Tyranny of Steel

The German Prince Hans sat in a room with a young redheaded beauty by his side. The girl had rested her head on the boy's small chest and cried profusely into his tunic. So much so that her makeup had completely run, and in doing so, stained her pretty face. 

Noemi had just received word that her father had passed away during the war against the Reich, and that her brother was now the new king of Hungary. To exist as nothing more than a puppet of the German Emperor. 

Despite weeks passing since the battle occurred, the young Princess of Hungary was just now learning of her father's passing, and had difficulty processing her grief. Since she first arrived in the palace, she had suspected something had happened to her family, but she simply did not know what. After all, someone like her was unworthy of being betrothed to the German Prince, and yet it was so. 

Noemi had been keeping a respectful distance from Hans, as she was deathly afraid of the boy's mother. Who seemed to be keeping a close eye on her at all times. It was not until she learned of her father's death that Noemi reached out to the boy she considered being like a little brother, and spoke of her grief. 

Hans could only pretend like he cared. In truth, the girl's father was an enemy of the Reich and got what he deserved, or so the Prince of Germany thought. Though he would never discuss these views aloud, at least not to the girl who was suffering. 

Today was an important day. For the sake of the upcoming Victory Day celebrations, Berengar had gone out and invited all the monarchs of Europe, North Africa, and the Near east to come and visit Kufstein. They and their families would all be housed under one roof, and that was the Kaiser's. After all, his palace was indeed large enough to entertain so many guests.

However, on the eve of this monumental occasion, Noemi had learned the truth, and in doing so, was in no position to greet the guests. Instead, she had scurried off with Hans and cried herself to sleep. It was only after the girl had truly entered dreamland did Hans sigh in relief and leave her be.

Hans left the girl's room where he was immediately caught by his mother, who had gone to search for him. Linde was as radiant as ever, but her pretty face was filled with the expression of a scolding mother, who did not hesitate to express her views to her errant son.

'Where the hell have you been, Hans? Your fiance will be arriving at any moment! You must come with me quickly! I can't have you absent from greeting the Kalmar King's host."

The strawberry blonde haired angel quickly grabbed hold of her eldest son's wrist and led him off to the Great Hall where Berengar sat on his throne while awaiting the arrival of one of his most important guests. His entire family was lined up and waiting patiently. All but three of the Royal Family were present. 

Aside from Linde and Hans, Henrietta was noticeably absent. This was because she was pregnant, and visibly so. For her to take part in these festivities would raise questions, questions that were better off left unasked.

Thus, she was confined to the Harem room throughout the duration of the other monarchs' visit. The Penthouse at the top of the Palace was only accessible by Berengar and his lovers, and was under constant guard by members of the Reichsgarde.

As for Linde and Hans, the mother and son quickly entered the room, which caused Berengar to smile and nod his head in satisfaction. He was beginning to become worried that Hans had shirked his royal responsibilities, but it appeared his mother had found him and reminded the boy of his place. That did not mean he would remain silent on this matter, and thus Berengar quickly scolded his eldest son in front of the whole family. 

"Hans, if your mother had not found you, I would have been furious. After all, my plans for the future of the Kalmar Union relies on you and your fiancee to get along. To not greet her when she arrives would be a massive sign of disrespect. Now be a good boy and stand at attention until I introduce the two of you!"

Hans could only sigh and nod his head in silence where he took his spot. Linde, on the other hand, approached Berengar and stood on his left side. She was the second wife, and because of this, she was not afforded the luxury of being at his right, even if she was his most beloved woman. This was something that did not bother her in the slightest.

After several moments, a member of the Palace staff walked in while leading the Kalmar King and his host. Hans immediately gazed upon the busty, and tall blonde-haired beauty who stood behind the King. She had a pretty smile on her face as she walked into the room with a graceful stride. 

This young woman was Ingrid, who was Hans' fiancee, and it was no exaggeration to say that her beauty was on par with most of Berengar's brides. When King Alvar entered the room, Berengar gazed upon him in shock. He had not thought the man could get any larger during his last visit to Copenhagen, and yet the man's beer belly was much rounder than it was before. Clearly, he had been feasting too much.

However, Alvar had a lot to celebrate. His most powerful ally had single-handedly crushed his rivals, leaving the Catholic Church and much of Europe in ruins. He was not even asked to raise his armies in support. Thus, he had gained quite a lot from his alliance with the German Empire.  The man did not hesitate to kneel before Berengar, and order the rest of his people to do so.

"Kneel before the Kaiser!"

King Alvar spoke perfect German as he commanded his family and advisors to kneel before a foreign sovereign, showing just how important the German language had become on the international stage. 

Berengar smiled when he saw this display of fealty before signalling the men to rise. Though he enjoyed the sight, the Kalmar Union was not a protectorate, but an ally, and Berengar felt awkward seeing an ally kneel before him as if he were their emperor. Thus, he ordered his guests to rise to their feet. 

"Rise..."

King Alvar immediately did as he was ordered and wore a happy smile as he gazed upon Berengar's large family. He could not help but compliment the man for his efforts over the years. 

"I see your family is healthy and plentiful. It is good to see that man of your caliber lives in such a loving environment."

Berengar rose from his seat and walked towards the King of the Kalmar Union, where he patted the man on the back and introduced him to his family. 

"I indeed live a wonderful life when I am away from the flames of war. You have already met my third wife Honoria and my son with her Alexandros. However, she and I also have another child whose name is Helena."

Helena immediately presented herself upon hearing her father's words and greeted the Kalmar King with a proper curtsey. 

"I am Helena. It is an honor to meet you, your highness." 

After saying this, she fled back into the ranks of her family, where she stood by her brother's side. Having introduced Helena, Berengar introduced Adela to the man. After all, she was his first wife, and it was only proper he did so. 

"This is my darling Adela, the first of my wives. By her side is our son Kristoffer, his twin sister Katherine, and our other two children, Franz and Lukas."

In reality, Lukas was Berengar's son with Henrietta, but that was a closely guarded secret. The official story was that Henrietta could not give birth due to the injury she had suffered from the assassin's bullet. Because of this, she had decided to dedicate her life to helping her brother run the Empire. 

Why did Berengar not reveal that Henrietta was truly his half-aunt by blood, and that they were in an intimate relationship? That was because she was technically his grandfather's bastard. As her nephew, he did not have the right to legitimize her, even if he was the current head of the dynasty.

Henrietta held a unique position in the heart of the German people. She was beloved by all, and was seen by many as the guardian angel of the reich. To reveal the truth behind her lineage, and her relationship with Berengar, would cause more issues than it would solve. Thus, he introduced Henrietta's son as if he were Adela's. 

King Alvar came forward and greeted Kristoffer with a smile. The man knew that the boy was going to marry his granddaughter one day and was quick to make a proper first impression.

"Kristoffer, huh? That's a strong name. We have a similar name to where we come from. In fact, my eldest son is named Kristofer as well. You are the boy who will one day marry my eldest granddaughter?"

Kristoffer stepped forward and introduced himself to King Alvar. He held his head high as he did so, as if he himself were King Alvar's equal.

"That is correct... Tell me, is my fiancee here on this day? I would very much like to meet her!"

Alvar smiled warmly and nodded his head before calling out to his own family. 

"Astrid... Come here and meet your fiance!"

What was about to transpire was the meeting that would determine whether Berengar's plans for the Kalmar Union would come to fruition.