Conseil du Royaume

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

The next issue is the Milanese. I too have heard reports of at least one army, small this is true, near our Mediterranean coast. They are certainly no direct military threat as they are small but they can stop trade, affecting the states income, and if they do have aggressive intent they are more than capable of besieging one of our cities and potentially starving it out before aid arrives.

Should we strike at such an army though, even if they are in our own territory…would we…AGAIN…be verbally assaulted by the Papacy for striking at our Catholic neighbours?

Personally, I would see a small force sent to destroy these incursions where-ever they occur but perhaps just a significantly superior force needs to chaperone these forces away from our provinces?

Of course, it would also be more advantageous to attack these formations as the Milanese are rich and could pay ransom for their wandering men but I still am perplexed by the Popes responses to us of late.

Ad the baron of Marseilles I would like nothing more to see the Italians sent running back to there homes, and for us to follow through and take the wealth of Italy. However, sadly we do not have the resources in place to start and finish such a campaign, and if current trends hold we will not have it for a long time yet. This war worth the Germans bleeds us dry, and we can not afford to turn our eye elsewhere, for without our constant harassment they might be able to gather together and push our forces back. It is for a similar reason we must be wary of any crusades we seek to call, for if we move forces from the east front I believe we will soon find our gains thus far gone. But I believe I may be off topic.... I was talking of the Milanese not the Germans. If they continue to loiter around our land I assure you they shall find myself marching against them soon enough, whether we have proper forces in place or not!