Louis roars,

War! At last, at long, long last! All hail the King and praise his victory! William will be repaid for his treachery and his heathen heart!

At his gesture a number of pages depart the Council chamber on sundry preassigned tasks. Louis then raises a toast to his father.

Bordeaux will be under siege shortly. Valencia should fall as soon as Sir de Xaintrailles can reach the walls. Pamplona will have to wait a few seasons, but the English will find no shelter there in the long term. They will be expelled, and this will once more be the kingdom of the Franks, whole under her King, Phillipe the Lion!

I find myself surprised that William would not pay ransom... can it be that he has emptied his coffers to make war on the Scots? Or was it that his vassal's own ambition had been unleashed and Harold acted outside his master's orders? Ever do a traitor's own look to betray him.

I hope I have made it clear that I mean to repel the Moorish invasion of our lands, no matter what excuse it hides under. With that in mind I want to make my training requests in public, so that the Seneschal may deny them in public as well rather than attempt to backroom them away in some obscure political wrangling.

I ask that militia be trained at Marseilles and Zaragosa, the the cavalry at Toulouse be retrained, and that some archers be commissioned at Toulouse to hold the castle while I take the mounted men out against the Moors. In the immediate future House Aquitaine will likely see the heaviest fighting, do not short my men because of our disagreement.

With a sneer of faint disgust Louis continues,

Wine is never really the problem, the problem is those who cannot hold it. Set aside mere drink and instead let the blood of our enemies refresh your cup now Duke de Champagne! War calls!