Tyranny of Steel

During the time in which Arnulf von Thiersee stayed at the Castle in Wildschönau, Linde had visited the humble manor of the Heltzer family. A family of Landed Knights in service to Baron Sieghard and the von Kufstein family. When Lady Linde von Habsburg knocked on the door to the manor, Ser Ingbert was surprised to see her presence. Never in a million years would he imagine that the angel of his heart would knock upon his own door. Yet here she was, appearing before him like a goddess descending from the heavens.

The young man quickly got ahold of himself and allowed her access to his home. He immediately prepared some wine for the young woman whom he greatly desired and inquired about her reason for visiting.

"I must say I am shocked to see you here. Is there a reason, in particular, you have come to my humble abode?"

Linde looked around to see if anyone else was nearby before asking her question. Her flawless porcelain skin glistened under the sunlight that shone through the windows.

"Is anyone else here?"

Ingbert shook his head as he put down the glass of wine on the table in front of the young enchantress before taking a sip of his own. However, to his dismay, she refused the drink.

"I am sorry, I am afraid that I am not able to drink right now."

She immediately motioned to her stomach; at first, he did not understand what she meant, but after a moment, he quickly realized the secret she was trying to tell him. His face immediately became flushed as he understood what she meant. He cursed at Lambert inwardly in his mind for being lucky enough to impregnate such a heavenly beauty. Eventually, he forced himself to put on a smile and hissed through his teeth.

"Lambert is a lucky man..."

Linde could not help but smile at the man's appearance, his envy was incredibly obvious, but surely the young man before her had to know that she was in a league far above his own. After shoving the glass of wine away from herself, Linde began to twist the boy to do her bidding.

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"That's actually why I'm here... I heard that you are thinking of backing out of Lambert's plots. Is this true?"

Though Ingbert did not want to admit his cowardice in front of the woman he lusted after, he had no choice. The way she stared at him sent him into a trance where he could not deny her wishes.

"... It's true... So has Lambert sent you here to ensure my loyalty?"

The thought of how she came to acquire such knowledge did not even cross the dull boy's mind in the slightest. Instead, Linde used the boy's affection for her to win him over to Berengar's cause.

"Actually, it is quite the opposite."

Ingbert stared at her with a blank expression; he could not tell in the slightest what she meant by such a thing. Before he knew it, Linde had put her acting skills to work and had begun to form a tear in her eye as she cast a line for Ingbert to bite into.

"Lambert is an exceptionally cruel man... He has beaten me on many occasions. In my despair, I ran into the arms of his brother Berengar, the very man my fiance conspires to kill. I'm in fear for my life as I have begun to suspect that Lambert knows of my relationship with his brother and will stop at nothing to get revenge. I beg of you, please switch sides, and help Berengar obtain the evidence he needs to lock that monster away!"

By now, the waterworks were in full effect, and they had begun to cascade down Linde's divine heart-shaped face. The sight of which instantly enraged Ingbert. He could not accept that Lambert had abused such a kind and caring woman driving her into the arms of someone like Berengar. Though Ingbert was not particularly fond of Berengar, the fact that Lambert would lay his hands on Linde outraged him, and Linde's acting was more than enough to convince him to switch sides. As such, he tried to placate the crying woman before him.

"I promise, I will do everything in my power to make it so that bastard will never lay his hands on you again. With what I know, I can act as a witness against Lambert's treachery and ensure that he is in no position to harm you or your child!"

Linde continued to sniffle, but after some time, the tears ended as she questioned Ingbert's sincereity.

"Really?"

Ingbert nodded with a foolish grin on his face as he confirmed his allegiance.

"Of Course!"

After hearing that her plan was a rousing success Linde jumped into Ingbert's arms and hugged the young man platonically as she thanked him for his aid.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! I knew I could count on you!"

Ingbert had no way of knowing that he was being manipulated by a pretty face and the man behind her. Instead, he enjoyed the brief moment Linde wrapped her arms around him with a satisfied grin on his face. However, the moment was far too short for his liking, and she quickly escaped from his grasp. After doing such a thing, she internally felt like she needed a bath. After recovering his senses, Ingbert voiced his concerns.

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"Do you wish to stay the night? I'm certain I can find some space for you?"

Linde shook her head and put on a solemn expression.

"I'm afraid not; if I'm gone for too long, Lambert will begin to suspect I am up to something. I must return to the Castle quickly, or else I will have to suffer his wrath."

Though Ingbert felt dismayed that her stay was so brief, he was happy just to assist the young lady and would soon meet with Berengar to discuss Lambert's downfall. Just like that, Berengar had gained another key piece of evidence in his future efforts to bring justice upon Lambert and his dastardly schemes.

After leaving the manor, Linde got into her carriage and rode off towards Kufstein Castle; she could not wait to tell her master the good news. Hopefully, he would reward her for the efforts she had to go to. Of course, he also might punish her for hugging another man, even if it was just a friendly gesture. Berengar was quite possessive with his property; either way, she would enjoy the treatment she received from the man she loved.