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Ferdinant saw François de Montségur come by and while he convinced the guard that Auguste was the Grandmaster, Ferdinant sneaked inside. The feast was great! The food was great, but the wine let him down a bit. He talked with the colonist and the viceroy to Sanchonia. He spend time with a man named Jan Pieterszoon van Antwerpen. He knew him from somewhere... It was probably irrelevant. Maybe a merchant that he had worked with in the past.
 
((Seeing as we have two openings on the Cortz and only two people nominated themselves, both @Luftwafer and @Dadarian get in. I now need all three members of the Cortz, so the two previously mentioned and @alscon, to pick any member of the nobility other than themselves to serve as chamberlain. We're also going to have an unorthodox vote of sorts. The only thing that you'll be voting on is the chancellor's plan, or rather which plan and thus chancellor you'd prefer. I've set up three members of the royal family all vying for the position: Queen Mother Caterina, Prince Marti, and Queen Isabel. I've expressed in their IC what they intend to do as chancellor. You will all vote on who you want as chancellor and that person will follow through with their plan. Here is a summary of what they want:

Queen Mother Caterina: Focus on repairing relations with France and declare war on Portugal for their colonies.
Prince Marti: Attempt to maintain good relations with France but start looking for potential allies elsewhere and declare war on Portugal for their Iberian provinces.
Queen Isabel: Ignore France and attempt to repair relations with Portugal for a potential alliance if France turns on us.

At any point during the feast, which shall last until Friday at 12pm PST, you may announce your support for one of the three candidates, either publicly, to the person involved, or OOC. Seeing as the choices are tied to characters, you can attempt to weasel favours out of them. For example, Prince Marti has suggested that he has daughters he needs to marry off, so perhaps in exchange for your support he would arrange the marriage of one of his daughters to your heir. Hopefully this makes the vote more interesting and creates a sort of power struggle at court. Anyway, here is the official voting format.

Chancellor: Caterina/Marti/Isabel

As mentioned before, you have until Friday at 12pm PST to vote. Please bold your votes and include your character's name and class. If you choose to merely tell the person involved that you support them, just include the actual vote in OOC afterwards to make it more clear.))
 
((Private))

During the feast Auguste approached Prince Marti.

Your Highness, I have heard some rumours about your ambitions. I have heard the you seek to become the Chancellor. I have also heard about your plans. How you wish to keep good relations with the French, while seeking allies elsewhere, and about your plans for Portugal. I must say that I agree with you. The French have been good allies of our nation, and I'm sure that we are entirely able to improve the relations. But one can never be too sure. Also while Portuguese colonies might be problematic the only way to stop them from exploring even further is to strike into the heart of their "empire". That is why you can count on my support... unless I should go talk with Queen Caterina. Her plan seems reasonable aswell...

((Not annoucing my suppot yet, but if Marti plays his cards right Auguste will support him if no Auguste might still support him... or he might suppor the Queen Mother))
 
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Miguel announces support for prince Marti.
"Thank you for helping me out earlier, may I ask you of a favor, I am personally raising my youngest son, but there is a problem. He is a bastard, if you can, please ask your brother to legitimize my son, Hernan Villanova."
 
Chancellor: Abstain.

I don't know who to support...

- Jan Pieterszoon van Antwerpen

[Courtier, Merchant, Monopoly VP]

((He is bribable though.))
 
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((private))

Duke François erred through the great hall, without any goal in mind. Auguste de Saint-Pierre appeared, and thanked him for before. A short chat ensued, mostly about financial matters... but why was he speaking with the Grandmaster here? That was his everyday's work again! He soon tried to excuse himself when some other merchant from the TATC came. Bragging about his riches, trying to strike a trade deal... did he know who he was speaking to? No, he was tired of this. Maybe he could do with some investigation by the Treasury? Before anything else happened, he took his leave.

François simply couldn't relax. All that work would bring him into the grave soon... The matter of the Cortz Chamberlain needed his attention - his own reform proposal. It couldn't fail... but who to appoint? He looked for the new Cortz members - who to appoint? Where were they? No matter. He had some candidates in mind, but needed to give it some more thought.

The Queen Mother, Prince Marti and Queen Isabel all wanted something from him as well... How tiring. He maybe should have stayed in his study. He would have to make a decision later during the feast, but right now he just needed some silence and fresh air. Nothing better to reinvigorate him.
 
Cardinal Velazquez was growing bored with Rhodes, so he returned to Aragon for the time being. He was not very welcome in Rome, especially with the death of the king's uncle who had been the Iron Cardinal's only ally in the Vatican.

He easily passed by the guards, who were arguing with some people at the gate. No one was going to stop a cardinal, after all.

When Velazquez entered the hall he suddenly remembered how much he hated feasts. Hopefully there would be a tournament or some swordplay later.

He caught the eye of the Queen Mother. It was perfect timing, as he wished to speak to her.

"Your Majesty, would you mind speaking with me for a moment..."
 
Count de Alvaro strolled around the feast, chatting and discussing with the other guests. Suddenly he caught sight of Cardinal Velazquez and the Queen Mother discussing something.
He waited until they had finished and the cardinal had walked away before he walked over.

"Your majesty." He said, bowing down. "I have something I must discuss with you."
"Yes, go on." She said curiously.
"It have come to my attention that you seek the chancellors position. I wish to support you in this endeavour."
"I am glad to hear that." She said happily before a voice was heard from the other side of the room, calling for her. "I am sorry, I must go. Once again, I am grateful for your support."
"Of course my lady." de Alvaro responded and bowed slightly.
The Queen Mother gave a short nod and hurried away.

Well, that is that. He thought and looked in his cup. More wine!
 
Santoros approached the Prince Marti with an air of confidence and respect.
"I have heard that you are seeking, support, to become Chancellor of the Cortz, is that not true?" He spoke in his most Aragonese and Noble accent.
"Perhaps you have", replied the Prince, winning the title of haughtiest speech.
"Well, I could pledge my allegiance, if you could arrange my, inheritance, of the province of Cordoba, along with my continued government of Brakna?"
With that, Santoros vanished into the crowd.
 
((Private))

During the feast Auguste approached Prince Marti.

Your Highness, I have heard some rumours about your ambitions. I have heard the you seek to become the Chancellor. I have also heard about your plans. How you wish to keep good relations with the French, while seeking allies elsewhere, and about your plans for Portugal. I must say that I agree with you. The French have been good allies of our nation, and I'm sure that we are entirely able to improve the relations. But one can never be too sure. Also while Portuguese colonies might be problematic the only way to stop them from exploring even further is to strike into the heart of their "empire". That is why you can count on my support... unless I should go talk with Queen Caterina. Her plan seems reasonable aswell...

((Not annoucing my suppot yet, but if Marti plays his cards right Auguste will support him if no Auguste might still support him... or he might suppor the Queen Mother))

The Grandmaster was a shrewd man; Prince Marti could see that. He also knew to make the prince work for his support. He'd have to be careful with this one.

"Indeed, the Queen Mother has some decent ideas, although they are quite similar to my own. I also understand you have ties to France and her connections there are surely a strong reason to support her. The question isn't what she says she'll do as chancellor but what she'll use that position for later. She will grasp at whatever power she can get. I have no doubt of that."

Marti took a sip of wine and glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"I have no doubt that the Queen Mother cares for Hispania, but she cares more for herself. This is no more than a power grab. A woman does not belong in such a position of power."

Miguel announces support for prince Marti.
"Thank you for helping me out earlier, may I ask you of a favor, I am personally raising my youngest son, but there is a problem. He is a bastard, if you can, please ask your brother to legitimize my son, Hernan Villanova."

"I was not aware the legitimacy of a bastard was a problem for those without noble titles," Marti said. "I suppose with the growth of merchant companies tied to a specific family, ensuring a proper succession is more important for all. I would imagine though that such powers lay with the Church. I can attempt to speak to one of our representatives in the Holy See, but with the death of my brother Carles I have much less power there. I shall see what I can do."

Cardinal Velazquez was growing bored with Rhodes, so he returned to Aragon for the time being. He was not very welcome in Rome, especially with the death of the king's uncle who had been the Iron Cardinal's only ally in the Vatican.

He easily passed by the guards, who were arguing with some people at the gate. No one was going to stop a cardinal, after all.

When Velazquez entered the hall he suddenly remembered how much he hated feasts. Hopefully there would be a tournament or some swordplay later.

He caught the eye of the Queen Mother. It was perfect timing, as he wished to speak to her.

"Your Majesty, would you mind speaking with me for a moment..."

Queen Mother Caterina nodded and said, "Of course, Cardinal."

Caterina led the Iron Cardinal away from the bulk of the crowd so they could converse with some privacy. Before he could speak, Caterina said, "I had been meaning to speak with you. The tragic death of my late husband has created a delicate situation at court. I fear that the Crown may need the support of the Church more than ever. As one of Hispania's most prominent cardinals, I believe you understand this better than anyone."

As she paused to let Cardinal Velazquez speak, she made sure to give the man her deepest attention. Perhaps her support of Hispania's clergy was most unorthodox considering her Tuscan roots, but she knew the power of the Church. She also knew that most of the nobles would rather see her deposed than obtain any semblance of power, for not only was she a woman, she wasn't a noble either. She could turn towards some of the courtiers, possibly the merchants. Her ties with the Medici bank in Tuscany could be used to sway a few of them to her cause. Perhaps she would speak with some of the members of the TATC. For now, she needed to get the clergy on her side.

Count de Alvaro strolled around the feast, chatting and discussing with the other guests. Suddenly he caught sight of Cardinal Velazquez and the Queen Mother discussing something.
He waited until they had finished and the cardinal had walked away before he walked over.

"Your majesty." He said, bowing down. "I have something I must discuss with you."
"Yes, go on." She said curiously.
"It have come to my attention that you seek the chancellors position. I wish to support you in this endeavour."
"I am glad to hear that." She said happily before a voice was heard from the other side of the room, calling for her. "I am sorry, I must go. Once again, I am grateful for your support."
"Of course my lady." de Alvaro responded and bowed slightly.
The Queen Mother gave a short nod and hurried away.

Well, that is that. He thought and looked in his cup. More wine!

((I'm assuming this means you're voting for Caterina. I prefer the votes to be bold and kept separate otherwise I have to guess.))

Santoros approached the Prince Marti with an air of confidence and respect.
"I have heard that you are seeking, support, to become Chancellor of the Cortz, is that not true?" He spoke in his most Aragonese and Noble accent.
"Perhaps you have", replied the Prince, winning the title of haughtiest speech.
"Well, I could pledge my allegiance, if you could arrange my, inheritance, of the province of Cordoba, along with my continued government of Brakna?"
With that, Santoros vanished into the crowd.

Marti cursed silently after the governor left. The man had asked for one of the few things he could not give. He had no power over titles, since such things fell under the control of the king. He could perhaps lean on his nephew, but he saw no reason why the king would agree to grant any title to a courtier, not after the debacle that occurred the last time such a thing was done.
 
Marina attends the feast accompanying Queen Isabel. Her husband would not be attending, at fourteen it might be a bit much for him. He had also been somewhat distant since their wedding night; perhaps she had been a touch too forceful... She pushed such thoughts from her mind.

The Queen had instructed all her ladies to be proper and decorous.
'Your bearing reflects upon me. Do not cause me shame.'
Marina had no intention of behaving indecorously. At least, not overtly.

Marina smiles warmly at the ageing Duque de Trinacria, greets her cousins the Duque de Navarra and August de Saint-Piere, and the Duque de Napoli y Capua, the husband of another cousin. Other than that she watches and listens.

After watching Senor Santoros disappear into the crowd she approaches the prince and flashes him a lovely smile.

"It is good to see a man look after his family, securing them land for posterity. Family is important, don't you think?"
She put her hand tenderly on her stomach.
"Perhaps, if I am blessed with a son, a union can be arranged between our families?"
"I must say I approve of your attitude to the French, pragmatism is always best in diplomacy... perhaps I can... assist in extolling the virtues of pragmatism?"
 
Santiago sees the news of his being nominated for the position of a Crown merchant, and is honored. While sitting at his desk of tropical wood, he writes this response:

To the Court of Hispania,

I apologize for my absence in recent times. I have been struck by severe illness. I am still recovering, by my doctors say it is expected that I make a complete recovery. In the midst of my sickness I was completely bed ridden, and I am still catching up with current events. I, however, have heard that the king has passed away and His Majesty Ferran IV de Trastemara has ascended to the throne. Long live the king! As well, I have surmised that I have been nominated for the position of merchant, and I gladly accept.

Thank you,

Santiago Aybar
 
Queen Mother Caterina nodded and said, "Of course, Cardinal."

Caterina led the Iron Cardinal away from the bulk of the crowd so they could converse with some privacy. Before he could speak, Caterina said, "I had been meaning to speak with you. The tragic death of my late husband has created a delicate situation at court. I fear that the Crown may need the support of the Church more than ever. As one of Hispania's most prominent cardinals, I believe you understand this better than anyone."

As she paused to let Cardinal Velazquez speak, she made sure to give the man her deepest attention. Perhaps her support of Hispania's clergy was most unorthodox considering her Tuscan roots, but she knew the power of the Church. She also knew that most of the nobles would rather see her deposed than obtain any semblance of power, for not only was she a woman, she wasn't a noble either. She could turn towards some of the courtiers, possibly the merchants. Her ties with the Medici bank in Tuscany could be used to sway a few of them to her cause. Perhaps she would speak with some of the members of the TATC. For now, she needed to get the clergy on her side.

((Private))

"Of course," the cardinal replied, smiling. "These are dangerous times."

He then waited for a moment.

"There have been rumors going around that you seek to regain the position of Chancellor. If you were to give the Church in Aragon some guarantees, especially in regards to the Inquisition, then perhaps I could help you solve this problem."
 
Marina attends the feast accompanying Queen Isabel. Her husband would not be attending, at fourteen it might be a bit much for him. He had also been somewhat distant since their wedding night; perhaps she had been a touch too forceful... She pushed such thoughts from her mind.

The Queen had instructed all her ladies to be proper and decorous.
'Your bearing reflects upon me. Do not cause me shame.'
Marina had no intention of behaving indecorously. At least, not overtly.

Marina smiles warmly at the ageing Duque de Trinacria, greets her cousins the Duque de Navarra and August de Saint-Piere, and the Duque de Napoli y Capua, the husband of another cousin. Other than that she watches and listens.

After watching Senor Santoros disappear into the crowd she approaches the prince and flashes him a lovely smile.

"It is good to see a man look after his family, securing them land for posterity. Family is important, don't you think?"
She put her hand tenderly on her stomach.
"Perhaps, if I am blessed with a son, a union can be arranged between our families?"
"I must say I approve of your attitude to the French, pragmatism is always best in diplomacy... perhaps I can... assist in extolling the virtues of pragmatism?"

Prince Marti was a bit surprised to find a young woman, most likely a teenager judging by her appearance, approaching him during the feast. While he had never met this woman before, the eyepatch gave it away. She had to be the Sastre girl, a member of a fairly influential family in Hispanian politics.

"Perhaps a union could be arranged. My wife gave birth to triplets two years ago, although sadly one of the boys did not make it."

Her comment on his policies towards the French left Marti a bit bewildered. Was she flirting with him? He'd always been on good terms with his wife and never felt the urge to stray. Having seven kids to take care of kept him busy enough. Doing his best not to blush, he said, "Yes, well, the French are strong allies but even then we can't let them take us for granted. The Queen Mother would have us kissing their feet while Queen Isabel would rather antagonize them needlessly. Neither will lead to a situation that benefits Hispania."

((Private))

"Of course," the cardinal replied, smiling. "These are dangerous times."

He then waited for a moment.

"There have been rumors going around that you seek to regain the position of Chancellor. If you were to give the Church in Aragon some guarantees, especially in regards to the Inquisition, then perhaps I could help you solve this problem."

((Private))

Caterina did her best to hide a smile. The Inquisition was already a sore spot at court, especially amongst the nobles. She personally had no issue with it. As long as it rooted out heretics and did not threaten the Crown, it could only strengthen Hispania. Caterina took a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking.

"The rumours are indeed true," the Queen Mother said. "While the position of chancellor has little to do with internal affairs, and thus the Inquisition, it might make the king listen more closely to his mother. And I can assure you that I will only have good things to say about the Inquisition."
 
The Grandmaster was a shrewd man; Prince Marti could see that. He also knew to make the prince work for his support. He'd have to be careful with this one.

"Indeed, the Queen Mother has some decent ideas, although they are quite similar to my own. I also understand you have ties to France and her connections there are surely a strong reason to support her. The question isn't what she says she'll do as chancellor but what she'll use that position for later. She will grasp at whatever power she can get. I have no doubt of that."

Marti took a sip of wine and glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"I have no doubt that the Queen Mother cares for Hispania, but she cares more for herself. This is no more than a power grab. A woman does not belong in such a position of power."

Auguste listened, took a sip of the wine, and thought for a short moment

"Yes, woman do not belong in positions such as these... But she is still of royal blood. And it matters to me that the royal family stays in power. But I have to say I'm starting to like you Your Highness. You can count on my support... as long as you return the favour in the future."

Auguste awaits response, and after Prince Marti finishes he says:

"Now if you will exuse me I will go and enjoy the rest of the feast, I hope you will do so aswell."

( Chancellor: Marti )

[courtier, merchant, admiral, Grandmaster, NPC merchant, founded colony]
 
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Pablo David had never been comfortable in large gatherings. But it would be unseemly for the paterfamilias of Iglesia y Maig to miss this feast. Even if the family had often been content to stay to the periphery of power in the kingdom. But the family was growing larger, and needed looking after.

When there was a spare moment, he approached his (hopefully) patron. "Hola, your Grace. I wanted to express my admiration for your work, and for your future plans. You will of course have my full support at court. My family have long been supports of you and your dearly-missed husband. If you were to find yourself in need of capable administrators or governors, there are many cousins of mine who would be eager to serve. Or if there are any other favors we could provide, you merely need ask. And thank you for the invitation to such a marvelous feast."

He expected that the conversation may go for a short while, and he would still need to be seen, but the main business of the evening was now complete, and he could retire before long.

(( Chancellor: Caterina

And in case that wasn't clear, he wants family members appointed as governors of colonies we seize. He'd probably be happy with just an RP declaration of a family member or two being appointed to lead an island (hey, we like islands in this family), but if, say, an Iglesia y Maig were appointed Viceroy of the Carribean, that would be a rather convenient point for me to start a new character. ;)
))
 
Pablo David had never been comfortable in large gatherings. But it would be unseemly for the paterfamilias of Iglesia y Maig to miss this feast. Even if the family had often been content to stay to the periphery of power in the kingdom. But the family was growing larger, and needed looking after.

When there was a spare moment, he approached his (hopefully) patron. "Hola, your Grace. I wanted to express my admiration for your work, and for your future plans. You will of course have my full support at court. My family have long been supports of you and your dearly-missed husband. If you were to find yourself in need of capable administrators or governors, there are many cousins of mine who would be eager to serve. Or if there are any other favors we could provide, you merely need ask. And thank you for the invitation to such a marvelous feast."

He expected that the conversation may go for a short while, and he would still need to be seen, but the main business of the evening was now complete, and he could retire before long.

(( Chancellor: Caterina

And in case that wasn't clear, he wants family members appointed as governors of colonies we seize. He'd probably be happy with just an RP declaration of a family member or two being appointed to lead an island (hey, we like islands in this family), but if, say, an Iglesia y Maig were appointed Viceroy of the Carribean, that would be a rather convenient point for me to start a new character. ;)
))

Queen Mother Caterina smiled at the promise of support. The Iglesia y Maig family rarely left their island, but she was glad to see Pablo David. The family had been one of the first to fund a colony, the island of St. Helena, so of course they'd favour her plan to capture the Portuguese colonies.

"I thank you for the support. And if Hispania were to gain control of extensive colonies in the Caribbean, it would certainly make sense for someone with experience governing islands to represent His Majesty in regards to such territory."
 
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((Derde keer is scheepsrecht...))

Letter to Auguste de Saint-Pierre,

I would like to ask you if you can try to let the TATC get a monopoly on Nueva Granada.

- Jan Pieterszoon van Antwerpen


 
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Auguste listened, took a sip of the wine, and thought for a short moment

"Yes, woman do not belong in positions such as these... But she is still of royal blood. And it matters to me that the royal family stays in power. But I have to say I'm starting to like you Your Highness. You can count on my support... as long as you return the favour in the future."

Auguste awaits response, and after Prince Marti finishes he says:

"Now if you will exuse me I will go and enjoy the rest of the feast, I hope you will do so aswell."

( Chancellor: Marti )

[courtier, merchant, admiral, Grandmaster, NPC merchant, founded colony]

Always favours. Getting this position at court would not be easy. Yet Marti knew he had to do it. Queen Mother Caterina could not be trusted and Queen Isabel was to pro-Portugal for his liking.

"Your support would be most appreciated," Marti said. "I do not know what a man such as you would require from me, but I can assure you I will remember your kindness in the future."