Tyranny of Steel

Berengar sat upon his throne within the great hall of the Austrian royal palace. A nostalgic expression etched itself upon his handsome face as he gazed upon his visitors with a warm smile. Because of his recent rise in the noble hierarchy, delegations from across the western world, and the near east alike, had visited Kufstein, hoping to establish diplomatic ties with the fledgling Empire.

Among these various delegations were the representatives of the Byzantine Empire. A man he had known for years was now paying homage to him, despite being an old friend. Andronikos bowed his head with complete respect towards the new German Emperor before congratulating him on his rapid rise to power.

"Your Imperial Majesty, it is the greatest honor to return to these lands after so many years apart. I must admit I am shocked to see the progress you have achieved not only on a political level, but a technological one as well. It would seem every time I visit Kufstein it becomes an even greater Jewel of the western world!"

In response to this, Berengar merely nodded his head before issuing a command to the man from the Byzantine Empire.

"Rise..."

After saying this, Andronikos and the Byzantine delegation rose from their kneeling position, while Berengar descended from his throne, standing before the man who once represented the interests of the late Strategos Arethas. The moment Berengar closed the distance between him and Andronikos, he wrapped his arms around the man and gave him a firm hug before releasing his grip.

"It is good to see you, my old friend. I am glad to see that you are alive and well. If only your former master was here to witness the growth of our empires ..."

A solemn expression formed upon Andronikos' lips as he gazed towards the ground while reflecting on the greatness of his former liege. After a heavy sigh, he responded to Berengar's kind words with some of his own.

"All life eventually ends. It is just a shame the man was so ruthlessly betrayed by his greatest pupil. In other news, I bring word from my new master. I believe you are familiar with the Strategos Palladius?"

Berengar nodded his head in silence upon hearing these words. He was well aware of Palladius and his schemes to replace the potential heirs of the byzantine Empire with Berengar and Honoria's son. Thus, he was immediately curious about what the old man had been up to since they parted ways in Iberia. 

"You can tell me all about it over lunch. Come, we dine upon the greatest cuisine my Empire has to offer!"

Andronikos would not refuse such a fine meal, and thus he nodded his head before following Berengar towards the dining hall. As the German Emperor and the Byzantine delegation began their short journey, Andronikos expressed his curiosity about a certain someone. 

"Tell me, your imperial majesty, will the Princess Honoria be joining us on this occasion?"

Berengar immediately shook his head as he answered the man's question.

"I am afraid not. She is currently on an important mission, and will not be back for some time. It is truly a shame, I fear with each passing day, our son Alexandros grows more attached to Linde. By the time Honoria returns home she might very well be a stranger in the boy's eyes."

As Berengar completed this sentence, he sat down at the head of the table, where Andronikos took a proper seat a few feet away from the Emperor. This news was unsettling to him, as the future of their alliance depended on the boy Alexandros and his relations to the Byzantine Empire. 

"That is most unfortunate, but the boy is still young enough that it should not be a problem for Honoria to claim her rightful place as his mother. However, I must say that our plans are proceeding smoothly. Quintus has lost favor with his father, the Emperor, and Decentius is a crippled fool. The Emperor is looking for another option, and he knows the boy Aurelius is incapable of fulfilling this task.

Thus, my master has hinted towards your son as a prospective candidate, and though the Emperor has not explicitly accepted it as a possibility yet, with each passing day, his interest in the idea grows. His biggest concern is your thoughts on this prospect."

Berengar merely scoffed as he heard this. He quickly took a drink from his chalice and ordered his servants to prepare some food for him and his guests. After these matters were taken care of, he addressed the Byzantine Emperor's concerns.

"You can rest assured that I will raise Alexandros to be a proper leader. He will go through a German education, but his teachers will instruct him in the languages of Latin and Greek alike. After all, though he has the blood of Germania running through his veins, it is equally entwined with his Roman heritage, and I will not deny him his origins. 

If Emperor Vetranis is genuinely considering Alexandros to be his successor, then I will support the boy's claim to the throne of Byzantium. As you and your master are well aware. After all, having someone who is more friendly to my Empire ruling the East is better than having someone hostile to it."

After saying this, servants came out from the shadows and placed the dishes on the table that the cooks in Berengar's kitchen had prepared for the Emperor and his guests. Berengar did not hesitate and immediately dug into the fine German cuisine with a smile on his face.

No matter how many times Berengar ate such delicacies, he would never grow tired of it. Still, he missed the variety of food that his past life provided. While western meals were delicious, he longed for the fine Asian cuisine he could conveniently pickup at a local venue. 

Andronikos was happy to see that Berengar had not changed his mind, and thus partook of the food on his plate, enjoying it every bit as much as his host did. After several moments of silence, Berengar asked the question that plagued his thoughts.

"So I assume the Emperor is still in good health? If he were to pass before my son becomes of ruling age, it would divide your Empire would it not?"

Andronikos immediately halted his actions as he dwelled upon the idea for some time before finally responding.

"Physically, the Emperor is quite healthy. He has recently taken up an exercise regime that he learned about from observing your actions in the palace during your last visit. Mentally, though, you could say he is exhausted.

His children are failures, and our enemies are at our gates. Though we can rely on our alliance with you to ensure our independence, I fear the Emperor is drowning in despair. Ever since Arethas passed, he has not been the same. He second guesses every choice he makes, and is paranoid of potential enemies hiding in the shadows."

Berengar frowned when he heard this news. A ruler must be sound of mind, or else it could spell ruin for his nation. He was all too aware of the consequences that resulted from having an incompetent head of state. Luckily for him, he did not live long enough in his past life to see the fate of his nation. 

As for the upcoming war against the Muslim states, Berengar was well aware of this. After all, his spy network had spread all the way to the Timur Empire, and Linde kept him well informed of global affairs. Thus, he immediately posed a question that shocked the Byzantine delegate.

"I understand the Timurids are currently encroaching on your eastern borders, as well as that of your ally, the Kingdom of Georgia. If you need military assistance, I would be more than happy to spare a regiment or two for the sake of deterrence. I know that my reputation is largely contained within the western world, but I am sure even the Timurid Emperor would be wary of picking a fight with my troops."

Andronikos smiled as he heard this and nodded his head emphatically before responding to Berengar's words.

"I am certain that it would please the Emperor Vetranis to know that you are willing to provide support. I will let him know upon my return and advise that he accept your offer. After all, I am certain with the soldiers of Germany guarding the border, the Timurid Emperor will think twice before attacking."

Berengar simply nodded his head in silence as he returned to his meal. The last thing he needed was his ally to be invaded by a coalition of jihadist states. Berengar had years to prepare for the eventual crusade against his Empire, but a jihad against the Byzantines would surely require him to mobilize a massive expeditionary force the likes he had yet to field. Such a thing would leave his borders weakened, and may provoke an enemy attack. 

Thus, in the coming days, his actions, and that of Emperor Vetranis, would determine whether the Jihadists would attack sooner rather than later. With this in mind, Berengar had a cordial conversation with the representative of the east about the capabilities of the Byzantine Army and their preparations for the upcoming jihad against them.