The Bohemian Princess known as Veronika continued to weep into Berengar's tunic for some time as the young Monarch consoled her. While this was ongoing, Dagmar, the former Queen of Bohemia, glared at her daughter and Berengar with an intense fury.
What Berengar had just proclaimed greatly diminished her perceived rights as the mother of Veronika, and more importantly, as Queen of Bohemia. She refused to believe that her time as royalty had come to an end, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary.
However, with Berengar's royal guard eying her closely, she could not make a move on the man who had usurped power in her family's lands. As such, she was forced to watch the intimate display between Berengar and Veronika while stewing in her hatred.
Veronika had wept for nearly thirty minutes; by the end of it, she had no tears left to cry despite her sorrowful state. Berengar had consoled the girl during this entire time. He could only imagine the horrors she was forced to endure as a person with heterochromia in the medieval period.
As such, he took pity on her; after all, there was a special place in his heart for pretty and broken things. After a while, Berengar began to wipe the now dried-up tears from the girl's eyes before reassuring her that she was safe under his protection.
"Veronika, was it? Do not worry; you will not suffer abuse or humiliation so long as you are my ward. If anyone dares to do so, they will be strictly punished."
When Berengar said this, his gaze shifted from Veronika to her mother with a chilling stare that warned the harsh woman. Evidently, she understood Berengar's intent because her vicious glare immediately faltered as she succumbed to the oppressive presence of the Austrian King.
After saying this, Berengar attempted to break away from Veronika's grasp; however, she quickly gripped his sleeve with a frightened expression. She had someone to confide in for the first time in her life, and she was afraid to let him go. As such, she summoned the courage deep within herself to ask the young monarch the question that resounded throughout her mind.
"What will happen to me now?"
Berengar instantly gazed down upon the girl who was latched onto his sleeve like a lamprey, utterly refusing to let him go. A warm expression appeared on his face as he petted the girl's head before reassuring her that he would not leave her behind in Prague.
"You are now my ward, which means I will bring you back to Kufstein, where I will look after you until you come of age, after which I will marry you off to a man fitting to be your husband."
Veronika grimaced when she heard the last part; she truly feared what kind of depraved man would want to marry a freak like her. However, she bit her tongue in silence and nodded her head slowly. After a while, her silence was interrupted by her mother's shrieks.
"You can not take my daughter away from me without some compensation! The damage you and your ilk have caused to my realm is something you must pay for!"
Berengar immediately felt compelled to backhand the woman, just what position did she think she was in? Her very survival was because Berengar was merciful towards women and children. He immediately approached the former Queen with a grave expression in his eye.
Being a tall man himself, he towered over the petite woman, so much so that she was deathly frightened by the sight of the enraged King from the west. Berengar raised his hand in the air, prepared to strike the woman, which caused her to flinch instinctively. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Berengar lowered his hand before shouting at the woman and her arrogance.
"Just who do you think you are to make such demands of me? Your Husband is dead; your sons have shared his fate. The army of Bohemia is decimated, and it is solely because of my good graces that you stand here capable of making such outrageous statements. You no longer have any authority here, and it is time you learned your place. In the words of the ancient Romans, Vae Victis!"
Veronika gazed at Berengar with shock; nobody she knew ever had the gall to stand up to her mother before; not even her father would speak to her in such a bold manner. However, Berengar's following statement startled her even more and immediately caused her to blush.
"If not for the sake of your precious daughter, who you have so brazenly tormented in front of me, then I would have been far crueler in the way I have handled your insolence! Be grateful that I have stayed my hand; however, dare to provoke my ire further, and I will not be so kind in the future!"
Veronika hid behind Berengar, though he was a stranger he had done the unthinkable and shielded her from her mother's abuse. This fact had made the young girl instinctively trust him. Upon seeing Berengar defend her monstrous daughter so brazenly; Dagmar could no longer contain her fury and disgust thus she began to lash out at Berengar verbally.
"You find my freak of a daughter to be precious? What kind of sick pervert are you!?! It is true what they say; you must be the devil incarnate to find a monster like her to be attractive!"
The moment the woman said this, Berengar could no longer contain the urge to slap her; as such, he viciously backhanded her across the face causing her to fall to the ground, in doing so shocking everyone present, especially Veronika. Berengar immediately closed the distance between himself and the former Queen before stomping his foot lightly on her head, pressing her skull to the stone floor. As he did so, a vicious expression filled his otherwise handsome face.
"I believe I said there would be strict punishment for abusing the girl, did I not? To think you would have the gall to insult your daughter in such a relentless manner, even after I had proclaimed she was under my protection. You truly do not value your life, do you bitch?"
After several moments Berengar released his boot from the woman's face; as he did so, he did not gaze upon her even once, for the former Queen was unworthy of such a thing. Instead, he gave an order to the young Bohemian Princess.
"Veronika, Come, it is about time that we return home. I am certain that you will find Kufstein to your liking."
After saying this, Berengar began to depart without looking back upon the Queen who had been so thoroughly disgraced in front of everyone present. Veronika gazed once upon her mother with fear of how she might retaliate against her for Berengar's actions. However, under the overwhelming pressure of Berengar's royal guards, she stayed her hand and merely glared at her daughter with a hate-filled gaze.
Upon seeing this, Veronika immediately ran after Berengar, seeking the safety that she felt he had provided. She quickly latched onto his sleeve with her pale hand as they walked out towards the courtyard of the Castle where his mount lay in wait for him. Eckhard and the Royal Guard followed Berengar into the courtyard, where the veteran Field Marshal protested Berengar's hasty retreat.
"Your highness, the situation in Bohemia is still volatile. Though the Hussites have begrudgingly accepted your rule, the other Bohemian nobleman may still find fault with your proclamation. Even then, there is no way of knowing when treachery will follow from the men who knelt before you! Returning to Kufstein so early will have disastrous effects."
In response to his objection, Berengar turned around and stared at Eckhard with a warm gaze; as he did so, he reached out and grasped the man's shoulder before giving him yet another order.
"Marshal von Hallstatt, I hereby give you full command of the 10,000 men I have brought with me. You are granted authority to act as you see fit. You have one goal, bring stability to the region; I do not care how you manage to do it, but the Lords of Bohemia must submit to my rule within one year, or I will bring the full might of the Austrian military down upon them! I have full faith that you will succeed in this endeavor, and when the Bohemian noblemen have surrendered their arms and recognized my sovereignty, you will be allowed to return home."
Though Eckhard was weary of battle, and wanted to return home to Kufstein, he knew that Berengar would not trust any other man with this vital task; as such, he immediately saluted Berengar and obeyed his commands.
"Yes, your majesty!"
After saying this, Berengar gazed upon his friend one last time before departing; after seeing the poor state of his armor, Berengar chuckled before saying farewell to his friend.
"I will make sure to send a new uniform with all of the awards you have earned over the years attached to it after all your current attire is dreadfully outdated."
With that said, Berengar mounted his trusty steed, where he immediately grabbed ahold of Veronika and dragged her into his lap. His journey back to Kufstein would be a short one, with the 10,000 men left behind in Bohemia; only his royal guard would be entrusted to his protection. However, luckily for him, the journey would be uneventful.
Veronika gazed upon the home that she had grown up in one last time as Berengar, and his host began to depart from the city of Prague; the only thought on her mind was a single phrase.
"Good riddance..."
