• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
((What are our National Ideas? Are we getting close to a new choice, Admin Tech 10?))

Edward sighed, and the sigh turned into a raspy cough that had plagued him for days upon end. This cough would not cease and Edward frantically reached out for his goblet of wine but knocked it over and he fell into the table with it. There was a crash both of Edward's body as well as various sundry items dropped by the servants in the dining hall with him. Edward gave a gasp and then...

Alfonso Torarella felt darkly lucky to be ashore in Barcelona when news reached him of his father's death 3 months before. He was sure the king had not heard. But now he had a decision, continue with his service in the navy, or approach the king for a petition to replace his father in Melilla. He quickly dispatched a letter with a courier and then went to the local tavern to think things over.




My exalted King Ferran II de Trastamara, etc etc

News has just arrived that my father, Edward Torarella, died at our villa in Navarre some three months ago. I do not know if anyone knew to let you know or if such news has reached your ears through the normal gossip of the court. He has been away from his governorship in Melilla for several years, leaving much to his deputies there.

Alfonso Torarella
Midshipmen, Santa Maria


Name: Alfonso Torarella
Date of birth: January 1465 (27 years old)
Class: Noble (unlanded)
Religion: Catholic

Alfonso Torarella is the firstborn son of Edward Torarella, first Gobernador Real of Melillia, and the first Gobernador Real ever appointed by Aragon. He was the nephew of the late Duke of Navarre Tomas Etxeto and is cousin to the current Duke of Navarre through his mother's side. Alfonso grew up in Melilla and joined the Aragonese navy in his late teens growing tired of the North African coast. He speaks Arabic, Italian, and Spanish ((or Aragonese??)) and is currently a Midshipmen in the Aragonese Navy. He has ever looked to the seas as his rightful place in the world.
 
  • 2
Reactions:
((What are our National Ideas? Are we getting close to a new choice, Admin Tech 10?))

My exalted King Ferran II de Trastamara, etc etc

News has just arrived that my father, Edward Torarella, died at our villa in Navarre some three months ago. I do not know if anyone knew to let you know or if such news has reached your ears through the normal gossip of the court. He has been away from his governorship in Melilla for several years, leaving much to his deputies there.

Alfonso Torarella
Midshipmen, Santa Maria


Name: Alfonso Torarella
Date of birth: January 1465 (27 years old)
Class: Noble (unlanded)
Religion: Catholic

Alfonso Torarella is the firstborn son of Edward Torarella, first Gobernador Real of Melillia, and the first Gobernador Real ever appointed by Aragon. He was the nephew of the late Duke of Navarre Tomas Etxeto and is cousin to the current Duke of Navarre through his mother's side. Alfonso grew up in Melilla and joined the Aragonese navy in his late teens growing tired of the North African coast. He speaks Arabic, Italian, and Spanish ((or Aragonese??)) and is currently a Midshipmen in the Aragonese Navy. He has ever looked to the seas as his rightful place in the world.

((Aragon's national ideas can be found here. We unlock another idea group at admin tech 7, which we are about 2 years away from unlocking one.))

((Private letter to Alfonso Torarella))

Xs93UHA.png

Your father's passing is quite unfortunate. He did much to bring Melilla safely under Aragonese rule. He will be missed. ((Were you hoping to be governor again?))

- His Majesty, Ferran II de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples, and Protector of the Greeks
 
((I don't know yet to be honest))
 
((I've been informed that I should start filling the ranks of the Royal Order of the Light, so I'll do just that. Let's just ignore the fact that the order is just for show and has no real power. :D))

Xs93UHA.png

It has come to my attention that the Royal Order of the Light is lacking members. That shall be rectified now. I present to you loyal members of my court who deserve recognition for their contributions either through military service or as a member of the Council who deserve membership amongst the Order. May their light overcome the darkness.

Cardinal Fernando de Vascona
Count Luigi Castelozzi
Count Sebastián de Loarre

- His Majesty, Ferran II de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples, and Protector of the Greeks

Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing such a great honor upon my person. It is truly a privilege to serve the kingdom in the Lord's name and represent Your Highness at the court of Saint Peter.

=Cardinal de Vascona


((Private))

Later, De Vascona returns to his quarters with Juan. They prepare to return to Rome the next day. As they were packing, De Vascona suddenly felt overwhelmed and had to sit down.

"Are you alright?" Juan asked. "What is wrong?"

"I felt a great disturbance in the Holy Spirit," the cardinal replied, "as if thousands of souls cried out in terror and were denied entrance into Heaven." He paused and looked gravely into Juan's eyes. "I fear something terrible has happened in Aragon."
 
  • 5
Reactions:
Manuel threw back the shutters to let the afternoon sunlight stream into his bedchamber. He stood there for a while, allowing the warmth to permeate his naked flesh. Hoping to rekindle the previous nights passion, he returned to the bed and kissed awake his companion.
Groggily attempting to rub her eyes, she swatted at Manuel.
Not to be denied , however, he redoubled his efforts, and earned a slap for his trouble. Doña Martorell had plenty of fire in her (as Don Martorell had discovered, much to his dismay.)
"Good morning, my lord bishop" Now sitting up and fully awake, she smiled at him.
"Good afternoon, my love."
Someone knocked at the door - Càrlo, no doubt. Manuel raised an eyebrow, the Doña inclined her head in response.
"Come." Neither made a move to cover themselves.
"My Lord Bishop, pardon the intrusion, Bishop Balaguer has arrive-" Càrlo broke off when he noticed the state of immodesty on display. He averted his eyes, his face quickly turning crimson.
"Yes?" Manuel prompted.
"Bishop Balaguer has arrived earlier than expected, do you want to meet him now, or shall I inform him to to wait on your pleasure?" Càrlo regained his composure - Manuel was impressed, the ability to dissemble so fast was valuable. However Càrlo's eyes betrayed him, alternatively staring at the Doña's bare chest and then attempting to look anywhere but. It couldn't be helped of course, the poor boy was thirteen after all.
A playful grin spread across Manuel's face. He slid his arms around the Doña's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Hey, Càrlo, want to touch them?"
"Eh? T- touch? Y- you mean..?"
The Doña smiled at him invitingly. Càrlo gulped hard and slowly raised his arm...

---

"Ah, Bishop Balaguer! Welcome, thank you for taking the time to come to Valénica." Manuel Grinned. Not the playful, Cheshire-cat grin of earlier, this was the grin of a wolf who has successfully applied for the role of sheepdog.
"Oh not at all, it's the least I could do." Balaguer flapped his hands uselessly.
"Càrlo, pour the bishop some wine."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, much obliged." The goblet was quickly drained. "So about my... er... circumstance. You can help?"
"As Lord Treasurer, I am able to extend you a helping had, certainly. As a priest though..." Manuel adopted a pained expression. "As a priest my conscience tells me I must inform the Holy Father."
Balaguer's face paled. "No, please! They'll defrock me for sure!"
Manuel doubted that, Rome was as morally vacuous as ever. The exact nature of Balaguer's problem was financial. In short, he had been 'indiscreet' and now his dioceses was all but bankrupt, rendering him incapable of paying tax. If it had ended there he may not have fallen into Manuel's grasp, however the fool attempted to solve his difficulties by plundering churches and monasteries for all the wealth they contained.
"Perhaps, if you accepted some form of penitence my conscience could be assuaged?"
"Yes, anything. What do you suggest?"
"The sin is financial in nature... so the punishment should be the same, no?"
"Financial? The same?" Balaguer clearly did not see where this was going.
"You will write to the Holy Father, and inform him that you no longer feel yourself capable of maintaining some of the benefices granted to you, and that they should be granted to someone more worthy." Manuel gestured at himself.
"That's... but that's...!" Balaguer spluttered.
"I do hope His Holiness is in good health. Rumour has it a reformer might be elected soon. Reformers hate 'indescretions'."
"All right, all right, I'll do it! What do you want?"
"The monastery of St. Leonor, the Abbey outside Gandia and something else. I'll let you chose. As for your debts to the crown, they shall be forgiven. However you must relinquish the tax privileges granted to your diocese during the reign of King Martin."

---

A good days work, Manuel thought to himself after the beleaguered bishop left. Both he and the crown were richer.

((Sorry for the length, that turned out longer than I expected.))
 
  • 1
  • 1
Reactions:
((I have been on a brief hiatus from Internet but am now back. I am sad I missed act of union.))

Your Grace,
Forgive my silence on this issue of Naples. I have been in Napoli and the rest of the kingdom to gauge popular and noble opinion on the fusing of the estates. The nobles of Naples itself, along with Salerno, Abruzzi, Benevento, and Apulia seem to support the union. The nobles of southern Naples are more hesitant.
Also, may I request that the position of Viceroy of Naples remain even after the estates combine in order to represent the Italian culture and traditions of Napoli. It also would serve the crown well to have a strong secondary leader in case of attack and revolt.
Furthermore, I would like to petition that my dearly deceased grandmother's claim to Salerno be fulfilled with me being invested in the Duchy.((Giuliano's bio mentioned his parents and I believe his first message.))
Humbly,
-Alfonso D'Este, Viceroy di Napoli
 
((I have been on a brief hiatus from Internet but am now back. I am sad I missed act of union.))

Your Grace,
Forgive my silence on this issue of Naples. I have been in Napoli and the rest of the kingdom to gauge popular and noble opinion on the fusing of the estates. The nobles of Naples itself, along with Salerno, Abruzzi, Benevento, and Apulia seem to support the union. The nobles of southern Naples are more hesitant.
Also, may I request that the position of Viceroy of Naples remain even after the estates combine in order to represent the Italian culture and traditions of Napoli. It also would serve the crown well to have a strong secondary leader in case of attack and revolt.
Furthermore, I would like to petition that my dearly deceased grandmother's claim to Salerno be fulfilled with me being invested in the Duchy.((Giuliano's bio mentioned his parents and I believe his first message.))
Humbly,
-Alfonso D'Este, Viceroy di Napoli

Xs93UHA.png

Just as the position of Viceroy of Navarra ceased to exist when Navarra did, so can the same be said for Naples. Keeping the position around would imply that Naples is not equal to the rest of Aragon and requires its own governor. That is not the case. The lords will be responsible for governing their lands in my name. As such, I see no problem with granting you a lordship over Salerno once Naples is fully integrated into the kingdom.

- His Majesty, Ferran II de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples, and Protector of the Greek


((Just to let everyone know, the next update may be delayed a day or two. I had hoped to play tonight and post the update tomorrow afternoon, but my video card was acting up and I had to reinstall all its drivers and updates. I think it's working fine now, but I won't be able to play until at least tomorrow. Feel free to use the extra day or two to roleplay a bit.))
 


WptLIrz.png


To His noble and honourable Majesty, Ferran II de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Protector of the Greeks

I am greatly honoured by your decision to knight me as a member of the Royal Order of the Light. We shall keep spreading the light to reach the world's darkest places.

Signed and Sealed
by
General d'Exèrcit Senyor Sebastián de Loarre

Comte de Barcelona, Baró de Loarre, ROL
c4bLHa4.png
 
WptLIrz.png
Your Majesty,

I am most honoured to be chosen as one of the first Knights of the Light. A great recognition of my services indeed. Great motivation, together with the next Turkish war, to end my life as it has been led all the time: As general. Victory will be ours. Lux tenebris vincet!

Your loyal subject,
General Luigi Castelozzi, Count of Palermo

(( I have internet access for the rest of my stay, so I can keep up at least. So I retire from my plan of retirement.:rolleyes:))
 
1492-1495 – A Bloodless War

One of the first things King Ferran II did after consulting his court was attempt to normalize relations with England. He stopped declaring them a rival, although they still felt the same. Instead focus was placed on Venice. The former allies were clashing over Greece. Both wanted the others holdings there. Conflict was inevitable.

For the first time in decades, every fort in Aragon was abandoned and left unmanned, even the one in the capital. Marshal Stefano von Thun felt they were an unnecessary expense when the threat of attack did not seem imminent. If Castile wanted to make a move, they would have by now.

The kingdom was in mourning as Jofré Llançol de Borja passed away. The man was over a hundred years old and his death was not unexpected. What was unexpected was that the man had outlived most of his heirs. If he had any children, grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren to claim his title, they were not forthcoming. The county of Urgell was left vacant for now. ((Sorry @Attalus, had to kill you off.))

Provence signed a peace with Brittany a few days later. Taking advantage of the weakened state France helped put Brittany in, Provence was able to annex them entirely and even take a province from Burgundy. Provence now held land in three separate areas along France’s border. Ferran worried that this would mean an inevitable conflict between France and Provence.



In March, the Mamluks declared war on the Ottomans. This was music to Ferran’s ears. With the heathens fighting each other, the Ottomans would be an easier target than thought. The construction of the first five galleys of the Grand Admiral’s plan was put underway in preparation for war. The army under General Luigi Castelozzi in Valencia began the trip across the Mediterranean to Greece.

A foreign drill instructor arrived in Aragon and offered his services training the army. He knew of tactics unknown in Aragon before and Ferran wanted the army to have any advantage. The one problem was that the drill instructor charged an exorbitant fee. A loan had to be taken out just to pay his wages. Ferran argued that it was worth it if the army performed better under his guidance. The loan also allowed for the construction of the final five galleys.



With the passing of the Act of Union, it was decided that Naples would be formally integrated into Aragon. Such a process would not be easy. Naples was quite large and it would take time to turn over the administration entirely to Aragon. Some estimated it would not be complete until at least 1510.

As the Mamluks moved into Anatolia, the Ottomans started signing peaces with their other enemies. They pilfered what money they could from Theodoro and annexed Trebizond. Ferran ordered full funding for the army as Generals Castellozi, de Loarre, and von Thun moved into place in Byzantium in preparation for an attack on the Ottoman Balkan provinces. The navy was ordered to the straits, even though the Mamluks had already taken the initiative to blockade them already. The Ottomans were expected to have over 30k men, but at least 20k of those was spotted in northern Anatolia by the Greeks. The invasion was almost ready.



In a surprise move, the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire decided to replace Austria with Bohemia, after Italy slipped from their grasp. Perhaps that would open up opportunities in Italy with Austria unable to wield the resources of the Empire.

Once the army and navy were in place, Aragon was ready for war. A declaration of war was sent to the Ottomans and the armies marched north over the border. The Ottomans would be kicked out of the Balkans at all costs. Fortunately for Aragon, a good third of Anatolia was already under Mamluk occupation. This war would be an easy one.



Sofya and Kirkkilise fell within a month, shortly followed by Nigbolu. Silistre and Vidin fell the next month. All of the Ottoman Balkans was occupied already. With that clear, the armies were then ordered across the strait. The Ottomans had two forts there, one of which was their capital. 15k men went for the capital, while another 10k went for the other fort but had the aid of the Greek army.

Next door in Kutahya, the Ottoman army, quite large and daunting, attacked a small Mamluk army. With the Mamluk defeat, it was feared that the Ottomans would try to liberate their capital. General Sebastián de Loarre braced his men for attack, but it never came. A few days after the Ottoman victory, an even larger Mamluk army swooped down upon them. This time it was the Ottomans who faced defeat. As long as the heathens kept killing each other and left the Aragonese free to siege Ottoman land, the King was happy.



Hudavendigar, the Ottoman capital, fell in January of 1494. This good news was met with some less pleasant ones at home. Rumours were circulating around court of an Aragon ruled by the nobles, a republic where the nobles made all the decisions and the king was merely a figurehead. King Ferran tried to track down the source of these ideas, but failed. Instead he decided it was best to distract the court with new plans for Aragon. Perhaps Aragon could focus on new military efforts or its navy. There was also talk of attempting to find a route to India by travelling west.

Part of the Ottoman navy had been stationed at their capital and was forced to sea when the province was taken. With the Mamluk and Aragonese navies sitting in the straits, the Ottoman ships were doomed from the start. The straits soon were completely controlled by Aragon when Kocaeli fell in February.



The Ottoman army attempted to make a stand against the Mamluks in Bozok as the Aragonese army moved into Ankara to take another Ottoman fort. The Mamluks had the numbers though. The Ottomans were sent running again, not that the Mamluks didn’t face huge casualties too. No one in Aragon seemed upset by this prospect. Keep letting the heathens dies in the thousands.

In western Anatolia, General Castelozzi moved unimpeded through Ottoman land. In a few months he had taken Saruhan, Sugla, Mentese, and Teke.

While Aragon focused east, Castile made a move on Africa. They declared war on Tlemcen in the hopes of claiming their own peace of North Africa. King Ferran was furious with this. He didn’t want the Castilians meddling in his own backyard.



The Mamluks made another move on the vulnerable Ottomans and attacked their army in Trabzon. As expected, the Ottomans faced another loss and the Aragonese didn’t have to do anything to achieve that.

In July of 1494, a group of nobles petitioned the king for increased pensions in exchange for increased powers for the King. Ferran was not one to be pressured by others and he certainly wasn’t going to let it happen now. He bluntly told these nobles that he would not fund their greed with state funds. Instead he spent the funds in the treasury in paying of Aragon’s only loan.



Ankara fell in September of 1494, giving Aragon, or rather Byzantium as they were put in charge of occupation, control of all of western Anatolia and three forts. Sinop and Canik fell soon after on the north coast. The armies were ordered west to Greece after this, for only one province remained open and it was under siege by the Mamluks.

Denmark’s attempt to bring Sweden back under its control ended in failure as Denmark was forced to pay a war indemnity. The union would not be restored yet.

In May, spies reported the bulk of the Castilian army in Tlemcen. Of Castile’s reported 26 regiments, 19 were in North Africa. That meant Castile itself was mostly undefended, an interesting situation. Not only that, but the entire Castilian navy was sitting out in the Mediterranean with only a single galley in its ranks. It was such a tempting target.



With the Ottomans almost entirely occupied, they could do nothing but accept their fate. As planned, King Ferran demanded that the Ottoman Sultan had over all land in the Balkans to the Greeks. They were also forced to renounce any claim on their former capital in Edirne. A hefty war indemnity was demanded as well. Now Byzantium dominated the Balkans and the treasury was flush with ducats.

With that done, the armies were slowly shipped back to their usual spots. A temple was even constructed in Sassari using the funds taken from the Ottomans. There was also the royal family to consider. Both Alfons and Ferran (the child, not the King) had reached a suitable age for marriage. After the war with the Ottomans had ended, the French royal family paid a visit to Valencia, although the French king stayed behind in Paris as expected. The French Queen herself presented her young daughter Marie to the Aragonese court and in private suggested a match with Prince Alfons. King Ferran, much to everyone’s surprise, instead recommended that Marie be married to Prince Ferran. While Marie and Ferran were the same age, 13, Prince Ferran was the younger son. With Alfons as the heir, it seemed an insult to force the French princess to marry the younger son. Then King Ferran announced something that shocked everyone at court. Dashing aside the tradition of primogeniture, King Ferran designated Prince Ferran as his chosen heir, not Alfons. Prince Alfons was a bit miffed at the change in succession, but did nothing about it. If Ferran was the King’s choice for heir, what could he do about it? It would take time to see the consequences of this choice.

Ferran hadn’t turned his eye away from Castile yet. The claim on Gibraltar had expired, so a spy was sent to forge another one. It was so tempting to attack them while they were weak. With most of their army in Africa, not even the assistance of Portugal could save them in Iberia, especially with France’s help. Castile’s alliance with England was not a worry, for England still did not possess a navy capable of threatening Aragon. Their alliance with the Pope was another matter. Ferran did not like that the Hungarian Pope felt a need to ally the Castilians, but there was nothing he could do about it. If he wanted to take down Castile, now was the time. Such a major decision would require the advice of the court.



((Spam in a can!))





Xs93UHA.png

Presenting His Majesty, Ferran II de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples, and Protector of the Greeks.

We have been victorious once more. Greece is secure now that our friends rule the land and the Ottomans have been pushed from the region. Let us celebrate our success. And to think that not a single battle was fought with them. The Mamluks did most of our work for us while we took the land we pleased. I do not know if an easier war has been fought with the heathens of the east than the last one.

I am sure that some of you may question my decision to make my son Ferran heir to the throne. I have my reasons and believe he would be best for the kingdom. Know that I did not make this decision lightly.

Now I wish to discuss something of the greatest importance. We have a prime opportunity to strike at Castile. Most of their army is in Africa and we have the naval capabilities to keep them trapped there. With the help of the French, we could easily occupy most of Iberia, since our two kingdoms are the strongest in Europe. Let the Castilians pay for what they did to my uncle, King Alfons V. I will let you think over what I have said and consult you more on the matter later.

((All ministers have until Sunday at 12pm PST to post their plans. We, of course, will be voting on a new idea group once the plans are in, as well as other things. Keep in mind that we cannot pick an administrative idea, so only diplomatic and military ones are available.

Time to announce who will be collecting pensions. All these people’s characters are over 80 and should consider permanent retirement.

@VenetianRyan
@LatinKaiser
@ThetrueColt
@Tzuf23
@TJDS

I’ve also made it so that clergy can now serve as our in-game missionaries if they want and I’m planning to add in ducal titles soon. We’ll see how that works out. :) There are a lot of positions like diplomat open, so if someone wants one for that extra vote, you should ask. ;)))
 
  • 2
Reactions:
((Yeah, my character is out. Let's say he got his deserved retirement. I have no replacement for him right now as I didn't have the time to follow the AAR properly, sorry. Just open up Malta for someone else.))
 
((Great update for just 3 years time span :)
The integration of Naples take a long time! Do you have access to some policy or something that would reduce the time it takes to integrate them? ))
 
(( Don't worry I should have come and told you to pass it to somebody else :p
Anyway Aragon is doing good, really good ))

((Good to finally hear something from you. I feared the end of your AAR and the start of a new one made you vanish entirely. I'll do just that. :)))

((Yeah, my character is out. Let's say he got his deserved retirement. I have no replacement for him right now as I didn't have the time to follow the AAR properly, sorry. Just open up Malta for someone else.))

((Fair enough. Sorry to hear you don't have the time, but it's understandable. :)))

((Great update for just 3 years time span :)
The integration of Naples take a long time! Do you have access to some policy or something that would reduce the time it takes to integrate them? ))

((Not that I know of. From what I can see, the only way to shorten the time is to boost our diplomatic reputation, since that seems to be one of the things giving us a point each month towards integration, or force convert their culture to match ours.))
 
  • 1
Reactions:
((Not that I know of. From what I can see, the only way to shorten the time is to boost our diplomatic reputation, since that seems to be one of the things giving us a point each month towards integration, or force convert their culture to match ours.))
((What means are available to you to boos diplomatic reputation? Could you hire a statesman advisor, for example?))
 
((Good to finally hear something from you. I feared the end of your AAR and the start of a new one made you vanish entirely. I'll do just that. :)))
(( Actually I think I said something about trying to come back and if I didn't you were free to delete my family. But that may be my imagination :p
Well things move really too fast for me here but I'll continue to follow the adventures of Naples ;) ))
 
((What means are available to you to boos diplomatic reputation? Could you hire a statesman advisor, for example?))

((If there is one available, theoretically yes we could. I think it'd only give us an extra point a month. I've done the math and it would shave off about 3 years, so we'd be done some time in 1507, but it'd cost us an extra diplo point each month.))

(( Actually I think I said something about trying to come back and if I didn't you were free to delete my family. But that may be my imagination :p
Well things move really too fast for me here but I'll continue to follow the adventures of Naples ;) ))

((I honestly don't remember that. Maybe we're both imagining things. :p Well feel free to join the rank of lurker instead then. :D))
 
  • 1
Reactions:
Your Majesty,
I would like to congratulate you on your victory against the Turks. You truly show that the age of crusades is not yet over! On a different subject I would like to be granted a title of an Aragonse merchant. I would be able to bring French goods to Aragon more easily, which would make my job a lot easier. I would of course pay the right fees to the crown.
Maxime de Saint-Pierre

A message addressed to the Aragonse court
If you desire some goods I, Maxime de Saint-Pierre would gladly sell them to you. Also if you require something imported from from France, or if you want something transported out of Aragon I would gladly take up such task.
 
Your Majesty,
I would like to congratulate you on your victory against the Turks. You truly show that the age of crusades is not yet over! On a different subject I would like to be granted a title of an Aragonse merchant. I would be able to bring French goods to Aragon more easily, which would make my job a lot easier. I would of course pay the right fees to the crown.
Maxime de Saint-Pierre

A message addressed to the Aragonse court
If you desire some goods I, Maxime de Saint-Pierre would gladly sell them to you. Also if you require something imported from from France, or if you want something transported out of Aragon I would gladly take up such task.

Xs93UHA.png

Well I was quite satisfied with my purchase from you and it would do well for us to increase our trade efforts with our ally France. I will gladly accept you as an official merchant of Aragon.

- His Majesty, Ferran II de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples, and Protector of the Greeks
 
9skqvwl.png


To His Royal Majesty,
The House of Trastamara once again triumphs over the heathens. Christendom has been saved and the Turk shall never threaten Europe again. Millions of Christians owe you your thanks. You have proved yourself worthy of your brother and father's legacy as warriors of the faith and your dynasty shall be remembered as the most holy of royal families.

While I am happy the conflict was settled so satisfactory and with so little bloodshed, I do have two major concerns about your recent conduct, Your Majesty. Your decision to name young Ferran as your heir puts you at a conflict with the Church, which believes that first-born males have the right to inherit above anyone else. While we respect the divine rights of kings, we still believe that every monarch should submit to the basic principles of natural law, divine principles, and Church teachings. To pass over a first-born son would violate the tenets of natural law. Furthermore, such a decision would cause instability in the realm and give credence to the Bastard's claimants. Any subversion of primogeniture is a subversion of the divine right of kings to rule.

I am also gravely concerned about your proposal to declare war on Castile. Such a bold step would make you an enemy of the Holy See, as the Papal States are currently bound by treaty to defend Castile. By declaring war on Castile you would be declaring war on the Church and thus God Himself. If you take such a step, I would have no choice but to resign my position as court chaplain and never step foot in Aragon again. My love for your family is sincere and I have always prayed for your dynasty's success. Please do not force me to abandon the nation and line of kings that I serve. Finally, another war would cost Aragon much in blood and treasure. Thousands of young men would die, the treasury would be strained to its breaking point, and hundreds of fields would go untended. The kingdom needs peace, not war. We have been at war for decades and it is time to lay down our arms.


Respectfully,

Cardinal Fernando de Vascona
Archbishop of Pirineo

((keep court chaplain plan the same))