Conseil du Royaume

[Ramses II CP]

Hearing the King speak to de Perrone so Louis raises an eyebrow,

Mon Roi I must protest, Christophe de Perrone has fought admirably under my command on several occassions. The only reason he has not taken a command himself is that I have not asked it of him. At Valencia he helped me drag down the mighty general El Cid, and though I do not doubt the courage of the men you mention I do say none of them has faced a foe so renowned as that Spanish rebel.

If my Hawk is vocal in his displeasure over bartering with the English this does him no discredit in my eyes. We know they will play us false in the full course of events. Do any here doubt that war is inevitable?

That being the accepted truth before God the matter becomes a simple question of whether the war begins on William's terms or our own. Right now he is engaged in foolishness to his north with the Scots, even as we are engaged to the east, for the moment. I say we could reclaim all our lands before he turned his war machine back to us, forcing him to fight his way across the Channel.

How can any red blooded Frenchman deny a desire to win back our provinces in battle rather than buying them over the table?