary to their nature. Liars and murderers often wore the kindest of smiles.
Perhaps it was because she had grown up in the Royal palace, which was rife with ambitious men, and treachery around every corner that the girl had gained a rather unique ability to understand people better than they often understood themselves And this was why she became interested in Bruno the moment she laid eyes upon the man.
Bruno was, to put it simply, different from anyone she had ever met before. He did not conceal his true goals or ambitions behind a false mask of kindness. In fact, his expression was actually hard for her to read.
Because Bruno was a man who seldom expressed any emotion. For the most part, he was stoic, emotionless, cold, and callous. There were many terms to explain it. But it was as if he simply could not be compelled to express emotion.
Even when he spoke with such passion for hunting down the Marxists of the world wherever he may find them. The man’s face was as cold as a stone wall during the dead of winter. It was his eyes which expressed his fury.
Still, Hedwig did not directly approach the man. She frankly didn’t have the opportunity to do so, as all her aunts, uncles, and cousins had forced their way to speak with the personal representative of the German Kaiser.
A man of such infamy that even the court of the Austrian Kaiser had long since heard his name. Throughout the day Hedwig could only watch afar and listen to what Bruno said, trying to learn more about the man, who was so different from everyone else around her.
It was only at dinner that she was finally able to get a word in. After Bruno had spoken to her relative, the young archduke named Karl, who would one day be the next Kaiser, though nobody other than Bruno realized it yet.
Bruno had spoken of war, warning the man that one day, should he find himself in a position to make war, it was better to solve things peacefully if it was at all possible. But while he spoke of war as if it were hell, something that was deeply contrasted to the way the old Generals spoke of it, as if it were some honorable and glorious thing.
It was only then that Hedwig had understood why Bruno was so different from everyone else here in the court of the Austrian Kaiser. The old generals were men of privilege, almost exclusively from noble backgrounds during an era that pre-dated meritocracy.
Had they taken part in wars of the past? Certainly, but had they actually been on the front lines, risking life and injury for the sake of their Kaiser? Well, frankly, Hedwig doubted this. Bruno, however, spoke of war from the perspective not of some privileged noble general sitting in the rear echelon with a cup of tea in his hands while racking up medals and orders as if they were collectables.
Rather, he spoke of war as if he were actually a soldier in the field, having killed men with his own two hands, and lost friends along with them. When Hedwig noticed this, she immediately understood why he was so different from the old Generals who commonly paid her lip service while gallivanting around as if they were knights from some ancient lost Arthurian legend.
And the girl couldn’t help but break out into laughter after realizing the difference between the German General the Kaiser had selected to represent him in the upcoming Military Exercises, and her father’s own generals.
The girl’s inappropriate laughter during a rather grim moment of contemplation regarding the reality of war drew everyone’s attention. And even compelled her mother to apologize to Bruno on his behalf.
“Hedwig! Why are you laughing? Do you not understand what the General just said? I’m sorry sir, my daughter is still young, and doesn’t understand the severity of your words just now… Please forgive her!”
Bruno at first thought the girl might have remembered something in an inappropriate moment and laughed by pure coincidence at the wrong time. But when he looked at her, she was staring at him in a way that Bruno could not understand.
It was almost with admiration, something she did not seem to cast towards the Generals in her grandfather’s employ. And because of this, he was quick to shush the girl’s mother and ask Hedwig herself why she laughed just now.
“It’s quite alright your majesty, I’m not angry. In fact, I am curious. Just what did I say that was so funny?”
Hedwig could tell by the astute gaze which Bruno was eying her with that he more or less understood why she laughed, and she was quick to apologize to him, as it was indeed inappropriate in her response. She then explained why she had done so, much to the shock and anger of her family.
“I’m sorry, General, sir… I know I shouldn’t have laughed. And it was not necessarily at the grim nature of your conversation with my relatives. It’s just that I finally understood why you are so different from those old men who my father keeps as his generals.
Unlike those old codgers you have actually seen combat, right? I mean, you weren’t in the rear drinking tea while the men beneath your command fought, but you actually led them into battle, right?”
The old Austrian Generals were furious at what the girl had said, with many of their faces growing red with rage. They wanted to scold the young archduchess who had clearly spoken out of turn to insult them.
But before they could do so, Bruno smirked, showing the first expression of emotion on his face since he first entered the Hofburg. And in doing so he expressed his thoughts of the young Archduchess, gathering the attention of even the Austrian Kaiser as he did so, who had never really paid all that much attention to his granddaughter before.
“Did you figure all of that out from one single conversation? Yeah, you’re right, I have spent more than my fair share on the front lines of war. I am a veteran of three wars after all, and even in Russia I was there in the trenches, both in Saint Petersburg and Tsaritsyn.
I also led the efforts to capture the regions of Ingria and Volga after those sieges had ended. I doubt anyone in this room has more experience in combat than I do… So, knowing this, what is your assessment?”
Seeing how Bruno had given her permission to speak her honest thoughts, which was a rare occasion for her, and her grandfather himself seemed genuinely interested in the conversation between her and the foreign general. The girl broke out into an innocent smile and said her honest thoughts aloud, even if they were quite scandalous.
“Quite Frankly, if all of Germany’s generals are like you, rather than Grandfather’s generals. Then I’d say if a war ever broke out between the German Reich and the Osterreich, we would be wholly screwed…”
Bruno couldn’t help but break out into uncontrollable laughter as he heard this. He did so because the girl was one hundred percent correct. And her reasoning was a huge part of it. Austro-Hungary could be considered one of two nations during the Great War that were fighting to see who had the worst army in the world.
It was them and the Italians. Both of which were plagued by a number of problems, and one thing they shared in common in this regard was incompetent military leadership. Bruno had not been willing to say this to the Austrian Kaiser’s face, because it would be a major insult to him and his nation’s prestige.
But the young Archduchess was absolutely right about this, and he was quick to calm himself, seeing as how his laughter was about as inappropriate as the young girl’s remarks. Once he had done so, Bruno simply shook his head and patted the young girl’s head, assuring her that she really was brighter than she should be.
“Clever girl…”
Though Bruno’s affirmation of the girl’s outrageous and insulting statement did little in regard to establishing ties with the older generations of the Habsburg Dynasty, the military exercise in the coming days would prove Hedwig’s point.
Germany would display a disproportional amount of might despite being vastly outnumbered by the Austro-Hungarian forces. And perhaps because of this, Bruno might be able to correct at least some problems with their army in this timeline before the war breaks out.
And in doing so, maybe in this life Austro-Hungary might actually be able to pull its own weight during the war, rather than be carried hard by the German Army.
