Ch. 29 – The Prince and the Pope
There's nothing else I can do for now than to instruct Alphonse to keep a close watch over my son. Right before his efforts become that much more difficult to work out, as my cousin, Duchess Éléonore of Tyrol, blackmails me.
She's learned of the assassination attempt on Baron Viktor – and I can't let that become public. That would be welcome fodder for my enemies, even turn Dieter's loyalties. Grudgingly, I give in, and she wants to be named Spymaster in exchange.
Which is doubly bad as she's turned back towards the Pope, and will clearly do everything in her power to actually sabotage my efforts instead.
An opportunity to deal with that enemy in my home arises as I pursue a war to focus everyone's attention on instead – seizing Graz for Styrie from Bavaria.
The battles are hard fought, with King Piskla having the Hospitallers as well as Croatian and Augsburgian allies to support him. Close to Graz itself, Duke Raynaud of Souabe is slain as he leads my army to victory.
The battle also nearly wipes out King Karlo of Croatia's forces. Already weakened from a loss against Byzantium, Karlo faces important opposition for his throne, and seeks help.
Well, he can get some of me.
Sure, we're enemies. For now.
But we both have enemies we need dealt with more than each other, don't we?
Oh, I'm not asking for him to withdraw the pitiful remains of his troops. He can keep fighting for Piskla if he wants. I'll just make sure he remains on the throne in the war's aftermath if he does one small favour for me.
Karlo agrees, and so I present a letter from him at court, in which he accuses Éléonore of having requested his aid in “delivering Bourgogne from the little demon's influence”.
It's convincing, if I say so myself. Two enemies of mine requesting mutual support. Most of my vassals don't buy it, though.
Does it matter? No. Evidence is evidence.
Solely by virtue of being my cousin, Éléonore ends up in the tower instead of the sky (in a less-corporeal form).
She's accompanied by the Duchess of Franconie Occidentale – Loup's daughter did me the favour of being unfaithful to her husband. Great news, as it removes another thorn from my side.
Alphonse returns to his post, and sniffs out a random courtier with a grudge against Charles. Good work, which I may have needed against Viktor, as his damnable court physician blathered out his involvement in a plot against the Baron.
Accordingly prepared, Viktor managed not only to fend off the assassin, but also capture him – and the useless idiot revealed my name! I am forced to leave the dwarf alone for now.
Duke Lothaire takes over the leadership of my army after Raynaud's death, and finally forces Piskla to surrender, after yet another great victory in Graz coming at a noble price.
This time, it struck my husband, Dieter. We weren't united in love, but still... he shall be missed. Luckily, this doesn't impact my plan for East Franconia in any way, as his claim passes on the Charles.
And it may be a blessing in disguise for Charles as he can learn rulership as Duke of Glocestre. Though I do worry about his health lately...
The war concluding proves once again our supremacy against the Papists, and so Frédéric finally brings the news I've waited for – justification to wage war for the entirety of Latium. A conflict that shall determine the true leadership of Western Christianity!
In preparation, I am crowned once again. This coronation serves solely to make official what is clear ever since Mother started the schism – that the Crown, more specifically the Crown of Bourgogne, has the leadership in both temporal and spiritual matters. Silvester denounces this second coronation as the heretic queen making herself a Pope of her own and demands Ancel take action.
The Emperor stays put, as well he should. Powerless, he watches from afar as I recruit a new elite unit to form a bigger cadre of royal guards in battle, aiming to save me from Raynaud's or Dieter's fate.
Nothing changes for me personally, as well as for everyone who understands Mother's ideas in launching the schism.
But it changes a lot for those who accept the schism as merely Catholicism with harsher laws and without the clergy. Referring to me as their spiritual head, mayors start sending their requests for absolution – always accompanied by a sizeable donation for the royal treasury.
My already wealthy kingdom's coffers will need some grave catastrophe indeed to run out now.
And she who has the money has the power.
I decide to move against Silvester once I've united all of my “vile heresy”. That means that my nephew Léon shall swear fealty to me. He doesn't want to.
Well, my armies shall oblige him then. And while they are in England, they may also assist Mercia in their current war.
A good ally must show some goodwill from time to time.
Capturing the King of Durham in battle should suffice as contribution.
As I prepare my march on Rome, I think it is a good idea to actually read up on men who – more or less successfully – marched on the Eternal City themselves. Like Hannibal.
Surrounding and slaughtering the Papal army seems like a good prospect.
Countess Hodierne of Padoue supports me during that time. It's nice to know that I have yet another ally. The woman herself is also very inspiring:
Proclaimed an inbred freak in her youth, she's become quite learned. And she makes for good conversation, a good friend.
In gratitude, I name her Duchess of Vérone. I need more people like Alphonse and her.
Léon's surrender coincides with Ancel asking for my youngest daughter, Cécile, as one of his insignificant courtiers' ward. With Duke Arnoul of Haute-Bourgogne's claim on my throne. With Éléonore's attempt to ransom herself out of imprisonment.
Nearly all my enemies making their move. This invites retribution, and I have one perfect way to show them.
After a few months of preparation, I declare war on Pope Silvester IV, with the intent to claim the entirety of the Latium. For Christmas, the perfect moment to deliver that declaration, as it holds both the clear spiritual value as well as the temporal one as being the date of Charlemagne's coronation as Emperor of Francia.
It shall signal both my supremacy over the Papal Church as well as Francia's conquest of Rome.
Frédéric is responsible for initial forays, and the Papal army devastates Toscane (Tuscany) in retaliation, leaving my men with time to set up my forces north of the Po.
In a kind of holy war against the Pope, only the Alsatian mercenaries were willing to join my forces, with the late Herbert's Adamite company both dissolving and certainly unwilling to support me. Adding to that the Order of the Sceptre, and I have around 20.500 men on my side, split into three armies under the command of Lothaire, myself, and Hélie of Provence.
Silvester has bolstered his numbers with plenty of hardened mercenaries, Frédéric reporting that he has around 26.500 soldiers.
This won't be easy, but confidence is high.
Especially as the rats within the kingdom are starting to turn on each other. I've had a solution to Duke Arnoul's audacity in the works, but Wolfram, former co-conspirator of his as Duke of Styrie, semi-voluntarily ratted him out as an adulterer.
A shame. Now what might the realm say if it became public knowledge? Hm?
A reason for imprisonment, you say? Now, what might Arnoul say to that...
Oh, he no longer wants to sit on my rightful throne? And he's willing to supply more levies to the Crown?
What a welcome surprise.
Arnoul dealt with, the Papal army arrives to besiege Vérone. The scouts report that their supply is running low. Hélie thus advocates to relieve the besieged. A bold move.
But while the Duke's body is frail and he'd likely bleed out at the smallest wound – he's got a sound strategic mind, and his mere presence on the battlefield is enough to inspire the men, especially against Papists.
We engage, Hélie's army first, while Lothaire and myself attempt to fall into Silvester's army's flanks.
At the end of the day, we've achieved a great victory. The Papists retreat to Toscane, and their order commander has fallen into my hands.
It is the same man who is responsible for my husband's death.
What better signal can I send than to burn him at the stake? Revenge for Dieter and a jab at the Catholic method for heretics at the same time.
A perfect day.
The Pope splits his still formidable army in half, but we achieve another great victory two months later in Sienne.
With the numbers less heavily in Silvester's favour, the next battle near Sienne is similar in many ways, only bloodier. But the Pope's mercenary force seems broken now.
At a good time, as I've lost Hélie in the fray. It is said that once the Papists began to rout, my loyal duke and best commander simply dropped out of the saddle, dead. A great loss, the man who likely won me Rome.
The 16th December 1128, I lead my men into the Eternal City. Silvester and his cardinals have hastily grabbed as much as their men and beasts could carry before the Romans threw them out, surrendering the city to my siege. The Pope grudgingly surrendered, announcing the return of the Righteous and the Lord's Fury upon me.
Let him rage. Rome is mine.
A perfect time for a celebratory feast. In my good mood, I even bring Duchess Éléonore to the table, certainly not just to rub in the fact that Catholicism has lost Rome.
Unimpressed, she demands a guaranteed place for the Tyrolian Dukes on the Burgundian council.
Similarly unimpressed, I have her thrown in the oubliette. May she demand whatever she wants down there, perhaps the rats will listen.
Hodierne of Vérone on the other hand starts looking at me like a puppy. A lovestruck puppy. I hastily excuse myself...
Reason enough for her to come to blows with Count Amaury of Cambray... her brother.
*sigh*
All too aware of sibling squabbles myself, I have the count thrown out.
Hodierne must have gotten the message, anyway.
I also have ordered the servants to always keep anything before Arnoul well-filled, and the fat traitor happily indulges. And indulges. And indulges. With nothing restraining him, he devours more than I could in a week... and that's even too much for him, as he keels over. Good riddance.
Frédéric looks upon the feast in disgust, but compliments me on my recent successful schemes. Rome, my enemies... everything seemed to work out, only thanks to my stellar intellect.
Why thank you. It is nice to get some recognition, at least.
The peasantry and townsfolk of Rome might have surrendered to my siege, but as soon as the army is gone, the rebellious sentiment wins over plenty of people.
The rural folk rise up in open revolt, led by a man named Cosimo, soon enough. I assemble the men from south of the Alps, and have the full intent to crush that rebellion myself.
But as we reach the Eternal City, the gates are barred. The citizens have opened the gates, many of them joining Cosimo's side. The Roman mob is marching on Tivoli, chanting that they will throw out “the oppressive French witch”.
I shall have their heads.
We engage the mob close to Tivoli. And there are far more than I expected. The mob's numbers are comparable to Silvester's army, while I only have a third of them, with few of them hardened soldiers.
Wave after wave, the mob crashes into my line. My knights and guard fight valiantly, but we are getting overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
They ask me to retreat. No, I won't! Never!
Then, my resolve hardens even more as something breaks in me. My son's banner – it goes down. Filthy peasants swing around Glocestre's blood-spattered banner like a trophy. The footmen abandon the field.
We should retreat! The faces of my men, every fibre of my being screams that. But my head doesn't. My heart, neither. My pride is fuelled by an all-consuming desire for vengeance.
More banners fall, wounded nobles flee. The mob crashes against my royal guardsmen's shields. But we shall hold. We shall not give up! We shall..
*thwack*
“The Queen is hit! Retreat! Protect the Queen!”
*******************
For all those who hoped for a defeat against the Pope – it was quite likely. The last time I took on the Pope with a realm of comparable strength to Bourgogne, I had to empty my treasury and return with a second wave of mercenaries... Here, the excellent leadership carried the day.
Then comes the battle of Tivoli...
Still, I will probably have to think of a new goal once Adelaida's reign is over. Dynastic continuacy is far more present in CK III than in two, where I would have a few more Raynaud-like reigns already.
