Chapter 385: A Wedding in the Wake of Winter Part II
After the wedding itself had been concluded, Bruno’s family and their multitude of guests retired to his grand estate to engage in celebration. The bride and groom had begun their traditional waltz on the dance floor, as the attendees watched with varying and complicated expressions on their faces.
Bruno was a man who had come from a young noble house; through iron and blood, they had established their prominence over the course of the last century—born in steel and fire during the Napoleonic Wars and later cemented in the unification of the German Reich as masters of industry and military command.
Now, the current generation had risen to such heights that the house had earned the title of Counts. That was, of course, the primary branch, but Bruno’s cadet branch held even greater titles—Grand Princes in Transylvania and Princes in Russia. Because of this, the young boy who would become a man this night was of significant noble heritage, even if the age of his house was not as grand as its recent elevation in status.
Yet he was marrying an orphan girl from Russia—something that reflected a new and increasingly common tradition among the lower nobility, even as they ascended to the greatest heights. Morganatic marriages were becoming more prevalent, and to many of the old nobles from ancient houses, some of which predated even the mighty Kingdom of Prussia, this was a troubling development.
To Bruno, however, it was simply the natural evolution of the world, nothing to fear. In time, many people of lower birth would rise to nobility through their own merit. But to others who watched in silence, this was a sign that their power was waning.
Because of the complex and varied backgrounds of the gathered guests, their reactions were as diverse as the houses which they hailed from. But this was not a concern for the bride and groom.
Rather, for Erwin and Alya, there was no one else in the room but the two of them as they lovingly embraced and danced across the floor. Midway through the set, Alya placed a hand on her young groom’s head and balked in disbelief.
"Since when did you grow so tall? Last I remember, you were just an adorable little boy clinging to my skirt!"
Erwin could only chuckle, shaking his head as he leaned in, whispering intimately to the older woman he had just married. His words were both teasing and gentle, carried by the soft breeze that brushed against her delicate, pale ears.
"It’s not my fault you haven’t been paying attention..."