Tyranny of Steel

Berengar gazed across from his desk at his fourth wife with newfound respect. Until now, much of his thoughts on the foreign beauty was that she was a graceful, and mature woman who acted as a Proper Wife, and in many ways played the role of the big sister he never had. Thus, he smiled before giving the woman the proper respect she deserved. 

"No wonder why your brother could last so long against hostile powers on all sides. It turns out his sister was the true brains behind the Granadan Crown all along. You are correct in your assessment, which is why I have deployed sufficient assets to silently eliminate any agents of the Spanish Crown who get within a 100m radius of the mines.

I must admit, I have underestimated your intellect. You said earlier that you would support me in any way you can. Though I won't burden you with a powerful government position if you do not desire such a thing. I would very much like your input on important matters in the future. Feel free to drop by my office whenever you desire. Between you and me, I vastly prefer your company over some of my other brides..."

Yasmin chuckled when she heard this before inquiring further about Berengar's statement.

"Trouble in Paradise?"

Berengar merely scoffed at this response before complaining about his martial affairs.

"Don't get me wrong, I love my girls, and I would do anything to protect them. However, each of them have their faults. Adela is so pious that her faith blinds her to the reality of life. She has a very idealized image of the world, and doesn't understand the cruelty of man. Because of this, she must be sheltered and protected at all times; it is also the reason she has such a holier-than-thou attitude. 

However, this weakness is also her strength, as it allows her to create a utopian sense of culture for my people. It is because of this glamorous image of Austria and its people that she has become such an effective minister of propaganda. 

Honoria, on the other hand, is a free spirit, and a bit of a wild card. She has no mind for politics, nor does she care about anything than her own hedonistic pleasure. While this makes her an excellent lover, she is hardly what you would call a proper Queen. Sometimes It is hard to believe the woman was raised as a Princess of the mighty Byzantine Empire. 

Despite not being able to have an intelligent conversation with Honoria about anything other than piracy, her independent spirit and natural curiosity are exactly what allows me to use her as a weapon against my enemies. This is also what drives her to explore the unknown regions of the world without fear in her heart. She has a role to play, even if she is an embarrassment at court."

Yasmin chuckled as she heard her husband's descriptions of his other wives. She had to say from her limited interaction with the women; his words were fairly accurate. However, she noticed that he left out one other wife, thus she asked for his honest opinion on Linde.

"What about Linde? I noticed you are hesitant to speak your thoughts about her..."

Berengar had a grim expression on his face as he looked around to see if there were any unwanted eyes or ears nearby. After confirming they were well and truly alone in his office, the young king took a swig from the beer that Yasmin had brought him for his lunch. After swallowing several large gulps of the hearty lager, he sighed heavily before revealing his honest opinion of his second wife.

"Linde is.... complicated to say the least. She is intelligent, cunning, manipulative, and deceptive, however one thing I've noticed since the day I met her is she is unbelievably cruel, and petty. It is only because of my thorough training that she has tamed her malevolent nature. 

Despite this, she is fiercely loyal, and loves her family more than anything. I can honestly say that she is the type of woman who would do anything, no matter how wicked, to ensure the safety of her loved ones. Luckily, I have been able to weaponise the darker aspects of her character against my enemies.

If I am being completely honest, without her, I would probably have died years ago. It is no secret that I owe her a great deal, and I am just happy that she is on my side. I dread to think about what would have happened if she had actually supported my brother and her father. Without a doubt, I would have been dead before I could even have succeeded my father. In a way, I can attribute all of my success to that woman's sacrifice."

Yasmin felt slightly envious when she heard the adoration and respect in Berengar's voice towards Linde. There was even a hint of fear in his tone, which was something she had never actually heard from him before. Thus, she unknowingly bit her lower lip as she asked the immediate question on her mind. 

"What about me? What is your honest opinion about my character?"

Berengar smiled when he heard this response. Since he had been so brutally honest with this woman about how he felt about the others, it was only fair that he gave her his genuine opinion.

"If I'm being honest, though we are married, I feel as if I don't know you as well as I should. Part of that is my fault. I have been so busy maintaining and expanding my Kingdom that I have neglected you in many ways. 

However, from what I have gathered from the little time I have spent with you, you are pretty much the personification of a proper wife. You're intelligent, mature, kind, loving, and willing to do anything I ask. On top of that, you are quite honestly the most beautiful of my wives, but don't tell the others I said that... Linde would kill me if she found out that I was more attracted to you than her..."

Yasmin began to chuckle as she heard these compliments. She supposed most of those things were true, but one thing Berengar had neglected to mention was her faults. With this in mind, she immediately hounded him for an answer in that regard.

"Your flattery is appreciated, but tell me what are my faults? You complained about all your other brides. Surely you must have something that you think I can improve upon..."

Berengar thought about this question deeply for a few moments before something immediately popped into his mind, he honestly didn't know if he should mention it, but after several moments he decided he would say it anyway, after all he had been completely honest with the woman up until this point.

"How do I put this delicately... I would very much appreciate it if you trimmed your hair... you know, down there..."

A look of surprise appeared on the exotic beauty's face before she broke out into a fit of giggles. The look on Berengar's face was priceless, as if he was embarrassed on her behalf for simply mentioning it. The more she laughed, the more Berengar's face flushed, until finally she had no choice but to respond..

"Very well, husband, if that is your wish, I shall take care of it from now on."

After saying this, the woman rested her chin on her hand as she gazed lovingly at her man. She could not help but tease him about his flustered appearance.

"You are so cute when you're embarrassed. Did you expect me to slap you for making such a comment? You don't have to worry about such things with me. Whatever your desires, I will do my best to fulfill them."

Berengar sighed heavily. He knew if he had said such a thing to any of his other wives, they would have likely become embarrassed and potentially slapped him. It was a relief to see a woman so confident in her appearance she felt no shame at hearing such a suggestive request. However, what the woman did next surprised him. Yasmin raised from her seat and walked over to his sight before sensually whispering the following words in his ears. 

"Since that is your request, how a bout we bathe together tonight, just the two of us, and I will allow you to do the honor of trimming my hair."

Berengar was instantly stunned when he heard this response. Never did he expect a woman to so boldly proposition him with such a strange suggestion. However, he would not let this opportunity pass, thus he gulped down the saliva that had pooled in his throat and nodded in the affirmative before responding with a serious expression on his handsome face.

"If you insist..."

Upon seeing her husband's adamant appearance, Yasmin giggled once more before she raised from her seat and fetched the tray that was used to carry Berengar's meal. After doing so, she walked to the door and left behind one last comment before departing.

"Very well, I look forward to tonight..."

Having said this, she left the young king to his lonesome, as a thousand thoughts flooded his mind. He was amazed at how this woman captured his interest every time she spoke.. He had truly underestimated her, indeed.