It was not at all unusual for men of supreme military and political accomplishments to be granted with the highest echelons of nobility. For example, in 1871, after spending decades working to unite the German States into a single Empire, Otto von Bismarck was granted the title of Prince.
He was also later also given the title of Duke. Considering the man came from origins similar to Bruno, this was indeed a significant accomplishment. Bruno was now a Prince of Russia, a hereditary title that his family would hold in the Russian Empire so long as it lasted in this timeline.
This, of course, was more of a nuisance to Bruno than it was a boon. He after all was not exactly the gregarious type, in fact as much as he made fun of people back in Germany for assuming he would be the guy hiding in the back of the room at the bar and snack table, that was exactly how Bruno was intending to get away from the social butterflies of the Russian Aristocracy who would try to establish ties with him and his house.
Now that was simply unavoidable, as Bruno had come to learn the noble title, he had been granted for altering the course of history by winning the Russian Civil War on behalf of the House of Romanov was that of prince.
There would be nowhere for him to hide now that he was the center of attention. And that, of course, only compounded the fact that he would now have to dress in the uncomfortable and luxurious trappings of a proper nobleman, lest he bring shame to his family.
Hell, he would have to invest in the construction of multiple Estates one inside Prussia, and another in Russia. It was all a monumental headache for the man who preferred to live an inconspicuous and simple lifestyle.
Heidi, however, seemed rather excited, as did her daughters when they came to learn they were all literal princesses. Because of this, Bruno couldn’t really complain and was forced to endure the newfound attention he would no doubt be receiving.
As promised, the Tsar allowed Bruno and his family to walk through saint Petersburg. Much of it was still under reconstruction following the Siege which had damaged significant portions of its outskirts during the Winter which the battle took place in.
Prior to the Iron Division’s arrival and liberation of the city, the war was not going as planned for the Tsar, and the House of Romanov had fled in Exile to Siberia. It was only after Bruno appeared that the course of the war changed in the favor of the Loyalists.
And hence as Bruno walked through the streets of Saint Petersburg with his family, and a litany of bodyguards surrounding them, people would stop in the streets, recognizing the man, especially since he was still in uniform, and would thank Bruno for saving Russia from the tyranny of the Reds.
Heidi commented on the city as Bruno pulled out a pack of cigarettes, engaging in his filthy habit while Heidi ignored it entirely. Surely if she knew of the health risks associated with smoking, the woman would demand he stop. But because it would be many years before such a discovery was made, let alone became public knowledge, she simply treated it as if it were a normal thing.
Instead, pointing off to a nearby cathedral, its architecture grandiose and extravagant as she commented on how beautiful the city was.
“It always amazes me the small differences between various forms of baroque architecture! Saint Petersburg is truly a marvelous city, isn’t it, dear?”
Bruno didn’t say a word at first, instead he took a long drag of his cigarette as he gazed off towards the outskirts where the construction was still ongoing in certain less important areas of the city. He couldn’t help but let his pessimistic thoughts escape from his lips as he commented on the current state of Saint Petersburg.
“It was honestly more beautiful before the war….”
Heidi couldn’t help but pout as she looked at Bruno as if he were spoiling her fun. As for their children, they saw something which interested them and were about to run off when Heidi snapped out of her adorable state and instantly entered her protective state, grabbing the two girls who were about to misbehave and dragging them back in line.
“And where do you two think you are going? Did I give you permission to run off like that?”
Bruno smiled when he saw his wife disciplining his two daughters, as the little girls gazed up at him with pleading expressions, as if they were silently asking him to prevent their mother’s tyranny from taking over.
But Bruno simply shook his head at the two girls, because they were indeed at fault, and needed a proper scolding. Because of this, they both lowered their heads with sorrowful expressions, Eva being the first to do so, and Elsa, the younger of the two sisters, following her lead shortly thereafter.
“Sorry, mommy…”
After making sure the two girls knew what they had done wrong, Heidi turned to Bruno and made a comment about them.
“Every time! Every single time we take the girls out, they do something like this!”
Bruno, of course, couldn’t help but chuckle at the overprotective nature of the mother hen, before making a comment on her actions.
“Eh, it’s not the end of the world, with you nearby watching them like a foxhound. I’m sure they will be fine…”
This only caused the woman to pout once more than she whispered beneath her breath in a voice so low Bruno had not heard what she said.
“It’s because you keep spoiling them…”
After spending the day sightseeing throughout the Russian city, Bruno and his family finally returned to the Tsar’s palace, where they were not surprised in the least to see that new faces had arrived. After all, there were plenty of noble families from the Ingria region who would be the first to show up.
Other than Bruno, that is, who was given advanced notice considering the distance he had to travel to get to the city. It was no surprise that these noblemen and their families immediately came over to greet the Red Scourge.
Bruno quickly found himself surrounded by a variety of people he had no idea how to properly deal with. Sycophants and hypocrites were the two types of people Bruno hated most of all in the world. And unfortunately for him, much of the nobility were these two aspects combined. After all, kissing ass was a sure way to rise the social hierarchy, and many of the higher noblemen loved to be treated as if they were better than everyone else. Bruno, of course, hated this kind of speech, and was internally groaning the entire time.
Ultimately, Heidi’s more gregarious nature covered up for her husband’s antisocial attitude. Although even she began to become slightly unnerved when the female members of these families began to speak of how handsome and chivalrous her man was.
Interfering in these discussions by pointing out the fact that Bruno was already happily married and would not be seeking a mistress. Princess Olga, who was standing nearby with her mother, looked upon the murderous gaze Heidi was casting towards the oblivious Russian noblewoman who was congregating around Bruno and was quick to make a comment about Bruno’s relationship with his wife.
“I’m starting to get the feeling that it would be best to keep my distance from the prince and
his family…”
The Tsarina simply laughed and patted her young daughter on the head, saying some words that made the girl instantly blush and immediately protest.
“Remember Olga, all is fair in love and war!”
The young princess’s face became as red as a tomato as she quickly shook off her mother, and
denied she had any such feelings towards Bruno.
“Mom! It isn’t like that! I just really admire him for his….. Bravery!”
The Tsarina, however, seeing this as an opportunity to tease her oldest daughter, was quick to continue with these efforts until finally the girl stormed off, not wanting to endure her
mother’s taunts any longer.
Ultimately, Bruno and Heidi navigated the minefield that was socializing with the Russian Aristocracy as best as they could. Preventing them and their family from having any shame, while neither accepting nor promising any favors. Their ability to walk through the fire and remain unscathed had quickly gained the notice of the Tsar and his wife, who nodded their heads silently in approval.
