Tyranny of Steel

Yasmin sat alone in one of the many bedrooms of the Imperial Palace of Germany, the shades were drawn over the windows which completely blocked out the sunlight from entering the room. Tears streamed down from her amber eyes and onto her cheeks, like small rivers. She wanted nothing more than to hug her husband and two children at this moment. However, the man had left her when she needed him most, and took their young son with him. 

A week had passed since the Princess of Al-Andalus heard that her brother had passed away. Though she wasn't given the exact details, it was clear that he had gotten himself killed in Morocco. For her entire life, Yasmin had looked after her brother, ensuring that he did not get into any trouble. She felt guilty over his death, believing that had she been by his side, advising him on matters of the State, then she could have convinced him not to act so recklessly.

For the past week, Yasmin had done little more than cry and sleep. The care of her infant daughter was left up to her husband's other wives, as she grieved the loss of her little brother. Though the other women attempted to comfort her in Berengar's absence, she had rejected their courtesy, and secluded herself in a bedroom. 

However, her personal solitude could not last forever. At this moment, the door to her room opened despite it being locked from the inside, and Linde forced her way inside. She had a tray of food on her hands, which included a variety of dishes that Yasmin commonly enjoyed. There was also a pitcher of fresh milk and a couple of crystal glasses.  When Yasmin saw the intruder, she frowned before lashing out at the redheaded beauty. 

"What are you doing here? I thought I requested to be alone..."

Linde was not the slightest bit insulted by the Moorish Princess' rudeness, and instead set down the tray of food on the bed, while pouring a glass of milk for the woman. She handed the glass cup over with a gentle expression on her face.

"You need to eat. I can only imagine how you feel right now, but that is no reason to throw away your health..."

Despite Linde's kindness, Yasmin was skeptical of her behavior. The Moorish beauty had always kept a close eye on the veteran spymaster. She was well aware of the relationship that Linde had with both Berengar and the other wives. Yasmin knew that whatever grace Linde was showing her would surely have ulterior motives behind it. Thus, she did not hold back her thoughts, and quickly voiced her cynicism. 

"What reason do you have to care so much about my well being? Surely you're not just looking after me of your own good will..."

The moment Linde heard this remark her caring facade came crumbling down, seeing that Yasmin was not accepting her treat, she decided to drink the milk with the grace befitting of an Empress, her demeanor had shifted from that of a caring mother to a brilliant monarch. 

"You always were a sharp one... Very well, if you insist, I will cease my false pretense. After all, you have thoroughly displayed your indifference towards me and my girls."

It was at this moment Yasmin interrupted Linde's speech by chuckling briefly before firing back at the woman. 

"Your girls? I thought they were Berengar's?"

Linde responded to this with a slight giggle. She had an arrogant expression on her pretty face as she lectured Yasmin for her choice of words. 

"Of course, we are all Berengar's girls, are we not? However, that doesn't change the fact that he has put me in charge of his little harem. With the exception of you, since you don't want to be a team player. But I digress.

You ask why I am helping you? Well, you are correct to assume that it is not just for your sake. Unlike the other women in Berengar's life, who I deeply care for as my sisters. You are much more of an acquaintance who my husband married as a side piece for the sake of political convenience. Though he has some feelings towards you, probably more than the others, I don't recognize you as one of my sisters. Hell, if I'm being honest, I care for Henrietta more than I do you. 

However, it is because of these feelings that Berengar has for you that I must ensure you deal with your grief in a healthy and natural manner. Staying cooped up in this darkness all day is no way to grieve the loss of your brother. If Berengar saw you in this state, he would be heartbroken. So, I have decided to help you, so that I may spare my husband some pain. 

So, you are going to eat everything on this plate; you are going to drink all of this milk, then you are going to take a bath with me, and come out of this darkness, and integrate into our family the way you should have done years ago. The harem doesn't just exist for Berengar's pleasure; it is a sisterhood, where we support each other in our difficulties, even though we may bicker at times."

Yasmin scoffed at this suggestion as she shifted her head so that she no longer met Linde's fierce gaze. She responded with a coy attitude. 

"And if I refuse?"

In response to this, Linde merely licked her lips as she gazed at Yasmin's substantial bosom, and made a threatening gesture with her hands.

"Then I am going to grope you until you admit defeat! We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, Yasmin!"

Yasmin gazed at the lust filled expression on Linde's lips and sighed heavily before agreeing to the woman's request.

"You are a weird one... Fine, I will do as you say."

After saying this, the Moorish beauty dined on the food that had been prepared for her while washing it down with milk. Linde smiled when she saw Yasmin had done as she had commanded. After the woman had finished all the food on her plate, Linde approached her with a seductive smile and whispered in her ears.

"Don't you feel better now that you have had a delightful meal?"

Yasmin brushed Linde's advances off and stubbornly shook her head in silence. Though in truth she had to admit that Linde's cooking had gotten better, the fact that the woman went to the lengths to prepare the meal herself rather than order the kitchen staff to do it was somewhat heart warming.  Upon seeing the woman play hard to get, Linde grabbed hold of her dainty yet tanned hand and dragged her off to the bath. Yasmin cried out in shock as she realized what was happening. 

"We're not really going to bathe together, are we?"

Linde remained silent as she dragged the Moorish princess to the Royal Bathhouse that existed in The Imperial German Palace. The two women stripped off of their clothing before opening the door to the large pool that existed as the personal bath of the Imperial Family.

Inside, Yasmin was shocked to see through the steam that Berengar's other women were already present, and in the water, where they washed each other's bodies.  Henrietta was groping Adela's chest, while rubbing it with soap, something that caused the young woman to be shy. 

"What are you doing, Henrietta? Stop this instant!"

However, Henrietta did not stop, and instead mocked Adela for her petite size and considerably smaller bust.

"Oh Adela, how is it that despite the women in our family all having substantial bosoms, you somehow have such small breasts?"

Adela immediately felt uncomfortable as Henrietta tweaked her nipples. She quickly threw the girl aside and rushed into the deep end of the pool to avoid her.

"I said that's enough. Besides, I don't have small breasts! I have C-Cups! That's bigger than most women!"

When Linde heard this, she called out to her oldest rival in an equally mocking tone.

"Sure, you're bigger than most women, but you still have the smallest bust of all of us!"

Adela gazed around and noticed that Berengar's harem were all extremely busty, with the smallest size besides her own being D Cups. She became dreadfully embarrassed and hid her face halfway under the water. Such a cute reaction caused the other girls to laugh at her. Honoria quickly called out to her, causing her to become even more flustered.

"Adela, you are too cute. You are the same little girl I met all those years ago!"

Adela immediately erupted in anger as she splashed the girls with the steaming bathwater. 

"Shut up, all of you!"

Despite the outburst, all the women continued to laugh at Adela's expense. When Yasmin gazed at this scene, she was astonished. Since when did these women get along so well? Had she really been neglecting the bonds between herself and Berengar's other women all this time? Linde noticed the expression on Yasmin's face and grabbed hold of her hand before leading her into the bath.

"Come on, Yasmin, it is time to clean you up. I've been trying my best not to say this, but you really stink!"

Yasmin blushed when she heard this before being led into the bath. For whatever reason, becoming a part of such a friendly scene caused the grief in her heart to lessen. A slight smile curved itself upon her pretty lips as she bathed with Berengar's harem. For the first time since she married Berengar, Yasmin finally understood what it meant to be part of the team.