- ARCHIVE - Royal Court of Navarra

[Ebusitanus]

COURT OF THE KINGDOM OF NAVARRA

These are the lands that fall under the fair rule of our enlighted Lord King Joan I, husband of Blanca of Navarra, rightful heir to the throne.


King Joan I, second son of King Fernando I de Antequera and Leonor Urraca of Castilla, was born at Medina del Campo (Castilla) in 1398.
Throughout 1415 to 1416 he represented his father as Governor of Sicilly and Sardinia. Back home he helped his brother, The King, Alfonso V El Magnanim of Aragon in his troubles with Castilla by Alvaro de Luna.
In 1419 he got married with Blanca of Navarra, daughter of Carlos III El Noble, widow of Martín El Joven. This marriage made him King of Navarra.

Our beloved King, Joan I of Navarra.


Queen Blanca of Navarra.


Prince Carlos de Viana, son of Joan and Blanca


Blanca de Navarra, daughter of Joan and Blanca


Leonor de Navarra, daughter of Joan and blanca

[Ebusitanus]

Some views of the Royal Castle of Olite from where the Realm is being ruled and where ambassadors might come.



Some mixed images of Navarra, that goes from the high mountain peaks of the green Pirinees to the cultivated flat lands of Castille.


King Joan, like his brother, indulges in his free time to walk in his gardens and enjoy the sweet tunes of the vihuela.
His Aragonese blood propells him to act as a mecenas for art and science which find a ready home in his Court.
Having been captivated by the toubadoresque spirit of the Langedoc, no few of them dwell amongst the nobles in his palace, propelling philosphical thought and discussion in the inviting freshness of Olite´s gardens.

[Ebusitanus]

Stats

Nation: Navarra
Head of State: King Joan I of Navarre
Player: Ebusitanus
Religion: Catholic
Culture: Basque, Iberian, French
Stats: 1/0/3/4/2 --> [1/0/3/4/2]
Provinces: 2
Ports: 0
Owned: Navarra, Bearn



[COLOR=sky blue]Representatives in the Royal Castle of Olite[/color]

Friar Thomas Kahn from Cologne


[COLOR=sky blue]Representatives from Navarra[/color]

Count Don Onesimo Redondo at the Ducal Court of Aquitaine

Don Gonzalo de Iturbe at the Royal Court of Portugal

Don Guzman de Ezquerra at the Royal Court of Castilla

[Ebusitanus]

Court Open for Business!


Relaxing Choice of Aragonese Vihuela play

[Ebusitanus]

A slight fog hung over the still sleeping Valencia when Joan rode with his convoy out of the Castle´s doors.
The King was sunken in his own thoughts and a weary shade clung to his hard face while his beautiful white mare slowly went over the uneven cobbled street. The sound of the heavily laden carts and the rest of riding entourage on this ground was impressive, yet Joan knew from his long Campaigning years with his brother and father that soon he would get used to it and not even notice it. He couldn´t help but look to the ground and see how his convoy was going through the same street that he stood yesterday with his daughter when receiving the Duke of Bremen and his young son. The flowers were still there, being now trappled by not so noble feet and hoofs.

Blanca, had he done right? How many fathers asked themselves this question when in the same situation? She was so young and delicate. Still so, older than this German noble kid that rode so proudly yet to awkward on that horse.
The idea of loosing her to some far distant Court made him have mixed feelings about State interest and fatherly love.

Then there was Blanca, his beloved wife, whom he had not seen for at least four or five months.
Now she laid ill in her father´s proud Castle of Oilte. Too selfish he had been in the last years, always from one Court to another, from one battlefield to another...everywhere but in his, her Kingdom.
When one that had been born in the wast land expanses of Castille, raised in the cosmopolitan court of Aragon and lived most of his life with the Mediterranean Sea under him, from one Island to the next, one might find the relatively small Navarra as almost as a too tight tie on one´s neck.
Blanca had been always more than eager to take care of her father´s inheritance and acted like a true Queen while he was away. He did indeed feel very proud of his wife´s endurance and character. Carlos his son had clearly taken much from her strong soul, Joan was sure he would make one day a great King of men.
He had a quick thought, that he equaly quickly dismissed, about taking Carlos with him to see his mother once again, but he surely would have time this comming winter, now his studies and royal formation within the Aragonese court were more important.

Some miles out of the city with the morning already rising he fashioned to look behind him, seeing the long caravan of carts and horsemen throwing up a dusty cloud. It was still early and one had a hard time making way with all the merchants bringing their ware to the city markets trying to pass the other way and creating a sort of a circulation chaos when confronted with his regal convoy, trying to get out of the way to fast only to land in the roadside water drains with great oaths.
He thought again about his daughter and how he had to console her yesterday night after the banquet took place and both had some time left to be in each other´s arms.

Do not worry yourself Blanca, Mary will take good care of you and such arangements do certainly take some time, I might also be back by then and ride with you to Bremen, a place I have never seen myself. In any event you still have to get to know this guy a bit and I bet that if he is half of the man his father seems to be, that you will find a good husband and friend in him.

She smiled at him then and went to sleep peacefully with her head on his lap while he went through her silky hair looking absently into the carcking fireplace.

A sudden commotion ahead of him made him come back to reality. A horse had thrown its rider and was trashing wildly amongst some desperate men at arms who were trying to get a hold of its bridle. By that the personal phisician of Joan, Don Riera, came riding up to place himself at the same level and spoke to the King.

We are still a week away from Navarra and this is already the third time we get delayed by these amateur riders we have brought along

Joan looked up to him and answered
Those men are very promissing first sons of aragonese nobles. They are to see a bit of the inland too. Its not like the whole world is only to be reached from the top of a Galley, isn´t it?
We need them to see as much world as it is possible, that only has made Aragon as mighty and cosmopolitan as it already is.
We are way to focused on the Mediterranean and should not forget about the rest of the peninsula.

By the way my dear Riera, I do hope that with our hastly departure from the Court you would have forgotten any of your ill smelling potions and salbes, God knows what cursed oniments you use to make those. My dear Queen will need the best services you can provide and I do place great hopes in your science

Having cleared the last problems, the convoy after a week march made an official stop by the old Kingdom´s Capitol in Zarragoza, where Joan made every effort to meet with the local nobilty who were never to happy to loose its Capitol status, moreinover when the whole name of Aragon came from the very lands surrounding this city.
A mandatory banquet sent the tired King afterwards stright to the old royal chambers to rest his, from riding, sore underbelly.

[Wulfram]

A knight in the service of Aquitaine delivers a letter to the Navarran court, asking that it be sent on to the King

"Gracious King, I thank you for your letter. I myself had planned to soon renew my contacts with my neighbours, so your letter was particularly gratifying.

I would also wish to do mutually beneficial business between us. Perhaps you have some specific proposals?

I do indeed enjoy the hunt greatly, and would be most honoured to meet your Majesty. We shall certainly have to arrange a meeting, when time permit. Presently, I fear, I must make ready for war however, for the King of Scotland has unchivalrously rebelled against my King while he was indisposed, and my family has ever been in forefront of the warfare on that border.

Henry, Duke of Aquitaine and 2nd Earl of Northumberland"

[Ebusitanus]

King Joan, was pleasantly surprised by the quickness of the Duke´s answer to his letter and while shifting through some other recent mail that had caught up with him on his three day stop-over at Zaragoza, he monitored the English Knight to follow him while walking to the long Cart Caravan that was getting ready to leave for its last leg to Navarra.

Dear Sir, I am truly sorry that I have missed your name but I asure you that I am quite happy with the news you have brought to me.
You might want to choose to tag along with our entourage north, since most of the way we will be taking the same road that leads you back to your Lord. In case of you agreeing to it I shall get a fresh horse for you ready and some decent supplies.

While I still have no concrete idea of what might be of interest to your Lord regarding trade, I could foresee some advantages of using my mountain passes to sell your products throughout Iberian and some agreeable advantages for Aragonese Import export if my dear brother Alfons would have no problem on that issue.
On your Duke´s call to arms against rebel vassalls, I do, pray to God, fully understand such noble impulses since my own brother is dealing with something quite close in South Italy.
To bad that this would mean pushing to the future some nice hunt since the summer is almost over and winter can be quite harsh in your lands like in mine.

Something I have been quite interested since the old Federation wars against the deceiving french, is to study the possibility of training my militias in the most excellent art of English archery. As you might understand, our troops are powerful but very much specialitzed in naval warfare.
So, what you say?

With that said the King climbed gracefully on his white mare and with a quick handsignal to the vigilant attendants made it clear that the treck was to depart.

[Archeolooginspe]

*a franciscan friar, Thomas Kahn, arrives in Olite and brings a letter with him which he gives to the Heralt of the court*

Oh noble Christian Queen and King,

We've send this letter and ambassador to open diplomatic relations with your fair Kingdom. We, the Archbishop of Köln, hope for beneficial relations with your country. Like the bible says: (Romans 13:3)"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same"

Archbishop of Cologne
Elector of the HRE

Engelbert III von Limburg

[Wulfram]

The Knight, hurrying to his horse, rides after the King

"Your Majesty, I will be honoured to accompany you. I am Sir Thomas Keynes.

I cannot speak on behalf of the Duke and his advisors, though I can perhaps predict their response.

On trade, I think that they would be interested in your proposal. In return we could perhaps offer the same, through Aquitaine, for we do control the passage between your lands and France, as well as the Atlantic port nearest to your Kingdom.

We have heard of the troubles of your Royal brother with his viceroy. It seems as if such treason has been distressingly common of late, which perhaps makes it particularly pressing that it be crushed.

The Duke would, I think, be willing to provide assistance in training your militia. I fear, however, that your Majesty should not expect results swiftly, for a longbowman takes years to reach true effectiveness, and to import proper yew bows from England would be expensive. The Duke himself only raises Longbowmen from his estates in the north of England, not from the local Gascon population"

[Ebusitanus]

The days slowly passed as the long Royal Caravan made its way North West towards Navarra and the Pirinees.
This dusty treck was intermitantly pestered by local nobles who wanted to use the chance to show their respects and in some cases ask for mercies and graces from Joan while enroute. Every evening the convoy stopped for the night and the King together with his principal entourage diverted to honor one of the many offers from the local nobility to pass the night and feast with them. Much enjoyment came from these hours of wine and delicacies.

Every morning the caravan lazyly went into motion after the last campfires were extinguished and enough had been foraged from nearby farms.
The King himself rode his mare amongst all these carts, ideally amongst the first ones as to avoid much of the dust that rose behind them.

[i]Dear Sir Thomas, I do hope you are enjoying this trip half as much as I do. Only the thought of my sick wife at the end of this voyage makes me anxious. Other than that I do welcome very much this change from the life in Court.
I do remember well how my brother and myself used to sneak away from my father´s rigid court so as to dress as common nobles and tour the lands looking for an exiting adventure or two

A big broad smile went through Joan´s hard face and he stared then dreamy into the open, then catching himself, he shoke those thoughts off and blinking his eyes came back saying.

Those were good times, yes....mhhhh...
And comming back to you Sir Thomas, I have not forgotten your words

The King reached around and pulled a sealed envelope from one of his leather bags hanging on the horse.

This here is a letter I will send out when we reach Navarra to my dear brother Alfons.
Among other things it speaks about the possibilities we can find for reaching a porsperous comercial agreement amongst us. I´m sure that the fine products Aragon ships in from Outremer and beyond are of the taste of Aquitaine, and through you, to England itself. On the same side I am sure that English markets also have plenty to offer to our taste.
Yet, I shall wait for my brother´s answer on these matters that finally are of his decision alone to make.

On the matter of rebelious vasalls, I do tell you that they have condemned themselves into the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ, for God does not approve of those who aided by the devil defy the celestial order of things. A vassal is doing Lucifers work when rebelling against his God choosen Monarch. What are we to see yet? peasants rebelling against noblemen? Any living being has his place in the grand order of things Jesus himself chose for us mortals.
Peasants....ha ha ha ha...rebelling...ha ha....what a thought! a peasant rebelling..ha ha..that is something. I do have a vivid imagination, haven´t I?

The King was openly laughting at his funny occurence. Then more serious spoke again to the English Knight.

Errr...on the matter of those longbows...I have thought about it and you are truly right in that its a most exact art to be mastered. Perhaps some choosen archers could settle among my Court and from there being to spread their knowledge...I am truly open to sugestions as how to improve my troop´s quality.
We shall see..we shall see...

The long caravan kept moving day by day towards its destination, stopped ocasionally by the mid road breaking of a Cart wheel.
Villages and other landmarks crept slowly by along the roadside. The good overall weather made the trip a most pleasant one to be enjoyed.
One afternoon the King nodded to the English Knight over to the side of the road.

There you go..look at that road sign, such as these separate a fiefdom from another and in this special case a whole realm from another. We have just passed into Navarra my friend!

Now we must be just about two or three days from our objective Sir Thomas and shall I tell you that I would greatly miss your rewarding company along my side. I do hope that you might entretain the notion of staying at my Kingdom as ambassador for Aquitaine. Surely its not for you to decide but for your Lord Duke, but I, personally would be very pleased if it could be you indeed.
You see, from my long life I have always prefered the company of straight noble men who were not poisioned by the corrupting touch of what we call today, school of diplomacy. Its hard enough to organize a good banquet so that now you must add to that the study of second meaning words and alike.

Three days later the convoy came into the sight of the Castle of Olite and some nobles had ridden out already to meet the King and tell him of the grevious state the Queen was.
Those news made the King´s hard face look even harsher, and to someone who might have known him good enough, even anxiously worried.

While the long line of carts was entering the doorway of the Castle the King swung off his horse and was inmediatly surrounded my scores of attendants, servants and nobles. Before getting engulfed totally he managed to quickly says some words to the English Knight.

I do hope you will take into account the words I told you some days ago. I have enjoyed your company quite some and wish I will see you again if your Lord sees fit to it. In any event, tell him to send me an Abassador in short time.
You might want to rest for tonight and depart tomorow with a fresh horse. I will have a servant take care of you for those matters. Till our next meeting farewell noble Knight

The chaos was enormous with all these attendants and servants runing from one place to the other, unloading Carts, monitoring the wagons to the stores and the draft horses and bulls to their stables.
Quickly the King made his way upstairs to the royal chambers were in front of the Queen´s doors there were a multitude of handmaids and attendants of all sorts, carrying water, blankets, food trays and alike from one place to another.
One could feel the oppressing gloom hanging from these dark walls, the anxiety of the Court for the uncertain future of the Queen.
The King´s presence inmediatly created a open corridor to the doorway to the bed chamber which he slowly entered.

King Joan, a veteran of many a bloody battlefield, had seen and heard the torn and mutilated, the wounded and dieing but this sight of his beloved wife, sweat drenched postrate in her bed with sheets and blankets tightly packed around her made him shiver in pain.
The King slowly seated himself on her bedside and tenderly toke her pale hand and caressed her cheek.
The Queen slowly begun to open her eyes.

Oh my dear husband, I have missed you greatly and I thank the Lord for allowing me to see you yet again. I had despaired of not living for this moment.
I do thank Jesus for allowing me to see my beloved son and daughters again

A painful jolt went through Joan when hearing these words and hated himself for not having taken his children with him.
Who would have known she was so ill. A burning desperation took over him while cursing the "State Interest" that left his sibblings behind in Aragon.

My beloved Blanca, they will be here quick for they stood behind, not arriving in time from a trip my brother Alfons took them to Sicilly. I had to leave without them but I assure you they are not far behind. Do you remember Sicilly my beloved? You remember where we first met?

Joan was biting hard on his underlip by sheer rage of having to lie to his wife in this manner. Perhaps he could still make it good and send for them, at least Leonor and Carlos if young Blanca had not taken off already to cold Germania.

In any event my beloved one, you will be up and healthy in short order. I have brought with me some excellent phisicians from Aragon who will fix you up so that you will be able to play with our children when the first snow falls

Blanca, with a terribly tired face, touched his husband´s long hair and said.

Do not lie to yourself Joan, I am done for but I am joyous to see you again at my side and to have my beloved children around me in short. I do believe in our Saviour Jesus Christ and in him I am strong..In him and in our love...

The King and the Queen kept exchanging tender words for a while till Blanca was so exhausted that she was better left to rest.

The King then turned to Don Riera and his phisicians.

You do your work now Riera and I do hope that your art is at the same level as your boastings I heard in Valencia

Some hours later Riera moved to the King who still sat by the bed.

My King, your Queen is greviously ill, it seems that she has inhaled Lucifer´s breath, the poisonous fumes from the nearby Lake. I am afraid I will have to heavily bleed her to take those ill preasures from her hurting head.
Then I shall give her some creams and medicines made from the best Sulphur and Arsenic I have found in the east. Those remedies will surely help her by God!

The King, tired already from the pressure

I have no knowledge about these things Riera, you are the master in these matters...I will leave this to you and your fame. I will stay here in the meanwhile

After a while of leting the Phisicians do their work the King went out of the Chambers and met with the franciscan friar, Thomas Kahn from Cologne who had been waiting in Oilte for some days already.
After reading his letter Joan spoke up.

You do come in a terrible moment to this unhappy Court my dear Fiar. I do hope you might pray with me for the health and soul of my dear wife Blanca.
I´m very happy to see such a noble visit from so far away and I do would like you to stay with us here. For as you might know my dear daughter Blanca will perhaps get married to the son of the Duke of Bremen and your presence will keep me more in touch with what people she will have to deal with so far north.
I will send a representative to your Archbishop in short, I promise. But now, let us pray

[Shiiuga]

A letter arrives from King Juan II of Castille.

King Joan,

It pleases me to hear from you once again as it has been a long time since we last engaged in correspondence, and I must apologise for my late reply.

I am intrigued by this Royal Hunt you invite me to and I would be more than grateful were I able to join you on such an excursion, is there any date convenient to you that I could travel to Navarra?

With regards

[Shiiuga]

A letter arrives from Castille.

King Joan,

This is most terrible news, and your wife has my utmost sympathies. I am sure the Grace of God will bring her through this harrowing experience and she will return to excellent health.

About the trade proposal, this is an interesting idea, do you wish to explore it further by presenting an agreement?

By his own hand in Madrid,

[KingWittelsbach]

After watching the leaders of Naples sign the treaty Cardinal della Rovere goes back to the Aragonese camp and calls for brother Tomas.


Dear Brother I need the two fastest ships in the Aragonese navy, with two trusted pages to deliver these two letters to King Joan and Princess Maria. These letters were given to me, as you know by King Alfonso before he passed on. We must make sure these letters are received by their recipients.

By my authortity I have read their contents and written down what they stated. These copies will be held on my own person and the other shall be sent to Rome herself. The wishes and orders of King Alfonso V of Aragon will be fulfilled.


With that two ships head to Aragon and Greece.

[KingWittelsbach]

A letter arrives bearing the seal of the Kingdom of Aragon.



Brother Joan,


Know that if you are reading this letter that I have fallen during the siege of Naples. I am writing you this letter in two rolls.


First I write to you as your brother. Know that I have heard of your abuse when I left you in Valencia, and also I have heard of your letter berating my government that was sent to the Holy Roman Emperor. As well know that I forgive you for your actions and once again embrace you as the young boy who sat through lessons with me, and followed me time and again in battle. You are my brother, and know that while I thought of renaming you as my heir I have not. I will not take you from your birthright dear brother, and upon my death you will be crowned King of Aragon.


However I also write to you as your King, and I have several items that I must inform and command you on. Upon my death I formally renounce all claims to the throne of Naples. Not only to myself but for all future monarchs of Aragon the throne of Naples will be no more. I believe that it was Naples that caused the downfall of my kingdom, and Aragon shall never be tempted to return because of my actions of formally renouncing all claims to its throne.


Secondly as King I have presented a treaty to the Naples delegation and forever more freed Giovanni of Naples. If the Naples delegation signs the treaty with which I presented them then I command you to obey it as an official act. For it is an act commanded and completed by your King and I demand that you act by it. This treaty will see Naples annexed and given in repentance to the Papal States. Napoli and Apuila as provinces will be given and will be ruled by those who serve God, not by those who serve Aragon and their own needs. Thus it is said, so it shall be done.


The third and final command to you Joan upon my death is that I command you to give the two provinces of the Island of Sicily: Sicily and Messina shall be created into a new Kingdom free of any type of Vassalage to Aragon. The Queen of this new nation shall be our beloved sister Maria. She is currently on her way to marry the Emperor of the East, the ruler of Byzantium. I have sent her a letter along with a crown for her new Kingdom, but it is under my order that I command you to give the land to her. It is your duty to see that my final wish is done.


These are my orders and wishes dear brother, complete them and have my full blessing to your reign on the throne. God’s speed my brother and I hope that I am in your prayers, and that you take care of my Queen and son Ferdinand who I fathered by a mistress.


By his own hand in Naples,
Alfonso V

[Mettermrck]

A stately man enters the throne room, his face grave, with chiseled lines that betray the onset of recent tension. With acquired grace, he bows to the Navarrese ruler.

"Greetings, Your Grace. I apologize for my somber demeanor but the news of Alfonso's fall has reached me at the conclusion of my journey here. My King mourns at the loss of such a brave brother monarch and hopes that Alfonso's example will only inspire us to persevere and continue our pursuit of Iberian harmony.

I am Don Joao d'Inaldes, appointed ambassador from Portugal to the court at Navarre. King Reginald's original purpose had been to discuss bringing Navarre into the Treaty of Iberian Unity, yet sadly, with the death of Alfonso, that treaty is now defunct.

My presence here at court will be to remain the eyes and ears of King Reginald, should you ever need to enter into discussions with our state. Know that Portugal continues to look upon Navarre with fraternity."

[Wulfram]

Sir Thomas Keynes, the English Knight from Aquitiane, enters the court and kneels before the King

"Your Majesty, my Duke has appointed me to serve as his representative in your court, as you requested. I would ask that you do not hold him responsible, should I say or do something amiss, for this was not what I was trained for.

The Duke also wished me to offer his deep condolences for the loss of your Royal brother of Aragon, reliable word of whose valiant death in battle had just reached Bordeaux when I departed.

My Lord, or rather his advisors, were most interested in the proposals regarding trade that your Majesty made.

As for the matter of the Longbows, the Duke would offer the services of up to 10 personally picked men, veterans of the border wars against the scots. He offers this as a gift, save that he shall expect them to recieve an appropriate wage and lodgings from your Majesty."