Tyranny of Steel

Berengar sat in the middle of a room, closed off by translucent silk curtains; sitting atop his lap was a lovely maiden who was a few years older than himself. She was dressed in a skimpy belly dancer's outfit and wore a gossamer face veil. 

Through some difficulty, he could make out the delicate features of her gorgeous face as her shining amber eyes stared into his own. She had just asked him a question that put him in a rather tricky position. Quite obviously, this was a trap set by Hasan to force Berengar's hand into marrying his sister, and if he did not play his cards right, he would undoubtedly be bringing another bride home from this war. 

While such a thing did not frighten Berengar, after all, he was the man of his house and by law was allowed up to five wives; the fact of the matter was he did not like the idea of falling into Hasan's trap. If he were to marry Yasmin, it would be under his terms, not someone else's.

Ultimately he came to the logical conclusion to control his urges and not submit to his friend's will. Thus despite every instinct of his body telling him to indulge in the foreign beauty sitting atop his lap, after careful consideration, Berengar sighed and pushed Yasmin aside, where he began to decline her offer. 

"Though nothing would help me take my mind off my current troubles more than sleeping with a beautiful woman like yourself, I fear that if I were to fall prey to such a trap that your brother has set for me, then it would only invite future turmoil."

Yasmin was greatly surprised by Berengar's actions. She had never expected that the Austrian King would be able to resist her charms, especially after considering how erect he was. She gave Berengar a curious gaze as she asked the question on her mind.

"You will not lie with me?"

Berengar shook his head and responded with a smug expression.

"It is a tempting offer, and if you truly wish to do so, then I would have no qualms about enjoying the night with a foreign beauty such as yourself. However, I have a nagging suspicion that you do not desire such an outcome. Rather, you are simply fulfilling your duty as a member of your household."

Upon hearing this, Yasmin began to smirk beneath her face veil, which did not go unnoticed by Berengar. She had not expected him to be such a shrewd man, though she had heard rumors of his brilliance as both a ruler and a military commander; she had also come to know that he was infamous for being easily swayed by beautiful women. Yet, here he was, controlling his urge to push her down and take her virtue. Seeing the woman gaze at him with a sense of fascination, Berengar began to grin before asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"So what do you say? Want to fool around? I'll have you know that I am packing heat..."

Yasmin began to giggle at this response before shaking her head; as she did so, she responded with a playful tone of voice.

"Oh, I can very much see that, though; I am afraid I will have to pass for now. However, if you continue to impress me in such a manner, then I might find you worthy of being my husband."

Berengar smirked as he heard this response; he immensely enjoyed the witty banter with this woman; after declining each other's officers, Berengar stood up and began to leave the room. Before he departed, he left one final phrase for the woman.

"Thank you for the dance; it was impressive, to say the least. I will make sure to think of you later tonight while I am in the tub."

Yasmin had a sultry smile on her pretty face concealed beneath her veil as she responded in a coy manner.

"Be sure that you do..."

After hearing this, Berengar returned to his room, where he planned to get some much-needed sleep after taking a bath. At the same time, Yasmin reflected on what had just transpired. They say that capable men rarely live up to the hype, but she was not disappointed in the slightest.

She was prepared to sleep with Berengar and even marry him to fulfill her familial obligations. However, she never had imagined that he would turn her down. Nor did she believe she would develop an interest in the man. 

Instead, he surprised her and had managed to draw her attention. For the first time in her life, she had become intrigued by a man. Before she realized it, the princess of Granada found herself in her chambers, underneath her silk sheets naked, playing with her tight slit, while thinking about what could have transpired on this night if either of them had given in to their base desires. 

As for Berengar, as promised, he took a long bath, thinking about the sensual dance that Yasmin had displayed for him. Despite the fact that he initially did not have any plans to make the woman his own; after everything that had happened on this night, he could not deny that his interest was piqued. She was a different breed than his other girls and was just as attractive. He did not know where things would lead, but he looked forward to their future encounters. 

Eventually, the night came and went, and Berengar awoke as fresh as an apple the next day. All he needed to overcome his dreadful hangover was a good night's sleep. After arising from his bed, he quickly got dressed, where he entered the dining hall to receive breakfast. Both Hasan and Yasmin were already at the table waiting for him. 

When Berengar arrived, he acted as if nothing had happened the night before. Though Hasan had become aware that his plan had failed, his elder sister could not help but glance at the Austrian King now and then with a seductive expression. 

As for Berengar, he noticed the princess's flirtatious gaze and returned it with one of his own. These actions did not go unnoticed by the Young Sultan, who smiled as he realized that though his plot may not have worked as intended, there seemed to be some form of romance budding between his sister and his greatest ally. Eventually, Berengar killed the mood by announcing to the Sultan and his elder sister the following words.

"I will be marching off to war with my Second Division shortly after breakfast. I thank you for your hospitality, but war waits for no man. The sooner I arrive at the frontlines, the sooner I can end this conflict and return home to my family."

Both Hasan and Yasmin were shocked to hear this; after everything had happened, they were sure he would stick around for a few more days to improve relations with their family. After all, he said he would need several nights to recuperate just the day before. The young Sultan immediately began to panic as he tried to convince Berengar to stay within the Palace for just a few more days.

"You're leaving so soon? You should stay and rest for a few more days before departing; there's no reason to hurry to the frontlines, since we have taken back the territory north of here, we have had no difficulties holding the line!"

However, Berengar shook his head in response to this offer and spoke.

"I am quite well-rested after last night. However, hundreds of thousands of men will soon be marching upon your position. If I want to bring our enemies to their knees, I need to dispatch my force to their positions and construct the necessary fortifications as quickly as possible. I promise that after I have forced the Iberians to surrender, I will return here for a proper celebration." 

Berengar quickly finished his meal before washing it down with a glass of milk; after doing, so he raised from his seat before making his intentions clear.

"After I have won your war for you, there are things that we will need to discuss as Monarch to Monarch. I would very much appreciate the presence of your beautiful sister when that time comes." 

Having said this, Berengar departed from the Royal Palace of Granada with his Royal Guard following behind. He spent the next hour rallying his army before marching north of its position. When Berengar left the Dining Room, Hasan immediately began to question his sister for exact details on what had transpired the night before.

"Just what happened between the two of you last night?"

The Granadan princess merely smiled before shaking her head; after doing so, she cryptically responded to her younger brother.

"Nothing important, however; if he keeps acting this way, I'm afraid I will fall head over heels for him..."

Though Yasmin wanted to spend more time getting accustomed to Berengar, she was well aware of the urgent position she and her family had been placed in. Berengar would pack up quickly and march to the front lines, which greatly impressed her. She would have immediately lost interest if he stayed around to enjoy time with her while a war was being waged.

With this in mind, she quickly got up from her seat and departed towards the balcony where she witnessed Berengar lead an army of 40,000 Austrians and Bohemians north. As she did so, she gazed fondly upon his back in the distance; a single thought escaped from her luscious lips.

"Come back safe..."

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