The following is a collaboratin between Cecil XIX and AussieGiant.

Prague, 1330

Edmund Becker stood atop the southern gate of the city. He had received a letter from Bane detailing his exact time and date when he would arrive, and Becker was making sure that things did not start off on the wrong foot.

It was late in the afternoon, that time when the sun's glare was just strong enough to make it unmistakably day. That is until the movement of the clouds began to obscure the sun and bask the land in shadow.

"Don't tell me he's going to show up now." Becker looked at the overcast sky for moment. When he looked back across the south of Prague, he sighed and walked down to the gate to greet his guest.

***

The journey north had taken Bane sometime. About half way towards Prague the War of Reformation had erupted making travel that much more difficult.

Dodging civilian armies had been a time consuming and a dangerous exercise, but he had finally made it. He had sent a messenger ahead to inform Becker of his arrival time and now, finally, he was here.

Dark clouds had gathered on an otherwise perfect day making the Dread Knight wonder if it was a sign of things to come.

As he approached Prague a lone figure appeared from behind the massive gates of the city.

Bowing briefly the hollow rasping voice of the Dread Knight was grating on the ears of the on looking guards.

"My Lord, I bring you greetings from Duke Arnold. He has instructed me to negotiate with you on his behalf. The letter gives written permission with his seal to do so."

With that the Dark Armored figure handed Becker a note with the Duke's seal clearly marked.

Becker took the note, and read it carefully.

"Thank you Sir Bane. Now then, let us begin our discussion in the Council Chambers. I've prepared a room."

Soon they had arrived in the main conference room, where the leaders of Bohemia’s boroughs and estates met to discuss business. They both took a seat at opposite ends of the table.

"Now then, let us begin. What is Duke Arnold's attitude towards and opinion of Bohemia?"

Bane sat perfectly still for some moments and seemed to consider the question.

The effect was a little unnerving. Finally he leaned forward placing his elbows on the table, his voice icy and calm.

"My master has no real opinion on Bohemia Lord Becker. What he would like to know is what it will take for you to rejoin the Duchy? You must clearly see the mounting risk approaching in the form of the Polish and Hungarian armies.

Alone you can not hope to defend against these armies with the forces at your disposal. The combined might of the Duchy is slowly failing to defend the Reich's eastern border. Only united will there be a chance.

Duke Arnold is extending his hand to you all and especially you Lord Becker. Outline your needs or propose something to bring the Duchy back together. Alone you will fall for certain. Joined again with the rest of the Duchy and we all stand a chance."

Becker frowns, and begins his reply.

"Before I answer, I will explain my thoughts. As you say, Austria is slowly losing ground. With the loss of the income from Budapest, and the departure of Tancred von Tyrolia and Frederich Karolinger, it will be that much harder to drive back Hungary when it strikes next. You are asking me to give Austria the money and manpower to defend itself properly.

And yet you also claim, mistakenly, that Bohemia cannot stand on it's own against the Poles. Believing this, you would have me weaken Bohemia further to aid you, which would inevitably result in a two-front war for Austria. Perhaps Duke Arnold thinks you can stop the Hungarians in time to prevent the Poles from taking Vienna. Perhaps he has another plan. Regardless, I know now that Duke Arnold needs me more than I need him.

So to answer your question, for me to even consider rejoining Austria I would need to believe that doing so would not put Prague in more danger than it is already in."

Bane shakes his head slowly at Becker’s reaction.

"My apologies Lord Becker, I am not well versed in diplomacy. It seems I have not been clear.

Duke Arnold doesn't need you more than you need him. If I have given you that impression then it is my mistake.

Duke Arnold's point is, how do you propose to defend yourself against Poland and Hungary where the combined efforts of Franconia and Austria can not?

Duke Arnold needs you... Yes, that is clear. Any and all nobles with an army are needed in this time of crisis.

Your forces could tip the tide, but if you don't rejoin the Duchy then all that will do, as Austria retreats, is place you at the front of the conflict. Your troop quality is not enough to stem the tide Lord Becker, surely you see that after your last encounter with the Poles?

So I say again. Duke Arnold is asking now...

...What it will take for you to rejoin the Duchy and help in the defense of the Reich against it's enemies?

Once this opportunity passes, in the form of this meeting, then you will be left to your own defense Lord Becker. Please do not take offence Lord Becker, the Duke believes you will do an excellent job, but you are isolated and alone. You defense will be a Forlorn Hope against the tide of our enemies. In conjunction with the rest of the Duchy we can conduct a far better defense.

More over, if and when the Reich reconvenes then you can not possibly hope to find a political solution in your favor if a Diet vote was to take place.

Essentially Lord Becker, you can negotiate now with the Duke... However, if you don't take this opportunity, then once the Diet is back in session you will have a united Duchy and a Duke using every political ounce of influence against you. Do you honestly think you could withstand that in the face of how other rebels have been treated?

With every passing moment that you fail to assist in the defense of Austria you place another nail in the coffin of your attempted separation.

Take this opportunity now to negotiate something in your favor. If you don't then it will simply be a matter of time before a political solution will cast you as a traitor and a rebel and end your separation without swinging even one sword.

Prague is in danger Lord Becker, and every month that passes without a resolution between you and the Duke places you closer to the combined armies of Poland and Hungary.

You say you have lost faith in the Dukes and in particular Duke Arnold... How can that be when it is in fact Kaiser Siegfried and now Elberhard who have given away our lands, made negotiations without OUR consent and plunged this Reich into chaos? The Duchy had nothing to do with that. If you have lost faith Lord Becker then it must be with the Kaisers, not the Duchies who have simply been thrown into this maelstrom due to the actions of our own Emperor.”

Bane fell silent...he seemed entirely spent in his passionate plea to you.

Becker sighed slightly, as Bane's plea had not failed to affect him.

"It is not men with whom I have lost faith, but an institution. But that's neither here nor there. I appreciate your earnestness on this matter, so let me start over with my previous line of thought, for I think I was being unclear.

Simply put, what would Duke Arnold have me do if I were to rejoin? No doubt he would want me to contribute soldiers, or money, or myself as a leader. How much would he expect me to do, when Prague needs so much to keep it safe from the Poles? As it stands, before I can seriously consider a reconciliation I need to know what Duke Arnold would have of me, and how it would affect Prague.

The Dark Knight considers Lord Becker’s words for sometime. Finally he leans back in his chair; his tone of voice hardened as he answers.

"Lord Becker, unfortunately the Duke did advised me that this might happen.

There is a stand off.

I understand that you want me to outline what the Duke wants from you so you may decide what to do...but this is inherent in you believing you have at least an equal footing in these negotiations.

The Duke does not see it this way.

Firstly you must survive and the Poles are approaching as we speak. If, you manage to defend yourself against the enemies of this Reich successfully, then you must still deal with the political consequences of your actions. This is again something the Duke, with some degree of objectivity, believes he has an advantage in.

If you do not take the opportunity now to state what you require to rejoin the Duchy the Duke has instructed me to wish you all the best in the defense of Prague. Should you survive and the Diet reconvenes, you will then have to survive the political conflict that will result. Either of these two areas may be resolved with little or no intervention by Duke Arnold.

You are regarded as "separated" from the Duchy now in the Duke’s mind. Once the Diet has reconvened you will then become a rebel and one that has forsaken his oath and duty to his Duke and by extension to the Kaiser himself.

Therefore, if you do not take this opportunity to negotiate now, then that is the direction the Duke will take.

Pausing again Bane considers his next words.

"Lord Becker;" clearly he is now speaking as himself and not on behalf of his Duke.

"The Duke is being very clear and frank with you on his intentions. Believe me when I say that he is entirely upset that you have separated... He does not understand why and has spent many nights trying to find out where he went wrong in his dealings with you."

Again he pauses.

"I can say this with all certainty. Once he decides that you have really forsaken him he will make every effort to correct the situation by any means necessary.

I urge you to take the first step in this process my lord.

In my professional opinion, you will be hard pressed to defend yourself in the coming years without outside assistance.

Lorenz Zirn has just been outfitted with a professional army that could come to your aid. If you rejoin the Duchy you will be re-included in the overall strategy. While I can not guarantee that Prague will not fall, you must realize that the Duke will regain all that is lost or die trying. That includes Prague and all other previous Austrian provinces. It is my belief that your militia force would be utilized to deal with the rebel forces while the professional armies would engage the Polish and Hungarian forces.

Austria is doing very well all things considered Lord Becker. You reuniting with the Duchy would be of great benefit to Austria. Of course that means you would also want to be part of Austria again.

Additionally, should you survive, then I do not believe you will be able to secure your independence in the Diet, which you would need to do or face a Reich wide response to your actions.

There is a precedent set with regards to rebels Lord Becker, and it has come from the Kaiser himself. All Duke Arnold will ask is that the same approach be taken with regards to you.

Take the first step Lord Becker, or I have been instructed to leave immediately."

Bane's demeanour in the last few moments becomes increasingly hard.

As he finished there was a knock on the door. An aide entered and handed Becker a note. It outlined the approach of a new Polish army not far from Prague.

Becker raised his head and stares the ceiling.

"Why..." He pondered the question a great while before speaking.

"I suppose I could have elucidated more when I made my announcement. Maybe I should have put more thought into it. But the truth is, I couldn't get myself to care. Back then I was just happy to finally be doing what I wanted, rather than wasting my career accomplishing little of any importance. It seems rather foolish when I think of it."

He lowers his gaze to meet Bane's, and Edmund's eyes have a sense of resolution that was never seen when he was in Austria.

"But it's different now. For the first time in my life, I have a purpose I can be proud of. The goals I had before I married Contzel and my experiences in Transylvania and Bulgaria all tell me what I must do."

Becker stands up, and gestures towards the window behind him that overlooks the city.

"This is my reason. This is my purpose. This is all I have, and all I ever will have. Prague. Bohemia. Mahren.

These places are my home, and these people need me to protect them. Rather than become like an Emperor or a Duke, who care about acquiring new territories, I will devote all my energy into one county and make it the best that it can be. That is why I will use every resource at my disposal, up to and including my very life, to ensure that Bohemia does not fall into the hands of the enemy. I do not fear the Poles, for they cannot muster a force capable of overcoming the strength of my conviction, the courageousness of my men, and the weight and glory of Prague's walls."

Edmund quickly returns to his seat.

"With this in mind, I present my terms. Until the Diet reconvenes, I will retain full control over Bohemia and it's resources. I will single-handedly prevent the opening of a third front against Austria while Duke Arnold and the Zirns defend against the Hungarians and the Byzantines. I will also send Duke Arnold one base unit of wealth every turn, starting in 1334.

Once the Diet reconvenes, I will renounce my claim of secession. Duke Arnold may orchestrate my apology and subsequent events in whatever way he thinks is best.

Regardless, I will remain Count of Prague. For the remainder of my life, I will remain therein, never to leave. As most of the Electors do not understand the depths of my feelings, this will seem like a rather severe punishment. I will, in effect, be forbidden from ever commanding an army again. And finally, I will abandon my political independence. My influence in the Diet will become the Duke's and I will vote the way he wants me to on every edict the Diet ever considers. I shall willingly become the Duke's pawn with my interactions with the other Electors.

If the Duke should consider me untrustworthy for such things, tell him that the lengths I will go to for him to allow me to direct Prague's future will be as extreme as the lengths I am going to now. As long as I remain Count of Prague, dictating build queues and setting tax levels from within the city, all my other duties and abilities as an elector will be at his disposal.

What say you?

Bane's body language is clearly animated at his final words.

"Lord Becker I can confirm that the terms you have laid out here are within my authority to agree on. If you can have a scribe draw up three copies I will have them sent to the Duke for signature and then bring them here in three months from today for counter signature by yourself.

Three copies are required, for you, the Duke and the official scribes of the Diet."

------------------------

Since the last meeting a document in triplicate was sent to Duke Arnold in Ragusa for signature. One copy is for him which Bane will take with him. One copy is for Lord Becker and one copy for the official scribe of the Diet who is current with the Kaiser.

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Prague 1334

Striding back into the agreed chamber at the agreed time and date the Dread Knight holds three parchments in his hands.

He lays them out for Edmund to see the signature and seal of the Duke of Austria.

In addition to the three official documents there is a hand written note.

"Welcome back Lord Becker. God speed and good luck against the Poles. If possible I will send professional troops to you.

Duke Arnold"

Holding his gaze steadily while you read the note Bane finally speaks.

"The Duke has instructed me that he would prefer it if you made an announcement using the Imperial Messenger Service. It does not have to be detailed but simply outline the agreement and good will we have found common ground on. All he asks is that you allow him to read it before you issue it to the Imperial riders.

Is that acceptable to you?

He has also asked me to provide my services to you for the defense of Prague until the next season."

Pausing, the Dread Knight extends his hand towards you in the form of a handshake.

"It's good you have you back my Lord."