-----
May 12th, Year of Our Lord 1337
Today was the Duke's birthday. It was every bit as uncomfortable as I had feared. How can one celebrate the life of a man who lies on Death's doorstep? Apparently through prayer. I jest not. We, that is the court and family, stood around the Duke's bed as Bishop de Donges led the room in mass. Throughout this Duke Jean remained prone except for the odd fit of coughing. It was not an enjoyable occasion.
May 29th, Year of Our Lord 1337
I must admit that I do miss the company of the Countess de Dreux. Despite the brief nature of her visit I have learned to cherish any intelligent distractions from the tedium of daily life in this backwater. Even the sun has refused to grace these lands since our meeting. Still, I find our correspondence more enjoyable now that I can picture her face as I write.
It is the good Countess that occupies my thoughts on this most gloomy of evenings. She apparently thinks highly enough of me to seek my advice on a most sensitive issue. Naturally it revolves around the succession of the realm should the current duke pass away. Jeanne has confided in me that she is considering a marriage to a noble from outside the duchy in order to strengthen her own claim and has asked for suitable suggestions. Naturally this places me in a quandary. I am aware that the son of the Count of Blois* is seeking a wife and would be eager to acquire the title of Brittany. But…
Bah. I do not wish to take a position on this issue so soon. A marriage with Blois would immediately bring the issue to a head and challenge the Marshal's current supremacy. How that would affect my own position is something that I must consider. For now I shall say nothing.
June 15th, Year of Our Lord 1337
As one of the few outsiders in this court I welcome the opportunity to converse with fellow souls who come from lands more civilised. That is, lands populated by a people with more intelligence than their livestock. In Nantes the only fellow sufferer is the wife of Marshal Jean. To distinguish her from the multitude of Jeannes that I seemingly encounter, I shall use her maiden name - Jeanne de Dampierre. Jeanne hails from the low lands of Flanders where she is no less than the sister to the Duke of Flanders. After mere moments of conversation it is clear that she harbours hopes that her husband will someday occupy a similar position of prestige and importance.
The Marshal's Wife: Jeanne de Dampierre
A woman of not inconsiderable beauty, even if it is sullied by a sharpness of the eyes, the Marshal's wife makes pleasant company in these bleak lands. She has freely admitted that she misses the clamour and sophistication of the Frankish lands and is always quite eager to hear tales of my exploits in Pays de France. In turn I welcome any insight into the convoluted politics of Brittany as well as word from beyond the Duchy.
I mention this today due to an interesting discussion between the two of us that still occupies my thoughts. While not foolish enough to mention my correspondence with the Countess Jeanne, or her thoughts on marriage, I did make discrete inquisitions on the succession crisis. Contrary to my expectations the wife of the Marshal was direct in claiming that her husband would be the next Duke. The alternative, she claimed, was civil war. I had been expecting a purposefully oblique response and was caught by surprise by such a direct statement.
But then the Marshal and his wife can afford to be confident. The Duke is already preparing to meet Death and his wife has neither the will nor the ability to enforce his desire that Jeanne de Dreux succeed him. I can only agree that the scales are tipped too far in favour of the Marshal for even a marriage to an influential noble such as de Blois to address the balance. Furthermore any turmoil can only weaken my own position in both camps.
I shall write to the Countess de Dreux and inform here that regretfully I know of no nobles of note considering marriage at this time.
*
Charles of Blois