Chapter 85: Letters from the Front
Having found out that the Royal Family of Bavaria had been the ones responsible for her mother's death. Heidi decided to ultimately drop the matter entirely. Though this information could be used to discredit the von Wittelsbach household and even suppress their autonomy, which they displayed as a result of the unification of the German Empire.
Heidi was ultimately not political. Nor was her loyalty directly to the Kaiser. Rather, her husband and her family came before any allegiance she may have to the German Reich. And it was out of fear of what the von Wittelsbachs would do to her husband and children if she dared press this matter that ultimately forced the woman to settle this matter entirely.
She knew now that her father, who she had held accountable for her mother's death for years, and hated as a result, was innocent. She also knew that the man's proposal of marriage between herself and Bruno had been an act to protect her.
And if these things were indeed correct, as she had seen evidence to support, then her father's actions in stalking Bruno when he was a young boy were done with her protection in mind. Had Bruno displayed such exceptional skills early on, skill that had the ability to change the very foundation of the German Reich, then the von Wittelsbach could have seen him as a threat.
Endangering not only himself, but Heidi, who he was engaged to. Heidi wanted to speak with her father to hear these words from the man personally. But to reach out to him now, after she had maintained her distance for years, would only cause further problems for herself and her family.
Even though her mother's death had been sudden and shocking, she could now let the matter go, knowing the truth, and find closure in the knowledge that her father was not the murderer. Because of this, Heidi spent her time at home, looking after her children, while exchanging letters with her husband who was safely in Saint Petersburg, monitoring his army's anti- guerilla operations from afar.
Life with Bruno away from home was something that Hedi never actually enjoyed all that much. Sure, she had her children to take care of, and since they were too young to go off to school, they were home constantly. But there was always a deep sense of anxiety within the woman whenever Bruno was away from her side for more than twenty-four hours.
Besides the fact that Bruno could actually get himself killed in Russia, there was also another dreadful idea that nagged in the back of Heidi's mind. What is some damn Russian strumpet tried to tempt her man? The very idea of such a thing made her want to do unspeakable things.
And though she didn't realize it, she would often vent these suppressed crazed thoughts unconsciously by cutting up the meat she was preparing for dinner a little too enthusiastically. Luckily for her, her children were too busy playing around the house to notice such abnormal behavior from their mother.
And while Heidi was cutting up strips of pork for tonight's dinner, the mail arrived, with a bundle of letters falling through the slot in the door. Naturally because she was cooking, Heidi didn't immediately realize this, until one of the kids ran by the door and noticed the pile of mail sitting about.