1468- The Succession Crisis
The Succession War that ensued after the death of Joan II proved to be a much quicker affair than either successor had believed. Ferran went into it knowing his life was on the line, but also believing that most people in Aragon would support him. He overestimated the hatred of Alfons. King Alfons VI had the stronger claim and kept an iron grip on his subjects. One by one, the nobles declared their support for their rightful king, bringing their personal armies onto his side. Other than Count Arturo de Valencia and the landless Ferran Perez de Cabrera, all the nobles either backed Alfons or kept their distance from the conflict. Alfons was so intent on crushing Ferran the Bastard that he barely noticed those nobles who stayed neutral.
The clergy within Aragon were quick to voice their support for Alfons VI as well. Ignoring the line of succession was an affront to God, especially if one wanted to place a bastard on the throne. Cardinal Fernando de Vascona even used his leverage in the Holy See to convince the Pope to endorse Alfons’s reign. The Pope expressed a desire to personally crown Alfons VI king of Aragon and Naples, which would have to wait until the Mediterranean was clear for Alfons VI to make the trip to Rome. Ferran had nominal control of Naples and a rogue admiral had already attacked Cagliari. The waters were not safe.
With his rule legitimized by both the Church and his nobles, Alfons ordered his army to handle the traitors. Zaragoza was besieged by over 10,000 men, although Count Arturo de Valencia fought to the bitter end. When the walls were finally assaulted and the Count’s castle taken, Arturo de Valencia was dragged out before the King. The Count resisted to the very end, spitting at Alfons VI in defiance. The King, too enraged to consider his usual torture methods, ordered the man beheaded then and there. As the Count was take to the executioner’s block, he told the King that he’d see him in Hell. Alfons VI merely scowled at that comment as the Arturo’s head was severed from his shoulders. The King declared that the de Valencia’s would rule no more in Zaragoza from here on for their treachery.
With the only resistance in Aragon handled, the King’s army sailed for Naples. Ferran, despite ties to the region, had not garnered the support he had hoped for in Naples. Only his wife’s vassals and friends supported him, giving him control of maybe a third of the peninsula. Viceroy Renato Limmona organized the loyalist forces in Naples, keeping Ferran from overrunning the entire region. He still hoped for peace and sent several offers to Ferran begging him to stand down to prevent further bloodshed. The bastard was unwilling to stand down. Ferran knew that to surrender meant death. Alfons would not show him mercy.
As Alfons’s forces landed in Naples, Ferran soon found himself outmatched. He held out as long as he could, but his army was routed early on. In one last act of desperation, a few hundred men, led by Ferran Perez de Cabrera, sacrificed their lives so that Ferran could flee. As long as he lived, there would be a claimant that could overthrow the tyrant Alfons VI. These men fought bravely, but knew that they were destined to die. It was assumed that Ferran Perez de Cabrera died during the battle, although his body was not found. Renato de Abruzzi, who was hiding in Austria, arranged for transport for the bastard. In the dead of night, Ferran sailed up the Adriatic Sea to Venice and travelled over land to Austria. With Ferran gone, his forces were crushed and the kingdom secured. Alfons VI had won.
Word soon reached the King that Ferran had survived, despite his army’s defeat. Diplomat Joseph von Thun was even sent to Austria to demand that the Habsburgs hand over the bastard. They refused, a great insult to Alfons VI. Ferran would live in hiding out of Alfons’s grasp for now. His escape also stirred up the King’s paranoia. It had not gone unnoticed that most of his courtiers had remained neutral or uninvolved in the succession war. These foreigners that had sought position at court had shown their true colours. They only supported him when it was convenient and cared little who was king. He’d have to keep a careful eye on them all. Only true Aragonese could be trusted. He’d keep that in mind as he plotted how to kill Ferran once and for all. His crown would never be safe until the bastard was dead.
Presenting His Majesty, Alfons VI de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples, and Protector of the Greeks.
I… rather we come before you today as the rightful king, as it should be. Those who doubted us are dead or have fled. Ferran is still alive, but he has been shown that the people of Aragon will never accept his rule. We are king and he is a bastard; that will never change. Now that he is beyond our grasp but at least not a threat at present, we can focus on returning to some state of normalcy. As such, we shall appoint our new Council:
Chancellor - King Alfons VI de Trastámara
Steward - King Alfons VI de Trastámara
Treasurer - King Alfons VI de Trastámara
Grandmaster - King Alfons VI de Trastámara
Marshal - Carlos de Leon ((zenphoenix))
Grand Admiral - King Alfons VI de Trastámara
Court Chaplain - Fernando de Vascona ((Andre Massena))
Viceroy of Naples - Renato Limmona ((AvatarOfKhaine))
Representative to Byzantium - Ioannes Kontostephanos ((TrueProd))
You may be surprised by how many roles we have taken for ourselves. It is because I fear that I do not know who to trust. Our two viceroys have done their duties ably enough and it would be foolish to question the capabilities of a cardinal. Count Carlos de Leon shall remain as Marshal for his support during the crisis. As for the rest, we do not know who to choose. To be frank, our courtiers have not entirely proven their loyalty. There was a disturbing lack of support for us during the war and we do not appreciate that. We will not trust affairs of state to those who cannot accept us as their rightful king. We shall run the entire kingdom if we have to. Now you all should be doing your best to prove your loyalty before we start looking for traitors.
((Okay, now to deal with the aftermath.
@05060403, your character is dead and you must make a new one.
@Riccardo93 and
@GameHunter5303 your characters are considered criminals, although you are free to kill them off as a result of the war if you want. Also, if anyone wants any of the positions claimed by the king, excluding Chancellor, they should mention it. I have no idea who wants what at this point. Just keep in mind that Alfons might not accept these request if he doesn't trust you.
As for the ministers, they have until
9am PST on Thursday to present their plans. Also, I’ve made a small change where ministers are now required to state if they are keeping their plans the same. Any minister who fails to provide a plan, either different or the same, for two consecutive turns is automatically fired. You also have until the deadline to propose any laws or petitions. Just a reminder that the national focus on military ends with Joan’s death and you can now propose a new one *cough* diplo *cough*. Also, I have not forgotten the free idea group. We’ll vote on that after the plans have been presented. We also have a fort in Granada now, so the Marshal may want to consider that in his plan. Here is the random info screenshots to help with formulating plans:
))