Upon returning home from his first day at the Prussian War College, Bruno wanted nothing more than to collapse into his bed and get a good night’s sleep. But would Heidi allow the man to get some rest without properly filling his stomach?
Not at all. Like a proper wife, she ensured her husband’s health was maintained. And because of this, she greeted Bruno at the door with a liter of beer in one hand and a plate of food in the other.
Even Bruno had to admit, as exhausted as he may be, the platter of schnitzel, fried potatoes, and spaetzle was more than enough to convince him to eat a meal with his woman. Though the two of them were Prussian, Heidi was well versed in any number of regional German cuisines and how to properly prepare them.
And she herself had a particular love of South German recipes like those commonly found in the Grand Duchy of Baden, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the Archduchy of Austria. She had spent many years of her life perfecting the art of cooking, in preparations for the day she and Bruno were properly married.
And now that the two of them were living such a life, she could finally watch the man happily devour the food which she had prepared for him. Naturally, Bruno was happy to have a home cooked meal made for him by a beautiful woman. Because of this, he ate with a sense of gusto, while complimenting Heidi on her efforts.
“I’m going to cry the next time I get deployed and I have to subsist off of army rations… You have ruined me for any cooking but your own… I hope you’re proud of yourself!”
Heidi was indeed proud to hear such praise from her husband, but she was quick to switch the subject to his first day at the Prussian War College, and whether or not he was having a difficult time.
“So, how was your first day? Are the classes as hard as I have heard that they are?”
Bruno was quick to shake his head while washing down the food in his gullet with a taste of beer. He then dug back into the Jager schnitzel that his wife had prepared for him, while answering her in between bites.
“Not at all, but I have long since mastered such subjects. If anything, what they are teaching me is a mere refresher of what I have already memorized since childhood.”
Heidi was not surprised in the slightest by this. Though Bruno had long since disguised his intelligence as being inferior to what it really was. She alone was aware of this fact even if he had never outright told her. Well, that was besides the man’s father who he had recently revealed this secret to.
Because of this, she knew with absolute certainty that Bruno would be among the graduates. And would probably be the most excellent graduate of the Prussian War College who had ever attended its hallowed halls.
Hence why she responded with a loving smile and a verbal expression of her confidence in the man she loved.
“I’m glad to hear that. I know that you will graduate with perfect marks when the time comes to do so!”
Bruno nodded his head while continuing to focus on his meal. He would later that night climb into bed with his wife at a respectable hour, before repeating the same process the next day.
Captain Leon Sinclair had returned home to France, a month or two after the Germans announced their withdrawal from China altogether. His time in the region was a valuable learning experience, but even then, he was not exactly pleased with the results that the French Colonial Army had achieved.
After all, they relied on German advisors to seek out and destroy the remaining rebels within their area of responsibility. To Leon, who was a Revanchist to the core of his being, this was an utter humiliation to the French nation and its people.
Even if General Frey, and several officers under his command, Leon included, were awarded with medals for their contributions to the campaign, Leon took no pride in the bit of ribbon and metal that had been pinned to his chest.
Life in France following the Boxer rebellion was roughly the same as it was in the rest of Europe. Nobody knew that in the following decade one of the world’s most tragic wars would take place. And Leon continued on with his military career in the day, while perusing the streets of Paris and the loose women within them at night.
Leon wasn’t just Bruno’s opposite insofar as he was a French Military Officer, while Bruno was German. Personality wise, and politically, the two were as far apart as can be. Bruno was a man of staunch tradition, and a fervent monarchist. His loyalty was to his family first, then his people, and finally his nation.
This was reflected in his objectives for this new life. Insofar as he planned to aid Germany in the upcoming Great War, not only to secure German hegemony in the following century, but to preserve the monarchy and its traditional way of life.
Leon, on the other hand had no family to speak of. His father died in the war of 1871, and he had never settled down with a wife of his own. Preferring the company of loose women and wine rather than the more conservative life which Bruno embodied.
In addition to this, Leon’s political views were on the opposite side of the spectrum as Bruno. Whereas Bruno was all about “Kaiser, Gott und Vaterland.” Insofar as although he may be secular to the point of being atheistic in practice, he still supported the Church and its role in society.
Leon however was not just atheistic, but anti-religious in general. In addition to this, he had many views that were sympathetic towards the Marxists in France, and the radical rhetoric which they espoused.
The man was hedonistic to his core, spending his paycheck on prostitutes and wine, rather than Bruno who used his money to provide for his wife and unborn child. Tonight was no exception. He was wasting away in a pub with a few of his fellow soldiers. All the while complaining about what had happened in China to men who had yet to see actual combat.
“You have no idea the humiliation we suffered over there… General Frey should be hanged as a traitor to the Republic! He requested a German advisor to support our efforts. And it was this so-called Wolf of Prussia who led our forces to victory over the Boxer Remnants, not our actual general!”
The other French Officers by Leon’s side were not nearly as intoxicated as he was. Nor did they fully share his sympathies. Believing the man was exaggerating. And were quick to express this sentiment to his face.
“Would you relax? It was a mere colonial scuffle! Who the hell cares if General Frey sought the insights of a German Officer for aid in putting down the rebels? What matters is the fact that we won. It’s not like we are currently at war with the Germans. On the contrary, we were temporarily aligned with the Germans and several other nations in China.
It is only natural to seek aid from your allies in a time of war. Especially if they have already dealt a death blow to the enemy in their own area of occupation. You’re letting your hatred for the Germans cloud your perspective.
Anyway, Leon, you take care of yourself. My wife will kill me if I stay out late again with the both of you. I’ll see you tomorrow at the base, alright?”
Leon did not say a word, and merely glared at his friend. The man was married and already had several small children? Something Leon simply scoffed at. As he took another swig from his wineglass. The other officer who was with him expressed a similar sentiment, leaving the Captain to stew in his own hatred.
He would show them. Those damned Germans! The French would have their vengeance for 1871, and the Alsace-Lorraine would be returned to its rightful owners! Within his lifetime, he would see the banners of France waving over the disputed territory once more, or he would
die trying!
Because of this, he paid his bill, and drunkenly wandered off into the streets of Paris, looking for another random woman to warm his bed for the night. Bruno may not know it, but his actions in China had thoroughly outraged the French Officer, one who vowed to make it his life’s work to counter Bruno’s own desires.
Whether Leon would prove to be a worthy adversary, or would fall by the wayside like so many of Bruno’s other enemies. Only time would tell. The future, after all, was not set in stone, and Bruno’s actions so far had already changed how things were destined to play out. The certainty of an Entente victory in the Great War had become a mere memory of the man’s past
life.