The King raises his hand, abruptly stopping all debate around the chamber, as all eyes turn towards the dais.

Mes Seigneurs,

The land has been granted but it has not yet been ratified by the Conseil. So if this Conseil doesn't see fit to ratify it, I'm afraid the Order will be deprived of its land.

Moreover, the land not being officially part of the Royaume pending its annexation cannot be considered a valid enough basis to run for the position of Senechal.

It is not that I do not trust Sieur de Neufville to make a good job of it but I fear that founding his term as Senechal on such unstable foundations would sap his authority and credibility, something which I could not condone.

The position must be one of respect and authority, subject only to the greater authority of the King.

Duc Hugues, I congratulate you on your candidacy.

It seems you will compete against me then in the upcoming election ?

For I will run for the position of Senechal myself.

Some time ago, a very wise remark was made by the Duc de Lorraine, from whom I quote :

Quote Originally Posted by OverKnight View Post
With respect, mon Roi, the only Seneschal whose performance would be completely satisfactory to your Majesty, would be, well, your Majesty.
Though that sounds like a truism, I cannot deny that it is full of good sense.

I have convened this body to help in the governance of the Royaume and to elect a man to second me and deal with the day to day burden of administering France.

I do not think that this has been an error, not yet but I should not impose such a burden on men not as well prepared as us Kings and Princes to deal with it. I had not planned for the Senechal to lead the country in times of war... I hadn't even planned to go to war... It has been forced upon us through the treachery of an unknown party and our duty to defend the Holy Father from his German agressors.

I should have convened an emergency session of the Conseil as the war started but I feared words would be less useful than actions and so prefered to ride against our assaillants, knowing that you would prove to France's enemies how strong its knights and soldiers could be when under attack.

But now, it is time for me to face my responsibilities as your sovereign and make every effort to stabilize the situation.
Hence, I will strive to bring peace to our Eastern border and will finalize the deal with William that will reunite Bretagne with the rest of the Royaume, bringing to an end its almost insular isolation. My own involvement as Senechal in negociating these treaties should add some weight and credibility to the negotiating table.

Should our German "brothers in God", for I dare not call them enemies wish to pursue their campaigns against us, they will find us resolute and prepared. Troops will be recruited to help defend our territory and if our coffers' fullness allow, I intend to make improvements to our provinces, mainly by specializing them. I intend notably to establish a second recruitment center in the North and make Bruges the leading trading center of France.

For all of this is my responsibility.

I hope you will give me your confidence in the coming term to lead us to the greater glory that Franks merit.