Ducal Court of Pommerania

[Longinus]

Przemysl's Hill, Ducal Palace in Poznan

Joachim was listening to both men arguing, two completely different men there were, with completely different manners and characters. Joachim couldn’t help himself, liking young Ladislav more and more ”Here it is last Luxemburgian, he got a kingdom out of my fight and indeed he is worthy of this prize, he is cold and aloof, always calculating, perfect leader I say, almost perfect.” Joachim glanced at Ugo for a brief moment ”On the other hand this simpleton, yet I cannot deny him the spirit and passion, things that Ladislav seems no to have in excess. I sort of like him, in a way…”

He sighed ”Nevertheless I swore to help both crowns and I intend to do so. War is not in our interest, Bohemia and Hungary must remain in peace.”

He cleared his throat and started to speak.

“Majesties, I urge You not to rise voices too much and ignite the argument too much for we are Catholic landlords who came here in the spirit of peace and mutual understanding. Did we not? He glances at both delegations. ”We have been following the debate very carefully and what we can say is that ill ambition leads to bloodshed and surely we do no not deteriorate our lands and crowns, do we?”

He pauses.

”HM Ladislav of Bohemia does have a straight claim upon the Hungarian crown as much as we hold a similar claim upon the crown of Denmark, still we refrain ourselves from forcing our claim for we believe that much can be achieved through words not swords only.

HM Ugo of Hungary was elected and crowned by the Hungarain nobility, this fact we also respect and though it is against the Divine and Ancient law of inheritance, it cannot and should not be ignored. HM Matthias of Hungary as well as Ugo were also recognized to lesser or larger extend by the neighboring realms and Houses.

Here clashes the ambitions, laws and blood, and here they should meet and work together rather then against one another.

We thus think that an agreement should be reached that would involve preserving the God-given rights of the last Luxemburgian and ambition and rights of the currently Elected King. Echoes of such agreement I already hear in Majesties voices, this is to our liking.

Without doubts there should be the Union between the Crowns, for the greater good of the region and Christianity."

 

[unmerged(18481)]

A confidental letters arrived from Torino. It was sealed with thousands of very official seals, and it was handed over directly to the King of the Romans.



His Most Serene and Pacific Majesty Joachim of the Greif, King of the Romans, King of Italy, King of Germany, Sword of Christ, Right Hand of the Church, Caesar Augustus, King of Sweden, Duke of Pommerania, Fürst of the House of the Greif. Duke of Poznan, Margrave of Danzig, Prince-Protector of Sweden, Overlord of Ingermanland, Kexholm, Memel and Gotland, Master of the Imperial Hunt, Master of the Knights of the Cross of the Red Star


Sire,

I have firmly decided that I would never talk with Your Majesty anymore, that I would never write letters to Your Majesty anymore, unless it is dictated by my duties as a Prince of the Empire. And I took and oath by the Holy Decision of Saint Maurice the Kinght on deciding that I would never seek Your help anymore. For ‘I know my iniquity, my sin is always before me’ – as the psalm says. I do know that my very sight, my very thought disgusts Your Majesty, and I have not the heart to cause further disgust to you, Sire. And now I am breaking my oath, I am breaking a most sacred oath yet again, anew because of the interests of the Imperium. The matter I am daring enough to bring before Your Majesty might endanger the Peace of the Empire, and thus it is indeed Your Majesty’s concern. Nonetheless, I am intent on solving the problem myself: even though I know too well that Your Majesty has no confidence in me, the situation is currently under my control, and probably it will remain so. But it is still possible that it will go out of my weak hands, and then Your Majesty’s knowledge of the details might prove useful: hence is this letter.

As Your Most Serene and Pacific Majesty undoubtedly knows, Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan is dead. This seems to be a fact, although my agents in Milan have not seen the corpse, neither they have talked with witnesses. With the death of the Duke Filippo Maria, who was my cousin by marriage, and – I dare to say – my friend and ally, the House Visconti died out completely, there are no men or women bearing the name Visconti anymore. According to the forms, according to the customs, traditions, according to the law and order of the Empire, and of the Christian world, the nobles of Milan should elect a new noble House to be the new Ducal House of Milan. And not only they should consider the weigh of claims, but they also need to seek Your Majesty’s approval to their choice. As far as I know, none of these rules were obeyed, but the city of Milan, and all major fiefs in Central Lombardy are under the control of a certain Galeazzo Sforza, who illegally styles himself Duke. Supposedly, he has been crowned by the Archbishop of Milan, but this is once again unsure.

This Galeazzo Sforza is presumably a relative of Francesco Sforza, an infamous condottieri, who married Bianca, illegitimate daughter of the late Duke Filippo Maria Visconti. Supposedly, this marriage between the mercenary of questionable nobility and the daughter of a noblewoman who became a courtisan is the ill base of Galeazzo Sforza’s claims on the Duchy of Milan. But let us not forget about the wife of the late Duke, who is called Maria di Savoia, and who is the daughter of Amadeo VII of Savoy.

I am intent on presenting the claims of the House of Savoy on the Duchy Milan, assumed through the rights of my cousin, Maria, wedded wife of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti.

However, I am aware of the sensitive nature of such step. The Duchy of Milan is under the control of the Sforzas – this family of mercenaries is maybe known to Your Majesty as wel: their nobility is doubtful, but they did conquer many fiefs throughout Italy; one of them even assumed control over Torino and Ivrea during the 1420s, daringly styling himself ‘King of Piedmonte’. But no matter how foul their ways are, they did manage to secure their rule in Central Lombardy by now, they even made some diplomatic relations with the states of Italy, even Venice seems to accept their rule. And as I do value the Peace of the Empire above anything else, I, personally, would be ready to denounce my claims in order to avoid wars, rebellions, unrest. But these claims are of my House, and thus my honour as a Prince of Savoy does not allow me to do so. And as our claims are backed by our ancient claims on Central Lombardy, assumed through the rights of Adelaide, Marquess of Torino and Ivrea, heiress of Ardunio II, King of Lombardy and Italy, my honour as their descendant also does not allow me to despair of the Duchy of Milan.

I have plans, though. Plans for a peaceful solution of this very problem. And although I would not like to reveal these plans here and now, I would like to ask Your Majesty to retain any measures concerning the Milanese succession for now. If the problem persists, I will bring the matter before the Imperial Diet, and before the Reichskammergericht, but as long as there is a faintest hope for a peaceful agreement with the Sforzas, I shall work on reaching such an agreement instead of exaggarating the consequences of the issue.

In any case, I would like to ask Your Majesty for Your Majesty’s opinion of the matter.


Antonio di Savoia
Duke of Piedmonte, Prince of Savoy, etcetera

 

[Longinus]

Certain Wednesday in Gotland​

Johannes “Bloodbath” Johannesson rushed to the chamber yelling like a madman.

”LADz! I bring the most bloody good news since the Livonian convoys!

A number of ugly faces turned to him, it truly was the hideout of damned. Meanwhile Johannes took a mug from one of the sailors and emptied it in few moments. One-handed sailor hissed. "It better be worth my ale Johannes”

Johannesson smiled, showing his teeth, or rather lack of them.

“It sure will be, it sure will” he laughed "GENTLE men, hahaha, I mean ladz and fellow “guildmembers” hahaha”

“To Hell with your bloody wordy ornaments to the point Johhanesson, to the point!”

“All right, you asked for it.” He made a short and dramatic pause “Holstein has just left Hansa! Those madmen has just thrown a gauntlet in the face of Bremen, Lubeck, Stockholm, Stettin, Kolberg, Visby, Danzig, Mitau. Riga, Narva and so on and so on. Do I have to say what does it mean?!”

Loud cheers filled the room, all “guildmembers” were shouting, their faces red, tears of joy appeared on some of them. Last few years were thin and Gotland pirates could do little to the combined might of Hansestadts, not it was about to change, without the protection of the League Holsteiner ships could become easy prey to Gotlanders.

Festival was lasting for the two more days, but on the third…

*****​

“Viking” was a fine cog and Johannesson was proud of this ship, it served him well for over five years now, but the investment was obviously to paid off only now. Pirating was in his blood and just recently he was about to retire and, reluctantly, start to trade. Wheel of Fortune, however, turned in the favor of Gotlanders again.

“Viking” was ready to hunt, and it wasn't the only one to set the sails and the nets.​

Baltic was about to witness old vultures emerging from their shacks again. Most of these birds of prey set their courses on Sund, to pick the easy birds and fishes.

 

[BusterBunny]

Two letters arrive from Pfalz.

The first one reads:

Onto Joachim of the Greif, King of the Romans, King of Italy, King of Germany, Sword of Christ, Right Hand of the Church, Caesar Augustus, King of Sweden, Duke of Pommerania, Fürst of the House of the Greif. Duke of Poznan, Margrave of Danzig, Prince-Protector of Sweden, Overlord of Ingermanland, Kexholm, Memel and Gotland, Master of the Imperial Hunt, Master of the Knights of the Cross of the Red Star.

Dearest uncle,

your letter saddened me much, as I regard your opinion in highest esteem, and your time as more valuable than gold. Above all, you are my overlord, and I bow to you very low.

As I understand, you are taken in negotiations between Hungary and Bohemia. You probably know my opinion regarding this matter, and probably don't need it anyways. But the fact remains that much hatred, and much old rivalries are always difficult to settle, and didn't think this would be a good time to ask your for advice.

In the regards of Éléanore du Berri, yes, uncle, I have fallen in love with her. I am sorry. I know how this puts you in a very difficult situation. There are a few matters which must be corrected, however.

First, this marriage was arranged between my mother, and the Directoire.I do not believe in imposed love, though this, through an odd set of circumstances, is a blessing, I believe. Second, though you blame Éléanore for much, I cannot come to the conclusion that she is guilty of much. She does blame you for loosing her crown, and there again, I cannot come to the conclusion that you, dearest uncle, are guilty of much. Finally, she is not a threat to many anymore, as she will be simply my wife, not the Queen of Lotharingia.

Burgundy is as unpredictable as the Directoire is. There are factions, fighting. I have been, personnaly, approached by many of its members to press for the acquisition of the Crown of Lothar, nothing less. It is a wild beast, difficult to contain. But it can be contained... with chains. Golden chains, perhaps, but still chains. The Crown of Lothar is one of these chains. The German and Flemish part of the Directoire is another. And now this marriage... Dearest uncle, every link we can establish with Burgundy only helps the Empire.

Louis de Montpensier is a fine king, I believe. He is... mysterious, and though his court impressed me much, he seemed accessible.

The Dowry of the Crown of Denmark came as a surprise to me. I had hoped for some piece of lands, on our common border, but this Crown comes as a wonderful occasion to re-establish Imperial control over Denmark. This is just a title, and comes with much more duties than actual priviledges, not unlike my other title of "King of Albania".

I am, in 3 months time, marry Éléanore du Berri. I would invite everybody, but do not want to eclipse in size and importance the marriage of my dearest cousin and your daughter to Antonio di Savoyia. I hope they are now happy together. My spies tell me of still many letters being sent from Éléanore to Duke Antonio. I will be putting an end to this.

Dearest uncle, there have been a matter I wanted to have your opinion on. As I read the history of the Empire, surely your accomplishments will be remembered for thousands of years. Through this, I hope I will learn much, as I, too, aspire to be a great ruler one day. In all of your decisions you have taken, which was your most difficult? What was at stake, what could happen? What did you choose and why?

I have many more questions, but I must stop here. I hope to see you soon, perhaps when you will have finished with fate of Bohemia and Hungary?

Sincerely yours, in God,

Frederick of Wittelsbach, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Count of Wittelsbach Count of Wurtemburg, Duke of Swabia, of Teck, Lord of Ostmark, of Rumelia, King of Albania, King of Denmark and Norway, Gothia and Vandalia Prince-Elector, Archsteward of the Holy Roman Empire, of Swabia, of Franconia, Judge-Elector, Right Hand of the Imperium, Grandmaster of the Knights of St. Henry the Lion

The second letter is addressed to Christine. It reads:

"Dearest aunt Christine,

your letter came as a relief. The past weeks have been difficult, but I have managed to swim accross them with satisfaction. To know that I have caused tensions between His Imperial Majesty and myself would have been too difficult to handle, I am affraid. Having the Emperor of Humanity hating you tends to do that to a man, I guess.

I am unsure how I have neglected you. You have been very busy, and now that you will be a grand-mother, time will be very precious. I cannot bother you each and every time I feel lonely. To this end, yes, I have found a wife, which I love... adore.... admire. For the House von Wittelsbach, she will be a precious addition. For my life, she will be my force and my inspiration. I find in her, and my feelings for her, purity. You remember how Vava always talked about looking for purity... purity of forms, of shapes, of sounds, of colors, of feelings. All of these are embodied in Éléanore.

The House of Berri comes closer to the Empire, and with it, a new era, I hope, of cooperation. Éléanore, which His Imperial Majesty seems to despise, will not be a threat for us anymore. She will, in fact, be an ally. I do not believe she is a witch, and hope that His Imperial Majesty will not reserve to her the same faith he rightfully gave to the former Doge of Genoa.

I had hoped everyone would understand this, but I find that even in Pfalz, people are baffled by this marriage. Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Things seem so complicated, these days. The life of a knight seems more interesting, frankly. But, I have a duty, and I intend to respect it.

The quest for the Holy Grails seems to lead nowhere. I might make a visit to see you, but I am affraid to bring Éléanore along. Sad thing, though, as I think you might have liked her.

Sincerely yours, in God,

Frederick.

 

[N Katsyev]

Ducal Palace, Stettin​

​

​

Andrei raised an eyebrow, "Rebellious Princes in Lithuania?" It was only with long experience of being a courtier and diplomat that he was able to control his excitement. 'So' he thought 'finally those Lithuanian bastards are going to get what is coming to them.' However he knew immediately that what Longinus was saying was wrong, even if somewhat to his dismay, Mina would never support a rebellion unless doing so in open warfare.

After a moment he nodded as if coming to some conclusion and smiled briefly, "Most certainly I would think that if you wish to inquire as to such affairs, the best place to start would be Pskov itself. I have had no word of what you speak. As for your merchant guilds, I would most like to start a meeting."

 

[unmerged(8054)]

Two letters arrive from Bremen.

One is adressed to Joachim of the Greif.

Dear ally, friend and brother. My Emperor.

As you probarbly know, things are not as I hoped them to be here in Northern Germania. Once again Holstein betrayes me. I should have listened to your advice when last I had the chance, and crushed them utterly for their treason and unholy alliance with Denmark. I should have known better than to trust the son of a traitor not to betray.
That was me speaking to my brother, now I shall report to my Emperor as Richter von Gross Germania.

Holstein have, as they have the right to, left the Hanseatic Union, and then proceded to join a new trade union, the Central European Trade Pact, formed without the content of the Imperial Commerce Commission, might I add.
The Hansa, consisting of independent Imperial princes and extra-Imperial towns, have been confiscated those Holsteiner goods that were available to them, and have raised their tariffs and tolls towards Holsteiner merchants. It is my impression that this response, allthough perhaps harsh, is fully legal.
Threaths of a naval blockade have been mentioned, namely by Holsteiner and Wurzburgian officials, yet I dismiss such as mere rumours and attempts to spread fear and mistrust.
This ends my report, but trust that I shall monitor the situation closely.

Concerning Hannover. I to, have some claims on these lands, though my marriage to your own sister. But it it not come to the point where we, brothers, quarrel over mere lands. I would be willing to surrender the province to your rulership, yet I think the best solution would be to do so in name only, and remain as governor of these lands. They are connected to the area I command as duke of Bremen, and I have installed loyal nobles in key positions. Much would need undoing if you were to assume the direct control, and not only the title.
This rises the matter of Memel. By all rights, including treaties signed by the Greif-Schussel Allianz, the province of Memel belongs to the von Hohenzollerns. As they have not spoken of it since, some might argue that it would fall under the duchy of Prussia. Could somehow we reach a mutual agrement on this point also?

I send the greetings of my son, Johann-Kazimierz. He is engaged to the princess Rosa Maria of Aragon, and marriage will most likely be held this winter. The boy have seen the lands of his future wife, and she have seen the lands she will one day rule as duchess. It appears both are content, and I am certain their marriage will be a happy one.
My daughter, Silke...

from here, the letter began to describe the most recent happenings in the ducal family of Bremen, yet it was strangely quiet with regard to Maria-Elisa of the Greif, whereas it discussed the children in great length. Of the duchess, only a small note mentioned that her pregnancy progressed well, were to be found, and no words of her sending greetings.

...
May God watch over you, and me as I ride to Dijon, there to swear fealty as count fo Boulon-Rhuen.
Your brother
Johann of Bremen

The second letter was adressed to Augustus Fueller. It contained an invitation for the Wendischer Handels Union as a whole to join the Hansa, or for Augustus to send a man to Bremen to negotiate if he wished for any special arrangement. But most of it was read in private, and not made public knowledge.

 

[Petrarca]

Deprived of his usual banter with Ondrej Rozmberk, Wenzel von Dohna contented himself with walking alongside the gruff Count Sebrle, both nobles observing the portentous situation unfolding before their very eyes.

The taciturn Sebrle broke the silence as both men walked and considered the situation quietly: “von Dohna, a drastic scheme has lodged itself in my mind.”

Wenzel, always an avid proponent of practical ideas, commented dryly: “Pray tell, and pray it not too drastic to be unpalatable.”

“The Hungarian, Ugo, has a cousin, the daughter of their last usurper King. His Majesty should break off his interest in the Emperor’s daughter, marry this Esrebet instead, and be reconciled with Ugo when the latter abdicates in Ladislav’s favor seeing his family’s union with the monarch.”

“The Hungarian Diet would applaud Ladislav taking one of their own daughters for a bride, and Ugo would become his staunchest supporter once he received some high position like Palatine, guaranteeing his family’s status as first among equals,” said Sebrle, slowly enunciating the various points.

“But what of the Greif? Is it so wise to abandon the Imperial Princess and focus eastward completely at the expense of the Empire?” von Dohna said with seeming disinterest.

Eager to push his point in the face of Wenzel’s apparent indifference, Serble said, “The Emperor has already given us what we want, what more can we ask of him? His Majesty can find comfort in his wedding bed with another woman anyway, should you raise that point. Would such a man even notice, given his aloofness and disdain for human emotion?” Sebrle spoke as one unconvinced of Ladislav’s ability and critical of his personality.

von Dohna noted the other Count’s attack and burned it into his mind. Disloyalty plague the Bohemian nobility, and he feared to think of what Jan Rohac z Dube and the other brazen types schemed while the King remained away from the country.

He decided not to share what he and Rozmberk had noted in Nuremburg—the keen interest, to the entire exclusion of other matters, that Ladislav possessed for the prepossessing Pommeranian. Despite the jokes, he felt that Ladislav would probably deny anything denying him Maria-Katarina. Of course, the King was an idiot for not going directly to the Emperor, but the young fool felt he could win her affections on his own.

“As I have said to others, Count Sebrle, we rely on the Emperor’s favor. He liberated us from Austria; his armies crushed the Habsburg bastard; while we have the Crown of St. Stephen, he holds the keys to Hungary and Luxemburg. Finally, Silesia is the immediate prize, the dowry for Ladislav’s union with one of the Greif. It is already given to us; now we must secure our end of the compact.”

Sebrle fell silent while von Dohna wondered what it would take to convince the Czech nobility that Ladislav was capable and worthy. After all, the bastards elected him in the first place, they should be content with their King, Wenzel thought. But his thoughts were interrupted as he overhead the Emperor’s aside opposing all war. He stepped back, in some shock. If he forbids force against Hungary, then His Majesty will be bereft of his other kingdom.

 

[Petrarca]

Ladislav dispatched for Stettin a letter bearing the royal crest.

To Her Imperial Majesty Maria-Katarina,

We greet Your Majesty with our uttermost felicitations and pray that only the finest fortunes have blessed the ducal household. The necessities of governance forbade our exit from Prague, despite our wishes to once again witness Your Majesty’s astonishing beauty and elegance.

Fortuna, the indifferent strumpet, has come to our favor. Dire questions of the proper union of the crown of Hungary with the crown of Bohemia lead us now to Poznan, a favorable land in which we find a favorable host. It would lift the heavy mood and thrill our spirits to have a chance to visit with Your Majesty if Your Majesty consented to travel presently to Poznan with no delay to join the Emperor and perhaps granted some audience with us.

We cannot begin to do justice to the loveliness and elegance that adorn Your Majesty as the fulsome grace of the divine; similes and wordplay leave lacking the esteem and awe we feel.

We only hope that Your Majesty will see fit to acknowledge this sincere missive and grant relief to us through traveling to Poznan.

Ladislav, of the Houses von Wittelsbach et von Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, Duke of the Austrias, Carinthia, Carniola, Styria, Silesia, Lusatia, Luxemburg, Margrave of Moravia, Grandmaster of the Knights of the Red Star of the Cross.​

As he ordered the courier away, Ladislav took in the Emperor’s announcements, pleased that Joachim had acknowledged the validity of his claim while wondering whether to execute Ugo with a pillow or a garrote. Let him be strangled in his sleep, he thought, pleasantly looking forward to hearing of Ugo killed with down feathers and clean linens.

He breathed deeply, understanding the Emperor’s implicit message. He silently thought of the Hungarians with We may work together, once the kingdom is mine as the crown itself already is, and wondered how far and how soon he could test the Emperor’s recommendations.

Ladislav shook himself from his thoughts to speak: “We do not intend to start any quarrels, and we will refrain from provocative speech in accordance with His Imperial Majesty’s wishes. As we have stated, we certainly favor a union of the crowns, as does His Imperial Majesty.”

“Knowing the consequences of leaving territories disparate and unprotected, we wish to have both a union of the crowns and a union of arms. The restrictions some suggest for the services of a realm’s armies, guarding them well inside their own borders at the expense of their Christian brethren elsewhere, are unbecoming.”

“Though it may chafe the nobles and others, we desire, and soon will formally require, the service of all armies of our realms in the defense of each. We will not let the isolationism and petty airs of magnates and the magistrates to prevent an effective defense of our territories under threat; we have seen the ill fates that befall those who ignore cooperation in favor of selfish and solitary concerns.”

“To coordinate such a defense of the dominions, we shall establish a Hofkriegsrat, using it as the central body for the organization and conduct of martial matters, an organ acting on our behalf to execute our will. And none shall controvert our authority in truculence, either; no military force shall exist but those which acknowledge our authority and obey our commands through the Hofkriegsrat. The baronial levies of Hungary, the militia portalis, and the obligated forces of the nobles, whether Bohemia, Hungarian, or Austrian, will be bound to our will to defend the dominions we possess with the utmost effort. Not an inch of territory will be deprived of us without our most tenacious defense and most withering counterstrike, assembled from the monies and hosts of all our lands.”

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Ugo sat silently, listening to the Bohemian without any change in his facial expression. As Ladislav finished, Ugo mumbled to himself.

"God have mercy on me!"

Ugo sighed and then stood up and spoke.

"Well, it seems the very same man who was willing to destroy my land in order to get it is now willing to preserve it. By God, if the price for Hungary's future is me backing down from my crown, then I shall swallow this mighty disgrace. You can have the stin... cursed crown, and parade around with it. I have nothing but your word as my guarantee, and I have my thoughts about that too. However, you have efficiently cornered me, and I must bow before the greater... strategist. So, for the greater good, I sacrifice myself, my father's good name and everything our years of rule stood for. Honour. Commitment. Courage. Strength. Loyalty... and the eternal Truth. If nothing else, that is the heritage you will be given. I pray to God that you will live up to it, for if you do not, I will..."

Ugo was about to threaten the king of Bohemia, but stopped himself in the middle of it.

"Ahem. What I wanted to say was that I love Hungary in a way you will never understand. For you it will always be something you claimed, demanded and felt was your by law. For me, it is different in so many ways that you would never understand.
So here is how it is going to be. I will abdicate and explain to the Diet in Buda what is going on. I will most likely get a severe beating for this. You should be prepared to travel there yourself, for you have a great deal of explaining to do. Bring plenty of gold. You will have to accept the demands for kingship as it will be set by the magnates. They will most likely demand a great deal of freedom for themselves and their privileges, for we have had shifting luck with foreign rulers in the past. This among other things involved honouring and reaffirming the Golden Bulle. Also, they will most likely demand that you come to Buda once every year. They will want to keep an eye on you, Ladislavus. Last... If they chose you as king, you will have to be crowned by arch-bishop Benedek. Meaning getting the support and blessing of the church.
Many, MANY other things will have to handled in this... untimely transition of power, but it is out of my hands the moment I abdicate. I do however expect you to have enough class to appoint me as Palatine of Hungary, as it was in the elder days. I have a suspecion that without my humble self, no good will ever come to your majesty from Hungary. Furthermore, I demand to keep the crown of Croatia for myself and my children. That you have no right to. The same goes for the overlordship of Wallachia and the different privileges given to me not as king, but as Ugo of Hungary. They shall all remain under Hungary for all eternity.
Many different things need to be handled, but these are along with the armed agreement. However, while we are still equals and you are still not my king, I want to take this last opportunity to warn you, man to man. You know perfectly well what Hungary will demand of Bohemia in the near future, and if you are not the king we now have to hope you are, you will find yourself in a world of trouble. Your predecessors have failed us miserably from time to time, and if you truely want this crown as your right, you will have to earn it. Nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING, will come your way if you a proven too weak. You want to be our king... very well then, you have proven yourself capable of doing the dirty things needed. You will now need to get your hands even more dirty to deserve it. Hungary is not Bohemia. By us, the man of noble blood is a fake, if he does not live up to his heritage. You know what I mean. Earn this, and all will be good. Fail us... Hmm... My little piece of advise.
Is all of this acceptable to the king of Bohemia?

Ugo could explode, but he knows when he has lost. Now he hopes to get the most out of it.

 

[Longinus]

A kind reply arrived to Ladislav.

“Onto Ladislav, of the Houses von Wittelsbach et von Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, Duke of the Austrias, Carinthia, Carniola, Styria, Silesia, Lusatia, Luxemburg, Margrave of Moravia, Grandmaster of the Knights of the Red Star of the Cross.

Your Majesty,

While observing the world around, awakening from the Winter torpor, already we planned with my mother, siblings and cousins a trip to Poznan where this conference of yours is ongoing. Thus Your Majesty’s letter truly was like a primrose of the Spring and with pleasure I grant the audience when we all arrive in Poznan.

We shall depart tomorrow morning and the journey should not take more then five days really. We plan to spend most of the Spring in Poznan and already my mother, after finding out about Your Majesty’s letter, extended her friendship and invited Your Majesty to accompany us for some time.

Thus I finish the letter and wish Your Majesty good health and fortune,

Godspeed,

Maria-Katarina of the Gryphons, Princess Imperii”

*****​

The very same day in Poznan’s conference Joachim attempted to reconcile the Crowns of Bohemia and Hungary yet again.

Przemysl's Hill, Ducal Palace in Poznan

The conference was already lasting more then two weeks fortunately, despite the stubbornness of both parties it would seem that Ugo of Hungary not only softened his voice but also decided to seriously lower his expectations.

”Good, perhaps the compromise is possible after all, I misjudged this Ugo of Hungary, at least to certain extent he is ready to make concessions.”

The day after the apparent breakthrough Joachim asked for the voice.

“Majesties, We swore to do help You in reaching the agreement, a compromise, that would satisfy both crowns. It would seem that with HM Ugo of Hungary last statements such compromise is possible and for that We wish to commend and thank HM Ugo.

The peace and stability in the whole region is in the best Bohemian, Hungarian, Imperial, Venetian and Balakan interest. Thus we should double our efforts on the actual agreement.

We think that most of HM Ugo’s words are most plausible and should be received with understanding from the side of HM Ladislav, the last of the Luxemburgians.

However, I would kindly like to ask HM Ugo, to explain certain issues to us. First of all what does Your Majesty mean concerning the immediate future of Hungary? I pray that as Palatine of Hungary you do not plant to drag the whole region into the flames of some sort?

Concerning the Wallachian vassalship we know very well that this shall end in the period of the next few years so it is not really a matter of permanence, thus irrelevant.

As for Kingdom of Croatia, personally, we would like to know more about it? Does not different House possess the title of King of Croatia and merely is the vassal of Hungary?"

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Ugo speaks.

"We have no doubt in our minds that war with Venice will come. One way or the other. To doubt it will only be because of lack of the sources of intelligence Hungary has. We know for a fact that Venice has been planning to invade Hungary even before I became ill, which was a long time ago. Also there is the question about Serbia, and I cannot and will not accept an annexation of that realm. That the Venetians even have it in their grasp sickens me and it sickens the Magnates. It is wrong in any possible way. The Venetians are a greedy and hostile pack of wolf-like merchants, and if they are prevented from taking my land this time, they will try again later. Some might think a signature on a piece of paper will secure peace in our region, but the Venetians have lied, cheated and conspired so far. I for one do not believe any word that comes from the ungodly Doge and most certainly not a signature. It is only ink on paper. The fact that others believe his lies is no comfort to me. I know what kind of a man he is. I have heard it from many sources, even his own allies. You do not play with the wolf when it is about to eat your sheep... you kill it.
As for Croatia, that is more to ensure that the nobles in Hungary keep closer dominion over their lands in Croatia, where we have heavily settled our magnates and lower nobility. It would be a matter of good will and faith to not demand all the titles which were passed to my father and myself. For the sake of rank, it would be much easier if I kept the title of king in front of our domestic nobility and especially my allies to the east and south, who will be bound to Hungary as a realm. Wallachia is bound to Hungary by all means. Any of these matters are however open for negotiations also, though I would like to avoid lengthy discussions of claim, law and blood ties. It's enough I'm discussin losing my crown of Hungary."

 

[unmerged(17500)]

Read by a Venetian messenger to the court.

A letter arrives and is read for the world to hear.

With the recent conversations with the Cardinale of the Papacy the Doge has seen that it is best that Catholics do not fight Catholics. My personal opinion is that our land claims are more important, however the Doge has decided otherwise. He wishes to bring a closure to recent transgressions. He commanded me to write this treaty and present it to you to judge your taste on such a measure. This does not contain the signature of the Doge, for he waits for your reaction first. In God I hope that no further blood is shed then necessary.

~Franco Berlusconi
​

Peace of Trieste

1. Both the nations with the help of the Holy Church come together to keep peace between the nations of Venezia and Hungary.

2. A peace shall reign between the two nations that will last for the period of three years not to be disrupted by any being under God.

3. Hungarian claims to the lands of Serbia, Istria and Dalmatia shall be allowed to be kept in their current form.

4. Venezia shall be allowed to do what it requires within the lands of Serbia and Kosovo, that may include vassalation, annexation of such lands, and convertion of its people.

5. Venezia shall allow the Holy Church to enter the territories of Serbia and Kosovo for the purposes of convertion, including the converting of churches and spreading of missionaries across the land.

6. At the closure of three years, both nations agree that it is in their best interests to continue said treaty.

 

[unmerged(17500)]

A letter is read openly to the court by a Venetian messenger

A letter arrives in Poznan for Ugo, it too is revealed to all.

"So you go from ignoring me to now speaking obscene language. I see. Regardless within two months the Serbian campaign shall be complete. At that point Serbia is annexed legally once Kosovo is taken. At that point it is your move signiore. Venezia shall not declare war on your nation, and has never planned to. I hope you can find one scrap of evidence to the contrary but I doubt you will be able to. However I have documents from seven years past of your plotting against Venezia with your Genovese and Ragusan partners. How interesting. Within two months it will be finished. At that point I expect either a pact securing peace in the region, or am to expect your declaration of war on Venezia. I hope it is recognized 1) that Venezia has never publicly ever stated any aggressive commitments toward Hungary, and 2) that we have offered peace to resolve such issues. The peace that you sought is before you. It is for yourself to take.

~Doge Francesco Foscari
​

Peace of Trieste

1. Both the nations with the help of the Holy Church come together to keep peace between the nations of Venezia and Hungary.

2. A peace shall reign between the two nations that will last for the period of three years not to be disrupted by any being under God.

3. Hungarian claims to the lands of Serbia, Istria and Dalmatia shall be allowed to be kept in their current form.

4. Venezia shall be allowed to do what it requires within the lands of Serbia and Kosovo, that may include vassalation, annexation of such lands, and convertion of its people.

5. Venezia shall allow the Holy Church to enter the territories of Serbia and Kosovo for the purposes of convertion, including the converting of churches and spreading of missionaries across the land.

6. At the closure of three years, both nations agree that it is in their best interests to continue said treaty.

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Ugo first smiles, then laughs as the letter is read aloud, then writes a reply.

(See Venetian court before)

 

[unmerged(17500)]

Some nobles require the letter read again.
(the second letter is different and refers to the first, the reason both are posted.)

 

[unmerged(17500)]

An attachment is on the letter received earlier. (easier than sending another letter)

...
As for what I will do when Serbia is annexed, this is my answer. I will do what is the right thing to do.
...

Another letter enters the court and read.
"As wonderful as your vague explanation is, I require at least a solid explanation for the reasons that you do not accept this document. This is what I call negotiations.

~Doge Francesco Foscari."

 

[Longinus]

Przemysl's Hill, Ducal Palace in Poznan

Joachim’s eyes narrowed a bit as he was hearing to Ugo’s outburst.

”He sure is simpleton, little place for maneuver he lefts, it reminds me of that Henry from Macklenburg, simple words, enormous amounts of venom and hatred. What sort of diplomacy is it anyway?”

Finally when Ugo finished Joachim spoke tapping the table.

“Your Majesty,

Please calm down a bit. Little do we understand these words of war with Venice, unless it is Your Majesty to wedge war against the Venetians of course.

Know also that offending Venice and Ventian doge in the way Your Majesty does is unacceptable before us for we consider Venice and Venetian doge to be the friend of ours. Again we ask Your Majesty not to speak of him in such foul language and manner, not before us at least.

Even if we understand the matter of Serbia, in the end it is irrelevant in these talks and We think that can be resolved through diplomacy not war, just as we prove possible now.”

He sights.

”Even now we offer our mediation in the Serbian case. We believe that the whole matter must be a sort of misunderstanding and ultimately, Your Majesty and Doge of Venice are the men of reason. Are you not?

As for Croatia little do we have to say, as long as the rights of any noble House there won’t be put in question. Vallahian case, to our knowledge, was a pure matter of honour between Your Majesty’s father and the voivode of Vallachia. As knights they competed and found peace in the end."

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Ugo looked at Joachim and wondered. Did the Emperor really not know? Or was he pretending to not know?

"Your Imperial Majesty, I blame you not for not knowing the full truth about the matter concerning Venice. They have tricked and deceived quite a lot of people in the recent months and years. Including many mighty rulers of many mighty realms whom call themselves friensd of Venice. I never blame the man that has been tricked, but I do very much blame the liar and conspirator that carries out the conspiracy and speaks the lie. Therefore, I will only say for now, that we know that Venice is not what it seems and this matter goes beyond Serbia, though that realm is a crucial part of the puzzle.
When the time is right, I shall enlighten the whole world of why I feel no friendship for the Venetians. However, even to concider this false offer of peace I will never do. I know the Venetians better than any man. This "peace proposal" is a scheme. A filthy, filthy scheme. I ask your Imperial Majesty to trust me on this matter. Perhaps I am a man filled with hate and anger, but I am so with a clear knowledge. And except for a few friends who also know the truth, I for now fight alone against the false and the wicked.
You believe in your heart that the Venetians are your friends, and of course as a noble man, you see their action as one of peace and my denial as one of aggression. That will change very soon. I want peace, but this lie in writing has nothing to with either peace, truth or honour. I swear it by God."

 

[Petrarca]

Ladislav dwelt on the letter from Maria-Katarina to avoid considering, albeit for a fleeting moment.

He had been taken aback by the sudden change in the atmosphere in Poznan. Ugo, the obstinate defender of his own ambitions, now so ready to give us what is rightfully ours? So much had transpired with that one speech that he was caught unsure about how precisely to respond, to walk the fine line between passionate truculence and spiritless aloofness. Joachim and Ugo had conducted a quick exchange, leaving Ladislav no real opportunity to put forth his own case.

Now was that time. He set the letter down, promising himself to return to it, and began. “I would show more respect to the Crown of St. Stephen. To deride as ‘cursed’ the great symbol of Hungary and the Crown Law that rules it, the law that extends above any man—“ and here he raised his hand to Heaven— “is unbecoming. We know our rights—and we know the rights of the nobles and the laws of the Kingdom which grant them. We shall always respect the laws, for they are the foundation of a godly society, and have been the root of upright goodness since Moses came down from Sinai and the Christ called forth the evangelists. The law gives all their proper rights.”

“We know that the Archbishop, now in Rome, must crown us, as we first broached this point, and in the proper place as well. We have served Mother Church well in Bohemia, and we pray that God may give us the grace to continue to aid His flock.”

“Wallachia is a state not bound to the Crown of Hungary for many years more, and given the extraordinary nature of their vassalage, the interpretations of their obligation may vary. It seems best, though, that their obedience remain with the family to which they pledged fealty, that being your own. Croatia has remain bound to the Crown of St. Stephen for some great time now. We have, however, consented to devolve the title, Duke of Styria, to a loyal servant of our realms—“ here von Dohna stifled a laugh, knowing their private discussion and the man to whom Ladislav referred— “and we may extend this practice to the Crown of Croatia. This is not a matter to ‘demand,’ but to properly discuss as good Christians. Such devolution remains entirely within the bounds of possibility, and given the proper articles, we see no reason to impede such conduct.”

“We feel that reason is defeated when we must repeat our words for those who did not hear them the first time—the Hungarian Diet must accept the articles we propose, two treaties, to ensure that the dominions we possess do in fact forever coincide in defense and betterment of any one. Give us the proper tools, and we shall achieve far more than what is merely required to us.”

Ladislav responded to Joachim’s questions. “We do well understand his words and their full implications, but must insist that the Hungarian Diet is a crucial consideration. If the nobles and the other members of the Diet do not permit a Union of Arms, then we would face significant trouble defending Hungary. Should they deny us the crown, the difficulty of aiding Hungary is magnified immensely, naturally. We should seek to reason with them, then, to make such compromise that we may have an Ausgleich in deeds as well as words.”

“Croatia must be looked into. Our ambassador to the Diet, Count Rozmberk, will declare before the Empire the accession of one man to the Duchy of Styria, one of our own titles granted to him, in our permanent service as a loyal vassal of the Crown, in order to better the governance of Inner Austria. Although our final decision remains tied to the natural status of Croatia, we have no objection under the proper circumstances. And if there is further insistence on the status of royalty, then others may just ask of us, for we know how to properly elevate men of worth.”

Finally catching up, Ladislav turned to Ugo: “If you insist, then we shall discuss more practical matters. We shall have some of our most noted men draw up the articles we mentioned, the Union of Arms and the Ausgleich Traktat, to set before the Hungarian Diet. They must approve the terms written—otherwise our work is for naught, and Hungary remains apart from the defense of the other dominions, in which the treaties would become law—and so we will cajole them, caress their egos, soothe their wounded pride, all to protect Hungary.”

“We know our limits. We know that the Diet must approve any treaty for Hungary, and that you have preserved the advantage in this for the magnates—the union of the dominions, while joining in our person and certain bodies powers properly the Crown’s, retains indubitably the autonomy of all the realms pertaining to us, meaning that the ancient Hungarian privileges do in fact force the matter.”

“After all that we have striven for, we know it absurd, as surely all others present do, to sign a treaty for one part, the Cisleithanien states, to which the other is not bound, that other being the Transleithanien or Hungarian dominions. Congratulations, Prince Ugo. You have already won your first victory in parliamentary maneuvering against us,” Ladislav said, attempting to remove the bitterness that dwelled within him. He knew it impossible to finally win Hungary, and then destroy his own efforts by signing a treaty that the Hungarians would spit upon. He needed victories, not certain defeats, to gain the loyalties of the nobles and the hearts of the Kingdom.

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Ugo looked at Ladislav as he spoke, wondering what to think of this man. As the king of Bohemia finished, Ugo took his time before answering.

"Very well. It seems we are in agreement on the important issues. I suggest that we now have our scholars write up a written agreement so that this matter can be dealt with once and for all. I shall soon write to the arch-bishop and inform him of the matter. When does your majesty think there is a document to present to the Diet?"