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November 1st, Year of Our Lord 1339

Naturally my return to Nantes was somewhat subdued. The news of the Duke's death has obviously detracted from the celebratory mood that accompanied the victory over France; amongst the nobility naturally, the peasantry remain oblivious to all but the drudgery of their pathetic lives. That this sad event should be followed so closely by the equally unfortunate and accidental death of his wife and infant son is deeply tragic. There shall naturally be a lengthy period of mourning as we recall the sacrifices of the brave Duke during his brief tenure. Of course this will make the circumstances of Countess... Duchess Jeanne's formal assumption of the ducal title somewhat sombre but that can hardly be avoided given the measures taken to arrive at this point. I must admit that Jeanne's attitude has been impressively stoic throughout this ordeal - the woman plots as well as any and is not prone to hysteria. All in all I suspect that she will make a fine Duchess... with the correct guidance of course

For now though it is essential that the legitimacy of the new Duchess is firmly enshrined in the minds of the populace; there can be no question that she is the rightful ruler of all Brittany. To this end I have decided on a grand public ceremony to inaugurate our new liege. Tradition dictates that the new duke/duchess merely assumes the ducal chair and pays homage to their lord. Now that Valois suzerainty is no longer we can contemplate something grander. A formal coronation in the cathedral of Nantes would probably be too extravagant but I do want to involve the Bishop de Donges in the ceremony somehow. As the sole remaining vassal lord his support must be visible to the lesser nobles... yet I cannot place him in a position where he can speak his madness. It is good that I have these trivial issues to occupy my attention but I do lament being unable to spend more time with the fair Countess, she has been somewhat distant in demeanour since my return from the wars

November 15th, Year of Our Lord 1339

Preparations for the ceremony continue apace (it is now provisionally dated for the winter solitce) but I have left many of the minor details to Stewardess Jeanne. The poor woman continues to mourn the death of her husband and with the anniversary of his death looming I feel that she will benefit from the distraction of labour. As for myself, my own duties as Chancellor increasingly demand attention. In particular I have been monitoring the disintegration of France with a certain glee and have been considering carefully which party would serve as the best ally when Brittany re-enters the war. Already I have been approached by a number of powers with the same motive in mind. I was close to accepting the proposal of Peter I of Aragon until rumour reached me that he was merely looking for partners in crusading. Why travel across the world to combat Saracens when I have plenty of foes close to home?

I have been led to believe that Louis de Bourbon has withdrawn his armies from the royal host and is considering pursuing the course of independence. If so he would make a sterling ally. In order to embolden him I have already despatched informal assurances that should he revolt then Brittany shall quickly assist in war with Paris. I am aware that the Duchess Jeanne is unwilling to take to campaigning before next year's harvest but she will surely listen to the voice of experience in such matters. For while the fortunes of de Valois may currently run low, with over half his kingdom in open revolt, who is to say that they will not recover? No, the best time to deal with a foe is when he is already on the verge of defeat

December 3rd, Year of Our Lord 1339

All is in readiness for the grand ceremony tomorrow and I confess that sleep eludes me as the occasion approaches. By establishing Jeanne de Dreux as the undisputed Duchess I will have taken a significant step towards escaping this miserable backwater and visiting my vengeance upon de Valois. Even now the regiments of Brittany recoup their strength in preparation for a new year of campaigning as the royalist armies dwindle in the face of increasing revolt. Every week seems to bring new converts to the rebel cause and, despite the defeat of Flanders at Pays de France, the days of Valois rule are surely numbered. I will not place a date on my return to Paris for fear of building over-optimistic expectations... but I shall be disappointed if it is not a matter of mere months. It truly will be a wonder to return to lands were one may experience more than a dozen days of sun in a year and the locals speak a tongue that is more than mere grunts and curses. Ah... my return to civilisation shall be sweet indeed

It is such thoughts that warm my bones on such cold nights and they are more comforting than blankets in warding off the draughts that rattle through this old keep. I have no doubt that lesser men would have given into the despair that pervades this blighted region yet I have endured in the face of all adversity. The comforts of life in Paris will indeed seem strange after my ordeal in Brittany. The knowledge that the fair Jeanne will not be accompanying me is of course a disappointment but I would not remain in Brittany even if the Lord Himself commanded it. Perhaps I can obtain some form of commission to represent the duchy abroad... a nice allowance would make life all the sweeter
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So this was our penultimate update. All going well we should learn of Jacques' fate next week. I've enjoyed writing these last few updates but I'm still eager to put this to bed and kick start my new project close

I hope the graphic at the bottom is working. In case you're not able to tell its as if Jacques was suddenly violently disturbed while writing... hence the update tapering off in a scrawl

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stnylan: Again you're good at reading Jacques. This was uncomfortably different from shadowy murders or passion in battle. And no doubt he didn't really hate the Marshal. All combined its an unusual cocktail of remorse for Jacques, but then he's able to put such trifling matters behind him

JimboIX: The road to hell and all that. That said, every murder ever committed has no doubt been justified by good intentions at some point

RGB: Good assassins are expensive. And hard to find when on campaign. Of course back in Nantes...

Kurt_Steiner: Exactly. People might think you're a traitor but they'll be too afraid/smart to say it openly ;)

Olaus Petrus: That's the right (medieval) attitude! :D

CCA: I did once think about taking the AAR in that direction but in the end decided otherwise. Besides, Jacques really hates Brittany
 
Ahh, intriguing!

I look forward to the moment of revelation :)
 
Is that Bolivar?
 
How dramatic. It would appear Jacques missed something. Bolivar and Napoleon have been taken. I'll go Santa Anna.
 
Oh and now I read the update.

Jacques is feeling optimistic, but I fear in vain. Are Valois days numbered? Hmm...

EDIT: Thanks for explaining what the picture means.
 
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I'm sad to hear that our noble d'Artois is going to leave us. I have enjoyed to read stories about him. Hopefully that violent disurbance wasn't anything serious, like sword in lungs.
 
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December 4th, Year of Our Lord 1339

Ye gods what a miserable few hours. As I rest here on an uncomfortable bunk in a dingy ship cabin I can only wonder as to where everything went wrong. Yesterday I was savouring the prospect of victory over de Valois and yet today I find myself forcibly installed on a decrepit merchant ship destined for the Holy Land. In truth this is not a difficult question to answer - events can be said to have escaped my control at the moment I was despatched into unconsciousness by unseen figures. Clearly I was incorrect previously, the most opportune moment in which to strike down a foe is not when he is already defeated but when he is blinded by victory. Alternatively, when he is huddled over a candle committing his thoughts to parchment and too engrossed to hear the assassins creep through the room behind him. Apparently this is a novel way for one to take the cross and I now find myself comprising, in its entirety, the Breton contingent on the Aragonese crusade to the Holy Land

All the more bewildering is just why I have been subjected to such treatment. Not once did I receive an inkling that Jeanne de Dreux was planning such a fate for me. Indeed in all probability it would not have occurred to me to accuse her fairness if not for the brief note that she despatched me into my second exile with. In hindsight it would have been fitting to record its contents on these pages... but I threw her missive to the waves in disgust after reading it. It gave no insight into her reasoning but simply thanked me for my service to the duchy and informed me of the 'honour' of representing Brittany in Peter I's crusade. I know of few honours that are granted by sending assassins to knock one unconscious and passing them to a merchant caravan/ship destined for some remote corner of the world. To my mind this more resembles exile... and I know well!

My original exile from the royal court for that (alleged) crime against de Valois was understandable, if the punishment grossly disproportionate to the offence, but I am puzzled as to the cause for this second exile. There was little clue of motive in de Dreux's note, she merely stated that my 'agenda' was detrimental to the duchy and her position. Or some similar nonsense. I can only summarise that either Jean de Valois or de Pontchâteau, more likely the former, has bent her female mind and poisoned her against me. No doubt de Pontchâteau will make a much more supine Chancellor as he leads Brittany to disaster. Most worryingly of all, many pages of this very journal are newly creased and wrinkled; I suspect that eyes other than mine have perused its pages during my recent unconscious hours. Now there is a thought that disturbs. What if Jeanne has read my thoughts of the past three years? If so I am lucky to be alive at all

Regardless, it is a difficult thing to look back and witness how far the mighty have fallen. Mere days (hours!) ago I was eagerly anticipating a triumphant return to the Pays de France yet now my expectations extend no further than avoiding choking to death on sand while being run through by a filthy Saracen. This assumes naturally that I survive the journey on this miserable vessel... the waves do rise and fall most alarmingly. Again, the cruel Fates toy with my destiny and I can do naught but struggle against their intrigues and plays. Triumph was within my grasp and yet it has been suddenly pulled from these very fingers - this vessel carries me further and further from a collapsing France and a surely defeated Jean de Valois. Who would argue that my deserved victory has been stolen from me? And by a woman no less!

Bah, to the hells with such thoughts. My cabin is dark enough without such wallowing in self-pity. I was cast into the despair of Brittany and yet I came close, so very close, to glorious escape. My actions may well have brought a kingdom to its knees and cost the mightiest king in all of Christendom his crown. Ultimate failure cannot disguise how events danced to my tune until I was brung low by a woman. Granted, I no longer possess a position of influence in one of the largest duchies of the kingdom but I still have confidence in my own god-given abilities. Perhaps I can convince the captain to put me ashore in some civilised land before we reach the Levant? Or can his men be persuaded to mutiny? Is there some way to contact de Ufford in England? No doubt I can slip away when we dock to take on supplies during the voyage? In any event I think it best to abstain from recording my thoughts on these pages. Aside from trouble already caused by this journal falling into the wrong hands, I shall let it be record of my misery in Brittany and not influence my undoubtedly bright future

I am struck by a sudden final thought... if all else does fail then at least I can be guaranteed much pleasant sun and warmth in the Holy Land. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Adieu
Jacques d'Artois
 
Well there you have it. Its taken almost a year and a half but Jacques' time in Brittany has finally come to an end. Looking back I can't say that I'm particularly happy with this AAR or how it turned out but it was fun to write and an invaluable learning experience. So thank you all for reading and posting feedback throughout this whole drawn out adventure

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asd21593: In hindsight it was probably not a good time to stage a preview. You were close though - its the 'Napoleon of the West', Santa Anna of Mexico. Well done to JimboIX!

stnylan: I do hope the 'moment of revelation' came off well. That was probably the most difficult scene to pull off in that diary format

JimboIX: Well he certainly missed something alright. I'd liked to have made it more obvious as to what was going to occur but part of the problem with keeping the pace cracking along with battle/campaign updates is that I didn't/couldn't devote the time needed to flesh out court intrigues

And well done on guessing Santa Anna :)

RGB: The graphic is one of those things that didn't work out as well as I'd imagined. I fiddled around a bit before just doing a basic scrawl out of frustration and leaving an explanation to keep my slower readers ( ;) ) up to speed

Olaus Petrus: Thanks Olaus. You've been one of the few readers following from the beginning (not to ignore the others who also made it to the end) and your feedback and comments have always been very appreciated
 
Well, let's hope he finds glory in the Holy Land. It's a good opportunity to become a noble and rich man. You could continue, if you want to...
 
And despite everything Jacques stays true to form.

Scheming until the end. Excellent conclusion.

:D

Santa Anna - sounds fun.
 
A most excellent conclusion to the AAR.

One of the most compelling things about this AAR has been how Jacques' character has been built up through his writing. Even now, in this final entry, it is their to full. A man so obssessed with himself he does not understand how he might have earned Jeanne's enmity. After all, he only backed her enemy for the ducal title. What is that to hold against a man? It is Jacques perfectly captured.

I think therefore you can be well pleased with this piece of work. I think also it is a work in which you can see growth of your abilities as a writer too - the characterisation in particular is noticeably more advanced later on. I hope that has been part of the learning experience.

All in all it has been a pleasure to read. I am glad I was able to catch it from the beginning and read it through to the end. I look forward to any future projects :)
 
We shall miss Jacques, truly. Well done, and a very fitting end with Jacques yet again being exiled.
 
Ah, farewell, Jacques! May you find fame, fortune…and new ways to have your goals escape your grasp.

Nice work, C.O.!
 
If Jerusalem had a king Guy, why not a king Jacques? :D