Chapter 708: The Price of Prosperity
Henrietta stood side by side with the Indian emperor and his little sister as they gazed at the scene before them with solemn expressions. They were not the only party that was present in this location, as family members and friends of those who had given their life in service to the von Kufstein Dynasty mourned their loved ones.
The Princess of Germany could no longer smile as she gazed upon the ten thousand plus graves that existed within the Kufstein National Cemetary. This was a cemetery dedicated primarily to members of the Military.
However, it also acted as the permanent resting place for those engaged in intelligence, Law Enforcement, and any government uniformed service where a member gave their life in the line of duty. For many, they considered it the highest honor to be buried in this cemetery.
Though Berengar’s campaigns had been fought, and won with relatively few casualties, the reality was that the number of graves that existed in this cemetery acc.u.mulated with every conflict. The headstones of these men were marked with the Coat of Arms of the Von Kufstein Dynasty, which was now the Reichsadler of the German Empire as a show of thanks for giving their lives in pursuit of Berengar’s ambitions.
There were also other symbols engraved on the headstones, such as prestigious military awards for valor that were granted either in life or posthumously. The most common of these was the Iron Cross, which seemed to mark a large minority of the graves.
Aside from this, there was a special area dedicated to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which acted as a memorial for every man who had perished in service to the State in such circ.u.mstances that their body was unidentifiable, their corpse could not be recovered, or they were simply Missing in Action.
Priya gazed at the sight of the ma.s.sive graveyard with a hint of confusion in her teary eyes. There was only one question on the girl’s mind as she asked Henrietta for clarification.
“Why would you bring us to a graveyard?”
Henrietta was suffering as well, every time she visited this area she would become overwhelmed with various emotions, thinking about the price these men and women had paid for the continued growth and prosperity of the Empire. She had to settle her nerves with a deep breath before she could answer the girl’s question.
“Because I wanted you to see the price of prosperity. We did not achieve our current gains overnight, and we did not gain them without bloodshed. Most people come to the Empire, and see only what we have, not the price we paid to gain it. Every man and woman who has been interned in this graveyard gave their life in pursuit of a unified Germany and a prosperous state.
Thus, I decided the most apt way to end your tour of the city is to witness those brave souls who have perished so that we may all live a peaceful and plentiful life. Without the sacrifices that these men and women made, we would not be where we are today.”
Priya could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes and sobbed while clinging on to her brother. but Dharya stood still with a stoic expression. It was not that he was disrespecting the fallen, but he was mentally saluting those who had given their lives in pursuit of victory.
After everything he had seen on this tour that had blown his mind, the most shocking of all was the fact that a seemingly pampered princess like Henrietta would be moved to tears at the sight of those who paid the ultimate price to ensure that she, and everyone else in their civilization lived comfortable, and peaceful lives.
The truth was that Berengar had raised his sister well. Henrietta was not a princess who was locked away from the world in a palace of luxury. She went to school with the common girls. Many of her friends had lost fathers or brothers in the wars. She understood all too well the price of prosperity that had been paid for with the blood, sweat, and tears of the Austrian people. She also knew that she benefitted dearly from it all.
Dharya instantly had a newfound sense of respect for the German Princess, who clutched her heart with a bittersweet smile on her pretty face as she silently thanked those who had given their lives for the Reich. Without realizing it, Henrietta had begun to cry, before quickly wiping her eyes away, in fear that the two children would look down on her.
After taking a few moments to gain control of her emotions, Henrietta smiled before asking the children if they were satisfied with the tour.
“Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour, because this is where it ends. I will be taking you back to the Palace so that you can enjoy the rest of your day.”
Dharya was overwhelmed by all the shocking things he had seen on this brief journey, and Priya was still crying over the ten thousand plus graves that sat before her. For her entire life, she had been locked up in the palace, and aside from grieving the loss of her parents, she knew nothing of the hards.h.i.+ps that existed in the outside world, let alone the wars that were waged across the globe.
At first, she thought the German Empire was simply lucky to be in its current state of prosperity. Perhaps it was even graced by the G.o.ds. However, after seeing the graves of the soldiers who fought and died for it, the girl come to a sudden understanding that the German people did not achieve such results without struggle.
The trio was silent on the journey back to the palace. When they finally entered, the Kaiser greeted them. He immediately noticed their long faces and inquired about just what they had seen on their tour.
“Why does it look like someone killed their pet? Henrietta, where the h.e.l.l did you take these two kids?”
Before Henrietta could defend her actions, Dharya spoke up on her behalf.
“Your Majesty, do not blame the princess for our current expressions. We had a wonderful time. She just ended the tour on a more serious note. We visited the Kufstein National Cemetary and realized the price that has been paid for the current prosperity of your Empire. It was a very… sobering experience.”
It shocked Berengar that his sister had taken these two kids to the military cemetery on their first tour of the city. That was not something he would have done, as he felt the kids should have fun on their trip. Instead, it would appear that Henrietta had subjected the children to a propaganda tour. This caused him to rest his forehead in the palm of his head as he sighed heavily.
“Alright, I understand. Dinner is being cooked as we speak, so how about you two go wash up and prepare yourselves for the meal? Henrietta, I’d like a word with you if I can.”
Henrietta bowed her head and curtsied before her brother while showing him the proper respect for his position in front of the two children.
“Of course, your majesty…”
After saying this, Berengar walked off with Henrietta while the maids attended to Dharya and Priya’s needs. Berengar brought Henrietta into his study where he inquired about just what kind of tour she had given his two guests..
“Where else did you take them besides the Cemetery?”
Henrietta did not hesitate to answer his questions in a calm and collected manner.
‘The itinerary was simple. I took the children to see the Reichstag, where I talked about its purpose. From there, I took them to the trade district, where on the way they witnessed the Youth Corps engaging in their charitable activities.
After that, we stopped by a grocery store and an ice cream stall where we made our way to the industrial sector, where they seemed to have a hard time dealing with the pollution. So I showed them the colossus on the hills above the town for some fresh air, before ending the tour with the cemetery.”
Berengar pondered about the tour Henrietta had taken the kids on, and came up with one conclusion: Henrietta went to places that were ordinary but significant to deliberately show off the wealth and power of the reich, before ending on a somber note. He had to give it to the girl. It was quite clever the clever way of flexing to the guests from a foreign empire. There was only one question on his mind that he was quick to ask.
“Did the children enjoy it?”
Henrietta thought about it for a moment before nodding her head with a confident expression on her face.
“Despite the culture shock of witnessing how great our Empire is compared to their homeland, I am quite certain they enjoyed the tour. Even if I spoke a few lines of propaganda to them.”
Berengar chuckled as he petted the girl’s golden hair before complimenting her for her efforts.
“Good girl!”
Henrietta blushed as she enjoyed the attention her brother was giving her. Though they did not have time to fool around before dinner, she knew that she would be able to convince the man to spend the night alone with her after her actions today. That is, unless one of the other girls in Berengar’s harem showed her up in the evening.
With that said, the tour of the city, and the lives of its citizens, had come to an end. Dharya would become greatly affected by the German propaganda that Henrietta had uttered to him, and believe that ties to the Reich were necessary if he wished to reclaim his homeland.