Chapter 89: Well Deserved Awards for Distinction in Combat
For some time now, Bruno had been avoiding visiting the Tsar. But as he continued to prove himself in battle on behalf of the Tsar, the man continued to insist on meeting with him. There was only one reason for this. The Tsar wanted to properly reward Bruno for his efforts.
The war was being fought on multiple fronts and had seen extensive casualties of over half a million on both sides. Bruno was responsible for victories in two major campaigns: the Ingria Campaign, which started with the Siege of Saint Petersburg-a Russian victory only due to Bruno's arrival with the Iron Brigade - and the Volga Campaign, which again was a victory attributed to Bruno and his Iron Division, first with the Siege of Tsaritsyn, then with the extermination of Bolshevik forces throughout the region.
His contributions to the war effort were extensive, and by all means, he had earned multiple awards—all of which the Tsar had been desperately trying to pin to his chest, if only to appear as if he was actually doing something in the media.
But such concerns could wait until peacetime. Right now, it was war, and frankly, Bruno did not want to waste precious time on these affairs until after he had rooted out and eliminated the two remaining leaders of the Bolshevik revolution, who were hiding from him at the moment.
However, what Bruno wanted was secondary to what the Tsar wanted. And because of this, Bruno found himself being yelled at by the Kaiser, whose words essentially boiled down to: "Stop being a bitch and accept your medals!"
As a result, Bruno found himself on a train to Siberia, where the Tsar was unofficially hiding until the war concluded. Bruno was not necessarily aware of what awards he would be granted, but considering his position as a foreign general, volunteering to fight on behalf of the Tsar, he had a pretty good idea of at least one.
Of course, nothing could prepare Bruno for what he would receive in recognition of his service to the Russian Empire and the House of Romanov. Bruno entered the palace where the Tsar was hiding, dressed in a freshly cleaned and pressed military uniform.
However, it was not the uniform of the Iron Division he was wearing. Rather weirdly-or at least from Bruno's perspective-the Tsar had prepared a uniform of the Imperial Russian Army for him. In hindsight, this should have been an indicator of just how prestigious the awards he was about to receive were.
But Bruno honestly thought this was a mere stunt for the media. Nevertheless, he accepted the Tsar's "request" and wore the Russian uniform to the grand ceremony held in his honor.
The House of Romanov, in its entirety, stood proudly before Bruno, who was flanked on all sides by an elaborately dressed Russian honor guard. Along with the honor guard, there were several Russian generals and admirals of note in the background, all staring at Bruno with various gazes.