Tyranny of Steel

The Moorish Beauty felt as if her heart stopped in that moment as she gazed at Berengar in disbelief. Upon seeing the priceless expression on Yasmin's face, Berengar laughed before hugging her and passing off his remarks as a joke.

"I'm kidding. Don't act so serious! As if such a thing could be true."

Yasmin continued to stare at her husband in disbelief. Though Berengar had said it was a joke, she knew her husband well enough to know that he was percent speaking the truth. The more she thought about such a thing, the more she realized it was the only logical explanation for all of Berengar's accomplishments. Thus, after thinking about it for some time, Yasmin calmed her mind and put a warm smile on her face before accepting Berengar's joke as reality.

"So you're from the future.... that actually explains a lot. If you don't mind me asking, what happens to Granada in the time you're from?"

It was now Berengar's turn to stare at the woman in disbelief. He could not help but inquire about how nonchalant she was about this total revelation.

"Just like that? You accept such a ridiculous explanation as reality?"

Yasmin responded to Berengar's question with a scoff, before pointing at the paper on his desk.

"Berengar, nobody even knows what radio waves are, and yet you not only seem to be aware of their existence with no experimentation whatsoever, but you have single-handedly designed a device that looks like it has already been perfected via decades of innovation.

Now I'm no scientist, but I know that this defies all common knowledge in the world today. So either you're the devil, have sold your sold to the devil so that you can understand the world's mysteries, or you're from the future where such things are already a reality!"

Berengar scratched his chin in embarrassment as he heard this. He did not expect Yasmin to be so intelligent, and thus he sighed in defeat before answering her previous question. 

"In the year 1492, the Emirate of Granada falls, and the Catholic Reconquista of Iberia is completed. In the following centuries, the Catholics engage in a ruthless campaign of genocide to drive the remaining moors out of the lands they once inhabited, forever becoming a footnote in history."

Yasmin grappled with the tears in her eyes, she struggled to believe such a fate would befall her people, but when she actually thought about it, the only reason they weren't currently under the heel of the Catholic world as a puppet state was because of Berengar's interference, thus she came to a sudden conclusion as she asked Berengar about his reasons for allying with Granada.

"So then, your alliance with my people is so that you can prevent this fate?"

In response to this, Berengar shook his head and sighed heavily before revealing the true intent behind his alliance with her homeland. 

"If I am being honest, my intentions were not so noble. By the time I even thought about Granada as a potential ally, I was already facing the pressure of the Catholic Church. I was desperate for strategic alliances, and I knew that a united Spain would be an enormous pain in the ass for future generations of my dynasty.

So, the most logical solution was to side with Granada and create an allied state built on friendly ties. However, I never expected their princess to be so alluring, or that I would fall head over heels with her. Now that we're married, I swear I will do everything in my power to prevent such a horrific fate from befalling your people."

Yasmin nodded her head in response to this, though all of this information was shocking to her. Given enough time to process it, she could accept Berengar's tale as reality. However, at the moment, her head was spinning so much from all this bizarre knowledge that she knew she would need some time to sort out her thoughts. Despite this, she pressed on with her interrogation, deeply interested in who Berengar really was, and why he had come to this world.

"So, why did you come back to our time?"

To this, Berengar merely gazed out at the stars and sighed before answering the question in the most honest manner he could think of.

"I don't know myself. It's not like I had a choice. In my past life, I was an engineer in the world's most powerful military. We were in some god forsaken shit hole in the near-east, and I ended up dying in an enemy ambush.

After feeling my body ripped to pieces by the explosion, I woke up in this world with two sets of memories. You could say the current me is an amalgamation of this world's Berengar von Kufstein, and my past life's identity."

Yasmin smiled bitterly as she brooded over everything Berengar had said. She knew in her mind now that Berengar was telling the truth. He was the duality of both Berengar von Kufstein of this world, and some man from the future.

However, such a thing did not matter to her in the slightest, because despite finding out that part of him was from the future, he was still the man she loved, and his origins did not change that fact. If anything, it enhanced it. With a heavy sigh, the busty beauty grabbed hold of Berengar's hands and eased his growing tension. 

"While it is shocking to hear such a revelation, I believe you wholeheartedly, and this doesn't change my feelings about you. After all, according to what you said, you had long since reincarnated into this world by the time I met you. Which means the current you, is the man I fell in love with. It doesn't matter to me that you have memories of the future. The only thing that I care about is that you are the man I love..."'

Berengar felt a tear pooling up in his eye. He could hardly believe that after revealing his biggest secret that this woman would accept him and his fantastical tale. He thought for sure he would have to pass it off as a joke in order to keep the woman in his life.

Thus, he quickly found himself wrapping his arms around the woman and hugging her tightly. Afraid that if he were to let go, she would leave him forever.  Yasmin had a loving smile on her face as she stroked Berengar's golden hair and comforted him with kind words.

"Good boy... I bet such a secret has been troubling you for some time. You don't need to worry anymore, I'm here for you..."

Upon hearing such a warmhearted statement, Berengar could no longer fight back the tears in his eyes. The German Emperor's tears crashed down around him as if they were drops of rain. For the first time in his life, a woman accepted him for who he really was.

It had been a great fear in Berengar's heart that if any of his girls were to learn that he was from another world, that they would instantly reject him. Yet that was not the case with the Moorish beauty in front of him. After crying for a few moments, he separated himself from Yasmin and wiped the tears from his eyes before wearing a smile on his face.

"What else would you like to know about me? I'll answer any of your questions so long as I am able..."

The busty beauty immediately reached into the ice chest and pulled out a couple of bottles of beer. She opened them up before handing one off to her husband with a pretty smile on her face. A single word escaped her enchanting lips as she spoke. 

"Everything..."

With that said, Berengar sighed as he thought about where to begin his tale of his past life. As a man accustomed to storytelling, he thought of the perfect phrase to begin his epic tale. 

"It all begins in a small town on the east coast of the New World in the year 1998. I was born into an impoverished family within the world's sole superpower. For most of the country, it was a time of great prosperity, and despite that, both of my parents had to work in order to provide for me..."

Berengar spent many hours of the night explaining his past life, and the struggles he had to go through in order to climb above his family's poverty. By the time the light of dawn illuminated his study, he was near the end of his tale. Thus, Berengar gazed at the rising sun, and spoke of his last days.

"As I said, I joined the army, but by the time I graduated from the academy, I could no longer recognize the country I once loved. The unity that my country faced in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was eventually replaced with hatred and animosity between both of the major political parties.

It was not uncommon to see violence in the streets because of this. Civil strife had become the norm, and the economy was tanking at a rapid rate. On top of all of this, there was a global pandemic that had no end in sight.

It was my honest opinion that my country would not survive the coming decades. I suppose I'm lucky to have died in Afghanistan rather than witness the collapse of America, and the dawn of a new dark age. For I do not know if I had the strength to endure such difficulties.

It is because of this reality that in this life I have rejected many of the modern principles that led to the destabilization across the western world, and instead have embraced the traditions of the past, in doing so implemented a style of government built on long-term stability in mind rather than individual liberty.

Democracy is a failed experiment. The last days of my past life proved this to be true, so it is with this in mind that I say long live the monarchy! But that is enough about my past life. It is getting late and we should get to bed."

Yasmin was stunned by all that she learned about Berengar's past life, and how it shaped the person he was today. She was glad that he was so open and honest with her, and felt the desire to squeeze him tight and assure him that everything was okay now. However, before she could do that, another question entered her mind. 

"Are you going to tell the others?"

Berengar reflected on this for a few moments before sighing heavily and shaking his head. 

"Maybe eventually... For now, let's just keep this between you and me."

Yasmin smiled and nodded her head in response to this. 

"Of course, if you so desire, I promise to keep this a secret until my grave, but I think they deserve to know... I hope you soon find the ability to tell them, for your sake, as much as theirs. Now, husband, let's go get some sleep."

After saying this, Yasmin dragged Berengar off to the bedroom, where he used her massive F Cups as a pillow for the night.