They were all there. The most important men in Denmark, all gathered around the same table. In this room, decisions were made that could mean life or death for the entire population, or that would affect only a select few.
Ancient feuds and new alliances were represented. Swords had been left behind when they entered, but hatred had remained. Marriages had ended some, royal pressure others, but in the heart of most men present, bloody remains of their viking ancestry remained. They knew, some from bitter experience during the age without kings, others from tales told about that all to recent period, that the kings and laws wouldn't allways hold, but that family would allways be there.
Oaths of fealty, old words of honour and newly forged dependence held them together, but all knew that such were only worth anything when the fragile web of power kept the present king the strongest. Men in this room had fought for the Holsteiners less than 30 years ago, some had faced each other on battlefield. Atterdag might have declared an amnesty for all wrongs commited against him and his family, and Oluf had resworn that same oath, but the memories lived on.
Ambitions and dreams of power were represented. An independent Jutland, a reclaiming of the Hansa castles on Skåne, Holstein and Schleswig under the same count. Or perhaps just a village added from a neighbouring fief, the tithing rights to a church, the forestry and hunting rights from a royal fief. All present had wealth undreamed off by the common peasant, but most present knew that their family deserved more.
And they were all nobility. Noone represented the church, alltogether all present had a brother, or a cousin, in the church hierachy. Noone spoke for the burghers and the growing cities, but most did deals with merchants and jews on a regular basis.
They were, in all their glory or lack thereof, the [anchorlink=rigsråd]rigsråd[/anchorlink] of Denmark, and they were gathered to approve treaties the king didn't have the power to sign alone.
At the head of the table sat the boy-king, Oluf III, and to his right, drost Henning Podebusk. This was the one place in the kingdom where the physical presence of Margrethe didn't constantly remind everybody who held the true power over the king, but the nobles knew. Silent whispers had declared Podebusk, allthough 20 years older than Margrethe, the queens lover, and all knew that when he spoke, he spoke for her.
"This is the same old story. In case of war, you are prepared to sell Jutland and Schleswig out, hide on the islands, and then sign a peace after our lands have been occupied for years! I will not stand for it. If the king of Denmark has no interest in his western possesions, let him openly declare so, not hide the fact in the treaties he signs!"
Skjalm Pedersen, head of the [anchorlink=kaas]Kaas[/anchorlink] family , major landholders on Northern Jutland, spoke words that almost sounded like treason. His alliance with the Holsteiner counts and dreams of becoming lord of an independent Northern Jutland were well known to all, and his temper equally so.
The next to speak were also a known opponent of the king, but Asbjørn Rasmussen Rosenkrantz, of the [anchorlink=rosenkrantz]Rosenkrantz[/anchorlink] family, and holding lands around Århus in Eastern Jutland, were quiet and thoughtfull, and his words didn't hold the threath of armed resistance that were allways present when Skjalm Pedersen spoke.
"I agree with Skjalm of Kaas. Both presented treaties speak of strenghtening the navy, and we, holding lands in the areas reachable by the Germans, know what that means. In war with the Germans, Jytland and Schleswig are left open for conquest, in war with the Swedes, the same fate befalls Skåne. Only the islands are secure, and allthough you will undoubtly win great victories for Denmark by striking out with the army from these holdings, that will not help those of us who had our lands pillaged by the hostile armies.
No, as so often before, the king lets Jutland down. I too cannot support these treaties."
Podebusk knew what the men would say before they opened their mouth. He was surprised that Asbjørn Rosenkrantz would speak so soon, the quiet nobleman often waited, hoping that others would present his view for him, but the points raised needed to be adressed, no matter who had presented them.
Henning Podebusk, newest member of the council, decided to answer immediatly before others added their voice to the opponents.
"And what do you propose we do? Meet the Germans in Schleswig? To that purpose the knights from the Teutons will serve us geatly. Invade Holstein as opening move? I am sure the Holy Roman Empire would love to see us making the first agressive move in a potential war?
Sign treaties promising land support from England? English soldiers wouldn't prevent Schleswing and Jutland from falling, and in return, they would rightfully demand that we aided them in their landfighting.
Then your peasants wouldn't be able to keep low under Holsteiner occupation, but would be shipped out to die, supporting the English claim on the French throne, or fighting the pagans in Russia!
Combined with the English..." Podebusk did very carefully not add "and supported by newly purchased ships from the Teutons", as that deal would swing every noble in the room against anything the king proposed...
"our navy will be unbeatable. And when we control the sea, we can force the Hansa to sign our peaces. Yes, I shall not deny that Schleswig and Jytland might suffer, but we shall know to make the Hansa compensate you for that. That I promise."
Asbjørn replied, and Henning realized that Skjalms outburst had been a mistake. They had chosen the Rosenkrantz as their speaker for this debate, and he did present a good case.
"So now we're about to fight the Hansa? Yes, I realize they hold Gotland and castles in Skåne, and my heart bleeds for the looses of taxation." If his heart did bleed, his mouth dripped sarcasm.
"But the Hansa buys my cattle, and pays good money. We do not share your goals and your foes, and signing two treaties to support Skåne, Sjælland and Fyn does nothing to endear youn Oluf to us in Jutland, be it Northern or Southern. Again I ask, does my holdings, and those of the Kaas, of Buchwald, of Lüttichau, of Moltke, of Uhre, exist only to service the holdings of Fyn, Sjælland and Skåne?"
For the first time a chink in the oppositions unified front presented itself. Ludwig von [anchorlink=luttichau]Lüttichau[/anchorlink], unwilling to be seen as supporting his family in Germany against the king, spoke, surprisingly for.
"Kindly do not mention my holdings. I am as loyal to the king as any man in here, more so than many. I raise my troops when asked, and sends them where asked. The Lüttichaus allways have. I know not with you, but I know how to honour my word, and I have sworn fealty to Oluf."
As waited, Skjalm could not hear such without answering.
"How dare you. Blind obidience might be a trait in Sachsen, but Danes know how to think for themself. That is is not oathbreaking. It takes more courage to have your own will than blindly bow to others, but I suspect you know nothing of bravery."
"I suspected nothing else from you, Skjalm. I trust you are willing to defend your words with sword in hand after this meeting?" Ludwig calmly challenged Skjalm, and the hotheaded Jute was not slow to answer.
"It shall be my pleassure to run you through, Ludwig. One I shall walk back to my lands, and your family of lapdogs must see your son bowing blindly to the king, not you!"
Ole Hurtige, head of the [anchorlink=hvide]Hvide[/anchorlink] family, brought the discussion back to the topic on hand.
"This is not a question of blind obidience, but of wisdom. The English are powerfull allies, but their claims on France and their trouble with the Irish and the Scots mean they are far more likely to be drawn into a war than us. In such a war, our ships will be safe, for the battles will be fought on land, either in France or on their own isles. Our wars, should such arise, will be with the Hansa, or with Sweden, or perhaps even with Mecklemburg. All three has navies who must be defeated before we can land our armies, and all three depending on the Baltic. The English ships will see fighting when supporting us, ours will be used as transports. Likewise with the Teutons. Let us carry their eager crusaders to their fights with landlocked pagans, and let us then sail the same eager crusaders to fight our foes later. My cousin holds lands near Viborg, as you all know, and I thus know my familys lands will be conquered should the Holsteiner counts invade. But that does not change the fact that the treaties are fine works, and that the king and his advisors deserve our gratitude, not our hostility." Nobody even bothers to mention that Ole Hurtige held lands near Ribe, on Sjælland, and thus protected by the naval alliance with England.
Finally the king spoke. Not to add words of wisdom, but to end the debate.
"Thanks, Ole. I have heard enough. Let us vote.
On the treaty with the English."
Barnewkow, Bille, Bielke, Brahe, Brockenhuus‑Schack, Huitfeldt, Drage, Hvide, Lüttichau, Podebusk, Urne and Ulfeldt raised their hands for. Henning Podebusk were not surprised at any of them. Bielke had been promised the position as leader of the ships positioned in Marienburg, should the Teutons agree, and as Henning counted the hands, he were glad Margrethe had placed that bribe. He had counted on Buchwald as well, and 12 for were cutting it close.
Ahlefeldt, Buchwald, Høeg, Juel, Juul, Kaas, Krabbe, Rosenkrantz, Moltke, Reedtz, Uhre voted against. 11 votes. Henning would have to investigate what bribes, threaths of promises had changed Buchwalds vote, and counter it. He knew he could swing Reedtz back to the royal camp on other subjects, but when the time came to declare an offensive war, some of the other supporters would fall away, and he needed every vote he could buy.
"Passed," Oluf III announced, and proceded.
"The treaty with the Teutons?"
Rosenkrantz, Moltke and Kaas voted against, the rest for. Henning knew this sudden support for the king was empty. Everyone knew that the kings support were for both treaties, so those nobles who changed side did so as a sign of goodwill, not because they were behing the king. That Moltke stubbornly stayed with the two known opponents, who would lose face if voting for, were the only even remotely interesting vote, but as Henning knew that a marriage was beging negotiated between the Rosenkrantz and Moltke families, he saw that as it were; a part of a difficult bargain.
"Again, thank you," Oluf III said, as if he had any influence on the voting, and as if the voting had been about him, not his mother.
"To the matter concerning the empty chair in the Kancelli..."
the meeting moved on to others, less important matters, and Henning Podebusk allowed himself to relax. He knew he would loose at least two of the next four votings, but as they were on filling two empty goverment offices, and on raising a tax on sheeps wool, he didn't care much. He had won the battles that mattered today, and everyone knew as much. Whether the rigsråd would vote for honouring the treaties if actual declarations of war were needed had yet to be proven...
