PDA

View Full Version : England: The annals of Power



Rayaleh
12-23-2004, 23:42
I awoke this morning, before the first glow of that magnificient orb we call the Sun, and I contemplated atop the highest peak of my castle how blessed by the Mighty Lord I am. My name is William the Second, KING William the Second of the great land of England, my family has for the past few decades shed many a-sweat, many a-tear, and many drops of blood have tainted the ground. But the objective set by our forefathers, and their forefathers, and their forefathers before them has been achieved, we now control much of the English Isle. The province of Northumbria whose men wield enormous axes both to survive and prosper, and to fight for this might nation of ours lies within our borders, that of Mercia mighty wielders swordsmen and spearmen who with their weapons can give contribute to this great nation of ours and swiftly cut down our ennemies lies within our borders. Wessex, my capital, the jewel of the England, produces mighty boats that will transport both our products to our allies and our armies to our ennemies, is a bustling center of commerce, traders from as far a land as Abbyssinia come to me to ask for a trade treaty. South of the sea, hardly earned is the province of Normandy, that of Anjou, and that of Aquitaine whose horses both work the land and carry our men to swift victories to those who would oppose me.

It is the Lord's year of 1087, and I, William of the English, control those lands as my father and his father have, but I will bring an end to this era of complacency we have lived on. As a wise man once said "Men turn inward to fight, when outward there is peace", I will this wise word and lead my men to victory never seen in England, not even seen in the distant Roman Empire and victories that will NEVER be seen again. I will make England the capital of the world, but unlike the Romans, I will make sure I keep it the capital of the known world, and so will my heir, and his heir, and his heir's heir...and so on.

I have a ten thousand florins surplus in my coffers, with words by my representative in Rome that the Pope sends me another thousand, and it should be here sometime the next year. The estimated profit from all my provinces for next year will be slightly over a thousand florins, I trust this amount to be true as my financial adviser has proven his loyalty to me countless times. I will invest most of this year's spending in agricultural reforms, not only will the commons adore me, but it will be a long term good investment as more people will prosper and thus live, and that means more arms in my armies. But I will have to build forts in Mercia because of the Rebels in Wales, Northumbria because of those pesky Scots, Normandy for it is flanked by Flanders and Britanny controlled by the French, but not for long...In Aquitaine I will also invest in the agriculture, but first watchtowers must be built, and in Wessex the same is true.


I have trust that nothing will happen this year, for Aquitaine is governed by Lord Roos a fine choice for he will stimulate the province's economy, but I fear that he has not yet experienced battle and will not know how to act in one...I will have to search for a good Marshall for my forces there. The same is true for Lord Holland in Anjou, and Lord Longchamp in Northumbria, I am still looking for a good steward to oversee affairs in Normandy and Mercia. I will also have to send a messenger to the army in Wales, I do not wish to wipe them out, for their longbowmen would be of much help in my push south into Flanders and then the other provinces of the French. The land is also fertile, and their archers would be a fine addition to my army, yes indeed, I would not mind spending a coin or two for that province and its men.

The year is almost over, I wonder how the next one will be. May the Lord Allmighty bless me, and bless the English, for I am convinced our destinies is to control the known world, and explore the unexplored territory.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It is now 1093, all has progressed according to plan, except for the pope's gold which has arrived a few years later than expected, I had to recall my emissary to Rome, I tolerate error as we are but humans, but incompetence that I will never put up with. My financial adviser is definately a godsend, I do not know how but he managed to insure that there would be a profit even with all the spending I have done soon, I will have to reward him somehow but not yet, it is always a bad move to reward too much, men get airs and lose their usefullness. The men of Wales seem to be reasonable, although their loyalty leaves to be desired, my emissary to them has managed to insure their service for a mere 2006 florins, their men will complement my armies. Emissaries from all over Europe, and even from far-off North Africa from the Moslems come to me, and ask to be my allies, they notice that we are growing into a mighty nation, but what they do not know is that England will grow into a storm, that from history and the world map will erase them.


I continue the buildup of my armies, in Aquitaine, Sir Robin Uthred will lead his armies east into Toulouse and Sir Harry Eadwulf his north into Britanny, complemented by a few regiments that will come west from Normandy. In Anjou, Lord Holland builds up the province's defense to insure that the French will think twice before they think about attacking, in Normandy I will call the men from their homes and train them so that they support the English force invading Britanny and those that

will protect Anjou. My heirs have come to age a short while ago, and they seem to understand military matters, but it takes something other than that to be a good King. I will send them south each with their own army, hopefully they will learn about the intricacies of ruling by managing their men, or they will die in the field of battle in which case I will have another child who will be my heir...or adopt one.
- - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It is now the year 1095, I feel my end approaching, but I do not fear that the plans that I have been laid will be thrown aside. My sons, especially William my heir, have become leaders of men, and tenders of land. And I feel ready to make the move, William is in Aquitaine to lead our armies north into Brittany, Edmund from Wessex will lead my forces into battle against Flanders. All is ready, the first stage of our plans have been set, now I will implement th.....








Any comments/advice or whatever will be appreciated :D

Rayaleh
12-24-2004, 11:31
As I sit in this four-horse carriage, protected from all sides by my faithful men, I thank the Lord for giving me what he has denied to those less worthy. My name is King William the Third of England, THe mighty England, my father was William the Second, he has started the task that I must not accomplish, and that the generations of heirs that follow me will have to complete, to conquer the entire known world in the name of England. During his lifetime, my father made sure that our men were among the best soldiers in the world, that our fields and farms produce enough foods to nourish our armies oversees, and our fleets will be the terror of those who would oppose us bringing our men to their doorsteps. It is now the Lord's year of 1104, I control the lands that but a mere five years ago belonged to the French, unfortunately my father did not live long enough to see England finally vainquish her long-time foe. In less than five years, I captured Aquitaine, my generals also made short work of Flanders, Ile-De-France and Toulouse (Although the battle there was hard-fought, unfortunately I lost Sir Uthred.

Power has been thrust onto me at the mere age of 23, for the past seven years I have overcome hardships after hardships. From that bastard of a Pope excommunicating our family, to the French, although the latter have been much easier than anticipated. In Aquitaine I suffered 98 losses and they well over five hundred, in Flanders my brother led a force of eight-hundred against one of thirteen-hundred, and lost but a fourth of his forces wherein the French suffered somewhere around a thousand. Ile-de-France was captured by Lord Holland's men, and the French King fled to Champagne, but two years later I came with my forces, and in less than two years, the french were crushed. Their holdings are mine, their lands are mine, their men and women and children are mine, to do with as I please, but I will not waste them on frivolous affairs, I will use them to conquer the world, but I will make them better in return for their absolute loyalty. I am now considering whether or not I should let Lord Longchamp invate Scotland or to send an emissary, although the coffers are slightly tight for the moment, an army might be more profitable to insure loyalty...I will have to consult my advisers about this matter.

I will now reform my armies, for a threat looms southward of Toulouse and Aquitaine, the Moslem, especially the Almohads, are conquering the Iberian Peninsula and their forces are of the latest stock. Wales will furnish me with those longbowmen, and those crossbowmen I hear they are useful against armoured men, Mercia and Northumbria will give my infantry, Toulouse and Aquitaine my cavalries and Champagne my logistics regiments, Wessex will be where my fleets both the traders and the transports of men will be built. All is ready, but I must not forget about the Holy Roman Empire, as they so eloquently dub themselves, and there is the matter of the Pope, perhaps an assassin sent to him would greatly help in that matter, and if not an investment in the nation's churches should seal the affair until the old fool dies.

My father's financial adviser is as he so often said, a godsend, but I must not rely on him too much he is becoming old, and although he still possesses most of his faculties, the Lord only knows for how long. Yes, the winter solstice approaches, and with that the end of this year, only the Lord knows what the next one holds for me and my ennemies...but I might very well help him make that decision.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It is now the Lord's year of 1131, and we are finally ready to strike against the Iberian Peninsula, the Spaniards have resisted so far the Almohads' push north into the Iberian Peninsula, but those whores' sons have dared declare a crusade against me. ME! I stood by them against the Almohads, my forces were the only thing that deterred the Almohads from crushing Spain, for I needed them as a buffer...but their usefulness is long gone, my sons and my brothers are ready to strike into their heartland. My fleets have wiped out all ships that flew the Spanish flags, and they can in a matter of year cover a territory that by land would have taken up to three years, they also bring me revenue from far-off lands. My men are complimented by select units of mercenaries, mostly mounted archers, I hear the people of the East use these regiments to great effect. My brother Edmund will face the Spaniard King in Aragon, and Alfred will lead my sons Henry and Stephen and theirs armies to strike into their most profitable province, Castille.

At the age of 57, I have now accomplished more than my father has ever done, and I hope that my heirs will outdo me in the name of England. I have unified the English Isles, and I will soon take control of Ireland, the lands that belonged to the French are mine, and soon the entire Iberian Peninsula will be added to England.

My coffers hold more gold than my father's or his father's ever did, England will soon become the strongest land in the known world, and the reforms I have done to all my provinces, especially those that provide me with men (Mercia, Wessex, Wales, Northumbria, Aquitaine as well as Toulouse) will greatly help that.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It is now the Lord's year of 1143, and I am now a 69 year old man, a king of brave men, and the steward of a might land. England is that land, for the past fifty years or so my kingdom has grown in power. I have crushed the French in a matter of years, in less than five the Spaniards and the Aragonese have been wiped out from history by my forces, and for the past two years the Almohads' presence in the Iberian Peninsula has been erased, and word just came from far-off Morocco that my crusader army has just taken control of that province from the Infidel's hands. My empire now stretches north to Scotland, east to Champagne, and south all the way to Morocco, and it will grow without me since I will no doubt be dead before the end of this year. England is the richest land in the world, we most likely hold more territory than any other nation, our forces are the best trained and largest, my fleets the strongest in the sea, my traders the most cunning, my diplomats the most influencable. All come to me from far off lands to my courts to ask for my ear and my aid.

I, William the Third of England, have been the strongest ruler in England to date, and my sons will in turn outgrow me, but for now I must entrust the mantle of leadership onto my brother Edmund the Third in Castille. All the plans that have been laid will be exucuted, by my heirs, all is as was planned...
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________

Ludens
01-05-2005, 15:07
Good story, Rayaleh. The "King's diary" element makes it interesting, and you do not get bogged down in unnecessary details much. I hope there will be more.

But it this a story or a PBM? Because in the first case this is the wrong forum. Stories go to the Mead Hall, PBM's to the Throne Room.