Well, that's concerning. Perhaps it's not unexpected for one of Jean's political rivals to escalate matters to murder plots, but to be doing so when matters are so delicate sounds almost like a move of desperation...
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Well they both don't intend to do anything about it unless Jean really fucks up. I'm treating it as more of a contingency plan than an actual plot.Well, that's concerning. Perhaps it's not unexpected for one of Jean's political rivals to escalate matters to murder plots, but to be doing so when matters are so delicate sounds almost like a move of desperation...
LOL no. You'll notice the introduction says Jean of Beirut kept Sidon's letter. No doubt each of them intended to use the incriminating documents as blackmail against the other.Count Balian seems not have burnt his letter...
Yeah, I have more sympathy for both of them than you do. At least they are plotting to kill an adult. I think Jean of Beirut recognizes, however reluctantly, that he is not qualified to rule, hence his caution about creating a power vacuum.I can't defend the plotters but Jean is a petulant regent who may or may not be the best choice to be leading things. Not that any of them have the qualities necessary, though. Or competence, given the lack of actual letter burning.
The best hope for the future of the realm is probably the queen herself, if she or her kingdom make it that long.
Excellent chapters, sorry that I'm commenting rather late but I didn't get the notifications about postings... It's interesting to see the chaos in Antioch, though it can either be an advantage or disadvantage. It could be advantageous if Jean could find some sort of reason to attack them after the crusade, yet it may be disadvantagous as Antioch may provide fewer troops to the crusade. It's also nice to see that Agnes seens to be a good stepmother to little Isabelle, though it's probably easier to do so with a child that has never known their mother... It would also be great for all parties involved if Jean and Agnes have children because: A:Isabelle will have half-siblings to serve as childhood companions B: The marriages of her half siblings could benefit Jerusalem through alliances and C: Having children can make Agnes a good prospect to be Latin Empress, for they would bring stability.. Again, excellent chapters, I truly enjoyed them!
Thanks. Well for cats a long life is relative. I also forgot to post the actual event picture, so it must have been confusing to people.Excellent chapters, it's nice to see that the birth was successful and that Jean is sticking up for his wife. Hopefully the cats live long happy lives at the side of Agnes and Isabelle!
Thanks. I worried people wouldn't like that sort of chapter. Glad I was wrong. Not to spoil too much but young Balian is somewhat important down the line. We will see if Agnes has learned the right lessons from this whole affair. Agnes appreciates how valuable Maymunah is, though she is far to trusting to realize that those skills might be turned on her.Seeing Alphonse and Raymonde doting on their newfound bundle of joy was adorable Hopefully young Balian will have a long, happy life in good health.
Agnes's victory over Maria in the matter of the cats might be a small one in the grand scheme of things, but it has undoubtedly proven to be a learning experience for her. She's learned that Maria Komnenos isn't invulnerable, and that she herself is capable of exerting some influence over her husband when she chooses her battles and her words carefully. Most importantly, though, she seems to be learning -- slowly but surely -- the eternal truth that for those who live in high places, their lives are in some sense not theirs alone; their hobbies, habits, and proclivities are constantly under scrutiny from their peers and the masses alike. Agnes might think her dabbling in potions and mystic arts to be just a harmless private indulgence, but by isolating herself in such a way she's alienating herself from the people her husband rules, and naturally the people have turned to the most sensational and lurid imaginings...
Speaking of gossip, Maynmunah certainly seems to keep her ears close to the ground (in more ways than one). Agnes might still be a little too naive to truly appreciate how valuable her friend is as a source of information, but she'd do well to keep her close.
And finally: Savary, "World's Greatest PR Man" you most definitely are not. Admittedly the peasants wouldn't have been happy regardless, but still...
None taken. It is good to have constructive criticism. I admit to not being very good at writing dialogue tags. I got a bit carried away with past characters. I had read about them in the history books and wanted to introduce them. Also I was thinking of Before Plantagenant and it's loads of characters. Of course Before Plantagenant took years to get to having that many characters. The story overall is that of Isabelle. But since she's a baby, for now our main character will be her father, Jean of Breiene.I am on comment 67 and I am confused. Is this a story of a child queen or her daddy searching for a golden parachute? The only person that cares about the child's success is her great grandmother. There are too many characters, too many screenshots and too much information. An introduction was badly needed. The first chapter was confusing in that the screenshots showed that you were a female child but the viewpoint was an adult male. The dialogue is wonderful but sometimes it is confusing who is speaking. You may want to change to a script style. (Speaker's name followed by a colon). The screenshots can be cropped to the relevant info with your prose conveying added info. An example would be portrait with prose telling age, holdings, relevant stats (ie dip for chancellor, martial for marshal, all for leader and regent) and traits, culture and religion. One example would be: The royal family and the councilors were French Catholics in a Levantine Sunni world. Many screenshots were of dead people without info of birth dates, death dates or cause of deaths. I have several times been rendered "screenshot drunk", wondering who the people were and why they were significant. (It is like attending a family reunion with a grandparent). Added info can be conveyed in response to comments which have been the best part of this AAR. I apologize for being negative when I could not do 1% as well. Sorry, I mean no offense.
Thanks. Like your nickname for Savary. Jean isn't intending to bolt. His ideal plan goes something like this. He will rule in his daughter's stead until she comes of age and is married. Once that happens she will take over governance of the Kingdom and Jean will move on to trying to establish himself in the Latin Empier, eventually placing his son on the throne. It's similar to IRL Jean, who sort of Bounced around as a warlord in the employ of various patrons. Remember, Jean is unlanded. All his power comes from who he is married to, and who he is the father of. Once Isabelle is married, he goes from a King in all but name, all the way back down to a lowly knight. So it is not surprising he has a backup plan.Best chapters so far. Why am I expecting the regent and unSavory to abandon all for greener pastures?
Yep. Hopefully this goes better than the Fifth Crusade in our timeline. Thanks, I worried I laid the cuteness on too thick. She will definitely remain something of an idealist for years to come.The Crusades begin anew, and once more the kingdom marches off to war to retake Jerusalem.
Isabelle is certainly a precocious little thing It will be interesting to see whether she keeps that bright-eyed eagerness as she grows into adulthood.
Isabelle is two/ two and a half years old.How old is Isabelle? I fear for anyone living under the rule of UnSavoury!