Tyranny of Steel

Henrietta stood side by side with the Indian emperor and his little sister as they gazed at the scene before them with solemn expressions. They were not the only party that was present in this location, as family members and friends of those who had given their life in service to the von Kufstein Dynasty mourned their loved ones.

The Princess of Germany could no longer smile as she gazed upon the ten thousand plus graves that existed within the Kufstein National Cemetary. This was a cemetery dedicated primarily to members of the Military.

However, it also acted as the permanent resting place for those engaged in intelligence, Law Enforcement, and any government uniformed service where a member gave their life in the line of duty. For many, they considered it the highest honor to be buried in this cemetery.

Though Berengar ’s campaigns had been fought, and won with relatively few casualties, the reality was that the number of graves that existed in this cemetery accumulated with every conflict. The headstones of these men were marked with the Coat of Arms of the Von Kufstein Dynasty, which was now the Reichsadler of the German Empire as a show of thanks for giving their lives in pursuit of Berengar ’s ambitions.

There were also other symbols engraved on the headstones, such as prestigious military awards for valor that were granted either in life or posthumously. The most common of these was the Iron Cross, which seemed to mark a large minority of the graves.

Aside from this, there was a special area dedicated to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which acted as a memorial for every man who had perished in service to the State in such circumstances that their body was unidentifiable, their corpse could not be recovered, or they were simply Missing in Action.

Priya gazed at the sight of the massive graveyard with a hint of confusion in her teary eyes. There was only one question on the girl ’s mind as she asked Henrietta for clarification.

”Why would you bring us to a graveyard? ”