Dedication: To NekoFye who has been ill recently. And to DA4TheFunOfIt for being my emotional support lately. Thank you!
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Race Is On
1850
Roderich sat scowling at all the other nations across from him. He was furious with them all, and he was almost so angry he couldn't even look at them without screaming. All them, these people were the ones that had tried to kill him. These were the nations that had almost completely dissolved the Austrian Empire.
Next to him, Russia sat smiling. Roderich knew he owed a great debt to the Russian Empire for his services in aiding to put an end to all of the rebellions across the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but the other was content at the moment with only a sincere thank you. It confused Roderich, but at the moment, he didn't think that he should be complaining much. He escaped the last two bloody years intact and somehow managed to come out remarkably well, all things considered.
"As you can see," the Austria address his wayward charges, a hint of condescension ringing in his voice. "A few simple rebellions cannot take down the Austrian Empire. Your pathetic attempts to destroy me have failed. As you all learned, Austria has many friends that would help defend him in times of great peril, so keep in mind that I am not as weak as you'd all like to think." He glared at each of them in turn.
"You will all stay put in my empire. Anymore rebellion will but snuffed out. Totally and completely," his voice dripped with deadly challenge. "Are there any questions?"
No one raised their heads; they all continued to look down at their hands or at the table. No one dared to look into the furious eyes of Austria or the deadly orbs of Russia. It was clear that the larger empire was just waiting for the chance to attack one of them should they try anything. For the last several years, Russia had been fending off the revolutionary tide like a man possessed. It was clear that the Slavic nation feared the ideas of the radical innovations revolutionaries called for and had done anything in his power to make sure that the new ideas never got close to his own home.
And that's where Austria had gotten lucky. He had been able to play off of Russia's fear of revolutions; so when the Slav had asked to become allies, so desperately wanting to keep his own land safe he even went as far as helping out the other empire. With Russia's help, Roderich had been able to put down all rebellions against himself with little to no harm done in the end.
It was really quite a wonderful outcome for him. He had not lost anything at all. With the exception of Emperor Ferdinand abdicating and being replaces with Franz Joseph, everything pretty much returned to the way it had been. And for this reason, for his utter dedication and goal to preserve the empire, Roderich came to adored Franz Joseph.
But that was all beside the point at the time being. The fact was Austria had lost nothing during the revolution, but gained a stronger emperor. With Russia's assistance, the whole of the Austro-Hungarian Empire had been saved.
Roderich's eyes strayed and fell on Elizabeta. The woman was glaring down venomously at her hands, as though she were willing her eyes to catch them on fire. He had always thought her eyes were beautiful when she was angry, how the emeralds would come to life, glowing with splendor and power. She was an exquisite lady, and he had always counted himself luck that she was his wife. He loved her.
And that's why her revolutions hurt so much more. She had betrayed him, tried to destroy him. He couldn't believe she hadn't known what she was doing; she was too smart for that. Everyone knew that should the Hapsburgs fall from power, so would the very nation of Austria. There had been a few tense moments during the past couple of years that Roderich had been very close to succumbing to complete and total panic over his life. The very existence of Austria had been in trouble, and Elizabeta had known that.
Scowling at the pain he felt in his heart, Roderich looked away. "Very well," he spoke up, contempt hiding his hurt. "If there are no more questions, then you are all dismissed. And Hungary," the woman looked up for the first time, but not into his eyes. "You and I will be talking later on."
The woman frowned bitterly, but nodded. She gave an exaggerated curtsey to mock him, before she stormed out with the others, presumably to go find Veneziano and make sure the boy was coping well.
When the door was closed, Roderich sighed and held his head in his hands, massaging his temples gently. "That went much better than expected, da?" Russia asked from beside him.
"I suppose," Austria muttered before sitting up again to stare at his ever smiling comrade. "Would you mind fetching the German Confederation for me?"
"Da, I will," the Slavic nation said. "Though I wonder at your not having him just come in with the others. Surely Lapooshka could have understood all that you've said to the others?"
"Of course he could have," the Austrian grumbled slightly. "But Deutscher Bund has… his own special case. His revolutions were not like the others, and therefore, I must speak with him separately."
"Ah, yes, I remember now," Russia's smile sweetened. "While you were away fighting in the east and south, he went into your blind spot to—"
"I am very aware of what happened," Roderich snapped, glowering at the larger empire. "Now please go and get him."
The eastern empire did not look phased by the rude behavior of his counterpart, and instead, let out a small chuckle. "As you wish," he grinned.
Only a moment after Russia left, he returned with the child in tow, a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder. Austria took a moment to look over the blonde. Ludwig had certainly grown since last he'd seen him. The boy looked a little older, his face not as round as it had once been. The blonde now stood tall and erected, shoulders more squared, face ever grim. Prussia had gotten a hold of the boy, Roderich noted distastefully, and it seemed the red-eyed nation had been able to coax out Ludwig's more militaristic traits a bit.
"Sit down," Roderich ordered as soon as the child stood before him, noticing the bruises and other wounds that still lingered on the young revolutionary.
Unlike the other nations, Ludwig sat down straight and tall, staring Austria directly in the eyes. It took the other by surprise. Staring into those frosty blue orbs was like being dunked into ice water in the winter. There was so much power radiating from the boy, so much bitterness, and had the boy been able to succeed in his revolutionary goals, he truly would have been something to be feared.
"Do you know why I've called you here?" Roderich went on, trying his best to remain poised, despite cold eyes burning into him.
"Ja," the boy nodded. "You wish to speak with me about my revolutions."
Straight to the point. Blunt. This had always been in the blonde's character. "Yes. What do you have to say for yourself then? How do you justify the almost complete and total destruction of the Austrian Empire?"
"Little. I wanted to become my own empire," Ludwig's eyes hardened, and the truthfulness of the statement stunned the empires across from him. "I wanted to be a German-cultured nation. I'm merely a territory to you, Austria, and I wanted to be something more than just a confederation."
"And your justifying almost destroying the Austrian Empire?" Russia spoke up, his well known morbid curiosity radiating in his usually cold eyes. "What have you to say for that?"
"I wouldn't have had any part in destroying Austria," the boy scowled. "I am not technically part of his empire. I am merely a confederation which is overseen by him and his dominant rule. Should he have fallen, I would have been caught up with my own affairs, not wholly related to what would have happened to him. I have very little to do with the direct deals with Austria."
Frankness, truthfulness, the boy's candor was almost to the extreme. Roderich could not think of another nation at the moment that was known for such brusqueness. Gerwig had been rather good at being painfully honest, and it seemed that trait had not been washed from the boy now that he was Ludwig. It was sad to hear such answered from just a child, despite the boy having lived over a thousand forgotten years. Even though the blonde was a nation, hearing such things from the lips of one that appeared so very small and fragile certainly hurt.
"You are within my realm of influence," Austria recovered soon enough, trying to hide how unnerved he really was with the child. "Your leaving the Empire would have been a disgrace, and would have helped to end me."
"How?" Ludwig challenged. The others were taken quite unexpectedly by the question. "I was undergoing the same things you were, what was I to do? Send my military to aide you? I, as I am, have not formal military might to offer. Divided, I can do very little."
"And that's why you welcomed the Prussians." It wasn't so much a question as a detached observation the Russian made with his unruffled smile. "Prussians are quite known for their military, da?"
"Silence your tongue," Roderich snapped at his companion. He did not want to bring up the topic of that backstabbing albino quite yet. He looked to Ludwig for a reaction of some sort, anything that might clue the Austrian in on his feelings for the kingdom, but the boy gave none, and continued to stare straight ahead, not so much a blinking.
When the blonde gave him nothing, Roderich sighed. "Ludwig, your part in your actual revolution is of little consequence to me. As you said, you were divided and had troubles of your own. The real treason behind your actions lies in your conspiracies with the Prussians." The boy stiffened slightly. "Tell me yourself, what were you trying to do?"
For a moment, Ludwig looked as though he were either going to burst into tears or just refuse to speak. But after a deep breath, the blonde did answer. "I asked the Prussians to work with the other Germans to write a constitution in which the Prussian king would become emperor over the German speaking states."
Hearing the news like this made Roderich's heart ache. He had honestly wanted the boy to lie, to tell him that Prussia had pushed the meetings, even though he had known that wasn't true. He wanted to believe that Ludwig wouldn't really try to go behind his back like this and leave him alone. But here it was, right from the child's mouth, with an honesty and candor that he just could not appreciate. The boy's apparent lack of delicacy certainly did more to wound his heart than the boy's actual actions.
Before he could speak, however, the doors in the back of the room slammed open to reveal the devil himself. Both Austria and Russia jumped, Roderich gaping for a moment, while Russia quickly recomposed himself. Ludwig remained still in his seat, as though he knew that at that exact moment his brother would appear. It did nothing to appease Roderich's paranoia.
The albino strode up to the desk, as though it were his own, and glared heavily upon the group. He jerked his head down to stare at his brother who was looking up at him with impassive eyes. "Go wait in the hall, West," he said gruffly.
"Stay, Deutcher Bund," Austria stood up as well, not liking having to look up at the Prussian. "I'm not finished with you yet."
Gilbert snapped his head over the glare at the other German power. Roderich had to fight not to look away, and he swore that he was being incinerated with those fierce ruby eyes. Without looking away from the Austrian, Gilbert spoke through gritted teeth. "Go wait outside, West."
To both Austria and Russia's surprise, the boy stood up and walked towards the door. He left the group with one last frosty, bitter gaze before he went out and shut the door behind him, Gilbert's governing gaze ever following him.
The moment the doors were shut, Austria turned on the albino with all the hatred and anger he could muster. "What is the meaning of this? How dare you come crashing through my doors as though you have the right!"
Prussia sneered down at the other distastefully. "After what you've done you'll forgive me my manners," he drawled.
"What I've done?" Roderich snorted. "You're the coward that went behind my back to try and take control of the German Confederation while I was indisposed, Saupreiß!"
"Please," Gilbert rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as though he were not at all worried about the Empire across from him losing control, as though he were merely in a debate about the newest composer that was coming out. "You weren't as 'indisposed' as you claim, and we both know it. While you were rushing around, fussing with other states, you left Ludwig by himself! A nation you dare to call kinsmen. He could have been destroyed!"
"I doubt that very much!" the pianist's normally cool gaze turned heated. "The Germans wouldn't have destroyed the boy; they were after making him more powerful!"
Again, the albino stared down his nose at his rival in a way that Austria despised very much. It made him feel inferior, him standing, leaning forward on the desk while the Prussian stood tall and square in his military uniform. Austria might have been know as the aristocrat, but Prussia had his own brand of elegance when talking and negotiating that made the Empire fell so completely mediocre in comparison. It made Roderich sick.
No one would argue that Prussia was a militaristic state, pretty well always had been, but there was a sense of brutish sophistication to him that could make any nation squirm. Those crimson eyes of his that rested in his abnormally white face truly made for a terrifying sight. He was the type of personification that didn't need demonizing as he very much looked the role by himself. He seemed to be an ancient evil, holding many secrets that he would never tell. It was all of this and more that made Prussia what he was, his bitter history, his malicious attitude in war and in life, his ridged control over himself that made Austria, and others, worry.
No one knew how old Prussia was exactly, no one near enough could remember a time without him, just as not many could remember a time without Holy Roman Empire, and the fact that Gilbert never once mentioned his age or the century he came into the world only added to his mysterious air. No one really knew how much respect should be given the kingdom, as was tradition amongst personifications, as no one was able to guess his age. His authoritative air seemed to come from years of experience, as his known history proved the many jarring changes that he had undergone to survive.
But then again, it could have all been an act, Prussia just manipulating them all. He was the sort to do it, after all. His carriage could have come from careful observation coupled with his gift for deceit, his ability to trick. That's all that was happening now, it was just Gilbert holding himself in a manner that he knew would unnerve Austria, and the power was all a bluff. There was no elegance to Prussia! He was a brute, pure and simple. There was nothing to admire about him.
But it begged the question as to why Ludwig was so willing to throw himself at the calculating kingdom? Did no one else see Prussia's façade but Roderich? …Was it really even a façade?
He was doing it again. Gilbert was just trying to mess with Roderich's mind. He had always done that sort of thing, always trying to get Austria to doubt himself or make him look the villain. It always happened, and even though Roderich's rational side told him that he had nothing to doubt, nothing to be sorry for, he couldn't stop the guilt that leaked into his heart at the thought of willfully oppressing Ludwig so that he could not be his own. He recalled all of those bruises and scratches on the boy's face…
"He was in distress," the albino's words were sharp and dripped with anger, slicing through the brunette's thoughts like ice. "You should have helped him. That's your duty as overseer of the German Confederation, isn't it?"
Roderich wasn't sure he wanted to answer that, because he knew that whatever he said could give the other German an excuse to berate and find fault with him. So instead of rising to the bait, Austria opted to stay quiet. Of course he received a wicked sneer from his rival for his seemingly cowardice decision.
Thankfully, Russia seemed to understand the growing tensions and saw his ally's distress. "And you graciously offered your own service, didn't you Prussiya? I'm sure the boy appreciated your complete military occupation of his lands, da?"
The kingdom glared at the unwelcomed sit-in coldly. "You of all people have no right to criticize me."
"Just an observation," the Slav said cheerfully. "It makes me wonder how Lapooshka feels since you spit on his offer to crown your king emperor, and instead turned around to occupy his territory, completely crushing all the work he had put into his little revolution."
Fury flashed in the dangerous ruby eyes, and faster than Roderich would have thought, the Prussian was leaning forward, leaning into the Russian's face, almost spitting with rage. "You have no business in German fairs, so shut the hell up!"
"No need to be so aggressive, Prussiya," the Russian smiled happily, apparently loving seeing the other so angry. "After all, who cares if the young one hates you? He's just a child and doesn't understand the intricacies of expanding nations."
"I have no qualms with cutting your tongue out," the albino hissed.
"And risk war?" Russia laughed. "That's the reason you tucked your tail in between your legs and fled your conquest of the German Confederation in the first place, da?" The large personification's laughter was booming as it bounced off the walls. "How easily you forget your place littlekingdom."
Prussia's face contorted into many different expression of hatred and ire, truly making him look like some sort of pagan god ready to strike down the impudent mortal that dared to provoke his wrath. Surprisingly though, Roderich watched as the albino swallowed his anger, and stood stiff with his hands balled up into fists at his sides. The pale face turned red with the effort, matching his eyes, as the Prussian's body shook with the effort to stay still and not lunge himself at the smiling Russian. Apparently the Prussians greatly feared the thought of war with Austria, aided by the Russians.
"And so the threat still stands if you try anything else, Preuβen," Roderich said, having calmed down. "You try to take over the German Confederation again, and the Austrian Empire will declare war, and with me, the Russian Empire."
Still red-faced and humiliated, the albino glowered potently at the two allies. "As I've said before," Prussia spoke after a moment, his voice shaking with anger. "—Prussia's interference in the German affairs was the help put down revolutions and preserve the sacred right of the monarchy." He turned fiery eyes upon Roderich. "I was just trying to save what Austria failed to."
The pianist's face heated up once more. "Thank you for your help and concern," he said coldly, "but your assistance is no longer required, or wanted. The German Confederation is my responsibility. Remember that in the future, Preuβen."
"I shall," the albino said curtly, nodding his head to the two empires shallowly, before turning on his heels to march out the door. "But you just keep in mind, Österreich," he called without looking back, "that ideas and dreams never die."
And with a slam of the door, that was the last Roderich knew he would see the Prussian for a long time. He just prayed that the next time he was forced to see the albino that it would not be under the pretences of war.
Turning back to his companion, Austria found that the Russian had lost his smile and was looking quite grave. "If you are finished, perhaps I should leave as well," he said, standing up. "I must be getting back home."
"Of course," the Austrian nodded. "Thank you for your support. You have been most helpful."
The other empire started down at the smaller man for a moment, his purple eyes sparkling thoughtfully. "It was little trouble," he tried to smile, but it came out looking forced. "Dobryi vecher Avstriya."
With one last click of the door, Roderich found himself alone, and he wasn't sure he liked it. Things were changing rapidly in his Empire, the peoples were discontent, his new monarch was different than the old, and there seemed to be more and more aggressive states around him just looking for a weakness. Unconsciously, Roderich wrapped his arms around himself and walked towards the window to look out over his lands.
Would there ever be peace for him again?
oOoOoOo
Ludwig waited outside the door while his brother and Austria spoke. It was truly curious to listen to the noises coming from the other side of the door. There would be yelling of words, incompressible from the boy's position, and then quiet. There would be loud bangs as though someone had struck something, and then nothing. There were muffled hums of even tones when they spoke and then there was even laughter that could have only come from the Russian in the room. It made the child wonder at the events between the older personifications.
Soon enough Gilbert came storming out of Austria's office, his face flushed with anger. Seeing his brother again so soon after he had forcefully taken control of his lands and then abandoned him when Austria had threatened war, left the blonde understandable wary of his older brother. He had been horrifically shocked when his brother had come marching in with his army, declaring the German states under Prussian control only to leave again almost as quickly as they had come.
It confused Ludwig. His brother's king didn't want him, had refused the crown Ludwig had offered, so why then did he just suddenly seem to change his mind and set out to conquer what remained of the Holy Roman Empire, of what should have in all rights been Germany?
On the surface it made little sense, though deep down the child knew the real reasons for such actions. Gilbert had said his king had thought the crown offered was "hallow", but what it really meant was that the king didn't want to stoop down and pick the crown up out of the gutters and be bound to the people. Why would he want that when he could create and fashion his own crown?
Disappointed, hurt, Ludwig couldn't help the feeling of betrayal he felt against his brother. But then again, Gilbert had been left with little options. His government wanted one thing while his people wished another. The kingdom was just as trapped in this system as he was, so there was little point in becoming depressed over matters. Although the boy still could not get rid of all bitterness.
"Gehen wir," the albino muttered as he strode past his brother.
Although still technically still under Austrian rule, Ludwig found that he was more interested in listen to what his brother had to say. Although angry with his brother, he still loved the albino and still greatly desired to become a true nation. If there was anything that the revolutions and their recent failures taught the boy, it was that he did not want to be alone in the world. Gilbert had told him that his harsh actions had been out of necessity, as a last resort to unify the states, and despite his anger and misgivings, Ludwig desperately wanted to believe that that had been the case.
So, the boy followed his brother out, listening to Prussia more than his overseer Austria, because of a desperate hope and the love he held for the older German, even if the small, nagging voice in the back of his head told him that he should be furious and not trust the Prussian.
"I assume that your talk with Österreich didn't go well," Ludwig commented dryly.
To this, Gilbert snorted. "West, your powers of observation are dizzying."
The blonde smirked lightly. "What did they say?"
"Same thing they always say," the albino growled. "They threatened war again if I didn't back off."
The two fell into a thoughtful sort of silence. "What are you going to do then?" the boy asked.
Gilbert stopped his neck-breaking pace suddenly, catching the younger by surprise, and stared down at his little brother. "What can I do?" His voice sounded almost pleading, as though he wished for Ludwig to actually have a plan of his own to initiate. "Austria's forbidden me to meddle in the affairs of the German Confederation or else he and that hund he keeps with him now will declare war upon me."
"Will you?" the boy asked. It was really a rather stupid question, one that anyone could see the obvious answer to. After all, who in their right mind would risk getting involved in a war with both Austria and Russia? But he had to ask, hoping that maybe his brother would stay with him. "Will you stay out of my affairs?"
It came as a great relief to the boy when his older brother snorted again. "Hell no! Austria's not even a real German, he shouldn't have ever gotten a say in the affairs of our people at all!"
The blonde's heart warmed at hearing his brother refer to their peoples as one. It made him believe that despite their crushing failures in the revolution, that maybe there was still a real chance of becoming an empire. Together. Prussia along with all of the German states. It was a wonderful idea.
"Then what are we going to do?" Ludwig asked, trying to hide the small smile that came unwittingly to his lips.
"I'm going to have to concede to his wishes for the time being, lest he send that Slavic nightmare after me." Gilbert looked thoughtful. "But times are changing, West, and our people aren't happy with this outcome. Austria thinks that just because he has 'control' over you again means that things will go back to being how they were. But he's dead wrong," his red eyes hardened with a steely glint.
"Ideas are powerful things, West, no everyone seems to remember that nowadays," the albino lectured. "Personifications are by nature ideas first and foremost. It's because of the human conceptions of us as living, breathing things that we exist. That's how the first personifications came to be, made purely by the thoughts of men. We're more complex beings now, but we are still ideas. Humans' belief in us controls whether we live or fade away."
"That's what happened to all of the personifications of the German states, wasn't it?" Ludwig asked. "They faded away gradually as the Germans saw themselves more as one people."
"Ja," Gilbert nodded in approval.
Ludwig frowned in confusion. "So they all just started to fade away until only the Holy Roman Empire was left? And then when the people lost faith in him and dissolved him, they created me? To be the one, solid personification they could all believe in?"
It was not very often that Ludwig saw his brother looking so sad, so at odds with himself, but he saw it then, even as the albino tried to smile. "Ja, I guess that's right," he said quietly.
Gilbert always got strangely quiet and reserved whenever the Holy Roman Empire was brought up. Roderich too. They never talked about the former German power much, and when he was mentioned, it was only in passing. Several times Ludwig had tried to talk about his predecessor, tried to get information about him out of his brother and Roderich, but neither said anything and would usually change the subject.
But now Gilbert was standing there confirming an idea that the blonde had been harboring for quite some time. He was happy to finally get some straight answers; even if he had had to think of something specific enough his brother couldn't dance around. Either way it made him feel good about himself that he'd been able to figure this all out. Maybe that's why Gilbert never just told him, he'd wanted Ludwig to figure it out.
Just as they began walking again, a voice called out. The brothers turned to see a rather striking looking man with a large mustache, wearing fine clothes and a grim expression. "Preuβen," the man greeted respectfully. The stranger then turned hard eyes onto the boy. "And you must be Deutscher Bund." He bowed slightly.
"Ja," Gilbert came in. "West, this is Otto von Bismarck, an adviser to my king. Herr Bismarck, this is my brother, Deutscher Bund."
The Prussian noble stared down at the tiny child, never once changing his features. "That name doesn't suit you, boy," his voice was firm and held traces of disgust.
Ludwig wasn't sure how to respond to that, but he didn't have to worry, because his brother came in to his defense. "We won't have to worry about that too much longer," Prussia said, a wicked smile creeping onto his face.
The blonde was about to scold his brother for speaking like that to someone so close to his king, afraid that his brother would get reprimanded by the stern looking man. But to his surprise, Bismarck nodded seriously in agreement. "Indeed not if things go our way. Though we shouldn't even have to worry about it now if those damned Austrians just kept their noses in their own business and got out of German matters."
Thus far Ludwig had only been around humans that were from the German states, those that wanted a new country, to merge with Prussia, but none of them talked about the revolution much anymore, too ashamed of the outcome. To hear this Prussian, one of his brother's own, talk this way sent blooms anticipation in Ludwig's chest, like he had felt when sitting down to write the new constitution. Knowing that there were still others out that that wanted unification as adamantly as he and Gilbert did made the boy smile.
"If they had stayed the hell out," the man went on, "you might actually be a Germany already. Damn Schwein think they own the whole damn expanse of Europe."
"We just need to think of a way to show the German peoples that Prussia is who they should look to," Gilbert muttered pensively.
Was he in on the conspiracy here? The thought thrilled the boy. Thus far it felt like everyone had always sheltered him from any real talk of politics, and when decisions were to be made, he was told to go to his room or go outside to "play". It had become increasingly irritating when he just wanted to voice his own opinion, like at the Congress of Vienna. No one had given him a chance to voice his own peoples' voice, and now it seemed that he had finally gained the privilege to govern himself.
The three of them stood in silence a moment, the two Prussians deep in thought, each plotting, while Ludwig found himself unable to do anything other than just smile softly, please with the world and life in general for the first time in years. It was a nice feeling to know that he had a true ally in his brother. All bitterness was forgotten for the moment, and the child allowed himself to bask in the glory of peace and hopefulness.
"We should go now, Herr Preuβen," Bismarck remarked after a moment.
"Very well," the albino nodded. "Do you have a way back to your house, West?"
"Ja," the boy nodded quickly. "I think they're waiting for me."
"Then I suppose that I'm off with Herr Bismarck then," Gilbert said, though he looked as though his mind were elsewhere.
As the two Prussians walked away, Ludwig couldn't help be watch them go. They both looked so regal, so poised and confident, Gilbert in his military dress while Bismarck was dressed in his finest. That was what the younger nation wanted to be like, wanted his people to be like. He wanted to be strong and noble, wanted the world to respect him and know him as a great power. He wanted so very much to be like Prussia.
"For what it's worth," Ludwig called out before he could stop himself. His brother and Bismarck looked back at him questioning. "— nationalism itself isn't a bad thing," he finished. "Rally the Germans and they'll come to you."
Bismarck's eyes widened slightly, as though he had been struck with a great thought, but then returned to normal quickly, though there was an intense sparkle in them, a mischievousness that the boy did not quite understand. "That, boy," the human said slowly, "is something that I believe should be seriously considered. Guten Tag."
The blonde nodded before the human turned to stalk off while Gilbert gave him a huge grin before following after his king's man. As he watched them go, it was in that instant that Ludwig decided that he very much liked Otto von Bismarck.
Author's Note: Behold, all of my history reading for this semester coming together to help me write this chapter! :D Thanks Dr. S for being awesome and giving me fodder for my fanfiction addiction. :P
History: (Where to begin!) After King Friedrich Wilhelm IV decided that he didn't want to rule the German states by coming into existence as a revolutionary state, he decided he still very much wanted to make a Germany, so instead of taking them up on their offer, he decided to try and get a Germany on his own term, one that he created. So, with the excuse of putting down the revolutions, he sent his troops all across the German states to oppress the revolutions and ended up occupying them, getting very close to declaring them his.
**Last chapter Roderich was freaking out because he felt like he had no help, that wasn't entirely accurate, but I wanted to show that nations have freak outs. Russia proved as a very useful ally to Austria during this time. That's because Tsar Nicholas I was deathly afraid that if he didn't do something to stop this, revolution would soon spread to Russia as well, and because Russia was a multi-ethnic nation like Austria, he just knew that without help he would never be able to save the Russian Empire. So to stop it before it came, the Tsar sent troops to aide Austria to preserve the idea conservatism and protect the rights of monarchs.
Austria, on the other hand, came out EXTREMELY well after the revolutions thanks to Russia. They lost absolutely nothing in terms of land and things, on the surface, went back to the way they were. During the revolutions, Emperor Ferdinand abdicated the throne and was replaced by King Franz Joseph came into power and put all of his energy into saving the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and he did it very well. So when the revolutions were put to rest and Empire had been saved, Austria found the Prussians occupying their land and threatened to wage war with them should they refuse to leave. The Prussians thought about it, but when Russia sided with Austria and claimed that they, too, would go to war, the Prussians relented and left the land, the vision of Germany so very close, but not obtained.
***This embarrassed the Prussians terribly and spark a rekindling of hatred between the Austrians and Prussians. Old rivalries returned and the fight was on again for the German states. The German states themselves were confused with what to think, having just had revoliution, to almost getting an empire, to getting occupied, then having their occupiers gone, was a real wake up call, leaving many to think something along the lines of, "What the heck just happened?"
**Otto von Bismarck, for those of you who don't know, was an awesome fellow. ;) Remember Gebhard von Blücher? Bismarck's like him in that he's totally awesome! As a young man, he loved to drink and cause trouble, but as he got older, he had a religious conversion and was a devout Lutheran. He then began working for the king and was a firm conservative, believing in the monarchy and the traditional government. He detested the fact that the revolutions failed, though he hated the idea of revolutions. He'd wanted a united Germany, but he didn't like the fact that it would have been created through revolutions. HE was one of the advisors that told the king not to accept the German's crown that that he should create one for himself, through conquest! More will be explained about him later, but just keep in mind that the other German states really adore him.
Russian Reminders: Dobryi vecher Avstriya: Добрый вечер Австрия: Good evening Austria. Lapooshka- Лапушка- little paw (Russian endearment)
***Still using DoktorZeirmit's awesome translations. ^^ Thanks again!
German Reminder: Saupreiß- Sow-Prussian ( a very negative term Austrians (and Bavarians I believe) called the Prussians.) Deutscher Bund- German Confederation. Gehen wir- Let's go.
***AND!... I really should give a shout out to my German teacher Rinael~ Thanks for being patient with me and listening to my funny accented German!
'Nother Author's Note: Please drop me a review on your way out, if you'd be so kind. ^^ This fanfic author works pretty hard to bring you a good story and historical facts that are probably never explained to you very well in class. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks everyone who is reading, following, fav-ing this! And thanks everyone for the kind reviews!
Happy (slightly late) German Unification Day! Fröhliche Tag der Deutschen Einheit!