Vienna – The Constitutional Summit, Day 5
Five days into the drafting of the Ehrenfeld Imperial Constitution, the Parliament buzzed like a hornet's nest. The floor was flooded with amendments. Ideologies clashed not with bullets but with articles and clauses. Outside, the people watched with both pride and unease, knowing that history was being inked beneath the golden dome of the Assembly.
Hans, while refraining from direct interference, had submitted a personal preamble—one that balanced imperial unity with representative order:
"This Empire shall endure not through conquest, but through contract. Let the sword defend the people—but let the pen define them."
Inside the chamber, the following key proposals were being debated:
Article I – Imperial Authority & Veto Power:Reformists demanded limitations and annual review of imperial powers. Sovereigns refused. Moderates proposed a compromise—emergency-only authority, renewable by 2/3 parliamentary vote.
Article III – National Citizenship & Freedoms:A bill of rights drafted by Anika Weiß guaranteed:
Freedom of speech, press, religion.
Right to assembly and protest.
Right to privacy from unwarranted military surveillance.
Article VI – Military Oversight:Sovereigns proposed a permanent War Council under the Emperor. Reformists countered with full parliamentary approval for deployments outside imperial borders.
Tempers flared. Engelhardt nearly walked out after Weiß accused his bloc of plotting a "velvet martial law."
Eliska gave an impromptu speech urging cooperation:
"We've suffered enough under silence. If we cannot agree to rule wisely, we will bleed to rule again."
Her voice calmed the chamber. The debate softened.
The Attack Begins
It was late into the night when the final vote on Imperial Authority was about to be held.
That's when the explosions echoed from below.
A gas main?
No—a bomb.
Screams erupted in the lower halls. Gunshots followed—disguised men in dark red sashes stormed the southern vestibule of Parliament, shouting:
"For the Crown Unbroken! Down with the Traitor-Hans!"
Panic swept through the Assembly.
Hans, who had remained in his private balcony, was pulled into a secured corridor by two of his personal guards. Eliska, elsewhere in the gallery, was ushered behind armored doors.
The attackers breached the chamber doors—two Loyalist Traditionalists were killed. A Reformist MP was shot shielding her assistant.
But the defenders—Imperial Guard Cadre Unit 3—fought back hard.
Five insurgents were gunned down. Two surrendered.
The attack lasted less than five minutes.
Hans returned to the chamber two hours later.
Covered in dust, with a bandage on his cheek from shrapnel, he took the floor uninvited.
"They tried to silence the voice of the people."
"They failed."
Then, calmly:
"The Parliament shall continue. Finish the vote. And when the blood is washed from these halls, let it be remembered: The Empire does not bow to bombs."
By midnight, the First Ehrenfeld Constitution passed with 81% of parliamentary approval.
It included:
-Limited Imperial Executive powers.
-Wartime emergency provisions.
-A foundational Charter of Rights.
Formation of the High Council, a military-parliamentary body to oversee regional conflicts.
Hans ratified it personally with the Steel Quill of Vienna, forged from melted weapons seized from the Old Guard.
But The Trouble Wasnt Over
Three days later, a military transmission from Slovakia came through.
"Brno is under siege. Unknown mechanized forces crossed the Moravian hills under night. They fly no flag—but wield old imperial colors. Loyalist militias are aiding them."
"Local command post is falling. Request reinforcements. Immediate."
Hans read the message, jaw clenched.
He looked to Engelhardt and whispered:
"Karling makes his move."