Tyranny of Steel

Several hours had passed, and Berengar awoke to the soft sensation of the silk dress that covered Adela's thighs, even she had fallen asleep during this time as he rested in her lap pillow. However, it was merely a power nap and not an actual night's rest; as such, Berengar continued to enjoy himself until the moment his fiancee awoke from her slumber.

After a few moments, Adela quietly opened her eyes, where Berengar pretended to be still asleep, realizing that it was nearing time for dinner; Adela began to pet her future husband's golden hair with a smile on her face.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! It is almost time for dinner."

Being already awake, Berengar was smiling at the loving gesture of Adela before he pretended to wake up slowly. He honestly wished he could enjoy this moment a little longer. However, all good things must come to an end. Thus Berengar rose from the lap pillow and rubbed his eyes.

"How long was I out for?"

Adela, who was also asleep, shook her head as she revealed what she knew.

"I don't know, I also fell asleep, but it must have been a few hours; look at the sun; it has already begun to set!"

Berengar and Adela immediately shifted their view towards the window, which revealed a beautiful sky filled with fluffy clouds; it appeared to be the perfect blend of orange and blue. The sight of which instantly spurred feelings of romance in every couple who stared at its brilliance together, Berengar and Adela were no exception.

However, they could not enjoy its beauty for long, shortly after, they heard a knock at the door, followed by one of the servants announcing that the time for dinner had arrived.

"Your excellency, it is dinner time; Count Otto has requested your presence."

Hearing such news, Berengar got up from his position on the ground and offered a helping hand to Adela. The adolescent girl quickly latched onto it, where Berengar dragged the girl from her knees and into his arms before petting her on the head.

"I suppose it is time to eat."

Adela stuffed her head into Berengar's chest before muttering in a low voice.

"yeah..."

Afterward, Berengar opened the door, and the servant was already gone; as such, he and Adela inched towards the dining hall while holding hands. When they finally arrived, they realized that they were the last to do so, and as such, quickly sat down in their seats so that the meal no longer waited upon them.

After being brought the dishes for the night, the group said the Lord's prayer before dining into their meals. Otto was aware of the trouble that Ava had caused, but he was not yet aware that she had adequately apologized. As for Wolfgang, he glared menacingly at Berengar, and yet Berengar paid no heed to his malicious gaze.

Ava was quite worried; even though Berengar had claimed he accepted her apology, she had no idea what kind of favor he may ask of her in the future; because of her fear of the unknown, she seldom looked toward's Berengar and Adela's direction.

As for Berengar and Adela, they were smiling happily, like a loving couple on their honeymoon. They had squashed their relationship problems before they turned into something serious, and as such, were in exceptionally high spirits on this fine evening.

The Countess noticed Adela's good mood and quickly commented on it, with a charming smile on her face.

"You two seem to be unusually happy this evening. Did something happen between you two?"

Count Otto was also quite curious; as far as he was aware earlier in the day, Ava had seemed to cause a severe rift between the young couple, but now they were chatting and giggling like a couple of teenage brats who were in love for the first time in their lives.  Well, he supposed for Adela that was most certainly the case, Berengar on the other hand, not so much.

Most curious of all was the eldest son and heir of Count Otto, Gerhart, who had since Berengar's arrival gone out of his way to avoid the man. After all, he had caused quite the controversy when he tried to break Berengar and Adela's betrothal, so much so that he was no longer on speaking terms with his youngest sister.

Ultimately Adela was the one who spoke up about her current state of affection for her future husband.

"You could say Berengar and I have come to an understanding..."

The teenage girl knew how to leave things cryptic; it was a great way to infuriate Gerhart and Ava. She was not above causing some trouble of her own, which caused Count Otto to frown. He knew Adela was now striking back at her siblings. However, he did not blame her for doing so; after all, she had previously been put in a difficult position by the two of them.

Gerhart scowled when he heard this; he still did not approve of his lecherous, and cruel cousin grooming his lovely little sister. However, it was not his decision to make, and his father had already made that abundantly clear.

As for Adela's other brother, Heimerich, he was smiling at the whole affair. He greatly admired Berengar's accomplishments and supported creating a long-lasting relationship with his cousin, especially since he knew of Berengar's reforms, and was hoping that when the young man became Duke, he would allow noble houses to implement such succession laws if they so wished, which would enable him to contend for the succession of his father, with his foolish brother Gerhart. Thus Heimerich was the first to comment on Adela's statement.

"Whatever it is, I am glad to see you two getting along so well. I wish the two of you great happiness in your future!"

Gerhart and Ava snarled at this response, but Count Otto and his wife Wanda were pleased by Heimmerich's comments. The boy looked more and more like successor material; it was just a shame that he was the second son instead of the first. Heimerich was not as cruel as Lambert and would never make an attempt on his brother's life, but he would undoubtedly do his best to usurp his position in any other way.

Berengar was smiling as he dug into his meal, with a smile on his charming face. He was incredibly pleased that he could enjoy such a level of cooking, even across the Duchy. His cultural changes were beginning to affect more than just Tyrol. After washing it down with some light beer, he decided to make an announcement. As such, he gathered everyone's attention by clanging his spoon on his chalice.

After everyone gazed over at him, Berengar smiled gracefully before letting everyone know his decision.

"I have decided to announce it here, but I will be departing tomorrow morning, back to Tyrol. Though I am incredibly thankful for the hospitality you have shown me and the time that I have spent with you all. I have many important matters to attend to, and unfortunately, I can't dwell here any longer. I just wanted to thank you all for allowing me to stay here these past few days!"

When Adela heard this, she began to pout; after all, she and Berengar had just settled their differences and were starting to spend time together. However, she understood Berengar had many matters to oversee, and as such, she could not monopolize him.

As for Count Otto, he was aware of the plans Berengar had in place; in a few days, Conrad would be arriving in Kufstein, and Berengar needed to be there to greet the boy and cement his power. After Berengar made an announcement, Otto made one of his own.

"I will also be traveling with Berengar to Kufstein; there is a matter of great importance that he and I must attend to. Adela, if you would like to come with us, you may. As for who is in charge during my absence, I will pass that responsibility to Gerhart. Do not disappoint me like last time!"

The expressions around the table varied greatly. Adela was pleased, as she not only got to spend more time with Berengar, but she could finally see his baby boy with her own eyes. Despite herself not being the mother, she felt a great desire to see what his offspring would look like and to get close to him early on.

As for Gerhart, he was exceptionally thrilled that he was being given another chance; he had thoroughly screwed up his last stint as Regent, so much that his position was stripped and given to Heimerich during the remaining duration.

Heimerich on the other hand was scowling; he was confident that he would be left in command the next time his father departed for an extended period. Yet, the position was given to his elder brother once more. He supposed he would be the one tasked with leading the armies, which was fair; after all, he was far more capable in that regard than Gerhart.

Ava and her husband were glad that Berengar would be departing; his presence was a constant reminder of his Tyranny and the ever-increasing fear they felt for their actions. Ava had informed Wolfgang not to annoy further Berengar and the reasons for doing so. He may be dull, but he was also a coward and knew when to fear the mighty.

Ultimately Berengar smiled at this result; not only would he be able to spend more time with Adela, but Otto was personally visiting Kufstein to greet Conrad and form the resistance against the Bavarian occupation of Austria. Three Counts would meet in Kufstein where they would convince Conrad to declare Berengar as Regent, then he would possess all the authority of a Duke.

First, he would drive the Bavarians from Austria; then, he would implement his reforms across the entire Duchy while building a great navy! After all, with all of Austria under his command, he would finally have access to the Adriatic Sea, and by extension the Mediterranean. Once this goal was achieved Berengar could finally send expeditions to the new world! Soon enough, his life's goal of gaining potatoes would become a reality!