The Beautiful Girl and the History Class

GhostWriter: Chewing gum doesn't work as well as it used to, unfortunately, which is why I'm glad I found these ear plugs.

ForzaA: That is totally beyond awesome!

Tem_Probe: That was extremely helpful, since I don't know French. Had there been a better option for France, I would've gone there as I prefer French girls over Spanish ones and the French language over Spanish, but the options for places to go in France all sucked and the courses in Florence, the other option I strongly considered, were pretty much all centred on the Renaissance for the humanities options and I wanted something more medieval.

The Catholic Encyclopedia link made for fascinating reading, too.

Chief Ragusa: All children of the de Semur eh? That's fascinating! Spain is good, hotter than I thought it'd be. In the midst of a 3 week intensive Spanish language class... 4 hours a day. I'm really looking forward to the weekend, as I plan to hit the beach and just chill out.

ForzaA: Yeah... last names should so not be translated. Hell, I take issue with changing first names (i.e. Jeanne to Joan)

Hajji Giray I: I've heard of that residential college system before. I think UC-Santa Cruz has the same thing (bastards not accepting my transfer request all those years ago *mutter*) and it sounded really pretty awesome to me.

The wait will definitely be under a year. It's a matter of finding someplace here at the CLM that's quiet where there won't be this damned incessant prattle. I'll try the library on the second floor and hope I can get the Wi-Fi access there as well.

Thus far, I like Granada, but haven't reached the point of loving it yet. I've only had the language class for like three days (or will after this evening's 4-8 class) and I haven't really cultivated any friendships in the English-speaking groups since my roommate and the girl he's been hanging out with more or less indicated they'd rather hang out with each other than with us three. So yeah, cool city, but a little lonely right now.

I've been trying to get going with fencing, but efforts in that regard have been unsuccessful in the hilarious kind of way. If I understood the guy I called yesterday, it'll be starting up again in October.

The one guy in my intensive Spanish class I've been getting to know is planning to go to Amsterdam during the week break we have, which I'm real meh on, because Amsterdam's always been overrated to me. I'd love to get to some places in France, Italy, or Sweden (mmmm Swedish girls) that I haven't been to yet, or to hop over to Morocco, but we'll see. Since I doubt anybody in the larger group I'm with (CEA) or the intensive class I'm in (which has 8 people, 5 of whom are all from Seattle and have formed a clique) has any interest in those locales, I may be limited to areas where I know I know people.

Which, at the moment, is limited to Toledo, Spain and a couple places in Germany, unless there's Paradox people who want to volunteer.

Tem_Probe: It will be!

J. Passepartout: Imitations usually fail to reach the mark of the original.

Incognita: Thanks And yes, albeit glacially, atm... Having a hell of a time trying to find someplace quiet with Internet connection.

I'm determined to get an update in this week though.

Chief Ragusa said:

So does Nick!

Click to expand...

With Caveman's help, I was able to get the paper done by today, Monday, and so I'll be able to turn it early, leaving me free for the rest of the week.

I'm feeling smug about it as I look at the freshmen, still bleary-eyed from the weekend, frantically discussing the paper and wondering how they're going to get the midterm done and omigawd it's soooo unfair that Morengay put this on us when every other professor is demanding work too.

They'll learn. They'll learn how to operate the system after a semester or two. Either that or they'll flunk out, transfer somewhere else, whatever. I don't care, as I'm not going to see any of them after this semester anyway.

Now one of my fellow upperclassmen on the other hand....

My neck tingles with a knowing that she's in the room. It's an instinct that I've acquired over these past several weeks, but I don't look in her direction. Good thing too, because I don't feel Melody's eyes on me. To look would be to lose.

Fortunately, Morengay ambles in as he always does, looking his usual sunny Monday self. I swear, he must get laid on Sunday or something, to be so cheerful this early in the week.

“Good morning, class! When we left off last time, Yves I had died a short time ago and a regency council was once more in charge of Italy-Croatia while the two kingdoms waited for Louis II to come of age.

As I may have mentioned last time, the first order of business was for the regency council to re-organize Italy-Croatia to try and restore the de Semur reputation following Yves's disasterous rule. Not only that, but to bring order and put down the rebellious Duke of Calabria, Ludwig de Semur, who betrayed his family not only by revolting, but by declaring himself for the hated German way of life.

Although it was widely expected that titles would be handed out en masse`, only a few unimportant counties were given to courtiers and the lone Ducal elevation was that of Hugues de Hauteville, who revered the French de Semur culture and who was steadfastly loyal as the Count of Benveneto. He was raised to Duke of Modena, albeit without vassals of his own.

These minimal concessions led to great indignation on the part of the courtiers in Bologna and the vassal nobles, such that the ruling family's reputation improved little, indeed if even at all.

The council shrugged off the fury and the revolts and rebellions that plagued Italy-Croatia throughout the summer and fall, instead concentrating on liberating those provinces taken by Calabria and the Republic of Genoa, those former vassals now allied to one another.

A shrewd plan was adopted, whereby a small force was sent to attack Siracusa, the Duke of Calabria's home. This diversionary tactic succeeded masterfully, for Ludwig, upon hearing of report of the invasion, hastily rushed to Syracuse to repel the invaders.

Meanwhile, two larger Croatian armies swooped down upon Taranto. By the time Duke Ludwig realized what had happened, Taranto was once again in Italian-Croatian hands and the combined Croatian forces were on the march to Siracusa.

As you might expect, the larger Italy-Croatia army crushed the smaller Calabrian force in the open field, but the siege is where it gets interesting.

According to legend, the ghost of King Louis I the Great appeared before Ludwig de Semur and declared the following:

“You have fouled your noble blood and tainted yourself with Teutonic love. No traitor, no blasphemer to our House, our name and our kingdoms shall be allowed to prosper. This day you lose your title, your lands, and your very life and you shall be dragged screaming to the darkest regions of Hell, where you will pay homage to your new master, he who has committed the gravest of offenses and the worst of all treacheries, that against God himself.”

It's said that at that precise moment, lightning struck the Duke of Calabria and when the brightness cleared, there was only a scorch mark.

The body was never found.

The very next day, March 8th, 1031, Syracuse surrendered all of Ludwig's former titles to the boy king and his regents.

When word got out of this legend, the kingdoms of Europe, Christian and Muslim alike, feared and respected the dual Kingdom like never since the time of Louis I himself. It was whispered everywhere that the great monarch would return in the body of his grandson, Louis II and that when the boy came of age, Italy-Croatia would grow even larger, to become the single greatest power in all the known world.

Now whether or not you believe the legend, and indeed, it seems silly to us today to believe, in the Middle Ages, people were much more superstitious and willing to believe stories of that nature and believe this legend they did.

But along with this fear and respect was still scorn for the regency council itself, whom all considered to be weak and mere figureheads that would be swept away as soon as Louis came of age.

Quick to react to this criticism, the council sought once again to restore its reputation through the gifting of titles. Unfortunately, this ruse was very easily seen through and so the results were once again much to the council's discouragement.

Another piece of bad news for the regents happened a week before Ludwig de Semur's demise and Syracuse's surrender.

Pope Alaracio I successfully warred against the Archbishop of Toscana, using the causus belli of Toscana's rebellion against the de Semurs to make good his claim on the county of Siena. This not only grew the direct Papal domains, but interfered with the council's plans to eventually reunite the Italian peninsula under the de Semur banner.

But the pontiff and the de Semurs were not the only one who had designs on Siena. The de Hauteville Duke of Salerno also thirsted for the county and declared war on the aggressive pope in hopes of obtaining it for himself.

The regency council chose to stay out of the squabble, preferring to leave any eventual decisions concerning Siena to Louis II when he came of age. Instead, they ordered comission of a monastary in Bologna to give thanks for the victory over the blood-traitor Ludwig de Semur, as well as commenced other building projects around the two kingdoms.

But peace was not to last. An old enemy had re-emerged in Croatia and was threatening the eastern kingdom.

Who that was and what they were doing will be answered... next time!”

We all groan at the cliffhanger, but nonetheless make our gradual exits.

Gradual, that is, except for Melody.

She darts out the door in a blur of pale blue, white, and the glimpsed yellow of her hair.

Hair I used to kiss. Hair I used to touch. Hair that in the short time we'd slept together, I'd gotten to know as well as my own.

Will I ever know it again?

J. Passepartout What would the title of said play be?

Fulcrumvale: I say nothing.

Specialist290: If is a good word choice, as for the moment, things appear grim.

Chief Ragusa: That's very possible. I didn't realize after I posted it that Nick never said he handed in the paper... so I'll decide when I write the next post whether he turned it in or forgot.

I agree that this regency council doesn't seem as swift as the other Louis's regents... and I love the hair and asylum imagery you've got there.

LeonTrotsky: Very good thing to wonder, especially given this regency council, though they -did- pull off that rather brilliant fake-out on Calabria. As for parallelism to the Nick-Melody line, it's not far-fetched to see the similarities between the two. Others have commented on it earlier as well.

J. Passepartout: Ah yes, one of the histories.

Hajji Giray I: I have a love-hate relationship with the Bronte sisters. Love Jane Eyre, hate Wuthering Heights.

And I'm glad to have updated too

Don't know when the next one will be, though. CK's not exactly stable on my comp right now, so I haven't opened either of the savegame files.

Oh and here's a public service announcement: There's a strong possibility that I may have no Internet from Sept 28th-October 6th, as I could very well be visiting one of the countries I've been wanting to for a long time.