Re: Blood and Iron - Chapter 631: Home, at Last

Chapter 631: Home, at Last

The mountain air in Tyrol was crisp, clean, and sweetly pine-scented, a welcome contrast to the scorched heat of Arabia.

As Bruno stepped down from the aircraft, the last golden rays of evening cast long shadows across the estate’s private runway, nestled amid the jagged peaks and evergreen forests.

She was already there, of course.

Heidi stood just beyond the security line, wrapped in a deep green wool coat that complemented her blonde hair, already sporting hints of grey.

The years had touched her gracefully. Her figure was still statuesque, her posture proud, and her eyes retained the same sky blue fire that had once stopped court gossip dead in its tracks.

She smiled the moment she saw him and began walking forward with practiced poise, not rushed, but eager.

Bruno smiled and stepped forward to meet her halfway, arms opening instinctively.

“You’re late,” she teased gently as he embraced her, her voice a familiar balm to his travel-wearied nerves.

“Only by three minutes,” he murmured into her hair.

“Exactly,” she replied, tightening the hug before leaning back to inspect him.

Then came the part he always expected. Heidi tilted her head, narrowed her eyes, and leaned in just slightly… to sniff.

Bruno arched a brow, bemused.

“After fifty years of knowing one another,” he asked, “you still don’t trust me?”

“I trust you with my life,” she said without hesitation, voice low and silken. “It’s those perfumed little Arabian whortes who want a taste of my man I don’t trust.”

She leaned in again and gave a theatrical sniff near the collar of his coat. “Luckily,” she added with a raised brow and mock approval, “the stench of their seduction hasn’t followed you home.”

Bruno chuckled, slipping an arm around her waist as they began walking toward the car.

“I’ll be sure to let the concierge know to switch to a less suspicious cologne next time.”

She swatted him lightly on the chest. “Don’t you dare. I’ll find them anyway.”

“You always do,” he said, kissing her temple.

Heidi allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction, threading her gloved fingers through his.

“It was a peaceful trip,” he said after a pause.

“I know,” she replied. “You always look ten years younger after a flight with no bullets involved.”

“But a thousand new schemes were born at 30,000 feet,” he admitted.

“Of course they were,” she said. “That’s how I know you’re still alive.”

They reached the car, its doors opened by dutiful staff.

As Bruno turned to slide inside, he caught one last glance at the mountains, snow-kissed, ancient, and unmoved by time.

And as Heidi nestled beside him, her perfume unmistakably familiar and hers alone, he felt the warmth of home settle around him like a favored cloak.

He may have enjoyed his vacation to a more exotic and primeval part of the world. But there was truly no place like home in this life.

And now that he was back, he simply wanted to spend the day with his wife and family.

—

The chamber was nestled in a quiet corner of the palace, far from the eyes and ears of ministers, guards, or aides.

There lie a room Bruno had specifically built with his palace for himself and his wife. A sanctuary where the burdens of command were left at the threshold.

Soft amber light flickered from the stone hearth, casting dancing shadows against the dark oak-paneled walls.

The fire crackled gently, its warmth mingling with the rich scent of aged wood and slow-roasted game.

A single round table, polished walnut with carved lion’s feet, sat near the fire, set for two with silverware, porcelain plates rimmed in royal blue, and a crystal decanter of red wine breathing between them.

Bruno sat already in place, his overcoat hung neatly over the back of a nearby chair. He was dressed simply, like a common worker who had come home from a hard shift and dressed to relax. He looked… comfortable.

Heidi entered moments later, wearing a long cashmere robe over her evening dress.

Her hair, partially pinned, spilled in silvered waves over one shoulder.

She gave him a knowing look as she approached, that blend of affection, mischief, and pride only a woman of her age and confidence could pull off so effortlessly.

“You didn’t start without me?” she asked, eyes darting to the wine.

“I considered it,” Bruno replied, rising to pull out her chair, “but I’ve learned better than to tempt fate twice in one day.”

She smirked as she sat. “Wise man.”

They dined slowly. Duck with cherry compote, roasted potatoes, and asparagus prepared just how she liked them.

The conversation was quiet, meandering. Sometimes it was about the children and grandchildren.

Sometimes the weather in Arabia, and other times, often, about nothing at all. Just soft laughter and the occasional shared glance that said more than words could.

After the plates were cleared by discreet servants and the fire had been stoked again, Bruno poured two more glasses of wine. He handed hers over and raised his in a toast.

“To quiet moments,” he said.

Heidi clinked her glass against his gently. “To the ones that last.”

They sipped, silence stretching comfortably between them.

“Sometimes I wonder if the luxury was worth it all in the end… This is nice… but it still feels like it misses the warmth of our old home…” she said suddenly.

Bruno smirked, barely looking up from his meal as he continued to dig into the juicy venison schnitzel in front of him.

“Which one? Our first palace in Tyrol, or the old manor I was given on our wedding night?”

Heidi cast Bruno a pouty gaze, playful, not serious. They both knew exactly what she was referring to with her statement. Then a sigh. Short, but filled with a lifetime of regret.

Regret for another life that could have been.

“I know we needed such a home because of the station you rose to… But I do miss the old place…”

Bruno laughed and shook his head. Though he felt the same longing for their original home. A lament that resounded in his tone, confident as it may be.

“Well, that house was meant to be generational. My father gave it to me to help start our family, and I gave it to our son Erwin. In turn, he has given it to our grandson Erich, and his young bride Erika. Where they too will raise their own children in that home, at least during their formative years. I would say it has left a resounding impression across generations of our family. Even if we now live in a more… decadent state….”

Heidi could only roll her eyes, but her hand reached across the table and found his.

“You always do that…” he said, voice lowering.

She looked at him then. truly looked. Beneath the candlelight, there were new lines around his eyes, deeper shadows at the corners of his mouth.

But the fire in him was still there. Not raging as it once did… but glowing. Steady. Measured.

“You know, my love, you can enjoy the lavish lifestyle of a prince at least once in this life. If anyone has earned that right, it is you….” she said softly.

“I know,” he replied. “But no matter how many years pass, I can’t seem to come to terms with the man I am now, and the man who I was… then.”

They sat in silence again; the fire reflecting in their glasses.

Heidi was the only person in this world who truly knew who Bruno was.

And she loved him all the same.

But, she also knew it was because of that, the man had always had a hard time living in the moment, in this life. Instead of trying to prevent the horrors of the one he had already lived.

Then Heidi stood, circling the table slowly until she reached him. She leaned down, resting her hands on his shoulders, and kissed the top of his head.

“Say it to me once more… One final time….” she whispered. “This will be your last war… And when you come home, all of you comes home, to me, at last…. Swear it!”

Bruno looked up at her, and for a moment, the weight of history fell away. She wasn’t a princess, and he wasn’t a warlord, a statesman, or the architect of empires.

They were just two people, stubborn and scarred, who had endured the turning of the world together. Who had endured life together….

He took her hand, and she pulled him up from the chair.

“I swear to you… When this last war is over, I will hang up my epaulettes, and I will finally come home to you. You have waited long enough.”

Heidi smiled, leading him toward the hearth. His answer had been from the heart, without the slightest deceit; she could always tell.

“Sit with me by the fire. No war tonight. Just us.”

He followed.

And for a few blessed hours, that was enough.