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In the Footsteps of Charlemagne - The Second Coming of House Karling

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Caught up! Praise be!

From the previous page, I really liked the (future) encounter between Louis and Charles, getting to see it from both of their perspectives. And then Hebert's imprisonment. Having had the benefit of reading the relevant updates in one go, it was nice to see the first, mysterious, updates that were foretelling his capture, then shift back to the war, then forward again to Hebert's imprisonment. Having him pass on in such peace was a nice ending for him, after the mental and physical anguish he endured, first losing Adalbert, second rotting away in gaol. Charlemagne's judgment was compassionate: "You could have done no more".

And then we make a grand sweep of history. Four kings, and now Eudes rules. Promising, indeed. I can now also see how Hebert would become revered: not so much for what he accomplished directly, but rather for how his suffering allowed for the conditions that eventually put Eudes on the throne (assuming, of course, that Eudes rules well and initiates another Carolingian Renaissance). Hebert is almost a martyr for the greater Karling cause.
 
tnick0225 said:
welcome back densley! will read the new update later tonight!
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Cheers tnick! I look forward to seeing you back later.

Stuyvesant said:
Less than 2 months since my last comment! I feel like I'm finally starting to catch up on you! ;) Just read all the way up to Adalbert's untimely death and his subsequent immortalization in the 14th-century poem. Still much to read, but I'm getting closer. :)

Not knowing what lies ahead (though I couldn't help noticing, whilst scrolling down to the bottom of this page to post my reply, that Hebert has just recently bought the farm), but I wonder how the war against the Bastard will unfold now, now that Hebert and King Philippe have to wage it without Adalbert's advice. Oh, and that snake Simon is scheming against Hebert, too. Troubling times ahead.

PS: Not that I was at all stung by your barb when I posted in your EUIV AAR (stung? Me? Preposterous), but I would like to set the record straight that I was originally on page 3 of the AAR, and now I'm on page 6. I think that hardly counts as having a backlog that's "essentially the entire AAR". Harrumph. ;)
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Stuyvesant said:
Caught up! Praise be!

From the previous page, I really liked the (future) encounter between Louis and Charles, getting to see it from both of their perspectives. And then Hebert's imprisonment. Having had the benefit of reading the relevant updates in one go, it was nice to see the first, mysterious, updates that were foretelling his capture, then shift back to the war, then forward again to Hebert's imprisonment. Having him pass on in such peace was a nice ending for him, after the mental and physical anguish he endured, first losing Adalbert, second rotting away in gaol. Charlemagne's judgment was compassionate: "You could have done no more".

And then we make a grand sweep of history. Four kings, and now Eudes rules. Promising, indeed. I can now also see how Hebert would become revered: not so much for what he accomplished directly, but rather for how his suffering allowed for the conditions that eventually put Eudes on the throne (assuming, of course, that Eudes rules well and initiates another Carolingian Renaissance). Hebert is almost a martyr for the greater Karling cause.
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Praise be, indeed! Thanks a lot for reading through this – it's certainly no mean feat anymore (and some of the earlier updates aren't my best work – some heavy revision will be needed whenever I manage to finish this, methinks.) I apologies for my barb ;)

I'm glad you liked how things panned out. Once we're done with this shirt history and go back to the narrative, we'll be meeting Louis and Charles again, so I'm relieved to hear that they're a welcome addition to the dramatis personae. And great also to hear that you appreciated Herbert's end. Indeed, I had him down as revered more for what he allowed to happen, than what he himself accomplished (which, in the nicest possible way, is bugger all. ;))

Once again – thanks. Considering how much you've read in a few sittings, your comment means a lot.

Tyler96 said:
Great to see another update Densley, looking forward to see how Eudes develops.
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Thanks Tyler! Good to hear from you, as ever.
 
Good to see you back in action here, and nice run up to the next phase of your story. It sounds like the Carolingians are ready to make a definitive mark on Europe.
 
I'm amazed that the French monarchy kept any semblance of legitimacy or prestige after going through such a turbulent decade or two. They must count themselves lucky that no one outside the realm was able to capitalise on their instability.
 
I do apologise – I must've forgotten to reply back in August and never remembered...

In any case:

Lord Durham said:
Good to see you back in action here, and nice run up to the next phase of your story. It sounds like the Carolingians are ready to make a definitive mark on Europe.
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Oh yes – the revival begins now.

SirkTheMonkey said:
I'm amazed that the French monarchy kept any semblance of legitimacy or prestige after going through such a turbulent decade or two. They must count themselves lucky that no one outside the realm was able to capitalise on their instability.
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Indeed. I think the Council of Barons (or rather, Saint-Gobain) is really to be credited with being able to pull Eudes – and the monarchy as an institution – through. That said, the crises of the last few decades also help in that they leave the House of Vermandois as the ony real legitimate powers. And that's saying something.


Update incoming!
 
1.2: Eudes' Early Reign

A Brief History of France​

Part Two - Eudes' Early Reign (1080-1100)​

Eudes' first act as king was - perhaps unsurprisingly, considering the amount of support they had afforded him - to reinstate Saint-Gobain and the council to their position at court.[1] The difference with the new king and his predecessors, however, was that Eudes had enough personal acumen to not need to rely too heavily on the council. The council's job shifted back into that of an advisory body rather than a legislative one - a large shift from the group who had so confidently and capably ruled during the regency of Louis VI only to fade away so quickly. This change was perhaps for the best. Eudes was savvy enough to realise that a king needed to display competence while not appearing headstrong or foolish in the eyes of his people. To this end, he took much of the day-to-day administration of the realm into his own hands.

This first became majorly apparent in 1087, when Eudes decreed that a kingdom-wide survey was to be undertaken, drawing inspiration from King Richard I of England's own 'Domesday Book.' The survey - known popularly as Le Livre de Jugement[2] or The Book of Judgement - took nearly 18 months to fully compile, and was carried out largely at a regional level by magistrates and seigneurs. By the survey's completion, Eudes had a comprehensive account of each settlement in his kingdom, along with each settlement's respective 'extent, value, ownership and liabilities.'

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An 18th century sketch showing Le Livre de Jugement​

With this new information, Eudes was able to assess the country's situation in more detail. He could discern, for example, that farmers in the north owned on average more livestock than their southern counterparts, and that the village of Chambèrie in Picardie was worth the princely sum of nine livres.

What Eudes was also able to do was act with some foresight, actually planning ahead rather than just acting upon events as they happened. He knew, for example, that he was currently in no position to wage war, but that he did have a sizeable population - especially as far as adult males were concerned - and that the exchequer had, by most estimates, grown healthier. The infant children of the generation of men killed during the civil war had finally come of age, and with them France's fortunes were beginning to look brighter after nearly two decades of turmoil.

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The Exchequer of France​

Eudes was very explicit in his desire to have a period of non-violence, even decreeing - in-council - in April 1088 that all of his vassals were 'henceforth obliged to observe the existing state of affairs within the Kingdom, and to not seek the resolution of conflicts of interests via war, but, where should conflict arise, do so via peaceful means.' Essentially, he forbade vassals from warring amongst themselves - presumably so as not to hinder the growth of France's adult male population. This caused outrage amongst France's vassal lords, who petitioned the king to repeal the decree. A compromise was reached when a period of five-years' peace was agreed upon.[3]

To this end, Eudes and his council realised that this growth should be built on, and began to look for ways in which to extend France's influence diplomatically. The king had already married Duchess Jutta of Luxembourg in 1083 - largely at the insistence of the council, who were eager to expand into the Rhenish states - prompting the decision by the king to seek further marriages in the area. Some minor marriages were arranged, though French influence in the area ultimately remained unchanged.

With that, Eudes quickly began to seek alternatives to a major Rhenish alliance. He was acutely aware of just how isolated the sudden changes of ruling dynasties in France had left the kingdom in terms of alliances, and quickly sought to change that. A cousin of the king's - Louis de Velébert - was married off to one of the Jimena princesses, bringing the Christian Iberian kingdoms into France's milieu. Now with better protection from external threats, Eudes began to combat more local, internal problems.

Since William of Normandy's invasion of England in 1066, France had essentially been without one of her most populous and bountiful regions - that being Normandy, which became a possession of the English crown, being inherited along with the crown by William's heirs. Eudes felt that he was owed fealty by the English king as Duke of Normandy, seeing an opportunity to greatly inflate the royal coffers with tax monies collected in the region. Eudes sought advice from his council, who suggested that he present the English king - Richard, William's son - with an ultimatum: recognise France's sovereignty over Normandy, and act accordingly, or face war.

Eudes knew that war was wholly unreasonable, and therefore set about reaching a conclusion via different means. The king took the somewhat quaint descsison to write to his English counterpart, with a letter bearing the French royal seal reaching Westminster in mid-May 1091. This letter, known now as the Norman Ultimatum,[4] demanded that Richard give 50% of taxes and crops collected within the duchy to the French crown. Considering that such brazen demands could easily have been construed as an insult of some sort, which would almost certainly have been considered cause enough for war, something Eudes was eager to avoid, the French king was brave - or foolish, deepening on your viewpoint - to state his demands so explicitly.

Unsurprisingly, Richard didn't share Eudes' mindset and rejected the ultimatum, thereby forcing Eudes' hand. To save face, Eudes would need to declare war upon the English. Here the king encountered his first problem. Aside from the fact that war would be seen as hypocritical considering Eudes' previous statements, the Decree of Cessations of 1088 was still in effect, and would be until 1093. Eudes realised that to go to war would be to ruin his reputation in the eyes of his vassals, whereas not to declare would be to sully his prestige in the eyes of Europe at large.

Eudes ultimately did nothing, leaving his kingdom intact, but affecting his standing greatly. If anything, the king's reputation as one to shirk from conflict was secured. The event had, in short, severely hampered the prestige not just of the king himself, but of the French monarchy. Some of Eudes' vassals talked in semi-muted tones of a war to depose him. Much of the peasantry laboured over how the affair was a sign from God that Eudes was unfit for ruling. Interest in the Poitevin 'cause' resurfaced, with even a few members of the Conseil Privé doubting the king's legitimacy. Just as Simon had needed to act quickly and decisively eleven years earlier to save his throne, Eudes knew that he needed to do something quickly.

The answer came from the south. The Muslims of Iberia had reached the Pyrenees in early 1080,[5] and there was talk in the south of France of an invasion. A popular story told of how 'the Mohammedans seek to drink a toast to their god at the Garonne.' When the Jimena kings declared war on the Taifa of Toledo, Yahya Dhunnunid, who had been slowly expanding towards the French border for the last decade, it seemed all too perfect for Eudes. He happily obliged when his call to arms was received, and he began the march south. Thankfully for him, he was marching to face an external foe.

Eudes mustered a fighting force of around 20,000 men and set course for Rosello, part of the County of Barcelona. Meanwhile in the south, the Jimena kings began to march into the Dhunnunid power base of Toledo, engaging the Taifa in the first battle of the campaign at La Mancha. The Catholic kings, victorious and buoyed on by the opening successes, split and began to siege the surrounding area, still unaware that Eudes had arrived in Aragon.

In fact, the Jimenas were unaware that Eudes had even joined in on their side. The messenger carrying his reply to the call to arms had been unable to reach the Castillian court - not being able to travel through the Islamic territories safely. Popular folklore states that he had to travel to a Gascogne port, where he boarded a ship for Navarre, before riding on to Burgos. It was two months before word reached King Alfonso, at which point he is supposed to have quipped: 'It seems Eudes has come to realise that words are not empty promises.' He was, of course, referring to the now infamous Norman Ultimatum.

The French king certainly had stuck to his word. By the time the Jimenas became aware of his presence in Aragon, he had already taken Caspe and Alagón, and was marching towards Zaragoza.

Reinvigorated by the French presence, the Jimenas pressed further into Dhununnid lands, taking the Taifa's capital - Toledo itself, in the early autumn of 1094. Yahya defiantly held out, even relocating his court east to Cuenca – delivering himself into the grasp of Eudes and his men, who closed the gap in swift fashion, his conquests meeting his allies' by spring 1095. The Taifa conceded a heavy peace, ceding the lands surrounding his capital to the Castilian crown.[6]

The war greatly increased Eudes' prestige and standing in the eyes of his peers and, perhaps most importantly, his vassals. He showed that, when the situation necessitated so, he could act decisively. The message was clear: the French king did not shirk from conflict if forced. He would not be pushed around.


1:- for his part in proceedings, a grateful Eudes would later also raise the statesman's barony to a duchy
2:- like their English counterparts, the French peasantry held a lingering belief that the book was a final authority, which they likened to the Last Judgement
3:- after this incident, Eudes was known variously as 'the Peaceable' and, to his detractors, 'the Timid'
4:- incidentally, the document still exists, and can be seen by the public on display at the University of Paris
5:- France took part in the campaign against them, with King Philippe dying in battle at Zaragoza - in a strange symmetry with the Carolingian paladin Roland
6:- a grateful Alfonso of Castille would later reward Eudes' cousin, Louis de Velébert, with land in Cáceres


To be continued...​
 
I like this look at whats been going around the story...very informative and interesting as always Densley!
 
Bit of a mixed bag for Eudes, what with the Normandy debacle, but thankfully a suitably weak Muslim country to the south provides a good opportunity for some positive PR, Crusading-style. :)

So Eudes conducted a census (always a good thing to do for posterity - if nothing else, future historians will love him for it), blundered with his handling of Normandy, and then salvaged the situation with a successful Crusade, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his Spanish allies. Intervening in Iberia should strengthen his hand at home and put him in a good situation for future actions, be they domestic or international.
 
Tyler96 said:
Richard's king of England? What happened to Curthose and Rufus?
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Curthose died, I'd imagine, and as the elder son Richard takes precedence to Rufus as far as CK2 is concerned. Though a lot of the history sections are made up, Richard was actually king in-game.

tnick0225 said:
I like this look at whats been going around the story...very informative and interesting as always Densley!
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Indeed – I thought it would be a good idea to step away from the very insular narrative for a bit and let you all have a look at the wider spectrum. That, and we finally get to see a Carolingian on the throne! ;)

Stuyvesant said:
Bit of a mixed bag for Eudes, what with the Normandy debacle, but thankfully a suitably weak Muslim country to the south provides a good opportunity for some positive PR, Crusading-style. :)

So Eudes conducted a census (always a good thing to do for posterity - if nothing else, future historians will love him for it), blundered with his handling of Normandy, and then salvaged the situation with a successful Crusade, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his Spanish allies. Intervening in Iberia should strengthen his hand at home and put him in a good situation for future actions, be they domestic or international.
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What would Crusader Kings be without a few Crusading Kings? ;)

I think it would definitely be fair to say that he had to grow into the crown and the office. He only really ended up in the throne because no one else was suitable, so the pressure was on. God-anointed or not, France is a big place. Some thing going wring wouldn't be the best...

As for Crusading, I did actually carve out a sort of Pyrenean March, taking the duchies of Aragón and Barcelona. Story wise,mim not sure that would've entirely fit, though. The beauty of being the author – one can change anything to suit the narrative! ;)


Thanks all for your comments. Good to see that as we approach this AAR's first birthday (I'm not sure whether I want to say it's the first if many or not... ;)) we're still going strong.

I've started work on a new update. We're back in the actual narrative now, though my progress has been slowed immense by various external factors. I've overcome a massive case of writer's block though, I think, so the words should come easily when I do get a chance to write.

Thanks all.
 
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5.42: The Death of a Paladin

Part Five

"For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings."
–Shakespeare, The Life and Death of Richard the Second


Chapter Forty-Two​

Philippe took a sharp left. Dust spewed up from the dry path and into his face as he thundered- along, his horse below flexing and thrusting his muscles with an alarming uniformity, defying complete exhaustion to deliver his master to safety.

"Hurry up!" He shouted back to his retinue, who were desperately trying to equal their liege's pace a few yards behind. "Do you want to be skinned alive?"

'No' was the implied answer, as the retinue's five horses sparked into gear, sending hot, brown dust up into their faces and showering their backs. One rider instinctively lifted his hand off the reins to fight the small specks, sending his horse careening wildly into the course of a muddy verge that had caked in the intense Pyrenean high noon sun.

"For God's sake, Gaucelin, don't worry about the dust!" shouted a fellow rider in chastisement. "You can clean off once we reach the Ebro—"

"And I'll be the first to push you in if you don't start focusing on actually getting there safely!" Philippe warned with a hint of wry amusement. Gaucelin scowled.

The Pyrenees rose more steeply around the retinue as the dusty, grassy foothills gave way to rocky cliffs that jutted suddenly out of the hot ground. Below the cliffs lay a sweeping valley of bright green, glowing yellow in the late summer sun. Small tributaries of the Ebro flowed freely, cutting through the rolling valley and punctuating the green with thin lines of sparkling blue. The thick summer air was still; the stillness stretching to hang on for one more pregnant second.

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"Below the cliffs lay a sweeping valley of bright green..."​

Twenty hooves quickly ripped through the stillness. Philippe and his entourage were now riding in silence, their horses working in mechanical motion – muscles stretching and contracting, horses' limbs driving forward and forward once more. Their destination – the French encampment at the Ebro – was perhaps two leagues away. A normal journey might take them a good hour and a half, though the group's almost carnal need to keep moving without stopping would have them there in maybe two thirds that. Horses pushed through searing pain that echoed mercilessly through tired muscles while the five men rode on past heat exhaustion and sores under their minimal armour.

"My lord," one of the riders – Geoffrey, the Angevin incumbent Mayor of Paris – broke the silent monotony of the horses' hooves on gravel. "We haven't seen any Moslems for the best part of a league, now; perhaps now would be a good chance to stop and give our horses a rest? There's a decent sized pool just a few yards to our west."

Philippe slowed his horse to a brisk canter, signalling back for his entourage to do the same. The king turned to face the Angevin:

"And you would have us suffer that fate?"

Geoffrey stood confused, nonplussed at his liege's choleric outburst.

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

By this time the horses had slowed to a complete stop.

"Do you really propose that we stop here?" The Angevin was silent. "Well? By God! You're meant to be one of my best military men, Geoffrey! Take a look around you, and tell me what you see."

"Well," Geoffrey stammered, finding his voice, "I see a valley to our south. In front of us lies a pool, maybe 20 yards across, which itself lies in a plateau with cliffs on all but one side. Very defensible, but not ideal if one wishes to flee from a sudden attack."

Something about the matter-of-fact way in which Geoffrey spoke unnerved Philippe. He instinctively began looking towards the exit path. Indeed, one would be hard-pressed to overcome a defence set up there. The path was thin; just wide enough for a large horse to pass through comfortably. On each side, an imposing cliff rose up to touch the sky, bright blue against the jaundiced beige of the rock. As the king looked closer, he could pick out small caves in the rock. Perfect for an ambush, he mused darkly.

"And I see one more thing, my lord."

Philippe spun back to face the Angevin.

"Pray, sir; what would that be?"

Geoffrey's eyes glistened slightly in the high noon sun. A short burst of wind came down from the cliff tops and ruffled his hair, sweeping a matted swath of black across the top of his head. He smiled.

"I see a king about to die."

Suddenly, a hail of arrows burst forth from the cracks in the cliff, covering the sky in a blanket of deep grey. Philippe drew his sword instinctively and spurred his horse into action, still shaking himself out of his state if shock. The arrows landed with metallic thumping sounds as their heads buried themselves in the dusty ground. One clipped Gaucelin's arm, causing him to recoil and kick his steed into a state of activity.

"What in God's name is going on, Geoffrey?" the king demanded of his mayor, who stood defiantly nonchalant amidst the receding hail of silver.

"Your House has grown fat off the toil and blood of the French for too many years now, Philippe. My associates and I believe a regime change is in order."

"You petulant piece of horse-shit! How dare you challenge my House! It is God's will that we still inhabit our sacred throne."

Geoffrey was still unmoving.

"Even God makes mistakes."

Philippe didn't even flinch as the arrowhead punctured the skin of his neck, slicing a cleft in his jugular vein from which rose small arcs of red. He crumpled to the floor in one final movement, his sheened eyes staring out accusatively at Geoffrey, watching as he fell to the ground in a dusty, lifeless pool of blood, which had already begun to congeal in the intense afternoon sun.

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A romantic depiction of Philippe's death, painted in the 1840s.​


To be continued...​
 
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Why is the old guy in the painting stroking his groin with his sword? :p (Sorry, sorry)

Okay, so we have an ambush in the Spanish March of France, but who is this King Philippe? I just re-read the previous two updates and I did not see any reference to Philippe in them - I thought we had just moved to Eudes? :)

Despite my overall confusion, the update is well-written and shows a nicely conceived assassination. Seems you have a fondness of archers as the bringers of death. ;)
 
Stuyvesant said:
Why is the old guy in the painting stroking his groin with his sword? :p (Sorry, sorry)

Okay, so we have an ambush in the Spanish March of France, but who is this King Philippe? I just re-read the previous two updates and I did not see any reference to Philippe in them - I thought we had just moved to Eudes? :)

Despite my overall confusion, the update is well-written and shows a nicely conceived assassination. Seems you have a fondness of archers as the bringers of death. ;)
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Philippe is (or was) Philippe I – as in, the guy who France in 1066. We've essentially gone back to the beginning of the two history book updates, and reliving them in narrative form. I probably should've mentioned that somewhere... ;)

Glad you enjoyed the update, in any case. You know how F. Scott Fitzgerald used yellow as a colour of death in Gatsby? Well, I can assure you that I didn't put half as much thought into the matter as he did, and archers being used twice is a nice coincidence. They're a good way to assassinate someone, if we're going to be morbid. One person distracts the victim, then an unseen bowman finishes him off from behind a tree or something. Perfect! :p


In other news, NaNoWriMo has started again, which actually means that I've been writing this for a year now. (On Wednesday, this thread will be one year old. Where did that time go?) I also means that I'll be writing with a bit more speed and intensity, so I'll be better positioned to update more frequently. Hopefully we can drive the story along a good way before Christmas.
 
It is sad that Philippe died, so sad. Though the death was... well, sudden? But then again, surprise surprise :)

Also this AAR is 1 year old today! Woho celebrations! Let's go watch blackadder shall we? ;)

And have fun with NaNoWriMo :)
 
5.43: Brewing Troubles

Chapter Forty-Three​

The three riders wasted no time. The first drops of blood had barely escaped Philippe's wound before a dozen hooves began churning up dust, almost as if creating a shroud to cover the fallen king. Rocks and cliffs merged into a hazy dirt colour as the riders sped past at full gallop. The horses were all too willing to comply, all of the recalcitrance of the early afternoon gone, the absence filled with a panicked urgency. It was almost as if even the beasts knew something evil had occurred that day. The alarmed chaos of the journey down the cliffs towards the river – glowing an imposing crimson in the evening sun – did little to dispell such impressions.

It was well into the evening before the party reached the French encampment. A few soldiers gathered around the camp's periphery stopped in their business as they heard the clatter of horn on hard stone that carried far through the valley. The hollow thuds echoed over the excited chatter of the men sat drinking and talking around vast fire pits that sent wisps of heavy smoke up into the reddening sky, hammering out a foreboding, underlying beat in a strict martellato, almost as if the drums of war themselves were approaching.


A stout man exited the command tent. He stood just over five feet tall, and was ruddy of face, half of which was obscured by a sharp, wandering moustache, with greasy matted hair that had spent far too long underneath heavy helmets falling about his shoulders in small clumps. He turned to a young boy standing aimlessly to his left.

"You there, boy! does the king's party approach?" With each plosive sound, glittering flecks spittle burst out from behind a row of yellowing teeth.

"Indeed it does, my lord," the boy stammered slightly, crouching a small amount subconsciously as if to hide from the red-faced beast of a man before him.

"Good!" all at once he assumed a more jovial manner. "See to it that a small party is assembled to greet His Majesty."

"Of course, my lord." The older man patted the boy firmly on the back, jolting him forward. The lad ran off into the camp as fast as his undeveloped legs would carry him.


Gaucelin headed the trio as the horses approached the dirt track towards that led the camp. He began to slow his horse to a gradual stop, giving the signal to his fellow riders to do the same. All three men were tired and sore from the hard ride, though adrenaline had ensured none of them had noticed until they stopped. Gaucelin turned in his saddle to face his companions, his face caked in dust and dried sweat.

"They've assembled a party to greet us," he began breathlessly. "I imagine they've already spotted there are only three of us, but we'll no doubt have to explain everything anyway. Leave that to me. I don't know how I'll find the words to truly explain what occurred this afternoon. I doubt we ever will, though I must tell them something." The two men nodded silently. The taller of the two opened his mouth to reply.

"Do you wish for us to accompany you, Gaucelin, or shall we make ourselves useful?" The speaker had a ragged blond beard and equally dishevelled hair, buffetted into a tangled mess by the wind. Gaucelin thought for a moment.

"Both come with me. Once we've finished explaining, Robert," he turned to face the third knight, a shorter, heavy-set man with a heartily weathered face, "you go and find a way to get a letter to Paris. Henri, you stay with me." The two men nodded, though Gaucelin had already begun towards the camp.

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"Gaucelin begun towards the camp."​

The sound of the twelve hooves upon the dirt track was muffled now, the aggressive martellato reduced to a sombre clattering of percussive beats. Gaucelin signalled for the trio to slow once again, the three horses now barely moving at a regular walking pace.

"Hail fellow!" shouted a member of the welcoming party, only ten yards away from Gaucelin and his companions. At this distance, Gaucelin was able to watch as the looks of confusion, and then panic, spread across the faces of those assembled.

"Ho there!" the knight called in reply. He stopped his horse short of the party and let his fellow riders do the same. Almost in unison, they dismounted, leading their horses behind them as they walked towards the group.

Gaucelin studied their apparent leader – the man who had hailed him brightly only a minute before – as his features became transfixed with worry. He was stout and ruddy, with a dishevelled moustache sitting almost too comfortably over his stretched, thin mouth. Before the three dusty riders, gaunt with tiredness, he looked ridiculous with his polished armour and full, fat face, and the anxiety across his face only served to exaggerate this. The stout man continued.

"My lord..." he wavered. Gaucelin sensed the query in his tone.

"Gaucelin. Gaucelin de Gency," he explained patiently.

"My lord Gaucelin," the man was clearly not one for formalities, straining himself even to address the dirty rider before him as 'my lord'. "What of His Majesty?" The question was tainted with a hint of optimism.

The riders instinctively stiffened as Gaucelin prepared to reply, sensing the oncoming trouble.

"My lords," Gaucelin began, "gentlemen; the king is dead." As the news dissipated through the crowd, which had swelled since the horsemen's arrival, Gaucelin rose his voice to continue over the crescendoing confused chatter. "He was assailed by Geoffrey de Meudon, who was working in collusion with Moslem brigands."

"Where is he? Let's hang the bastard by his knackers!" came a lone cry over the excitement. Gaucelin guessed that the speaker was maybe only a few years out of puberty. He was quickly shouted down.

"De Meudon took his own life after committing the vile act." Gaucelin began again in an attempt to wrest some control over the situation. Derogatory cries spewed forth from the crowd once again, whose collective choler was steadily rising. "His Moslem accomplices were never seen, and cannot be traced."

"Nonsense!" an older man with defined features interjected. "We could have them in mere hours if we sent scouts out!" Gaucelin placed his hand on the pommel of his sword, sheathed at his hip, before answering.

"No, by God, we will not be sending out any parties." The ragged group of soldiers before him showed no signs of calming, the noise still rising. "Enough!" Gaucelin bellowed, his voice echoing over the camp and charging through the afternoon air. As the cry receded, quiet swept over the group. Gaucelin continued his tirade:

"Should any man here see fit to seek vengeance for de Meudon's acts let it be known that he shall be strung up from the nearest tree like the murderer he is." He paused and calmed himself. "You all know as well as I do that the events of today have the gravity to bring turmoil to this country. We must act with prudence." A few murmurs of agreement emanated from the crowd.

"Damn prudence!" A lone, enraged cry erupted from the stillness. "These Moslems must be held to pay for their treachery!" The speaker was a tall gentleman, around thirty, with coarse dark blond hair. He stood, chest puffed out slightly and legs apart as if some brash thespian seeking to incite hate amongst a crowd of theatregoers. Gaucelin tightened his grip on his sword, though the speaker showed no signs of relenting.

"We cannot stand by and watch the deaths of kings. All those loyal to the crown, join with me! Let us exact our revenge!"


To be continued...​
 
Hmm... Color me deeply suspicious about Gaucelin and his cohorts. First, Geoffrey the Angevin arranges for Philippe's assassination. Next thing we know, three riders (missing the all-important Geoffrey) show up at the camp, with a very neat narrative about how the King was slain and the main witness apparently dead. Oh, and the 'muslims' who fired the arrows can't be found, period.

This reeks to high heaven of a conspiracy theory - Geoffrey, Gaucelin and co. killed the King, and then Gaucelin had Geoffrey killed to serve as a patsy, neatly erasing all traces of his own involvement.

Note also how none of the four companions of the King acted at all when the King was killed - or how none of them were apparently threatened by the bowmen shooting from the book depository the caves.

Murder most horrid, a conspiracy most foul.
 
Oh man, I have seen this AAR so many times and finally worked up the courage to read it (and, over the prevailing couple hours, neglect the hell out of my studies) and I'm really glad I did. It's a phenomenal achievement, and I'm glad you kept it going throughout. And while it's likely easier to follow shifts in the story when you read it in one sitting, I for one have had no problem tracking the various POVs/time periods.
 
Derahan said:
And so it begins, revenge is never good but it sure will make good ground for a good plot, i'm exited to see what happens in the near future :)
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Believe me, so am I.

Stuyvesant said:
Hmm... Color me deeply suspicious about Gaucelin and his cohorts. First, Geoffrey the Angevin arranges for Philippe's assassination. Next thing we know, three riders (missing the all-important Geoffrey) show up at the camp, with a very neat narrative about how the King was slain and the main witness apparently dead. Oh, and the 'muslims' who fired the arrows can't be found, period.

This reeks to high heaven of a conspiracy theory - Geoffrey, Gaucelin and co. killed the King, and then Gaucelin had Geoffrey killed to serve as a patsy, neatly erasing all traces of his own involvement.

Note also how none of the four companions of the King acted at all when the King was killed - or how none of them were apparently threatened by the bowmen shooting from the book depository the caves.

Murder most horrid, a conspiracy most foul.
Click to expand...

Either that, or a terribly sloppy plot. :p

There will be interesting developments with this story line. As you will recall from our history (which, as you will find out, may not have been all too accurate) this is really the moment where French history (and Carolingian history) changes drastically, so I thought I'd at least try and do it justice.

verdas said:
Oh man, I have seen this AAR so many times and finally worked up the courage to read it (and, over the prevailing couple hours, neglect the hell out of my studies) and I'm really glad I did. It's a phenomenal achievement, and I'm glad you kept it going throughout. And while it's likely easier to follow shifts in the story when you read it in one sitting, I for one have had no problem tracking the various POVs/time periods.
Click to expand...

Wow! Thanks! It's not every day one hears praise like that. I can't see this ending for at least another year, so hoepfully you'll stay with me for some, if not all, of the ride ahead.


NaNoWriMo hasn't been going as well as I'd have hoped, so progress on the next update sadly remains slow. That said, I've rediscovered a lot of the initial verve in this project, so writing is once again becoming an altogether easier process. Hoepfully I'll have something up some time next week, other commitments notwithstanding.
 
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