Conseil du Royaume

[_Tristan_]

The King steps in the Conseil chambers.

Mes Seigneurs,

I wish to congratulate all of you for your valiant conduct on the fields of battle. France will have nothing to fear in the coming years if we can keep maintain such a high standard of valour. For having witnessed it with my own eyes, the bravery of the Order knights is to be commanded. I'd be grateful if they were to join me in Frankfurt to help defend it against the Imperials or to rout any remnants of the Imperial army lingering on what is now French soil.

Anyway, I hope our war with the Germans to be at an end soon.

Heinrich the Heathen, who had wished to defy his Holiness, the Representative of God on Earth, now faces his Creator's judgment. I feel my mission is accomplished, which also seems the way Sa Sainteté sees it, putting us under threat of excommunication if we failed to refrain from further assault on the Reich. So I encourage all of you to refrain from laucnching further assault on German hodlings, though that doesn't mean defendng our own against their assaults.

I do not doubt that once the army attacking Metz has been defeated we will not see further German incursions in our lands, though with Mandorf taking the throne of the Kaiser, we cannot be sure... We can trust him to bear us a grudge, Louis, non ?

However, I am angry... Because all my efforts to make our Royaume whole again, or as close to it as can be, have been spoilt through the lack of efficiency of our Senechal.

I had managed to secure a deal with Guillaume concerning the return of Caen and Angers to our fold for provinces that hold no intrinsic value to us, Caernavon (overseas and surrounded by the English) and Valencia (too far from our homeland to be easily defended). This was sweetened with an offer of alliance and us paying tribute to England for the next ten seasons. A price I was more than willing to pay for such a gain.

Now, I can't decide if it was a fumbling attempt by our Senechal to carry out this deal or a deliberate attempt to sabotage it but the diplomat chosen for the task is less than skilled, some even call it awkward... I feel this was not the most adquate man to chose for this important mission... I feel he may have gravely insulted my cousin Guillaume, provoking his refusal...

Though I hardly understand the motivations behind such an act, as his would have made Bretagne once again a full part of the Royaume rather than a French island cut off from the main land by a sea of English swords, I cannot but see the ill will displayed by our current Senechal in carrying out my wishes or those of the country.

I had asked Duc Alain to make everything in his power to grab Dublin under the nose of the Scots and English smoething which could have been easily accomplished had he managed to seal that alliance with England. We could then have offered to return Dublin for Bordeaux, maybe sweetening the deal once more with florins or military access, as can only be done among allies.

I cannot but see also the neglect of our Capital where only a market has been built during the whole term of our Senechal, while several of our settlements have seen more than their fair share of building... Does our Senechal expect us to impress the world if our Capital is nothing but a pigsty ?

You even failed the Duc of Lorraine by "forgetting" to recruit the men he so direly needed, forcing to fight heroically to defeat the German hordes unleashed on our lands... Something for which I wish to thank him with all my heart.

Thanks to his efforts and my own drive through German lands, our Royaume could have achieved this very season to be the equal of Charlemagne's Empire extending from the Pyrenees to Flanders, from the Atlantic to Swabia. It seems this dream of mine will have to wait.

Duc Alain, I'm sorely disappointed in you... I had thought you had what it took to be a great Senechal, a man that had all it needed to rise to the top and bring his House up with him... It seems I've been duped in thinking so...

It seems our Royaume will need a man with a stronger will to lead it in the next seasons. One that will see the sense of following his King's directions, if not to the letter, at least in his intent...

The King's demesne has been greatly enlarged by our campaigns this term... These lands do not belong to me solely... They belong to all of us who fought for our Royaume. So I'll ask the Ducs, knights and all who feel entrusted to hold some of these lands in my name to make themselves known, either here publically or in a private audience, to lay their claims before so that I can assess their validity and the claimant merits in determining how these lands will be allotted.

This will be done before the start of the next Conseil session, to allow some of our still landless nobles to have a chance to gain some and run for the position of Senechal.

[OverKnight]

Reeves's eyes widen. He redoubles his efforts to awaken Duc Hugues. With a grunt, he awakens and the two have a hurried conversation. The Duc then shuffles forth to speak.

Uh. . .right. First, thank you for the praise your Majesty. Just doing our part.

He shakes his head trying to clear the cobwebs.

Second, I can't speak to a lot of what has been said, but Duc Alain did meet my prioritizations for men. It's just that due to our resources, it would have been peasants or militia, no archers or cavalry. There was one time I was refused mercenaries, but that was more than balanced out by the time he granted me money to hire them to defeat the Germans at Staufen.

Duc Alain has been straight with me.

With respect, mon Roi, the only Seneschal whose performance would be completely satisfactory to your Majesty, would be, well, your Majesty.

[AussieGiant]

A rye smile cross Alain's features as the King makes his speech.

That smile continues as he stands, the parchment he holds in his hand folded carefully and precisely, then slowly and with great care torn in to equal parts.

With a even and ironic lilt to his voice he addresses the Council as a whole.

My King, Dauphin, fellow Duc, lords of ze realm.

I was going to provide a summary of ze last 15 years and 'and zis report to ze next Seneschal, whoever 'e may be.

While holding the gaze of the attending nobles he absently holds the torn parchment out to which Medoc proceeds to eat with just a few gulps.

'owever, it seems zere is no need. Our King 'as made 'is will known and zere is clearly no need to add anyzing furzer. I did as I was instructed to ze best of my ability.

As a result, 'ere openly and publicly in zis chamber, I, Duc Alain of Bretagne make no claim to any of ze lands 'eld in ze King's demesne. I will leave to ze rest of you to stake your claims at ze Kings pleasure and to rule in 'is name over zese lands.

I would simply ask ze King to consider ze claims, which may come from ze nobles of Bretagne, and 'opefully put aside 'is zoughts towards me and allow zem to reap some rewards for zeir valiant efforts.

God save France, God save ze King.

Alain sits.

[_Tristan_]

Having listened to Duc Alain reply to his criticism, the King speaks again.

It is now time to take into account our conquests and reward the Maisons du Royaume with the lands they helped us acquire for the greater good of France.

The King's Demesne has been much enlarged by these recent additions and now has come the time for me to share it with you, mes Seigneurs.

Of all our conquests, only Frankfurt and Marseille have not yet been ratified by the Conseil and thus cannot be allocated. Nevertheless, let me say that should these provinces be ratified I intend to offer Frankfurt to the Duchy of Lorraine.

Marseille will remain the propriety of its conqueror, my son Louis and the House of Aquitaine.

There remains in the King's Demesne five regions to be handed out : Bruges, Antwerp, Caernarvon, Zaragoza and Valencia.

Zaragosa is to be given to my son Louis and the House of Aquitaine, as should only be fitting.

Antwerp is to be given to the Ordre de la Fleur de Lys, as a base for their headquarters, as a reward for the good service they provided at my side.

Bruges will remain for now into the King's Demesne, as I intend to oversee its building to become a major trading centre personally.

As for Caernarvon and Valencia, these will have to remain into the King's Demesne. The first one ws never intended to be a lasting addition to our Royaume but rather as a way to show Guillaume what it felt to have a foreign power at his throat. It was intended as a bargaining chip with England towards the return of English-held French territories. The second is too distant from our homeland to be easily defensible should the Moors prove more aggressive than they've been these past years and choose to push north. Better leave Guillaume to deal with them first.

I'm sure that under the proper guidance, the deal that was reached between Guillaume and myself can still see the light and will allow us to give lands to Houses that have been neglected until now.

[Ituralde]

Simon bows before the King.

In the name of my brother Knights I thank your for rewarding the Order of the Fleur de Lys with the gifting of Antwerp. Posession of land will enable us to serve the Royaume even better in the future. With land comes power and the possibility for one of our members, who holds the land during Council to run for the position of Seneshal. I am sure that the widening of the field of contestants for this most venerous office can only benefit France as a whole.

I thank his Majesty once again and also congratulate the other Nobles to their new possesions. France has prospered may it continue to do so!

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

As a member of the house of Aquitaine I am also thankful to his majesty for allowing us Zaragroza, and Marseilles. We will not disappoint him, and the cities will become shining examples of our nation.

[AussieGiant]

Alain stands and bows to ze King.

I would state for ze record 'ere zat ze English are still open to negotiations wiz us. Ze next Seneschal will most likely be able to obtain ze conditions for a land exchange upon a simple meeting.