"Yes, indeed this is a tragedy. I hope he did not act rashly because of the recent conflict regarding the princess; that would make this a loss that this Diet could've but failed to prevent. I shall pray for his place in heaven."
Theodericus turns to the Kaiser.
"My lord, I have neither an army nor the finances to create one, and had it not been for the Prinz's wise decision to get peace with the Danes, I would soon have been almost entirely surrounded by enemies. With Hummel and Antwerp having fallen now, the question I would ask is: what are you going to do now? If you go to reclaim Antwerp from the wretched French, I will be left in a rather perilous situation with no one able to save me from the Poles. There is the Duke Vaclav, of course, but he has been ignoring Brandenburg for so long I have sincere doubts he would start listening if it was attacked; besides, even if he should suddenly start caring, he could not respond with any force worth mentioning anyway.
I plead to you, then, that, seeing as Hummel has died, that the money that would be going to him for the sale of Hamburg, let it go to me so that I can lay the foundations of a northern army to help protect the Reich's northern provinces, and perhaps even help expand them. If nothing else, it should take a load off your shoulders, knowing you have one less front to worry about."
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