Published at 25th of February 2026 7:07 am

Chapter 880: Absolution

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Bruno’s first meeting with the patriarch of Constantinople was held a week before the Christmas mass.

He and Heidi arrived at the Hagia Sophia at the behest of the Patriarch, where they sat before him in his office and spoke on a personal level.

The Patriarch did not immediately speak; he was clearly examining Bruno’s worth. Not as a mortal man, but as a soul.

And with a heavy sigh, he eventually shook his head.

"You have borne a weight that no mortal man reasonably should. For that, you have my sympathy. I owe you a great deal of debt; the Orthodox Church owes you a great deal of debt. A debt I fear we may never be able to repay."

Bruno chuckled at the response. He wasn’t expecting the man to see through him so thoroughly upon first glance.

You have no need to repay me. I was simply doing my duty. To Kaiser, Fatherland, and God. The Ottomans were our enemies, and I did what was needed of me to win the war. That is all there is to it."

Heidi glanced between the two men, both of whom wielded immense positions of authority over man. Both of which were rich beyond measure. Both of which sat humbly beneath an ancient church and spoke without vanity.

When she had first stepped foot in the cathedral, she had felt like there was something different about it. At least compared to those she had known her entire life within the borders of the fatherland.

And now she couldn’t help but remain silent and interested in watching the conversation unfold in front of her. As if there were something hidden between the lines she could learn from.

It was only after she had these thoughts, and the time that passed between them, that the Patriarch spoke again.

"Do you know what is perhaps the rarest thing in this world, Your Highness?"

Bruno raised his hand gently, a gesture Heidi was not expecting from him.

"Please, there is no need for formalities. Out there I may be a Grand Prince of Tyrol. But here, I stand the same as every other man who has ever stepped foot in these hallowed halls. Ephemeral and insignificant..."

The Patriarch nodded his head silently in approval of Bruno’s words before continuing on his original thought.

"I must say, I’ve heard things about you from my peers over in Rome. They say you’re remarkably humble for a man in such a lofty position. Forgive me, for I must confess I didn’t believe such rumors when they reached my ears. The reputation of conquerors is seldom one of humility. And yet, here you stand... I’ve found in this life that the rarest thing is a man who truly lives up to his reputation."

Bruno sat there in silent contemplation of the patriarch’s words. His line of thinking drifted to places he only knew before finally formulating his response.

"I’m not sure to the extent you have heard of my actions. But I do try my best to ground myself in the world around me. When you have risen to lofty heights, it is easy to forget that you are still a mortal man the same as all the surrounding others. This is why the concept memento mori exists, does it not? I cannot count the number of times in this life my life has been nearly taken if a bullet, or a piece of shrapnel had been not a centimeter off the mark. It is a humbling experience, and thought to reflect upon."

The patriarch seemed amused by Bruno’s words. Provoking another area of discussion.

"Most men who escaped death’s clutches would find themselves ruined by the experience, not humbled. Foolishly perceiving their second chance as a means to indulge themselves rather than to seek discipline. You speak like a man who has the wisdom of two lives lived."

Heidi bristled at the statement. Though it was said incredulously, she couldn’t help but feel deeply anxious every time someone came close to approaching Bruno’s secret.

Bruno, of course casually calmed his wife by grabbing her hand and providing his warmth and comfort.

"Generally, wisdom can be gained through lived experience. Although in many cases the answers are already written by our forebears. One simply needs to let go of their own ego, and realize that one is not the exception to the wisdom that others have left behind for us to learn from. I like to think I’m in the latter camp."

The Patriarch studied Bruno for a long moment, fingers steepled beneath his beard. The silence that followed was not uncomfortable, but deliberate; like a priest weighing whether a soul was ready to hear something dangerous.

"There is a difference," he said at last, "between humility learned through fear and humility learned through understanding."

Bruno inclined his head slightly, inviting him to continue.

"Fear teaches restraint," the Patriarch went on. "Understanding teaches responsibility. Many men fear God. Very few accept what fear demands of them."

He rose from his chair slowly and crossed the chamber, stopping before a narrow window that overlooked the inner galleries of the Hagia Sophia. Even from here, the great dome could be felt more than seen, its presence pressing down like a held breath.

"You did not merely defeat the Ottomans," he said. "You preserved this place. That distinction matters more than you realize."

Bruno followed his gaze.

"I could have razed the city," he replied quietly. "It would have been easier. Cleaner, in a purely military sense. Fewer variables. Fewer risks."

"And yet you did not."

"No," Bruno said. "Because conquest is not the same as destruction. One can be justified. The other is indulgence."

The Patriarch turned back to face him, eyes sharp now.

"Many rulers claim that distinction after the fact," he said. "Few act on it when the decision still carries a cost."

Bruno’s expression did not change.

A faint smile touched the patriarch’s lips.

"Then tell me, Bruno von Zehntner," he said, deliberately using his name without title, "do you believe yourself righteous?"

The question landed with careful precision.

Bruno did not answer immediately.

"No," he said finally. "I believe everything that I have done in this life was necessary. But nonetheless, I will be held accountable for every sin I have committed."

The patriarch nodded slowly.

"That may be the closest a man such as you can come."

He leaned forward slightly.

"You have taken lives, ordered deaths, reshaped nations. Men will argue for centuries whether your actions were necessary, whether they were moral, whether they were just."

"I know," Bruno said.

"But what concerns me," the Patriarch continued, "is not how history will judge you. It is how you judge yourself when no one else is watching."

Bruno’s gaze drifted, not to the floor, but to the distant curve of stone above them.

"I judge myself harshly," he said. "Because anything less would be indulgence."

The Patriarch studied him anew.

"That is not an answer many conquerors give."

"Then most conquerors," Bruno replied, "are liars."

A silence followed; this one was heavier.

Finally, the patriarch exhaled.

"It is a curious thing to witness. A man who paradoxically both justifies his own sins without remorse, and yet knows he will be judged and sentenced nonetheless when he meets his maker."

Bruno did not close his eyes; he stared straight at the Patriarch as he answered without hesitation.

"Yes."

The Patriarch nodded, as if confirming a long-held suspicion. He leaned back in his chair.

"You know," he said, "there are saints who were generals. And there are generals who believed themselves saints. The difference between them was never victory."

Bruno looked at him again.

"It was restraint."

The patriarch smiled faintly.

"Yes."

He glanced toward Heidi then, addressing her for the first time directly.

"And you," he said gently. "You have walked beside him through all of this."

She inclined her head, uncertain how much was appropriate to say.

"I have," she replied. "Though not always understanding where the road would lead."

"And yet you stayed."

"Yes."

The Patriarch regarded her with something akin to reverence.

"Then you have borne a burden of your own," he said. "One history will probably forget."

Heidi smiled faintly.

"That’s fine," she said. "I didn’t marry him to be remembered."

Bruno looked at her then, something unreadable crossing his expression.

The patriarch cleared his throat softly.

"You will attend Christmas Mass," he said. "Not as a symbol. Not as a figure of power. But as a man seeking peace."

"That is why I came," Bruno said.

"Good," the Patriarch replied. "Because the Hagia Sophia remembers many things. Pride does not survive well beneath its dome."

As they departed the chamber, Heidi felt the weight of the place settle around them; not oppressive, but vast. The echoes of their footsteps seemed to linger longer than they should have.

Neither spoke until they passed back into the great hall, where light filtered down from above in pale ribbons.

"Well," Heidi said quietly, "that was... heavier than most diplomatic meetings."

Bruno huffed a soft breath, something close to a laugh.

"Yes," he said. "But far more honest."

She glanced at him sideways.

"Do you think he absolved you?"

Bruno shook his head.

"No," he said. "I think he reminded me that absolution is not something given. It is something endured."

They continued on beneath the great dome, their figures small against the immensity of stone and history.

And for once, Bruno did not feel the need to stand taller beneath it.

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