Tyranny of Steel

Immediately after getting in the limousine with his family. Hans broke out into a cold sweat. Though he had been engaged to these three women for several years, and a had already been physically intimate with one of them. He was still extremely anxious about his big day.

Marriage was no joke, and though he was marrying three of the most beautiful young women in the Reich, he had many concerns flashing through his head. Particularly whether or not he was suited to being a proper husband and father.

As the car continued to pass by, Hans had his attention taken away by his mother, who had the most excited smile on her gorgeous face that he had ever seen her wear. The moment she spoke her words of comfort, all the fear and anxiety which plagued the boy's heart vanished.

"My precious baby boy is finally getting married. I am so happy for you. I have known these girls for so many years and have watched them very carefully to ensure that they are loyal to my little man. You need not fear a thing. Mommy has properly vetted your brides, and if they do get out of hand, simply come to me and I will make everything right again!"

Though the words sounded comforting, there was a bit of venom laced within them, especially the last sentence spoken. Hans was no fool. He knew exactly who his mother was, and if not for the fact that he was her own beloved son, he would be quite fearful of her.

Still, the boy doubted that the woman would make too much of a scene on his wedding day, and thus he was able to sigh in relief, knowing that his beloved mother was always watching out for him, even if he was about to finally move out, and get his own place, with his three loving brides. As for Natalia and Klaudia, they were still not yet of age, and thus Hans would have to marry those two girls at a later date, at separate weddings.

After arriving at the venue for the wedding, Hans was surprised to see that so many guests had shown up for his big day. After all, there were three brides, and because of this, family and friends from each of their households had arrived to celebrate the monumental occasion.

Yet, most surprising of all, was the fact that the Japanese Empress herself had shown up to the venue, and was seated at the front along with Berengar's other wives and concubines. An infant child sat in her lap. Recognizing this as his half-brother, Hans simply smiled as he saw the child and nodded in passing. Where he approached the altar, to find the head of the German Reformation standing in the center. 

Ludolf was roughly the same age as Berengar, but had aged at a much faster rate than the Kaiser. Though the church and state were separate, that did not mean that the Kaiser did not have some sway over the church itself. In fact, the bond which was once strong between Berengar and this man had been strained over recent years, as Berengar began to push a more atheistic curriculum among his nation's many schools. 

The introduction of the theory of evolution had caused quite the stir between Berengar Ludolf. As a result, they had seldom spoken over the past ten years. Berengar did not even make an attempt to appear in church these days, and thus the only thing that could get the two men in the same room at this time was a wedding like today. 

Hans was also not particularly fond of the church, as he was a man of science, and did not believe in the frivolities of religion. Yet he heeded his father's words about the church being necessary for a just, and moral society. Thus, he tolerated the traditions of Christianity, even if he himself, like his father, was not a member of the faithful. 

At the moment, he was slightly anxious, as all eyes of the church gazed upon him, waiting for the ceremony to begin. This was a rather unusual day, because contrary to what was most common in the Reich for polygamist marriages, the Crown Prince would be marrying three of his brides at the same time. 

And as if perfectly planned in accordance, the moment Hans had this thought, the music began to play while three brides were led down the hall. Veronika was on the right, with Berengar acting as the paternal figure for the girl, as he held her hand and gave her off to Hans, who stood in awe at the beauty of his three soon-to-be wives. 

Noemi was in the center of the formation, being led down the aisle by her elder brother, who was the current king of Hungary. And finally, on the left side was Anne. All three of the women were dressed in lavish white wedding gowns, which showed off the assets of their voluptuous bodies. 

Hans could only smile as the three women reached the altar. He had so many things he wanted to say, but would have to wait until after the ceremony ended. Ludolf continued to speak the words that were traditionally spoken by the priest during the wedding ceremony until finally the part to say their vows was completed.  The young prince had entirely zoned out while exchanging gazes with his wives, so much so that Ludolf had to cough to get his attention. 

"Prince Hans? Do you, or do you not take these three women to be your lawfully wedded wives?"

Upon realizing that the entire cathedral was waiting for his response, Hans blushed slightly before saying the words that all three of his fiancees wanted to hear. 

"I do..."

This response immediately caused everyone in the vicinity to smile, before Ludolf asked the same vows of the three brides, who answered in unison with the same response.

"We do..."

After hearing this, Ludolf sighed and said his final words.

"Then with the power invested in me, by the Kingdom of Austria, and the German Empire, I now pronounce you all husband and wives. You may kiss the brides..."

With this said, Hans leaned in towards Veronika and was about to give her the first of the three kisses, when to his surprise, and the rest of the audience, all three of the girls leaned forward and kissed their husband at the same time.

The sight of which caused Linde to break out into tears of joy. As a result, both Berengar and Honoria instinctively grabbed one of her hands in an attempt to calm the redheaded beauty down. The entirety of the Cathedral broke out into applause as they witnessed the man most likely to succeed the Kaiser take his first step into the world of matrimony. 

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