Chapter 36: A Difficult Negotiation (1/2)
Days had passed, and all of the guests who were present for Berengar's Ceremony had departed. All except for Count Lothar, who was in the middle of a fierce debate with Sieghard about Lambert's supposed affair with Linde. Strictly speaking, they were not supposed to engage in such behavior before their wedding night, and Linde purposely made it seem like she was pressured into the occasion by a drunken and belligerent Lambert. Though nothing actually happened between the two, the only people aware of that fact were Berengar and Linde who used this opportunity to sow division between Lambert and his greatest backer. As far as both families were concerned, Lambert had done the deed with Linde during Berengar's engagement ceremony, and it would not be long before Linde revealed she was pregnant to the two families. However, there was still some time between now and then.
Berengar sat in the great hall and listened to the bickering of the two old men as he dined on schnitzel, which the cooks had prepared for him. He washed it down with a flagon of beer and enjoyed the scene of Lambert being scolded by the two feudal lords who were furious with his behavior. Linde had done more than Berengar had asked and made it seem like Lambert had practically forced himself on the poor girl; of course, Lambert had no memories of the time he spent with Linde and deeply regretted it. If he really did as she claimed, then the worst part of it was that he could not remember what her naked body looked like or how it felt. She had covered herself thoroughly with the sheets when he awoke to the scene and could not a get a good glimpse of her bare figure.
Linde was standing next to her father with a downcast expression; she was an excellent actor and could play the victim's part quite well. Lothar was spouting his demands to Sieghard as he pointed his finger at him menacingly.
”Unacceptable! I will not stand for this; I demand some form of compensation for my daughter's chastity, which your errant son violated! Just because they are betrothed does not mean he can force himself on my daughter as he pleases!”
Sieghard was trying to manage the situation and felt deeply embarrassed by Lambert's actions; though he knew the boy's relationship with his fiancee was tense, he had no idea that his prized son would act in such a way after having a few beers.
”I promise, I will do my best to make this right, but what is it exactly you are asking from me?”
Lothar was genuinely not too appalled by Lambert's behavior; in fact, it was doing him a great favor; this gave him cause to demand a portion of Kufstein's iron reserves. Which he immediately requested.
”I demand 25 percent of Kufstein's iron reserves in return for your son's actions.”
Sieghard was outraged by such a demand that was giving away a massive pile of wealth, especially now that Berengar had managed to find a way to turn all of that iron into steel in an efficient manner. As such, he pounded his fist on the armrest of his seat of power and refused Lothar's demands.
”Absolutely not! you are trying to rob me!”
Count Lothar frowned at the insinuation and retorted properly
”Rob you? A lowly Baron like you may not be aware of this, but Linde's chastity has an extreme degree of political significance attached to it as a Count's daughter. If your Barony were not so rich in minerals, I would have married her off to a Duke!”
At this point, Berengar had put down his fork and got off his chair while tidying his mouth with his napkin. Afterward, he walked over to the center of the Great Hall, where the two noblemen were bickering. As the man tasked by his father with leading the industrial sector, he had a great deal of say on how its resources were managed. There was not a single possibility that Berengar would allow Lothar to have his way.
”Pardon me, My Lord, but I don't believe that such a request is even remotely reasonable. At most, I would be willing to sell you a supply of steel at a discounted price. I will not under any circumstances hand over the resources of my industrial district because of the improper actions of my little brother.”
Lothar was thoroughly outraged by this interruption and the offer. Who did this kid think he was to so boldly interrupt a conversation between two lords?
”Under whose authority do you gain the power to negotiate with a man of my standing? I'm busy talking to your father, little boy; you'd best go back to eating your meal.”
Berengar chuckled at the vicious response he was given by Count Lothar, who was in all technicality his liege.
”I'm afraid to say that my father has delegated all responsibility of the mines and steel industry of the region into my hands. If you want to demand compensation in the form of minerals, I'm the one you need to be discussing this with.”
Lothar glared menacingly at Berengar; if this were true, he would have a much more difficult time getting what he desired from the von Kufstein family. Sieghard was mostly compliant and was not nearly as cunning as Berengar. Over the past few days, Lothar had observed Berengar and his dealings with the other nobles and discovered that he was an incredibly shrewd young man. Berengar would not crumble under pressure Lothar held as Count and would fight tooth and nail to make sure every aspect of the deal was favorable to his position.
Lothar walked over to Berengar and stared the young man down, a challenge from which Berengar did not back down. Rather he returned Lothar's vicious gaze with a smug smile as if no matter what Count Lothar did or said, the negotiations would ultimately be in his favor. This haughty expression further enraged Lothar to the point where he wanted to backhand the arrogant youth.
”I demand 25 percent I will not leave here until I get it.”
Berengar had struggled to contain his laughter; aggressive negotiations like this would never work on a man like himself. For it to do so, Berengar would have to fear the power in the hands of Count Lothar, and considering that fact that the young Lord could bring forth the power of nearly 1000 guns and unleash it upon the Count's feudal army, he did not fear, nor respect the meager power in which the proud Count held. As such, he calmly denied Lothar's demands.
”Then make yourself comfortable because it looks like you're going to be here for the rest of your life. Do you understand the value of a quarter of our iron reserves when converted into steel?”
Lothar wanted to throttle the boy for his arrogance. How dare he speak to his liege in such a condescending manner. He would have to teach this boy a valuable lesson.
”Bah, and I suppose you have the ability to convert such a large amount of iron ore into steel? Do not jest with me, boy. It would take a lifetime to make that much steel!”
Berengar did not say anything; he just stood there with a satisfied smile on his face. If the Count knew how much steel he was currently in possession of and how much he could produce in one batch, then the man would surely never have suggested such an absurdly high number. Eventually, Berengar broke the awkward silence between the two as he countered the Count's proposal.
”Here's what I can do, as an official apology from the von Kufstein family for my foolish little brother's unsightly behavior, I will cut the cost of steel sold to your family for the next ten years by 15%. That is the best I can offer you, any more than that, and I will be operating at a loss.”