Conseil du Royaume

**Ramses II CP** · 10-07-2009, 14:52

Prince Louis offers the Duke de Champagne a broad grin with lots of teeth,

Good, good! You've some spine in you to stand up for yourself! That's better than creeping about cutting me off from behind. We're not back to a place where we need a duel yet, at least not by my account, but I am glad I've answered the insults you levied against me over riding to the walls of Bordeaux.

My Duchy faces nothing it can't handle, even if you should find a way to have us attacked from a fourth side. We alone border all of France's current enemies, though the Germans at least haven't made an attempt to invade Aquitaine. We alone have dedicated recruits from our castle to the armies of other Houses, and promised further. It is not whining to point out that we've fought hard and lost many soldiers while supporting our neighbors at the same time.

Still, it was one of my own who pointed out to me that I proclaimed Aquitaine would need no more mercenaries for the English war. I spoke in error here last season and I renounce my request for mercenaries, which is the one you failed to meet due to some excuse or the other. The men we can train will be sufficient. To that end I humbly petition the King to assign Bordeaux to House Aquitaine without delay, so that training and construction can begin there in service and support of the whole Kingdom.

I will not move that you be impeached Seneschal de Champagne. France has prospered under your hands, though I may question the methods, and that carries more weight in my heart than our dispute.

I have made my opinion on the Crusade clear, but I will repeat it for emphasis; The infidels deserve a crusade. The English are nearly cast out of France, crusading to punish William may be fruitless and unecessary. Surely the loss of so much in exchange for his rash act at Edinburgh is punishment enough? All the same, where Mon Roi leads Aquitaine follows, as it should be with all Frankish Houses.

Louis looks hard at Simon de Montpierre before returning to his seat.

**_Tristan_** · 10-07-2009, 15:19

My son, I've heard your plea that your House be granted Bordeaux. In the light of Edict E1.5, men of your house have already acquired Bordeaux and Valencia and are poised to take Pamplona from the English.

So granting you Bordeaux today would prevent you from laying claim to any other land reclaimed from Guillaume's hands. Is that your wish ?

I prefer we wait until the term ends before any land allotment from the Demesne is made. But if you have any request as to recruitment in Bordeaux, make it known to me and I'll be sure to include them in my requests to the Senechal (OOC: update my SOT accordingly).

As to you, Sieur Montpierre, the Order knights have served me faithfully these past years. For that, I thank them, but I fear that your ideals of chivalry and your dreams of glory have befuddled you. The Crusade of Edict E1.3 was to be a guarantee that our war waged on a Christian Kingdom was waged according to God's will and not against it.

Now, our success against Guillaume's men at Bordeaux, Valencia or even here on English soil are omens that God looks after us in this endeavour. So why do we need the sanction of a Crusade when God is already marching beside us ?

But we may need a Crusader zeal to march down from these northern wastes to the heathen South, under the Cross, extending the reach of God's Word upon the face of the Earth... That would be a true Crusader aim, don't you think ?

As soon as Guillaume is defeated and I hope to see his kingdom reconciled with his death, I will take the Cross and march on whatever Moorish city his Holiness will see fit to assign to us as our pious goal. I encourage any and all of you with sufficient men under your command to join me on this most Holy of missions.

Let's put behind us Edict E1.3 and make use of Edict E1.8 as soon as Angers falls.

**Ituralde** · 10-07-2009, 16:29

I had merely hoped we could use this opportunity to solve two problems at once. We have two Edicts, both calling for Crusades, for Crusaders to defeat King William and for Crusaders to march against the Moors. If we put it to the Pope accordingly he may grant us our wish now and have us travel as Crusaders towards the Moorish heartland after bringing punishment to William. We are poised to strike either way. This is only a suggestion to at least keep the spirit of Edict E1.3 if we can't keep to the words due to the changed circumstances.

Whatever the decision I will proudly follow your Majesty where he leads.

**Ramses II CP** · 10-07-2009, 16:31

Pamplona and Valencia, as I understand it, would not be ratified at this time and must remain in the King's domain until a Council session anyway. At that next Council session the absurd edict tying your hands will have expired and you can grant those lands to the House that conquered them, as is only just. Any from another House who press a claim to lands I and my House have conquered will face consequences for their umbrage.

As to lands taken from William elsewhere, I and my men will not likely aid in taking them, and so we will press no claim to them.

It is, of course, entirely your privelege to dispense Bordeaux at the time of your choosing, but it is a natural and historical part of Aquitaine and in my mind there can be no doubt about it's final resting place. Duke de Rohan and I have already struck an agreement between us regarding Anger and Bordeaux's disposition, so he has no complaint, and the other Houses seem unlikely to interfere. Christophe de Perrone has been on campaign at my side for many years and I mean him to govern in Bordeaux. It would sit well with me to reward him with title and lands as soon as possible.

I thank you for your consideration of my request.

Prince Louis bows deeply to his father before returning to his seat.

**_Tristan_** · 10-07-2009, 20:50

After Louis' speech, Philippe nods.

I agree with you Louis... Bordeaux is historically part of Aquitaine, stolen by force of arms by the English... Just as Marseille rightfully belongs to Bourgogne...

I know you've already made the gift of it to one of your vassals but would you be ready to return it to the Duchy it belongs to historically ?

Our Royaume cannot be built on discrepancies between the Houses. We must tend to have equal powers between the Houses so that equilibrim is maintained. Already your House has taken the lead and by far, if all its conquests are ratified and given to you and your vassals... It creates envy, jealousy and tensions such as exist between you and the Senechal.

Only through equilibrium can our Royaume thrive...

Do you see my point, Louis ?

**Cultured Drizzt fan** · 10-07-2009, 21:01

Yvon stiffens but stays silent, his face scrunches up into a grimace.

**Ramses II CP** · 10-08-2009, 05:39

Mon Roi if the other Houses are jealous then let them make their own conquests. What pride could they take in begging the scraps from my table anyway? As House Aquitaine is not ashamed that France itself is larger than our House lands, so let the other Houses not be ashamed that they are not as large as House Aquitaine. We are all Franks, are we not? When aid was needed at the German front I and my men rode to give it, instantly! When soldiers were needed, I gave them up out of my own pool of prioritizations for the good of France.

It is a dangerous precedent to look on success as something to be punished. If my House is to be the conquerors and the other Houses merely gate wardens for our conquests then I will need larger armies and more support.

Marseille is not mine to barter with, it belongs to Yvon Lacaze, fairly given after he and I cast the Germans from it in battle. If House Bourgogne wishes to petition him for it they have my permission, but I will not pressure him to surrender it. I wonder if Bourgogne will remember who rode to their aid, securing their flank by the conquest of Marseille and setting to flight more than one German army along the way.

It is my opinion that giving provinces to the House which conquers them is fair, by definition, whereas distributing lands to Houses across borders and without reason is unfair, also by definition. If we want to create Houses that are perfectly equal we shall first have to petition God to remake Europe out of neat little squares for us, and then petition our enemies to only come at us when the correct House is ready for them.

After the Tournament my House had the noble opportunity to propose a Crusade against the Moors, at which time we proposed that the provinces taken in that Crusade be split evenly between the participating Houses, with House Aquitaine taking last place in the list. This was done because it was taken for granted that the Crusade would be a group effort among all the Houses. No one proposed such an edict for this war precisely because it was clear it would not be a group effort. No House aided Aquitaine in the capture of Valencia or Bordeaux, just as none will aid us at Pamplona, just as none aided us at Marseille or Zaragosa, or Bern when I withdrew from the walls there.

Instead House Aquitaine won a great prize for France by ransoming the Moorish Sultan, a prize which has already been used to enrich the lands of all Houses. If you call on Aquitaine to sacrifice for the other Houses I say we have done so already, in war, in finance, and in territory, as it was Valencia which was traded for Caen, and Caen surely shall not be awarded to House Aquitaine.

Valencia and, God willing, Pamplona will be yours to dispose of as you wish my King, as Bordeaux is now. Ever and always may it be so, but surely all present can see the rightness of my words. To beggar my House in favor of the others does no service to either, for it demeans them while disheartening us. If you wish to weaken Aquitaine to prevent envy let me suggest that you simply hold Valencia or Pamplona in your own domain for a time, to give the others a chance to catch up if they like.

Louis' voice ends on an almost plaintive note, and his face shares Yvon's discomfort.

**Cecil XIX** · 10-08-2009, 06:27

A letter arrrives from Duc Raymond at Bern.

Seneschal, I hope you will allow the recruitment of some additional soldiers to ward off the Moorish army that could strike at Provence or Burgundy. It seems to be quite a beastly collection of heathens, one I would wager to be thrice the size of my own forces.

Also, word has reached me that his highness the Dauphan has spoken recently of his aid to Bourgogne. I must confess I was confused by this, as it was the first time I had ever been informed such aid ocurred. It is quite odd that I would not notice such a thing, even in my small domain.