Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Another crusade
Hello I am Donnchad Ui Mórdha the 23 year old new lord of Leinster and son of the beatified Murchaid but I don't believe that facade no Pope or other man can dictate my life only God can do that no man on Earth and this coranation has left me very stressed but I have always been a worrier.
My son Bressal is still young but when he ages I will leave him an even greater legacy then one part of this Ireland every man on it will swear him fealty.
And this is my lovely wife or so my father lead me to belive really she is an ugly slug but so far she has provided me an heir and she and I are still young.
These are my two daughters one my eldest Caitlin is away as a foster in Mide so she can learn how to be a good wife in my vassals court. My youngest Āine is still very young so I don't see her very much.
My men rode into Dublin my new banner flying high and when I entered the hall all the men bowed to me and then for the rest of the evening I accepted oaths and after all the other counts had gone only the bishop of Ulaid had not sworn alliegence and so I asked the next man where the bishop was he just looked astonished " have you not heard my lord " he asked genuinly astonished. " of what " I replied already stressed as I was very bored already. " His Lord Bishop was found dead on the journey here and I am the new bishop Emich " the man replied his german accent suddenly heavy enough to be recognized and then I took his oath. After several more hours the final man came he wore a cloak with three crowns on it the badge of Munster he offered me a chance to renew our families alliances I took it I was a distant relative of Muirdetach already so our alliance only becomes stronger. At least my good for nothing father left a large treasury to make upgrades and sustain my armies. Today my wife came to me with my son and told me he needed now to get a proper upbringing and looking at him I saw so much of my self in him and knew I couldn't allow him to not now his father like I did and so I promised to raise him myself. A month later my wife comes again with my daughter and the girl started crying when she came into my office where my boy was already playing I couldn't stand it " to the nuns " I said and so my daughter is now at the local nunnery.
As a speach to the public I promised to make sure no thieves guild stayed in my Dublin and their leaders took the bait and started a riot and so me and my boy are now watching as my marshall leads my men to battle. Oh what a great victory for every one royal man slain two peasents were killed and I think Bressal liked watching shiny knight stabby stabby dirty stinking peasent.
As I spend more time with Bressal I realise he doesn't talk much and so I have decided to talk to him a lot more to encourage him to speak more. With bad results the boy talks more but when put in with the other young children he can not lead them but his pranks on them are very funny. Me and the counil have started to build even more wharves to get fishing up and increase trade and take away men from the thieves guild. My quiet reign was suddenly blown apart when a knight arrived bearing a message from Tir Connail his copies of all the oaths he swore to my family and the knight ripped them up in my face now he rots in a dungeon and my own messengers ride for my northen estate and the bishop of Ulaid to raise Ulster and crush Tir Connail. I have always hated that fool since my days as lord of Tir Eoghain and now my chance to destroy him and his family.
As it was an affront to my family I sent a rider to Uncle Enna to raise his men and march north to help in the war. Riders from my Marshall how was in charge of my Ulster estates tell of how they have met the enemy in the field and need assistance and so the force moves on slowly. As my boy has to stay at home me and the men have made good progress but I do miss him. A rider arrived and told us that Marshal Ercc had beaten the enemy in a valiant display of skill but required more men as many of his had fallen in the battle.
While Uncle Enna arrived from the east Ruadri arrived from the south sending half my army to attack him under my marshall I make sure the garrisson can't escape the hill fort and assist in their relief. A great victory once more almost 3 were slain for every valiant royal soldier slain. My force stormed the castle and so on my orders the men went off looting while I rode to the hall and took my place on the throne as a messenger was sent for Ruaidri. When he arrived I was wearing his own clothes and rings and necklace and every symbol of power was arrayed at my feet or on me and I demanded he would make a oath to never again attack my lands but he would also give up his lands to me as his lord. He surrendered his land but every man in Ireland despised me for throwing a 70 year old man out of his home but I didn't mind I had more land men and when the people returned more wealth.
When I reached Dublin I was greeted by the sight of my new fishing wharfs which were making trade even higher and only the thieves were taking away my money but soon I would hang them. My fishery had made a great profit and sent me my fair share of that it wasn't much but every little helps. Máel-tuili has looked after my daughter well and even though he is a leper I regard him as a good friend. Once again the peasents have rebelled this time because I bought fish from a merchant who was docked in port instead of the fishery but I lead my men my self this time and for the first time I will kill a subject in anger. Within minutes the riot was seperated by my charge and the infantry started penning them into smaller groups and slaying them in small numbers but many fled through houses back to their own.
When I returned my bishop was torturing a serving girl who was known to sleep with many men and screaming she was a sinner and then he chucked her from the walls he had got even madder and was now a cruel unpredictable man and so I summouned the only other man taught by priests a french man who has fled from France and I named him my new bishop and then Donal was told to leave and then in retaliation of his crime the riots started again but once more my men destroyed their army.
My boy was now old enough to get training but I couldn't let him leave and so I decided to let me and my council to teach him all the arts of statecraft. My steward told me that if I give my money away as investments then the stabability of the realm would get better but I just laughed and told her my money was mine and not my subjects. The nuns were my daughter lives came to me to ask what her education should be like and I just said she is to be taught by them. As I sat on my balcony in the middle of the morning I saw a red streak consume the sky and something black shooted across the sky fire trailing it in minutes my council were arrayed in my chambers where I told them to tell the populace it was a good sign and nothing to fear while everywhere else belived me my fools in Dublin started a riot which I mercislly put down.
In the night my bishop was found dead in his sleep a bad day he was a good advisor even though he was a priest. My rival and distant relative Amlaib one day just wasn't in the council then when we searched for him it turned out he had fled to Silgo after planting a dead body of a criminal saying that it was an innocent man and then the riot started and on that day I lead my men in a crushing victory killing many more than our own dead.
I was happy now sitting in the castle most of the time but then a huge procession started in the docks I went out and checked oh no the Papal Envoy and he had a cross and many men rode with him I rushed to my hall my fathers banner on show above my head and servants went and got his sword and shield from my chambers both were relics as the old bishop had proclaimed. Then he strode through the door seing the relics of my father and was struck with awe then he gave me the papal bull I was to crusade or be proclaimed heretic and also excommunicated and my lands and wealth forfiet. My worst nightmare I signed then gathered a force from only my estates and the army of Dublin and Tir Eoghain it was more than my fathers and by estimates more than the enemies and so I marched to war. All of my forces gathered in Dublin as boats were mustered and then every man was blessed and that night the peasents of my army were boarded onto the boats and the next day in a huge procession the chiefs and knights as well as my guard boarded and then we set sail the largest force to go on the crusade yet the plan was to head to the muslim lands in Spain but I decided that my force would go alone to cover expenses.
We landed and in Labourd then marched into Navarra. When we arrived a man brought news that the crusade was over quickly I marched to the nearest port and commandereed as many boats as we needed then sailed home but it had already destroyed my treasury so no matter what the Pope had failed me and Ireland. The Crusade had made me so broke I had to sell my own forestry away to get just 75 measly coins this is all the Popes fault.
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If you are reading this please leave a comment as at the moment I am seriously thinking about just stopping cause there is no support.
