Tyranny of Steel

A few days had passed, and the message from Gerhart had arrived in Berengar's court as he was making preparations for his invasion of Innsbruck. Berengar instantly read the letter, and a smug grin spread across his face. When Linde saw the look on his face, she knew nothing good could come from it. However, she would not be doing her job as his spymaster if she did not inquire about the details; as such, she quickly asked about what had made Berengar express such contempt.

"What happened?"

Berengar patted Linde on the head as he walked over to where he left his chalice and took a large gulp of the beer contained within.

"Nothing much, that idiotic sis-con Gerhart has just proclaimed that as Regent he is nullifying the arrangement in which our father's had made betrothing Adela to me."

With this news, Linde was shocked; she did not know of the heated grudge Gerhart held against Berengar, nor did she know that the boy had an unhealthy obsession with his sisters, and as such, could not have predicted that he would behave in this manner. Knowing Berengar's fiery temperament and his willingness to do anything necessary to protect that which he has laid claim to, Linde was afraid to ask what his plans were but in the end, felt it was necessary.

"So, what do you plan to do about it?"

Berengar chuckled as he calmly drank another sip of the beer from the chalice on the table before exclaiming his thoughts aloud.

"That is simple, I will reject his authority on the matter and regard Count Otto's words as absolute; Gerhart may be a regent, but he does not have the authority to defy the Count's wishes. He is trying to act like me and failing miserably. During my Regency, my father was not in any condition to make a public appearance. Meanwhile, his father is at war, so unless the man dies, he can easily undo anything Gerhart has done during his tenure as Regent."

As such, Berengar quickly drafted a letter that would serve as an act of provocation towards Gerhart; the contents of the letter were as follows.

"Dear Gerhart von Graz,

My dearest cousin, as a man who has once held a similar position to that in which you currently occupy. Allow me to educate you on the folly of your actions and why they are completely invalid. First and foremost, your power as regent comes from the fact that your father, Count Otto von Graz, is the reigning authority within the County of Steiermark. Under his authority, he has granted you the power to protect his interests and manage his affairs while he is fighting our enemies.

Your justification for breaking my betrothal to your lovely sister comes from the fact that I have taken a lover, which has resulted in a child. Despite this, your father has stated as early as two weeks ago that he would not end the alliance between our two families, which is currently held together by the aforementioned betrothal.

As such, by declaring the nullification of the engagement between Adela and myself, you are openly declaring your intentions to violate the interests of the rightful Count of Steiermark and thus act as a usurper. As a sworn ally to your father, who is also my loving uncle, I will be forced by the alliance we hold to liberate the County of Steiermark from your usurpation. As such, I implore you to think twice about your actions before I am forced to march upon your family's lands and depose you!"

Sincerely,

Viscount Berengar von Kufstein"

Linde read the letter in which Berengar had carefully crafted with great astonishment; noticing the look on her face, Berengar inquired why she looked so surprised.

"What?"

Linde approached Berengar and sat down in his lap while looking him in the eyes with a solemn expression before asking the question on his mind.

"You would not really go to war with your cousin over this matter, would you?"

Berengar, on the other hand, merely smiled and rubbed Linde's cheek with his hand before replying in a grave tone.

"I would gladly go to war with God himself if he sought to steal either of my women from me!"

Linde blushed when she heard Berengar's boastful claims, but seeing the look in his eyes, she knew he was being serious, which made her heart race faster. However, what concerned her most was the interference this would have with his plans to seize the County of Tyrol.

"If you go to war with Steiermark, what happens to our plans?"

Seeing the confusion on his lover's face, Beregar decided to clarify his position on the matter.

"When Gerhart sees my threats, he will act in one of two ways, either he will back down, like the coward he is, or he will call me on my bluff, and I will be forced to march on Steiermark. Knowing my cousin and his weak spine, the threat of an Army at his doorstep while his father is away at war will be more than enough to make him rescind his intentions. If he doesn't... well, it is not like I said when I would invade his lands, Tyrol comes first!"

In some way, this was a small victory for Linde. Within her mind, Berengar had essentially said that his plans to invade Tyrol and seize her Family's lands for himself; and by extension, she and her child were more important than the betrothal he had to Adela. This is not at all what Berengar meant, but he did not know the intricacies of a woman's mind for what man could navigate that stormy sea?

As such, Berengar immediately sent his letter to Gerhart; at the same time, he also sent a letter to Count Otto, who was bound to be in some field in Bavaria, hoping that he could put an end to his son's impudence before Berengar was forced to act. The letter contained all the necessary information about the ongoing dispute to get his uncle on his side. Either way, regardless of how Otto responded, Berengar would not take action until after he had successfully claimed Tyrol for himself and put down Linde's father and his loyal vassals.