Re: Blood and Iron

Some days were easier than others... Coping with what he had done, the mistakes he had made, even when he had such overwhelming knowledge of the past, present, and future. It was a heavy burden, one whose weight sought to crush Bruno’s very will.

But the past could not be undone, sure there was an opportunity that he had completely neglected, perhaps because he was so sure of his foresight, and knowledge of how the future would play out, but to wallow on it, and to continue to suffer in silent misery? That was not an option.

Erich’s death had been a heavy blow, one briefly suppressed by the need to finish the war with France. Only now, re manifesting in subtle ways that only those closest to Bruno would truly comprehend.

For starters, his appetite seemed to have shifted. A man once known for happily eating every scrap of food on the plate which was served to him, especially if the meal just so happened to be cooked by his beloved wife, and not the kitchen staff that day, had begun to pick at his food throughout meals, eating at best a fourth of what remained.

Then there was the lack of drinking... While Bruno had largely resolved his excessive alcoholic intake, aside from a few small moments of either celebration or lament, he had always enjoyed a liter of beer with his dinner.

Yet for the life of him, he could not be compelled to even pour himself a glass. No, something was wrong... And naturally his wife detected this immediately. At first, she tried to give him space to figure out and process whatever was bothering him.

But as the weeks passed, and their eldest son’s wedding quickly approached, she realized perhaps an intervention on her part was needed. Because of this, Bruno suddenly found himself confronted by Heidi during a random encounter within their large, palace like estate.

She was sitting in his office, waiting for him. Something she had never done before. And she was seated in his chair no less. It was important to note that Bruno never allowed anyone into his private fortress of solitude without expressing permission. This extended to his villa’s staff, as well as his wife.

But today the woman had invited herself into the hidden abode, and sat directly in Bruno’s spot, waiting for his eventual arrival. Only she knew how long she had been sitting there, passing the time god knows how.

In the end, Bruno was too tired to lecture the woman on her violation of the boundaries he had set years in the past, nor did he care that she had stolen his personal seat, a violation of his territorial nature. And that was what drove Heidi over the edge, instantly sighing, and shaking her head before expressing her true thoughts aloud.

"When a hound refuses to eat, it becomes a matter to worry over, but when he refuses to put up the slightest resistance to the invasion of his territory? That’s when you know something is seriously wrong.... What has happened? Is it the war?"

Bruno did not immediately speak, instead sitting down in one of the two chairs that lie before his desk always there for the potential visit of guests into his home. It was as if he were a stranger in his own home office.