The German States: Thuringia - Friedrich
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Prussia had a smirk as he said, “And then there is the literary genius who used to exchange poems with Goethe. I heard he also once collaborated with the Grimms, but he would never have told me at the time. He knew that I did not have the most harmonious relationship with those particular liberals.
Thuringia is particularly proud of that fact that he has been involved in works of great writing over the years. I suspect that he has published his own work under pseudonyms over the years, but I cannot prove it. Only he knows for sure, and he certainly won’t tell me.
I don’t know what he writes after his long walks in the woods. But I do know that he will sometimes lock himself away in scholarly contemplation, and come out whenever his creative impulse is satiated.
I cannot judge him too harshly for his love of books. I still look after Fritz’s library, and I have a collection of my own. But I do not have the kind of passion that Thuringia is. He has made a concerted effort to write and write very well.
Also, do not think that my tendency to call him by his formal name is out of dislike. He is one of my allies, and I would say that I like him well enough. But, there is only one Friedrich for me, and I would rather not think of him every time I discuss my bookish cousin.
Thuringia is one of our oldest cousins as far as I know. There’s no definite chronicle on when we were all born, so it is impossible to know for sure. In truth, I am not even convinced that we are all cousins, but it would be an enormous task to figure it out.
I just know that I don’t remember him ever being a young man, and no one I have asked can remember either. It sometimes seems like he sprung into being as a fully formed man who speaks as if he knows the mysteries of the universe.
People tend to call him the ‘green heart of the country’ because he has lush forests. It used to be prime hunting land in our father’s day, and it’s still quite rich. It is a beautiful part of the country, and he has every right to be proud of it.
As for my political affinity for him, I’m not entirely certain when it started. We do have enough in common to be assured of some mutual aid. Even then, I can’t be completely assured of his support.
His duchies are all split up between a few different dynasties. At least one of them has a close tie to England through marriage. So it is possible that I can’t be assured of his aid. But, I think that he finds politics odious anyway, and he will make the most practical decision when it comes to it.”
