Chapter 272: Negotiations with the Sultan of Granada (1/2)
Berengar and Adela sat at the Sultan of Granada's table, enjoying food that was unique to the culture. Berengar had never tasted such delicacies before, and as an avid foodie, he was enjoying it to his heart's content.
On the other hand, Adela was slightly worried at the gazes she was receiving from some of the more traditional members of Hasan's dynasty. The unwelcome looks afforded to her resulted from Berengar's refusal to force his young fiancee to wear a hijab; it was a matter of principle to him.
Hasan was far more secular than many of the people in Granada, and because of this, he had allowed Adela to walk around freely in his territory without some form of face covering. In his eyes, she was a Christian woman and a diplomat, and it would be rude of him to force such traditions on foreigners like the Austrian host.
This lack of devotion to the traditions and the Islamic faith was a point of contention among many other members of Hasan's dynasty, and they had begun to plot in the shadows against the young Sultan.
Though alcohol was not served at the feast, Berengar enjoyed himself nonetheless. He took a break from the roasted lamb to discuss matters of importance between himself and Hasan. After all, a banquet was an excellent opportunity to discuss business.
”Tell me, your majesty, what is the current situation like with your neighbors? I have heard that the Iberian Catholics are attempting to conquer Granada. All I hear is Catholic propaganda about how it is a matter of time before Granada is reclaimed for Christendom, so I would like to hear your opinion about the ongoing war efforts.”
While Berengar spoke in German, his words were translated to Hasan by a translator hired by the Royal Court of Granda for this special occasion. Likewise, Berengar himself had a translator to convert the Arabic words of the Sultan into German so that he could adequately understand them.
The differences between modern Arabic and Medieval Arabic were too significant for Berengar to overcome; after all, he was not even fluent in the modern dialect. Thus the conversation between the two men was carried on by the duo of translators that both parties had hired.
Hasan was willing to meet with Berengar because he was aware of the German Reformation that Berengar had spurred and that he was enemies with the Catholic faith; in a way, they held similar positions.
Surrounded by hostile neighbors, relying on their means to defend their territory, they would be natural allies if they weren't so far apart. However, Hasan was not willing to reveal the complete difficulty he was facing against the Catholics of Castille, Aragon, and Portugal.
The reasons for this were relatively simple; for starters, he was currently negotiating an agreement with Berengar. The benefits he could obtain were purely based upon the show of force he could provide. In reality, his position was relatively poor, barely holding onto the territory he currently had.
However, he would never reveal this, and as such, the young Sultan proudly declared his armies' capability.
”Despite being surrounded by enemies on all sides, we are holding out well enough. This is a war against our faith, and the soldiers of Granada will never fall so long as they have faith in Allah!”
Berengar nodded when he heard this; he knew that the Sultan would never accept Christian soldiers on his land as military aid. However, Berengar did not plan to do such a thing, as it would be an open declaration of war against the Catholic world; instead, he touched upon the weakness of Granada that he knew they were facing.
”That is good to hear; I would be beside myself if your mighty Kingdom fell against those self-righteous Catholics. Tell me, how are your logistics? Are you able to properly supply your soldiers with food, water, and arms? If not, I would be more than happy to provide material support for your cause.”
When the members of Hasan's dynasty heard this, they were surprised. Berengar may not be a Catholic, but he was still Christian; the idea of a Christian ruler aiding the Muslim Kingdom against other Christians was practically unheard of; at least when it came to European affairs.
The Sultan began to discuss among his advisors such a possibility before asking for clarification. After several moments of discussion where Berengar and Adela were merely eating their meal in peace, Hasan began to ask some of the questions on his mind.
”You would provide us material aid? In what way?”
A smirk began to curve itself upon Berengar's lips when he heard this, the Sultan had taken the bait, and as such, he could start to negotiate on his terms.
”I can provide arms, armor, and even food. You will not need to worry about supplies taking months to arrive; my transport ships are the fastest in the world and can sail from Trieste to Motril within a matter of days.”
The Granadan host was shocked to hear this, such speeds were unheard of in this period, yet it was confirmed that they had arrived in Granada relatively quickly. As such, the Sultan contemplated upon this for a few moments before asking another one of his questions.