Tyranny of Steel

Adelbrand stood within the confines of the Granadan Royal Palace. In his hands was a letter delivered from the front lines. By his side were the various Generals and Officers tasked with leading the war efforts of the German-Granadan Alliance within the Iberian Theatre. A devilish smirk was on his face as he pronounced every word with perfect prose, as if he were reciting a poem.

"The King is dead, and his armies with him. The trap that the Kaiser has laid for our enemies went perfectly. Spain is ripe for conquest!"

Hasan heard these words and immediately felt a wrenching feeling in his gut. He had not suffered from such anxiety since his capital was under siege years ago. After taking a moment to calm his senses, he wore a stern expression as he issued the command that would alter the course of history forever.

"Prepare my Army and inform the men that we march on Spain on the morrow. Al-Andalus will be restored!"

Cheers erupted in the war room as the young sultan announced the declaration. War had come to Iberia once more, and Hasan did not seek to be merciful during this round. The Granadan Royal Army had spent years preparing for this very moment, and in this time, his armies were second only to Germany's.

Because of the smaller scale of Granada compared to the Byzantine Empire, and the fact that Hasan had purged his ranks of those who were disloyal before he had even begun reforming his army, the Sultan could become a power that was greater than even the mighty Romans in the east.

The excessive bureaucracy of the Byzantine Empire, combined with its armies being held by various generals with their own political interests, had forced the Byzantine Empire to modernize rather slowly compared to their allies. The fact of the matter was that individual Strategos held too much power and authority for the Emperor to assume full control. 

Unlike Granada, which had the most modern equipment, Berengar was willing to sell them. Many Byzantine Units were still in the era of pike and shot. However, this was of no concern to Hasan as he knew his Byzantine Allies would not be aiding him in this conquest. 

Adelbrand quickly took the stand as he addressed the gathered military officials with pride on his face.

"The German Army has begun its march as we speak. We shall take the forefront of the conflict. With the Spanish army defeated in Collbato, we can not allow the Catholic world time to respond. As for our Granadan allies, you can secure the cities we have conquered, and ensure the loyalty of the locals. For the Empire!"

The German officers immediately broke out into cheers as they saluted the Field Marshal 

"For the Empire!"

With that said, the war for the restoration of Al-Andalus had begun, and the Reconquista that had been going on for centuries would soon come to an end. 

---

Berengar sat back in his office with a smile on his face. He was reading a telegraph report directly from the German Army Headquarters in Iberia. This report stated the success of his trap, and the fact that the German Army had begun its march. Before the Catholic World could react to this news, Germany could easily occupy three-fourths of Spain, and entrench their position waiting for how the Papacy would respond. 

Technically, he had done nothing wrong, as the Spanish attack on the mines had violated the treaty of Aquitaine, and thus, military action was considered a lawful and appropriate response. However, the Catholic World would not easily abandon all of Iberia to the Muslim Faith, especially knowing that the Muslims in charge of the new Al-Andalus were in an alliance with the German Reformation. 

He was happy that his armies that were on standby had already deployed across the Spanish border. It was just a shame that he had to lose an artillery battery and a few mk2 machine guns in the trap that he had laid for his enemies. A sultry voice interrupted Berengar's thoughts as a pair of tanned and dainty hands wrapped around his neck. 

"Just what has got you so happy?"

Berengar kissed the Granadan princess's hand lovingly as he looked into her deep amber eyes and responded with a coy tone.

"I have fulfilled my promise to you..."

A look of confusion appeared on the Moorish beauty's face as she gazed upon the words transcribed on the paper. As she read the content of the paper, her confusion turned to shock, before ending in delight. Yasmin quickly kissed Berengar on the cheek and hugged him tightly before voicing her disbelief. 

"I can't believe it! Is it true? Are the King of Spain and his armies really dead?"

Berengar nodded his head in response before placing the paper down on the desk with a wide smile on his face.

"Indeed, soon enough, Al-Andalus will be restored, and the glory of your people with it. "

The heart of the maiden beat rapidly as she grappled with the words she had just heard. She could not believe it. After centuries of defeat and humiliation, Al-Andalus would be reborn. It was all thanks to one man in particular, thus she rewarded this man with a passionate kiss on the lips. 

Berengar enjoyed the moment to his fullest ability before breaking apart from the woman. He had many things to take care of now that the war had begun. After all, this was a monumental occasion in history. How could he not lead the charge to restore Al-Andalus?

When Yasmin took notice of this, she sighed heavily before releasing her grip over her husband. In doing so, all the excitement she had felt moments ago was replaced with dejection. 

"You're leaving again, aren't you?"

In response to this, Berengar nodded his head. Upon noticing her bewildered expression, he grabbed ahold of the woman's chin and gazed into her amber eyes with a solemn expression.

"You don't need to worry so much. I'll be fine. I always am!"

Yasmin scoffed when she heard this before grabbing Berengar's eyepatch and stretching it out. After it was pulled a few inches away from his face, she released it, causing it to snap against his eye socket. 

Berengar immediately flinched in response and cursed in displeasure.

"Fuck! What the hell did you do that for?"

Yasmin merely sneered at her husband with a shit-eating grin before crossing her arms in a lecturing manner.

"To teach you a lesson about your own mortality! I know you better than anyone. The last thing we need is you doing something stupid, like leading a cavalry charge into artillery fire and getting yourself killed!"

Berengar chuckled when he saw how worried the woman was about his safety. However, all that managed to do was make her pout. He could tell she was furious with his behavior during the war of unification. He did not know how his reckless actions were leaked to the woman, but it was obvious that they had been. Thus, he made a solemn vow to her.

"I promise, I won't do anything stupid that will get me killed..." 

Upon hearing this, Yasmin hardly believed Berengar's words, but she knew she would get nothing better out of him. Thus, with a heavy sigh, she ultimately agreed to his decision.

"Fine... Just know that if you die trying to restore my homeland, I will never forgive you!"

A slight chuckle resounded in the room as Berengar grabbed his pregnant wife and forced her into his embrace. The couple remained like this for some time before a knock on the door interrupted them.  Linde quickly entered the room and saw the wholesome sight. She bit her lip in envy as she interrupted the scene. 

"We have a status update on the Jihad. Apparently, our military exercise in Lombardy has caught the Sultan's spies' attention, and he is now openly requesting for a negotiation on the hostilities between the Muslim and Orthodox world.

He has specifically requested that you attend these meetings. Apparently, he knows you are the de facto leader of our alliance and wants to deal with you specifically. I am afraid that you are going to have to choose between leading your forces in Iberia, or overseeing diplomacy in the East."

When Berengar heard this, it displeased him. He desperately wanted to play a leading role in the restoration of Al-Andalus, but he also knew that if he snubbed the Sultan of the Timurid Empire's request, they could see it as an act of hostility provoking future conflict in the East.

Initially, Berengar had sought to destroy the Muslim forces in a single engagement, much like he had done with Spain, but Salan had proven to be a more capable leader than he had suspected. Though it was a bit optimistic, too much so for Berengar's comfort, perhaps with such a man at the head of Islam's armies, together they could achieve peace between Christians and Muslims in this world.

Berengar had to reflect on what he wanted his legacy to be, the warlord who restored Al-Andalus, or the man who brokered peace between the Christian and Muslim worlds. This was a question that plagued his mind for several moments of silence before he sighed heavily with his response.

"Very well... I know what I must do."