Tyranny of Steel

After Berengar's rousing speech to his citizens, his agents quickly began dispatching the news of the Austrian King's ultimatum to the people of the Northern German States. Unrest was inevitable when faced with the possibility of war against the mightiest Army in the World, which had grown even stronger with the addition of Southern German States. 

Renault sat calmly as he sipped from his coffee while smoking a hemp cigarette. Even though the North German States were far more backwards than their Southern Counterparts, the elites still had access to many qualities of Austrian goods. A stoic expression was on his face as he lectured the bastard Duke about his failures.

"So it appears that our attempt to assassinate the Austrian Monarch has failed miserably. Not only did our assassin miss his mark, but he somehow managed to wound Austria's most beloved Princess. If we stay here, I am afraid we are in for a rude awakening. After all, you know how Berengar is with his wrath..."

Hartmann had a horrified expression on his face as he sat across from his mentor. Ever since his assassin had failed to report to him on that fateful evening, he feared for the worst. It would appear that the situation was far more worrisome than he expected.

It was one thing to attempt to assassinate the Austrian King and fail, but to harm his little sister in the process. If the bastard of Luxembourg wasn't such a coward, he would have ended his life, then and there, just to prevent the torment that awaited him. 

However, while the young Duke was contemplating the pros and cons of suicide, his adviser Renault silently took a sip from his coffee before proposing an interesting idea. 

"Though I must say, I did not expect him to rally the peasants against us... This has created a relatively unique opportunity, one that might allow us to escape the man's blind rage, and live peacefully in exile..."

Hartmann scoffed when he heard these words, to abandon his people to the rule of his last remaining rival, when he was so close to victory. It was truly an unthinkable prospect, nevertheless he could tell by the expression on Renault's face that he was not joking. Thus the young Duke took a small sip from his coffee. After doing so he sighed heavily before responding. 

"Enlighten me..."

Renault did not immediately respond. Instead, he took a large puff of his hemp cigarette to calm his nerves and clear his mind. Though he may appear calm, the elderly knight was far from it. He was all too aware of the cruelty that Berengar engaged in towards his enemies, especially if they stepped on his bottom line.

Harming the King of Austria's family was just about the worst thing one could do in this life. Berengar may act with a facade of righteousness, but when driven mad with rage, he was liable to raze entire cities to the ground. Thus, Renault truly believed the man when he said that he would light the North ablaze to abate his fury if the Princess had perished. 

Luckily for everyone involved, Henrietta had survived, and because of this the Austrian King had been merciful, and by merciful. However, Berengar's mercy still involved the demand for the gruesome death and torture of the men responsible for his sister's condition. Being entirely aware of all these factors, Renault sighed heavily before revealing his plot to escape the madman's wrath. 

"If you are thinking of staying here in Luxembourg, and defending your claim, I would advise against it. The Austrian Army is more powerful than you can possibly imagine. It so far advanced beyond our means that even if a simpleton were to lead it, they would still be victorious.

Berengar may not be the General that Eckhard was, but he is still exceptionally capable. If we stay here, I assure you we will die horribly. We have an option to live well abroad. I suggest you commit your forces to fighting the insurrection that is bound to take place. When the enemy is distracted by supplying the rebels, we charter a ship to England. 

The English King is the last monarch in this world that is foolish enough to invoke the ire of his Austrian Counterpart. He will grant us a safe haven for a time. We will use this borrowed time to charter a voyage to the lands in the far east. Only by crossing the Indus will we be able to escape the eyes and ears of Austrian agents.   

I won't lie to you. The journey will be difficult, and we will lose most of our wealth in the process; Austrian intelligence will also hunt us throughout every step of the way, but if we succeed, we can escape to a life of wealth and stability."

Hartmann did not take this suggestion lightly. In fact, the very notion offended him. However, rather than bursting out into a tantrum like a child; he merely drank the rest of his coffee in silence before choosing to respond to his mentor.

"Renault, I understand your fear. Truly I do. The very thought of being captured alive fills my very bones with dread. Yet, I will not abandon my lands to this tyrant from the South, nor will I give up on everything I have worked for throughout my entire life. 

You know as well as I do that technology is advancing at a rapid rate, especially in terms of firearms, and though we can not compete with Austria on a level playing field, our weapons can allow our soldiers to fight back. We just need to get creative in how we do so. 

As for the rabble who takes up arms against me, they will find that I am not so different from Berengar when it comes to my wrath. When thoroughly provoked, I can be just as vicious as that man, and rebelling against my rule is my bottom line. No, we will put down this rebellion, and then we will resist Austria's advances until the bitter end. 

You are free to leave if you wish. I wouldn't expect less from a man of your heritage... However, I will not raise the white flag, and surrender everything that I have worked so hard to achieve. I will either be victorious, or I will die on my own terms. I refuse to give Berengar the satisfaction of torturing me to death!"

Renault was not happy with the implication that because he was a Frenchman that he was naturally a coward at heart. However, he let this snide remark slide. He knew the boy well. After all, he had been his mentor for many years.

Clearly, the young Duke was lashing out because he was afraid. He may put on an act of courage, but the old French Knight was unsure whether Hartmann would truly stay and fight until the bitter end. After all, though he had not personally witnessed the destructive power of the Austria's military, Renault was aware of how many cities they had laid to waste simply with the power of their artillery. 

After living in exile within Luxembourg for so long, the veteran knight had grown attached to its people, and did not wish to see so many of them die simply because of Hartmann's stubbornness and his refusal to let go of his ambitions. At a certain point, one must admit defeat in life and move on. Clearly the boy had not lived long enough to live this lesson, and at this point it was unlikely that he would.

Renault was at a crossroads. Either he could flee now and live his twilight years in exile once more, most likely in regret about leaving the young master behind. Or he could fight and die in one last stand against his master's enemies. Ultimately, he had to decide on whether he wanted a peaceful, or glorious end to his long life that was filled with conflict. 

Silence prevailed in the room as the old knight reflected on his choices. It was only after he had finished his coffee that he came to a thorough conclusion. 

"Very well. If you wish to fight until the very end, then allow this old fool to pledge his sword in service to you once more. Though I know this will end poorly for all of us, I would rather die by the side of my protégé than live out my final years in remorse."

A haughty smirk appeared on Hartman's face as he clasped the elderly knight on the shoulder. 

"I see you have chosen well! So be it.. if we are to make our last stand here in the home of my ancestors, then lit it is such an end that our heroism resounds throughout history as an inspiration for future generations!"

Renault smiled bitterly as he heard these words. Would this bastard boy really be the last Luxembourg? He never thought he would see the day where two great dynasties perished in the same decade. If Berengar von Kufstein could truly annihilate the main Habsburg and Luxembourg lines, then he was truly a conqueror worth uniting the German people. 

Of course, the old man would never say this aloud to his protégé. Such a thing would only act as discomfort in their last days.. Thus, while Berengar began reforming his Royal Guard into an Elite militant force loyal to the Crown of Austria, his rivals in the north began making preparations to squash the rebellion and resist Austria's invasion until the bitter end.