Stories thread - King of the Romans PBM

[_Tristan_]

Tears washed down the blood and dirt from Hughes' cheeks as he was comtemplating the western side of the battlefield.

All the good men that had joined him on his name alone, men that believed in the ideals Hughes fought for, chivalric ideals, utopian ideals, not one of them was alive to see the brighter future that their fight was destined to bring out for the people of what was once known as the Holy Roman Empire.

Hughes' gaze was taken from the gruesome sight by the sound of cheering on the other side of the battlefield. What he saw defied reason... It seemed that Imperials were fighting among themselves. He saw Ruppel's banner brought down and wondered what befell of his fellow Swabian.

Now he understood the meaning of the red flag waving constantly behind Duke Arnold, that immense flag with its eye symbol. Now he witnessed another flag being unfurled, this one black... Black as a bad omen, mused Hughes...

Those men have secret deep in the marrow of their bones... Why didn't they trust me with their battle plan ? Did they think I would turn on them ? Didn't I commit myself to their cause against my House, against the Kaiser who gave me asylum when I was without a country ?

Is this why they have sent my men to their deaths ? Did they see me and my men as a threat ?

I don't know where this whole bloody business is leading but seeing all this bloodshed I wonder if I chose the good side...

Will our Utopia be ruled by secrecy ?

[deguerra]

Similar thoughts befell Ludwig von Böhmen on the other side of the same battlefield

"They are gone Heinrich. Dead or dying or wounded. Flanders' best men. Flanders' last men. And for what? To take down the one loyalist Swabian I always respected? And then to find that Zirn was on our side all along, that we might not have needed them all to die..."

"Purge such thoughts from your mind Ludwig!" The face of his childhood friend was solid stone "They will do you no good here. What's done is done. They died fighting for a cause they believed in. Their bravery opened a breach in the Imerpial line that we could then exploit. But we are far from done. Let's not sit here and wallow in misery while the Loyalists have a change to reform. We need to move, or the Chancellor will be upon us, and all this will have been for naught"

"You are right, as always" Ludwig smiled up at the older man "You were always the more level-headed."

Ludwig muttered a brief prayer for the fallen Swabians, loyalist and rebel, and for Erhard Ruppel. Mounting his horse, the thought burrowed into his mind

"I was not made for this."