Chapter 315: Memento Mori
In a rather anachronistic display, banners were placed around the entry gates of Castle Bran, banners which bore the new coat of arms of House von Zehntner-Siebenbürgen. Which was the cadet branch that Bruno was now the official head of.
He had, after all been born the 9th son of a Junker from Prussia, but here in Transylvania Bruno was a Grand Prince. It was only natural a Cadet Branch was formed to properly distinguish the two houses from one another.
And as was per tradition, the new coat of arms included elements from the previous one. That being his family’s eagle heraldry. And its colors waved brilliantly with the spring wind. Bruno found these days to be rather peaceful.
No war, no bloodshed, no chemical gas, or endless sounds of death and despair to keep him awake in the dead of night. All that remained was peace, and a quaint old town that was almost something straight out of a fantasy game.
But these peaceful days did not last long. As soon enough, he received an official summons from the German Army. He was to report to Berlin so that the 8th Army could properly mobilize and begin its assault within the Alps.
Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg’s plans had resulted in a failure. The city of Luxembourg was not only seized by the Allies, but its boundaries were fortified with the latest weapons the Allies had designed to combat German advances.
Resulting in for the time being, a stalemate, as the Western Front deemed taking back what had been lost in this disaster of a failed strategy too costly to bear for the time being. After all, there was no reason to be hasty and push the Allies out of Luxembourg when they themselves were not continuing with their advance.
With this in mind, Paul von Hindenburg was called back to Berlin to be thoroughly chastised by his superiors for what he had done. While August von Mackensen was relocated from the Alpine theater to the Western Front as its new commander.
It was an honor he did not desire, as he personally wanted to witness Bruno’s machines of war tear through the Italian fortifications like heavy cavalry would have done in the preceding century. But that was not his fate, instead he would watch the defenses in the west while Bruno once more went on the offensive.
And by all means, by the time Bruno arrived in Berlin to regroup with his men, the only thing that had not yet been transported to Tyrolean alps were the men who would be fighting the war.