“Herbert walked to the feast. He didn’t like public events, but he had little choice but to attend. King Philippe of France had invited all of his vassals, and not attending would be seen as disrespectful. It would anger his liege, and that was the last thing that Herbert wanted. The Capetian suspected that he was scheming enough as it was - he was a Carolingian, and the usurper thought that he might want to restore his family’s throne. He was right, of course, but Herbert was not a fool. He would never outright rebel against the crown.
Of course, that still left silent rebellions, and Herbert had initially planned to skip the event as a show of defiance. It was his brother, Eudes, who had talked him out of this reckless plan. He had observed that any silent rebellion would still be noticed, and Philippe might use that as an excuse to revoke his title and destroy the last remnant of Carolingian power.
His brother had also noted the upside of attending feasts with his fellow vassals. He had observed that they tended to be social events, and he might well find long term allies for the Carolingian cause. It was this, more than anything else, that convinced the count to go. The Carolingians needed allies if they were ever to regain their rightful crown. Herbert could swallow his pride for his dynasty’s sake.
The feast itself was very mundane. Hare and veal were served first, followed by the pomegranate seeds. Herbert ate slowly, focusing on the various conversations that his fellow vassals were having. While no one spoke a word against the king outright, a few spoke of perceived tyranny and suggested that something be done about it. Herbert paid these impatient souls no mind - participating in a scheme against the king now would require answering to someone else, and Herbert had no desire to swap one overlord for another.
Instead, Herbert focused on speaking with his fellow independent counts - Renaud of Clermont and Ralph of Valois. Ralph proved uninterested in speaking to him, so Herbert focused on discussing politics with Renaud.
“It seems like there is some discontent with our royal majesty,” Herbert said. “I imagine that we will have a revolt on our hands soon enough. Do you think that it will engulf the entire realm?”
“Of course not,” Renaud replied. “The rebels lack support among the wider nobility of France. Would you support someone who threatened to bring the wrath of the crown down upon your head? No, this rebellion will peter out if it ever gets started.”
Herbert mentally filed away that information. Renaud would never support an outright rebellion, but it wasn’t like he was planning on one. The man seemed reasonable enough. “I would support someone who I agreed with. Surely you would do the same? Regardless, I agree - an immediate rebellion will find little support in these halls. I’m more concerned about the Norman scheme to bring England under their rule. That seems like it could be… destabilizing.”
Renaud raised an eyebrow. “If I agreed with a man who was about to commit treason, I would attempt a peaceful resolution first. If the king still proved intransigent, then I would resort to more extreme measures to enforce God’s justice.”
“And what’s your opinion of William’s daring scheme, then?”
“The illegitimate Norman is ambitious, but he has bitten off more than he can chew. I wouldn’t worry about the consequences of his success. He won’t succeed.”
They talked about politics long into the night, and they agreed to keep in touch. Herbert left the feast feeling as though he had an ally in France. Renaud seemed like a reliable man, and his aid could prove vital if anything extreme happened.” -
The Strange Friendship of Renaud of Clermont and Herbert of Vermandois
A.N: Trying my hand at a narrative set in medieval France here.
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