The Waves Don't Forget

Germany's Heart

"His death?" The voice that spoke out was one that Kurfürst knew fondly, one that she knew wouldn't like the information.

She was named after the man after all.

"Yes Bismarck, his death...this was many years after the Samoan Civil war, and the previous monarchs have all stood down and accepted their deaths. With that, Kaiser Wilhelm II took power, and he had no connection nor commitment to Otto's ideals, which were...less than good at the time."

"What does that mean? Did he grow corrupt?"

"No, but he was an extreme conservative, and I never shared that idea. I was always up for change as that's how the German Empire came to be."

She looked down, tightening a fist as she remembered all the events of those days. "He was in the minority once again, but this time, he had no support of an Emperor, and the people didn't support him either...and he was ultimately forced to resign in 1890."

She was quiet as she tried to calm her anger, but a long sleeve with a hand inside it soon fell on her clenched hand. She looked up and saw one of the newer Ships, Anchorage, holding her hand. "Is Granny Kurfürst mad?"

Kurfürst blinked a few times at how innocent the girl was, but soon smiled and took her hidden hand in her own. "Yes, I'm just remembering some bad memories about those days."

"Does Granny want Anchorage to cheer you up?"

Kurfürst chuckled and put her hand down, picking up the adult sized child and sitting her in her lap, letting Anchorage lay her head back on her shoulder. "Just keep being you Anchorage, that's all you need to do."

"Okay~!"

Kurfürst looked back to the others after that. "Now then, I suppose it's time to tell you all of the final decade I saw Otto alive..."
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It was March 19, 1890. The day after Bismarck was forced out of office, both from public displeasure at his attitude, and also the fact that he was truly starting to go under the weather.

An old man was slowly walking through the halls of his mansion near Hamburg. He coughed into his hand a bit, before shaking it off and continuing down the hall.

"Otto?"

He turned to the voice, seeing the ever youthful face of the woman he's known since he was a young man. "Mathilde, I never expected to see you so soon, especially now that you-"

"Otto, I know what happened."

...

The man turned away again, continuing down the hall. "Then what do you want? Can't an old man die in peace around here?"

She walked up next to him, offering her arm, which he refused. "That limp limbed Wilhelm, thinking he can rule and have all he wants just because he's Kaiser!"

"Otto, you know why he did all that." She wasn't trying to calm him, but do something she hasn't ever truly done since youth, and that was throw him off his high horse.

"Of course I know! The brat wants to play the big man? Let him try, and we'll see where that gets him!"

"Otto, you realize why he forced this on you don't you? Those days are past, for the both of us-"

"They're past for me, but not you! You are immortal Mathilde, you can guide Germany to the glorious future while I have to die in this damnable rot it's in!"

Her eyes widened a bit, before she started to grit her teeth. "Otto, we both worked hard to make this country the greatest in Europe. Look outside and see that we made that happen! This lovely land was built on not only our sweat and blood, but the sweat and blood of thousands, if not millions of other Germans!"