Re: Blood and Iron

Hours had passed through the dead of night as Bruno sat on a train by himself, heading in the opposite direction of the armored column that now moved under his command—rolling toward the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to bring stability, security, and the promise of order.

The journey was one of silent introspection. Promises made in passing. Battles fought to honor them. And the quiet, aching cost of duty fulfilled. Someone always burned.

That was the truth Bruno had learned over time. When obligations clashed, when honor demanded impossible decisions, there was no victory—only consequence. And though the gunfire had long since died away, the echo of each bullet still lingered in his mind.

He never let it consume him. Not fully. But it was always there—waiting. A grim shadow at the edges of peace. Such were the demons that persisted in every veteran's heart. A price to be paid by those who waged it.

These weren't thoughts he liked to dwell on. Not when there was still work to be done. And so, like every time before, Bruno pushed them aside.

And By the time Bruno returned home, the sun was high, casting golden rays over the Alpine range. The light filtered through the grand windows of his mountaintop estate, illuminating a palace that was equal parts fortress and a work of art.

Majestic. Regal. Imposing. But Bruno wasn't met with the glory or divine inspiration of god that morning. No—he was met with the quiet, simmering wrath of a housewife left alone with her thoughts while her husband vanished into the night to play knight-errant in some foreign land.

Heidi wasn't angry in the way others might expect. She trusted Bruno. He had never once given her reason to doubt his fidelity. She knew that no matter how many temptations the world threw at him, his heart remained unshaken. His love, like his duty, was unbreakable.

No, what kept her awake all night wasn't jealousy, or fear for his life—though once upon a time those things would have tormented her. What pained her now was something deeper: the knowledge that Bruno would once again sacrifice his own comfort, his own well-being, to uphold a promise made in a passing moment of chivalry.

Heidi sat in silence as the sun rose, wrapped in a nightgown and clutching something long-forgotten by Bruno: a delicate, opulent dress he had given her when they were teenagers, for a royal ball she could never have attended otherwise. She had kept it all these years, hidden away like a relic of their shared past.

Bruno stopped in his tracks when he saw her. Her face, bathed in sunlight, was serene but shadowed with sadness. The sight of that dress in her hands struck something in him, but the truth behind her sorrow remained elusive.

Quietly, Bruno walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her neck with the tenderness of a man long devoted. His voice was low and genuine.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, my love. The situation was urgent, and I had no time to explain. But I did nothing that would dishonor you. I love you to death, Heidi. You know that."

Heidi sighed and reached for her long-cold coffee. The silence between them stretched, heavy with the weight of unspoken things.

When she finally turned to face him, her expression was calm, but a single tear traced the curve of her cheek. She took his hands in hers, placing them against her face like a sacred ritual.

"I know that, Bruno. I know you would reject every siren the devil sent your way. That's not what haunts me."

Her voice wavered, soft and mournful.

"It's how much you suffer. How easily you throw yourself into the fire for promises made in passing. You led that charge tonight not because you had to, but because you promised. Even if you meant it in jest, you couldn't bear the thought of letting someone down.

And because of that, you were forced to hurt someone you swore to protect. I know what that does to you. I just want to know... why does it always have to be you?"

Bruno blinked. Of all the things he thought might weigh on her heart, this wasn't among them. He was a man of duty, of principles. Of vows. And now that those principles had wounded the person he loved most, he found himself without words.

Heidi saw the rare moment of confusion flash across his features and couldn't help but laugh softly. She squeezed his hand and led him gently toward the stairs, brushing off the dust and blood of war as if it were nothing more than a stray breeze.

"That's what I love about you,"

she said, her tone light but laced with bittersweet affection.

"You give and give and give. You never once consider that maybe someone else ought to fight for you for a change."

She stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked back; her smile tinged with weariness.

"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'd very much like to catch up on some sleep. Care to join me?"

Bruno finally smiled—a tired, knowing smile—and nodded.

"Of course. After the night I've had, I feel like I could sleep a thousand years. But I'll need a few minutes to clean up first. You wouldn't want a muddy stray in your bed, would you?"

Heidi laughed and tugged on his sleeve, pulling him close until some of the grime transferred to her gown.

"Well, I guess that means we'll just have to bathe together, won't we?"

They ascended the stairs, side by side, not like war heroes or rulers, but like two people desperately clinging to the peace between battles.

And when they finally collapsed into bed—clean, exhausted, wrapped in each other's arms—they slept the day away like irresponsible parents who'd forgotten their kingdom. Because, for just one morning, love was more important than duty.

And that, too, was a kind of courage.