Chapter One: Childhood of Fulco
On the dawn of 1067, a seven year old boy looked around his domain. A domain of soaring mountains. As younger son of Azzo d'Este, he was sent to the northern reach of Duchy of Lombardia to rule over an empty land. Even after lowering the duty, census taxes and tolls, the rabbles that lives within this domain may be happy but he, a tiny count of empty ravines do not have much coins to rub together.
He told the collapsed church clerics to focused on coming advances like siege equipment, farming techniques and popular customs, in some faint hope that they might improve the current affairs of this domain.
Still, he is not alone, surrounded by... for lack of better word, nannies. Four nannies whose are most fearsome that ever walks on this works. Elena of Grisons who is just and selfish. Her touch is truly from Midas. Dora von Gruningen who is honest and trusting. Maddalena of Grisons who is generous but arbitrary. Her tongue is silvery, And lastly, Sofia von Glarus, who is worse of all, a selfish crafty merchant whose prices she charged is arbitrary.
Almost as if by mutual agreements between these women, they divided the duties between them. Maddalena became the Chancellor, Elena became the Steward and finally, Dora became Spymaster. However since the county is literally middle of nowhere, there is no marshal or bishop for that matter. The land is truly... empty.
Suddenly, in January, seemly stuck by madness, Count Rogier of Auvergne proposed marriage between himself and Steward Elena. Indeed, such marriage should never happen... even though she is twenty years woman. Next month, stuck by madness again it seems, Amanieu, heir to the County of Albret, wherever that be proposed marriage to Elena again. In March, Marshal Barnard, brother to Count of Foix proposed the same thing.
On 16th March, there was small fief inheritance leads to a claim of County of Passau in Austria... It is too far away to make a suitable pressure on the claim, therefore he tries to reconcile. This somehow made him... wise.
Clearly the fame of Steward Elena spread as Marshal Sancho Ramirez travelled all the way from Kingdom of Aragon to ask her hands in marriage. But in the same month, a small problem occurred between Duchy of Lombardia and Kingdom of Germany, his father declared war upon King. Already, he summoned his vast host and request that his beloved son send him all the men he got... among the empty fells and mountains. He agreed, sending a mighty force of one hundred and seventy men. Since it is a little expensive to maintain such a great force, he refused to pay the upkeep. Leaving his beloved father to pay for it after all.
It seems that the combined strength of his lands came to mighty army of 2,000 men. Already, within next month, almost three thousand men was marching their ways across the Kingdom and these the ones he just heard about. Yet among all these coming battles, a son of Count of Penthievre wherever that is proposed marriage with Steward Elena.
In the month of June, Germany's royal force reached to 7,000 men. From his empty domain, a simple hill fort, he shook his head in disbelief. Another marriage proposal came from son of Count of Eu from Kingdom of England with Seward Elena.
In July, it seems that the massive forces was in fact heading to Republic of Genoa who revolted against the King. On the lighter note, Count of Feher sent request of marriage to Steward Elena. Even Kingdom of Hungary heard about her. What it is about her that gained such wide range of reputation. No one ever heard about young Count but everyone heard about this remarkable woman who is his Steward. How annoying.
Meanwhile in September, few more realms revolted against the King... and once more Count of Mide from Ireland asked for her hand in marriage. What next? Next month, another marriage letter from heir to Count of Narbonne. It was declined, of course.
At the end of November, Count of Kleve in northern Germany asked for her hand of Steward Elena. The letter was replied with masterful use of 'no'. By end of this year, the Republic of Genoa finally was defeated and bought back into comfortable welcoming arms of the King!
The year of 1068 opened up with a surprise. In his father's madness, he declared that his son, Fulco d'Este got a claim on Duchy of Saxony... Duchy of Saxon! Even Fulco got wisdom to see that it is idiotic to claim it but he still got a claim... No doubt this madness was bought on by invasion of Pavia with modest seven thousand men freed up by the King's ending of conflict with Genoa. Guidone Delfino, Marshal of Lombardia seeing that his force in Pavia is outnumbered by ten to one, decided to flee home.
The Grisons Regiment, full of anonymous men, commanded by anonymous Commander, marched south from Grison through Lombardia. United with the main force, they marched south to face very large army. Outnumbered by four to one, they bravely flung themselves into battle. Facing by forces from regions around the Kingdom, they lost. In March, the domain of Pavia have fallen and the King's forces marched north.
As if it was a sign from God, Divine Duty was discovered in his county. The maintenance of his domain by his nannies clearly inspired the peasants to realise it is their divine duty to serve the Count in anyway possible. A quick glance shown that this discovery is... unique across the Western Europe. Already, he told the cleric in cold, ruined building to look for a way to inspire the burghers. Almost driven by all these new inspirations, they craved sculptures. Another strange event as if it is unique in Western Europe. Encouraged by all these new sculptures, he told poor weary clerics to do art that inspire themselves. These glorious sculptures was sold to these burghers.
On lesser note, the German forces was distracted by new rebellions and withdrew their forces from Pavia. A chance that his father took gleefully, united with forces from Duchy of Toscana. When suddenly the German army arrived to besiege the capital of Lombardia. It was a cunning move.
Seeing that his capital will soon be fallen, his father, Azzo marched back to fight overwhelming powerful army with his tiny insignificant army. On this battle, a noble flees from a distant land and asked the Count to grant him a place in his court of nannies. It seems that Alarico von Gruningen is related to his Spymaster, Dora von Gruningen. How suspicious. For he is Elusive shadow, cruel but trusting. A perfect man to be his Marshal in time of great conflicts. Under his martial eyes, Alarico believed he should be the one to rule the County, not a young boy. As Lombardia fallen to the German forces, he treated Alarico with suspicion.
The new year of 1069 opened up with a surprise. Once again, the German forces withdrew from the province of Lombardia, the Duchy of Toscana's forces along with remainder of his father's forces besieged it. Another surprise discovery, through cleric's newly learnt art of sculpturing, they created the Relics which reassured themselves. Maybe finally, with the sales of these Sculptures and Relics, they can rebuild their ruined church. Surprisingly, even though they discovered it independently, they found that clerics of Nuremberg got the same idea. Apart from that blemish, these soaring mountains does wonders for imagination of clerics.
With the Relics discovered, the clerics changed their focus on how to improve nobility of this county, Which is to say all of them went away with the anonymous Commander. Something to welcome them when or rather if they returned.
At the beginning of February, his father managed to reclaim his capital. A joyful event, a nine year old boy pointed out sceptically. The task of the King grew a little difficult as the Duchies of Bavaria and Swabia declared war upon him. Because of this, the state of his empty ravines has seen significant improvements lately and in general things are more stable, orderly and productive. He guessed that what generally happened under care of his nannies. Speaking of his nannies, at least they stopped asking Steward Elena's hand in marriage, maybe they got fed up with constant reply of no.
However, driven to find a way to improve the yields, the clerics came up with novel discovery of two field system. This seems to work quite well. Instead, they turned their focus on improving the equipments for farming. In the autumn of 1069, while his father and the forces away in Bern after hard slog through freezing mountains, the German forces once again marched in, hoping to seize the capital again.
In the new year, the lands was so prosperous that the Count could round up some extra taxes if he want to. Knowing that the empty lands could not afford it, he let the peasants keep their spare cattle. As the result, he was well known for his generosity as tender age of ten. Despite such generosity, his nanny, Sofia, the only one without any duties apart from looking after him is tired sitting idle at court. He told her, good trip as she left for Bohemia. Duke of Bohemia got eight children to look after so any helps from her would be welcome.
On seizing province of Bern, his father marched back and lifted the siege of Lombardia. And surprise again at the court as brother of the Count of Venaissin asked for Steward Elena's hands in marriage.
At the start of year 1071, the German forces marched into Bern, attracting response from his father. Meanwhile, there was doubts among the nobility if Count Fulco of Grisons can enforce his claim on Duchy of Saxony. The wisdom of the Count was the fact he do not care about some declaration by his father. By summer, the province of Bern have fallen back into German hands and hopefully the capital of Lombardia will fall. He only wishes to see the stupidity of this war over.
After gaining his seven men back, he was asked once more to mobilise even more. Two hundred and fifty more to be exact. As a twelve years old chap, he refused to support his father's ultimately endless war. Another month came with even more demand, he turned that down. Slowly the relationship between father and son begun to break down. To show off his new favourite, he gave his older son, the county of Pavia. Making him the heir to the Duchy. Needless to say, Fulco was not happy. After the while, the fate of Lombardia was clear, it will end in stalemate.
In his madness, he declared that his son got rightful claim on Plauen, somewhere in Saxony again. He refused to accept such claims. Happily, by October 1072, King Heinrich of Germany after four years of war is worn out and decided to leave him alone for one golden coin.
The last noticeable event of his childhood was the calling of Crusades by Pope Anselmo of Lucca to liberate Jerusalem. A sign indeed on Fulco achieving his adulthood.
Part of Europe's map
Fulco's Sheet
Fulco's Sheet
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Well, here is the start to my AAR. Hopefully I will finish it this time. 
