Chapter 16 - 1184 to 1194: The Welsh Wars
On January 4th, 1184, King Breselueu of Lloegyr declares war against the Welsh County of Glamorgan. As the Breton King, he sees the fellow Celtic lands of Wales as rightfully belonging to the Breton Kingdom of Lloegyr.
He raises the levies of East Anglia and sends word that he wishes both the dukes of Mercia and of Wessex to send men to help. By March, an army of 12 thousand is ready. At the same time, the Petty King of Deheubarth also declares war on Glamorgan, with the same intent.
They engage the entire enemy army in Monmouth, Gwent and wipe it out.
As there is no standing army left to oppose them, Breselueu orders the levies of Mercia and Wessex, and a third of the East Anglican, to return home, their jobs done. The remaining troops set siege to Cardiff Castle, Glamorgan.
In June, the King of Scotland, who, as of the past few decades, was an ally to the last Kings of England, sends word that he seeks to rebuild the bonds their kingdoms must had. He wishes his son and heir Prince Angus, to marry Blitz the Dragon. Although Breselueu wants to find Blitz a husband matrilineally, he cannot disregard such an opportunity to secure an alliance with the potential enemy to the north. With Scotland on his side, Breselueu can focus on conquering Wales. He does not, however, plan on remaining forever at peace with Scotland. He accepts the proposal, and Blitz the Dragon marries the Prince of Scotland.
Near the end of 1184, The Anguished One dies in her sleep at the impressive age of 68. Densley Blair now stands as the only surviving child of Ralf III.
In 1185, with the war still raging, Breselueu announces that his wife is pregnant with their 5th child.
In April, the siege of Cardiff ends, yet the war carries on.
Before the end of the year, another set of twins is born. They name one Idhrendura, the other Necro Creature.
It is not until 1186, when the rest of Glamorgan falls, that the Count surrenders. As King Diarmait of Deheubarth was also at war for the county, he continues his attempt rather foolishly, bringing Lloegyr to war against him.
In February of 1186, Duke Mærleswegn 'the Just' of Mercia dies. His three Duchies, once united in such a strong union, are divided among his children; Mercia, the strongest, goes to his eldest son Morcar II, who is also made Marshal of Lloegyr; York goes to the second son, Leofwine; and Northumbria goes to his third (though not youngest, for he had many children) son Ealdræd. It seems the time of Mercian dominance may be over. DKM, once educated by Mærleswegn, is sent instead to study under Cearl.
Less than a month later, Æthelstan of Hwicce, son of King Loup, dies. His successor is his eldest son Æthelstan II.
In 1187, after a successful siege of Dyfed, Deheubarth accepts surrender. Even though the war ends in Lloegyr victory, no land is gained. Breselueu, far from done with his conquests, sets his eyes on the small Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd. He declares war for the county of Perfeddwlad.
After the fall of the Gwynedd capital in June of 1188, King Cadwgan of Gwynedd surrenders the county of Perfeddwlad.
Only two Welsh counties now stand outside of Lloegyr control. In honor of the victories seen in the Conquest of Wars, Breselueu declares a Grand Tournament to be held in Norfolk. Messengers are sent all around the Kingdom, calling forth the greatest warriors to compete in the tournament.
The tournament lasts to November, the winners being either courtiers of Lloegyr or commanders of Breselueu's vassals.
Throughout the wars, a dangerous trait has grown inside Breselueu: Greed. Having acquired the 2 Welsh counties (which he controls directly), he looks about for more prey.
The Duke of York is his next target. Cerdic is a cousin of Breselueu, and thus Breselueu has a weak claim on the Duchy. He tells Cerdic to hand over York or he may have to use force. Unwilling to go to war, Cerdic accepts the revocation. Breselueu now controls both York and East Anglia directly.
In may of 1189, Jerkera comes of age. She is nowhere near as brilliant as her sister, and, soon after turning 14, the King of France sends word that he wishes her to be married to his son, Prince Ekkehard. Breselueu accepts. He now has daughters married to the heirs of Scotland and France. Although he still wishes a daughter to be married matrilineally, he decided to accept the French proposition due to his twin daughters.
In August, the Prince of Scotland dies and, at the request of King Breselueu, Blitz returns to Lloegyr. A month later, a matrilineal marriage is arranged between her and a man named Assiucc, son of the Irish Bishop of St. Davids. He is an extraordinarily talented administrator and a skilled diplomat, who is made Steward of Lloegyr upon arrival to the court.
In May of 1191, the last of the children of Ralf III passes away. Densley Blair dies at the age of 59. Cearl inherits the Duchy of Essex from him. Although Densley was the youngest of his siblings, and always in the shadows of his brothers, he achieved great things during his lifetime. As Densley dies, the new heir of Lloegyr was elected as Wulfhelm, Duke of Lancaster. Desperate to keep the Kingdom out of any hands but de Gaels', Breselueu throws his vote to Duke Æthelstan II, Grandson of Loup. Although they had never been close, Æthelstan is still a de Gael and is a worthy choice as heir.
In August of 1193, twin princes Rhifnaw and DKM come of age.
As the year ends, Breselueu looks back towards Wales. Despite the last decade's conquests being successful, he has yet to subjugate the entirety of the Welsh lands.
(A quick overview of the rest of the world)
NOTE:
-Breton Jerusalem's second chance ends just the same as the first... However, some small vestiges of Breton culture remain there, including the Holy City itself!
-Islam is pushing back and has reached France once again.
-This was a pretty lengthy update, but I'm a bit keen to get to (in my opinion) the more exciting half of the game: the 1200s and beyond.
-Since no one seemed to give the answer last time, Rhif Naw means Number Nine in Welsh.