As I sit in this four-horse carriage, protected from all sides by my faithful men, I thank the Lord for giving me what he has denied to those less worthy. My name is King William the Third of England, THe mighty England, my father was William the Second, he has started the task that I must not accomplish, and that the generations of heirs that follow me will have to complete, to conquer the entire known world in the name of England. During his lifetime, my father made sure that our men were among the best soldiers in the world, that our fields and farms produce enough foods to nourish our armies oversees, and our fleets will be the terror of those who would oppose us bringing our men to their doorsteps. It is now the Lord's year of 1104, I control the lands that but a mere five years ago belonged to the French, unfortunately my father did not live long enough to see England finally vainquish her long-time foe. In less than five years, I captured Aquitaine, my generals also made short work of Flanders, Ile-De-France and Toulouse (Although the battle there was hard-fought, unfortunately I lost Sir Uthred.

Power has been thrust onto me at the mere age of 23, for the past seven years I have overcome hardships after hardships. From that bastard of a Pope excommunicating our family, to the French, although the latter have been much easier than anticipated. In Aquitaine I suffered 98 losses and they well over five hundred, in Flanders my brother led a force of eight-hundred against one of thirteen-hundred, and lost but a fourth of his forces wherein the French suffered somewhere around a thousand. Ile-de-France was captured by Lord Holland's men, and the French King fled to Champagne, but two years later I came with my forces, and in less than two years, the french were crushed. Their holdings are mine, their lands are mine, their men and women and children are mine, to do with as I please, but I will not waste them on frivolous affairs, I will use them to conquer the world, but I will make them better in return for their absolute loyalty. I am now considering whether or not I should let Lord Longchamp invate Scotland or to send an emissary, although the coffers are slightly tight for the moment, an army might be more profitable to insure loyalty...I will have to consult my advisers about this matter.

I will now reform my armies, for a threat looms southward of Toulouse and Aquitaine, the Moslem, especially the Almohads, are conquering the Iberian Peninsula and their forces are of the latest stock. Wales will furnish me with those longbowmen, and those crossbowmen I hear they are useful against armoured men, Mercia and Northumbria will give my infantry, Toulouse and Aquitaine my cavalries and Champagne my logistics regiments, Wessex will be where my fleets both the traders and the transports of men will be built. All is ready, but I must not forget about the Holy Roman Empire, as they so eloquently dub themselves, and there is the matter of the Pope, perhaps an assassin sent to him would greatly help in that matter, and if not an investment in the nation's churches should seal the affair until the old fool dies.

My father's financial adviser is as he so often said, a godsend, but I must not rely on him too much he is becoming old, and although he still possesses most of his faculties, the Lord only knows for how long. Yes, the winter solstice approaches, and with that the end of this year, only the Lord knows what the next one holds for me and my ennemies...but I might very well help him make that decision.
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It is now the Lord's year of 1131, and we are finally ready to strike against the Iberian Peninsula, the Spaniards have resisted so far the Almohads' push north into the Iberian Peninsula, but those whores' sons have dared declare a crusade against me. ME! I stood by them against the Almohads, my forces were the only thing that deterred the Almohads from crushing Spain, for I needed them as a buffer...but their usefulness is long gone, my sons and my brothers are ready to strike into their heartland. My fleets have wiped out all ships that flew the Spanish flags, and they can in a matter of year cover a territory that by land would have taken up to three years, they also bring me revenue from far-off lands. My men are complimented by select units of mercenaries, mostly mounted archers, I hear the people of the East use these regiments to great effect. My brother Edmund will face the Spaniard King in Aragon, and Alfred will lead my sons Henry and Stephen and theirs armies to strike into their most profitable province, Castille.

At the age of 57, I have now accomplished more than my father has ever done, and I hope that my heirs will outdo me in the name of England. I have unified the English Isles, and I will soon take control of Ireland, the lands that belonged to the French are mine, and soon the entire Iberian Peninsula will be added to England.

My coffers hold more gold than my father's or his father's ever did, England will soon become the strongest land in the known world, and the reforms I have done to all my provinces, especially those that provide me with men (Mercia, Wessex, Wales, Northumbria, Aquitaine as well as Toulouse) will greatly help that.
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It is now the Lord's year of 1143, and I am now a 69 year old man, a king of brave men, and the steward of a might land. England is that land, for the past fifty years or so my kingdom has grown in power. I have crushed the French in a matter of years, in less than five the Spaniards and the Aragonese have been wiped out from history by my forces, and for the past two years the Almohads' presence in the Iberian Peninsula has been erased, and word just came from far-off Morocco that my crusader army has just taken control of that province from the Infidel's hands. My empire now stretches north to Scotland, east to Champagne, and south all the way to Morocco, and it will grow without me since I will no doubt be dead before the end of this year. England is the richest land in the world, we most likely hold more territory than any other nation, our forces are the best trained and largest, my fleets the strongest in the sea, my traders the most cunning, my diplomats the most influencable. All come to me from far off lands to my courts to ask for my ear and my aid.

I, William the Third of England, have been the strongest ruler in England to date, and my sons will in turn outgrow me, but for now I must entrust the mantle of leadership onto my brother Edmund the Third in Castille. All the plans that have been laid will be exucuted, by my heirs, all is as was planned...
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