Chapter 68: The Trip Home

Victor left the previous night behind and packed his luggage. Everyone in his party was ready to leave at his orders. Simeon Fontaine did plea that Victor stay but the damage had already been done. There was no way Victor would tolerate the level of disrespect he was shown by the Grand Duchess. 

As much as Victor wanted to go straight back home he could not afford to slight the other 3 dukes. The first stop was the Verdant Dukedom which was located on the northeastern part of the continent, they too had a port city and were arguably the strongest dukedom left in Bulgar. 

The next 2 stops were the other dukedom allies of the Fontaine family. They bordered Victor's territory so it would be easy for him to stop at Jenkas or Kreighelm before returning to Hannover. They had been gone for 6 months now and there still was another 3-month journey back to Jenkas when you factor in how long each stay is at the 3 dukedoms. Victor was set on seeing this tour to the end, so the party swiftly departed from the port city of Osterbon. 

The next 3 months were painstakingly dull. The travel was arguably the most enjoyable part for Victor. During his visits with the 3 dukes, there was nothing notable that happened. They were all uptight and arrogant like Helen Fontaine. Victor was unsure if they were all planning to act like that under Helen's orders or if it was just in their nature.

Ignoring all cheap remarks and backhanded compliments, Victor dug deep to remain calm and composed. He was so close to being over with this dreadful trip that he did not cause a commotion like what had happened in Osterbon. 

Through the tiresome travelling and the boring nobles, Victor who had been travelling for 9 months had finally reached Jenkas. It was a welcome sight to a city under his control, and even better to see a cherished comrade like General Bertrand. 

The party rested for 2 weeks in Jenkas after a long journey it was nice to be able to relax and spend time with comrades comfortably. There was no traversing difficult political situations or dealing with the pettiness of nobles who thought they were better than Victor. It was nice to take a breather finally and have some peace.

The 2 weeks rolled by quickly. Victor and his party were fully rested and excited to continue their 6-week journey back to Hannover. Victor and his men felt pride while riding through their territory. From all the places they had seen, nothing could beat the Luxenberg countryside, especially around Jenkas and the crossroads near Hannover.

After being away for 11 months to travel the Bulgar continent Victor had finally returned to Hannover, just in time to celebrate Victor's 5th year of being taken over by Conrad. However Victor sadly has missed a few important dates, the most important being Anton's first birthday. 

As Victor's party entered the city of Hannover, Victor gawked at how much the city had grown in his absence. Many travellers were both entering and exiting the city, there were even queues for carriages to enter. Thankfully due to Victor's status, he managed to enter easily.

Markets were overflowing with quality goods and people of all descent. Many Luxenberg soldiers were seen on patrol or guarding areas in the city. Victor who had a good memory was able to pick up some familiar faces from those soldiers. One of them had fought with him against Harold Cruyff, while there were a few men in a squad that Victor recognised from the battle of the farmstead.

The buildings had been refurbished and renovated and gave off a more classy appearance. Slowly Hannover was trending in the direction of being a grand city like Osterbon. Victor felt proud of how far this city had come in his 4 and a half years as a ruler.

Itching with anticipation, Victor finally arrived at the Luxenberg Palace. In the palace courtyard, a few platoons of Victor's French Imperial Guard soldiers waited in a saluting position, ready to greet their returning lord. At the palace entrance stood Veronica, Clarisse and in her arms baby Anton, who had grown a fair bit since Victor had seen him.

It was a touching reunion for the family. A few tears from Clarisse were shed as she embraced Victor with Anton held close to her chest. Veronica joined in and it became a wholesome family hug. Wasting no time the family began to catch up in the lounge. 

While Anton was asleep in Victor's arms, he began to describe his journey. From the devilish dinners with Grand Dukes to the state of some of the cities he visited. Victor spared no detail. The girls were horrified at the tale, death, depravity and disrespect were all common themes in his recount.

The overall summary of Victor's trip was that it was a disaster. Both Grand Duchies had their own problems but as long as they did not combine forces and attack Victor it would be perfectly fine.

Soon after catching up with his family, Victor visited members of his inner circle like Marshal Soult and General Hill. They were able to catch Victor up on events that had taken place during his absence and how his military was progressing.

Nothing major had happened in Victor's absence, the only notable event was the resurgence of pirates, however, Grand Admiral Nelson and his fleet crushed them instantly. The pirates had not managed to do any damage to passing merchant ships or the Luxenberg navy.

Slowly but surely Victor was able to begin to enjoy his regular routine again. No more spending days on end in carriage, while dealing with arrogant people. He could get stuck in his work, spend time with his family and enjoy the company of his trusted subordinates.

Victor thought he could enjoy a semi-peaceful life within the walls of his palace but it would not be long until problems arose once more.