Chapter 240: Serbia Surrenders
The streets of Belgrade were a constant reminder of what had once been and what would never be. The fog of mustard gas had long since been purged from the city, and its inhabitants were buried in mass graves outside of its boundaries.
Over a hundred thousand people had died here if you included the elements of the army who stood in its defense, as well as the citizens located within. Their souls were forever tortured by the miasma of poison which choked their lives out of existence and with no warning no less.
From the highest king, to the lowliest rat, not a single being, human or otherwise had been spared the extermination that had taken place here. But months had passed since then, and the war in Serbia had come to an end as the year 1914 came to its final weeks.
Kaiser Wilhelm II, Emperor Franz Joseph I, Tsar Nicholas II and King Constantine I of Greece all sat together in the same room across from the representatives of the temporary military junta which at this moment were the de-factor rulers of the Kingdom of Serbia.
The only other people present in the city were soldiers of the Imperial Powers, who had since branded themselves as the Central Powers with Greece's entry into the war, as Greece was not an Empire, and instead a minor power throwing their weight in with the big three European Imperial Dynasties.
Thus bringing things full circle, as the faction which Germany had been a part of in this life, was rebranded with the same name as it had in his past life. The only other person privy to these discussions was none other than Bruno himself, who stood in the corner with his newly pinned medals.
The ribbon of his Iron Cross first class, was worn with the clasp of the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, which consisted of a golden crown with cross swords pinned to the fabric that was adorned across his top button.
In addition to this, Bruno had his Iron Cross First class pinned to his left breast beneath his heart, and the multitude of German military medals above it. Whether that was his initial China Medal from his participation in the Boxer Rebellion, his Iron Cross Second Class, or his Cross of the Iron Division Second class.
These awards were all pinned precisely where they should be beneath his greatcoat, which covered their brilliance. The only other visible award was his Cross of the Iron Division First Class, which hung from the neck beneath his collar and proudly displayed the insignia of his rank as a Generalfeldmarshall.
Bruno sat silently on the windowsill, smoking outside of its open panes, which allowed the cold snow and winter air into the room, while the various leaders argued about terms of surrender. Serbia stood proudly, albeit foolishly as they debated with their conquerors about appropriate terms of surrender that benefited them.