Tyranny of Steel

Adela sat within the Nursery of the Imperial Palace of Germany, she like many of Berengar's other women had recently given birth to another child. As per her agreement with Linde, this would be her last. The infant boy slept in her arms, as she carefully cradled him as if he were the most delicate being in the world. 

While Adela was looking after her child with a loving smile on her face, Henrietta entered the room, with her newest offspring in her arms. The woman rushed over to her cousin and sat down next to her as she asked the question on her mind. 

"How is little Manfred doing?" 

Adela gazed upon her young son, who was fast asleep in her arms, and grinned before looking over at Henrietta with an excited expression on her face. 

"Manfred is doing well. Ewald says he's a perfectly healthy little boy. What about you? How is little Berengar doing?"

There was a tinge of envy on Adela's face as she spoke the name. Out of all of Berengar's women, Henrietta alone had been blessed with a son who carried his father's name. This had not only created a slight rift between the two cousins but also all of Berengar's wives, who wondered why Henrietta was given such preferential treatment.

While Berengar loved Linde with all his heart and, in fact, considered the woman to be his soulmate, he doted on his little sister like no other. Henrietta had said she wanted to name her youngest son after her brother/lover, and the man could not deny her request. 

Berengar II, much like his half-brother Manfred, was an infant boy with a full head of golden hair. His sapphire eyes were the exact same as his father's, which was no surprise considering the close blood ties that existed between his parents. Like so many other of his siblings, there was an intelligent glint in the boy's eyes as he closely examined all his surroundings with a curious gaze.

Berengar II seldom ever cried, which was considered an oddity even among his father's most intelligent children. However, the family physician, who was one of the most educated men in the world regarding biology and medicine, had determined there was nothing wrong with the boy.

Henrietta had reflected on all of this after hearing Adela's question, and wore a proud smile as she spoke about her newest son.

"Never better. In fact, Berengar suspects that Little Berengar might one day be the most brilliant of all his children! Though I don't exactly know what basis he has for this assumption. All he will tell me is that he can see it in the boy's eyes, and that the boy is worthy of his name. Naturally, as far as the public is concerned, little Berengar here is your son. I must say that you have a remarkable ability to conceive twins, Adela..."

This comment caused both the women to giggle. As far as the public was concerned, all of Henrietta's children were Adela's. This thought was amusing to the two cousins who considered the story to be wholly unbelievable. Still, if the Kaiser said that his wife Adela was giving birth to multiple sets of twins, then the public had no reason to doubt his word. 

After having their share of fun at the public's expense, Adela and Henrietta placed their young sons, Manfred and Berengar II, into two different cribs before leaving the nursery while holding hands. Much like Linde and Honoria, Adela and Henrietta shared a special bond between the two of them, and preferred each other's company while their husband was not around to shower them with love and affection. 

Adela took the lead, and led Henrietta to the Palace's bar, where the usual bartender was working her normal hours. When she witnessed their entrance, she quickly pulled out two shakers and began mixing a couple of martinis for the two women. 

After all, she had been serving the members of the royal family drinks for several years now, and knew exactly which drinks, which women liked. However, when Adela and Henrietta sat down at the table, they noticed they were not alone. 

Linde's sublime figure was spotted at the other end of the bar, where she looked to be in a dreadful state. The redheaded beauty was slurring her words as she repeated a single name over and over again, all while being consoled by Honoria.

"Hans... Oh Hans... My baby boy!"

It was no secret that Linde had entered a state of depression and anxiety ever since her eldest son first deployed to Singapore. Perhaps because she was the director of imperial intelligence, she had a more difficult time than most parents when their sons went out to war, because she had the ability to check constantly just what dangerous missions her boy were being sent on. 

When the bartender handed Adela and Henrietta their drinks, she leaned over and whispered something to them, which they weren't expecting. 

"I'd hate to ask you a favor, but this is the third time this week I've had to cut the Kaiserin off. Honoria doesn't seem to be of any help. Can the two of you please get her out of here? Judging by the sound of her sobbing, she hasn't had any real rest in days. I'm afraid if I keep serving her, the Kaiser will start to get angry at me for putting his beloved wife's health at risk..." 

Adela and Henrietta looked at each other, and silently communicated with a nod of their heads before giving the bartender their answer. 

"No problem." 

After saying this, the two women pounded their martinis before approaching Linde and Honoria, who both had sullen expressions on their faces. Adela quickly grabbed hold of Linde's arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, while Henrietta did the same for her other side.

"Come on, Linde, let's get you to bed. You need some sleep!" 

Linde, however, struggled to get out of the two women's arms, and continued to cry as she refused to leave the bar.

"I'm not going! I haven't had enough to drink yet. Besides, I can't sleep, not when every time I close my eyes I see..." 

However, the words did not escape the woman's lips, as if they were too horrific to speak aloud. Even so, both Adela and Henrietta could make an educated guess about what was haunting Linde. Ultimately, Adela sighed heavily before whispering something in Linde's ears that made the redheaded beauty blush. With a silent nod of her head, she agreed to be carried to her room. Where Honoria followed after the group. 

Once alone, in a particularly large bedroom, with a rather substantial mattress, Adela and Henrietta lowered Linde on the plushy bedding, before stripping her out of her dress and undergarments. Once they had done that, Adela did the same, which quickly caused Henrietta to raise her brow in curiosity. However, before she could ask the question, Adela glared at both Henrietta and Honoria before posing one of her own.

"Well, are you two going to strip and join us? Or are you just going to watch?" 

Honoria did not hesitate to strip out of her clothing and enter the bed with the other two women, which caused Henrietta to sigh before following suit. Once they were all undressed and under the covers, they spooned with Linde, who had passed out from her own intoxication. The warmth of their bodies spreading into the redheaded beauty's heart and mind as she slept with a smile on her pretty face for the first time in days. 

After waking up the next day, and feeling refreshed, the four women would have a lengthy conversation about Linde's worries, and by the end of it, she would be feeling much less aggrieved regarding the dangerous situation her eldest son now found himself in. 

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