No one showed up at the funeral. With the death of the Kaiser, the passing of one staff officer, much less this staff officer, went unnoticed. Given a bare bones state funeral, Oberstein was laid to rest under a small headstone. Ferner frowned; the entire situation gave him a bad taste in his mouth. He might not have been the best person, but he deserved better than this. Or did he? He would have hated any extravagance given to him. Perhaps this is exactly what he would have wanted. Ferner shook his head, trying to clear his head of the thoughts that were just going in circles at this point. He heard the dog barking and he turned. Someone was approaching; Admiral Bittenfeld. He was holding a bouquet of lilies. How odd... Ferner shifted on the spot, wrapping the dog's leash around his wrist.
"Rear Admiral Ferner, funny chance meeting you here." Bittenfeld spoke in a tone that could be misconstrued for cheer, but it was probably just his normal voice.
"The same to you Admiral." Ferner whispered after a snappy salute. Bittenfeld nodded to him and looked down at the plot, the only thing that remained of the legacy of Paul von Oberstein.
"So this is where the bastard sleeps, huh?"
Ferner winced.
"Sir, please. That's disrespectful to the dead."
Bittenfeld scoffed and tossed the flowers down in front of the headstone.
"The bastard is lucky, because he got to die before I killed him. What's with the dog?"
Bittenfeld's attention was diverted to the dalmatian that was pawing at his shoes. Ferner knelt down and scratched behind it's ears.
"It was his. The instructions in his will said for me to take care of it."
Bittenfeld pursed his lips.
"So that wasn't just a rumor."
"No sir."
Bittenfeld pulled at his hair.
"Well either way, this dog is dead and buried. What are you thinking about doing now Rear Admiral?"
Ferner stood away and was silent. He stared down at the unmarked grave ("Here lays a man who served the Lohengramm Dynasty"), quietly begging for guidance, begging for Oberstein to come clawing his way out and offer a pearl of his own unique wisdom.
"Admiral Bittenfeld I think... I'm going to retire." He said finally, before turning to Bittenfeld and saluting.
"Good day to you sir."
He then turned on his heel, walking away from the past and toward the future.