Tyranny of Steel

Berengar awoke next to the arms of his beautiful lover and with a splitting headache. He had drunk far too much with the boys the night before, but it was a victory celebration, and thus he felt his actions were justified. As such, he rose from the bed and decided to take things easy today. A day off from extensive exercise would not hurt him in the slightest, though he would never allow such inactivity to become a regular occurrence.

Linde awoke shortly after him and placed her arms around his body as she nibbled on his neck, giving the young man a love bite. It was her way of marking her territory and warding off potential predators of her man. In other words, it was a gift for Adela. Berengar laughed at how possessive the girl was this morning and shrugged it off as nonsense. He eventually pushed her down on the bed, thoroughly excited by her actions. He returned the favor and gave Linde a hickey on her graceful and slender neck. As long as she covered it up properly, it would not be a concern.

The two engaged in some physical intimacy before parting ways for the morning. Now that Linde had a proper excuse to visit Berengar in the day, she would no longer need to avoid him openly. As long as she approached him under the guise of managing her father ’s transaction, she could spend time by his side at any point in the day instead of just secretly during the night. Finally, she would have more time with the father of her child. Something she desperately wanted to rub in Adela ’s face. Though she knew there was a limit as to the degree to which she could flaunt her relationship with Berengar to the little girl, else others might become too suspicious. She had already declared war on Adela and would not back down. Linde knew the little girl was too proud to release the details about their little dispute to the world. As such, she felt confident that she could contain any information regarding this love triangle between the three of them.

Berengar, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of the conflict brewing between his future wife and his lover. Thus he was dumbfounded by the malevolent gazes the two girls gave each other at the breakfast table. He began to think that something may have happened between the young ladies that may have soured their relationship, and he was not the only one to come to this conclusion. Lambert witnessed their intense rivalry as they gracefully consumed their breakfast, sitting across from one another with fierce gazes. Of course, Lambert did not really care for the reason, as he was sure it was just the trivial matters of women and did not concern himself in the slightest.

As the two girls feud over Berengar without anyone else ’s knowledge, Sieghard decided to break the awkward silence.

”I am formally requesting the presence of my family and Councilors in the great hall after we finish dining. There is an important announcement I would like to make that regards the safety and prosperity of our family and our realm. ”

after saying that, everyone ’s attention was shifted to the Baron as he spoke in an authoritative voice; noticing the presence of his future daughters-in-law, he decided to address them personally

”My Ladies, your presence is not required, but if you would like to attend it, you are more than welcome to. ”

Berengar sighed in relief when he noticed the two women nod at one another with stern expressions. He did not know why the girls were fighting, but he was certain he would find out soon enough. At least for now, the tension was released. Lambert, on the other, appeared visually nervous; if his father was making a formal declaration, it must be something important; he began to fear that the favor his father had shown him was beginning to wane and instead be shifted upon his older brother and rival. Whatever this announcement was about, it surely pertained to Berengar ’s recent rise in power, which was not good news for him.