Tyranny of Steel

In the city of Milan, King Bruno Haselrieder sat in his throne room while contemplating unimportant matters, such as what he wanted to eat on this fine afternoon. As a native of South Tyrol, the man had witnessed Berengar's conquest of his homeland during the early years of the Kaiser's quest for power. In a sense, Bruno had seen the world transform around him in rapid fashion.

Born as a child of a minor German house, in the Italian-occupied territory of southern Austria, Bruno had learned both the German and Italian tongues in his formative years. When Berengar annexed the region under his control during his war against the rebel Count Lothar, Bruno was among the first of the locals to join the von Kufstein Army as a fledgling officer.

His time in service to this army did not last long, as Bruno was soon forced to march into Italy as a part of the Austrian War for Independence. Where he witnessed the true might of the man who had earned himself the nickname 'The Tyrant of Steel'.

Surprisingly, he, a low-ranking officer in the Austrian Royal Army, was selected to act as the puppet king of the newly established Kingdom of Lombardy. Where he ruled according to Berengar's whims and wishes for years. Never doing much more than maintaining the peace and prosperity of the territory he had been given control over.

During this time, he had married an Italian noblewoman from Milan, and fostered a family with her as the monarchs of Austria's first real puppet state. As the years passed, Bruno had lived a life of peace and luxury, provided by his German masters in return for his continued loyalty and support.

Eventually, when Italy had been reunified following the abysmal defeat of the Catholic Church in its war against the fledgling German Empire, Bruno was named the new King of Italy. Where he continued to go along with the whims and wishes of the Kaiser.

In truth, he enjoyed this peace, even if Italy would never become a major world power. He had more than learned his lesson while in the service of Berengar that the man was truly indomitably on the field of battle, while also being a shrewd politician. Only a fool would seek to re-establish his sovereignty, especially when he continued to bask in luxury as a result of this state of servitude.

In all his years as a petty King, the amount of times Berengar had visited Bruno's realm could be counted on one hand, and it was usually in regards to joint military exercises. Thus, it was a monumental surprise when a servant came hastily rushing into the room with a panicked expression on her face.

"Your highness, the Kaiser is here to visit you!"

Bruno had been sipping on a cup of coffee when he heard these words, and was so panicked by the news he had just been given that he dropped the porcelain mug, which shattered upon impact, spilling his drink all over the place. Upon realizing his mistake, he was quick to give orders to the servant.

"Clean up this mess. I will go stall for time and meet up with the Kaiser myself!"

The young woman was just about to answer in the affirmative when a smug voice filled the great hall.

"That won't be necessary. I assure you, I will simply avoid the mess you have made while your maids clean it up."

Bruno recognized the man who the voice belonged to immediately upon hearing it, and was quick to climb down from his high throne and kneel before the man who stood arrogantly in the middle of the hall.

"Your Majesty, forgive this humble servant for failing to greet you properly. Allow me to inform my kitchen staff of your arrival. I will have a meal prepared for you shortly!"

Berengar smiled and nodded his head upon hearing this news, before following Bruno into the dining hall, where a maid was quick to serve them some imported German beers. Berengar sniffed it only momentarily before taking a sip himself. After which he spoke about his reason for visiting Milan.

"I bet you're wondering why I am here, and I must apologize for not announcing my visit earlier. This was merely a whim of mine, as I only recently came to an important decision regarding the future of our two realms."

An audible gulp filled the air as Bruno swallowed the saliva that pooled in his mouth. He had no idea why Berengar of all people would visit him so suddenly, or what more the Kaiser could possibly ask of a petty king like himself, but he did not dare interrupt the man as he continued to speak.

"As you may already know, by German law, a man is allowed up to five spouses. Now my son Hans currently has four official engagements and one that has yet to be revealed to the public. However, after the poor performance of one of these young women, my wife Linde and I have decided to break the betrothal, and instead marry our eldest son off to one of your daughters.

I presume you have raised your girls to be proper wives and mothers. Because I assure you, I do not intend to break such an arrangement a second time. Such a thing would poorly reflect upon my reputation, and that of my household."

Bruno was stunned when he heard this remark. He never would have imagined that the Kaiser of all people would deem the daughter of a petty king such as himself worthy of his eldest son's hand in marriage.

As much as the Italian monarch wanted to stay out of international politics, while basking in the protection the Reich provided him. He knew deep in the depths of his soul that rejecting this offer would be the end of himself and his dynasty.

In fact, the Kaiser's intentions were as clear as day. He wanted to usurp all the Kingdoms of Europe, and place cadet branches from his own dynasty upon their thrones. Ultimately, it would not be the house of Haselrieder, which continued to rule over Italy, but the house of Kufstein-Haselrieder.

Of course, if Bruno rejected such a proposal, then Berengar would simply find another man to replace him, who was more than willing to accept such a 'gift'. After careful thought, the Italian King nodded his head in agreement with the engagement.

"You honor me, Kaiser, my house is unworthy of such a gift. None of my daughters are currently engaged, and you are free to select the one you find most fitting to be your eldest son's bride. I'm sure they will be delighted to hear that one of them will be marrying a German Prince and moving to Kufstein when they finally come of age."

Berengar responded to this over-enthusiastic praise with a curt smile, followed by a long sip of his beer. After consuming nearly half his drink, the Kaiser finally spoke up about his thoughts regarding this matter.

"Sounds good to me. I would very much like to stay here in Milan for some time, and get to know your daughters as well as their personalities. Only after I confirm they won't be a burden will I choose one to marry my son when they both come of age. Does this sound agreeable to you?"

Like a trained dog, Bruno nodded his head repeatedly in agreement with these conditions, however before he could bark for his master, a tray of dishes entered the scene, where Berengar witnessed what can only be considered modern Italian cooking, something he himself might have had a hand in secretly creating.

Chicken Alfredo, baked ziti, lasagna, garlic bread, all the staples of fine Italian cooking were revealed to Berengar, making his mouth water in anticipation. It had been too long since he had last had Italian food, and he was now dying to feast upon it. Thus, the Kaiser of the German Empire, and the King of Italy began to catch up on the past few years, over a fine meal.