Tyranny of Steel

Berengar and Adela sat at the Sultan of Granada's table, enjoying food that was unique to the culture. Berengar had never tasted such delicacies before, and as an avid foodie, he was enjoying it to his heart's content.

On the other hand, Adela was slightly worried at the gazes she was receiving from some of the more traditional members of Hasan's dynasty. The unwelcome looks afforded to her resulted from Berengar's refusal to force his young fiancee to wear a hijab; it was a matter of principle to him.

Hasan was far more secular than many of the people in Granada, and because of this, he had allowed Adela to walk around freely in his territory without some form of face covering. In his eyes, she was a Christian woman and a diplomat, and it would be rude of him to force such traditions on foreigners like the Austrian host.

This lack of devotion to the traditions and the Islamic faith was a point of contention among many other members of Hasan's dynasty, and they had begun to plot in the shadows against the young Sultan.

Though alcohol was not served at the feast, Berengar enjoyed himself nonetheless. He took a break from the roasted lamb to discuss matters of importance between himself and Hasan. After all, a banquet was an excellent opportunity to discuss business.

"Tell me, your majesty, what is the current situation like with your neighbors? I have heard that the Iberian Catholics are attempting to conquer Granada. All I hear is Catholic propaganda about how it is a matter of time before Granada is reclaimed for Christendom, so I would like to hear your opinion about the ongoing war efforts."

While Berengar spoke in German, his words were translated to Hasan by a translator hired by the Royal Court of Granda for this special occasion. Likewise, Berengar himself had a translator to convert the Arabic words of the Sultan into German so that he could adequately understand them.

The differences between modern Arabic and Medieval Arabic were too significant for Berengar to overcome; after all, he was not even fluent in the modern dialect. Thus the conversation between the two men was carried on by the duo of translators that both parties had hired.

Hasan was willing to meet with Berengar because he was aware of the German Reformation that Berengar had spurred and that he was enemies with the Catholic faith; in a way, they held similar positions.

Surrounded by hostile neighbors, relying on their means to defend their territory, they would be natural allies if they weren't so far apart. However, Hasan was not willing to reveal the complete difficulty he was facing against the Catholics of Castille, Aragon, and Portugal.

The reasons for this were relatively simple; for starters, he was currently negotiating an agreement with Berengar. The benefits he could obtain were purely based upon the show of force he could provide. In reality, his position was relatively poor, barely holding onto the territory he currently had.

However, he would never reveal this, and as such, the young Sultan proudly declared his armies' capability.

"Despite being surrounded by enemies on all sides, we are holding out well enough. This is a war against our faith, and the soldiers of Granada will never fall so long as they have faith in Allah!"

Berengar nodded when he heard this; he knew that the Sultan would never accept Christian soldiers on his land as military aid. However, Berengar did not plan to do such a thing, as it would be an open declaration of war against the Catholic world; instead, he touched upon the weakness of Granada that he knew they were facing.

"That is good to hear; I would be beside myself if your mighty Kingdom fell against those self-righteous Catholics. Tell me, how are your logistics? Are you able to properly supply your soldiers with food, water, and arms? If not, I would be more than happy to provide material support for your cause."

When the members of Hasan's dynasty heard this, they were surprised. Berengar may not be a Catholic, but he was still Christian; the idea of a Christian ruler aiding the Muslim Kingdom against other Christians was practically unheard of; at least when it came to European affairs.

The Sultan began to discuss among his advisors such a possibility before asking for clarification. After several moments of discussion where Berengar and Adela were merely eating their meal in peace, Hasan began to ask some of the questions on his mind.

"You would provide us material aid? In what way?"

A smirk began to curve itself upon Berengar's lips when he heard this, the Sultan had taken the bait, and as such, he could start to negotiate on his terms.

"I can provide arms, armor, and even food. You will not need to worry about supplies taking months to arrive; my transport ships are the fastest in the world and can sail from Trieste to Motril within a matter of days."

The Granadan host was shocked to hear this, such speeds were unheard of in this period, yet it was confirmed that they had arrived in Granada relatively quickly. As such, the Sultan contemplated upon this for a few moments before asking another one of his questions.

"When you say arms, what exactly would you be willing to provide us with?"

Berengar drank from the chalice that was filled with water, quenching his parched throat and washing down the roasted lamb before responding to this particular question. His answer, if agreed upon, would change the balance of power within Iberia. After taking his sweet time to respond, Berengar wiped his mouth with the napkin before doing so.

"I can provide you with pikes and arkebuse firearms for your infantry; in terms of artillery, I can assist you with falconet cannons; these are weapons of my invention that fire a one-pound cannonball.

Despite its small size, it can bring down a castle wall far quicker than traditional siege methods if used in large numbers or repeated barrages. If necessary, I can even send some of my officers to advise you on the tactics and strategies needed to wield such weapons properly."

While the two men were conversing their negotiations, Adela was observing; she watched the reactions of the other members of the Sultan's dynasty. Though it went unnoticed by both Berengar and Hasan, the worried expressions on their faces did not get by Adela's sharp gaze.

She could instantly tell that something was going on behind the scenes of the Sultan's family, and whatever it could be, it did not bode well for Berengar and his plans. As such, she decided she would properly inform Berengar of these issues when they were alone.

Ultimately the Sultan decided to halt the negotiations; for now, such a substantial promise of support would have to be thoroughly considered; after all, the man was sharp and was not desperate enough to accept such lofty conditions without thinking it through. Thus he announced his decision while maintaining the dignity of a Sultan.

"Your words intrigue me, but I will need some time to consider your offer; in the meantime, feel free to treat my home as if it were your own. I look forward to our further discussions on this matter."

Berengar smiled and nodded before taking a drink from his chalice. He knew he would not reach an agreement at the first discussion. Thus he was well prepared for this. The shifty gazes of Hasan's family did not go unnoticed by Berengar. However, he assumed they were simply nervous about dealing with an infidel, and thus he let it pass for now.

After finishing the meal, Berengar, Adela, and their host were led to the quarters allotted to them during their stay. Upon entering his room and lying down on the bed, Berengar heard a knock on his door. He quickly got up from his short rest before opening it, where he noticed Adela standing with a worried expression.

"Can I come in?"

Berengar thought about it for a moment before silently nodding his head and allowing the girl entry to his room. After doing so, he shut the door and sat down on his bed, where he beckoned his future wife to sit by his side.

Adela followed as instructed, and after a few moments of silence, she revealed the thoughts on her mind to Berengar.

"Something is going on with the Sultan's family. I may not be as talented in the affairs of intrigue as Linde, but I can tell they are plotting something behind the Sultan's back. If you wish to secure this Alliance with Granada, it would be wise to investigate this conspiracy silently.

If they plan to assassinate Hasan, then you need to prevent it by any means necessary. Not only is this likely to foster a friendship between you and the Sultan, but it will also secure his power in the region."

Berengar was shocked when he heard this; however, he noticed their nervous expressions; though he did not even think of such a possibility, thinking back upon their looks disdain when the Sultan entertained Berengar's idea of support, it started to make sense.

Luckily for him, Berengar had brought several members of his intelligence agency; the reason for this was simple, Linde wanted to keep an eye on him if he did something foolish like flirt with the princess of Granada.

However, the Sultan's sister was wrapped head to toe in a burka, and Berengar could not lust for her. As such, Berengar and Adela had begun to intertwine themselves with the affairs of the Royal Granadan Court and would soon be involved in a grand conspiracy, one whose plot had yet to be revealed.