Tyranny of Steel

Having concluded the night's dinner, the guests of the Byzantine Palace were led to their allotted quarters for the evening, where they rested peacefully under the security of the mighty Byzantine Empire. Though the negotiations up until this point had been quite fierce, in the end, both sides had come to a tacit understanding about the most outstanding issues between them. 

Berengar, ever the hard worker, did not immediately go to sleep upon returning to his quarters. Instead, he spent the night putting pen to ink as he drafted a critical document for the meeting that would undoubtedly take place the next day. It was not until well past midnight that the young emperor got any wink of sleep. 

When the light of the dawn shone through Berengar's window, he rose from his slumber and prepared himself for the day's negotiations. As with every day, he started out his morning with a strict exercise regimen before bathing.

After doing a set of pushups, situps, and squats, Berengar ran laps around the palace gardens. A liberty that Vetranis granted him during his first visit. Unbeknownst to him, while he was doing his morning run, Salan was nearby and shocked to see that the German Emperor maintained such a high level of discipline regarding his fitness.  The Sultan of the Timurid Empire could not help but approach his German counterpart and express his natural curiosity.

"Tell me, it is the crack of dawn, and here you are in the gardens, running laps around them. I would not question such actions on a normal day, but you are an ambassador for your people here in Constantinople. Surely you should take a more leisurely approach to these peace accords."

Berengar stopped in his tracks when the man approached him and wiped the sweat from his chiseled body with a hand towel that he kept stashed in his shorts. It was only after he had finished this action did he answer the sultan's questions. 

"A healthy body creates a healthy mind. Believe me when I say that exercise is extremely important to maintaining one's wellbeing. Since today is not a rest day, I work out, it is as simple as that. Why am I up so early? It is because I like to get my daily fitness  regimen out of the way as soon as possible, so that I may use the rest of my day entertaining more important matters."

The diligent answer that Berengar had responded with stunned the Timurid Emperor, he could not fathom a monarch following such a rigid lifestyle. After all, most men of power lived in excess. To see the German Emperor have such discipline was something unexpected. 

It appeared to the Timurid Emperor that his German counterpart was an exceptional man. This was not the first statement Berengar had made that caused the Sultan reflect deeply on the meaning behind the words. As with the German Emperor's military advice on artillery being the single most critical aspect of warfare, so too did the man's philosophy of strict physical and mental discipline have its appeal. 

Perhaps he would begin changing his lifestyle to account for rigid physical training? However, none of this was a concern to Berengar, who gazed upon his watch, and noticed the time. Soon, the negotiations would take place at the breakfast table, and the various delegates would come to terms with the establishment of a new republic within the Holy Land.

"It's almost time for breakfast. I suppose I will cut my morning run short for the day. I will see you at the table..."

After saying this, Berengar sprinted off to take a bath so that he was presentable for the meal. As per usual, Berengar used his bath time to its utmost efficiency before reappearing in the dining hall where the others had already gathered. 

He was dressed in his imperial regalia, which resembled that of the German Emperor from his past life, the primary difference being it was in the colors of this world's Kingdom of Austria. A variety of medals and orders adorned Berengar's attire, symbolizing his heroic feats in battle. 

Similarly to Berengar, Vetranis was also dressed in this modern style, as Austrian fashion had spread across Germany and into Byzantium to a certain extent, especially among the nobility. While Berengar's attire was based upon that of the German Emperor, Vetranis's tailors had designed a similar style which resembled the military uniform worn by the last king of Greece in Berengar's past life. The primary difference was that the uniform was in the color of Tyrian purple, a symbol of Byzantine wealth. 

As for Besarion, he was not dressed in as luxurious attire instead; he wore clothing that would have been found among the medieval nobility. Thus, when compared to his allies, he was definitely lacking in terms of fashion. 

Such prestigious uniforms were something that the Muslims were not accustomed to, and thus, when they gazed upon Berengar and Vetranis, they could not help but stare with envy. Eventually, Berengar broke the silence as he dug into his meal. He was more interested in ending these peace accords as quickly as possible. 

"So, we have agreed to the creation of an independent republic within the Holy Land. Because of this, I propose we establish a formal name for this country. I've given it a lot of thought, and I nominate the Free State of Jerusalem. A place where Christians, Jews, and Muslims can coexist in peace."

When Berengar said this, the Muslim leaders' heads turned towards him with scowls on their faces. They quickly protested a certain aspect of the German Emperor's statement.

"Jews? Who said anything about Jews? I thought we were discussing the peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians?"

Berengar sighed when he heard this. He had done an awful lot of research on the province of the Palestine to prepare for this meeting, and had shockingly learned that in this world, the Jews never spread beyond the holy land.

Because of this, there were very few jews in all of Europe, mostly as traveling merchants. However, this meant that a very large percentage of Palestine was Jewish, and they could not be ignored in the establishment of this new state. Thus, he put on a stern expression as he explained the reality to the people gathered. 

"You know as well as I do that the Jewish people make up a significant minority in the province of Palestine. What do you suggest we do? Remove them from their homes? Where would we resettle them? No, the Jews will remain in their homeland, and since they are a sizeable minority, we must give them appropriate representation in the government of this new republic.

Need I remind you that our goal is to create a peaceful, holy land that represents the interests of all who have a claim and, therefore, is not a cause for anyone to fight over? This point is non-negotiable!"

The various Muslim leaders looked at each other with discomfort, as did Vetranis and Besarion. They had not even thought about what they would do with the Jewish minority. However, the Christian Kings were much more in line with Berengar's thinking, they had a claim to the land as well, and if they were going to make Palestine into an independent republic, they should be given appropriate representation for the size of their population.

As for Salan, he discussed in private with the other Muslim leaders about the possibility of accepting such a state. The other two fanatics beside him were vehemently against the idea of peaceful coexistence with the Jewish people, however after some skillful maneuvering on Salan's part, they ultimately agreed to it, even if they did so begrudgingly. 

After seeing that the people gathered were becoming more agreeable to the idea, Berengar pulled out a few pieces of papers he had drafted the night before, which was essentially a carbon copy of the United States constitution as it was in its original form with a few minor alterations that applied to specifics about the nation they were creating.

"This is the constitution I drafted last night. Look it over and see if there are any major points of contention that we may address before we come to an agreement."

One by one, the men present read over the constitution, and voiced any minor changes they wanted. In the end, the government of the Free State of Jerusalem looked similar to the US Government in its early days but with a multi-party system in place.

When the men had voiced their last concerns, they then drafted a comprehensive peace treaty between the various Muslim Sultanates, the German Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Kingdom of Georgia. There was even a stipulation that ensured the Orthodox and Reformist Nations would remain neutral in the event of a Catholic war with the Islamic world. 

Thus, after several days of heated negotiations, Berengar had successfully led a peaceful agreement between the Christian and Muslim worlds. How long this peace would last was uncertain, after all empires rose and fell, and it was uncertain if the Timurid's successors would honor these agreements. However, for the time being, the current Muslim states of the world had ceased their desire for jihad, and the Christian states outside of Catholicism had ceased their hostilities to Islam. 

History would remember the part Berengar had played to bring the Abrahamic religions to a more peaceful state, and would consider the Treaty of Constantinople to be a critical aspect in maintaining peace within the near-east.