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monoxism

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pretenders.jpg


Prologue

”Do you really think it’ll work My Lord?” Charles asked. Sigebert kept staring out over the fields and just nodded. “But Sire,” Charles started, “we’re killing a nobleman. No, not just killing him, assassinating him!”. Sigebert turned to him. Charles could see the determination in his eyes, his absolute confidence in himself, and in his right to kill this man. “He is no noble,” Sigebert said, “he is but a usurper, a mere pretender, they all are”. Charles was always impressed with his liege’s complete faith in his cause. Impressed by it, surely, but not fond of it. Charles always feared that this faith would be the downfall of Sigebert, that it would blind him to opportunities as well as dangers. It was his job to make sure that didn’t happen. “Very well My Lord” Charles sighed, "I will set the wheels in motion”.

Chapter I
Rise of Sigebert

count_bernard.jpg

Bernard-Ezi d'Albret, Count of Albret

Charles arrived at Le Petit Porc late in the evening. Le Petit Porc was a small tavern on the outskirts of Albret. The only thing giving away it’s existence was the subtle shimmering light escaping the front windows. How any light could get through those windows at all baffled Charles. They were so dirty, you’d think they had not been cleaned in the last 50 years, and they probably hadn’t. He was meeting Bernard de Lomagne, bastard son of the Count of Labourd. Bernard was, on the surface, a congenial man, full of laughter and fond of the ales. Charles had liked him from the moment he met him. He had often hunted deer with Bernard, and not once in the 6 years he’d known him, had Bernard mentioned any political ambitions to him. Charles was then shocked when he’d discovered Bernard held the position of Commandeur in “Les fils du Aquitane”, a rather clandestine group actively opposing the nobility in Aquitane. It was like there was two faces to the man, each one at an extreme end of the spectrum. Regrettably, he would not see the Bernard he so liked today. He was there with orders from his liege, orders that once they were given, would set a plan in motion not even God himself could stop.

sigebert.jpg

Sigebert d'Albret, adopted son of Bernard-Ezi d'Albret

Charles entered the tavern to find it almost empty. The barkeep was busy polishing the cups used to serve ale to the now passed out drunkard at the center table. Charles found Bernard sitting in a corner booth. “Old friend,” said Charles, “it is good to see you again. I hope you are in fine health this day”. Bernard looked up at Charles. There was a grim look on his face. “Likewise my friend. Please, sit”. Bernard gestured at the seat across from him, and Charles sat down. “Time is running short Charles. The window of opportunity will soon close. We must act now. What says our Lord?” Bernard asked. Charles paused for a moment. This was it. “He asks that you fulfill your duty, and kill the pretender of Albret, his sons, and his brothers”. Bernard nodded. “And he has agreed to my terms?”. As all men do, Bernard wanted something, and like so many before him, he wanted power and wealth. “Yes. You will become Marshal, and be granted a sizeable estate.” Bernard looked pleased, and he should be Charles thought. “Very well, then it shall be done. By this time tomorrow, Sigebert will be lord of the province.” Bernard got up and said goodbye to his friend. Charles watched him leave the tavern, and thought to himself “Too bad he has become so ambitious. I will have to get rid of him soon.”

count_assas.jpg

Bernard-Ezi adopted Sigebert as
his son, and Sigebert returned the
favor by stabbing him in the back


son_death.jpg

Guillaume d'Albret, legitimate son
of the Count and heir apparent,
is assasinated, alongside his
father and brothers

The word came the following morning. The Count and his family had been murdered by unknown assailants in the night. No one knew how they’d gained access to the estate, but they had. No one had heard anything, not the guards, the servants, not even the Counts own spymaster had sensed something was wrong. Not until a servant maid had found the Count lying in a pool of his own blood had the alarm been raised. At this time, the province of Albret was effectively without leadership. The Duke of Toulouse would have to name a new Count, as there was no heir by blood. And Sigebert knew he would be him. In preparation of this day, Sigebert had Agnes, daughter of the Duke of Poitou betrothed to him. That the Duke would choose sin son-in-law to govern the province was a given, so it was no surprise when the messenger arrived. The Duke of Poitou had recognized Sigebert. Sigebert was now Count of Albret.

sigebert_inherits.jpg

Sigebert is now Count
 
Last edited:

monoxism

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Alrighty, I’m gonna try my hand at this whole AAR thing. The scenario here is the life of Sigebert and his succesors, and their ambition to climb the throne of France. It starts in 1066, and I have made some minor changes to the scenario (mostly names), and will probably make more as the game/story progresses.

Any comments, suggestions, whatever, are most welcome.

Cheers, hope you enjoy it!

*EDIT*

It would seem there is a limit to the amount of images you can use in one post, so I shall instead post each chapter in a new post.
 
Last edited:

Veldmaarschalk

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Interesting start.

Why have you created this character ? Why not start and play with the d'Albret family itself ?
 

monoxism

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Chapter II: Ambitions

Chapter II
Ambitions

pope_bishop.jpg

The Pope orders Sigebert around

Sigebert had barely been in power for more than 3 months, when the Pope started meddling. Sigebert held no love for the clergy, and the clergy held no love for him. In fact, the clergy held very little at all, as Sigebert had confiscated most of their lands, to the dismay of many. Because of his attitude towards the church, he wasn’t too keen on jumping at the whim of the Pope, but Sigebert could still see this wisdom in appointing a bishop, if for nothing else then to appease the clergy. So, Sigebert appoints Raoul de Louben as Diocese Bishop. Whilst Sigebert largely ignores the advisory of his new bishop, he feels that he could use capable people around. Thus Sigebert establishes the Privy Council, and appoints his great cousin Mathilde d’Albert as Chancellor and Berthe de Thury as Spymaster.

But now Sigebert faces a bit of a dilemma: There are no male courtiers in his court he can name Marshal, and no woman has ever marshaled an army. Indeed, he is himself most skeptical about a womans ability to lead an army of men. However, this all changes when the monk Guillem de Cañamas rebels against Sigebert. Not content with being stripped of their power in the province, the clergy amass a force of some 240 troops and march on Sigebert’s estate. The town militia is called out to fight the rebels, and just outside the estate the two forces clash. The militia has numerical superiority, but when the commander of the militia is shot dead by a stray arrow, chaos ensues. The militia routs and begins to flee.

This is when Amauvine de Gascogne enters the picture, a daughter of a minor noble visiting the estate. Amauvine picks up the sword, and reassembles the militia. Sigebert notices, and still holds no confidence in the leadership of a woman, and prepares to flee the estate with his personal guard. But the tide changes to Amauvine’s advantage. The militia has scattered in all directions, but by confiscating the horses of nobles, she is able to send runners to the scattered forces, ordering them to march upon the enemy. The result is the complete encirclement and destruction of the rebel force. Sigebert is so impressed with Amauvine, that he names her Marshal on the spot.

privy_council_1.jpg

The first Privy Council

A year goes by in silent contemplation, as Sigebert plans his ascension to the throne. The first step will be to ensure his dynasty with an heir. To this end, the marriage between Sigebert and Agnes d’Aquitane is finalized, and Sigebert takes her as his wife. This would prove to be a wise decision indeed, as Agnes proves to be a competent administrator, and quickly rises to become Steward.

sigebert_marriage.jpg

Sigebert gains a wife, and gains prestige in The Duke's court

Not long after the wedding, Agnes is with child. She gives birth to Charles, the new heir to Sigebert. And not only is he heir to Sigebert, he is also in the succession line to the Duke of Poitou, through Agnes.

agnes_preggers.jpg

Charles is conceived

In the next couple of years, Agnes gives birth to two more children; Uc and Yolande. Uc is now 2nd in succession, and Yolande third, though Yolande will never inherit. Sigebert is intent that there shall never be a ruling Queen of France if he has any say in the matter. Soon after Phillipe de Louben requests to join the court of Sigebert, as he is apparently persecuted for no reason at home, wherever that may be. Sigebert grants him amnesty, and gives him a place in his court. It seems he is an able administrator, so he appoints him Steward, replacing his wife Agnes. Agnes now has more time to spend at home with the little ones. How wonderful!

Marshal Amauvine is increasingly worried about the size of the army, so she petitions Sigebert for a new training grounds, and Sigebert agrees. 12 months later the training ground stands finished, and begins to churn out recruits to enlarge the now 1850 man strong army. Soon after, Agnes births another daughter, Adelinde. Sigebert’s family is indeed blessed with fertility!

Sigebert’s father-in-law is approaching 50 years of age, and his wife has just hit 40. Sigebert is well aware of this, as is Agnes. The Duke as his wife has only one son, one heir, that stands between Sigebert’s family and the title of Poitou. Aymer d’Aquitane, 3 years old, is destined to become the next Duke. Or is he? Amazingly enough, it is not Sigebert who entertains the idea of killing Aymer, it is Agnes. She wants to kill her own baby brother! Sigebert knew she could be cold, but this, this is extreme! If she will go to this length to secure power for him, how far would she not go to obtain that power for herself? With that in mind, Sigebert tells his spymaster to keep a close eye on Agnes. But, he also heeds Agnes’ request, and orders the death of Aymer.

agnes.jpg

Agnes d'Aquitane, a cold
and calculating woman.
And perhaps also dangerous...

Aymer dies at the hand of Sigebert’s assassin, and Agnes is now next in line to the title. The death of Aymer would seem to have had a side effect. Grieving at the loss of his only son, The Duke of Poitou falls into a severe depression. With a little luck he’ll kill himself Agnes remarks. Sigebert is getting increasingly worried about the coldness and ambition of his wife.

depressed_duke.jpg

Poor Guillaume
 
Last edited:

monoxism

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Chapter III: The Dynasty of Weakness

Chapter III
The Dynasty of Weakness

Sigebert is blessed with another heir, as Jean is born. Soon after his birth, the Pope starts meddling again. After the death of Raoul the seat of bishop has been vacant. Sigebert isn’t too keen on having yet another papal pawn in his court, and strongly considers denying the pope’s request. However, at the behest of his wife, he agreed to meet with this would-be bishop. And Sigebert was glad he did. He found Bishop Héile to be a much more agreeable sort than Raoul, as he was just as opposed to absolute papal authority as Sigebert was. Sigebert couldn’t help but wonder why the Pope would recommend a man that was opposed to the Papacy, but nonetheless agreed to appoint him as bishop.

The army has grown to over 2000 men, which pleases Sigebert to no end. But, Steward Phillipe is expressing concerns on how to support such an army. Sigebert decides the treasury needs to be enlarged, meaning higher income. So, Sigebert slashes the church donations to zero, and orders the construction of a forestry in Albret.

The King of France is at war with the County of Holland, alongside Germany. It is a war Holland cannot win Sigebert decides, and he is right. Holland fights alone, and cannot stand against the Frenco-German onslaught. What a pity Sigebert thinks, as the French king may now have a potential ally in Germany.

In mid-May, the Pope calls to arms, and announces a crusade against the heathens in Jerusalem. A lofty goal according to Sigebert, but a foolish one. He decides to rest his troops, instead of wasting their life in the middle-east. He also gets the chance to claim a title due to a fief inheritance. Sigebert jumps at the chance, and can now claim the Duchy of Provence. It is also time for Charles to start his education, and Sigebert decides to send him to the army. He contemplates sending Uc for education at a monastery when the time comes.

duke_provence.jpg

I should be Duke of Provence, not this infant child!

The Duke of Poitou dies, and the question of inheritance arises. The inheritance goes through Agnes, and technically Sigebert could claim it. But he refrains from doing so, and instead lets his wife inherit. Agnes is now Duchess of Poitou, and if only in name, master of Sigebert. Sigebert continues to manipulate things behind the scenes.

duchess_agnes.jpg

Agnes, Duchess of Poitou

The Kingdom of France is thrown into turmoil, as King Phillipe dies without a male heir. Antoinette inherits the throne of France, and at the disgust of many nobles, she is named Queen of France. Antoinette is a weak little girl. She is 7 years old, and suffers from an illness no one has ever seen before. It is only a matter of time before she dies, and passes the throne to Eléonore, who is also just a child. The whole situation actually pleases Sigebert. If ever there was a chance to weaken the usurpers, now is the chance.

The next adult male in line to the throne is Hugues, after Eléonore. He too is weak. Sigebert is ecstatic at the extreme weakening of the Capet bloodline. The only strong male in the succession is the Duke of Bourgogne, and he is too far back in the line to pose a threat. Sigebert feels he can now rest easy knowing that no King or Queen of France will be able to thwart his plan in many years to come.

hugues_the_weak.jpg

Hugues the Weak, a poor excuse for a French King

However, it would seem he need not worry about the regent of France, but rather about what is happening a little closer to home. Agnes is having dreams of grandeur, and seek to dominate her husband into submission. Sigebert had planned for this, and his spymaster already has a cunning plan ready to thwart any attempt by Agnes to overrule him. If she seeks to usurp his power, she will die.

Chancellors of Sigebert and Agnes reach an agreement before such extreme measures become necessary. Sigebert accepts the stalemate for now, but still keeps planning his wife’s demise. As soon as Charles is old enough to rule, Agnes shall die.
 
Last edited:

monoxism

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Chapter IV
Clashing Giants

The next couple of years see little excitement. Uc is sent to a monastery as planned, and Sigebert sits around waiting for Charles to grow into a man. Since he has paused his ambitions of enlarging his demesne for now, Sigebert looks to improve what he has. He orders the construction of a fishery, and strips the clergy of what little power they had left. As Sigebert predicted, Holland loses the war, and is incorporated in the German reich.

Then suddenly, out of the blue, war breaks out. And not just any war. England declares war on a Byzantine county, and the Emperor reacts accordingly. France is allied to England, and comes to her aid, and perhaps her own doom. In all the confusion, the Teutonic Order declares their independence.

Since Agnes and Sigebert are no longer on good footing, they don’t have… marital relations any longer. So when a fine looking young woman asks Sigeberts company for the night, he doesn’t resist. Henri the Bastard is born. Not long after Raymond d’Albret is born, but Sigebert can’t remember the last time he was with his wife and wonders if Raymond is his son at all. Jean has his 6th birthday, and is sent off to the army.

revolt.jpg

Damn the clergy to hell!

All seems to be well in the land, until one morning when Sigebert is awoken by a winded guard. “Sire! Sire! Rebels! Coming here!” yelled the guard at the half-awake Sigebert. As the gravity of the situation damned upon him, he summons Marshal Amauvine and orders her to assemble the army. A day later, the army stands ready with 2169 men. In the late afternoon, the battle of Albret begins. Sigebert expects an easy victory, but leads the engagement himself nonetheless.

battle_albret.jpg

The rebels are doomed to fail

Sigebert wins, losing only 18 men, and taking 172 heads. The heads are impaled and placed and the roadside as a warning to any future dissidents. After the battle, Sigeberts spymaster informs him that this is a prime situation to get rid of Henri the Bastard. This only serves to infuriate Sigebert who loves his son, even if he is not legitimate and declines the proposal, stating that he will probably cause no trouble. Agnes gives birth to a daughter. Sigebert's suspicion remains the same.

In the south, the boy king Andoni Jimenez of Navarra has significantly enlarged his kingdom. Sigebert is most impressed, and wonder if he should introduce his son to Andoni.

To Sigebert’s surprise, the French haven’t been totally annihilated, and 2000 Frenchmen have successfully laid siege to Naissus. But then again, 3 months later the French armies are vanquished in a spectacular battle. Sigebert deems the war lost. Agnes births yet another son, Hamelin, who dies a few months later. Sigebert does not grieve, as he does not believe him to have been his legitimate son.

french_conquest.jpg

The province is under French control,
but not for long

Diocese Bishop Héile marries Ermesinde de Cornovaille, 2nd in line to the Duchy of Brittany. Héile is 60 years old, and Sigebert has arranged the marriage solely to keep her from marrying anyone else. Once Héile dies, she will be married off to one of his sons. If he doesn’t die soon, well, Sigebert will just have to help him along; he is after all just a Bishop of the Papacy. Sigebert also plans to marry one of his daughters off to the young man 1st in line to the Duchy of Brittany. When his family controls France, he is intent that Brittany be part of it.

charles.jpg

Charles does indeed bear
resemblance to his father

Charles matures, and marries Clara de Toulouse. Her place in line to the title of Toulouse is nothing special, but she is a fine match to Charles, and a foot in the door is better than nothing. The wedding is a grand affair, and an expensive affair Sigebert acknowledges grudgingly. Charles is also made Marshal of Albret, to the dismay of Amauvine, but oh well, he is the son of Sigebert and a much better tactician. Not long after this disaster strikes the house of Sigebert for the first time. Sigebert falls into illness, and the illness worsens into pneumonia. Sigebert fears he is on his deathbed.

pneumonia.jpg

Oh noes, woe is me

clara.jpg

Clara de Toulouse, wife of Charles,
and a master of subterfuge

Amauvine, not content with being ousted from power, now seeks the title of Spymaster, and claims she can do a better job than the current one. But, that title is held by Clara de Toulouse, who is far superior! Sigebert is furious that Amauvine would openly challenge his son’s wife, and promptly exiles her. She flees to Besancõn, and Sigebert contemplates sending an assassin after her.

Uc d’Albert matures, and Sigebert looks for a potential wife for him. He is surprised to find Eléonore of France, now 17, unwed. If Sigebert could arrange this marriage, it would ensure that he himself, or one of his heirs sit on the throne of France. With a little subterfuge of course… Sigebert asks Eléonore to Albret to meet Uc, and to Sigebert’s enjoyment the two get along nicely. They have a certain kinship he feels, and when he suggests marriage to Eléonore she is happy to oblige.

Yolande d’Albret has also grown into a fine young woman, and Sigebert looks for a match for her aswell. He had his eyes on the heir to the title of Brittany, but alas, he is already married. But they only had one child, one child that died of an illness. If his wife had an accident, he might be able arrange for Yolande to take her place. Sigebert sends an assassin to take care of her, and succeeds! A week after, the heir, however grief stricken he might be, accepts the proposal of marriage. Things are indeed looking good for Sigebert’s family. Now he has ensured that his blood will run in the Duchies of Poitou and Brittany, and almost certainly a d’Albret will be King of France, as his son has taken up his position as consort to the Queen of France. Now, Sigebert must work to weave his bloodline into the Duchy of Normandie… But disaster again strikes the already pneumonia stricken Sigebert. His son, Henri the Bastard, contracts an illness. Sigebert loves his son, and pays the best doctors in France to take care of him. The investment pays off, as Henri fights the illness and recovers. Joy to the world.

At the behest of her consort, Eléonore makes peace with Byzantium, getting off easy with paying 26 gold in indemnities.

Sigebert can fight no longer, and gives into the pneumonia. On his deathbed, he tells his eldest son of his constant battle with his mother, the Duchess of Poitou. “Beware the bitch in Poitou,” Sigebert hissed “she would deny you your birthright. Rid her from this earth! Seek the little one! Talk to him him, he holds the key!”. He dies only 38 years old.
 
Last edited:

monoxism

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Chapter V
The Rise of Charles

Charles didn’t want to believe what his father had said about his mother, but now he had no choice. Agnes constantly tries to belittle and dominate him. Charles would have none of it and after careful consideration and conference with his father’s old spymaster, decided to kill her and assume the title of Duke. At the same time, he instructed the spymaster to find out about this “little one” his father talked of.

A year went by, and Charles now felt he could finance the death of his mother without any real danger to the treasury. An assassin was paid, an assassin was sent, and an assassin failed. This was a huge blow to Charles, and he had to use all his cunning to convince his mother that it was not his doing, and that he should be allowed to keep his head. “The day will come,” he thought, “when you will be the one begging for my mercy”.

Géraud d’Albret is born, now heir to the title of Albret. He surpasses his older sister, Ide, as heir apparent. Charles holds no convictions about women in power like his father did, and would like nothing better than to see Ide with a county or duchy of her own should she show the needed skill. There is also a sizeable surplus in the treasury, so Charles orders the construction of a small castle at Albret.

castle_albret.jpg

The new castle at Albret

The clergy are at it again, and rebels. Charles easily defeats them, but he wants to avoid such things in the future. He grants the church a little power in the province.

duke_charles.jpg

All hail Duke Charles!

Charles decides another assassination attempt at his mother is in order, and lo and behold, this time it succeeds. Charles is now Duke of Poitou! As Duke of Poitou, Charles also manages to create the titles “Duke of Amargnac” and “Duke of Bourbon”. Charles now holds an impressive amount of titles, and his demesne has quadrupled.

charles_demesne.jpg

Charles holds a lot more land now

Children are born. A daughter, Almodis, and a son, Arnoul.

Charles will now try to rule this land wisely, bring stability to the Duchies, and expand his already intricate web of family relations. But trouble is brewing to the south. The muslim heathens have set aside their differences, and now present a unified front to the Iberian kingdoms. The kingdoms will be overrun, and when that happens, there is nothing to stop them from attacking into France itself. This worries Charles.
 
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monoxism

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Chapter VI
Changing sides

The Counts accept Charles as their new lord without much fuss, and with that out of the way, Charles seek to strengthen the army for the coming conflict. He orders the construction of a training ground in Poitou.

war_training.jpg

Charles prepares for conflict,
and training is underway

Charles attends a tourney with the other Dukes. The Duke of Toulouse makes a harsh remark about Charles’ champion, without knowing that it is in fact Charles’ brother. Charles takes much offense and claims the title of Toulouse, a claim he can back up through his marriage with Clara de Toulouse.

A daughter, Helvis, is born to Charles.

Eléonore, Queen of France, asks that Charles mobilize his army in her service. She has declared war on the heathen kingdom of Fatimids. Charles has his own worries with the heathens immediately south of him, and fears them more than he fears the Queen. Charles declines, but Eléonore repeats her request. Charles declines again, and wonders if the woman is daft.

Héile dies, and his son Mathieu is sent off to the army for educational purposes. Mathieu is 5th in line for the title of Brittany. His mother Ermesinde is 4th and Charles, like his father, entertains the thought of marrying her to one of his kin. To gain her favour, he appoints her spymaster.

heile_dies.jpg

Ermesinde says her goodbyes

Ricard d’Albret is born to Charles.

Charles continues his army programme and starts building a training ground in Bordeaux. The training ground in Poitiers is finished, and work on a tile factory is begun. Charles also decides to send Ide to court for training. He feels this will even out her skill set nicely.

Sanity returns to Europe, as the crusades ebb out. Charles is most relieved, perhaps the Queen will stop her war against the heathens soon?

Helvis develops a stutter. Charles doesn’t mind, but her mother curses her so. Her new baby brother, Adémar, is born. A year later, she gains a sister in Douce.

bastard_henri.jpg

Henri the Bastard


Henri the Bastard matures. Even though Henri is not legitimate, Charles has good relations with him, and there is a mutual respect. Charles offers Henri to marry Spymaster Ermesinde, and Henri agrees. Charles is certain any offspring the two produce will be of great use to the house of d’Albret in the future.

The Pope calls a crusade to free Burgos on the Iberian peninsula from the heathens. This just might be the chance Charles has been waiting for. War is coming...
 
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Jestor

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Fascinating story and beautifully laid out, though I'd like to add the small suggestion of including occasional actual dates for points of reference. :)
 

monoxism

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Chapter VII
Treason

Charles’ army now numbers over 24000 men. The time for war is nigh, but not with the heathens. Charles has never made any irrational claims, so his reputation is wholly honourable. That is about to change, as Charles lays claim to the title of Brittany and set his plans of war in motion. Soon the declaration will be made, and his troops will spill into Brittany.

In the meantime, the Queen makes white peace with the heathens. Just when Charles thought she had gained a small amount of sense, she goes and declares war on England. England is allied to Germany. France is now fighting a two-front war, and Charles knows they’ll lose. He does not want to waste the lives of his men, and decides to refuse any of his regiments to fight in the war. She brought this on herself, and now she must deal with the consequences, even if, albeit not by blood, she is family. And, she ruined his plans to invade Brittany, that bitch.

Eléonore practically begs him to mobilize, but Charles refuses. He is rather disloyal by now. This could be a chance to weaken the usurper Queen. Perhaps Charles should swear allegiance to the king of England instead? Yes, perhaps… He must confer with his spymaster about this first…

One of Charles’ sons falls ill. Estéve show no signs of improvement, and it is feared that he will die. His siblings care for him in this time of trouble. Charles is starting to feel blessed with all these wonderful children of his. These children are also the reason for Charles betrayal. He swears allegiance to the King of England, and his regiments join the war against France. The fall of Eléonore is nearing.

allegiance.jpg

Charles reluctantly swears allegiance
to Robert, King of England

Charles claims the title of Anjou, and attacks! The attack is successful, and Charles lays siege to Anjou. There is only a small castle there, and Anjou quickly falls. Charles concludes peace with Anjou, and makes good on his claim. Charles is now also Duke of Anjou. A few days later, the meddler in the Vatican starts complaining, and demands a truce of God. Charles got what he wanted from the war, so he agrees, even if he is humiliated by the Pope. Charles wishes to respect the peace, but Eléonore does not, and declares war again.

Charles marches on Ile de France, but suffers a humiliating loss at the battle of Chartres. He manages to flee the battlefield with 200 of his men, and returns to Poitou. He redirects the rest of his forces to Toulouse. He has claim to Toulouse, and this is the perfect chance to make good on it.

The Battle of Toulouse is quickly over. The Duchy is wrecked by the war, and can only muster a measly 200 men against Charles’ 3200. Toulouse falls, and the Duke is forced to acknowledge Charles’ claim. Charles sends his forces to Orleans, as Ile de France has fallen to Germany.

survey.jpg

Charles surveys his new lands

Éleonore offers peace, and pays 80 gold to get it. The war is over for Charles, but he now faces the danger of civil war. His usurpation of Anjou and Toulouse has not gone down well with the world, and his reputation has suffered. War with his vassals is not on Charles’ wishlist, so he is forced to lower his scutage.

One of his new vassals, Aymer, Count of Carcasonne, approaches Charles with a proposition. The former Duke of Toulouse, now the Duke of Languedoc, has only one heir, and incidentally he is also Aymer’s older brother. Should they both die, Aymer would inherit the Duchy. Aymer wishes to assassinate his brother and nephew, and assume the title, but cannot afford the endeavor. In exchange for financial aid he will swear allegiance to Charles when he is King. Charles is worried about his already tarnished reputation, but agrees. The opportunity to secure southern France when he ascends to the throne is too good to pass up.

charles_realm.jpg

The realm of Charles d'Albret,
with the capital of Poitou marked

Charles sends the assassin to the court of the Languedoc, and the Duke’s heir dies. Shortly after the Duke dies as well, and fortunately they are not discovered in either incident. Charles is glad he made Ermesinde spymaster. Aymer inherits and becomes Duke of Languedoc. Now Charles hopes Aymer will keep his word. If not, he’ll have to take what is his by force.

The war ends, and France cedes territory to England, whilst paying off Germany. The crusades ebbs out once again, and it would seem Europe is at peace.

But war breaks out in the Iberian Peninsula, as the foolish King of Navarra seeks to enlarge his country by fighting the heathens. He will fail, and Navarra could fall. Charles must now concentrate on fortifying the southern provinces…
 
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monoxism

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Chapter VIII
Secrets

It is now September in the year of our Lord 1100. After successfully waging war against France and joining the kingdom of England, Charles now turns his eyes southward to the Iberian Peninsula. War is rolling across the Peninsula, and the kingdoms of Leon and Castille have already fallen, and their provinces are under the yoke of the infidel. There are roughly 20000 Muslims to the south, armed to the teeth and technologically superior to anything Charles can muster. There is an uneasy truce between the kingdom of Navarra and the heathens, so the border is secure for now.

leon.jpg

Leon has fallen to the muslim kingdom of Hammadid

Charles enjoys this time of peace and spends it with his beloved children. However, there is uneasiness within him. He still does not know anything of “the little one” his father mentioned on his deathbed. Charles calls upon his spymaster and demands a report on the investigation. Charles immediately notices Ermesinde is nervous, jittery even. What could she possibly have found out? “What knowledge have you gained on this “little one”?” Charles asked. “Do you not yet know of his identity?”. Charles tried to make eye contact with Ermesinde, but she would not let him. “I do not know My Lord”. Charles stood up briskly. “What do you mean you do not know? Have you made no progress in this matter at all?” Charles asked angrily. Ermesinde made eye contact for the first time. “Progress I have indeed made,” she replied, “but I fear what consequences this information will have, for me and my family”. Now Charles was most curious. “How so?” he inquired.

Ermesinde sighed and walked over to the window. As she looked out over the land, she thought “This could all be my husbands. Henri is Sigebert’s son, just as much as Charles is”. Maybe she and Henri could topple Charles. A thought she quickly pushed aside. Charles was too strong, and she doubted Henri would have any of it. He was a loyal fool, but a loveable one. “The one your father spoke of is my husband”.

bastard_henri.jpg

What secret does Henri hold?

Charles didn’t understand at all. “What? Henri is the little one?”. This new development was most curious Charles had to admit. He hoped it would not be something to make Henri a threat to his power. It would be such a shame to get rid of him. “He is,” Ermesinde said, “he was always the little one to your father. It seems he had a special love for him. So much, that he entrusted him with a secret.” Charles was almost desperate now. “What secret? I demand to know!”.

Ermesinde was surprised. She had never seen Charles like this. “I do not know of the specifics. All I know is that it has something to do with your heritage. None of us know where your father came from, except Henri it would seem.” Charles would know this secret, even if it meant he had to violently extract it from Henri, of this she was certain.

sigebert_tree.jpg

Will this secret finally reveal
where Sigebert came from?

“Go now Ermesinde,” Charles said in the most authoritative way he could, “go to Henri. Tell him of this conversation, and tell him he must come to me tonight. I expect him to tell me of our heritage, one way or the other.” Ermesinde knew all too well what that meant. “Yes My Lord, I shall go to him immediately.”

As Ermesinde left the room Charles felt most anxious, like a young boy before his birthday. Today was the day he would learn of his true heritage.
 
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monoxism

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Chapter IX
Old friends

Charles remembered very well the last time he was here at Le Petit Porc. It was as a messenger for Sigebert. It was the night when he set all this in motion. Now he was here again, meeting Sigebert’s illegitimate son. Sigebert had confided in Henri a secret that only the 3 of them knew about. Now they were only 2, but it would seem there was to be a third again. According to Henri, his older brother Charles had found out something was being kept from him and was most intent to find out what. Drat, he thought. He wasn’t supposed to know yet. Le Petit Porc looked the same. Still run down, and still full of drunks. Only the barkeep had changed. Instead of a fat bald man, there was a woman twice his size, who looked like she could lift a chest of gold and then some.

tavern.jpg

Le Petit Porc hadn't changed

When Henri entered, Charles recognized him immediately, the spitting image of his father. Henri sat down and gestured the barkeep for a round of ale. “So he knows eh?” Charles asked. “More or less,” Henri replied, “he knows I’m hiding something, and he knows it has to do with father, but he doesn’t know the specifics.” This was good news to Charles. “Then all is well” he said. Henri didn’t agree. “No, all is not well. He will try to coerce me into telling him. He might even torture me for Gods sake!”. Charles knew this to be true. “That’s why I’m sending you to the Danish court”. Henri didn’t expect that one. “Very well. What shall we do with the documents?”. Charles wasn’t sure, but they should not fall into the hands of Henri’s brother, at least not yet. “Leave them to me. I will make sure Charles, or whoever succeeds him, will know the truth. When the time is right, of course”. Henri nodded. “When do I leave?”. “Now,” Charles answered, “there is a horse for you outside. You must ride to Provence. An escort of German guards will meet you there and escort you to the border. When you arrive in Denmark, you will be in the care of their spymaster. He is an old friend of mine.”

Duke Charles was most displeased when Henri didn’t show up that night. He sent out guards to find the man, but they turned up empty. It was most curious. But at least Charles had gotten some good news that morning. The Crusades were over, and for once they were a success. Burgos was in Christian hands, and conquered by a lowly Welsh count no less. A foolish conquest Charles thought. A count without a liege could not hope to resist the Muslims for long. But this would give Europe some breathing space, and allow Charles to repair damaged relations. His reputation was still rather bad. “Well,” he thought, “if Henri isn’t here, I might as well go inspect the southern defenses once more. It looks like Navarra might be gearing up for war again”.

scouts.jpg

Scouts were sent to find Henri,
but to no avail

When Henri stepped out of the tavern he could see no horse, not even his own. Horse thieves weren’t supposed to operate in Albret. Henri stepped out to scout for his horse a bit further down the road when he felt a piercing pain in his back. Suddenly he could not breathe. It felt as though a hot smelting iron had been pushed into his lungs. Henri could taste iron. Why could he taste iron? Then reality dawned upon him. It was blood. Something had pierced his body. He felt the blade being removed from his back. Then he could feel nothing. All he could do was lie there on his back, gurgling in his own blood. He could see someone out of the corner of his eye. He was coming closer. He had a blade in his hand! Assassin! Assassin!!! He tried to scream, but could not.

Charles bent down over him. “Don’t try lad. Your lung is pierced, it’ll do no good. You will die soon.” Henri couldn’t help but wonder why. Why had the old man turned on him? Charles looked Henri in the eyes. “You’re probably wondering why, aren’t you?” Henri could only stare at him. “Yes, I know you do. I couldn’t let a whelp like you wander around with this kind of knowledge forever. You’re young; you talk too much, especially to womenfolk.” Charles got up and started walking around Henri. He followed him with his eyes as best he could. “Do you have any idea what this information will do to Europe lad? War will sweep across Europe, and Europe is not ready yet ready for such a war. You understand why I can’t let you jeopardize that, don’t you lad?” The old man stopped and looked at Henri’s face. “Hmm, I hope you do lad. Goodbye now, say hello to your father should you see him”.

henri_lastvision.jpg

The blurred image of an
old murderer was the
last thing Henri saw

Charles walked away. Henri could no longer see him. He could no longer see anything. He could hear galloping in the distance. He could hear the sounds of the nighttime forest. And then nothing. No sound reached his ears. Memories ran wild in his mind. Of his wife and children. Of days spent at his fathers side, speaking of their family and their great destiny.

And then Henri was gone.
 
Last edited:

unmerged(12435)

the bad Santa
Dec 6, 2002
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Well,good story.. and great layout and images!!!
Will follow this one..i hope it does not die as most of good AAR´s did lately.. :confused:
 

CatKnight

Disciple of Peperna
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May 20, 2004
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Tis a good story so far. Duke Charles seems A LOT like Siegfert - nearly identical in his ruthlessness. I am curious what this secret is.