-----
October 17th, Year of Our Lord 1338
It has not been a good day. News from abroad continues to depress my temper and troubles flock to me like ravens. The metaphor is apt as the current dilemma has arisen from the carrion strewn battlefields of Aquitaine. If my reports are correct, and I have no reason to suspect otherwise, then Jean de Valois's summer of campaigning has been most successful. The remaining English armies in the region have been scattered, reduced to roving bands engaged in banditry, and the armies of the Crown have begun to invest the fortifications at Bordeaux. The city may have already fallen by the time I write this.
I will admit, here in the confidence of myself, that I did not foresee this string of French victories. The lieutenants of Edward Plantagenet are clearly not as able as their master and they have squandered their opportunity for success. Now the initiative lies with the French Crown and the position of the Valois amongst the Frankish lords is greatly strengthened by victories on the battlefield. Bah, I must not wallow in opportunities lost. It is my duty, nominally at least, to look forward to the future and advise the Duke de Dreux of the best course of action.
This is the burden that has soured my mood and my appetite this day. For I know in my heart what avenue I must instruct the Duke to take. It is inevitable that with victory secure in the south the King will turn his attention to the north… and Brittany. I have many issues with Jean de Valois, not least his cur-like personality, but he is not a complete imbecile. He must surely know that he occupies a position of commanding strength and that there is no better time to discipline errant vassals. De Dreux has no choice but to make his peace with Valois and commit to the King's cause. How sickening.
October 25th, Year of Our Lord 1338
The inevitable has occurred and Jean de Valois has officially demanded the active participation of Duke de Dreux in the war against the English. The royal missive was delivered by an imperious herald, some dim-witted youth who I vaguely recall from my time in the royal court, whose arrogant manner when addressing the Duke was appalling. I am not certain as to whether this attitude was the result of the boy's imprudence or a deliberate attempt by Valois to provoke Brittany. Given the contents of the message I suspect the latter. In short, the King of the Franks
demands that the Duke of Brittany immediately act to fulfil his feudal obligations by contributing men and currency to the royal campaigns. All in all it is much as expected but the language of the missive is more strident than I had anticipated. That is interesting in itself…
Regardless of the language, the content of the "summons" cannot be ignored - further delays will not be tolerated by the Crown. I have already taken the highly unpleasant step of counselling the Duke to accept these demands and enter the war on the behalf of France. At this stage there is little fighting left, until the spring at least, but the act itself will be highly symbolic. It will also mean abandoning those profitable little ventures with the English, de Ufford will not be pleased to hear of that, but such sacrifices are preferable to waking up to find fifty thousand French soldiers assaulting the keep. Could it have been any different? Bah. C'est la vie.
November 14th, Year of Our Lord 1338
Preparations for war continue apace. This is not the first time in the past two years that Brittany has gone about the motions of mobilisation but, alas, there is now the sense that war is inevitable. Steward Jeanne and the Marshal busy themselves with the details and challenges associated with assembling and supplying thousands of men-at-arms (worryingly these are largely Bretons) but I have little to occupy my mind. Despatches to London have already been sent, with great reluctance, indicating that English soldiers and ships will no longer be granted safe passage or harbour in Brittany. It was with even greater reluctance that I addressed a letter, in the Duke's name of course, to Jean de Valois informing him that the Duchy was willing to submit… commit to his campaigns. Aside from this I have been left behind as the keep occupies itself in a storm of activity and general business related to mobilisation.
Despite the activity, there is precious little appetite amongst the nobility for a campaign against England and neither the Duke nor the Marshal is eager to leave the duchy and assume control of the expedition. Both are presented with a dilemma of no small consequence - leading the Breton contingent in the King's army presents the opportunity for martial glory but at the risk of leaving their rival free hand at home. I suspect that both men will accompany the host, even though such divisions cannot help on the battlefield, and I shall perhaps be left in peace in Nantes. Of course there is no honour in remaining with the women in the castle, but there is also no danger of being stabbed (unless the ever-envious Hélie de Pontchâteau also remains) or dying of dysentery in a ditch. Avoiding either fate would please me greatly.
December 16th, Year of Our Lord 1338
The details have been finalised and the required missives dispatched - the armies of Brittany will mass in late January and march south to join the King's campaign in the first weeks of spring. I
still lack word from the Bishop of Cornouaille, his return from pilgrimage in Rome being long overdue, but agreement has been secured from his court to mobilise the nobility of that backward province. This army shall be tasked with guarding the coast in the, unlikely, case of any English incursions or raids. The continuing tensions over the succession make it impossible to entrust this duty to the army of Penthievre… the Marshal would never tolerate Countess Jeanne maintaining the sole military presence in Brittany. I have already received communication from the latter indicating that she will join the host in person and is already en route to Nantes to discuss the campaign in person. Tomorrow the Duke and Marshal ride north to formally greet the fair Countess and escort her into Nantes. That is likely to be an… interesting meeting.