Chapter 5: The Cruelty of This World
Another three years or so passed since the day Bruno had cunningly sent the two largest nuisances in his life off to boarding school. He seldom saw Kurt or Ludwig after that. Only during the holidays, and there appeared to be a deep sense of fear in their eyes whenever their gazes met his.
It indeed took them a while to piece together that Bruno had effectively, and purposely sent them away to boarding school, more specifically the Royal Prussian Cadet Corps. It was the foremost military school for Prussian Youth. And graduating from it successfully garnered one and their family great esteem.
To graduate from the Cadet Corps was not a requirement to enter the Royal Prussian Main Cadet Institute. Which was the primary institute for educating future officers of the Prussian and later Imperial German armies. But those who graduated from the Cadet Corps generally were given more favorability when it came to admissions.
This may have eventually worked in the favor of Bruno's older brothers later in life, who were by no means capable of entering the Main Cadet Institute otherwise. But they would no doubt have a gruelling childhood as a result.
As for Bruno himself, he knew that he did not need to attend a military school in order to gain admission to the Main Cadet Institute, or the Prussian War College, for that matter. After all, in his previous life he had been a high-ranking Military Officer, one who after retirement was capable of being an instructor at the modern equivalent of the Prussian War College where generals were made.
Because of this, he was able to live at home in a peaceful environment, one which helped foster his growth. Over the years, Heidi would continue to visit his home, under the supervision of both of their mothers, and the two of them would grow much closer.
But despite all of this, Bruno had yet to be formally invited to the Prince's estate. Which was where his young fiancée resided. That is, until shortly after his tenth birthday. Bruno received a letter which conveyed such intent.
This was strange to the boy. Why wait all these years to do this? What was the Prince planning? It had been five years since he last saw the man, and foiled his plans to make his family look like a bunch of ill-mannered peasants.
And during this time Bruno had not heard his father complain about the Prince once. It was almost as if things were progressing swimmingly between their two families. Yet the fact remained, Bruno had not been invited out to the Prince's estate to personally meet his family until today.
As much as Bruno wanted to believe that there was some greater conspiracy going on in the background, and to avoid it if at all possible; he really had no choice but to answer the summons. And because of this, he arrived at the Prince's estate at the requested date.
The moment he arrived at the gates of the Prince's palace, Bruno began to understand the difference between a family like his, and a family like the one which Heidi belonged to. Everything that could possibly be gilded with gold was done so. Even the iron gates outside the estate's walls were covered in such a luxurious material.
The main building itself, which housed the Prince and his family, was significantly larger than Bruno's home. And his home was by no means small, especially when compared with the standards of the 21st century. It was, after all capable of housing a family of eleven in extremely luxurious conditions.