Tyranny of Steel
chapter-911

Hans drove through the streets of Kufstein with a complete disregard for his own safety. Currently, he was riding on a motorcycle, with the Princess of Bavaria seated behind him. The girl wrapped her arms around the Austrian Prince, as she prayed to the heavens for her own safety.

A smile etched itself upon the thirteen-year-old boy's face as he gripped the throttle and propelled himself through the city's streets at high speeds. Hans had been granted permission to leave the Aerial Warfare Academy this weekend, so that he may visit his family. He had decided to bring Anne along with him as a way to thoroughly outrage his most annoying fiancee.

This was the first time that the Bavarian Princess would be meeting with the boy's mother, and if she was not currently preoccupied by the terror which gripped her heart, then the girl would be incredibly anxious at the thought of meeting the legendary Linde von Kufstein.

In the past, Anne's father had seldom spoken of his meetings with the von Kufstein family. In fact, despite being the current King of Bavaria, and a direct subordinate of the Kaiser, Dietger seemed to hold a great sense of dread towards the Royal Couple. When he used such words, Dietger was describing only two people: Berengar and Linde von Kufstein.

Dietger had once described to his daughter the power dynamics of the Royal Harem. Though Adela von Kufstein was the First Kaiserin, she was in name only. In reality, it was Linde who Berengar doted on the most, and who controlled the other women in his life like a group of marionettes.

It had been years since Anne had first started developing a relationship with Hans, and though they had never made an official declaration of their feelings for one another, Dietger knew that his daughter had fallen for the boy. As a result, he had given her a stern warning about how to act in front of the second Kaiserin.

Ultimately, this sense of anxiety finally revealed itself on the girl's pretty face when the motorcycle pulled up in front of the Imperial Palace. Hans did not seem the least bit concerned as he approached the building's gates and forced his way inside.

Anne had no choice but to follow him, however she did so meekly, afraid of what Linde might think of her. The moment Hans stepped inside, his mother assaulted him. The busty redheaded beauty wrapped her arms around the Teenage boy's neck and shoved his head within her hefty bosom while expressing her delight.

"My baby boy has finally returned!"

After saying this, she let her child free from her clutches before taking a stern tone with him.

"You should know better than to worry your mother to such an extant. I have heard of the risks you have been taking in your flight instruction. Don't make me pull you to the Aerial Warfare Academy!"

As the woman said these words, her sharp gaze fell upon Anne. Despite this, she did not say a word to the girl, and instead waited for her son to respond to her scolding. Which he was all too eager to do so.

"Mom, even you can't get me out of the Aerial Warfare Academy. Once a man enrolls in a military academy, he is signing 12 years of his life away to the military!"

Despite the accuracy behind the boy's words, Linde was far from persuaded and instead pulled on her son's ear and lectured him further.

"Don't be so sure about that, young man! I have my ways. If I really wanted to, I could have you transferred to Imperial Intelligence! Hemma has been buried up to her eyeballs in work these days, and she could use a little helper!"

The idea of being transferred to Imperial Intelligence, and carrying out twelve years of his life beneath his mother's clutches, sent a chill down Hans' spine, causing him to bow his head in submission and apologize for his reckless actions.

"I'm sorry mother, it won't happen again..."

Linde gazed upon the submissive state of her son and sighed before expressing her discontent with his reckless behavior.

"I swear, you are just like your father! Always jumping head first into unecessary danger. If I knew you would grow up to be such a careless young man, I would have never permitted you to join the Military!"

Hans merely scoffed at his mother's remarks before reminding her of the laws that were in place within the Empire.

"By the decree of my royal father, all young men must serve in the military for at least four years. Even if you wanted to keep me to yourself, you would not be able to convince father to make an exemption for me."

Such words invoked fury in Linde's heart, she was well aware that Berengar had the ultimate say on how they raised their kids. Even if she were to go on a sex strike to force his hand, the man would not falter. He was as stubborn as he was reckless. All she could do was scold her son with a rather pathetic choice of words.

"Don't talk back to your mother, young man! Now, are you going to introduce me to your little girlfriend or not?"

It was at this moment that Anne stepped forward and curtseyed before the Kaiserin as she introduced herself.

"Princess Anne von Wittelsbach, at your service, your majesty..."

Linde closely observed the girl for some time before nodding her head in approval. Her words shocked both Hans and Anne.

"I like this one. She knows how to show respect. Unlike that Nordic harlot who does nothing but lounge around and mooch off of our family's good graces. This girl will make a good wife. I'll have to talk with Dietger about your relationship. In the meantime, welcome to our home. Make yourself comfortable as I go fetch Hans's other girls."

After saying this, Linde quickly departed, allowing Anne to release her breath, which she had been holding in anxiety since the moment she introduced herself. She finally revealed her thoughts when she saw Hans's gaze never leave his mother's figure.

"Your mother is really beautiful. However, she is just as my father said, an utterly terrifying woman..."

In response to this, Hans chuckled before shifting his sight over to Anne. He wore a gentle smile on his face as he spoke about his mother with a hint of fondness in his tone.

"At least she likes you. Trust me, if you think she is intimidating right now, wait until you do something that really pisses her off. I almost feel bad for Ingrid, because I just know my mother is scheming how to get rid of the girl in the most humiliating manner possible."

Anne had no words for such a statement. Though Linde had been incredibly friendly to her, Anne still felt a suffocating pressure from the woman's gaze. As if her approval was the most important thing in the world. She carefully thought about this when Linde returned to the room with Hans's other women in tow.

By now, Noemi and Veronika were both adults, whereas Natalia was the same age as Hans and was growing up to be a beauty in her own right. When Anne gazed upon these young women, she felt a tad bit unworthy, as if their appearance was a step above her own. In reality, this was far from the case. However, the doubt remained within the girl's heart.

Noemi and Veronika hugged Hans at the same time and sandwiched him between their sizeable breasts. Yet there was not a perverted expression on the Prince's face like one would expect from a boy his age. Instead, there seemed to be a look of annoyance as he pushed his two fiancees aside.

"Enough. My mother has already smothered me. I don't need the same treatment from you two!"

The girls simply pouted, as Natalia approached the young Prince, and hugged him as well. She seemed to be rather excited to see the boy, as it had been some time since he last visited his family.

"Hans, we missed you! Stop being a brat and accept our affection already!"

The only one who did not make an immediate move to smother Hans was Ingrid, who rested on the wall and gazed upon the scene with a hint of disdain in her eyes. She had never accepted that the man she was supposed to marry had a harem of his own. However, now that the boy had brought another girl home, the young woman became absolutely vicious as she approached her fiance and flicked his forehead.

"You brought another girl home? What have I told you about falling prey to a bitch's schemes? You should be ashamed of yourself Hans, such blatant cheating cannot be tolerated!"

Linde was nearby and heard Ingrid's remarks. A look of displeasure appeared on her stunning face as she quickly swatted the woman on the bottom, causing Ingrid to yelp and stare at the redheaded beauty in fear. The Kaiserin was like a tigress when it came to protecting her cubs and was not afraid to get violent when Ingrid spoke out of turn.

The subtle spanking did not go unnoticed by those who witnessed it. However, Linde acted as if it had never occurred and merely glared at Ingrid, forcing the girl to lower her head in submission. She steered the conversation elsewhere in order to avoid bringing up what had just happened.

"Lunch will be ready soon, so how about you all follow me to the dining room? Your siblings will be joining us Hans, it has been some time since you last saw them, and they are excited about your return. Ingrid, since you seem so displeased with our guest, you are not invited. Go back to your room and think about your actions."

Ingrid felt wronged by this sudden change of events, but she merely gritted her teeth and bowed respectfully to Linde before doing as she was instructed.

"Yes, your majesty..."

After Ingrid left the party, they all followed Linde towards the Dining Hall, where they would be met with a feast the likes they were not expecting. After all, it was a chance for Linde to show off her cooking skills, and she had recently come up with a dish that she felt both her husband and eldest son were sure to enjoy. Unfortunately, Berengar was away on business, and thus he could not share this meal with the group.