Work Text:
He had nothing. Once upon time, he might have owned the world – he might have grown, expanded, surpassed even England in strength, back in his prime. The others wouldn’t have ignored him then. He would have been feared, the most awesome ruler the world had ever seen. But now, stripped of everything but his pride... it was foolish to even remember such dreams. And tomorrow... tomorrow there would be no Prussia. The land would still be there, but the identity – gone.
When he confides this to Austria, the other doesn’t laugh, or speak, or reassure him with empty words. He merely kisses him lightly and smiles.
“Wherever you go, Prussia, I will still love you.”