You know I… kind of hate myself for doing this, but for those who are not willing to endure some angst then just skip this chapter, I will say no more. This will be the last chronicle of the Great War, and I have to end this with a bang.
Chapter 41: The Great War part 13, A Death in the Family
Triestan stood tall his forces behind him Francis' army was faultering beneath the strength of the retaliation set against him, Ludwig and Gilberts armies were moving in the north, while Triestan's moved in the south. Triestan looked back to his armies and sat down and put his hands in his head, "Is this all worth it anymore? Can I keep this up? How much longer can I survive… Yet here I stand so close to victory, my goal of bringing my brother back with in my grasps." He looked at his hands, which were stained with so much blood. "It's my fault he's dead… I couldn't save him, I was worthless back then, yet now I stand in his light, instead of resurrecting him… I've taken his place, that means… Oh god… I killed him, I've become him." Triestan slammed his hands on the table tears running down his face.
Triestan hit the table again breaking it, "I've caused all this bloodshed trying to chase an impossible goal, and now that I have it with in my grasps I relies that my goal is unitanible! This…. This war is hell! Well if I'm going to suffer the loss of my only brother, everyone should, I shouldn't have to suffer like this forever." Triestan stood up grief over his new ideals on his old goal completely clouding his mind. He walked out of the tent his head hanging down a soldier asks him what his orders are and speaks up, "No, Mercy, shell them and charge, we take France, we Annex Spain, and we kill Arthur, I'm taking no one shit anymore."
The Byzantine military moved with unrelenting force through France, with the combined German forces they took it in a matter of weeks, the invasion of Spain was succesfull and the two pronged attack made them an easy target. The only one left was Arthur.
Triestan sat at a table with Arthur, all of the Nations that made of Triestan's Empire stood behind him, "Hello nephue, you relies you will die, you've instigated this war, and with your death I'll have all I need to be what my brother never could." Arthur looked acrossed the table at the huge amount of countries in the empire, his former allies Spain and France were there as well. Arthur looked with determination, "You won't take me, I can guarantee that, and you wont Kill me either, were Immortals we cant die." Triestan stood up the chair falling down, "You want to talk about a nation dieing, alright we will talk, you want to know how a nation dies? They are killed by another nation, their legacy destroyed, their culture eradicated, I killed the Ottoman Empire, I Mortally wounded Kievan Rus, and I've destroyed several Northern African countries, I've seen them die and I've lived a long time, your just another casualty of this war Arthur." Arthur looked sternly at Triestan, "You say you killed them, but did you deal the blow or did you just watch?" Those words stung like a blade through the heart.
Triestan lowered his head, "This war ends in one of two ways, Status qoe and I lose All I've gained and start again, with this cycle I've gone with for years on end, or I take you down and we all live happily." Arthur sighed, "I'm afraid its going to be the first option." Triestan turned away and walked out the nations that make up his empire making a path way for him, and he said, "Remember Arthur it was your choice here that decided this war." Arthur simply stayed seated and watched as the large group of former nations followed Triestan out.
Triestan returned to the city of Rome where he found the tomb he had laid his brothers body and he knelt by it, he hadn't opened it for fourteen hundred years. He placed his hand on the door and pushed it open and walked inside the largest tomb was grandious and poorly lit. Triestan lit a match and lit the tourches one by one. He staired at the stone coffin and walked up to it and placed his hand on it. "Forgive me brother… Its all my fault your dead and your never coming back." He opened the tomb to find his brothers corpse gone, not even dust. Triestan then fell to his knees and cried for hours, so it was true he had become the new Rome. Yet something wasn't right Triestan felt his back seep with blood and he turned around to see Feliciano, "Why? I've given you everything, I've protected you and helped you, why would you do this now?" Triestan fell to the coffin blood seeping on to the floor and Feliciano spoke, "Because, you never gave us freedom."