While Heidi was making every possible preparation for the family’s vacation to Saint Petersburg, which was where the Tsar’s Winter Palace was, which was the primary residence of the House of Romanov. Bruno had found himself back at work, where he immediately requested time off to attend the ball which the Tsar was throwing for some ceremonial reason or another.
Because of this, Bruno’s request first went to the Chief of Staff, who passed it off to the Kaiser. And the result was an invitation to the Kaiser’s palace. Because of this, Bruno was escorted out of the headquarters belonging to the Central Division of the German Army’s high command, and was brought to the Kaiser’s palace, which he had visited on three prior occasions in his life.
Once as a teenager where he defended his fiancée’s honor against a prince who dared to sully her name. And twice when coming back from war as a way to personally debrief the Kaiser on what he had been up to.
Bruno would now be stepping foot into the home of the German Reich’s foremost monarch to address his request for a temporary leave of absence. Why did the Kaiser wish to speak to Bruno personally about this matter?
Well, the man had few ideas, and because of this, he was on his best behavior when he finally stood in front of the Kaiser, saluting the Monarch as he waited for a response. Kaiser Wilhelm was in a rather jovial mood and immediately dismissed Bruno’s need to stand during the ceremony.
“Oh, come now, Bruno. This is the fourth time I have invited you to my home. If I had you stand on every time you visited, it would be woefully inappropriate. Not to mention this isn’t a formal meeting, or a matter of your duty to the fatherland. Rather, I asked you here for a personal request, and I assure you it is by no means mandatory to accept.”
Bruno gave the Kaiser a glance that said he did not remotely trust that the man was actually making a personal request of him, and instead suspected it was indeed an order to be carried out, even if the man claimed otherwise.
The accusatory glance did not offend Wilhelm. Rather, it caused the man to break out into laughter and make a joke about Bruno’s gesture.
“Yes, yes, I know all about your paranoid nature. Quite frankly, with how much you mistrust the world and those around you, I can’t help but wonder how your wife puts up with you. Even so, I feel the need to ask now that this opportunity has befallen you.
I of course, have known for some time now that Nicholas granted you the status of nobility for your heroic actions during that dreadful business. And it is no doubt because of this that he wants to parade you around as the hero of Russia and its people.
Though he offers you this invitation on friendly terms, I suspect you are aware that he has ulterior motives in doing so. Nicholas wants to drag you and your family closer to Russia. You are, after all, a rare talent when it comes to the field of command.”
Bruno once more cast an accusatory glance at the man, causing him to quickly change his trajectory of speech with a forced cough. As he knew all too well what his general was thinking at the moment.
“Don’t misunderstand me. Unlike some of your peers, I have no doubts of where your loyalties truly lie. Rather, I have come to ask you to allow Nicholas to lure you to his side. The closer you are to the Tsar and the House of Romanov, the easier it will be to convince them to settle their differences with the Habsburgs and join together with us.
Although it breaks my heart to think that war will break out between the Great Powers of the world, I can’t help but fear that as the days pass, and this great Earth of ours plunges further into chaos that your more cynical nature in this regard is proving more correct as the years go by.
You have noticed by now that I have begun building fortifications in the west? According to our spies in France, this has provoked them into formulating a proper invasion plan of the German Reich. And though I can’t help but feel slightly responsible, I know that this would have occurred sooner or later than we ourselves were making such preparations.
So, it is critical that you pull the Tsar and the Russians over to our side. Especially now that you have some renown among their empire and its people. So, will you do this for me? Will you allow Nicholas to woo you and grow close to him as a friend of the House of Romanov?”
The Kaiser seemed anxious, as if Bruno might reject his offer. Frankly, Bruno did not know why he looked this way. It was only logical to do exactly what the man had asked of him. Hell, even if the Kaiser didn’t personally request this of him, Bruno would have done it, anyway.
It was expedient to his overall ambitions, after all, to gain the Tsar’s favor and that of his family. Still, why did everyone act as if Bruno was some kind of anti-social shut-in who would rather stand at the edge of the party snacking on the Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails than he would converse with the House of Romanov!
Did he really have such a dreadful image in the minds of society? I mean, sure, would he rather be at home with his family than at some fanciful gathering of nobility? Absolutely, but it was not as if he went out of his way to shy away from such things when they were required of him.
Perhaps the way Bruno was insulted by the Kaiser’s insinuations had given the man the wrong impression as he sighed heavily, and was just about to say something when Bruno ultimately cut him off.
“I’ll do it…”
At first, the Kaiser had thought that Bruno rejected him and was quick to speak in this regard.
“Yes, yes, I feared as much. Well, thank you for—What did you just say?”
Bruno looked at the German Emperor with an almost livid expression as he struggled to bite his tongue and prevent him from saying what he really thought, while again confirming that he had agreed to the man’s request.
“I said I’ll do it… I don’t know why you all have such a dreadful impression of me, but I planned to do exactly as you have requested of me from the start. Quite frankly, this meeting was unnecessary, but if it eases your worries, then I have no qualms about accepting your request. It is, after all, the logical thing to do in this situation…”
Bruno didn’t even realize it, but by asserting that approaching the Tsar with intent to build a relationship with him and his family out of some hidden ambition to drag Russia into the Central Powers was an act of logic, rather than manipulation and guile was exactly why so many people had such a dreadful impression of him.
And the Kaiser looked at the man as if he had just explained himself why so many people thought of him as some kind of cruel, capricious, and ruthless being whose social skills were about as cold as ice. Even so, the Kaiser broke out into a smile and patted Bruno on the back rather joyfully, as if they were long-time friends.
“Right, that is exactly what I expect of my favorite general! Now that is out of the way. I won’t stand in your way any longer. Your request for a temporary leave of absence is granted as this diplomatic mission of yours is itself far more important than whatever it is you do at the office all day.
Oh, and tell that level wife of yours that I said hello. I will never forget the day you so boldly slapped that foolish little prince in the face and defended your woman’s honor. It was truly the spectacle of a lifetime!”
Bruno honestly felt a slight sense of pride well up in his chest upon being reminded of his youthful chivalry. He had taken up the sword in defense of his fiancee’s honor, and an act that he knew Heidi still remembered quite vividly to this day.
In fact, Bruno could have sworn that at one point he walked in on his wife while she was telling his young daughters a bed-time story that was about that fateful day, a day that had forever changed Bruno’s trajectory in life.
Because of this, he thanked Wilhelm for his statements, and assured him that his wife would be pleased to know that she was in the Kaiser’s thoughts.
After which he stepped out of the room, where he was just about to exit the Kaiser’s palace altogether when a pair of dainty hands wrapped themselves around his eyes, with the youthful whisper of a teenage girl flowing past his ears.
“Guess who!?!”
