- ARCHIVE - Royal Court of England

[SiDeath]

A new messenger arrives from Genoa:

"Wise and Proper Queen,

I apologize for such an error! Truly, to overlook something like that is inexcuseable! I do thank you for your attention to the true message of my letter, and not being hung up on such an idiotic mistake.

Humbly yours,

PS - there is no more standing army in the Mameluke Empire, if you like, I will grant you Right of Passage through Delta.

 

[Auspend]

Ion Radulescu, the Romanian man who was the Wuerttemberg ambassador to England, has not felt comfortable in the English court since he arrived. It always seemed to him to be a worthless position that he was not suited for in any case. He was a Romanian sent by a German realm to a far off island. The two nations never even had a reason to speak. For a long time he had even thought that Count Heinrich had forgotten about him, but now it had changed; a letter from Suttgart arrived asking him to do something. At long last he had a purpose. He runs into the royal audience chamber excitedly. Upon nearing the throne he regains his composure and speaks now with only the slightest accent.

"Your Majesty, I bring word from the Count of Wuerttemberg.

First he wishes to congratulate you on your engagement to the king of Castile. He apologises for not sending word before now. Secondly he wishes to commend you for uniting the Ilse Britannia under one crown.

Thirdly he wishes to adress the issue of the Genoans. He has a great deal at stake in the continued existence of the Genoan realm as his neice is quite smitten with the heir apparent to the ducal coronet. He asks as a friend that you try to intervene with your most noble brother the king of Aragon. He asks that you urge them restraint. The cause of their war is no more as the Genoans have made peace with the noble, yet schismatic, Eastern Empire. This war can only serve to stop the spread of Christendom as the heathen followers of Mohammed attempt to expand, taking advange of the situation. His Imperial Majesty has caused Genoa to stay their hand, perhaps you could convince the Aragonese to stay theirs."

 

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Her grace, the Ambassador countess, from Bretagne, delivers a message to her Queen regent majesty.

My dear,

It brings, great joy to here of your successes in the recent war with Scotland. I beg your pardon, for my abssence in such a moment. As you know, I have wed Lord Richard, the future Duke of Normans during your troubles with Scotsland. I hope you good fortune, and safe journies always, for the future King of Britain needs your grace and guidence. I am curious, I have heard speak of your new banner for this new kingdom, could you send a copy of it's design, so that I may be able to be correct in my celebrations and courts?

Your devoted ally,
Duchess Annwn Beaufort

The Ambassador bows as she finishes the letter, and smiles. She hopes for some coin for her services perhaps...

 

[Longinus]

A letter arrives from Frankfurt.

"Your Royal Majesty, Elionor Plantagenet, Queen-Regent of England,

As usual I see wisdom in your words and I do hope this wisdom will hope me to reach the proper decision. I always cherished far lands of Albion and wanted to visit this misty realm who is said to be home of bravest and most pious knights of all Europe.

Still I found myself between hammer and anvil. Empire presses me not to help in Swedish annexation but rather take another attempt to negotiate between both sides. I do believe that Sweeds should be punished, that is why I joined to thos enterprise blessed by the Pope himself. However, my Christian soul and heart tells me that the punishment prepared by His Royal Majesty King Christopher is perhaps a bit harsh. I am torned apart by various factions and interests. Last but not least, above all I have to think about my own family and realm.

I need to think about it more, tonight I shall pray in Frankfurt cathedral for advice and guidiance.

I wish you good health and fortune,

by his own hand in Frankfurt,

Jaochim of the Greif

 

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Niels Galt tightens his cloak around his neck as he steps off the ship. "Careful there! Those are important documents; You watch your step, lose that and the Crown will have your head!" Hmm, a cold rain indeed.

The ride through London was most uneventful, but nonetheless he was quite glad that the English escort was present to guide him to the meeting place.

Stepping through the door, Galt smiled, and in his nearly accentless clear voice, beamed: "Good day your Grace, I see that the delegation from the various Guilds are present. Ah, where should we begin?" Galt motioned for his aides to bring the documentation as they began their discussions in private.

 

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At Windsor

As the weeks and days passed more and more activity could be seen comming from the Queen Regent's household. The final preparations were being made for soon the Queen would travel with her family and the young Scottish Queen who she now looks upon as a daughter to Rome. The reason for this trip as the whole world knew was the wedding of the Queen Regent to the King of Castile-Leon. From all over England artisans came to Windsor in the past months to create a wedding dress fit for the Queen made from the finest Granadan silk. One item of business that the Queen felt she must take care of before she left brought the nobles once again before the balcony where as her custom she spoke with her people.


People of England and Scotland, know that today is a very happy day indeed for am I not only preparing to leave for Rome soon for my upcomming wedding, but the young Queen Margaret who I have claimed as my daughter has just learned to write her name. She is truly a gem and I thank god that he has brought me the daughter which I have always wanted.


With that the young King of England and the young Queen of Scotland enter next to the Queen Regent and wave as the crowd cheers for their soverigns. After a few minutes the young king and queen are taken back and the Queen Regent speaks once more.


There are several matters which I must address before I leave for Rome however. The matters I speak of are awards and decorations from the Anglo-Scotch war. While our peoples have come together in a way I never thought imaginable those who worked for the crown are to be rewarded. The first such award I present is to the Duke of Normandie. Richard the Duke of York and the Duke of Normandie for his brave fighting and bringing so many great Norman knights into the war I make him a Knight of the Order of Bath to go along with his Order of the Garter, and present upon him the title and lands of the Earldom of Moray. Of course I will present these upon him in a ceremony as he will be walking me down the isle at my wedding.

Next I present upon one who although young and brash showed great courage during the fighting and also showed great loyalty to the crown of England. Sir Lionel Percy step forward



With that the young Sir Lionel steps forward

Bow before me Sir Lionel and when you stand I will have named you by the power given to me in the name of King Henry VI, the Duke of Aquitaine. You have shown me what a wise and brave man you are and with the recent Duke of Aquitane's death the nobles from that land asked for a strong and wise man who fought for the crown. I hereby declare you the Duke of Aquitaine, stand and go to your lands for I know you will be a wise ruler. However once the nobles there have crowned you as well I accept you to come back and take the oath of vassalage as its new Duke.

With that the new Duke of Aquitane, Lionel Percy stands and bows before his overlord and leaves wondering where in the world to begin.

I as well bestow upon the Duke of Norfolk and Richard de Vere, who captured Inverness the titles of Knight of the Order of Bath, and the Order of the Garter. And for the Hungarian Captain of the Tonnere I have been in contact with the Grandmaster of England's fighting order of Knights and he has agreed that the Captain of the Tonnere is now hereby a member of the Most Holy Order of the Nautical Knights of St. George.

I must take leave of you now for I leave for Rome very soon then the new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire has given me the invitiation with the King of Castile to room in his new castle for a brief stay. Good day and many thanks for all those who i have not mentioned here today.

 

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A letter arrives from Wismar, Mecklemburg, with the seal of Duke Henry IV.

 

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The armada of ships that left England bearing the Queen Regent, King Henry VI, and the young Scottish Queen make thier way to Rome, reports put them somwhere off the coast of Portugal.

 

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A man arrives at Windsor castle. He has traveled far and he has traveled hard. First by ship to Dover, then by horse to London. He seems tired, but also very set on speaking to the queen. He seems glad, not only because of his arrival, but also considering why he is he.

"Your Higness, Queen by God's grace. I am Heinrich von Altmark, the newly appointed ambassador to the English Court.
First of all, my Duke apologizes that he is not fully up to date on the joyful events in Scotland, but his mind is at the Diet in Germany and the matter with the Swedes.
To the case then. My Duke is delighted to have received your last letter. He humbly asks for Princess Jessica's noble hand, for she is most certainly be a great gift from God to Duke Henry. All later arrangements, I beg of you, should be settled when I have received some rest after my long journey. If your Majesty will excuse me?"

The tired, but happy ambassador retires to somewhere with a bed...

 

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Princess Annabelle speaks to the new ambassador from Mecklemburg:


Ah England welcomes you to our court and accepts you as the ambssador from Mecklemburg. My Queen and sister-in-law has left me in charge of the court while she is on her way to Rome to be married to the King of Castile. I howeve have been instructed to tell you that you indeed are to tell your duke that Princess Jessica will be the next Duchess of Mecklemburg. England is very happy that we are allowed to join our houses in such an alliance. Of course we are curious as to see what the treaty of marriage will be. Tell the Duke of course he will recieve lands in England as his dowary along with the Order of the Garter. Now it is up to you to speak with your duke to set up this wedding. England belives that the sooner the marriage happens the better for both nations. I await your response.

 

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The Mecklemburgian ambassador takes forth a piece of paper.

"Your Majesty, my Duke thanks you for your kind words, but before an actual marriage agreement is signed, my Duke wonders what lands you are prepared to offer. But my Duke is not in this for lands sake, more important is the friendship and coming alliance between our two great nations. And, of course and not less important, the hoping for a coming heir to the Ducal throne of Mecklemburg.
But my Duke is not very enlightened as to your realms geography. He begs you to make a proposal of land..."

 

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Princess Annabelle speaks:


Well with the recent war in Scotland one such area of land has come open for rule by a noble. We will give you an estate in Nottinghamshire with the title Earl of Nottingham. It has a rather nice country estate close to the hunting lands of the King which on your journey's to England are free to use.

 

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The ambassador smiles...

"Excellent! My Duke will be delighted to hear of this. Between you and me, noble Queen, the title is more important to him than the land. But my Duke needs to rise in respectance since that catastrophy in Kiel, God Da... I mean, his oath of vassalidge to Duke Adolf... hrk!"

the ambassadors head turns purple for a second, and then he regains control.

"So, then... My Duke will receive land and title in Nottinghamshire from the crown of England, and in return he will wed the lovely lady Jessica, and thus by marriage signing an eternal bond of friendship and security between our two lands... Is this a satisfactory answer that I can send to my Duke, before our men of law draft up a contract of marriage?"

 

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Princess Annabelle speaks once again:


And of course the Queen Regent of England is interested in to what title or land your duke might present upon the King of England a small estate would very well make the King happy, but as you said this is not about land, but it is about an alliance through marriage, but in the past a transfer of estates is ideal in a marriage deal.

 

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Princess Annabelle speaks yet once more,


As well could you please in private bring me up to the situation of the Holstein situation and what is going on with that.

 

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"Ahh, your Majesty, I was coming to that... recent events within our lands leaves the lands of the former Count of Rostock open. It is not much, but it also has beautiful hunting grounds and a natural environment that will bring even the strongest man to his knees in ave and respect for God's creations. It is, by its own glory, a strip of land on the north-coast, starting just west of the city of Rostock, not far from the university, and continues some 30 miles west. My Duke was thinking of using it as a personal area of resort in the summer, but given these wonderful circumstances, he would be glad to offer it to your king with the title of Count of Rostock. It may not sound as much to a king, but for the moment it is the best my Duke can do..."

then the ambassador ask if they can talk in private on the Holstein matter...

 

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Princess Annabelle speaks:


Ah that is perfect, the wedding is set then. My Queen and her husband will after their marriage in Rome attend the court in Nurnberg, your Duke is there now, and I myself and my sister Princess Jessica are to meet them there. That is where your Duke can marry my sister is that fine, if so present the marriage treaty now and I will sign it this moment.


With that Annabelle whispers something to the Mecklemburg Ambassador

 

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The Marriage Agreement

The ambassador returns shortly after with a pice of paper, ready to be signed

"By God's divine grace, it is written in the Holy Scriptures, that man and wife are ment to be together in holy matrimony.
Therefore, in a glorius wish to secure and expand the relationships between the lands of England and Scotland and Mecklemburg, a sacred marriage shall be blessed by God.
That between Henry IV, Duke of Mecklemburg, and Jessica, princess of England.
To be a seal of good will between men and houses, the Duke of Mecklemburg shall be granted lands in Nottinghamshire and the title "Earl of Nottingham", plus be awarded the Order of the Garter. In return, the King of England shall receive the County of West-Rostock and be given the title "Count of West-Rostock".
By Gods divine creation of the world, the marriage shall be performed at the Imperial Diet in Nürnberg, in the presence of noblemen of both lands and Imperial Princes.
With God's blessings, signed by..."

On behalf of Henry IV, Duke of Mecklemburg,
his noble servant, Heinrich von Altmark, ambassador to England and Scotland.

 

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Smiling Annabelle Princess of England takes the quill from the Ambassador and speaks:


I hereby sign this act of marriage in the name of Elionor Queen Regent of England and King Henry VI of England.


With that the treaty is complete, the marriage is set


May this union bring great joy to both the nations of England and that of Mecklemburg.

 

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The ambassador smiles and looks at her...

"Now all we have to do, is get in touch with a hig ranking member of the clergy in Nürnberg. Since my Duke doesn't know anybody there, I humbly ask you, if your Queen could take care of that little detail..."