The Tsar's death had come rather suddenly after Bruno left his family's palace. He had lied when he said he had a year left to live. He had died before the end of winter.
Though for the life of him, Bruno could not fathom how Nicholas had managed to appear so presentable at the gathering. He must have conjured every ounce of strength, and had his best makeup artists conceal the truth from him and everyone else.
The Funeral was held in Peter and Paul Cathedral, within Saint Petersburg. It was the traditional resting place for the members of the House of Romanov.
Bruno remembered little of the ceremony. He only that he stood, silent and still, dressed in the full regalia of a Russian Field Marshal. A rank he had earned during the Revolution of 1905, when, as a foreign volunteer, he helped crush the first sparks of communism on Russian soil.
