Conseil du Royaume

[woad&fangs]

Bertin laughs at Hermant's words.

Antwerp!? A military centre?! Antwerp is a merchant town. It's residents are too soft and flabby to amount to anything in the field. I'll fight alongside the peasants of Metz a thousand times before I trust my life to some "knight" of Antwerp.

[OverKnight]

Hugues claps Bertin on the shoulder.

Now Baron, the Order must make do with what they have been given, as must we all.

Hugues looks about the chamber.

So, no questions for the Candidates? I'm a bit surprised. I would've thought someone would have raised the topic of a Moorish Crusade again. That was quite popular during the last session.

Or perhaps the topic of the stubborn Scots and their refusal of an alliance, "What's to be done about them?" I can imagine someone asking. And maybe they would have a clever follow up like, "And if we are to deal diplomatically with les Anglais, should we still push for an alliance that may drag us into war with them?"

But actually a question has been asked of one of the Candidates. It was just earlier before his Majesty decided to run.

May I suggest that chevalier Yvon be permitted some degree of forgiveness by his majesty for that last statement, because he does not, as put so aptly, know the specifics of this deal, concluded through most skilled and artful negotiation of the respectve crowns. Indeed, I do not. Does anyone share the confidence of his majesty as to what details are contained in this deal? Is our next diplomat merely delivering papers to be signed by your cousin or is there more to it than that?

. . .But I stray too far from my question. What specifically must happen in order for this deal to be struck with your cousin, sire?

Thomas walked around it a bit, I must admit, but it is a valid question.

Hugues turns to the King.

Your Majesty, what specifically, in lands, money and political agreements, will you offer England for Caen and Angers in Edict 2.4?

Your Majesty seems to have specifics in mind, since you were quite wroth at Duc Alain for not meeting your requirements.

Edit: I suppose I should restate my own answer to this one.

Also, if elected Seneschal, I would cede all diplomatic negotiations with the Anglais to the King. His Majesy knows them better than I. This way we would avoid. . .um. . .any misunderstandings.

If I knew what exactly the King would offer, I might place an upward limit, if the Conseil thought it wise, on what his Majesty could add as a sweetener if the English prove, once again, obstinate.

Oh, Reeves has posted an updated list of Legislation.

[OverKnight]

Hugues speaks again.

Ah. . .I've already stated my opposition to Amendment 2.1, so I'll propose this instead:

Edict 2.6: If Caen, Angers or Bordeaux are acquired during this term they shall be considered ratified and an integral part of the Realm.

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

So, no questions for the Candidates? I'm a bit surprised. I would've thought someone would have raised the topic of a Moorish Crusade again. That was quite popular during the last session.

The Moorish crusade has not been forgotten, fear not for that. But The War with the Germans surely takes precedent. This is not the best time for any house to be sending there strength abroad. Sadly we must worry about ourselves for now, and only after we are secure may we turn our eye to help the good Christians of Spain.

However I do have a question for you Good Duc, How do you plan on promoting better communication between the various houses and commanders?

[econ21]

I apologise, Duc Alain. When I spoke of a Seneschal offering an alliance, I thought we were debating the future course of France, not contemplating the past.

[AussieGiant]

"Indeed Ser Hermant, I was referring to ze Kings comments regarding my time in office.

'e spoke in ze past tense if you examine 'is comments closely.

I was instructed to do somezing zat I regarded as arbitrary and wiz out first consulting zis council.

As you say good ser, it is an intriguing constitutional question no?"

Alain sits slowly, making sure to hold Hermant's gaze in earnest inquiry.

[econ21]

Hermant rises:

Duc Alain, I see you are sincere in your inquiry. I confess I am no constitutional expert, as my misunderstanding over Antwerp has proven. Quickly scrutinising our Charter, I can find no mention of alliances at all - although an ammendment was passed forbidding diplomatic exchanges with Mohammadans. Currently, therefore, alliances with non-Mohammadans seem to fall within the discretion of the Seneschal although future edicts and proclamations may constrain him. By contrast, declarations of war are prohibited except when authorised in advance or when made by the King. I suppose the question is, would we prefer the default position of the Seneschal with respect to alliances to be one of freedom (as is the case now) or of prohibition (as in the case with war)? However, in either case, if the King has the right to make the extreme step of declaring war, I would imagine he would also be empowered to take the surely lesser step of forming an alliance.

[OverKnight]

Hugues stands with a prepared speech.

If the King quotes me, it is only fair that I quote his Majesty.

10 seasons ago the King addressed the Conseil concerning the English and war:

I know what all of you want to hear : that we are going to wage war et bouter l'anglais hors de France.

But that will have to wait. Our treasury has suffered from all these years of war and the costs of another war woudl ruin us. In that spirit, only last year, I concluded a trade agreement with my cousin William which acts as a sort of truce between us.

France is in shambles, our cities stink, our peasants are famished, bands of marauders scour the land... All this must stop...

I will not suffer the peasantry of France to die while her nobles go fight for glory, plunder and pleasure abroad, be it to bring back into the fold provinces that rightfully should belong to my crown. . .

Four seasons later, we were at war, declared by the King, not against the English, but the Germans. I guess we were ready for a war with the Empire, but not England. The King also said:

I will leave la gouvernance du Royaume entre vos mains in the years to come.

Would leaving the governing of the realm in the hands of others include declaring war against the Empire? Trying to cajole and then threaten the standing Seneschal into making an alliance with our sworn enemy? Or pressuring him into taking Caernarvon and Dublin, only to cast him aside when he failed to do exactly what his Majesty demanded of him? Why weren't any of these matters brought to the Conseil when it was in Session or after?

As to the question of my deal with my cousin Guillaume, I prefer to keep the specifics secret for now and until the Senechal is chosen. Diplomacy is a very sensible matter and telling too much too early may well cause it to fail.

Let us simply say that I specifically had asked the previous Senechal to propose an alliance to my cousin Guillaume as a gesture of goodwill before proposing to make an exchange of our lands, something which the Senechal admittedly didn't do. It remains to determine if that was his fault for not conveying the information to the diplomat he sent or a blunder of the diplomat. Whatever the cause, I consider that the fault is to be laid at the Senechal's feet.

Having failed to govern the realm through an unwilling proxy and behind the back of the Conseil, the cycle begins again, yet this time dispensing with the proxy. We have an edict, 2.4, authorizing negotiations, but no specifics, no mention of an Alliance. In fact I doubt the King would even give us these crumbs without prodding. The Conseil has not been consulted on an offer of an Alliance. We have not been given the exact terms for the negotiations. Nor have we been asked about whether an Alliance with England, our old enemy, is wanted or advisable.

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

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. . .

This election is about whether this Conseil is simply a rubber stamp or not. And if the Seneschal, the elected represenative of the Conseil, is only a Clerk or not. Are the Nobles of France to have any say in the affairs of the Kingdom? Do you want an independent Seneschal, or not one at all?

I ask for your vote, I ask for the Conseil to stand up for its rights, I ask you to take what is yours.

I also propose:

Edict 2.9: An alliance with England is authorized.

and

Edict 2.10: An alliance with England shall not be authorized, negotiated or accepted.

Our voice will be heard.