Chapter 359: The Man with Two Crowns

Over a week had passed, and Berengar had set out with a division of 10,000 men. This specialized unit was equipped with Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery. While the Rifled Breech Loaders were currently undergoing field testing, Berengar would have to make do with his traditional muzzleloading smoothbore cannons.

However, the young monarch did not expect an actual war to break out. After all, the threat of this task force and its willingness to use violence to pursue Berengar's goals would be more than enough to deter any idea of resistance.

Like a Conqueror laying claim to a city, Berengar rode atop his trusty steed in his full dress uniform. The gazes of envy from the battle-worn Hussite soldiers as they saw such a crisp and elegant uniform affixed on Berengar's exemplary visage did not go unnoticed by the young King.

Ultimately the area set for discussion regarding the new Monarch of Bohemia was established within the royal castle in Prague. As such, Berengar marched up its steps with his royal guard in tow, without the slightest hint of hesitation or fear in his eye. Instead, an oppressive aura exuded from his figure, filling anyone who witnessed it with dread and trepidation.

After bursting through the doors of the castle and entering the Great Hall where the various factions were engaged in a brutal argument about who should be King, Berengar ignored their shouts, walked past the crowd, and sat upon the Bohemian Throne as if it were the most natural thing for him to do.

After doing so, he crossed one leg over the other and rested his face on his fist with a smug expression. It was only after several moments of silence had passed that Berengar made his decree known to all of the men present.

"All who seek to lay claim to the Bohemian Crown step forward and present your cases, I Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name, and King of Austria will hear your words and choose the most fitting to sit upon this throne."

The moment Berengar said this, the room was filled with shock; Berengar did not hide his intent in the slightest; he had brazenly stated that he would choose the next King of Bohemia as such, Valdemar was the first among the candidates to object to the notion of having a foreigner choose their King.

"Who do you think you are, to come into this Great Hall, seat yourself upon the Throne that belongs to our people, and declare that you shall be the man who determines our King?!"

Berengar's smug expression faltered as he heard the man so brazenly question his judgment; in response to this, the young monarch snapped his fingers, the very next moment, a Rifle was lowered, and the echo of gunfire resounded throughout the chamber. Valdemar, the favored candidate of the Hussite Moderates, stared in shock as blood began to pour from his chest.

He could not believe that in a single moment, his life had been stripped away by the bullet of one of Berengar's Royal Guards. The surprised expression on the man's face was his last reaction before he collapsed dead on the floor. The various factions vying for the Bohemian Crown instantly began to panic; however, the doors were sealed shut and blocked by Berengar's royal guards. As such, there was no escape to be had.

Seeing that he had garnered everyone's attention, Berengar rose from his seat and gazed sternly upon the men who had gathered before him; as he did so, he began to project the full authority that belonged to him as the only monarch in the room.

"Who am I? I am the man with an army of 10,000 men capable of shelling this city into oblivion. You would be wise to obey my commands, for the lives of you and everyone who remains within this wretched city exists solely because of my decision. I will not ask again; all of you who lay claim to the Bohemian Crown step forward and present your case. Only the man in this room most fit to rule shall be given the authority to act as King!"

After seeing what Berengar had done to Valdemar, not a single man was willing to step forward; after all, it was becoming increasingly clear to the men who wanted to rule what Berengar's plan was. To step forward was to face certain death. As such only silence prevailed in the room for some time. Eventually, Berengar broke the silence by spitting upon the ground before him in disgust. As he did so, he spoke, his words laced with venom as he chewed out the men gathered in the hall.

"Pathetic... Truly, and utterly pathetic. I know there are men among your ranks who wish to be King, and yet here you stand utterly silent, in fear of what I might do to you. If you do not dare to step forward and press your claim in the face of overwhelming authority, then what right do any of you have to rule as King!?!

What I see before me are a bunch of cowards from all walks of life. Religious fanatics, opportunistic noblemen, and war profiteers that is what you all are! If any one of you were to be given the title King of Bohemia, you would lead these lands to ruin in a matter of years. It is becoming increasingly apparent to me the solution to this problem. Since none of you are worthy of being King, then the burden of governance must fall to me!"

After saying this speech, Berengar walked over to the bloodstained crown that lay on the floor of the Great Hall, where he picked it up and placed it on his head. After doing so, he sat down once more upon the throne and gave his command to the various men who had sacrificed everything in their brutal war, only to have the prize stolen before their very eyes.

"I Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name, and King of Austria hereby usurp the Kingdom of Bohemia for myself and my dynasty to rule in perpetuity."

After saying this, Eckhard, who had watched the whole thing, stepped forward and stood by Berengar's right side, where he gave an order to all of the men present.

"Kneel before your new King!"

Though he disapproved of Berengar's way of handling the matter of succession, after all, he had fought and bled alongside most of the men present for the past few years, ultimately his loyalty was to Berengar, and if his King wished to usurp the Kingdom of Bohemia, then he must follow those orders.

Seeing how Eckhard had fallen in line, all hope of resistance within the eyes of the various Hussite Sects and their leaders were thoroughly tarnished; one by one, they knelt before Berengar and proclaimed their loyalty to the man with two crowns. In the end, only one man was left standing, gazing at Eckhard with a degree of shock and humiliation.

Alexej Kaspar thought that he could negotiate with Berengar about repayment of the Hussite's debt to the Austrian crown, yet the discussion had never even occurred. The Austrian monarch had strolled into the Great Hall and had proclaimed himself King without the slightest bit of debate over the matter.

In the end, he only had himself to blame, for he too had not stepped forward when asked by Berengar to present his case for ruling over the Kingdom. After witnessing Valdemar's sudden demise, he was petrified with fear like the other men present.

It took him a moment to notice that all eyes were gazing upon him, the fierce leader of the Hussite Radicals, who had shed the blood of tens of thousands of lives in pursuit of overthrowing King Radek, and his Catholic backers. If he, too, bent the knee, then the hopes of an Independent Bohemia would be thoroughly crushed.

In the end, Alexej stepped forward and made his decision; after standing in front of Berengar, who gazed upon him with an arrogant expression, he, too, bent the knee to his new monarch. After all, if what Berengar had said was true, then the city was surrounded by the most powerful military in the world, and resistance was futile.

Having seen the various leaders of Bohemia kneel before him, a cruel smile appeared on Berengar's face as he sealed the fate of the Kingdom to the east.

"Very well, if there are no objections, then my first act as King of Bohemia is to rebuild this realm, the damages your people have suffered over the past few years are substantial, and thus to reconstruct this Nation from the bottom up, I will be moving in tens of thousands of German workers to aid in the restoration efforts. As for the family of the previous monarch, are there any surviving members?"

Alexej gazed up at Berengar with a conflicted expression; he did not know what Berengar intended to do with the remaining members of the previous ruling dynasty. As such, he was hesitant to reveal their status. However, before he could decide, another nobleman present quickly declared the reality of the situation.

"King Radek's wife and youngest daughter are still alive, your majesty! As for the rest of his family, they were killed in the sacking of the city..."

The moment the nobleman said this, he received glares from all the Bohemian men present. However, When Berengar heard this, a satisfied smile curved upon his lips before revealing his intentions.

"Very well, bring them to me. I would like to have a word with them. Let it be known that the survivors of the Previous Monarch's family are henceforth under my protection; any harm that has been done to them will be strictly punished! Go forth and do as I command!"

After saying this, the Hussite representatives left the castle, leaving Berengar alone with Eckhard and his royal guard. As such, a friendly smile appeared on Berengar's face as he embraced his closest friend, who he had not seen in years.

"Eckhard, my friend, it has been too long. I am thoroughly impressed with what you accomplished here; when you return to Kufstein, I will award you with the highest honors for your achievements!"

A bitter smile revealed itself upon Eckhard's haggard face; he appeared as if he had aged ten years since the last time Berengar saw him; after a few moments of silence, he sighed before revealing his thoughts on what had transpired.

"With a single shot, you have annexed a neighboring Kingdom; I must admit I never thought you would waltz in here and place yourself upon the throne. I honestly believed you would establish one of those men as King of Bohemia to act as a puppet."

Berengar chuckled before revealing his thoughts on the matter.

"None of those men were fit to rule, I had initially planned to do as you believed, yet they all stood there petrified in fear, not willing to take the final step necessary to claim the throne. Such weakness can not be present in a ruler, even if he is nothing more than a puppet. Come, let us celebrate this great victory!"

With that said, Berengar left the great hall with Eckhard and made their way to the Dining Hall, where he and the veteran Field Marshal began to catch up on lost time. Before long, the former Queen and Princess of Bohemia would be brought before Berengar, where their fate would be left to his decision.