Tyranny of Steel

Princess Anggraini sat within the Majapahit palace. In one hand was a German newspaper, which was printed in the Javanese script. In the other was a cup of tea. This particular newspaper had the most recent intelligence gained from the Joseon Agents, and the Japanese traitors who had fled to safety in the Northern half of the Korean Peninsula.

Upon reaching Pyongyang, the Joseon Agents handed the negatives over to the Germans, who quickly shipped them back to the Reich so that they could be processed into proper photographs and used in Propaganda. At the request of Anggraini, Berengar had ordered the propaganda to be translated into the Javanese Script, and sent to the Majapahit Empire so that its people could realize the threat that lie to the east.

The Majapahit King sat across from his daughter, who was now visibly pregnant, with a hint of fury in his eyes. Though he had given his daughter permission to use whatever means were necessary to coerce the Germans into paying taxes. She had instead returned home with the news that the Germans would take over the region that would one day be known as Singapore.

Though nearly six months had passed since the Majapahit Princess first returned from her diplomatic visit with a foreign monarch's child in her belly. King Suratman had not forgiven his errant daughter for her infidelity. Or her perceived betrayal. He could only glower at the woman as she seemed to enjoy her morning breakfast. This ultimately caused Anggraini to chastise her father for his hostility.

"Father, what's done is done. I am pregnant with Berengar's child, and my husband does not seem to care in the slightest. If it were not for your insistence, I never would have married that fat fuck to begin with! Besides, though we may have lost some land, what we have gained in these six months is simply immeasurable."

Suratman groaned when he heard these words come from his daughter's lips. Internally, he had to admit the luxuries which the Reich provided were a nice bonus. However, the Majapahit King could not get over the fact that this stranger had violated his daughter's marriage and impregnated her. Thus, he was quick to voice his discontent.

"Pfft, these are frivolous luxuries, nothing more! Our people do not need them to survive!"

When the King said this, Anggraini looked at him as if he were an idiot, before dispelling his words with some hard truth.

"Father, don't be a hypocrite. You are quite literally wearing a suit that was purchased from the Reich. You even went to Kufstein to personally have it tailored to your body! Do I need to point out the fact that you have even gone so far as to manufacture your own orders of Merit so that you can dazzle yourself in prestigious awards like the German Officers wear?"

These words caught the man off guard. He did not expect his daughter to speak to him so bluntly. However, the woman did not seem the slightest bit sorry for pointing out the obvious, and instead took another sip from her tea as she read from the newspaper. This calm expression on his daughter's pretty face caused Suratman to change the subject.

"How goes the Germans' efforts to settle the Malacca strait? I know you're in contact with them."

Anggraini gazed up from her newspaper with a confident smirk on her face before placing her teacup down and explaining to her father what he should already know.

"It's been six months since the Germans arrived and began constructing a military base in the region. They call it Singapore, don't ask me why. Anyway, from what I have been told, things are nearing completion. In another half a year, there will be 30,000 Germans permanently stationed at the Naval Base in Singapore, and another 10,000 at the attached Air Base.

The Germans seem to have no intentions to invade our lands, and steal our resources. They are merely concerned with the growing threat that is Japan. Something you should be more worried about. Tell me father, how goes the training of our army?"

The Majapahit King gazed into his daughter's dark eyes, and could tell she was testing him. Clearly, she knew about the current state of affairs. The Majapahit Kingdom was not a centralized monarchy like the Reich. Most of its territory were vassal states. Because of this, he had to request young men be taken from villages in order to serve in the King's Army, an idea that was not popular among his subjects.

Still, the German Jagdkommandos who were dispatched to the area worked hard to train the Majapahit conscripts in the use of G25 bolt action rifles, 7.5cm FK 25 Artillery, and Mg-25 static machine guns. Thus, after careful contemplation, the man sighed heavily before revealing his thoughts on the matter.

"In all honesty, things are going better than I thought they would. Though it bereaves me to align with the Germans, especially after their emperor forced you to carry his child-"

Before the man could continue, Anggraini frowned while interrupting her father's assessment of his armed forces.

"He did not force me. I have told you a thousand times, I was the one who requested he impregnate me. Why must you malign him so?

Suratman glared at his daughter once more, struggling to contain his hostile thoughts in his mind. However, he did not have the mental fortitude to do so, and quickly began to verbally lash out at his own daughter.

"Because you have dishonored our dynasty with your infidelity! You have also dishonoured me personally! I chose your husband for you, and yet at the first given opportunity you cheat on him with a foreign man, and carry this man's child? It is simply wrong. If you weren't my daughter, I would have imprisoned you for your crimes!"

The Majapahit Princess frowned once more while she listened to her father's passionate speech before asking him a simple question.

"Are you done?"

After taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Suratman nodded his head in silence. Though his fists were still clenched with rage, he would not dare strike his daughter, no matter how much he desired to do so. Upon seeing the King calm down, Anggraini voiced her reasoning.

"The reason I cheated on my husband is that he is a fat old bastard, with a micropenis, who has never once shown any interest in me as a wife, or as a woman. Aside from our honeymoon, he had not touched me once. Instead, he spends all day with his concubines, though I sincerely doubt they are pleased by him, either.

You wanted a grand child did you not? Well, that was not going to happen with that bastard. So, naturally when I come across a man who treats me right, and is actually interested in me as a woman, I requested he give me a child.

In fact, I made it part of our negotiations. I refused to give the Kaiser a single inch of our soil until he impregnated me. And now, you have a grandchild to look forward to, and a powerful ally to help our Dynasty against the Japanese Empire, and yet, you continue to treat me like dirt. Perhaps I should flee to the Reich and have Berengar halt his support. Let's see how you deal with the Japanese then!"

Suratman was stunned by his daughter's response. She had never been so bold in her life as to chastise him, not until recently. Perhaps it was the fiery heart of the Kaiser's child within her belly that had caused her to act so brashly.

Or perhaps Anggraini had always been this way, but was too fearful to show her true self. Either way, the Majapahit King could only bow his head in silence and receive his daughter's scolding as if he were a mere dog. When the Indonesian beauty realized that her father had been humbled into silence, she quickly followed up with her previous point by handing the man the newspaper.

"If you don't believe me, then take a look at what the Japanese have done to the Ryukyu Islands, and their other subjected territories. Make no mistake, father, they are coming for us, maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon the Japanese soldiers will land on our shores, and we will need the Kaiser in our corner if we wish to survive..."

The Majapahit King looked upon the content that was in the newspaper and was horrified at the images he was seeing. Slavery, murder, forced prostitution, and torture were common practice among the ranks of the Japanese Army to their subjected peoples. The idea that the Majapahit Kingdom could turn into a such a state instantly froze whatever rage existed within Suratman's heart. Causing him to sigh in depression before handing the paper back to his daughter.

"If what you say is true, I will have your marriage annulled. As for the Germans, though I disapprove of your relationship with their emperor, I must admit that trade with the Reich has benefited our Kingdom in more ways than one. So, I will stop giving you such a hard time..."

A pretty smile appeared on Anggraini's luscious lips as he nodded her head in silence. After six months of dealing with her father's shit, she had finally reached an accord with the man. As for the Japanese, she was not afraid, for she knew the German military base in Singapore would provide enough support for her people, that even if the Japanese Army were to invade, they would have a fighting chance.