The Eternal Exile: A Nation Hopping AAR

Boris: As you shall see, I made a mistake in that I took a bit too much...but it made sense to do so from an IC perspective.
Aliasing: Oh no! Not more women...this AAR has too many as is.
AdamClason: Thanks! That is high praise indeed. Machine failures happen to us all. I don't backup as much as I should, but on the other hand it's not quite as critical with this AAR.
Dewirix: Indeed! Though, there will be more glory in future times.
Chris Taylor: Indeed, but on the plus side I was able to do quite well before the Austrian legions appeared. For some reason England started with a VERY small navy, and Spain had a HUGE one because of the American colonies.
Sather: It sure does!
morningSIDEr: Yes, I think he is learning from her. Hopefully in a good way! I'm thinking it's perhaps a little gamey to pursue the AI and wipe them out, because such decisive victories were quite rare. On the other hand the AI will instantly move and try to siege you again, so it's necessary.


Chapter 22 – Pavia Avenged

21/7/1535

The situation was hopeless for the Spanish. They were trapped, and trapped badly with the Loire River to their back, and French troops on the heights above and on the other side of the river. After the Battle of Nevers François had pursued, and while a few thousand of the Spanish horse had gotten away, the bulk of their army was trapped.

Talena looked down on the massed ranks of the disordered tericos. With the French guns emplaced above them they would be massacred if they tried to escape, but equally could be hard to break.
“Talena, what’s happening?” Henri asked. The young man was still excited by what he saw.
“They’re trapped. We can get food and they can’t. If they don’t surrender we either starve them out or start firing.”
Henri looked down, raising his visor to see better. “We’ve got them!”
“We certainly have!” François said, approaching. He seemed in an ebullient mood, and it was easy to see why. Just ten years before he had been captured by this same Spanish army and made captive for two years, his sons had been hostages in Spain! Now…revenge. In some ways all his actions down to this point had been leading to this one day.

“Your Majesty, a white flag!” a soldier called.
Indeed, coming across the open field was a Spanish soldier on foot with a white flag, and two magnificently armoured figures.
François almost jumped for joy, so ecstatic was he at the thought of this personal revenge. However, he composed himself.
“Ride with me, my son. Captain, bring my honour guard.” He looked to Talena and nodded.



Down the hill they trotted until they came upon the party of Imperial soldiers. They could see immediately now that King Carlos was not there. François looked perturbed, but approached.
For her part Talena kept watch to make sure this was not a trap, though with twenty French knights around her there was little chance of such a thing.
“Your Majesty, I am Duke Zúñiga of Navarra. I request your Majesty to grant us a truce with the option of an honourable treatment of terms.”
François stared at the man for a moment. “Where…where is your King?” he burst out.
The Duke looked uncomfortable. “His Highness the Emperor departed yesterday morning. He…is not here,” he ended.
François’s fist clenched and he leaned forward. “He is a coward then who would not do the honourable thing!” he hissed, referring to his own submission a decade before.
The Duke, who probably had been at Pavia, coughed. “I cannot speak for his Highness the Emperor. I have been put in charge in his absence to make this agreement.”
“I should have you all killed!” François exploded. “Such cowardice, such craven spinelessness is not deserving of the name King or Emperor!”
There was dead silence after this outburst. “Your Majesty, I feel it would be pointless to fight on, though if we are not granted honourable terms we shall do so,” Zúñiga warned.
François made a great effort and mastered himself. “Yes…we can come to terms. Honourable terms. My Captain-General will discuss that with you. Come, Henri, Talena…I have seen enough,” the King stated.

Perhaps disappointed, François rode away, leaving the surrender terms to be concluded by others.





XXX

The loss of the entire Spanish army was a disaster for the Hapsburg cause. The Netherlands were thus lost for another year, and the drive into France had been halted. However, since King Carlos had escaped the war was not over, and would rage on for much longer.
François’s hopes for a quick victory had also been dashed, and soon new Spanish and Austrian armies would be marching on France.

Aliasing: I'll consider it. Implications...disturbing.
Boris: Oh, they've got massive amounts left unfortunately. EU3 doesn't really represent wars well, since armies are raised so quickly and are so big that it's a never-ending process of wiping out the enemy.
morningSIDEr: Indeed! But the war isn't even close to over yet.
blsteen: We certainly have not! That rascal escaped!
Chicken: Just as well I'm not playing either then, eh? In reality, this was a very hard war for me to win because my navy and army was very significantly outnumbered.
Mr Sometimes: Haha! I don't think even she can do that. She's not invulnerable, remember.

Chapter 23 – The Home Front

XXX

After the capitulation of the Spanish Army the war slowed for a few months as the armies repositioned. However, despite the war the Reformation continued to grow across Europe, and even parts of France were not immune. Soon an entire province had begun to question the teachings of the church, and would not be the last to do so.



Later that year in December a large Spanish fleet was defeated and driven back in the English Channel. This crucial victory prevented the Spanish from reinforcing the Netherlands.





Meanwhile in the south a series of battles were fought between the Duke of Guise and King Carlos, newly returned with a fresh army. The end result of this was the defeat of Savoy and stalemate in the south through until the middle of 1536.




XXX

18/6/1535

Food taster.

Really, was this what Captain Talena Mazari had fallen to?

It seemed so. Still, it made sense to give the immortal the food to eat first so that the Prince didn’t die. And Talena was pleased to do so, since she’d become rather fond of the young prince. He was young and rather naïve still, but he did have the intelligence to learn, and with her he had developed.
As she tried some of the soup Talena grimaced.
“Is there something wrong with it?” Henri asked.
“No…I just hate turnips. It’s not poisoned though,” she added.
Henri took the bowl back and begun to eat the soup. “Any news from the war?”
“A rider arrived from the south. The Duke of Guise defeated the Spanish at Lausanne, and drove them back over the border. The King is moving down into Gascoyne and will soon begin a campaign into Navarra.”
Henri nodded. “This is good news. But I wish I could be…there…with my father!”
“The King is a great soldier, and you will be too one day, I’m sure,” Talena replied. She wondered if this was indeed her destiny, to be the smooth-talking power behind the throne. Oddly enough she seemed good at it!

The door opened without a knock and Catherine entered. She did not look pleased; she rarely did. The young woman’s face was flushed, and she looked angrier than normal.
“Henri, what is the meaning of this?” she demanded of her husband. She held up a piece of paper in her hands.
“What is it, my love?” Henri asked, bewildered.
“It is a letter you wrote to your father! In it you say that you have been feeling well, but that I have not been! You also say that asked to be moved to a new apartment! I did not! You made me!”
“You go through my private letters to my father?” Henri asked, astonished. “Those are private!”
“I bet SHE reads them!” Catherine said, glaring at Talena.
“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Talena said quietly. The marital situation had not improved, and they avoided each other, and as far as she knew did not even sleep in the same room.
“No, Talena, stay,” Henri ordered. He stood, looking at his young wife. “Talena is my councillor, my friend. She has no evil designs on me or anyone.”
“Oh, she’d tell you that. She is a witch!” Catherine almost shouted. It seemed as though the letter was just an excuse to vent her fury at her situation. “She has bewitched you, she is trying to seduce you!”
“I am not-“ Talena begun indignantly.
“Silence!” Catherine shouted. “I did not give you leave to speak, woman!”
Talena’s eyes narrowed, and she was very close to punching the crown princess in the face.
Fortunately Henri banged his hand on the table before she could do something very stupid.
“Enough, Catherine. I will not be talked to in such a way! And Talena is my friend, she has helped me, and I will not tolerate your slighting of her!”
“If you will not see the truth then I have nothing more to say!” Catherine said. She turned and stormed from the room.

In the aftermath of the confrontation Talena coughed slightly. “My Prince, I’m sorry if I’ve done anything-“ she begun.
“You haven’t.” Henri sighed. “I do not understand her moods and fancies though. You are an unusual woman, but I do not think there is anything malicious about you.”
Talena sighed. “You know, I have enough flaws in my character without people inventing new ones. I’m here…well I’m here because I like France and I think I can do some good helping you. I’m not going to start trying to convince you what to do.”
Henri nodded. “My father does not object, so I do not. Thank you.”

Boris: Maybe...but remember that historically Henri really didn't like Catherine - she only became powerful after his death. At this early stage things might well be different.
Mr Sometimes: A good idea...but Talena's not really of the 'scheming plot' variety. She prefers to glower irritably and hit people!
Chris Taylor: A higher stakes game for sure!
Aliasing: He kept official mistresses at court. Not quite the same, but yeah.
blsteen: I guess some people never learn!
Sather: I'm going for...not!

Chapter 24 – The Sad Tidings

14/7/1536

Talena had taken to walking along the path leading to Fontainebleau Palace in the morning. The Prince took mass in the mornings, and Talena did not attend that. She had an understanding with the Bishop who was chaplain to the Prince that she was a good Catholic so long as he didn’t ask her to attend church every day.
As she was walking down the drive, passing the servants as they filed in for the service with a lesser priest in the nearby church. As she passed down the lane under the shade of the trees she saw a rider approaching, galloping. Behind him was a half dozen soldiers. This was unusual – usually messages were delivered by riders from Paris or elsewhere, leisurely, sedate. After all, the King was on campaign and state affairs went to him.

For a moment Talena tensed, thinking they might be coming to her. She was basically unarmed, and was wondering what to do when they slowed.
Their leader was none other than Count Reynard, Maria’s lover. He had been with the King for the duration of the war, and his presence was not reassuring.
“Lady Talena, we must see the Prince, please bring us to him!” he ordered.
Talena blinked, but nodded. “Of course, he is taking mass. Follow me.” She didn’t ask what had happened. It was clearly important. Still, she kept an eye on them in case there was more to this than met the eye.

Henri was kneeling before the altar, and the Bishop was reciting the Latin mass for him. They both turned as the door was pushed open.
“Count Reynard? Talena?” he asked. A small flicker of anxiety crossed his face.
Reynard stepped forward, and knelt. “Your Majesty…I have ridden from Bayonne to here in seven days and nights to bring you word. As you know, your father the King was leading our glorious army, and we had just defeated the Spanish. However, he became ill following a cold rainstorm. I am sorry…the King is dead. My Prince, you are now King of France.”
It was a bombshell, and everyone was stunned. Even more so when one of the Gendarmes stepped forward with the King’s crown on a velvet cushion. Both crown and cushion were dirtied from the long ride.
Henri swallowed, looking to the Bishop. “Count…thank you for your service to me, for delivering this. My father…” he stopped, lost for words. With a great effort he stood and composed himself. “I am now King, send orders for the coronation, and send riders to the army that I will soon join them. My father was a great warrior, and I will try not to disappoint his memory.”
Reynard bowed. “I shall do so, Majesty. Shall I send messengers to the Duke of Guise?”
“Do so. Inform him that I will be heading south to regroup the army near Potiou. Go.”



Talena went to file out with the others, but Henri stopped her. “Talena, I will need to form my council of state, but I would like you to continue advising me. Not in any official role of course, but as a bodyguard I’ve found no one your equal.”
“Thank you, Majesty. I am, as always, at your command.”



XXX

Henri II of France was crowned a week later in a rather hurried ceremony. The true coronation was delayed until the war was over.



Meanwhile, the death of the King led to the Duke of Guise taking charge until Henri could arrive, and he scored an impressive victory over King Carlos near Bordeaux in December.



However, the King had to divert his army to deal with a new threat to the entire Kingdom, the long feared arrival of the Hapsburg Austrian army….