Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.
French Campaign (Part III)
Chapter LIV : Veillée d'armes...
An de Grâce 1209 AC.
Royaume de France.
On the road to Paris.
!!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
Current world...
Aide memoire:
Philippe's trips
Heroes...
Dead Heroes...
I finally decided to continue our walk through the French countryside. I was extremely disappointed when I was obliged to “steal” some supplies in the little villages we were crossing. How could I help the French people to achieve prosperity when I have no more solution than to take their food for free?
My men began to be exhausted and made some little rebellion. One time, I feared they were no more believing in me and in my goal. They were probably seeing me as a little lord, unable to take even a medium city like Dijon.
I ordered the generals to pay twice the soldiers. It worked at the beginning. Indeed, soldiers were not used to be paid that much. After three weeks, we reached the Royal Ile de France. We were not burning any village or castles but the local population was fleeing.
We were like an evil invading army. It was hard to think that people could consider you like no more than a bastard rebel.
I was convinced I could make them happy and proud to be ruled by me if I could have sufficient time to demonstrate my good feelings.
The only problem was that. To have sufficient time.
Louis was surely not willing to give me any second to prove my goodwill.
My troops were camping near the main road from the south to go to Paris. I was waiting some of my spies report before to engage the fight. I didn’t know if Louis was still in Paris and if he had planned any trap.
I was writing some letters to Margit and my sons and daughter in Toulouse when Olivier entered the royal tent. He was followed by one of my most crucial agent : Arnoul.
I was so pleased to see him that I stopped my work and hugged him strongly. Arnoul thanked me but he wasn’t smiling.
He sat on the first chair he found and announced, watching me deeply in my eyes:
- “Time of the battle had arrived. Louis the Merciless and the royal army are few miles north from here. The final fight will happen tomorrow. I succeeded to cross the French lines to send you the news.”
I sat in my chair and asked Olivier to do the same. I wasn’t smiling anymore. I should learn all the details about Louis and his army in order to make all the chances in our side.
- “Arnoul, my dear friend, please explain us every little detail. My fate is going to be played once again and it is the battle I’ve not the right to lose.”
Arnoul took a breath and sighed deeply.
- “The battle would be tough. Louis is a great general and the army he succeeded to raise against you is strong and experienced. Moreover, the fine flower of the French chivalry would be there to protect the king.
Indeed, when Louis learned that you were arriving to fight, he asked for the royal ost and a lot of the great vassals replied they agreed to fight beside him.
It will be the fight between the South and the North of the Kingdom.
It will be the struggle between the king and the Heir.
It will be the battle between two men the life divided from the beginning.
No need to tell you that the entire Christendom is awaiting the results of that crucial battle to decide which side to choose, or worst, when to attack the defenseless and exhausted Kingdom.
The risk is that there could be no winner, but Flanders or the Holy Empire…”
I get up suddenly, the blood rising in my veins like the fire in a dry wood.
- “No Arnoul, I will win and the people of the Kingdom will live an era of peace. I’m determined to protect the borders as soon as Louis’s head would lie on the top of a spear.
My troops are also veteran warriors and I even succeeded to recruit some local nobles, rebels to the crown, during my trip from Toulouse.
The only possibility for me is to win. I made a promise years ago.
This battle would be the one of Hélène.
And be sure her name won’t be spoilt by a defeat. She was the flower of the youth and beauty.
She was my “fleur de Lys”.
I don’t think there is a god, protecting the Earth, but I’m convinced there is a justice and Louis can’t stay unpunished anymore.”
Olivier was drinking my words. He was one of the best fighters I knew but I was always embarrassed to see him so naïve and impressionable.
However, he kept his ideas clear and asked Arnoul a crucial question:
- “What about Michel and Charles the Brute? Are they fighting with Louis? Are they still in Paris?”
Arnoul laughed a little.
- “Of course Michel isn’t in the army. He is still fleeing the simple view of a sword, even if he knows every corner of darkness. Michel stays in Rheims.
About Charles the Brute, Louis himself decided him not to go in the royal army. He was forced to lead a reinforcement army and to protect the Seine. It is why Charles is waiting behind the river and blocking the bridges.
It means that you have two difficulties to overcome. Louis army and then Charles’s blockade.
However, Charles’s army is not as strong as Louis one.”
It would be a man duel. There would be only Louis and me. What a good new, I thought secretly. I felt some tingling in my fingers.
Durandal would meet Joyeuse soon…
I asked during long hours Arnoul in order to gauge the strength of Louis’s army.
Firstly, Louis would be probably relying on his crossbowmen at the beginning of the fight, just as me.
Secondly, there were a lot of experimented spearmen and swordsmen in Louis’s army. It was sure that he would try to submerge my lines with a spear wave. I should cope with that, thanks to my own Iberian spearmen.
Then, his cavalry was very strong and much better than mine. Indeed, the flower of the French chivalry was amongst the king’s troops. My only solution was to use efficiently my light cavalry to divert them from the heart of the fight.
However, I had one advantage over the French army. There were the troops of local nobles from the South of France. I wasn’t fool and engaged a lot of old Cathar soldiers.
The Cathars were very experimented in war and they were maybe the only people grateful with me about the Pope murder I committed. Before to reach Toulouse, I sent a lot of scouts to spread the message that every Cathar soldier who will fight with me would be allowed to continue his faith. Hundreds of Catalan nobles and warriors agreed to do the trip to Paris.
They were my loyal and secret shock troops and I was relying a lot on them to win against the French northern troops.
The fratricide battle could begin, I was ready…
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