Tyranny of Steel

The Copenhagen Cathedral was not nearly as grand, or large as the one in Kufstein, and its architectural style was definitely older than the Baroque fashion which Berengar had designed his own church in. Yet it was still more luxurious than most chapels in Europe. After all, the wealth of Germany had long since made its way into the Nordic countries via their close trade.

Kristoffer stood at the altar, a man in his own right. If there were any of Berengar's children that looked nearly identical to him, then it would either be Kristoffer of Lukas. And yet, the boy did not wear his father's signature hairstyle, and instead had mid length hair, with curtained bangs.

The young Prince of Germany was about to marry his fiancee, a girl he had known and loved for many years. And despite how close the two of them were, they decided to save themselves for marriage. After all, that was what the bible instructed, and Adela's piousness had spread to her own offspring.

As the golden-haired lad stood silently next to the priest, the music began to play, and the bride walked through the halls of the Cathedral with a wide smile on her face. Though it could not be seen due to the white veil which concealed her ethereal beauty.

Eventually Astrid made her way to the Altar as her father walked her down the aisle. She then took off the veil and revealed her gorgeous face to her soon-to-be husband. Kristoffer silently nodded in approval with a gentle look in his sapphire eyes, while the Priest walked the couple through the typical wedding procedure. In the end, they both said the words "I do" before kissing one another in front of their families.

The crowd which had gathered for this occasion broke out into applause, none more so than Adela, who had a wide smile on her pretty face. She wiped a tear from her pure blue eyes as she watched her son finally get married to the young woman he loved.

However, before anyone could approach the bride and groom to offer their congratulations, Alvar stood up and made an announcement which shocked everyone in the room except for himself and Berengar.

"Now that my granddaughter has married Prince Kristoffer von Kufstein. I feel it is appropriate for me to announce that I am stepping down as the King of Denmark and the Kalmar Union, and am appointing Kristoffer as my successor! This has been a long time coming, and none of you will be able to change my mind!"

Kristoffer was also shocked at this news, he was unaware of the deal his father had made with his new grandfather-in-law, but it was a decision that immediately erupted protests from Alvar's many sons, as well as the other Nordic royal families.

Berengar stepped forward among the chaos, perhaps in an attempt to wrest control of the situation, and placed a hand on his son's shoulder before whispering something in the boy's ears.

"Do you like my present? You are now the King of the Nordic Countries. I suggest you use this newfound power to create a mighty empire of your own..."

Kristoffer looked at his father in shock. He knew exactly what this meant. Berengar had already chosen his successor from among his kids, and it was without a doubt his elder half-brother, Hans. Kristoffer immediately felt as if he had been robbed of his birthright, without even having a chance to compete for it. Being the Kalmar King? That was a mere consolation prize when compared to being the Kaiser of the German Reich. Still, the young man did not feel too surprised. Hans was infinitely more popular among the German people than he was.

The Crimson Prince was a War Hero of the highest caliber, having served at a very young age during the German-Japanese War, and in doing so proved himself to be the world's greatest fighter ace. Hans was also a genius of supreme intellect, and had earned the approval of the public before he had even finished puberty.

In comparison, Kristoffer was mockingly referred to as the "Golden Prince" in contrast to Hans. He was the eldest son of the first Kaiserin, and his only achievements worthy of note were his musical performances, for which he was considered a creative genius as well as his heavy involvement in both Charity and the Church.

However, no matter how well respected these accomplishments should be, they failed to compare to Hans, at least not as far as the average German was concerned. Why was this?

Because the Germans were a race of warriors and conquerors. The most well-respected achievements one could achieve in life were not through culture, or academia, but on the field of battle.

This was the martial society that Berengar had fostered during his reign, and even though the Germans no longer had any rivals on the world stage, they continued to fight and kill for honor and glory even if their opponents were a bunch of mere savages armed with sticks and stones.

Perhaps if Kristoffer was named his father's successor, then this would change during his reign, but as it stood, Germany would remain a nation who embodied the martial spirit of their ancestors. Kristoffer could only sigh in defeat and accept his father's generosity for even bothering to give him an Empire of his own. After all, the Nordic people were of Germanic origin, and they were essentially the cousins of their continental counterparts who ruled over Europe with an iron first.

The crowd continued to whisper amongst themselves, with several of Alvar's sons stepping forward with menacing looks in their eyes. Upon realizing that he needed to stabilize the situation and quickly, Kristoffer pointed to the members of Alvar's Royal Guard who now answered to him, and gave his first decree as the new Kalmar King.

"Guards, arrest anyone here who even thinks about disrupting my wedding. As for the rest of you, you can either accept the new order, or spend some quality time in the dungeons until you come to your senses. The choice is yours!"

Immediately, the members of the Danish Royal Guard moved forward and arrested Alvar's more unruly sons, while the rest of the guests sat back down in their seats and remained quiet. Berengar could only shake his head in disapproval at his son's refusal to outright execute his rivals even now, as they threatened to rebel against his rule. He would have to take care of these twats himself, or else his son Kristoffer would find himself eating a poison potato sooner rather than later.

After the immediate troublemakers were arrested, Kristoffer led his guests back to the palace, where he threw a reception worthy of his new title. However, the atmosphere that existed throughout the dining hall was one of uncertainty.

Few people could comprehend why Alvar had decided to step down and appoint Kristoffer as the new king. While those among the guests who were shrewd, understood that Alvar was forced to step down under threat of the Kaiser's wrath. Thus, deciding in that moment to wholeheartedly support their new King. As having a von Kufstein on the throne was a good way to ensure future prosperity of the realm.

After a not so joyous dinner, Kristoffer retired to his quarters with his new wife. Where he spent the rest of the night consummating his marriage to Astrid. However, he would be forced to awaken early the next day, and begin his new job as the Kalmar King.

If you're not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at https://ko-fi.com/zentmeister