I say goldenrod.
Actually, that's the first time I've ever said 'goldenrod,' but it's my preferred choice
Actually, that's the first time I've ever said 'goldenrod,' but it's my preferred choice
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I vote for option 2. It seems to set up about the right level of menace for Crowley... or more accurately, the juxtaposition it creates will entertain me.
I'm going to stir up trouble and say Option 5 - just have everyone talk in plain text. I mean, it's as simple as mentioning the speaker's name once in a while so readers know who's talking, and save the colour for the really special occasions.
Honestly, just go with your gut feeling. I'm actually fine with either of the new colours (2 and 3) as well ... but I will most certainly express my displeasure (at least once) with the original dark purple or that similarly ghastly, eye-straining font under option 4.
Honestly, just go with your gut feeling. I'm actually fine with either of the new colours (2 and 3) as well ... but I will most certainly express my displeasure (at least once) with the original dark purple or that similarly ghastly, eye-straining font under option 4.
Thank you guys for your opinions. I have considered all of them, but I need some time to think about my decision- you will see it in the next update.
Speaking of, I have bad news- I'll be on vacation starting tomorrow till Friday and I won't be able to update untill the weekend. Sorry for keeping you waiting.
Speaking of, I have bad news- I'll be on vacation starting tomorrow till Friday and I won't be able to update untill the weekend. Sorry for keeping you waiting.
Soooo, I'm back guys. Unfortunately, between the unbearable heat and Paradox discounting TOG proggress has been slow. Ton't worry, though, new update will be up shortly (I think Monday/ Tuesday)
Wait, they discounted The Old Gods? When did this happen?
... not like I wanted to actually play Crusader Kings, anyway. I'm just trying to keep my collection complete and up-to-date, that's all...
Anyway, don't worry about it. Just post when you feel like it.
... not like I wanted to actually play Crusader Kings, anyway. I'm just trying to keep my collection complete and up-to-date, that's all...
Anyway, don't worry about it. Just post when you feel like it.
Episode 8- In which Aragon wins the war, Louis gets bored and Crowley comes up with something sinister
Yeah, someone didn’t have ideas for a title…
Yeah, someone didn’t have ideas for a title…
Naples, 2 February, 1421
In the middle of a dark winter night, a single light was shining in one of the windows of the Royal Palace of Naples. A single candle illuminated the room of the royal tutor. Aziraphale was sitting in front of his desk, hunched over a blank sheet of paper. He had spent a long while in that position, pondering what he should write.
‘Oh, come on, write something already! I can’t spend the whole night like this!’
‘It’s not hard at all! Just write about the current events!’ He wasn’t entirely convinced by his thoughts. Despite his love of books, he wasn’t too experienced with writing. He attended to some of the diplomatic debriefs (which mostly consisted of Louis, and occasionally some other nobles, trying really hard to listen to what Adriano is saying), but hearing about it wasn’t the same as writing.
He clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, and soon the room was filled with the sound of quill scrubbing against paper.
The Life And Times of Naples- an Overview of the Status of the Kingdom of Naples under the Royal House de Valois Throughout the Times and the State of The Known World, as written by the Royal Tutor Antoine Ziraphale.
‘Huh. Is that even a good title? Isn’t it too long? I have to give it to Adriano to review.’
Part The Firste- The Reign of Our King Louis II de Valois in the Seconde Decade of the Fourteenthe Century.
As if that wasn’t enough, news were coming of the rising heresy in the very heart of the Empire. In the kingdom of Bohemia, the followers of Jan Hus, angry about his unlawful execution, have taken arms in the cities of Prague and Tabor. King Vaclav von Luxemburg was forced to flee the country.
Opinions about the whole ordeal are split, with some people are calling for the crusade against the vile heretics, while others claim that the Pope’s side is to blame. Supporting either side in a tavern argument is a fool- proof way of getting punched in the face*.
Over a year has passed since the end of the Second War for Provence. In the meantime King Louis started to act strangely: he was all agitated and distracted and stuff (is this stylistically appropriate? I have to ask Adriano about that.). I suspected the recent war with France had strained him, but fortunately I was corrected- it was how he always acted.
In May, the Irish Civil War came to a close after the Kingdom of Tyrone was defeated by the joined forces of Munster and England, proving that there’s little place for sentiments in war. Munster gained the province of Leinster for the bargain price of England controlling majority of the island.
Those 9 ducats will really come in handy once the English come for you.
In Iberia, surprisingly, the war was going in Aragon’s favor. The joined forces of Aragon and France quickly overwhelmed the Castillan. Those who aren’t suspecting witchcraft on France’s part see the recent upgrades in French military training as an answer.
Cause you know, they absolutely NEED more power.
Back in Naples, the rest of 1420 was spent on upgrading the fleet and loosening trade policies. Said policy changes were met with many complaints from the Neapolitan traders. When I asked ‘What Neapolitan traders?’, Adriano just shrugged and said ‘Just go with it.’
Many bad things happened in the year 1420; many people died in wars, rebellions and uprisings. Religious turmoil had spread across Europe, with one side calling for reforms, the other suggesting unity in the times of hardship. Both sides called for the opposite’s heads.
Fortunately, Naples was spared the worst of the chaos that ensued and things were relatively peaceful there (Of course, not everybody was happy with it).
…..
‘OK, I think I’ll finish here…’
Aziraphale looked upon his works. ‘Hmm, looks fine. I’ll look through it yesterday, I’m *yawn* sleepy…’
* Well, there are many more ways to get punched in the face in a Neapolitan tavern: being a noble, a guardsman, wearing a mustache, not wearing a mustache, talking about the last football match, singing badly, the list goes on. You could say that punches to the face are Naples’ top export.
------------------
Next morning Aziraphale woke up rather late. He went down the stairs to the palace kitchen to get something to eat. Surprisingly, despite the late hour someone was still inside.
“Good morning, master Ziraphale. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Young Alfonso de Valois was sitting beside the kitchen table. He was wearing his good clothes and Aziraphale was wondering what’s he doing here at that time of the day. He’s usually attending lessons at that time of day.
“Oh, good morning, my prince. Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else?”
“Are you okay, master Ziraphale? Your voice sounds weird.”
“Really? *cough* I might be a little sick actually, don’t worry about it. You still haven’t answered my question, though. Shouldn’t you have war theory classes now?”
“But they are sooo boring! I’d rather go and play!”
“It that what you were doing here?”
“Yes. I was playing checkers with the cook’s son until the guard chased him away.”
“And he didn’t drag you out to the classroom?”
“I… ah, bribed him…”
Aziraphale opened his mouth in amazement.
“WHAT? Why did you do that! That’s wrong!”
“But it was from my own allowance! And master Crowley said that it’s fine to exploit other people’s vices to your own ends! It’s his fault he was greedy!”
He sighed. ‘Yeah, that’s Crowley at work for ya.’
“And you think I should just forget about taking money from your father’s tithe?”
“Oh come on! It was for the financing of the new city constable! He would spend it all on wine and cheese anyway! Or worse *shrugs* army…”
“ I heard about it. You’re not gonna get in trouble for this?”
“No. I spoke with mister Adriano, he’ll cover it up, say it’s just a miscalculation.”
“He probably wouldn’t notice anyway. Listen, you can’t just ignore your lessons, they are important!”
“I’ll try, master Antoine. I might not like warfare, but I know that it’s a necessary evil. I’ll try to use it as seldom as I can”
“ That’s an admirable statement, young prince, but I’m not sure that you can stand by it in this times…”
“You’ll see, master Ziraphale. I, king Alfonso of Naples, will resolve all conflicts peacefully and try to be friendly with everyone!”
“That’s really sweet young….”
“And then I’ll stab them in the back when they aren’t looking!”
Aziraphale sighed. Sometimes he thought that allowing Crowley anywhere near that child was a very bad idea.
--------------------------------------
Naples, 5 May 1422
Adriano, Ricardo and Louis were sitting in a royal council chamber, where another meeting of the Super Secret Strategic Council was in order. Louis was very much aware of the situation in Iberia and was eager to capitalize on the situation. Because pretty much everyone else in Naples wasn’t too eager to throw themselves into another war with Aragon, they were much less enthusiastic about it. Thought as it happens to be getting on the king’s bad side was a bad idea if you planned to keep your head or other extremities, so to humor him, a token ring of spies and informers were hired. Adriano and Ricardo were tasked to present the reports to Louis.
This time they went through the events of the last year. The war was progressing with lightning speed, with France and Aragon seizing more territories each day. Even the alliance with Portugal didn’t do Castille any good.
Special observer team (which, due to budget constraints, consisted of one guard with a telescope in Reggio) informed about new advancements in Aragonese army.
Said advances were thought to come from the French, though accusations of tech thievery were not that far- fetched.
July finally brought some good news. The king of Aragon have met his untimely demise, and the new ruler along with his regalias received an excommunication order from the Pope. It was rumored that England was to blame this time.
The same month, France finally broke their alliance with Aragon, most likely afraid that they’ll be next. They remained at war with Castille for the time being.
In November, Castille’s dire situation was widely known and vultures began to circle. First in line was the heathen Sultanate of Morocco, who wanted to retake their lands in Tangier which were once seized by the Spanish.
“And that’s about the last of the important things, my King.” Ricardo said with a frown on his face.
“Then, do you think the war with Aragon is…?”
“My King, we aren’t ready for war at the time..”
“But if not now, then when? I want Sicily back!”
Adriano and Ricardo looked at each other and sighed heavily. They must’ve went through this several times now.
“My King, may we come back to this later? I have important diplomatic message for you.” Adriano intervened. He kept this for last in hopes that Louis will get distracted long enough for them to excuse themselves.
“What is it’ Adriano? Is it about Sicily?”
“No, my liege, though it does concern Italy. It appears that Republic of Venice is currently at war with the Emperor.”
“Weren’t they at war with Bohemia recently?”
“Yes, but this time they’re at war with the new Austrian emperor.”
“Do they have a reason for this act of aggression?”
“Yes, they said something about the land in HRE being too much of a bother and they are looking for a cheap opportunity for conquest. This 300K army won’t build itself!”
“Disturbing news! I am truly and utterly shaken!”
“Should I send a diplomatic note, sir?”
“Yes please, Adriano. Tell them how completely shaken I am right now”
“Will do, my lord. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go write it right away!”
“And I’ll help him!” Said Ricardo.
“Wait, you didn’t tell me about…”
They were already gone…
“Well, we managed to survive yet again Adriano! Thanks to you, no less!”
“Well, everything is better than the excuse about overseeing the military uniforms like you said last time.”
“But that’s true! They get screwed up all the time. I wish we could trade for better quality materials. From China, maybe…”
“Bah, China?! With Timms in the way, this won’t happen for a very long time. Unless you believe the guys who want to circumnavigate Africa, and that’s just crazy talk.”
“Speaking of crazy talk, what will we do about Louis. He seems bent on war with Aragon.”
“I know. I just don’t want to bring him down! He’s so enthusiastic about it!”
“*sigh* If only he was half as enthusiastic about ruling the country….. Maybe he just needs a longer distraction?”
“Like what, an affair?”
“*snicker* No, no. I don’t want him dead, after all. He just needs something to focus on.”
“But he only seems to be focused on his own glory. Wait, you’re suggesting another war?”
“Well, methinks that he just needs a triumph to stroke his ego. A small war might serve this purpose.”
“Well, finding a war is one thing, but winning one is another.”
“There must me a country somewhere that we can beat. Maybe San Marino? I’d love to see the looks on their faces..”
“Oh, shut up. I have to write a note. Don’t you have something to do?”
“Actually no. I said to Louis that I’d help you. Maybe I could help you hold your quill?”
He got smacked in the head.
Little did they know that there was someone else watching them. In the dark, it was easy to miss a bespectacled person dressed in black, grinning in the corner….
--------------------------------
Naples, 30 May 1422
In was already evening. “It got dark fast’ Adriano thought to himself. He was returning from the meeting with Louis. There, they mostly discussed the situation in Iberia, Naples’ involvement, and why it would be a bad idea. He was completely exhausted.
“Tired, eh?”
He jumped when he saw a man barely visible in the dark corridor. It took a while for him to recognize him- after all, not many people wear pink spectacles.
“Oh, Crowley, you scared me!”
“Don’t say you didn’t recognize me!”
“Well, you could drop your habit of hiding in the shadows! Wait, what happened to your voice?”
“*cough* Eh? Don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, I want to ask you for something.”
“Yes, what do you need?”
“I’d like to take a look at your maps and papers regarding the Balkans and Asia Minor.”
Adriano grew suspicious. “And what do you need them for?”
“It’s, ah…… for a book.”
“*sigh* Another one? Okay, but try not to get them wet.”
“Sure thing!... Thanks! I’ll take good care of them!”
He went down the stairs and due to the darkness his presence was soon known only by the sound of his footsteps.
‘I just hope he isn’t up to something bad’ Adriano wondered.
-----------------------------------------
Naples, 30 May, 1422
“Good news, my liege!” Adriano exclaimed “we managed to secure an alliance with Venice!”
Louis looked at him confused “Really? I don’t remember inquiring about it.”
“Well, it’s hard to keep track of everything, my lord. That’s why you have me!”
“ I suppose so, Adriano. Anyway, is it a good thing?”
“Absolutely, sir! It’s our first major alliance! The only problem, however, is that Venice is currently at war with Austria.”
“Well, send them my sincere words of encouragement and support.”
“Very well, my liege! Anything else?”
“Not now, Adriano. I’ll take a short nap right now.’
“As you wish, my Lord.”
He left the royal chamber and went to meet Ricardo.
“So how did it went?”
“Not that bad actually. How about you, any news from Iberia?”
“Are you turning to Louis now? Anyway, I heard that Aragonese fleet rests somewhere on the bottom of the Mediterranean .”
“You might not tell that to Louis. He might get ideas.”
“Yeah. It would be bad to attack now anyway, as Castille is on its last legs.”
As they spoke, another person sneaked into the royal chamber.
Crowley approached slowly, trying not to attract attention.
“*snore* Ah, Adriano, do you need something else?”
“*ohcrap* Ehm, Yes, my Liege, I have one last piece of paper for you to fill.”
Louis looked at the document presented before him without much interest, clearly still sleepy.
“*yawn!* Allright, just give me the quilt.”
He made a few half- hearted swings on the paper and handed it back to Crowley.
“Many thanks, my Liege!”
He was already asleep.
Crowley left the royal chamber with a big grin plastered on his face. “Whew! That went better than expected! If only I can get back unnoti…
“Already looking to cause mischief, aren’t you?”
“Well, hi there, Aziraphale! Fancy seeing you here!”
“Oh cut it out. What are you doing here anyway?”
“Well, I…”
“You could be doing something useful and help me look after the Prince. He’s skipping class, you know!”
“Hey, first thing, I have nothing to do with it, and second, cut him a break! His young and rebellious, don’t you remember when you were young?”
“Actually I don’t cause I didn’t grow up. Neither did you for that matter. It still didn’t stop you from rebelling, though.”
“*sigh* You know, people can do some very stupid things under peer pressure. Don’t worry about him, he’ll be fine.”
“I know, it’s just that he’s almost an adult now! It’s time for him to start a family and think about the country.”
“Ah, with the name like Alfonso, I’m sure he won’t have any trouble finding women.”
“I hope so…. Anyway, I need to go now.”
“Okay, take care!”
As their went separate ways, Crowley made a sharp turn and went for the stables. He was still holding his diplomatic note.
Two minutes later he reached the stables. According to his observations, each Monday a royal messenger comes here to, ahem, familiarize with a maid. Judging from the obscene sounds, he was right. He reached for the jacked that was lying on the floor, in its pockets he found a bunch of papers, hopefully the ones he needed.
‘So, I’ve got the note and the iron letter, now all that I need is some fool who will do this for me…’
Then he was a young boy buckling a brown horse.
“Hey there, young man! I have an important duty for you.”
The youngster approached him. He wasn’t particularly pretty or smart looking. Just the kind of person I need.
“Yes, mister?”
“What’s your name, young one?”
“Alessandro, sir.”
“Okay, Alessandro, have you ever been in Rome?”
“Yes, my mother lives there but my father works as a shipwright here. I often ride to send them messages.”
“So, are you interested in earning some money?”
“Me? But why me?”
“I would do it myself, buy I… you see…. Can’t exactly show myself in Rome. Anyway, your job is: take this letter from king Louis and bring it to the Pope, then come back with an answer.”
“Wow… the Pope… Will he let me in?”
“Sure, with the other letter I’ll give you. Now *he brandishes a purse* I’ll give you half of this money for safe travel and I’ll give you the other half when you’ll return to me.”
Young boy’s eyes widened. “Wow… Thanks, mister! I’ll be right away!”
“Travel safe! Naples is counting on you!”
----------------------------------------------
The year 1423 was a year of peace treaties. Earlier, in November 1422, Castille, pretty much on its knees, accepted peace with Morocco, demanding return of their lost territories.
In January, Venice accepted peace with Hungary, who demanded release of Albania as a independent state.
In October the war between Aragon and Castille was finally over. Aragon won a definite victory and made sure that peace terms reflected that.
Thus begins the tale of Bulgaria; a tale of misery and despair of a country constantly changing hands.
Finally, ending off a year, Venice made peace with Austria. With such a drastic loss of territory Venice proved a tenuous ally.
Naples, surprisingly, was still peaceful. The country focus was economy instead of warfare. A new constable was built in Abruzzi and many technological advancements were made.
The peace, though, wasn’t made to last forever.
-----------------------
Naples, 23 February, 1424
Same place, same persons were discussing the same issues. This time, Aziraphale joined in to listen.
“Well, my Liege” Adriano started “I have good news for once. A herald from Crete appeared and announced that a de Valois is next in line for their throne!”
“Well, that’s great, Adriano! Wait, where’s Crete?”
“I’ll explain that later, my King.”
“Good. Now about Sicily…”
“Well, my King, the Aragonese are high on their victory right now. It is a bad time.”
“I understand. Then we’ll prove better by an even better victory!”
Adriano and Ricardo shared a troubled expression.
“A… victory? But against who?”
“You’ll have your victory, Your Majesty!”
Everybody looked towards the entrance. A stranger, announced by a loud creaking of his shoes enter the royal chamber. Aziraphale recognized Crowley’ voice.
“And who are you?”
“I’m an announcer of a great news. You’ll have your glory, my King!”
“Wait, can you speak clearly? What is your plan?” Ricardo asked.
“Why, thank you for asking! It’s simple, really.”
“We attack the Ottomans!”
TO BE CONTINUED
Ahhh, the dreaded turk, so what's the plan? Go on crusade and reclaim the Holy Land? Reclaim Greece for the lands of Rome? Claim your own chunk of Asia Minor? Or will it fizzle out and Naples ends up the staging ground for a Muslim Rome?
Ahhh, the dreaded turk, so what's the plan? Go on crusade and reclaim the Holy Land? Reclaim Greece for the lands of Rome? Claim your own chunk of Asia Minor? Or will it fizzle out and Naples ends up the staging ground for a Muslim Rome?
Well, I have to admit, attacking the Turks might seem like a stupid idea on the first thought. Maybe even on the second thought. Well, you'll have to wait and see how it turns out! I had a cunning plan for dealing with the Turks, it involves a strategy everyone hates to love to hate.
Progress has been good on the next part, so you may expect an update soon maybe even this week! (Two parts a week? What IS this madness!).
Episode 9- War was beginning
In which I beat George Lucas as the worst romance writer.
In which I beat George Lucas as the worst romance writer.
Long consternation filled the Royal Council Chamber of Naples. Ricardo and Adriano were looking at each other, then back at Crowley; neither one was particularly eager to touch the subject. Aziraphale was just standing there with mouth agape. God only knew what was going on in Louis’ head.
Aziraphale was the first to break the silence.
“Crowley…. What are you talking about? And why are you wearing this thing?”
He just realized why he found Crowley’s voice strange at first. He was wearing a full plate armour, complete with a helmet. Furthermore, he was holding a metal prong in his hand. It was quite a comical view.
“Well, I just received a letter from the Pope (he pointed to an enveloped held in said prongs). You know, you can never be too careful. There might be some holy water on it.”
“Wait! I don’t know about any kind of letter from Pope!” Adriano joined the conversation.
“Well, why don’t you see for yourself, then?”
He took the envelope and read the letter in it.
“Hmmm… Indeed, it looks like a legitimate Papal seal. But I don’t remember sending any letters regarding…. Wait, A HOLY WAR SANCTION?!”
Everyone in the room looked at Adriano. Even the King recovered from his semi- slumber he was indulged in.
“You send a letter to the Pope asking for a crusade against the Ottomans? What for?” Aziraphale asked.
“Most importantly, how did you manage to send a diplomatic message without me knowing it?” Adriano chiped in to the conversation (though it mostly resembled an interrogation by this point).
“Well, you must’ve seen it, you just don’t seem to remember it! You have so much on your head that….” He stopped when he realized he was fooling no one. “Okay, I sneaked it in through the back door. It is a perfect opportunity, though! The King wanted a war to prove himself, no?”
“Crowley, you are a snake, but you are a decent tutor, so I’ll let your ‘liberal’ take on duties pass for now.” Ricardo said with a stern expression. “Just remember to never to such a thing without our permission. As for the Pope, we need to send a message with an explanation and….”
“Wait, did someone mention war?! I don’t want to be left out from this conversation!”
Unfortunately for most of the people present there, Louis heard them pretty well. Adriano and Ricardo shared a look of terror.
“You see, my liege, this is a situation we have under control…”
“Why, let me tell you about it, Sire” Crowley stepped forward. “You were talking about proving that you’re the most glorious leader of them all. If so, what proves that better than battling God’s enemies, driving the Saracens out of Europe? The Ottomans are a thorn in the Pope’s side; think of what people would say: Louis the Conqueror, scourge of the Turks, defender of the True Faith! “
“Uh-oh, he’s sweet- talking him. I can’t see this ending well.” Ricardo said back to Adriano.
“Hmm, yes, it does sound nice! I’ll finally show this Aragonese and my nutjob cousin who’s boss!”
“Well, my lord, I’m glad we see eye-to-eye!” A wide smile appeared on Crowley’s face.
“Wait just a minute.” Ricardo said. “How do you exactly expect us to defeat the Ottomans with the army we have?”
“Well, I was just about to explain! Let’s have a seat so I can tell you all about it! Though first I’ll take off that thing.”
--------------------------------------------------
The discussion was moved to the dining chamber, where Louis, Adriano, Ricardo, Aziraphale and Crowley, now freed from the suit of armour, were sitting around the table looking at the map.
Crowley stretched his arms in his chair. He was very glad to finally be out of this can; as a demon, he lacked bodily functions, so he was spared the worst of wearing a full plate all day, but is still was heavy and uncomfortable.
“Ehm, well, starting off, it’s clear that the Ottomans are in decline. They are losing wars and ceding territory constantly. Their last war with the Mamluks proves that.”
“That’s true, but they still have over double of our troops and probably superior training.” Ricardo countered.
“I was just geting to that! You see, the recent wars had completely decimated the Turkish fleet.”
“No matter how big their army is, it won’t help much if it’s stranded on another continent!”
They spent a while studying the map and discussing the battle plan.
“It’s a risky plan” Ricardo said “but if it works, we might succeed. We’ll need the time to prepare, though.”
“Well then, Ricardo, I trust in your instincts as a soldier. We need to ready ourselves to strike at the Ottoman scum!”
Louis was very happy with the situation.
“I don’t think it’s such a good idea.” Aziraphale said to Adriano.
“Well, me neither, but it’s hard to stop Louis when he’s in this mode. Crowley did know exactly what strings to pull, I have to give him that.”
“*sigh* You could say it’s his purpose in life.”
------------------------------------
And so, the preparations for the imminent war with the Ottomans begun. Ricardo made some improvements in the army training methods. Soldiers were now taught to hold their pikes sideways to appear more intimidating.
Finally, on fateful day, troops were loaded on the ships and sent to Greece. The fate of the Balkans, Naples and Louis’ head was about to be decided….
“My liege, the troops are all but ready. 4000 will attack from Greece, the other 4000 is waiting on ships.”
“Excellent, Adriano! Now, I have one little letter I need delivered to the sultan…”
“Right, my liege! Though I might have to look for someone to deliver it in the dungeons. I doubt anyone would take this task willingly…”
------------------------------------------
Bursa, 3 November, 1424
Sultan of the Ottomans was sitting in his very fancy chair, studying an old treaty about the righteous task of restoring the glory of Rome under the light of Islam. Suddenly, he was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
“Who’s this! I don’t accept guests this late.”
“Sorry, Magnificent, but I have a very important message.”
“Message, from who?”
“It’s from Naples, but the messenger beat it before we could ask him ant questions. I should do that to.”
“What was that?”
He was already gone.
“Bah! It’s so difficult to find a decent help this days. Maybe in Candar we’ll get some half- competent slaves.”
He opened up the envelope.
“Hmm. It’s from that Frank king in Italy. What does he want?” He started to read the message.
A DELCRITATION OF WHOLLY WAR BETEWEN THE OTTERMANS AND NARWHALS
He pondered for a seconds. Then, the realization hit.
“Wait… isn’t it a…… Damn, you Frank, damn you and your canine ancestors!”
------------------------------------
Crowley’s plan was simple in theory. It could be broke down to these six points:
1) Wait until most of the Ottoman army is fighting in Asia
2) Send in the fleet to the Marmar sea
3) Declare holy war on the Ottomans
4) Send in the armies, which, due to the blockade, are safe from the Ottomans
6) Large gains were bound to be had*
It all worked well for about six months. However, in reality all simple plans tend to get complicated when applied in practice. This one was no exception.
Somewhere in Ottoman territory, 6 July 1425
“Ricardo! Are all the troops on siege duty?”
“Indeed, my liege. Though I hate to interrupt you, I have an important message.”
“What is it?”
“Well, I have two messages. Unfortunately, they’re all bad. First, it appears that a Ottoman regiment has started to occupy Epirus.”
“What!? But how did they get there? Aren’t they all suppose to be in Anatolia?”
“That’s where the second message comes in. A small Candar fleet is currently blocking the Bosphorus strait, making the passage of troops impossible.”
“Wait, that means that….”
“Yes, sir, the entire Ottoman army is on the European side.”
“Oh, dear. Quick, we need to abandon the positions. Prepare the ships!”
* Truth be told, nobody knows what happened to the fifth point of his plan. The true meaning of the lists lacking the penultimate element was lost in time, due to a well known rule which said that you should never explain a joke.
---------------------------
“Well, that was close, wasn’t it, Ricardo?”
“Indeed, sir. Unfortunately, 1000 of our men were stranded with the Turks.”
“Their sacrifice won’t be in vain, Ricardo! Now, are our troops ready?”
“Yes sir. The fortresses of Bithynia and Anatolia are currently under siege. We expect them to fall this year.”
“Excellent! You see, we managed to salvage the situation after all!”
“And what about Janina, sir?”
“It can wait. We’ll take it back when we have the manpower available.”
“I understand, sir. I’ll inform you if something important happens.”
-------------------------------
Anatolia, 6 November 1425
“Sir, I’m glad to inform you that Anatolia and Bithynia are completely under our control.”
“So that’s two for one! Isn’t that great, Ricardo?”
“I wouldn’t be so enthusiastic about it. They have more territory than us after all.”
“Don’t worry! Unless they learn to swim in a full suit of armor, they aren’t a threat to us! Speaking of, how is our diplomatic situation?”
“I received some letters from Adriano recently. One says that the Ottomans have accepted a peace offer from Morocco. A pretty hefty one at that. This ends their war with Candar.”
“Excellent! This proves that they’re vulnerable!”
“And the second is actually a diplomatic dépêche from the Sultan himself.”
“Really? What does is say?”
“Ahem… ‘To the despicable King Louis II de Valois. Curse on you and your seventh descendant! Your traitorous attack in our hour of weakness won’t be forgotten. Me and my heirs won’t stop until we hunt you and all of your kind down like the animals you are! The heads of you and your followers will pave our road to Rome. But until then, I propose a status quo ante bellum, as you infidels say.’ Well, he’s willing to negotiate, my liege!”
“Bah! He’s scared witless! But we won’t chicken out.”
“Sir, I believe that the enemy blockade of the strait has been lifted.”
“Great! We’ll wait until the siege of Antalya is complete and then we move to the Balkans!”
“While we’re at it, we should focus on defeating Turkish allies first. I’ve heard that the Duke of Montenegro is in trouble- the Bosnians are besieging his city.”
“As you say, Ricardo!”
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Naples, 7 May 1426
Alfonso was about to take a walk on the palace fields when he heard something peculiar- a loud noise coming from the council chamber. When he approached closer, the sound turned out to be someone laughing. ‘Who could it be? The council chamber is usually empty at that time of day. The only person who could be inside was Adriano, and…. Well, I don’t expect it to be him.’
When he entered the room, what he saw exceeded all of his expectations. Inside indeed was Adriano, though ‘laughing’ would be putting it lightly- he was literally rolling on the floor with laughter. Next to him stood a rather hapless looking emissary.
Adriano regained some of his composure upon seeing the prince entering the room. He stood up and wiped the dust off his clothes.
“Ah, my Prince, what brings you here?”
“Well, the weird noises brought me here. What were you doing anyway?”
“I *stifled laughter* oh, sorry. Just… just look at this.”
Adriano handed him a letter.
“Hmm… Is that a peace term? These are pretty harsh. My father must be doing pretty… wait…. It’s not from the…. Oh, *laughs*, that’s just…”
“*laughs* Yeah, I know!”
Things escalated quickly from here. Soon both Adriano and Alfonso were overtaken by fits of uncontrollable laughter.
“You know, you’re not making this job any easier!”
The courier was doing his best to remain professional in a presence of two grown man rolling on a floor, though this didn’t help the situation.
“You know you won’t be laughing when the Ottomans come for you.”
Her entrance to the room completely changed the atmosphere. Adriano stood up, trying to fix his clothes up. The envoy bowed low.
“My lady, I delivered the letter as you ordered, but the request wasn’t taken seriously, it seems.”
“That’s all right. You did your jobs. We’ll see how hard they’ll laugh when the Turks come to claim their heads.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, Miss….”
“Irina Kotrimanic, Princess of Bosnia.”
One person who didn’t partake in the conversation was the young Alfonso. He was so absorbed in the new guest that he didn’t even get up- he was just lying down, mouth agape. He didn’t yet meet a lot of women in his life, but she had to be the most gorgeous one he had ever seen. She had a typical Slavic complexion, dark blonde hair and brilliant green eyes. Everything about her, from her voice to the way she moved was elegant and dignified. She was about the same age as him, maybe a little older.
“Your acts of villainy against the nations of Montenegro and Epirus didn’t go unnoticed, nor did your barbaric attack on Byzantium. Here on the Balkans we need neither your Pope nor your tyrannical kings. It would be better if you’d understand that now.”
Said that, she ordered the diplomat and few of escorting her men to leave.
“Well, she definitely is something.”
“Huh?”
“My Prince, it’s time that you come back to Earth.”
“Oh? Oh, sorry, don Adriano, I was lost in my thoughts for a minute… wait, she left already?”
“Indeed, sir. It’s a shame they left so soon. We could show them your father’s collection of pet pillows…. Wait, young prince?”
Alfonso was already storming through the palace halls. Thankfully, she was still on the palace grounds, so catching up to her was possible.
“*gasp* Wait…. Up…. Please…”
Princess Irina turned around when she heard him. She raised her eyebrow.
“Oh. You must be prince Alfonso, right? I’m surprised, actually.”
“Surprised? Why?”
“I’m surprised to hear you speak. You looked as dumb as it gets back in the palace. I’ve heard of the Western rulers and their tendency to marry their aunts just to get a good position, I thought this might be the case.”
Alfonso felt that he was blushing heavily. ‘I made an idiot out of myself. Wonderful.’
“But it seems that first impression might be deceiving. I apologize. Say, you were running after me, why?”
“What you said about my father back then, it wasn’t very fair.”
“Really? You say that subjugating smaller nations under their rule is okay?”
“We are saving them from the Ottomans!”
She raised her eyebrow even further.
“I say that’s just substituting a Muslim tyrant for a Catholic one.”
“We are Christians, they are infidels. We should unite against their aggression.”
“Just like the crusaders ‘united’ to sack Constantinople back in 1204?”
“It’s not fair! Neither my father nor anyone living had nothing to do with 1204! Hey, listen…. I don’t approve of everything my father’s doing. I might even be the first to call him a power hungry warmonger. But sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Furthermore, I….”
“I?” She repeated after him.
‘Damnit! Why do I have to get tongue- tied in a moment like this! Think!’
“I… want… to be different…”
‘THAT was the best you could come up with?!’
Irina gave him a very piercing look, then she smiled. To Alfonso’s surprise, it was more of a smile of admiration than of cynicism.
“That’s a commendable goal. Time will tell if you manage to stand by it. I need to return home now, Alfonso de Valois. Maybe we’ll meet again.”
“Wait!” He rushed forward almost without a thought. “You can’t go back. My father’s heading for your homeland right now. You’ll be in danger there!”
He shouldn’t probably say that too her. Even as a prince, he wasn’t exempted of being punished for sharing information with an enemy. Hopefully no one heard him….
“I am grateful for the information.” She was absorbed in her thoughts for a long time. “But I can’t leave my homeland now. I hope you understand. Farewell, Alfonso, and good luck.”
He watched her leave for a long time. Only when she disappeared in the crowded streets of Naples did he go back. But not before smacking his head against the gate arch. Twice.
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“So, My prince, how did you do on your chase?”
“*sigh* Could’ve gone better, Adriano.”
“Don’t worry yourself. Women are always trouble. That’s why I was always single. You’d have to have the patience of a saint to keep up with one.”
“Just like my great- great- grandfather?”
“*smiles* Yes, just like him.”
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Asia Minor, 20 September 1426
“My liege, I hereby inform you that Antalya is under our control.”
“That’s fantastic, Ricardo! Now we can focus our efforts on the Balkans!”
“Indeed, sir, but first I have a letter for you.”
He gave Louis a sheet of paper.
“A letter? What could it be?”
He read it, then dramatically crushed the paper in his hand.
Aragoooooooooon!
How will the war with the Ottomans end? Will Naples succeed, or will it fail? What will happen to Alfonso and Irina? Will Louis finally spell Naples’ name correctly? Find out in the next exciting [citation needed] episode.
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The war with the Ottomans will consist of 3 updates instead of 2 like I had originally planned. I split them because A) I thought the pacing would be better and B) the update was getting too damn long. Hope you enjoyed it!
Nothing says doom like a regional power inheriting a land-locked, wrong-culture one-province minor! You'll need all the luck (and maybe loot from the Ottomans) you can get to handle the newly enhanced might of Aragon.
Indeed, truth be told, I don't know if I can handle Aragon like this in the near future. Gotta hope that the war goes in my favour!
Update coming this weekend.
Episode 10- Louis the puppet master
Although in a more literal sense that you’d expect. Also, there’s still war.
Although in a more literal sense that you’d expect. Also, there’s still war.
Many people that predicted Naples’ demise in their war against the Ottomans were proven wrong. Indeed, Naples not only survived, but managed to tip the balance in its favor. The majority of Turkish territory in Anatolia was under occupation and Louis II was moving with his army back to Europe. Even so, the Ottomans still possessed many troops that could change the course of the war. A power move was needed.
Naples, 30 October 1427
“*yawn* Morning, Adriano.” Prince Alfonso entered the council chamber and found the Diplomat of Naples working as he usually does. “You never stop for a rest, do you?”
“Well, thanks to your father I have a lot of paperwork to do. No one’s gonna do it for me!”
“That’s because you never trust anyone with your work.”
He smiled wryly “Working for your father, that’s to be expected.”
“Any words from the Venetians?”
“Yes, they have agreed to join us in our war.”
“Have father heard about this?”
“I have already send a messenger to him. He should know in about the week.”
“*sigh* This will quicken the war. That’s… good, right?”
“Yeah, the sooner we get this over with the better. Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”
“I saw another draft the other day….”
“*sigh* I know. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. We don’t get many troops as it is. But come on, be honest with me. There’s something else, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Is this about that Bosnian girl? Are you still thinking about her?”
“Am I that easy to read, Adriano?”
“Well, my Prince, I have an advice for you: there are many thrills to be found in life, but you’d better stay away from cards *laughs*. If you need a diplomatic channel I’d be happy to help you out but I presume you have this figured out by now.”
“*smiles* Yes, Adriano, I have pretty good contact with her.”
“You’ve always been a resourceful one. So, why the sad face?”
“I worry for her, Adriano. The war is getting close to Bosnia and I’m afraid she might get hurt. You think she’s gonna be all right?”
“Hmm… You know, I don’t know for sure. She’s royalty, so I doubt she will be killed, though somebody might take her hostage and use her as leverage on her father.”
“I know… I tried to talk to her about hiding somewhere safe but she refused to leave her country.”
“Don’t worry that much, young Prince. She looks like the sort that can handle themselves.”
“Yeah… Adriano?”
“Yes, my Prince?”
“Do you think… it’ll work?”
“*laughs* Well, Alfonso, this is not the kind of question you should ask an old bachelor like me! Though honestly, why not? This palace might use some young blood.”
“If there’s gonna be a palace…”
“Don’t be so pessimistic! Naples is completely safe!”
“I hope you’re right, Adriano…”
It seems that recent Neapolitan victories have reignited Europe’s zeal for holy wars. More nations declared their will to fight for God and glory. Most notably, the nation of Aragon decided to finally drive the Moors out of Iberia.
Wait, Aragon…?
Don’t you mean Castille? No? Allright then.
Meanwhile, me move back to our fearless leader.
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Bosnia, 4 July 1428
Louis wasn’t aware that this day would be an independence holiday in a yet non- existent country across the ocean. And even if he did know, he probably wouldn’t care much. What occupied his mind was organizing sieges and supply lines. Or rather, deluding himself that he handles it instead of one of his officers.
Now though, he was about to do something glorious- the Sultan himself was before him, kneeling before him and begging for mercy.
“Oh, please, great King Louis of Naples, have mercy! Our lands suffer under the occupation of your troops. Our people are weary of the long war. Accept our defeat and put an end to this!”
Louis stood above, proud and imposing like a mighty crusader from times long gone.
“That’s right, Sultan! Kneel before
“Yes, Greatest! We surrender. We’ll accept your every demand!”
“I shall be merciful. You will only lose your land in Greece. You and your kind will never set your foot in Europe again.”
“Yes, enlightened one! Your wisdom has no bounds!”
“As for you, dear King of Bosnia*” Louis turned to the other person present. “You shall be taken under our Royal protection forever. The Balkans will return to Christian hands again!”
He just bowed before de Valois without saying a word.
“As for you- “ There appeared to be more people present. “Aragonese scum, you concede all your Territory in Italy, including Sicily and Sardinia. No more foreign aggression on our land!”
“Yes, oh, great Louis.”
“Ah, yes, my cousin. I have something special for you. You thought that you can push me around just because you’re the King of France? Bah, you don’t even deserve to be the stable boy of France! I shall make a new order. From now on, Naples will be the greatest power in Europe! Big Blue Blob my a-“
“Sir, is this a bad time?”
Seeing Ricardo entering the tent Louis hastily hid his figurines behind the cupboard.
“Ah, Ricardo… No, I’m fine, really!..... You didn’t see anything, did you?”
“No, sir. And I definitely didn’t see you playing with your dolls.”
“Good. *Ahem* What do you require of me again?”
“Unfortunately I have some bad news, sir. Janina have fallen to the Turks.”
“That’s bad indeed. Will we be able to retake it?”
“Not in the near future I’m afraid. Though I have good news too- the Venetians are hitting our enemies hard. They have many troops in Greece and are about to take control of Larissa. The Turks are also suffering from large revolts across their territories.”
“Good! Any news from home?”
“Adriano wrote about some nobles being upset about the changes being made in the government sector. The situation is under control, though.”
“Fantastic! Are the troops ready to march on Skopje?”
“Yes, sir. The morale is high due to the recent victory on Serbian soil. We’ll be ready to siege shortly.”
“I’m always happy when things go my way.”
“Indeed, sir.” He saw somebody approaching the royal tent. “Who’s there?... A message for the King? Show it to me…”
“A message for me? Is it from Naples?”
“Not exactly, sir. It’s from the Venetians.”
*In case you wondered, the fact that the aforementioned kings are referred to by their title only comes from Louis’ ‘wackiness’, not from me dropping the ball and not writing the monarch’s names down. Uh-uh. Definitely not.
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Naples, 15 February 1429
The state of the war as of 1429:
Nearly 5 years have passed since the beginning of the war. Naples still owned territories in Asia Minor, mostly due to its vassals’ armies, though they were gradually lost. The presence of the fleet on Bosphorus the Ottomans couldn’t send any troops there, but several rebel armies were actively retaking territory.
However, what they gained by rebels in the East they lost in the Balkans. Smelling weakness like shark smells blood in the water, freedom fighters have risen all over their European territory. Sometimes they got in the way of Neapolitan troops.
Earlier this year, disturbing news came from Spain. It seems that heretics have taken control of some Castillian lands, preying on their vulnerability after the disastrous war with Aragon. Many people saw that as a warning of people being more and more audacious in their actions against Papacy. Most didn’t listen.
Notice the ‘National Bank’ NI. Are they planning to bribe the heretics?
Though the war was on the tongues of many people in Naples, one person’s mind was especially occupied by it. Young Alfonso de Valois was walking back and forth along the cold corridors of the Royal Palace (blame the low heating budget). In his hand he was holding a letter. He read it again, perhaps the tenth time in an hour. It was in Bosnian. He picked some Slavic languages during his tutorship, so learning this language took only about two months. Besides, it was the best way to communicate with Irina without someone eavesdropping.
‘Dear Alfonso, (they dropped titles after about three months of correspondence per her request. Or was is his request? Eh, not important now!) Your father’s troops are occupying the majority of my country. As of the time I’m writing this they’re preparing to siege Skopje. My parents are safe, evacuated to a place I must not mention is fear that this letter falls in the wrong hands. They still hope that the Turkish army will save them. I refused to go with them, decided to stay and help. Unfortunately, when the Neapolitan soldiers were closing in on the city I was placed with the women and children in the castle. This is probably the last letter I’ll be able to send before all contact is sealed off. With regards, Irina. P. S. In case it isn’t obvious from the tone of the letter: yes, this is a call for help.’
He must’ve walked through this halls the entire night. Lots of thoughts were racing through his mind. ‘That’s bad. She’s stranded in the besieged castle. If the troops know who she is, they might merely place her under arrest, but if she’s there incognito, she might get killed, or…… I must help her! But how? Talk my father out of this? No, he won’t go for it, he’s too stubborn. Even if I tell him about her, he might just offer me another girl to look after, maybe even my cousin *shudders*. Hire some men to disrupt the siege? And act against your country’s interest, you idiot?’
He walked faster and faster. ‘I need a way to get her out of here! If only I knew someone that could think of a way to….’
A simple thought sparked inside his mind. Without pondering further, he stormed up the stairs to the second floor.
Crowley’s room was thankfully unlocked; it would be hard to explain if he broke his tutor’s door. He was sitting on the bed with a mildly curious look on his face.
“Ah, my prince. What brings you here this late?”
“It seems that not only I have trouble sleeping.”
“Bah! Have you ever even seen me sleeping? Anyway, coming here this late? You probably want to ask for a favour, do you? “
“You’re good at this.”
“One of the best, kid! *laughs* Now tell me, how much is your soul worth for you?”
*glare*
“All right, this one’s on the house. Now tell me, what is it you require?”
“Say… you don’t happen to have a method to get inside a castle before a siegeing army does that?”
Crowley raised his eyebrows.
“*whistle* Well, that’s an interesting request! I will definitely look forward to your reign as a King.”
“So… can you do that?”
“I don’t know…. I’m not used to bailing princesses out of towers. What will I have of it?”
“Well, you know about me and Irina…. And it was you that convinced my father that the war was a good idea. It’s because of you that I’m in this predicament. Don’t you think you owe me that much?”
“*smiles* You learned your lessons well, my Prince. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.”
“Then how long will it take you to sort it out?”
“Well, they say that only the devil does things pronto. In this case, you’re in luck!”
“*raises brow* So, you have contacts with the devil now?”
“Not exactly, my Prince. Not exactly…”
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Skopje, 24 February 1429
The siege camp was buzzing with activity. The castle was expected to fall any day now so soldiers were constantly on guard looking for the signs of surrender. It was no surprise that two people managed to sneak past all the way to the castle walls.
Our brave adventurers were of course Alfonso and Crowley. Alfonso was carrying a torch while Crowley was holding a large package.
“Are you sure this will work?”
“No worries, my Prince! I got this from the Turks. They were going to use it in some major siege but they never got around to use it.”
“I don’t know. I sounds shoddy… A package that can blow open a hole in a wall?”
“Just give me the torch and observe!”
Crowley grabbed the torch and lit the fuse. They both hid in a relatively safe place. About the minute passed without a thing of notice. Then the package exploded. The effect exceeded everyone’s expectations.
*KABLOOIE!*
Crowley must’ve underestimated the blast radius- bits of stone were falling good few feet behind them. When the dust settled, Alfonso saw a gaping hole right through the wall.
“Wow! Can you maybe get more of this?”
“You don’t want to know what I did to get a hold of this, you probably wouldn’t do it yourself. The world is not ready for a thing like that. Anyway, get through. I hope nobody notices the giant hole in the wall…”
“I’m on it, then! Thanks again, Crowley! We’ll meet in the appointed spot!”
“Have fun storming the castle!”
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Thankfully in was easier to mix with the crowds than he expected. The soldiers didn’t notice the source of the explosion yet- they probably attributed it to someone’s latest meal, no doubt rich in cabbage and beans**. Now, where might she be?
His thoughts were interrupted by people shouting and running past him.
“What are you waiting for, ya runt?! We’ve got enemy inside! To arms!”
‘Oh crap. They are already inside! I have to act faster.’
He pondered a while when the solution presented itself. The classic one.
In the highest tower of the castle.
There were surprisingly few guards on the way up- they probably went down to fight the invaders. He braved the stairs, cursing her for not finding a lower place to hide. The doors, as he found out, were barred from the inside. As he also found out, they weren’t barred very well- we was perfectly able to bash them open. Inside, he found her. She was sitting on the bed with a few of the castle servants beside her. When she saw him, she drew a sword that was lying next to her.
“I swear…” She said with a shaky voice “If you dare to touch me, my father will do things to you that you can’t even imagine.”
Alfonso smiled and took off the hood that was covering his face the whole time.
“Is this how you greet me, m’lady?”
Irina opened her mouth in amazement. She rushed forward and hugged him.
“Oh my God, Alfonso! I was already losing hope.”
“Now, now, I wouldn’t leave you here, would I?”
“I’m sorry I was so stupid. I should’ve come with my parents. Now I got us both in trouble.”
“Well, you can’t change that. But now I have to get you out of here.” He looked around the room. “Are these people going to be safe?”
“Yes, they can handle themselves pretty well.” She pointed at one of the servants. “After we leave, barricade the doors. This time well.”
“Yes, my lady!”
“So, my savior, what’s your plan of getting us out of here?”
“Well, it revolves around the way I came in!”
“So I suspect you were behind that big explosion?”
“You heard? Well, I hope nobody noticed that hole. Neapolitan soldiers aren’t very bright, to be honest.”
“I heard that the intruders bashed the gate open, so you are right. Don’t worry, our soldiers should have things under control.”
“Well, considering how easy it was to get here…”
*glare*
“Okay, okay. Speaking of, I don’t know if we can sneak around them when there’s two of us…”
“Don’t worry. I have it covered.” She took off her scarf and wrapped it around Alfonso’s neck.
“Mmm… And that’s for?”
“That’s a sign for the soldiers to not cut your head off when they see you.”
“You thought about everything! That’s a good thing too, as I think I couldn’t beat them. I’m terrible at sword fighting.”
“Should’ve known you’re too good to be true.”
“Hey! I’ve got other feats too!”
“Let’s leave your feats…. For now. We should focus on getting out of here.”
„Agreed”
They reached the breech in the wall.
“Wow, that’s a huge hole! How did you do that?”
“*shrugs* It’s Crowley’s Eastern magic. He didn’t say much about that.”
He then grabbed her in a gentlemanly manner to help her get through.
“That’s nice of you, Alfonso.” She thanked him by kissing him on the cheek. He could feel his face turning red.
“Just doing my job, my lady. Anyway, let’s go, our rescue is waiting.”
“It’s this Crowley guy, right? I don’t know, Alfonso. Leaving woman’s safety in another man’s arms…”
“Well, one thing I can say about him: one way or another, you’re completely safe around him.”
**I was getting behind with the toilet humor in this AAR…
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Oh man, and to think this was supposed to be a short part to put between the main war episodes.
Yeah, it just happens- whenever I start to write these days, I end up with 3000- word juggernauts. Sorry, readers. I hope that I didn’t scare off all of you.
Well, I've certainly missed one very exciting war. It's a shame that the doll sequence couldn't have been reality, but at least things seem to be going sort of okay.
I'm looking forward to seeing how long you can delay reporting the conclusion of the war
I'm looking forward to seeing how long you can delay reporting the conclusion of the war
Well, I've certainly missed one very exciting war. It's a shame that the doll sequence couldn't have been reality, but at least things seem to be going sort of okay.
I'm looking forward to seeing how long you can delay reporting the conclusion of the war
Yeah, the doll sequence is kinda wishful thinking; it might happen someday but it's gonna take a lot of time
Also, I'm not stalling, honest! I just had enough material for three updates. Jeez, have some faith in me
Anyway, the (hopefully) last war update is coming; maybe today, but most likely tomorrow.
Episode 11- Naples Stronk
In which the Ottoman army, amongst other things, is removed from premises.
In which the Ottoman army, amongst other things, is removed from premises.
War was still going on, and with each day the victory of Naples was more certain. Recent victory over Bosnia gave Louis a new vassal, while his son Alfonso gained a girlfriend. Sometimes it’s the less significant victories that matter most.
Naples was winning battle after battle. The morale of troops was at the all- time high.
With Serbia completely under occupation, the armies of Louis II were ready to attack Greece proper.
In the city of Naples, Adriano del Rosso was busy as always, working on the final peace treaty that would be acceptable for both sides. Though mind of most of the people were far from war at the moment. Crown prince returned to present his future wife. This naturally was a prime gossip topic.
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Naples, 10 June 1429
The official part of the ceremony was complete and most of the guests went on to the other major attraction of the day- the buffet. Alfonso and Irina were still present in the throne room, as was Queen Eleanor. Other people present were Bernard de Vaulard, distant relative of Louis and Queen’s companion for the evening, royal diplomat Adriano del Rosso and the royal tagalongs Aziraphale and Crowley. Since the atmosphere was noticeably less official after most of the dignitaries left, they were mostly filling up time with small talk and discussions.
“Ah, my Prince! It’s a little early to be coming back with the spoils of war, don’t you think?” Crowley and Aziraphale joined the conversation.
“Well, thanks, I just couldn’t wait to flaunt.. Ouch! I mean, it’s not exactly like that, you know…” He stopped to massage his hurting foot. “Can’t even joke a little? I see how it’s gonna be…”
All of the present, Irina included, shared a chuckle at Alfonso’s expense.
“I have to say, Alfonso, there’s one thing you definitely have in common with your father: you know how to pick women. Miss Irina is indeed as fiery as she is beautiful.”
“Always with the compliments, Bernard. You’ve always been a lady hound.”
“He speaks the truth, though.” Said Alfonso with a sly smile.
“Oh, stop it!” Judging from the smile on her face though, she was appreciative of the comment.
“Too bad old Louis isn’t here to celebrate with us!”
“Speaking of, Adriano, have you got any clue when he’ll be back?”
“Unfortunately, M’ lady, I don’t know much more than you do. All I know is that he’s returning from Serbia to Greece.”
“Oh, Louis, you’ve always been a glory hound. Had I been a little younger, I’d go with him! I haven’t seen a good fight in a long time!”
“Why are men so interested in war?”
“You see, my dear” Eleanor said “grown men aren’t really much better than little boys. All they think about is fun and thrill of adventure, only they toys get more sharp and pointy as they grow up. It’s all a way of proving you’re bigger than the rest. Let the old sod have his fun.”
The present men rolled their eyes a few times.
“Don’t worry your pretty head with this! Louis will be back in no time! And there will be rejoicing all over Naples.”
“Not to mention a wedding, I’m right?”
At the mention of the topic Alfonso and Irina shared a worried expression.
“Actually, would it be a problem to… make the ceremony earlier?”
“Earlier? But why? Naples isn’t in danger so you don’t have to hurry.”
“I know, but, you see… we don’t know when the war will end and planning everything will be more difficult…”
“I don’t see why that would be a problem. It won’t take that long to arrange, especially with Queen Eleanor’s help.”
“Crap… I don’t think that’s working…”
“You see…” Alfonso started “we would like the ceremony to be held earlier, because… there were some unforeseen circumstances…”
“What Alfonso is trying to say…” Irina decided to back him up “is that I’m…. that we… are expecting a child.”
Consternation filled the room. Both the Prince and Princess were blushing heavily. The rest was left flabbergasted. It was clear that everyone is waiting for someone to react first. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the silence was broken by Bernard.
“Well, that’s…. fantastic! Long live the Valois!”
Everyone took the news surprisingly well. What came later was a long series of congratulations; ladies were hugging and crying tears of joy. Men were patting each other on the shoulder and cracking jokes at Alfonso’s expense. They were speculations about the name of the future prince (everyone was convinced that it’d be a boy) and how will Louis react to the news.
Crowley, who along with Aziraphale was observing the scene from aside, had a wide grin on his face.
“Ah, isn’t it lovely, Aziraphale, how love can bloom even here?”
Aziraphale apparently did not share Crowley’s enthusiasm. He had a very accusatory look on his face.
“Oh, come on, cheer up! Aren’t you happy for them?’
“…”
“Wait, you don’t think I have something to do with it, do you?”
“Crowley…”
“Don’t look at me at that! I said I had nothing to do with it!”
“Crowley!”
“Oh, come on! I swear I took no part in this!”
“CROWLEY!”
“No, I didn’t convince them to do that either! Why is everything that’s wrong around here suddenly my fault?!”
Aziraphale didn’t answer. Instead, he turned back to Alfonso.
“At least they had the common sense to talk about this after the ceremony.”
“Yeah, that might’ve been quite a scandal. Which proves that I’m innocent this time, since nobody knows that!”
“Okay, I believe you. Wanna catch some fresh air?”
“Sure.”
----------------------------------------------------
Had he known about the developments at home, maybe Louis would come back to see his family. Probably not though. Right now he was occupied by the war with the Ottomans. And it was going better than ever. With the latest victory on Serbian soil the last pocket of organized resistance was eliminated.
Not pictured: the Ottomans’ ability to wage war.
All that was left was to occupy the remaining Turkish territory and make a mad dash for the spoils, before anyone notices that something’s wrong.
Naples, 10 May 1430
“It’s a fine day for glory, don’t you think, Ricardo?”
“Indeed, sire. By the way: we’ve made a breakthrough in the land warfare department. Soon we will have Knights at our disposal.”
“Fantastic! Wait… shouldn’t we have them already?”
“it’s because of a mod… I mean, mad, mad man. You shouldn’t concern yourself with that.”
“I see… so, are our troops in positions?”
“Yes, sir. We dispatched a regiment to retake Janina, the rest are siegeing Ottoman territory. We can’t spread too thin, though. The rebel activity is increasing and we might lose troops if we’re not careful.”
“Splendid. You’ll see, the war will be over sooner that you think!”
“Indeed, my liege. I have one more message for you, my lord. It concerns your son and…”
“Can it wait a bit, Ricardo? I need to wash my hair.”
“As you wish, sir. I’ll leave it for you to read later.”
“Excellent!”
--------------------------------------------
People in Naples took the news of Louis’ recent successes with joy- it meant that the men will return any time. Meanwhile some of the nobles, thankful that they could get rid of some of their less desirable offspring, made a significant contribution to the treasury. Adriano made sure that Louis would never know about this. Instead of wasting it on baubles, the money was spent to built two new warships.
Does this count as ‘embezzling’ if you take the money and do something for the country with them?
A little earlier, the de Valois dynasty have gotten a new member. In December of 1429 Irina gave birth to a healthy boy named Alberto. Young couple have taken marriage vows earlier that year in a quiet and private ceremony, with a bigger celebration planned after the war. With the recent change on the Papal throne, no one was questioning the legitimacy of the marriage.
Few people knew that things were about to get grim very soon…
-------------------------------------
“How’s the situation, Ricardo?”
“The sieges are progressing well. The provinces of Nis and Kozani are now in our hands.”
“Although the partisan activity is increasing every day. We’ve already lost a battle in Nis and were forced to leave. If we don’t hurry up we might lose even more ground.”
“You’re suggesting concentrating power? “
“Precisely, sir. We must gather our armies to protect our gains.”
“We’ll do just that.”
“One last thing: Venice is at war with Austria, again. They ask for our assistance.”
“So, what do you think?”
“Although it would be amusing to join in and then peace out after a year, I think it’s not in our best interest.”
“As you say. But now Ricardo, I must ask you to return to Naples. I have that strange feeling that my family might be in trouble there.”
“As you wish, my liege. I will protect them with my life if I have to.”
----------------------------------------------
Naples, 11 January 1432
It was late evening and Aziraphale was on a nice stroll through the palace fields. Suddenly he saw a dark figure running quickly towards the gates. It might’ve been difficult to recognize him in the dark but the squeaking of his shoes gave him away.
“Crowley? What are you doing here this late?”
“*gasp* Aziraphale…. I …. Need to talk to Ricardo… right now…”
“Wait, calm down! What happened?”
“*gulp* Well, starting off…. Remember when some of the nobles were concerned about the changes in the military?”
“Yeah, that’s because they can’t send their imbecile inbred bastards to die in the army anymore. What of it?”
“Well… when Ricardo came back, he heard about a possible plot against the ruling class of nobles. I volunteered to investigate, seeing how Ricardo was busy.”
“Crowley…”
“I had no ill intentions that time I swear. Anyway, when I dug a bit, I discovered that it was in fact a heretic cult stylized after the Hussites. They planned to overthrow the Pope and create a new Kingdom Under Heaven.”
“Oh dear… What did you do then?”
“Well, I went to them to have a chat…”
Aziraphale gulped loudly. Whatever Crowley said to this heretics is could’ve not been good….
“And… things didn’t go as planned…. They are now marching at the palace as we speak.”
“Oh no… We need to tell Ricardo!”
“I know! Hurry!”
The palace was put in full alert relatively quickly. Soon Aziraphale, Crowley, Adriano and the Royal Family were escorted by Ricardo and the guards.
“All right…” Ricardo said- “We need to escape to the palace fields, then we’ll through a secret hole in the fence. Then, we’ll escape through the docks.”
“Sounds easy enough…. So probably there will be complications?”
“There always are.”
“Are they going to burn the palace down? My entire collection of furs is inside!”
“I hope not, my Lady. The guards will most likely chase them off. I just want to escort us to safety just in case.”
Rest of the travel was spent in relative silence. There were sounds of fighting in the distance but they did not encounter any trouble so far.
“We’re getting close to the docks.” Crowley said. “It’s a wonder nobody bothered us yet…”
Just as he spoke it, a tall figure emerged from the shadows, armed with a knife and shouting some gibberish.
“Klaatu! Barada! Nikto!”
Ricardo rushed forward to defend them. He made a long swing with his sword and soon the intruder collapsed to the ground.
“Uh, we’re safe.”
“Are you all right?” Adriano noticed that Ricardo is holding his side.
“Yes, I’m fine. Come, we’re almost there.”
Rest of the travel went without incident. The escorted were loaded onto a safe ship ready to sail to Reggio.
“Looks like job well done to me…” Ricardo stopped and kneeled on the ground, holding his side in pain.
“Here, I’ll take a look at this…. Is this what ‘fine’ is to you, you moron?! You ate a knife to a hilt!”
“I *cough* didn’t want to spread panic.”
“You always were a showoff.”
“So… it’s the end, isn’t it? Wow, dying in the embrace of a man- that’s a thought I’ve never had.”
“Oh, shut up. We’ll get you through this.”
“I *cough* don’t think so, my friend. *cough* take a good care of Louis while I’m gone. *cough* And don’t *cough* don’t forget to kick his ass for me
*cough* *cough*.”
“Oh, don’t go ‘cough’ on me! Say something!”
“Heh… you want me to say some quotable dying words, don’t you? Sod o…”
After that, no more words came from Ricardo’s mouth. His head went hanging over Adriano’s shoulder. Adriano didn’t say anything either; he just sat there and wept.
--------------------------------------------------------------
News that came shook Louis pretty badly. First, there were news of Morocco annexing Bulgaria.
That’s not the end for poor Bulgaria just yet.
Then there were of course the news from Naples. Heretic uprising did much damage and cost the lives of many people, most notably Ricardo de Ipla, major general of the Naepolitan army and the commander of the Guards. Happy or not, Louis was forced to make peace. Even though the terms were favorable, this victory felt bittersweet at best.
Maybe next time…
--------------------------------------------------------
On that rather sad note, the war with the Ottomans came to a conclusion! As always, I appreciate all comments about what to do and what to avoid in future wars, the narrative etc. Stay tuned for more. Also, the next chapter will be rather short, so it’ll be up quicker.
A sort of successful campaign in Greece, Bosnia vassalised, an heir for our heir, heretics defeated – what can possibly go wrong now?
I look forward to finding out. Sod off indeed
Narrative-wise, what you're doing is very good. Nicely lighthearted, but well fleshed out nonetheless. Good job!
I look forward to finding out. Sod off indeed
Narrative-wise, what you're doing is very good. Nicely lighthearted, but well fleshed out nonetheless. Good job!
A sort of successful campaign in Greece, Bosnia vassalised, an heir for our heir, heretics defeated – what can possibly go wrong now?
I look forward to finding out. Sod off indeed
Narrative-wise, what you're doing is very good. Nicely lighthearted, but well fleshed out nonetheless. Good job!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
The next update will be up in a matter of days.
Episode 12- A Beginning and an End
Not exactly in that order.
Not exactly in that order.
War with the Ottomans might’ve ended, but Naples was far from peaceful. The countryside was still overrun by the heretic rebels and roads were even more dangerous than before. All planned victory celebrations were postponed until the situation improves.
The northern border of Naples wasn’t peaceful either. There has been a massive Urbinese rebellion on Papal lands. The Pope is having trouble dealing with the uprising.
The Neapolitan guard tried their best to contain the heretic menace. They have been a bit overzealous in their search for potential heresy, understandably so considering the circumstances, but a few merchants got caught in the crossfire.
The recent victory, it seems, inspired others to follow: barely a week after the peace treaty Byzantium declared war on the Ottomans, aiming to regain some of their lost territory.
---------------------------------------------
Naples, 14 June 1432
Just that one time, the citizens of Naples were right to count on Louis. He came back a month after the end of the war and crushed the heretic forces.
Naples was ready to greet their savior and Louis was eager to reunite with his family.
“Ah, it’s wonderful to be back!”
“Indeed, my King, we missed you dearly.” Adriano, along with the rest of the court, already returned from Reggio.
“It’s wonderful to see you all safe! Alfonso! I haven’t seen you in ages! You’ve grown so much.”
Louis then noticed his spouse wearing a rather nonplused expression.
“Ehm.. It’s good to see you too, my dear.”
If Louis expected his wife to cheer up, he was sadly mistaken. The look on Eleanor’s face would make even the bravest of men shiver.
“That’s it? You’re gone for eight years and that’s all you have to say?”
“Well, my dear…. I’m sorry…. I wanted to write home more often but my responsibilities….”
“Responsibilities?! Don’t make me laugh. You just spend all day prancing in your tent like a peacock! And you don’t even write back! Have you got any idea how worried we were about you?!”
“Yes, darling… owowowow! I’m sorry…. I’m sososososorry!”
“On top of that, you send Ricardo instead of taking care of the family yourself! Now Ricardo’s dead!”
“With all respect, my Queen, Ricardo’s death wasn’t the King’s fault. I understand your feelings, but we’re all facing tough times now.”
“Ad- Adriano is right, sweetheart. And, ow! Could you please, owowow! Stop pulling my ear?”
“Tsk! At least now we know who’s gonna renovate the palace! This place must be in a mess after our hasty retreat.”
*gulp*
“Well, Dad, you found yourself some entertainment at least! *laughs*”
“Oh, very funny, Alfonso. You better introduce us to your guest!”
….
“Wait…. So that means you don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Oh, King… You didn’t read my letters at all, did you?”
“You see, father…. This is my wife, Irina.”
“So… this means… this boy…”
“Yes, this is your grandson.”
…….
“I’m, well…. I mean…. That’s fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! I knew about it all along! I was pulling your leg the whole time! Oh, let me hug you all.”
-----------------------------------------------------
“I win again.”
“Oh, confound it!”
Crowley and Aziraphale were just killing time with a game of checkers. Crowley, playing black figures of course, almost always trumped him.
“I swear, I’m close to accusing you of cheating.”
“Well, at least I know how to lose with honor. That is, I would if you were a better opponent.”
“Oh, it’s a stupid game anyway. By the way, how is your investigation?”
“What inv…. Ah, you mean our… *looks around* space- time thingy? I’m clueless. Wait, why should I share my info with you? Aren’t we on the opposite sides?”
“Well, look at it like this: do you want to go back to Hell?”
“Not especially. Why?”
“See, if you won’t give them anything, they’ll send you back and maybe even make you take a ‘re- education’ course.”
“That can’t be much worse than working with Louis. But you also have squat for information, don’t you?”
“Yes, so I thought that you might have something…”
“Oh, blast… maybe we can feed them some bull, what do you sat about that?”
“It won’t work forever, you know. Maybe there really is nothing of interest here…”
“Or maybe we just suck!”
*laugh*
“Anyway, I quite like it here so far. I might consider staying.”
“So do I, actually. You know, if we exchange our knowledge, we have a better chance of finding out something useful…”
“You might be right. We’ll see how things turn out. In the meantime, another round?”
“I will beat you this time!”
“*laughs* Positive thinking is a key to success, Aziraphale!”
----------------------------------------------
Naples, 16 April 1433
“Adriano, I am hungry for news!”
“Indeed, sir, there has been sometime without any screenshot.”
“Screen- what?”
“No matter, sir. Starting off, war is brewing in the Empire, as the whole north of Germany is engulfed in conflict.”
“Why won’t the Emperor do something about it?”
“You see, my King, the only qualm the Hapsburgs have with wars is that they take away potential conquest for them. Speaking of, Byzantium have retaken Bursa from the Ottomans!”
“Good for them! It’s always great to see those Turkish bastards suffer.”
“That’s not the end for them either. Wallachia, our old arch- nemesis, wants a piece of the Balkans for themselves.”
“It’s not all good news, though. We have lost Larissa to Greek patriot rebels.”
“Unfortunate! Do we have troops to deal with this?”
“Our regiments are undermanned but we’re doing what we can.”
“Excellent. Inform me frequently about the situation.”
“One more thing, my liege. I have been contacted by a veteran committee. They represent veterans from our war with the Ottomans. They want to raise social awareness about the ill fate of the combatants.”
“Grievous news! We will do everything we can for them.”
“They also ask for 120 ducats, my King.”
….
“Ehm, well… I’ll assemble the council and we’ll see what we can do… I’ll be in my room Adriano.”
“As you wish, my liege. I’ll tell them not to wait foryou.”
-----------------------------------------------
It took almost a year to repair the damage done by the heretic uprising. Thanks to back- breaking labour of Louis and, well, mostly Louis, the palace was as good as new. There was much rejoicing from everyone (except the King, he mostly complained about his back.)
This called for a great celebration. There were some unwanted guests, though, as a bunch of Urbinese revolutionaries crossed the border to join in for the fun (though they mostly cared about the plunder)
Oh, COME ON!
Meanwhile, Castille somehow remembered that they have immense manpower and money and wanted to capitalize on that by declaring war on their usual target.
This war also was inconclusive.
So now, a new era opened up before Naples. What could possibly go wrong?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Naples, 20 September 1433
“My King, I have bad news. Janina have fallen to enemy hands again.”
“This can’t be? Can our garrisons handle this?”
“Unfortunately, my liege, we don’t have enough men to deal with the rebellion.”
“I see. I will take the men from Naples and sail to Greece myself then!”
“Sir, is that a wise decision? You’ve already been on a war.”
“This is a different matter. We must show that we can defend our territory!”
“I probably can’t dissuade you. But promise you’ll be careful.”
“I will, Adriano. Take care!”
…..
“You know that I don’t believe that in the slightest, my liege.”
-----------------------------------------------
“Sir, the troops are ready to march!”
“Excellent! What’s the location of the rebel army?”
“They are just beyond the forest. If we’ll lucky, we might lure them into the thicket.”
“Brilliant plan! I’ll ride on ahead to meet with the scouts!”
“Sir, watch out for the tree branches!”
“What tree b…
*BONK!*
--------------------------------
Louis got up from the ground. His head didn’t hurt as bad as he expected. In fact, nothing hurt him, even his back was way better. ‘Ah, the wonders of horseback riding!’ His horse must’ve ran away after he fell. Oh, maybe the soldiers will find it.
Speaking of the soldiers, there wasn’t anyone around. ‘I can’t see anyone. Must be because of the dark.’ Weird. When he rode away it was only afternoon. Was he really out that long?
Just when he thought that he saw someone in the distance. A tall person wearing dark clothes. When he approached him, he noticed he was carrying a scythe. A farmer perhaps? It was late for harvest. Maybe he knows the way around.
“Excuse me, I fell off my horse. Have you seen any soldiers around here?”
The dark person didn’t turn around; that’s because, as Louis realized, he was facing his direction the whole time.
TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH, LOUIS DE VALOIS
“Excuse me, you were waiting for me?”
I WAIT FOR EVERYONE, LOUIS
“What’s with your accent? It’s really weird. And why do you call me by my name? I’m a king, damnit!”
WHERE YOU’RE GOING, THEY DON’T ACCOUNT FOR TITLES, I’M AFRAID
“Going? You gonna take me to my troops?”
NO. I’M GONNA TAKE YOU TO THE GREAT PASTURES
“Never heard of that place. Is it in Wales?”
ARGH! JUST… LOOK
He raised up his hood.
“Oh dear… You’re really pale! Is this some sort of condition? You’re a miller perhaps?”
NO. I’M DEATH. I I’VE COME FOR YOU BECAUSE I SEND OF THE SPIRITS TO THE AFTERLIFE. ADD TWO AND TWO
“But…. This can’t be! I can’t be…. Dead….”
FROM ALL THE DEAD PEOPLE I’VE SEEN…. YOU LOOK EXACTLY AS DEAD AS EVERYONE ELSE. JUST LOOK AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.
The stranger pointed his bony finger to Louis’s right. What he saw there made him scream.
He saw himself, lying on the grass with limbs bent in weird ways. Above him, soldiers were crowding around, all looking troubled.
“That’s…. but, my country… my family….”
THEY WILL MANAGE. TIS WHAT MORTALS DO. NOW COME WITH ME.
“But… what will I see on the other side?”
I DON’T KNOW. I ONLY DELIVER SOULS. YOU’LL HAVE TO SEE FOR YOULSELF.
Ready or not, Louis stepped after the Grim Reaper, as he took him to the Doors To The Otherside. They were surprisingly small and he and the Reaper had to squat to get through.
IT’S ALWAYS TOO SMALL. PEOPLE ARE GETTING TALLER AND TALLER. I KEEP ASKING FOR A BIGGER DOOR BUT THE GUYS UPSTAIRS TAKE FOREVER TO DO EVEN A SIMPLE DAMN THING
-----------------------------------------------
Naples, 1 October 1433
The funeral gathered many people from Naples and beyond. Everyone wanted to bid farewell to their brilliant, if somewhat nutty ruler.
The front row was occupied by the members of the royal family and closest members of the court. Queen Eleanor was weeping the entire duration of the mass. Alfonso was sitting next to her, he was absorbed by his thoughts and be barely heard a word of the bishop’s droning. He remembered one of the rare moments he shared with his father.
“My dear son… What I’m about to tell you might be the most important lesson you’ll ever hear. You see, being a King is a hard piece of work. You, as my heir, are going to experience this as well. You might make some hard decisions which you might regret, but as long as it’s for the good of the country, people will overlook that. Anyway, my lesson isn’t about how exactly you must live. It’s you who’ll have to find that out. My only advice is: live so when you’ll die, you’ll live a good- looking body. This is how people will remember you .”
He certainly lived by his advice. Aside from the paleness and a big bump on his head, he looked pretty good. He almost expected him to stand up, wonder why everyone is in such bad moods and berate them for ruining his nail polish. Alfonso knew to not expect that, though.
He felt really uneasy inside. Perhaps it was all the pressure on him taking its toll. Louis was gone and now the country was his responsibility. The hopes and dreams of all these people were now on his shoulders. Will he live up to them?
He looked to his right and saw his wife sitting beside him. She was holding his hand the entire time. He managed to pull off a weak smile. Maybe it is a giant responsibility, but he’s not in this alone. With his friends and family backing him, Alfonso was more sure of the future.
For the future belonged to Naples.
--------------------------------------------------------
And on that note the reign of Louis comes to an end. As sad as this might be, some things have to come to an end.
Rest in peace, Louis. Maybe he can hook up with Aziraphale (or perhaps Crowley?) from his new home?
Alfonso looks competent enough, though. Does this mean you will perhaps be focusing in more diplomatic means of gaining power and influence?
In any case, another very enjoyable update. Looking forward to our new king's reign!
Alfonso looks competent enough, though. Does this mean you will perhaps be focusing in more diplomatic means of gaining power and influence?
In any case, another very enjoyable update. Looking forward to our new king's reign!