Tyranny of Steel

Yasmin Al-Fadl was standing in the kitchen of the Royal Palace of Austria. With the aid of the staff, she was preparing some of Austria's fine cuisine for her husband. Since she had first arrived in the foreign kingdom that belongs to her spouse, she had been interested in learning of its culture, heritage, and how to make the local delicacies. 

By now, she was fluent in the German tongue and could effectively communicate with anyone who spoke the language. Despite living in Austria, Yasmin did not take up the local fashion trends. She instead wore the traditional kaftan, with the face veil and headdress that she normally wore. She found the loose fitting silk clothes of her homeland were more comfortable than the intricate dresses of the Austrian Nobility. 

Time had passed, and the meal she had made for her husband was complete, thus with a smile concealed beneath the gossamer face veil, the Moorish beauty walked towards her husband's office where he was hard at work managing the realm's affairs. With a soft knock on the hard wooden doors, she alerted the man to her presence.

"Husband, I have prepared lunch for you. I followed the recipe you created in exact detail. I hope you enjoy it."

When Berengar heard this, he dropped everything he was doing and opened the door with a wide smile on his face. He gazed at his beautiful wife with a warm expression and invited her into his office. 

"Yasmin, my darling wife, please come in and enjoy this meal with me!"

The Moorish Princess smiled and nodded her head as she entered the room alone with her husband. She then placed the dish on his desk, where the couple sat down. Sitting on the plate were several sausages cooked with a new sauce. 

Because of the trade of spice with India, Berengar had now gotten access to curry powder, allowing him to create a staple of German cuisine from his past life, and that was curry wurst. Berengar took one bite of the delicious dish and smiled as he savored the flavor. 

Upon seeing the pleasant expression on her husband's face, Yasmin removed her face veil, displaying her natural beauty to the man she married, before elegantly taking a bite of the sausage. She moaned in pleasure as she tasted the dish for the first time in her life.  As the two partook of the meal, Berengar made small talk with his newest bride. 

"So tell me, how are you finding life here in Austria? Is it to your liking? Is there anything I can help with making your stay more comfortable?"

Yasmin washed down the curry wurst with a sip of purified water before speaking her honest feelings about how she felt since she first arrived in Kufstein. 

"Your Kingdom is one of many marvels, and I must say I am impressed with the beauty of your homeland's landscape. However, I must admit I feel a bit homesick. Which is not exactly aided by the way your other wives have treated me."

When Berengar heard this last part, he stopped dead in his track before giving his wife a questioning gaze. He was unaware that she was facing such difficulties and immediately interrogated her about his other wives' behavior.

<br/>"Are they mistreating you in any way? I swear to god of one of those bitches has been bullying you. I will let them have it!"

Upon witnessing the wrathful gaze of her husband, Yasmin quickly shook her head before clarifying the issue.

"They are not bullying me per se, it is just that they have pretty much excluded me entirely. I feel alienated, as if I don't belong here. However, if there was one girl in particular who had been outright hostile to me, it would be Adela. I think her faith has blinded her, and she perceives me as an enemy at best, and a foreign whore at the worst. Plus, I get the feeling that she is a bit jealous of my body..."

Berengar had a grim expression on his face as he heard this. Though he expected some resistance from his wives to Yasmin's arrival, he had not expected such hostility. He struggled to think of a way to make his newest bride's life more comfortable within his household. However, in the next moment, he heard the woman express a sentiment that he was not expecting. With a heavy sigh, Yasmin rubbed her pregnant belly with a warm smile on her face.

"However, it is nothing I can't handle. I never expected your other wives would be cordial with me, that they have remained distant rather than cruel is a blessing it its own right. As long as I have you, and this child, I will be fine. I promise you, so long as I am your wife, I will always take your side, and support you and your goals in whatever way I am able."

Berengar smiled and nodded his head when he heard this, though he would think of ways to improve Yamin's living conditions, and the relationship between her and his other wives. As long as she was content, then he was happy. Thinking about this, it reminded Berengar of something important. He quickly opened up his desk drawer and pulled out a letter before handing it to his lovely bride. 

"Your brother has sent me a status update on what is going on with his neighbors. As his elder sister, I thought you would be interested."

Yasmine quickly took a look at the letter's contents. As she did so, her expression became grim. The fact that the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon had united, and were now wantonly executing their citizens, was a cause for concern. Thus, there was a hint of worry in her voice as she asked Berengar what the plan of action was to deal with these newfound developments.

"This is troubling. The outright hostility to my people was something I expected, but to actually bring false charges against our merchants, and brutally execute them is a step too far. How has my brother reacted to this? I hope he hasn't done something foolish like attack Spain's citizens in retaliation?"

Berengar smiled and shook his head before he grabbed ahold of Yasmin's hand and reassured her of the actions the Sultanate of Granada was taking.

"Your brother has surprisingly chosen wisely in his choice of retaliation. It looks like now that his overprotective big sister is out of the picture. He is growing into a capable ruler. He has opted to allow Austrian Privateers to attack Spanish shipping, while covertly sabotaging the Spanish Crown's attempt to modernize their military. 

What I'm more worried about is the mines of Collbato. If information is leaked about what we are harvesting there, then it will be a cause for war."

Yasmin had a perplexed expression on her face. Though she was dying to know more information about Berengar's mining operations in Spain, she did not know if it was her place to ask. After all, it appeared to be a state secret, and she did not believe it was her place to meddle in such affairs.

Upon seeing the complicated expression on his wife's face, Berengar relaxed back into his chair before informing her of just what he was doing behind the scenes. 

"Yasmin, you are my wife, and the bridge between our two realms. If I can't trust you with such sensitive information, then who can I trust? In the future, if you have questions regarding my operations in Iberia, all you need to do is ask. With that said, allow me to inform you on a little secret that only a handful of people are aware of.

I specifically requested for mining rights within Collbato because it is filled with saltpeter deposits. As far as I'm aware, it is one of the few places in Europe where saltpeter is naturally formed in such vast quantities. I'm sure I don't need to inform you of the consequences that would arise if they were to learn of this."

Yasmin's amber eyes widened in shock as she heard this statement. She did not know how Berengar had found out about such a thing, when even the Crown of Aragon was unware of it. She nervously bit down on her lower lip before expressing the thoughts on her mind. 

"If Spain learns of this matter, they would immediately move to seize the saltpeter mines, and in doing so, violate your treaty. Even if they are not prepared for war at the moment, they can't allow their enemies to have such a vast deposit of such a crucial strategic reserve. 

By taking this mine, they could break their reliance on eastern trade for gunpowder, and could even supply the catholic world. Thus, causing a significant threat to both Granada and Austria. No matter what, they can't learn of what lies within these mines!" 

Berengar had a smirk on his face as he sat back and listened to his wife's explanation of the geo-political situation at hand. Few men could glean so much knowledge about the world's affairs by simple exchange of words. Even fewer women could display such comprehensive knowledge and foresight. Perhaps only Linde was capable of such a thing. He suddenly had a newfound respect for Yasmin.