Conseil du Royaume

[OverKnight]

Hugues is handed a report and stands to speak.

My King and the Nobles of the Realm, I have word from Herve de Savoie, the diplomat now handling negotiations with the English.

There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that without an alliance, the English will not swap Angers and Caen for Valencia, Wales and a massive amount of florins.

The good news is that they might still be willing to deal. Herve assures me that he could obtain Caen for Valencia, Wales and around two thousand Florins. Granted this is steep, but it is a better deal than Severin de Brie could have made.

We wouldn't get all that we wanted, but we would gain a connection to Bretagne, be rid of that task from the Pope with no penalty and gain a formidable castle.

Before negotiations proceed any further, what are the thoughts of the King and the Conseil? Should we pursue this deal?

[_Tristan_]

Duc Hugues, this is good news...

But as I feared my cousin Guillaume has raised the price... If only that deal had been sealed in due time, we would not be giving two of our provinces for one of Guillaume.

But at least it will cast a land bridge to Bretagne, my goal from the beginning and the reason why I was pushing for obtaining both Caen and Angers.

[OverKnight]

Hugues bows to the King.

With respect your Majesty, no amount of land is worth being yoked with an English alliance. Does the Lion lay down with the Lamb?

But this is an old argument, no? We must focus on the future.

[Ramses II CP]

"Bah! The English are at war with the Scots again, now is the time for us to prepare our own strike! All have respected the King's truce so that France could regain her feet, but we've found our footing now and in just a few short seasons we could have Pamplona, Bordeaux, Anger, and Caen all!

I am sorry mon Roi, but this talk of paying William for lands that are rightfully ours is distasteful to me. We should seek peace with the Germans, they are a beaten people and their remaining lands are far from France, and with that secured we should turn on the English and repay them for their years of occupying our lands!

The English are ripe for the plucking. Give us our head at long last my father, let your nobles have the war they have sought and prayed for and we will return France to her rightful state in your name!

I want to beggar the English peasants, drive their widows weeping into the streets, and set dogs on their fleeing soldiers! I want William's sons to come pleading with us for a truce from across the channel! Let us put aside diplomacy and have back what is OURS! Surely God brought war to the English because he favors our just cause?

What say you men of the Council? Do you want to buy back our castles and enrich our enemy or take them back as they were taken from us?"

The Prince's eyes are alight with joy as he speaks, and he ends with his fist raised in the air as his voices carries through the chamber.

[Ituralde]

While I don't like giving money and land to the English I think the Pope has made it clear what God thinks of the bloodshed between Christian nations. We have already been on the verge of excommunication once and are now slowly rebuilding our relations with the Holy Sea. Another war against the English would again cast us in a bad light.

[OverKnight]

Hugues responds.

We would have to seize what we could in one season Dauphin, for the English are well liked by the Pope, more than us at least. We would again be threatened with Excommunication if we continued our attack past that first season.

It will take time to sway the Pope to our side. It will also take time to make peace with the Germans, so far they have been intractable and we cannot press them further until they are excommunicated.

I would love to drive the English dogs into the sea, but. . .there are obstacles.

Edit: Sometimes I wish were Orthodox like the Greeks, so we wouldn't. . .never mind.

[Ramses II CP]

On hearing the Pope's potential objection mentioned some of the light fades in the Prince's gaze,

Yes, the Pope's favor may be expensive to purchase, but at least if we pay him we are not funding our future enemy. Obviously we will not attack this year, but let's not pay William to conquer the Scots either. If his invasion of Scotland fails perhaps he will be more amenable to a fair deal for the return of our lands. I do strongly object to offering the Bastard our hard earned money at this time.

[Braden]

Prince Henri, who has been sitting near the back of the council, stands, arm raised for quiet

Council members,

I too feel the same as my brother here. I find myself, disagreeably, in opposition to my Roi here.

No lands or money to the English bstards. It is our people who have fought and died for such coin and holdings, let the English be pushed from the continent. I will be willing to join my brother in this worthy task indeed.

Send them to the ocean. Then and only then will I accept treaties with these people, when they are in their own lands and not ours!

I do not however believe the Germans finally beaten. They will return but I feel we are now in a position to deal with this and still have enough brave men to oust the English finally from our lands.

If someone as cautious as I, has such confidence, what is preventing us from acting upon it?

[Braden]

Duc,

I see the political issues at hand. However, much is possible still within these confines.

Peace with the Germans is not yet obtained and I feel it will not come…formally that is. However, their ability to physically challenge us has gone. They find war on two fronts and I am confident we can destroy and repel any incursions they put against us.

As for relations with the Pope. Does not inaction against heretics and Muslims increase the Holy Fathers anger? Would action against the heretics in Iberia increase our standing with the Holy Father so that we will be in better favour to carry out a campaign against the English?

[OverKnight]

Hugues turns to Henri.

Young Prince, for now the Germans seem subdued, but events (OOC: ) can intervene. Their allies, the Poles, could come to their aid. Or another oppurtunistic power could join the fray.

We are to low, currently, in the eyes of the Pope to call for a Crusade. I don't know if a conventional war with the Moors would aid us with the Holy Father.

As Seneschal, I must do my best to enforce the Edicts passed by this body. An exchange of land is called for, a war is not. A Crusade is not.

[Braden]

Duc,

I understand your restrictions. I am also bound by the edicts of the council but I cannot help wondering if a conventional war on the Moors would aid us.

Still, I am young. Perhaps my hatred for the English is too much for now.

[_Tristan_]

Philippe raises his scepter, bringing quiet to the Conseil.

My sons, you know me... Do you truly think I relish having English soldiers tread on soil that is rightfully ours ? Do you truly think I enjoy having to lower myself to haggle with them for the return of our rightful possesions ?

Nevertheless, my sons, I think your reasoning is faulty... But such is the enthusiasm of youth... I hear only of expenses with regards to buying our possessions back from Guillaume when I should hear about the savings...

Caen is a well-developed castle, with a port whereas Caernarvon is only a step better than a stone cave when it comes to defending and Valencia is so wrought with heathens that the Holy Father has deemed necessary to ask us to have a church built there... So I ask of you : what are those two castles but money-sinks ?

Did we acquire them at great price ? No, and thanks to the valour of our men and our generals, both came at the cost of few of our countrymen's lives.

Lastly, Caen should be the perfect staging ground should we ever decide to launch an assault on Albion.

That would be serving that bastard Guillaume some of his own medicine... Fitting, don't you think ?

So if we run a comparison, are we better off with Caen even if we have to pay florins to have it or are we better off without it ?