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In the Footsteps of Magna Charta - Chapter I

Chapter I


Henry V, King of England, had long wanted the war with France to end in favour of the English, as any sane ruler would have. Trained in the fine Arts of War, Henry had become a fine commander and he led his troops to victory in his own lands easily. Uprisings were dealt with quickly and once Henry had visited a region, rebellion was not a popular issue for years to come. England and the British isles lay secure and to the young king France would be his future battlefield. Having just arrived in the north of France, Henry had quickly fought and defeated any and all defensive armies that the French king had sent against him. With the sights set on the French city of Paris, Henry was very near the outcome of the war that he had longed for, for so many years.


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EUAAREngland1419.jpg

England by the time Henry V leaves for France


French province of Caux, controlled by the English
January, Year of our Lord Fourteen Nineteen




‘Truly lord Sire, this is a fine plan indeed. With such brilliant leadership such as yours, our vic- your victory over France will be complete. No resistance will stand against our formidable troops.´​
'Lord Duke Winter, your words are too kind. Still, yes I will imply that my plan is one of my greatest yet. With the French capital in English hands, the French will see no other way than to submit to English domination and we will see an expanded England.’​
The other lords and gentlemen in the pavilion agreed to the king’s words in a collective mumbling.

Henry was pleased with himself. He had successfully gathered the lords that were in favour of a continued war with France until England had a firmer and more overwhelming presence in France. Those who had protested against his plans for a continued invasion of France had been skilfully left in England to uphold English supremacy on the isles while Henry was gone. He was quite sure that the lords knew they had been left behind on purpose instead of invited to the campaign, but at the same time grateful since he left them with quite the responsibility. Though a difficult choice, he also knew that if the nobles would in any way try to rebel against him while away, a standing army had been left in the hands of Parliament that could take care of any man with delusions of grandeur. Parliament was in one way untouchable, in another, a flock of sheep that could be slaughtered at the whim of the slaughterer. They were in no way no less ordinary than any other men, and could be easily replaced by a king if he so wished. However, if so they could become martyrs, enraging the populace and forcing the king to abdicate. In that aspect, they were not men that any one would like as his enemies. Henry was the first to try to influence them. Though not on his list of officials to pay, he had their confidence and trust. Sure, he had given them a very few individual privileges, but he could not see them as corrupted. Men of good taste, yes, that sounded very much better in his mind.
'Your Majesty?’​
The call woke Henry from his daydreaming. He looked around the pavilion and focused on Bedford who had enquired his presence. Bedford, a reliable man. The best general among the whole officers corps, and also his very own brother. No wonder he showed such brilliance. Relation to the king could only mean good things.
‘Yes, what is it lord Duke Bedford? I was in the making of conquering France in my mind.’​
The officers around him laughed, Bedford as well.
‘His Majesty may do that in real life as well, and very soon, as soon as His Majesty would please give the assignments for the troops. We have attacked without a declaration of war, making the French outraged, and if we do not hurry we will lose the momentum to capture the French king.’​
‘I am well aware of the situation lord Duke Bedford, you need not tell me the details as if I am a helpless poor woman. Last time I checked I was still schooled in the arts of war and tactics.’​
It was impossible for anybody in the pavilion not to notice the irritation in the king’s voice. They knew all too well that it was not a good idea to upset the king, and it was hard to know when you would or would not. To be underestimated concerning intelligence was the worst thing Henry knew of, and he often thought that explanations of issues were unnecessary, already knowing most of the reasons for them. Many thought it was pride, especially when they met the king for the first time, but those who had been around for some time knew that more often then not it would not be so, for the king was actually skilled in most areas of social situations, strategic and military actions, and economic questions. It was in many cases amazing to those around him that the king could keep it all in his head when he had a whole country to manage. Nevertheless, it was a great relief and joy for the countless aides that swarmed around the king during meetings, that he was well informed of situations and could make decisions without long introductions and counselling of the problems and solutions. Although after all, he was the King of England and the most supreme person in the world, next to God Almighty of course. It was only expected of him to be skilled in a nation’s management, though few king’s before him had proven as able as Henry. And that was exactly what was so appealing to everybody, a king who could at last give the English what they deserved.

Bedford bowed graciously before his brother.
‘I am truly sorry and do I seek the King’s forgiveness. I was just mentioning the situation from an officer’s view.’​
‘Rise, brother. I need not tell you to remember next time to whom you speak to in the future, and that had it not been for me, we would not be in this situation at all.’​
He placed a hand on Bedford’s shoulder to make him rise up. They equalled at length, both impressive and grand in their colourful outfits. Henry made his short way to the wooden table where a doubtfully accurate map of France had been rolled out. Henry eyed the wooden pieces representing his armies in northern and western France. Gascogne housed a small garrison of English troops, ready to defend and hold out a French attack, while the real push would come from the north where Henry was situated.
‘Ile de France is where I will lead the major portion of our men to. I want you, lord Duke Bedford, to travel along the coast to the east and besiege the town of Amiens. Once the town has fallen, you will move south and assist me in taking Paris. And once that city has fallen, we will council again and decide how to move further south.’​
‘So then the army will be divided between you and me, lord Sire? May I inquire how many shall be spared the siege of Paris?’​
‘You will be given ten thousand men, lord Duke Bedford. That should be enough to deal with an undefended town of rubble, should it not? You will receive support in command by lord Duke Burke and lord Baron Summerfield.’​
‘You are most kind, lord Sire.’​
‘That is all. You may leave us. Bedford, Winter, stay.’​
They all bowed to Henry before they took their leave.
‘What do you need of us, lord Sire?’​
Duke Winter’s voice was as deep and humming as he was tall and broad, which did not mean little. Towering over Henry with almost two feet, lord Earl Gabriel Winter, forty-six years old – and most of them spent in the military as expected from an officer family - was a truly dependable man, devoted to the royal house, and also the senior trainer of Henry’s own military training.
‘I want you two to personally see to the immediate break of camp. I want all with exception of the cooks to start their packing. In the morning tomorrow, I want to break camp as quickly as possible. Lord Duke Bedford, you could have not been more correct with your statement that we need to move quickly before the French can organise a proper defence. Therefore, as few as possible must have chores to do, otherwise we’ll need the whole day before noon to even get moving. In times like these, even half a day does matter. I hope that you share my belief.’​
‘Lord Sire, I shall have the men organised into their respective divisions, ready to divide up for tomorrow according to your instructions. The women and cooks will be the only one among the civilians to need time for breaking camp. The smiths and the other craftsmen and engineers will be ready already at this very evening.’​
Henry thought the tent would envelop upon them when Winter spoke, his voice being so deep.
‘Lord Duke Winter, I humbly request that you let me handle the troops, then you will be able to focus on the civilians,’ Bedford cut in.​
‘You will divide the responsibility between yourselves. Just make sure it is so when we depart tomorrow morning. I do not care how it is made true, just that it is. You are excused.’​

The next day the snow fell softly. No wind to distract the English army as it moved to its divided destination swept by, though the cold weather did its fair part. Compared to the milder but rainier winters in southern England, the continental weather of northern France was like a chock to the young king who had spent most of his years in England, this being his first time setting foot on French soil.

It took little time before the junction that split the two armies apart, one heading toward Amiens, the other to the French capital, was found, and Henry and Bedford exchanged words of good luck before they parted. They did not think they would see each other again until late summer since the town of Amiens, though not having a standing army for its defence, according to recent spying activities, was the major city in the region and was fortified with a fortified standard ring-wall. It gave a decent defence and kept attackers out. The taking of a town could be done by other means than all-out fighting. Henry wanted to spare any troops he could, especially experienced such, and preferred a waiting strategy unless the situation was dire and time was not a luxury that could be afforded. As the case was now though, waiting was preferred to attacking as the winter would make the storages of food drain more quickly and the city would be taken when the citizens gave up in desperation of supplies. With Burgundy to the east - while not an English ally, but neither a French ally and thus no reinforcements could arrive from there - Bedford’s flanks would be covered since Henry went south of him and so no help could be sent by the French from either direction. Amiens was at the mercy of the English.


EUAARHenryBedfordAttack.jpg

Henry and Bedford depart to their respective destination,
Henry taking the larger part of the English army to defeat
the French on their own ground, and by their own capital


While gone, Parliament tried to boost finances in the home regions by appointing tax collectors. This was not very welcome by the local populace, but what really disliked them was the fact that while Henry had specifically instructed that while peasants were to be taxed, it could not go out of control, else he would have no country to come back to after his campaign in France. However, Parliament could not keep total control over the lords that sent their tax collectors all over their respective shires and demanded outrageous sums of money, or if the peasants could not pay with money, in livestock or else in kind. To finance the war the government needed money, and as plunder was taken by the soldiers and mercenaries instead of the king to feed the war effort, English peasants had little choice but to pay the extra taxes that were introduced.


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Parliament introduces tax collectors in the most
populated shires across England to the horror of the
peasants and joy to the corrupted nobility
 
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Henry had better make sure he sees the lion share of those taxes for his war effort. Nice set up. It'll be interesting to see a different English/French war than the familiar vanilla brand.
 
In the Footsteps of Magna Charta - Chapter II

Chapter II


French province of Ile de France, under siege by the English
February, Year of our Lord Fourteen Nineteen




’Fire!’​
The enormous siege weapon slung its heavy load of stone and brick against the walls of Paris. Roaring through the night sky, a ball of flames and fire made its way toward the already battered stone wall, and shattered into bits and pieces as it hit with the force of a hundred men. Henry was impatient and Winter had to do everything in his power to make the walls of the great city go down. It would not be easy, he knew, but if he failed he would have more than resisting walls to worry about.

During early February they had arrived outside Paris, the city already bunkered up with all the surrounding towns’ inhabitants and livestock gathered, the latest harvests stored, and an army led by the French king himself waiting on the field in order to halt the English. The battle had been in total favour of Henry. The French king had been easily outmanoeuvred and once his flanks had been overwhelmed by the English cavalry, the rest of the army had crumbled within a day’s fighting and the French king had been forced to flee the field.


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The battle of Ile de France. Once Henry had flanked
the French the battle was in theory already over


Henry had won a devastating victory, however, he was worried, though not afraid of it, that while he was besieging Paris, the French would return with a new army from the south. Confident that he could win another battle, Henry would much rather take the city before facing another battle so that he did not have to split his troops to fight two fronts.

Because of this, the engineers had been assigned to mount the gigantic weaponry that were necessary to bring down any large city’s walls. Henry was blessed with a dozen of onagers and one pair of trebuchets. With these mounted some three hundred yards from the walls of Paris, they were in definite range to deal considerable damage to the stone foundations, though the walls themselves were built for one purpose alone, and also took considerable damage until they broke.
‘Reload.’​
‘Reload!,’ the order echoed through the night.​
Winter breathed heavily. Even though they were working in the night during what probably was among the coldest months of the year on the continent, Winter was sweating, his whole body aching. The armour gear weighed heavily on his shoulders that bore the cumbersome load, making him use all of his strength just to bear with the burden. At least it keeps me warm, he thought.

Henry lay in his pavilion, half asleep, half awake. He had been in several campaigns, though he had always found it hard to sleep during sieges. He loved the battle, but could not find rest when things could progress in ways that he had not thought of. That could lead to defeat, he knew. A commander had to have a wide perspective to what could happen, else he was no better than a lowly peasant. Henry thought he had that perspective, though he could never let go of the thought that something would go wrong anyway.

As he lay in his bed with a burning fire in the middle of the tent to keep the cold out, he heard voices outside the pavilion. A cool breeze snuck its way inside as the veil by the exit opened up and several officers stepped in with a messenger behind them.
‘My lord Sire? I am utterly sorry for disturbing you. Urgent tidings from London I fear.’​
It was Duke Goodwill who spoke.
‘Dispense with formalities lord Duke Goodwill. What are these urgent tidings? What does London has to say that is so important to wake me during the night?’​
‘Yes, lord Sire,’ Goodwill answered.​
He looked to the messenger who gave him a small flat leather bag. Goodwill opened it and started reading aloud what was written on the letter inside.
‘”To His Majesty, Henry V, King of England,

During Your absence, the riot that His Majesty put an end to several years ago has now once again flared into full revolt. Government troops have been dispatched to deal with the threat, though we would await Your words for final judgement.

By the time Your Majesty reads this message, we have rounded up the rioters. Confessing their allegiance to the Lollardy faith, denying the Trinity and all that is stands for, we the Parliament have judged that they should be executed as heretics. The people have spoken, now it is time for the King to utter his words of wisdom.
We humbly await Your wise decision,

Parliament
Secretary, lord Duke Winsbury”’​
‘You woke me for this Goodwill? This petty nonsense? I cannot even imagine why the Parliament even sent for my answer. I left troops to handle situations just like these, and now they say they need to raise another army to deal with the uprisings. Absurd.’​
Henry had been lying in his bed the whole time, but rose from it now and began to ponder as the walked the cold floor in the pavilion. Have I promoted too a weak government to manage state affairs while I am away? Surely the Northern Army can take care of any peasant uprising. Still, we are dealing with the Lollards.
‘Agreed,’ he suddenly said. ‘Make Parliament understand that I fully support them in any decision they may make. They should fund en effort to wipe these heretics out once and for all. That is all.’​


The Lollard Movement


EUAARWyclif.jpg

The Lollardy (or Lollardry) movement was an early reformist movement.
In the coming wars between Catholics and Protestants, Lollards quickly
chose to assimilate with the Protestant side. Here is John Whyclif seen
handing out his translated version of the Holy Bible to other Lollards


The Lollardy movement was started by John Wyclif’s teachings, but not by the man himself. The Lollards preached decentralisation and was therefore without an authoritative leader. John Wyclif had idea of reforming the church already in the 1350s. He thought that the Church was corrupt and that the authority of a priest should be decided by the level of his piety instead of the Church hierarchy. Basically, the Catholic church had become too fixated with material objects such as money instead of focusing on the ecclesiastical according to Lollard teachings.

The Lollards denounced war and violence, although when they wanted their voices heard they could do so in quite the extreme ways. It was because of this that while king Henry IV had ruled England he passed a law, De haeretico comburendo – introduced in 1401 –, was legislated. This law, meaning “Regarding the heretic who is to be burnt”, authorised the burning of heretics on the stake, including Lollards. John Badby would become the first layman to ever be charged with heresy and burned at the stake in England, and many more would follow him, including some politically powerful knights who refused to renounce their Lollard faith.


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Lollardy is stamped out in England. The faith survived but had to be practiced in secret


Not being able to sleep after being disturbed, Henry got up and had his servants dress him. With a fur coat he headed out in the biting cold. The night was splendid and cool. Not a cloud on the sky and the stars twinkled brightly. The moon gave a perfect light that overwhelmed the hill that Henry had established his tent camp. Further down he could see the massive army that were preparing for the night. Only half of the army would sleep while the rest kept bombarding the walls and kept watch. No assaults had been attempted as of yet as Henry did not wish to lose any more men than necessary in a battle that he was sure to lose during this stage of the siege. The walls had to crumble and the morale of his enemies had to be worn down first.


‘My Lord!’​
Henry looked up from his map which covered the whole table set outside the tent. Four months had passed and the siege had truly progressed in favour of the English. No French army had been raised by the French king who was on the run to the south, and so the siege had continued without any disturbances or delays. Henry had moved his command outside to enjoy the warm summer sun when the messenger called for him. Breathing hard, apparently he had run from the mobile stables down the hill, he rushed the last bit and tried to bow as gracefully as he could when he reached Henry.
‘Message from the honourable lord Duke Bedford, my lord Sire.’​
Henry reached for the cylinder-formed leather container that he messenger held in his palms and opened it. Inside he found a letter with the Lancaster seal engraved in sealing wax.
Brother,

It is with great pleasure that I write to you. It is now May and the city of Amiens is barely standing. I am confident that it will not hold out more than until the coming month, or maybe two at most. I will soon be able to join you in Paris. I hope that your success is as great as mine, I have no lack of faith that it is, and that Paris will not stand for much longer either.
The supply convoys have made it safely and soundly to our position and we have not lost a single man as of yet, not even to diseases. With the French port-cities taken they cannot threaten our ships crossing the Channel and no loss of supplies will be the credit of the French at least. Storms are now worse than our weakened enemy. I will see you in a month.
I wish you well,

Your humble brother,
Bedford J.
It was indeed good news for Henry. With Amiens in control, Henry could finally utilise his plan to move further south once Paris also was taken. And that would not be long now. The French had weakened during the spring and he knew that they must soon be out of supplies, the inhabitants rioting and finally, the great city of Paris would be his at last.

Henry noticed the messenger still bowing in front of him, not having moved an inch.
‘You are excused. I have no message for Duke Bedford in return.’​
‘Yes, lord Sire,’ the servant answered and made his way downhill again in the same pace he had had on his way up.​
A true runner indeed, Henry thought. Bedford was wise to choose him, if he did so personally of course. It matters not.

Henry went back to his map of France. He had marked it with small markers of the English flag for every province he controlled. With Normandy, Caux, Picardie and Ile de France, only two remained and those would be in English hands within the year. Henry felt confident of his victory. Nothing had gone wrong at this time, so what stopped everything to go wrong now. Nothing, he reasoned. Absolutely nothing.

During July the French sent a peace negotiator to meet with Henry. On the 11th of July, just days after Amiens fell to the Duke Bedford’s forces, Paris raised the white flag representing defeat. They had been utterly defeated by Henry, who had only suffered a single attack by the French in the beginning of the campaign. The valiant French king had abandoned his beloved capital to fend for itself, not even sending reinforcements to break off the siege.

With Paris in English hands, the city’s governor had to negotiate a peace and pleaded before the English king to spare the city. Not having any intentions to slaughter prospective future citizens, Henry explained that while they were not free to continue practicing French laws and regulations, and expected to cooperate with the English forces that were going to stay in the city, no execution whatsoever was to befall the French.

Despite declining the insulting offer for peace by the French, Henry did nothing to show his anger at the insolence of offering but money for his conquest. But he reminded himself that while the man was a governor, he probably knew little of what happened country-wise and may not be aware of the amount of French land under English “protection”. Henry declined the peace offer with the explanation that he could not negotiate the future of France with only a governor, but he needed the king of France. The governor understood.


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The insulting French proposition for a peace


Henry left Ile de France and headed south, leaving a messenger to reach his brother with the orders to pass Paris entirely and head straight for Champagne. Henry would head to Nivernais himself in order to search for the runaway French king and force a peace treaty to secure the newly acquired English possessions.
 
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I'm curious as to what the situation is in the north near Scotland. Have they joined in the fighting as well? What kind of garrison are you keeeping on the border?

And I nice way to explain the measly offer of 11 ducats when their whole kingdom is obviously held.
 
Thank you very much for those words Saulta, Semi-Lobster, Grundius, hurricanehunter and coz1! It is so pleasing when people say they enjoy the writing that one puts together. Can't thank you enough. (I'll be sure to check out your respective AAR's as well when I get the time!)

In my coming updates, two from now on I think, I will give you an overview of my Scottish border. I don't want to disappoint you but nothing has happened up there coz1. :) Scotland is not allied to France as I remember it was in Vanilla EU2, because in that game I conquered Scotland before moving on France. Now I am in war against only France, alone. No vassals (though I possess a few) have not taken any side in the conflict. So my 7000 man strong army in Northumberland has done nothing execpt sitting on their buttocks. They'll get their action soon enough when my whole country goes haywire in rebellions... We'll get there some day, I promise! :) Now I better get back to my chapter three.
 
In the Footsteps of Magna Charta - Chapter III

Chapter III


French province of Nivernais, under siege by the English
July, Year of our Lord Fourteen Nineteen



Henry smelled the sweet scent of flowers in the air. All around him nature provided candy for his eyes in the form of flowers, leaves, and swaying bushes moved by the silken-smooth wind that passed them by, all this in mixed bright colours. He would not pick any flowers though. Women picked flowers and put them in neat bouquets, men did not, and certainly not English kings.

Still he enjoyed the freedom he felt walking in this lush glade. His guards were close by should anything happen. If Henry concentrated, ignored the soft wind, the chatter or birds, then he could hear the familiar sounds of swaying chain mail, the tweaking of leather armour, footsteps in the grass following him when he moved, and of course the irritating though somehow comforting coughing from Senior Sergeant Doyles, head of Henry’s personal guard, and a hell of a fighter. While Winter had been his trainer, Doyles was the ever present man. Never where you expected him to be, but always – and Henry could not emphasize the word enough in his mind – always there when you needed him. Among the few who were totally loyal to Henry, Doyles was a sure candidate.

As the sun began to set, Henry headed back to the camp. They had gone south from Paris to reach the largest of France’s provinces, and the most probable hideout for the French king had he not escaped to another country already. To be able to scour the province in the quickest way possible, Henry had struck camp in the middle where they were situated on a high hill overlooking several miles of acres, woods, and level plains. In bands of a dozen, a quarter of the cavalry, lightly equipped to ride hard and fast – much like the medieval Hobilar – were dispatched across the province to find any trace of the king-in-hiding. The majority of the army had been sent to the provincial capital to see if an attack would provoke the French king to try to liberate the city and thereby revealing his presence. Left in camp were only a small garrison of the best infantry and the rest of the cavalry forces, the English heavy cavalry composed of the knightly order. They would be enough to defend Henry should a surprise attack be imminent.

‘Sire, may I interrupt?’​
‘By all means, Grampeix. What troubles you today?’​
Henry enjoyed having a bit of fun with his French diplomat. He had acquired him already before launching his attack on France and landing in Normandy. Without Grampeix, he would not be able to make any deal with the French king whatsoever. This was because of the simple reason that Henry had not made any attempts at learning the French language.

While French had been the language of the English court for centuries back from the invasion in 1066, the English kings had in latter years tried to form their own language. If a king was supposed to unite a nation and use that nation to deal with others, his subjects had to feel a unity with the country, and thus the king himself. If the nation and the king was not of the same spirit, he could as well renounce his right to the throne. This feeling of unity was the beginning of what would become a whole ideology during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, way beyond Henry and his ancestors, but the idea was the same. Something that could bind people together to make them think in terms of “us and them” was needed, and to simple people like peasants, language was the first and foremost rule of difference, second to appearance even. Therefore English kings had forbidden French as court language during the fourteenth century and Henry was all for it to continue this policy. Soon France would not be a nation on the map anyhow, so all Henry needed was someone who knew French until the peace deals were done and France humiliated.
‘The Aragonese diplomat has been waiting for almost two days now for your invitation. If Your Majesty does not see him now it may be seen as an insult against the Aragonese house. Serious diplomatic repercussions could follow if we do not allow him a meeting.’​
Henry sighed loudly, wanting the Frenchman to know what a bother he was to him. Not having brought one of his own diplomats to deal with situations like these – his own knew much better how to handle their king and his mood – Grampeix was the only one who could act as a middle hand until the foreign diplomat could finally approach Henry himself.
‘Very well. Please let this Aragonese diplomat know that I will see him first thing tomorrow morning. Then we will be able to discuss business.’​
‘Thank you, lord Sire. I will inform him immediately.’​
‘This foreigner, does he have a name?’​
‘I am terribly sorry, lord Sire. He is Count Raoul of Fomentera.’​



‘Thank you very much for seeing me Your Majesty. I am Raoul Caspigena, Count of Fomentera. I come on the behalf of my lord the Majesty Alfonso V, King of Aragon, King of Catalonia, King of Valencia, King of Sicily, Sardinia and Balearia and Count of Barcelona. He sends with me his highest regards.’​
‘Please, lord Count Fomentera, dispense with formalities. The Kingdom of Aragon and England have had mutual feelings and held each other in high esteem for a long time. There is no reason for us to hide behind such titles, speak freely instead of behind a veil of formality.’​
‘Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I am pleased to be received with such courtesy. It shows that the relations between our two fine nations are still at a friendly level. If Your Majesty would then please let me convey the message my lord the King of Aragon has for Your Majesty, I would be able to carry out my mission, and would be eternally grateful to Your Majesty.’​
Henry gracefully gestured to the diplomat that he could begin at any moment he chose.
‘The King of Aragon has noticed that you are waging war against an enemy that is all too weak to resist your splendid leadership and strong forces. While this is good in itself, it is sure to provoke hostilities among the friends of this certain nation. The King of Aragon has wisely decided that a helping hand would be in order, to show our true bond of friendship in times of trouble. For nobody can know what the future has in store, and while your forces are strong against one opponent, one cannot withstand a dozen. The weak cannot contend with the strong, the few cannot contend with the many, the small cannot contend with the great, for so it has been said a hundred times-a-dozen years ago, and it is still in effect in the present.’​
Henry pondered the words that the diplomat had conveyed. A war with France was easy enough, yes. But against a dozen? Could France amass such allies? Or did Aragon mean in the future? An ally would indeed be good, but not too a strong one.
‘Your lord speaks wisely. It is indeed better to stand two against a dozen rather than alone. Please give your lord my best regards and wishes of a long reign when you deliver him my acceptance to his generous offer. England shall join in an alliance the Kingdom of Aragon, may it live for a long time.’​


John the Fearless


EUAARJohnFearless.jpg

Duke John I received his nickname "the Fearless" when he once joined battle without ever retreating


Duke John I of Burgundy was the son of Philip II, the fourth son of John II of France. Philip II had before his death been the Duke of Burgundy and had, together with his two brothers, ruled France. When Philip died and John became the lord of Burgundy, he tried to fill the power vacuum that existed in France by that time. He came in conflict with other lords, such as the Duke of Orleans, and the Dauphin of France. During these conflicts, Henry V of England invaded France and the small nations in France had to cooperate to withstand the invasion. However, John did not participate in the decisive battle of Agincourt, of dubious reasons. This increased the hostilities between Burgundy and the other French duchies, especially the Dauphin. When the English had occupied Paris the Dauphin wanted to reconcile with John to cooperate against the English, as the situation was desperate and they met to form a temporary peace to deal with the English. However, the meeting they had in July 1419 was not enough as it did not secure a peace clear enough according to the Dauphin. He needed another meeting with John to guarantee their truce. However, when John met with the Dauphin again in September with only his diplomatic party he was overwhelmed by the Dauphin’s forces who were equipped for battle, and so John the Fearless was assassinated and to the Dauphin another heir apparent to the throne of France was efficiently removed.


EUAARJohnFearlessDeath.jpg

John the Fearless was murdered on the bridge at Montereau


A month after the death of John the Fearless, the Kingdom of Aragon sent a new diplomat to meet with Henry. This time it was not the Count of Fomentera, though the diplomat was still as well versed as his prior companion-in-trade had been. With the request that Aragon had sent with this man, Henry now understood why the alliance had truly been forged.

Desperate for power in the Mediterranean Sea, the King of Aragon had declared war upon the Kingdom of Naples and they were now in all out war with each other. Probably confident of winning, Henry thought, Aragon needed strong allies to keep any sympathetic countries from attacking Aragon in their weakened state. With most troops stationed in Sicily to have partial land access to Italy, Aragon’s other borders would be ill defended and any strong nation could take advantage to this that could seriously endanger Aragon’s position in the European hierarchy.

Henry decided to give himself one day to think the offer over and had the diplomat stay in the finest of rooms that the French palace in Paris could offer. With the whole of France in English control, Henry had relocated himself to Paris and had spread his forces out in southern France to look for the still hidden French king. The next day he agreed to the Aragonese request for help in their war against Naples, and Henry was informed by the Spanish diplomat that the Kingdom of Navarre had also agreed to the alliance proposition before dispatches had been sent to Henry. They now stood three nations against one. Aragon ensured that the war was in favour of the triple alliance. The only requirement of joining the alliance was that Aragon was not to get involved in the war with France. Henry wanted this victory to be a complete English one. The Aragonese diplomat understood and said that the King of Aragon had no intentions of going to war with a non-bordering nation that was already conquered to the full. He did not need to mention that the same expectation was in effect for the English concerning the Kingdom of Naples.

To Henry, the prospect of another war weighed little on his shoulders. With the promise that no invention from the Aragonese in the war with France, and thus no English intervention in Naples, Henry was not forced to spare any troops in France who were looking for the French king. Nevertheless, the news of an attritionless war could not be matched by those which he received early in the following year.

His chest felt like bursting open. His breath was irregular and forced as he ran up the fatigue-draining stairs. His leather bundle in his right hand contained the vital information his king needed as quickly as possible. Having ridden as hard as the horse had allowed him to, Marcus had travelled from Champagne where his lord Duke Bedford housed, to Paris and the royal palace where King Henry V stayed. Despite the cold, he had persisted to ride on. Five steps left. At least the February winter cooled the horse, making it run just a bit longer. Did it make any difference? It mattered not, not now when he had at last reached his destination. Through the hall and then another stair. He did not know what was written in the message but Duke Bedford had been frustratingly clear that it had to reach his brother fast; it was the matter of the throne of France. At the foot of the stairs now. The French truly built magnificent but strangely inefficient palaces. They were wonderful to look at from both the outside and inside, but to run several floors for minutes to deliver an important message, that was too incomprehensible to understand. Why could they not build more easily accessible rooms where important issues like these could be handed over? There is the door.

Henry, just in the middle of organising a search party in the northern lands of Burgundy, was startled as Marcus the messenger barged into the chamber. With John the Fearless dead, his son Philip III had received the title, and had broken totally with his French countrymen. Relying on English power now, he had granted Henry’s wish to let English troops scour Burgundese woods in search for the French king. In a stroke of luck, it would seem that it now had become unnecessary.

With the news provided by Bedford through Marcus, Henry was informed that the French king had been captured at last. Driven out of hiding in search of food, being the gourmet he was (and gourmand as well, Henry was sure), an English mounted party had been informed by the local populace of his hiding. The French population, not in favour of the English in any way, was sure that if the French king could finally be caught the English would leave. Bedford had quickly captured the king and sent the message with Marcus to Henry while gathering all parties in Champagne. If the news that the French king had been captured Bedford was sure that royalists could well try to stage an attack to rescue the king, now that he was in immediate danger.

With the letter, Henry had understood Bedford’s concerns and sent reinforcements to meet his brother on the way to Paris. But with no ambush, and thus no leakage of information Henry assumed – a sign of loyalty and support of the war effort among the troops – the French king had been safely escorted to meet with Henry in the king’s old throne room. The only difference was that now an English, not French, king was comfortably seated in the large, finely wooden-carved yet simple, pillow-provided throne.

Knowing that if England should incorporate France in its whole, it would upset many French nations, especially the Dauphin who was one of the heirs to the French throne Henry dictated terms that were in total favour to England, however, France would be allowed to live on, not as a vassal, but as an independent nation moreover. Forced to sign the treaty as he controlled nothing and had no standing army to threaten the English - and obviously a captive as well - Charles VI, King of France, agreed to the ceding of all French lands to England, excluding the heart of France – Ile de France, where Paris and everything that represented France was located. Henry had achieved his goal of a war against the French with a favourable outcome for the English.


EUAARFrancePeace.jpg

France after the Treaty of Paris in the Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty
 
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Hmm - now time to take on the Dauphine. Should be fairly easy with all the friends you've accumulated.
 
In the Footsteps of Magna Charta - Chapter IV

Chapter IV


French province of Ile de France
March, Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty



The Treaty of Troyes


EUAARTreatyofTroyes.jpg

The Treaty of Troyes made Henry's son Henry the heir of France and disinherited Charles's son the Dauphin


Though Henry had won a decisive victory over France and had taken but the very heartland of this former great European nation, the King of England was not satisfied. Having declared peace with France but a month ago, Henry began to ponder over the deal that had been made. He questioned himself if it could not have been made in a way not to provoke hostilities from the surrounding French duchies. The thought of a totally assimilated France was constantly entering his mind, and with English troops still stationed in Paris where he was still currently located, Henry would have no problems whatsoever to strike a second deal with the French king.

Being hard pressed by Henry, the French king had to agree to yet another treaty that would ensure that England would come to rule France in the future. Signed in the town of Troyes in northern France, or rather English territory by the time, Charles VI had to disinherit his son Charles (VII) and instead accept Henry’s demand to marry Charles’s daughter Catherine of Valois to further strengthen the bonds between the two nations. Further more, Charles also had to announce that Henry’s - by the time unborn - son was the heir of the French throne. With this treaty, Henry would be able to assimilate France legally and hopefully without the threat of rebellion. A few years after, Catherine gave birth to a son who was named Henry after his father, and who became proclaimed to be the heir of France.

To Henry’s favour, the French king’s wife Isabella of Bavaria, publicly announced that her son Charles VII was not a legitimate child and could therefore not be the rightful heir to the French throne. In the end, the Treaty of Troyes was reviewed by the French Estates-General and was found ratified and therefore legal. It seemed as if it would be inevitable for the throne of France to fall into the hands of nobody but the English. However, the young Dauphin was spurred into conflict to claim what was thought by some to still be his rightful heritage. War was inevitable.


EUAARWarDauphin.jpg

The Treaty of Troyes was too much for the Dauphin and thus he decided
to wage war upon England to retake his previously promised throne
 
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Great read. And it seems there is a lot of research and passion "behind the mouse", which is the best thing IMO!
 
Him - question...Henry's infant son is supposedly from someone other than Catherine of Valois (at least from the above reading)...so the inheritance is legal only in the sense that the French King has said it is so, rather than the child being from the union of Henry V and Catherine. Do I understand this correctly?
 
In the Footsteps of Magna Charta - Chapter V

Chapter V


Dauphiné province of Poitou, under attack by the English
16 July, Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty-one




‘By the bloody Virgin Mary, I will personally strike down any man that slows down his pace! If I haven’t made it clear enough that the King’s life is in danger, then by God I will with sword in hand!’​
Bedford bellowed with all his might at his men from horseback. They had marched for days with few pauses and the men were tired, he could see. But they had to arrive in time, else all would be lost. Henry’s plan to capture the Dauphin in his capital in Berri had backfired and the English king was now trapped. A year had passed since he had issued the plan of conquest against the French troublemaker. Even with his own mother declaring him illegitimate, the French bastard had claimed the French throne to belong to him instead of Henry. To show that such insolence was not found wanted, Henry had immediately begun planning a campaign in southern France where the Dauphin had his strongest supporters. The north belonged to England and its allies Brittany, Burgundy and France, the very father of the troublemaker, while the south and central parts of the kingdom were in the hands of the Dauphin. However, once Henry had reached the capital he found that the resistance was immensely larger than he had accounted for, and had sent for immediate help from Bedford. The siege of Poitou had had to be broken and the army set due north to be in Berri within days. Bedford, force-marching his entire regiment of eighteen thousand men and horses, badly wished he would make it in time.


English province of Nivernais
April, Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty




‘With the alliance we now hold with the Burgundese we have full military access through their lands. Their lands are adjacent to the capital of the Dauphin’s lands, and thus a rout we must use. However, I am greatly concerned about our southern holdings of Gascogne. I am not sure if the commander is even informed of our hostile relation with the Dauphin. With no land connection to reach him, there is no way to send him news of the situation.’​
‘Lord Sire, if I may?’​
‘Step forth, lord Duke Bedford. Your advice is always welcome.’​
‘If we can send a messenger to Gascogne by ocean, together with a company to reinforce the holdings until a levy of conscripts have been recruited, then maybe that can make the Dauphin cancel any plans of possible invasion. In the meantime, our armies should gather in the north and strike down on the Dauphin where his defences are weakest.’​
Henry smiled to himself, though not allowing anybody else to see it. He could always count on his brother to have a plan worked out in a similar way to how he would have constructed it.
‘You speak wisely, lord Duke Bedford. Perhaps then you would like to be that messenger?’​
‘I do not deserve such honour, my lord Sire. I would say that Lord Earl Winter is much more qualified for such valiant a task.’​
‘I must object, lord Sire,’ Winter interrupted. ‘I feel that if such an important message must reach our southern provinces, who else could complete such a task than the dignified lord Duke Bedford, Your Majesty’s own brother! Only he would be worthy enough, I am but a servant.’​
‘Enough, lord Earl Winter. Your opinion has been voiced. I have decided.’ Henry paused and moved to the table in the council room.​
‘Lord Earl Winter is right. Lord Duke Bedford will travel to Gascogne by sea, lord Earl Winter will stay with my personal army which will depart for Berri. Lord Duke Bedford, once you have arrived, your job will be to make your way up to Poitou and secure that province. That way our paths will merge and once Berri is taken and the Dauphin captured we can random him for his lands. France will fall and they must recognise my son as the true and only heir to the French throne.
‘The Dauphin is not stupid, despite being French, and he will surely be aware of the possibility that we may attack through Burgundese lands. In fact, because of the tensions between the rival duchies, I seriously doubt he would leave those borders unprotected even if he were not in war with us. However, with a large enough army, I am confident that I can break through and take the capital. As you lord Duke Bedford, move north, make sure that you recruit every single able man in Gascogne. If you have enough men, split your forces and take one army east to secure the southern coasts. Lord Baron Summerfield will accompany, should a second commander be necessary. Then we will meet half way. France will be ours for the taking.’​


Dauphiné province of Berri, under attack by the English
24 July, Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty-one



A hail of arrows pierced its way through the sky. The cloudless blue turned into a black haze as the lethal Welsh Longbow fired volley after volley of missiles against the oncoming French troops. French bows and crossbows were drawn to their limits and fell some few English, but in a contest of ranged lethal prowess, none could stand against the Welsh. Henry knew this well and he tried to use his ranged infantry for as long as possible against the enemy army, being almost thrice the size of Henry’s. What would win this battle was not numbers, he was sure. It would be a battle of morale, and nothing could more efficiently cause unrest among soldiers than watching the companions around you fall dead without your having the slightest chance to do anything about it.

Henry had attacked through Burgundy and besieged Berri without even meeting a Dauphin army on his way. With the thought that the Dauphin was in the south launching himself against the redoubts of Gascogne, Henry committed almost all of his troops for the siege. With only a handful of scouts he received the news of a relieving army sent by the Dauphin to drive off the English too late. Proper defences had not been set up and thus the longbow could not be used to its full efficiency. Not being able to stay in once place, but being forced to always bear in mind a cavalry attack, the archers could not focus on their shooting. Henry would have to use his troops to the fullest to have the slightest chance of victory. Having sent word of the situation south in hopes of reaching Bedford, Henry could only wish that God granted the messenger just enough luck to make it through alive and reach his brother in time.
‘Concentrate fire! Infantry make ready! Knights mount!’​
Henry’s voice barely made its way through ten yards, but it was enough for the musicians to hear who stood nearby. Drumming and trumpeting out the orders, soldiers formed lines and cavalry secured the flanks. Drilled in taking orders by the sound of an instrument, all they had to do was to listen to the next series of blows or drumming to know what they were expected to do next.

The ground shook as ten thousand men began marching into position. But the mass levy of men was nothing compared to that of the Dauphin’s army. Henry did not doubt that his men were the better ones, however, if the morale was beaten, so was the army. If Henry took too many casualties, he would be the one leaving the battlefield, and the Dauphin would surely secure the defences of the capital, making it impossible to assault. This battle would be the one, the only. If he were defeated now all would be lost. He had to win. Bedford, where in the bloody hell are you…


EUAARBattleBerri1.jpg

The battle of Berri was a difficult one for Henry. Being pinned down,
all the English king could do was to wait for his brother to come


Dauphiné province of Berri, under attack by the English
25 July, Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty-one




‘Sire! But seven miles now! The King is hardly pressed by the Dauphin’s forces. A part has broken loose from the main bulk and are heading our way to halt our progress.’​
The scout yelled with all his might for the message to reach Bedford as he stormed forth on his steed toward Bedford’s front position in the column.
‘I couldn’t make out how many, but they were surely more than five thousand men.’​
‘Fine, if they are ready for our archers then I’d say we’ll give them a greeting. Lord Baron Summerfield, take the knights around our left flank, I will lead the infantry. Once the French are pinned down, you will ride around and take out their cavalry and archers. I will meet you in the middle.’​
Summerfield nodded in affirmation and spurred his steed to the end of the column. Bedford looked back at the mile-stretching column of soldiers still on march.

If the French want a taste of English swords and bows, then I will only be happy to oblige. Five thousand, ten thousand, it does not matter. With this army of eighteen thousand brave souls, I could wipe the Dauphin’s army off the face of this earth. And by God, as true as my name comes from that of Lancaster, if that is what my king wants, I will.


EUAARBackattack.jpg

The Dauphin tried to halt the English reinforcements.
It ended in total annihilation for the Dauphin
and Bedford reached Henry's army in time


On 26 July the two English armies met. Bedford, having totally annihilated the oncoming Dauphin army, had paced up the speed to reach the battlefield outside the city of Bourges. With casualties on both sides, both Henry’s and the Dauphin’s armies were drained after days of battling. The situation was desperate for Henry, forcing archers to fight as foot soldiers and even leading charges himself with the remaining knights. It was truly in the Devil’s hour that Bedford made it through and with his own knights led by Summerfield charged home in the exposed back and flanks of the French army. A massacre began and only a mere three thousand French made their way safely from the battlefield. They would not be left alone however when Bedford continued his relentless march and pursued them to the province of Poitou. There the tired French troops were harassed by Bedford until they were either wiped out or pledged that they would surrender. The north of the Dauphin’s lands was now under siege and the process of recruiting in Gascogne had begun. To Henry, it only seemed like a waiting game until the Dauphin was to be subjugated.


EUAARBattlePoitou1.jpg

The battle of Poitou was a slaughter.
The superior English forces overwhelmed
the fleeing French and killed all who did not yield
 
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Coz1, I am sorry but it is the other way around. Catherine of Valois was indeed the mother of Henry VI. I actually understood this wrongly and assumed that Henry had had his son Henry VI before marrying with the French princess. What I have written above is incorrect and I will try to correct it in a near future. Henry took Catherine and she got pregnant with Henry VI. I also think that Henry took Catherine to strenghten the agreement that he had made with the French king. And I assume, to have a hostage, should the French king declare the agreement null and void. ^^ However, I doubt that anybody would like to contradict a king about lawfulness, he was the law in many senses, especially in France. England had Magna Charta which controlled the king in various aspects, but France was an absolute monarchy for a long time, stretching well beyond 1400. :)
In any case, since the game I played doesn't play out totally historically, some facts that I write will not be correct, such as the date of death and stuff. I write the date the event happens, not the actual date. But I will change the above so that people will understand that Henry got Catherine as wife before he got Henry VI as son. I guess he assumed he would have a son and agreed with the French kng that once his son was born he would become the king of France.
There is also another thing that I must change in Chapter I. I have written that Bedford is king Henry V's cousin which is also incorrect. He was Henry IV's youngest son, therefore becoming king Henry V's youngest brother instead. I will try to review stuff like this later on as well. I hope that I cleared some question marks with this short post at least! Until next time.
 
That's what I was thinking, Katapraktoi. But the agreement still makes sense - as you say - the son of their union will inherit the French throne. Easy to get mixed up with these things. But that's why I wanted the clarification so glad it helped.

And that was a very near thing in Poitou! Bedford surely did arrive just on time. Where are the other English leaders from that period, if I may ask? Does the AGCEEP have the same ones that vanilla does, because if so, there should be two others (though names are escaping me right now - it's been a while.)
 
For the moment of Chater V I had only two leaders, Henry and Bedford. I got two more leaders after a while, around 1426 and 27, Warwick and Salisbury. And Bedford dies somewhere near 1426 and then I get a new Bedford. I'm going to check in my history books and other sources of this. May be a son or something, got to know so I can weave it into the story. :) We'll see what happens.
 
Mmmm, always good to see a few French defeats! Good read so far.
 
In the Footsteps of Magna Charta - Chapter VI

Chapter VI


Dauphiné province of Berri, controlled by the English
December, Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty-one




‘My lord Sire. There is a man waiting by the gates of the palace. He claims to be a messenger of the Dauphin of France. Should I announce him?’​
Henry looked up from his glass. With the whole north of Dauphiné conquered and in English control, Henry had seen no obstruction to the idea of a celebration coming from Winter. They had gathered in the largest of halls in the Dauphin’s former palace where Henry was housed during the winter. With war continuing for a year and a half, he wanted to rest the troops at least during the hideously cold winters that France threw at them. Just as Henry and the other generals were getting comfortable, the servant had disturbed them with the news of the visitor.
‘Very well, announce him and show him in,’ Henry answered.​
The servant bowed low, shut the door, and disappeared. Not long after it was opened again and a man strode in, head held high, almost too high for Henry’s taste – it seemed like the very face of somebody who looked down on you, which was not very wise considering the situation – and stopped a few paces from the door.
‘Your Majesty Sire, may I be allowed to introduce to you, the Count of Vendée.’​
The count bowed measly toward Henry, who did not return the bow at all. The Frenchman looked arrogantly at the lords around the table before fixing his eyes at Henry again.
‘I have come on the behalf of the Dauphin Charles of Valois, heir to the throne of France, to make peace with you. If you leave our lands, you will not be harmed, but you must publicly announce that you denounce the right to the French throne and that the Dauphin will be the next King of France.’​
Henry went dumb with astonishment, Winter, taking a huge gulp of ale, nearly chocked to death. Bedford could barely hold his laughter back.
‘Have you any idea what preposterous offers you have just given? We hold your capital, your leader the Dauphin, the honourable and brave, is on the run through your country and his army has been annihilated by us. How could he possibly even make such demands without losing the little amount of dignity that he has left?’ Bedford asked. ‘If I wanted, I could have you hung because of the offending comment you made. What do you say lord Sire, shall we have this man executed?’​
Bedford looked for his brother’s agreement, but Henry did not say anything for a while.
‘I am not too concerned with this man’s insolent speech,’ he began. ‘I am more offended by the fact that he interrupted our o so fine drinking contest with this rubbish coming from a man who has lost everything. He has no land, no army, no money, his father has publicly disinherited him, his mother has renounced his legitimacy, and still he has the guts to make demands, make demands to the King of England.'​
Henry looked to Winter with a sudden gleam in his eyes.
‘Earl Winter. How is that bow arm of yours lately?’​
‘As strong as ever, Sire!’​
‘If I recall correctly, I beat you that summer when we had the shooting contest up north in Yorkshire. Would you like to regain the lost glory from that care-free moment?’​
‘If you mind, Sire, I do believe it was I who won that contest,’ Winter answered with a deafening laughter.​
‘We’ll see, we’ll see. Summerfield, would be so kind as to get us two longbows, yes? And a pair of quivers while you are at it would you?’​
‘I’ll be right back, Sire!’ Summerfield answered with a grin aimed toward the French count.​


Dauphiné province of Languedoc, under siege by the English
September, Year of our Lord Fourteen Twenty-two



The campaign in the Dauphin’s lands continued after the winter break. In March Henry’s troops were again marching to enforce English control of the Dauphin’s lands in the south. With no resistance from Dauphin forces, the English ravaged their way through the French landscape all way down to the Mediterranean coastline. Being born during the summer of the campaign, Henry had not been present when his wife Catharine gave birth to his son Henry. With him, the Lancastrian house would survive. However, Henry only had a brief period of time to cherish the birth of a son before other matters preoccupied him.


‘Find me a wet towel!’​
‘Are you bloody insane, woman?!’ Winter howled back at her. ‘What he needs is not some bloody water, he needs the finer brew of God! Bring the liquor I say!’​
‘I am a Nun, and a nurse to add, and I say this man needs water, not alcohol!’​
‘I could not care less if you were a Nun, a nurse, or even if you were the blessed Virgin Mary herself, you are not coming near him, woman! In times like these, women should stay away. They bring the company of Satan and can only be blamed for any sort of mischief that goes on!'​
‘Fine then, do as you wish, my lord Winter.’ Nobody in the room mistook the venomous way the nurse pronounced the last words.​
‘Bloody woman,’ winter could be heard mumbling before he leaned forth to Henry’s bed.​
‘How are you feeling, my lord?’​
Henry looked up at his long-time friend with dizzy eyes. He could not quite make out the figure leaning over him but could easily tell it was Winter. He tried to speak, flinching in pain for every breath he had to take, every word he spoke.
‘Considering I have been shot, how do you think I feel you bloody imbecile?’​
‘He’s fine, alright,’ Winter said to the others behind him.​
‘I’m not too sure, lord Earl Winter,’ Bedford said softly. ‘He is bleeding internally and even if we could remove the arrow, he would lose a lot of blood. Only God can tell the outcome of this.’​
‘If God wanted him to be hit by a stray arrow, then I highly doubt that he will allow him to live if we try to take it out.’​
It was Summerfield who spoke. Loyal as he were, he was a practical man. Nobody in the room took his words for treacherous ones. They knew how he thought, and in the current situation, he brought everybody’s thoughts alive by uttering them. Should Henry die, then they must quickly find his son and pronounce him king before the Dauphin could.
Henry’s low whispers made everyone in the room quiet down and lean forward to listen to him.
‘My son, you must find my son and make him king. I will die here, but he will continue the Lancastrian reign. John…’​
Bedford leaned even closer when he heard his informal name being mentioned, one that Henry used only on special intimate occasions. Henry grasped Bedford’s hand into his own. Despite being on the verge of death, his grip was as strong as ever before.
‘You will not be king. My son will succeed me. Please, do not feel hate toward me. Instead, serve my son as dutifully as you have toward me.’​
‘Brother, I have never strived for personal gain in my service to you. Neither shall I do that in your son’s reign. I will guide him on the path that you set. You will see. From high above you will see how he will lead England to greatness, with my help in the beginning, and on his very own once he has become a man.’​
With those words, Henry closed his eyes and Bedford let a single tear fall upon their clasped hands.

On 1 September, Henry V, King of England, Heir and Regent of France and Lord of Ireland, died on French soil. The cause for death was a stray arrow, or so it was believed in lack of other causes, though the truth of whether the arrow went stray or not was widely discussed. The murderer was never found, but for as long as they lived, both Bedford and Winter shared the same suspicion that it was a hired assassin sent by the Dauphin. The hostilities only grew from this point on and Bedford would make sure that in time, the Dauphin would receive the righteous punishment he deserved.
 
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Great read. And it seems there is a lot of research and passion "behind the mouse", which is the best thing IMO!
Thank you Hastu Neon, I try my best. :) I try to read up on English history, its great practice since I am studying at uni as a history teacher student. Once I know enough I try to weave some historical facts into what actually happens in the game. Mostly the events fire pretty accurately so I can come up with some good explanations and stuff. But some things I got to make up in my mind to make it a bit more dramatic, and that is also good practice since I am an amature writer. Working on a book, but I got stuck so now I am doign this to let my head clear up and brood on some more ideas. :) Only problem is, this is taking way much more time that I had imagined. I have six updates for two years of in-gme itme. Loads different than my Victoria AAR where I can squeze four to ten years in an update! ^^

In any case, it is really fun to see that people appreciate what I write, please keep the comments coming everybody. I like critizims, so please write if you find something you find bad as well, and I'll try to fix it or think of it for the next update!
 
A good death scene, the humour makes it sharper.