PART IV: Wars and Chaos
In October 1103 the Duke rewarded his uncle Charles for his heroism by granting him the county of Leon. He soon began preparing to claim the duchy of Catalonia for himself, as it was rightfully part of the Frankish domains. At this time, the feudal system spread across Western Europe, and Poitou also adopted it much to the satisfaction of the vassal counts.
Soon, Philippe, eldest son of marshal Arnaud de Saint-Denis, finished his military training, surpassing even his father in skill. Also the Duke's stepson, young Ramon d'Empuries, became known as a skilled commander. Soon, marshal Arnaud was allowed to retire and his son Philippe became the new marshal.
Philippe, scion of the Saint-Denis family
In December 1104, Duke Charles finally took a second wife. She was Esteveneta, daughter of count Domenge of Rouergue and granddaughter of Duke Guillaume of Toulouse. Soon she was with child, but to the Duke's dismay, in November 1105 the child was stillborn.
The Duke's second wife
In the meantime, the Duke's eldest son Guillaume also finished his military training. Much unlike his father, Guillaume proved himself to be a brilliant military leader. He was soon made the marshal of Poitou despite protests from Philippe de Saint-Denis. The Saint-Denis family attempted to assert their influence at the court in September 1106, when Philippe's sister Adelaide schemed to become the new spymaster in place of her mother Judith, the Duke's aunt; but the Duke bluntly refused her and sent her off to marry Robert, third son of the count of Chalons. The rough treatment of their family by the Duke caused much stress to both Philippe and Judith, as well as Judith's husband Arnaud, but they could do little in protest.
Also in September 1106, Charles' wife Esteveneta gave birth to a child, though unfortunately a daughter, Judith. In July 1107, another daughter, Ermesinde, was born, and in April 1108 a third daughter, Mascarose. Evil tongues at court whispered that Esteveneta could not give birth to a son, or that the Duke was getting less than potent. To distract the court from idle rumormongering, Charles gathered his army and called his vassals for a new campaign.
In November 1108, the army crossed the Pyrenees and arrived in Zaragoza, from whence a declaration of war was sent to Duke Berenguer of Catalonia. In January 1109, the Duke's army arrived in Lleida, defeating the Catalan border guard and taking the town in February. From there the army advanced on Barcelona, where in March a battle was fought against the forces of Duke Berenguer. The Catalan forces, outnumbered and demoralized, were easily crushed. Barcelona itself fell in July to Charles' forces. Finally, the Duke marched north on the county of Empuries, a vassal of Catalonia. He arrived there in September, easily crushing the count's small force, and took the town in December. Charles laid claim to Barcelona, Lleida, and Empuries, expelling the Catalans and annexing their lands. He was shortly proclaimed the new Duke of Catalonia.
Charles defeats the Duke of Catalonia
In the aftermath of the war, Charles granted Empuries to his second son Henri, who had just recently married Eleonore de Gasperi, a lady from the court of Provence. Shortly thereafter he gave Lleida to his stepson Ramon, while keeping Barcelona for himself.
Upon returning home in February 1110, the Duke visited his wife Esteveneta, and soon she was expecting a child. In November she gave birth to a son, who was named Gaietan; thus evil rumors of her or the Duke's ability were laid to rest. In August of next year, she gave birth to another son, named Charles for his father.
In April 1111, the Duke's old chaplain Archambaud decided to retire to a monastery to live there for the rest of his days. He was allowed to retire with honor. The Duke appointed Boson, son of Pierre the Chaste, as his new chaplain.
In April 1112, the Duke arranged a marriage between his eldest son Guillaume and Alfonsina, sister of Duke Gentile of Provence. Shortly thereafter Guillaume was given the family's ancestral county of Vermandois to administer. With the marshal's position again open, the Duke appointed Philippe de Saint-Denis to it again, restoring some favor to the family. By this time, the ducal demesne was getting very large and difficult to administer, but the Duke persevered, working harder to keep everything under control.
In late November 1113, King Robert of France died, and his son Jean ascended the French throne. The French Dukes, seeing an opportune moment, started plotting and forming alliances in case the new King were to prove too weak. Duke Charles entered into alliances with two of his peers, Duke Etienne-Henri of Champagne and his father-in-law, the new Duke Domenge of Toulouse. Little did he know that these alliances would soon prove fateful in many ways.
Duke Charles soon decided to continue the Reconquista in Spain. He started mustering his own and vassal armies in October 1114, but it was not until April 1115 that the armies gathered in Calatayud. There was some delay when the Duke's aunt Judith, responsible for gathering information on enemy movements, commited suicide in January, but the Duke appointed his wife Esteveneta as his new spymaster, and took her along on the campaign. In April, the Duke declared war on the Emir of Valencia.
At once, the King of France and the Dukes of Champagne and Toulouse also declared war on Valencia, sending their armies south. Undaunted, Charles invaded Castellon, defeating several Moor armies that attacked him there and taking the town in June. From there he marched south on Valencia itself. Under the walls of Valencia, the Duke was leading his host in glorious battle when he was shot by an arrow which penetrated his stomach. Despite the Duke's severe wound, his army routed the Moors - ironically, under the brave leadership of Imamaddin, former Emir of Granada, who had been a refugee in the Duke's court for some years.
But it was not enough. Fresh Moorish armies advanced from the south. Charles, though suffering from his wound, unwisely insisted on leading the army himself. In the battle against the sheik of Denia in July, the Duke was again shot by an arrow which punctured one of his lungs. As his army was routing, Charles was forced to accept an ignominious peace with the Emir of Valencia, taking a nominal tribute and keeping Castellon in exchange for cessation of hostilities. Already seriously ill and feverish from his wounds, the Duke was transported back to Poitiers.
But the Reconquista war he started could no longer be contained, as the whole of Spain was up in arms. France, Champagne, and Toulouse were soon joined by the Kings of England, Castile, and Galicia, while the Moorish side was bolstered by the Emir of Sevilla. Soon the Emir of Badajoz decided to take advantage of the warfare by invading Sevilla. Later, the Almoravids of Morocco also joined in, claiming their right to rule Andalusia. Armed gangs were roaming northern and eastern Spain, fighting each other and claiming lands for their lieges, more often than not with the gang leader as the ruler.
Duke Charles' wounds continued to fester despite the best efforts of his physicians, and were soon infested with worms. Later he had trouble breathing and was afflicted with pneumonia. With the Duke bedridden, most courtiers ignored him, behaving as they pleased. The nobles across the realm increased their power, claiming prima noctae rights and driving the peasants deeper into serfdom. At the court, chaplain Boson wielded the most influence, reshaping the realm to his desire. Louis, Boson's son, claimed the county of Castellon for himself with little regard for the Duke's wishes. Charles, the Duke's uncle, was stripped of his county of Leon and sent to his son's court in Carcassonne, as Boson feared that he could become a competing influence in Poitou. The Church also asserted her power; with the investiture controversy inflaming passions elsewhere in Europe, Poitou remained firmly under Papal guidance, earning a reputation of zeal for its government. When the old chancellor Adelaide died in September 1116, Boson's wife Veronica was appointed in her place. All these heavy-handed measures did not pass without trouble, and in June 1117 Amiens was caught in the throes of revolt, preached by a local firebrand.
Throughout all this, only the Duke's wife Esteveneta proved her love for him as she stayed at his side, trying to make him as comfortable as she could and easing his suffering. Indeed, in October 1117, despite Charles' worsening condition, Esteveneta had another child by him, a son named Hugues.
Charles on his sick-bed
In September 1118, Poitou was again at war as chaplain Boson went to the assistance of the count of Auvergne, who was fighting the Emir of Valencia. This time, the Duke's son Guillaume, count of Vermandois, was called in to lead the forces. Armies from Vermandois and the ducal domains sailed to northern Spain to form an attack force. In January 1119, the situation at the court changed. Chaplain Boson, eager to attack the Moors, was trapped and defeated in Leon, losing his entire force. His defeat damaged his influence greatly, and though he managed to keep his position, he no longer had the same power. Instead, now the Duke's son Guillaume became the prime mover and shaker in Poitou.
In March 1119, Guillaume attacked the Moorish holdings in northern Spain. He took Asturias de Santillana in April, Burgos in July, and Asturias de Oviedo in September. The Emirate of Valencia disintegrated shortly thereafter, and Poitou was again at peace. But the long wars left their mark on France. Vassals of Toulouse and Champagne, tired of the wars, started rebelling against their Dukes. Duke Domenge of Toulouse managed to subjugate his rebellious vassals, but having seen no help from the French King, declared independence in late 1119. Thus France lost its entire southeastern part as a result of Duke Charles' misguided war.
On March 16th, 1121, Duke Charles finally succumbed to his wounds and illness. His eldest son Guillaume wasted no time in asserting his succession rights. Poitou waited to see whether the new Duke would continue to be as strong as he had been until then.
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Vermandois genealogy updated to March 1121.
I especially like here with your detailed geneology. All you'd need is character interaction and I'd feel like I'm reading "A Game of Thrones" all over again. 
