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Thread: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

  1. #121

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    French Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXIV : Time for a duel




    An de Grâce 1209 AC.
    Royaume de France.
    Boistrudan.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 28 years old and I am the Heir of the Kingdom, after the death of my father.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    I’m back in France, suceeded to avoid all the traps made by Michel and Louis, and became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and I decided to assault Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He is in Paris, and after some hard times, he took back his authority. He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel is the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I’m the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title. He should be very angry…
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has been reconciled by Louis.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life once.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    In my tent, the doctors helped me to cure my wound. It was bleeding again, and they were not sure I could live. Sometimes, after severe wounds, the gangrene spread in your body and there is nothing to do but accepting your death. Sometimes, everything goes well and soldiers are saved.
    The doctors said me that they were behaving as well as possible to save me. We would know the answer in less than three days.

    It was the first time of my life I was so ressourceless against the life. I couldn’t decide anymore if I would live or die. It was the nature which would decide. I was the nature puppet.

    I ordered my men to keep a defensive position near Boistrudan. I would like them to wait until my wound could go better. The plan was to defend if Louis was coming again with his reinforcement army. I didn’t think he was planning a new battle, but it was better to be ready.
    My only victory was finally having captured Charles. And it wasn’t a small catch. I was thinking about some blackmail with Louis, but the problem was that Louis could take the opportunity to see the death of his “hated” son by someone else than himself.

    Everything was blurred and every question was hard to solve. I decided to wait my fate, and then, to act…



    I spent one week being delirious. The first days, my wound was getting worse each day. It was more painful than at the beginning and I was bleeding some yellow and brown mixture. I had some feverish and couldn’t eat anymore. I was still drinking as much as possible water, but it didn’t seem to help. The fifth day after the battle, I wasn’t conscious and spent the whole day saying things about my youth, the Pope and the Crusaders.
    The following day, I remember being in the darkness, when I heard some voices I already heard before. I liked those voices and I succeeded to open my eyes. I couldn’t see clearly. People were moving in front of me. I suddenly felt something wet in my right hand. Someone was caressing my hand. I turned my head and saw a woman, weeping.

    Then, it was like my brain was reconnecting and I remember the voice of Margit.
    Margit! My Hungarian love.

    She was there beside me. Wasn’t she supposed to stay in Toulouse?
    My view was improving and I saw her face, her body, and her tears. I felt better and I smiled. She noticed that and smiled me back. I was still painful and groggy, but I wasn’t dead, and for the first time since my wound, I felt better.

    Margit had been called by Olivier to come and assist me. She took 6 days to ride over the Kingdom. She was exhausted. Maybe she saved me.

    My health improved with the days and it seemed the death didn’t want to meet me. After a month bed ridden, I began to walk.
    Apparently, Louis decided to keep Paris and to raise another professional army. It was clear that he had been warned about my wound and maybe he decided to wait for the disease to kill me.

    He was wrong, I was alive and eager to fight again.
    Margit was such a support during those hard times. She decided to bring our children, Philippe, Raoul and Sibylle, with her. I enjoyed to show them my love and to teach them the first teach of the life. Philippe was 4 years old and already learning how to use a sword. Raoul was 2 years old and was learning how to walk. Sibylle was still a little crying baby.


    During those days of convalescence, I elaborated a new plan. I would like to threaten Louis of killing his son Charles, if he refused to fight me in duel. I knew that I couldn’t siege Paris because my soldiers were exhausted, after those months of walks and battles.
    The only solution to win against the bastard king was to face him in a private duel. I was mutilated but I felt I could succeed, without spreading again some French blood in a fratricide battle.

    My spies told me that Louis wasn’t in an easy situation, after his defeat and the capture of his son. His authority was low again and Parisian feared my army like plague. I had won a reputation of indestructible general, all over the Kingdom, and I should use it.

    When I succeeded to ride and to fight, I decided to leave Boistrudan to go to Paris. The following week, we reached the Seine. There were no soldiers to protect the gates. They had been called back to protect Paris.
    We arrived near Paris a Sunday. The day of the lord.

    I sent a messenger to avoid the siege. He was bringing a message.


    “Louis,
    I’m Philippe, your brother and the son of Philippe the Chivalrous.
    I’m the man you faced with your usual craftiness, two months ago.

    For the crown, for Paris, for the Kingdom, we need to meet each other. The situation can’t remain confused.
    People don’t know who to believe, who to follow. They deserve a clear answer.

    I know that you hate me since ages. You have to know that I’m now sure to hate you as much as the devil.
    You stole my youth happiness.
    You stole my first love.
    You stole my left hand…
    You are my monster. You are exactly the representation of evil. You are my target.

    Until one of us would remain dead on the floor, none of us would find the serenity. Our fates are linked. Only one has to live. The Kingdom can’t remain divided between two trends.
    France is one entity, since ages, and forever…

    I know that you fear me, even without my hand. I know that you are a dirty coward, hidden behind high walls.
    I don’t fear you anymore and I am ready to show you and your men the delights of the torture you deserve. I won’t accept any quarter and every single man who will try to face me is going to suffer heavy wounds.
    My forces had made the trip from the Iberian Peninsula to Paris. They are not cowards and are ready to conclude the story.

    But I don’t need anyone more than you to offer his blood in sacrifice. I want you to have the bowls to face me. I want you to fight against me. I want a chivalric duel.

    I’m sure you are going to find an alternative, an emergency exit.
    But I don’t think you have any opportunity to do that. I have captured your son Charles. If you refuse, he would be slain like an English pig. And you can be sure the new will be spread all over the Kingdom, from Paris to Pamplona, and then all over the Christendom. You will become the laughing stock of the Western Kingdoms.
    Frankly, I don’t think you can afford any more disgrace, after your shameful defeat. Your enemies’ spikes are ready for the appropriated time to strike.

    I let you 3 days to think about the deal.
    I’m ready to fight you in the Ile de la Cité, on the Church Square of Notre Dame.

    Your beloved brother.
    Philippe…




    After two days of waiting, I was not as convinced as before of the success of my message.
    Maybe Louis the Merciless didn’t bothered to see his son dead?

    It was strange because it was a perfect opportunity for him to establish his power back. He would face a mutilated man, exhausted by the feverish. He would fight in Paris, and he would avoid a bloody fratricide battle.
    What else?
    What could be better?

    I began to prepare the siege of Paris the following day when I heard the sound of a steed gallop.
    A royal messenger.

    I saw the guy. He was a young noble, wearing a fine armor and a white flag. He rode toward our camp. I met him near my tent.
    He proclaimed:

    - “Dauphin Philippe.
    Louis received your message and after long talks and thoughts, he agreed to meet you in the île de la Cité, to fight you during a loyal duel. He accepted the condition that your army will stand in the southern shore of the Seine and that the royal army will wait in the northern shore.
    The duel is going to happen in two days and you are required to take your armor and sword, like our old laws agree. A free day is proclaimed for the Ordalie, the God Judgment.

    I, Monseigneur de Chantilly, will be the unbiased assessor of the fight.

    A bientôt Monseigneur Dauphin.


    Alea Jacta Est…


  2. #122

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    French Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXV : The Ordalie



    An de Grâce 1209 AC.
    Royaume de France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 28 years old and I am the Heir of the Kingdom, after the death of my father.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    I’m back in France, suceeded to avoid all the traps made by Michel and Louis, and became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and I decided to assault Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I'm going to fight him during the Ordalie in Paris.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He is in Paris, and after some hard times, he took back his authority. He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we are going to face during a duel in Paris.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel is the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I’m the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title. He should be very angry…
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has been reconciled by Louis.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life once.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    I came back in my tent without a word. I sat on my bed. I couldn’t think.
    Then the happiness filled my heart, like a warm interior wave.

    “I would fight the bastard rapist myself.
    No French blood will be poured down.
    I was alone to play my fate.
    The coins were thrown.
    Take care my brother Louis…“

    I ran to meet my dear love Margit. She was playing with my three kids. My first son Philippe was going better now. The French food was far healthier that what Clara gave him during his first years. He succeeded to speak a little of French and Spanish.
    Raoul and Sybille were still too young. But they were beautiful. I smiled watching them.

    It was a little for them I would face Louis the following day. They deserved a better Kingdom and I was resolute to offer them the best one I can build.

    I explained to Margit the situation. She feared a trap in Paris. She never met Louis but she had heard about his dark craftiness.
    I assured her that everything would be fine.

    I said nothing deep about that, but she was right, I should be careful of everything. Even if I entered Paris with my troops, everything could happen. Moreover, I should transform my armor to adapt with my missing left hand.
    I decided to adapt a hook, which could serve me as a little shield, but also as a double dagger.



    The Ordalie day, at the morning, I gathered my soldiers.
    - “My friends,
    Today, I will fight alone against the bastard King. I don’t want you to make any more effort, after all you did. It is my turn to conclude the story.
    However, you will enter with me in Paris. We will hold the southern shore of the Seine, and I will fight Louis in the île de la Cité, in front of Notre Dame.
    It is the Ordalie.
    If I win, a new Kingdom will grow, a Kingdom of hope and peace.
    If I lose, you will be free to come back in your lands, without any fear to be hunt, or accused. I made some special agreement with Louis about that.

    I’m ready. I know better than everyone the plague this Louis represents for the Kingdom and the people. I have to erase him. It is my fate.
    Be confident in me, and everything will go fine.

    Thanks for all my dear soldiers. It warms my heart to see you, the first flowers of a new Kingdom.
    Vive la France…


    They roared, applauded, and showed me their confidence and spite.
    I smiled and ordered to enter the Capital.
    Paris was opened for the Ordalie.


    When I entered the city gate, I met my youth. Paris, the streets I grew in. The streets I ran through.
    I felt strange. People of the city were watching us. They were terrified. They surely heard some terrible rumors about me and my men. Maybe they thought we would have been monsters coming directly from hell.
    I threw some gold coins and breads for them. They feared a trap at the beginning, but finally rushed to take my gifts. A little boy cried:
    - “Merci monseigneur Dauphin.”
    And then, I was thanked by the crowd. It was easy to turn the opinion with some gifts. I should prove them that I was a good leader.

    I was still thinking about my youth when suddenly, we reached the Seine. The beautiful river. The center of Paris.
    Notre Dame was there, proud and high. What a Jewel !
    I would live or die in its square.

    I ordered my soldiers to stand in the shore. With my bodyguards led by Olivier, I crossed the bridge and arrived in the cathedral square. Louis was waiting me.
    He was wearing the most beautiful armor I ever seen. It was encrusted with gold and diamonds. And suddenly, I saw Joyeuse, the holy sword. She had the same glints than during my youth. Joyeuse was splendid, even after being spoilt by Louis so many times…

    I took Durandal in my hand, dismounted my stallion, and advanced in the square. My bodyguards formed half the circle around it. The others were Louis’s vassals, barons, counts and dukes.
    We were two. Two for a Kingdom…

    De Chantilly came and announced:
    “It is the Ordalie day and after the agreements made, the winner will become the rightful King of France…
    No one apart you two have the right to step in and interfere.
    The Ordalie will end with the death of one of you.

    The only weapon allowed is your sword.
    God will decide who deserve to rule the Kingdom.
    Messeigneurs, à vos armes…
    «

    De Chantilly walked back and it was time to start the duel.

    Before it began, I cleared my voice and shouted:
    “Louis, I ask you to show your face and not to act as shamefully as during our last meeting.
    Here is my face. I’m Philippe, son of Philippe Auguste and rightful heir of the Kingdom.
    I deserve to become the King, because such a rapist and coward can’t remain the King.
    I’m ready to face the Ordalie and to show the people I’m fighting for the good, the weak and the orphan…


    Louis stood in front of me. He took his time and showed his face.
    He was as terrifying as during my youth. I remembered his scars and his dark eyes. He proclaimed:
    “I’m Louis,
    I’m the rightful King of France and today, I will cut the bowls of an Arabic bastard. He never deserved to live amongst the royal family and I will make it an end.
    The bastard I’m going to slay had captured my son and I will fight for Charles, for the Kingdom and for my family, the Capets.
    No more spoilt blood would rule any title in our country.
    I’m the right, I’m the king, and I will show you what happens to all the bastards who dare to face me.

    Pray your evil gods, you heretic, your corpse is going to burn eternally in Hell.


    Louis wore his crowned helmet and advanced.
    He was really impressive.

    We began to make some rounds in the Notre Dame Square. The public was quiet. We were observing each other. I took care about the sun. When I felt that Louis was a little dazzled by the rays, I decided to launch my first attack.
    I targeted his left shoulder but he easily avoided my blow. He ducked and ran toward me. We banged together. We were too close to fight with our swords. I made a powerful knee punch against his hip.
    Louis swore and walked back, protected by his shield. I tried to unbalance him with my left hook but I just missed to impale his heavy shield.
    We were already huffing and puffing. The fight promised to be tough.
    Louis suddenly attacked me with a powerful Joyeuse blow. I jumped right, and turned my head to prepare my defense when I saw the hilt of his sword crushing my face. I cried of surprise and pain. I was bleeding. I ran back before to charge Louis.
    He prepared his shield for the shock but I finally used my hook against his face. The crowned helmet broke and fell down. I then took the opportunity to smash his leg with Durandal.
    Louis fell on his knee, hurt, and was obliged to throw his shield to get up.
    It was perfect, despite my nose broken.
    We observed each other again. I was focused on Louis’s shield, lying on the floor. He feigned to catch it and I fell in the trap. I prepared a heavy blow to stop him to catch the shield but Louis finally walked back and struck my back at the same time I was slitting the air with Durandal.
    I fell down. I was lying on my back. I just had the time to see Louis preparing his final blow and protected my face with my defenseless left arm.
    I saw the light of Joyeuse when it broke over me. My left arm exploded. Just near my wound. The hook was destroyed. Louis roared of surprise when he didn’t see any blood. Indeed, my left hand wasn’t there to be cut. Louis was surprised and not focused anymore about the fight. I took the opportunity and with a last effort, I plunged my loyal Durandal in Louis stomach. The armor didn’t resist and I felt my rival blood flooding on me.
    I rolled and saw Louis staggering.
    I was also bleeding. My back was destroyed.
    Louis gathered his last strength and jumped on me to avoid me to get up. I was crushed by his weight. He moaned and tried to suffocate me. I punched his head with my left arm. One time, two times, three times.
    He was still grabbing me. With a final head blow, I pushed my sharp eyeshade on his neck and he fell beside me. He was over.

    It took me long times to get up, to take back my breath and to finish the work. Louis was now white faced. He winced when he saw Durandal in my right fist.
    I took back my helmet, raised Durandal, saw for the first time the terrified face of Louis, and struck.
    His right hand was cut.
    Louis howled…

    I smiled and shouted:
    - “Here is my hand tribute…”

    I raised again Durandal, ready to strike once more, when I heard a shout. I turned my head and saw Olivier rushing toward me. He jumped against me, and I fell down, once again.
    What happened?
    What was doing Olivier?

    I didn’t drop my sword and I was ready to strike Olivier, when I understood.
    Olivier was rolling on the floor, an arrow piercing his chest.
    Olivier saved me.

    My bodyguards pointed the left tower of Notre Dame. A black crossbowman was on the top. I ordered to catch him and to take care of Olivier…

    I was furious. No one could stop me when I came back near Louis, bleeding like a stream. I raised Durandal and said:
    - “Here is Olivier tribute…”

    I cut off his second hand.
    Louis howled again. Even a stone hearted man would have shown some mercy after such a torture.
    Not me…

    I raised Durandal, for the third time. Louis’s eyes were begging my arm to stop. Every noble all around were petrified…
    - “Here is Hélène tribute…
    Remember her well before to die…”

    I destroyed his bowls.
    Louis fainted.

    I then ordered the doctors to take care about Olivier, and if they had some time, to save the disowned King. I didn’t mind to kill him. I thought that I could make him suffer more the pain he had spread all over the Kingdom.

    I rushed to see Olivier. My dear friend was dying and weeping. The arrow had pierced one of his lungs. He was still conscious.
    I wept when I understood the sacrifice my dear old friend offered to save me.
    He succeeded to whisper:
    “Philippe, my lord,
    I’m pleased.
    You are the King, you can improve the people life from now on.
    My mission is done. I will die. Please take care about Margit. I still like her so much.
    Please take care of the people.
    Please take care of our Kingdom.
    I’m honored having been your friend.
    Adieu…


    His head fell down…
    I wept like a child, blood and tears mixing on my cheeks.

    - “Olivier”, I screamed, “You have not the right to die. We have to improve the Kingdom together. I can’t do that alone my dear friend…
    I can’t…”

    My doctors and friend caught Olivier with them.

    I stayed alone…


  3. #123

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    French Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXVI : My new era !



    An de Grâce 1209 AC.
    Royaume de France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 28 years old and I am the Heir of the Kingdom, after the death of my father.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    I’m back in France, suceeded to avoid all the traps made by Michel and Louis, and became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and I decided to assault Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He is in Paris, and after some hard times, he took back his authority. He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel is the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title. He should be very angry…
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has been reconciled by Louis.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    As stipulated before the Ordalie, my army took control peacefully of Paris. The previous loyal Louis’s soldiers had the choice to join my army or to stop being soldiers. The previous Kingdom ministers were fired and I ordered a week of festivities in the capital.

    About the events which happened during the Ordalie, it appeared that the black crossbowman hadn’t been found and was still alive. I couldn’t stop thinking about Norbert. There were no proofs that it could be him, but who else could he be?
    Indeed, Michel was still ruling Reims and I didn’t have news about him the following days of the duel.

    I released Charles the Brute, as planned before the duel. I appointed him as the Metz governor. I was convinced he would try to fool me, but I had no other choice. I should show some mercy in order to calm the people. Moreover, the Holy Empire was quite menacing those past months and if Charles could be killed in some German ambush, it would be perfect.

    Louis finally didn’t die despite the wounds I inflicted him. The doctors saved him. It made me think about a master plan. I ordered to throw him in the Louvre’s Dungeon, and to simulate each morning a pretence of homage to the King.
    I was clearly ridiculing that destitute king. I would like people to understand that he was suffering all the pain he made during his reign. I decided to keep my Dauphin title till his death.
    The King of France was no more than a castrated behanded…

    About Olivier, things appeared to be much more complicated than planned. My dear friend finally didn’t die. But he wasn’t saved. The French doctors succeeded to delay his death. However, his health was declining each day.
    With Margit, we spent so much time near him. He was the true hero of the Ordalie. I decided to rename the square of Notre Dame as: “Olivier sacrifice square”. I ordered to build some statues and columns to celebrate him.
    The only solution to save him was to ask for the best doctors of the Kingdom. It appeared that the only ones who worth it and could be able to cure him were Arabic ones located in Jerusalem and Cairo. With the agreement of Olivier, we decided to send him there. To see Jerusalem was the only will of my dear friend. He was not really convinced to live, but he would like to see the Christ tomb before all.
    It was a long and dangerous travel, but the only option.
    Poor Olivier, such a friend deserved to stay alive…

    About Michel, I finally succeeded to join him by letter. I couldn’t afford another civil war and I offered him to keep his titles and to be the new governor of Dijon. I also assured that he would be protected and that I was ready to forgive him, despite all the tragic Norbert events…
    As a bad warrior and a coward like during his youth, he didn’t try to raise any army against me, and finally accepted my conditions. Both of us knew perfectly that it was a matter of time before to begin again the real hostilities, but both of us were pleased to save time to consolidate the new equilibrium.
    Michel feared open battles, and I feared the people reaction if I tried to eradicate again the Capet family…


    Therefore,
    I was the new leader. I governed the entire Kingdom, and when I gathered my forces, it appeared that I could lead three powerful armies.
    Paris kept calm and people finally appreciated the new measures I implemented.
    It was the rebirth of a Kingdom.

    A new era was born…



    When I contemplated Joyeuse and Durandal reunited again, I felt that I could achieve immense targets.
    Charlemagne and Rolland together.
    The brilliant intelligence, diplomacy and management of the first one, mixed with the war skills, bravery and sacrifice of the second.
    What more could I ask for?

    If Olivier could survive, I would offer him my good old Durandal, and we would reproduce the same tactic scheme like exactly four hundred years before.
    Charlemagne and Rolland.
    Philippe and Olivier.
    What a fate we could follow…


  4. #124

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    French Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXVII : Insignifiant southern events





    An de Grâce 1209 AC.
    Royaume de France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 28 years old and I am the Heir of the Kingdom, after the death of my father.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    I’m back in France, suceeded to avoid all the traps made by Michel and Louis, and became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and I decided to assault Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He is in Paris, and after some hard times, he took back his authority. He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel is the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title. He should be very angry…
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has been reconciled by Louis.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    After the few months of happiness, real life came back. I received some news from the south.

    Zaragoza had been besieged, once more. It was amazing as those Spanish snakes were in love with that city. They really never gave up. Fortunately, they were still fighting against the Moors. Without that, the warrior flow rushing toward Zaragoza would have been much more powerful.


    An important point linked with that town was Clara. After my successful victory against Louis, I forced her to stay in Zaragoza. Obviously, she would like to come with me and our son in Paris. She was fond of luxury and couldn’t have dreamt about living in such an appropriated place.
    However, I decided that in order to forgive the traitorous behavior of her father, she was appointed as the French representative in Zaragoza.
    I assured her that I would soon come back, but I knew that I wouldn’t. I wasn’t mad, and only a mad and degenerate Flemish would have done that.

    During five months, the people of Zaragoza succeeded to fight back the Spanish assaults. Even better, they didn’t suffer any starvation. My friend Bertrand du Guesclin was hiring as much warriors as he could around Pamplona.
    However, every effort to save the city seemed useless. The Spanish army was really strong and powerful indeed.


    In Zaragoza, there were only a few militias, compound of crossbowmen and spearmen. Not enough to counter an army of Almughavars, Jinetes and heavy axemen. Definitely, the people were quite resigned to undergo their sad fate.


    Sorrow was the only word to describe the city and the people when the news spread that the reinforcement army finally succeeded to join the city. They were there, the proud French soldiers gathered by Bertrand du Guesclin. Unfortunately, he suddenly fell ill and couldn’t lead the army. Therefore, a captain took the responsibility of the lead.



    Thanks to the French reinforcement forces, the battle wasn’t lost. The Spanish began to doubt and to prepare for a strategic retreat.
    The Zaragoza militia saw the movement, delighted, and with a foolhardy euphoria, decided to engage the fight with the Spanish rear guard.
    What a mistake!


    Indeed, the reinforcement army hadn’t been warned of the sudden charge of their town friends.
    At first, the French charge against the Spanish rear guard was successful, but soon, the Spanish general succeeded to gather his troops and walk back toward the defenseless French militia.
    The poor French forces understood that they couldn’t come back to the city quickly enough. Indeed, the Jinetes were ready to slay any scattered unit fleeing to the city. The only solution was to face the foes, behind the shields.

    The Spanish army began to descend the hill, ready to hunt the French prey.


    In a desperate attempt, the French fool general organized his soldiers in two lines. The first one was compound of crossbowmen, and the second one was the spearmen wall.
    They waited for a while that the Spanish would launch the attack, what they did.

    Then, the arrows took wings…


    The first blood wasn’t French, but Spanish. However, it was just a matter of time. The Spanish forces outnumbered so much the French militia.



    After the first mad Jinetes fell down, victims of their madness, the rest of the Spanish took their time to protect themselves behind shields, and walked against the French, unrelentingly.

    That moment, the French reinforcement general, Antoine, was suddenly woken up by one of his scouts.
    - “The Spanish are fighting our friends my lord” the scout shouted, unaware that Antoine was just finishing his siesta.

    Antoine thought he was still dreaming, took his sword and began to fight against the air.
    - “What, the bastard Spanish? Where are they? I’m ready to slay you, evil snakes…”

    After some seconds, Antoine understood he was awake. He silently put down his sword, smiled to his men, and jumped on his steed. He ordered his troops to be ready for the battle and motivated them to fight well.

    *

    Antoine was still talking about courage and strength when the battle between the Spanish army and the French militia reached its height.
    The French were completely surrounded by the Spanish forces. The French hold their position, fighting for their mad general. His personal bodyguards, some axemen were protecting him from the foes.



    The battle was furious and without any mercy. The Jinetes were harassing the flanks and the defenseless crossbow militia. French perished by dozens, crushed by the evil javelins.
    The battle was lost.

    A single French horseman with his fleur de Lys banner was the last hope of a decimated army, ready to surrender.



    The poor guy was hunted by some Spanish spearmen. However, he was still fighting, like an allegory of the French courage.
    This guy, this hero, saved Zaragoza.

    Indeed, he maintained the hope in the heart of the last French soldiers. The hope that Antoine could arrive. The hope that Zaragoza could be saved by those friends. The hope that the French people of the city wouldn’t be exterminated…


    Like a miracle coming straight from the holy bible, the last French soldiers saw them in the light.
    The great knights.
    The Crusaders who remained loyal to Bertrand du Guesclin.
    Those wonderful warriors rushed from the top of a hill and instantly exterminated a company of Almughavars, who unfortunately for them, were protecting the back of the Spanish army.



    After their charge, they rushed against the Spanish army. They were the spearhead of the reinforcement army.
    They were the saviors.
    They were indestructible…



    The battle momentum reversed and the reinforcement army took the advantage against the exhausted Spanish one. The Jinetes and Almughavars were short of arrows, the axemen had been killed in the melee against the French militia. They were no fresh men to protect the Spanish army from the extermination.

    No mercy.

    No pity.

    It was a massacre. The French forces would like to show that any new attack from the Spanish would be punished by the sword.

    To commemorate the victory, Antoine decided to erect a mass grave with the Spanish dead.
    Worse, he ordered to crucify the last living Spanish warrior. He was the one who held the Castille banner.
    Poor guy…



    The victory was complete.
    Zaragoza and Bertrand du Guesclin were so pleased about that new miracle. Bertrand ordered to organize some ferias in the city. Lots of bulls died during those days.

    Maybe bulls and Spanish were linked.


    Those news from Zaragoza were like a two edged sword. On the one hand, I was ensured that Bertrand was securing the area, and put all his strength to fight for the Kingdom, to fight for me.
    But on the other hand, once again, the Spanish tried to conquer Zaragoza. Defeat after defeat, they were still trying, like the sea against the rocks.

    Everybody knows that the sea finally wins.


    I wished the rocks could be sufficiently strong to resist till my arrival there. Then, I would become the new sea, and the blue waves, reversed, would flow against Vermundo, and his treacherous Kingdom.
    I just needed some time.


  5. #125

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part I)
    Chapter LXVIII : Red shadow




    An de Grâce 1209 AC.
    Royaume de France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 29 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...






    Time.
    The race of the time. I needed time to achieve my goals, but time was fleeing faster and faster…
    My third boy saw the light of the world the following winter. He was named Colin, and was my second son with my dear Margit. I was gifted with children.


    I was the unofficial King of France. I had a large offspring. I was ready to start a new legendary dynasty.
    Who could have forecasted that?
    Who could have forecasted that a little Arabic miserable could become one day one of the most powerful King of all the Christendom?


    Ah, the incredible fate I was promised to…
    I had always dreamt about that but now that I had reached my dreams, they finally didn’t have the same wonderful taste than I would have thought.

    I didn’t succeed to talk or even keep contact with my real mother.
    I had always been despised because of my skin color.
    My first love had been raped and slain without I could help her.
    The two only real friends I had, Charles de Bouillon and Olivier de Beziers, had been assassinated and nearly killed.
    My wife was a beast and I would keep in mind for the rest of my life the nightmares of the few nights we spent together.
    I killed hundreds of men, peasants and nobles.
    I ordered the extermination of Rome people, without thinking about the little innocent girls and boys.
    I lost my left hand to gain power.


    I’m the King of France, but could it help me to be solve those problems?
    Surely not.
    I was promised to new campaigns, to new fights, to new conquests, despite my initial will to help people, to expand the peace and the good everywhere…


    The world had finally succeeded to pervert me, definitely.
    I was part of the hideous mechanism.
    I was part of the medieval times…




    It was time to enter a new era.
    As I was the uncontested leader of the Kingdom, at least for a while, I could use the totality of the French forces. I thought I should first revenge my adoptive father, Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    I remembered he had been slain by the evil Dutch. They were still in war against us. However, the Kingdom was not split again. I was ready to take care about them. I should just wait for the summer time.

    I gathered my military forces around Paris when spring began. I also implemented a major spy network to prepare my Flanders’ campaign. I appointed Arnoul de Penthièvre, also called Arnoul the Clever, as the master of them.
    He was coordinating their missions and training them.


    Thanks to that, we gathered some interesting information about the Flanders County. They were as wealthy as before, and they were also training some powerful and immense field armies.
    The clash would be epic.

    I was reaching my 30’s and felt for the first time the weight of the years. I was not as young as few years before and I needed some more training to stay in good shape.
    Because of that, I was often riding across the Ile de France, preparing me for the next campaigns.

    One afternoon of April, my loyal friends, bodyguards and me, were crossing the countryside near the Normandy border. Suddenly, one of my men noticed some black fumes not so far from us.
    What could it be?
    Some forest fire? Certainly not, in April, the woods are still very wet.
    Some village fire? There wouldn’t be so many fumes. Only one or two houses would have burnt…
    Some bandits? Why not, there were still a lot of them, since the revolution state of the Kingdom…

    I decided to be ready for any fight or ambush. With my men, we wore our armors and swords. We advanced toward the black fumes…

    After few miles riding, we reached a very tiny village. Nobody was there. It was quite frightening. The sun was decreasing and the shadows were growing.
    I ordered my men to inspect if anybody was still there.


    I heard a cry. A woman was there, petrified and spattered with blood.

    - “What happened?” I asked. “Are they some bandits around?”

    The woman knelt down and wept. Nevertheless, she succeeded to speak. Just one word, but a terrifiying one.
    A word that I would have preferred to avoid.

    - “The normands…” She cried.
    “They arrived at midday, burnt our village, sacked the supplies, slaughtered the people and raped the girls… They were like demons, bloodthirsty, as the color of their banner…”

    The Normands had decided to attack.
    Why the hell did they decide to attack just now, when I just planned a conquest plan against the Flanders?

    It was really the bad news I wasn’t expecting at all.
    I asked the woman to explain me what sort of warriors these bloody normands were. She was frightened and wounded. We offered her some food and clothes. She described them as bowmen, without any armor, like some bandits. They were nearly 150 and they disappeared just after their crime.


    I smiled, relieved. So, they were just English bandits. Easy prey for us, the cream of the French chivalry.
    I ordered my men to start the hunt. We would surely find them before the night.

    We rode toward the burnt village. When we arrived near the entrance, we understood the devastation the woman told us. Some kids were lying in their blood, the village was entirely burnt, even the little church.
    We found the corpse of the men, gathered in the middle of the main road. They had been all slain like animals, their throat still bleeding.

    Bastard normands! They were crueler than Louis himself. I couldn’t believe it.

    With my men, we glanced at each other and we could feel the anger spreading amongst us and increasing like an internal fire. We took our reins and launched a furious gallop in the Normandy direction.
    We didn’t spend much time before to notice a dust fog in the main road, revealing the position of the English foes.


    They would pay for their cruelty.
    We were 55 French knights and they were some bandits. They would have no chance.


  6. #126

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part I)
    Chapter LXIX : A bitter taste of surprise



    An de Grâce 1210 AC.
    Royaume de France.
    Normandy border.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    When we saw them, it was clear that they had also understood that they were followed. I ordered to stop. I could clearly see those bloody dogs at the top of a hill. The foes sergeant was the only guy wearing a red doublet. He was an easy target.



    My friends were ready to launch the charge. I remembered the power of the crossbowmen against the cavalry. However, those English pigs seemed just to be peasant hunters. They could never pierce our expensive and beautiful French armors.

    I smiled when I ordered to launch the charge. We began to climb the hill.



    We were in a valley, at the edge of a wood. The Normand bowmen could clearly see our blue group of knights, ready to crush them. I could be sure they were peeing on them…



    We were still far from them when I saw a cloud of arrows rising in front of us. I knew that we were too far to be reached by the arrows.
    Idiots English, they were clearly wasting some precious arrows. I watched the arrows smiling, till the moment they fell…
    Suddenly, I understood that they would reach us. And they did.

    We were not prepared and received the arrows in our right flank.



    We were fuc-ked. Who were those bastards’ bandits? I never saw during my years of campaign such powerful bows…

    I had the chance not to be stricken by the deadly arrows but I heard the cries of some of my friends, fatally injured.




    I was furious. My men slain by those bandits. It was a nightmare. We were all still surprised when we saw the second volley of arrows reaching us.
    Some of my men were stricken. It was a real ambush. We had no other choice than to charge quickly.

    I led the charge, trying to avoid the hundreds of deadly arrows pouring on us.




    Powerless, I heard my men falling, their steed killed below them. I should reach the English lines as soon as possible.
    However, it wasn’t the end of the surprises.

    I suddenly saw a wall of stakes those evils Normand had taken with them. We couldn’t charge anymore. I remembered my last charge against stakes, in the north of Toulouse, and I shuddered, thinking of the pain to be impaled like a pig…



    I wasn’t a pig.
    The pigs were just in front of us and nothing was lost, even if more than ten of my best men were already riding in the clouds of paradise.

    I ordered to avoid the stakes by riding toward the woods. We hid ourselves there, taking back our breath and courage.

    I then ordered without any more pause that we should charge those bastards without waiting them to replace their stakes. My men agreed and roared when we saw the English bowmen.
    Montjoie Saint Denis!

    That time, they couldn’t protect them behind their stakes wall. We crushed them.



    I had the time to observe those warriors. Unlike the usual bowmen I fought previously, they didn’t rout but used some hammers to beat out my knights. They were not only accurate and dangerous, they were also courageous and ready to fight a cavalry charge.



    The melee lasted for a while but the experience of my men and their effective armors finally offered us the advantage. We were taking back the blood our friends offered in the open field. We were taking back the blood of the poor French villagers.

    They routed, after a brave and lopsided fight.



    I personally hunt the English sergeant. I would like to sacrifice him to revenge my friends. He was running, despite his heavy mail coat.

    I shouted:
    - “Passe le bonjour au diable, canaille…”.

    He turned his head back and could just feel Durandal going through his chest. I had thrown the holy sword, like an axe, and succeeded to win the victory points.

    The Normand sergeant fell down, his head lying forever amongst the daisies and buttercups.



    Another victory with the taste of a crushing defeat…
    I felt in the eyes of my friends that they had been as surprised as me.
    Who were those terrible bowmen?
    Where did they found the strength to shoot so far and so powerfully?
    Where did they learn to fight with hammers?

    Were they elite troops or a new weapon the English King was preparing to conquer our Kingdom?

    I didn’t have the answer yet.


    Fortunately, some of my men succeeded to take some prisoners.
    I offered to release them if they agreed to explain me the secret of their strength.

    They were not nobles and didn’t have the courage to refuse the right to live. The offered me their secret. They had been trained since their youth with a new sort of bow. It was called the longbow, and was able to increase dramatically the shooting range and the power of the arrows.
    Moreover, the shooting frequency was three times higher than the one of the crossbowmen I was used to have in my armies.

    Still shocked by that news, I released the last 13 long bowmen, who would surely warn the English lords about that crucial event.


    I had to think about a solution to counter attack that terrible new unit the English were training and hiring since years now…

    I came back in Paris, lost in my dark thoughts…


  7. #127

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part II)
    Chapter LXX : The calm before the storm


    An de Grâce 1210 AC.
    Duchy of Flanders.
    Countryside.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    After few weeks waiting for my spy network final reports, I and the French army were definitely ready to submerge those insolent and arrogant Dutch who dared menacing the French Kingdom.
    Just before to launch the crucial attack, I gathered all my generals, counts and barons who agreed to take part of the campaign. They were no need to motivate them. They knew the wealth of Flanders, they were champing at the bit for glorious fight, for honor, for avenging their fathers and ancestors, decimated by the Dutch…
    However, I needed to inform them of the situation, in order to make a coordinated attack.

    - “My friends,” I proclaimed,
    “It is time to avenge Philippe Auguste, our last good King, slain by the evil Dutch.
    You have to know that we are facing a powerful duchy. They have the strongest militia of the entire Christendom. They know us very well. They have fought in France during the last 20 years.
    They inflicted us severe blows, but today, the trend has changed. I can feel the wind of the victory blowing around us. We are united again, and our armies are more powerful each day. Thousands of soldiers are gathering in Paris to take part of the feasting.
    It is time to destroy those peasants. Definitely…

    You have to know that their duke, called Graaf Robert, is close to the death. He is 80 years old and can hardly move from his capital. He has been for long a powerful lord. He knows the rules of war and is also a clever administrator. We shouldn’t despise him.






    One of his little sons is the official heir, and is called Jongkeer Vincent. He is just 26 and still young. Our spies told me that he was expected to lead the armies of the Flanders duchy. It is nice news because he is still inexperienced.
    He has been chosen to replace Jongkeer Willem, the official heir of the Duchy, who had been captured by Louis the Merciless and tortured to death in Paris.



    Those two guys are our main target. If we succeed to capture or to kill them, the war might surely end and we could reunite the Dutch Duchy to the French Kingdom.

    Indeed, we had already killed the flower of their nobility, thanks to some of our assassins. The Flanders nobles fear more the darkness daggers than open field battles.

    We had also done some sabotage amongst their crucial buildings. For instance, one of our spies succeeded last week to destroy the Antwerp militia drill square.


    We have to take the opportunity to clean this evil Duchy and to establish a new era of peace between French and Dutch people amongst a same Kingdom.

    Let’s gather the soldiers, and be ready to attack whenever…


    They agreed and I could feel the motivation in their eyes. My army was ready. My soldiers were well trained. This campaign couldn’t go bad…


    However, they were also some bad news. Some of my spies were caught and executed in Antwerp and Bruges, the capital of the Duchy. It was clear that the Dutch had caught words of our plans, but the dices were already thrown…



    In Paris, we were also obliged to deal with the Flanders spies and assassins. I increased my personal guard to protect me and my family. I also ordered to build some execution places to show the expected punishment of every Dutch agent.


    It was hard for me to maintain the order and the safety thanks to fear measures. I would have loved to see people agreeing with my thoughts and policy.
    I would have loved to show to the French people that I just wanted to increase their well being.

    Anyway, it seemed that the world wasn’t made to be ruled by feelings. The world was made to be ruled by real policy…




    In July, I ordered the general attack. I led two armies with my loyal Bertrand du Guesclin, who came from Pamplona to assist me. We besieged and captured every castles and forts of our way. It appeared that the Dutch Duke preferred to gather his troops around Bruges. My spies reported me that those two armies were very powerful, with a good mix of pike militia and cavalry.


    My initial plan was to attack the heart of the Duchy, by besieging Bruges. However, it seemed that the best would be to make a lightning strike against the unprotected citadel of Antwerp.
    After some tough negotiations with my generals, I finally succeeded to reach an agreement.
    I with my elite troops would besiege Antwerp when the second army would hold the field and protect our back against hypothetic Dutch rescue armies.

    I also wrote and sent a message to one of my experimented assassin, Amaury Itier, to execute the Antwerp lord before our siege, in order to disorganize the Dutch defense.


    He was living in Antwerp since some years and was the perfect guy to kill Gieffroy van Jerusalem, the Antwerp governor.
    Gieffroy was a Dutch noble who spent more than 20 years in the Holy Lands. He came back and was offered the management of the Dutch citadel by the Duke Robert. He was a wise governor and a formidable general. I could be sure that he would never surrender and would inflict me some severe casualties.

    I was obliged to use Amaury’s skills to solve the problem.




    I stayed in the countryside one entire week, waiting for my spies and assassins answers. I was impatient. I knew that my time was counted. I should act.
    The problem was that I didn’t receive any account of Amaury.

    I finally decided to attack. Without any more news!
    It was madness to do that, but it would have also been madness to stay, waiting to be trapped by the gigantic Flanders armies.

    I went along the Rhine, and took during a little skirmish against surprised Dutch militia the main bridge, leading to Antwerp. Thanks to that, I was sure not to be attacked in my back by the Dutch armies.


    I saw the citadel of Antwerp. It was amazing. I never saw before such a defensive castle. The fight was expected to be hard and tough.
    I ordered to prepare the siege.

    Let’s see what those Flemish have really some guts…


  8. #128

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part II)
    Chapter LXXI : Mass levying

    An de Grâce 1210 AC.
    Duchy of Flanders.
    Antwerpen.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    Secretly, I was waiting some message from my spies. Fortunately, this time, the answer didn’t take long to come. I was just arrived in my royal tent when Bertrand came with a bird in his hand…
    The message I was waiting for so long, tied to one foot of the animal.

    It was Arnoul, my loyal spy. He explained me that the citadel was in a total mess.


    He described how tiny was the garrison. It was only constituted of a unit of Dutch pikemen, a group of mounted knights, and a little squadron of the famous pikemen. As I expected, it would be an easy fight for my huge royal army.

    Moreover, Arnoul sent me a crucial new: Gieffroy van Zerusalem had been effectively assassinated.


    Amaury succeeded his mission. Three days before the arrival of my army, during the daily walk of the Dutch lord Gieffroy, Amaury threw a dagger in his back and reached one of his lungs.
    Gieffroy died instantly.


    However, Amaury didn’t succeed to flee and was captured by the bodyguards of Gieffroy van Zerusalem. The following day, he was sentenced to death and suffered a thousand tortures before to die.




    I tore up the message. Amaury was dead. Gieffroy was killed.
    Ahhhh!
    A good news and a terrible one. I was lost.

    I felt culprit for the horrible death of one of my best assassins, but I knew the consequences of the death of Gieffroy. It meant that the siege would be easier and safer.
    I knew that the death of one man would surely involve hundreds of French warriors lives spared, but I couldn’t accept it.

    Poor Amaury, he took the risk of his life to help the Kingdom, when I was eating and resting comfortably in my royal tent. I felt useless and shameful.

    That moment, I thought about Olivier, who was maybe dead, because of his sacrifice. If he had been beside me, he would have surely tried to assure me that my place was to lead an army and a Kingdom, not to take risks.
    He would have convinced me that the greatest of the risks was to jeopardize my life, because it would mean that Michel or even Charles could take the lead of the Kingdom, and who knows what would happen.

    I felt better thinking about my good old friend. It motivated me to work more and more in order to improve the battle plan for the siege of Antwerp. I thought that the best should be to attack as soon as possible to keep the motivation of our soldiers. I knew from my own experience that I wouldn’t be able to hold the siege after September.
    It is why I ordered the second army to secure the Rhine, and then to launch the attack.



    The preparation of the attack took us one week. I succeeded to send some messages to Arnoul. He assured me that with a little troop of infiltrated French soldiers, he would easily succeed to let us enter without siege machines.
    It was perfect for me. Perfect for my lightning strategy.
    The Dutch armies from Bruges wouldn’t have the time to reach Antwerp.

    However, some days before the expecting battle day, Arnoul sent me a crucial message. It was said that some local nobles from Antwerp succeeded to gather the people in order to fight and to protect their citadel. They quickly organized themselves as militia units. There were some patriotic synergy and even the merchants and bankers were taking up arms against us.
    The citadel was full of weapons and it was easy to feed the people with appropriated ones.
    Arnoul explained that there were now a complete army of spearmen and bowmen against us. They were totally inexperienced, but they were full of courage and the fight would surely be much more difficult than expected.


    I was very disappointed about that news. Who were those Dutch people who dare standing against my royal armies?
    I was fed up with that Flanders Duchy.
    I was angry against their Duke, who I considered responsible for the death of Philippe Auguste.
    I was disgusted about that merchant people, who were betting on money to win the battles.

    It was definitely the time to finish their story…
    It was time to end.




    The night before the battle, I strongly wished that Arnoul would succeed to take the gates. The fate of the siege was lying in the hands of a single man. A man of darkness, but a loyal one…


    I couldn’t sleep and I walked amongst my men. Some of them were sleeping, some other were too excited and were playing cards or dices. Some others were on watch…
    I saw my troops. A perfect siege army.

    They were no crossbowmen, even if I loved those one. Instead, they were a bulk of professional spearmen. Then, I could count on my good old swordsmen and axemen to take the walls.
    I also hired during our walks in the duchy of Flanders some mercenaries. My secret weapons were two units of Pikemen. There were also some elite spearmen from Brittany to complete the ranks. They were courageous and ferocious, fearing nothing.
    Finally, there was the cavalry, leaded by my loyal friend Bertrand du Guesclin. I wasn’t expecting to use them. Just in case of serious problems…


    Seeing those brave warriors made me confident but I didn’t succeed to find sleep. I remained awake till the morning of the battle.

    I gathered my generals during the morning. My plan was to wait the night in order to attack, and by the way to take advantage of Arnoul’s infiltration. We would send some waves of soldiers, in the darkness of the night.

    We spent all day preparing the troops, and improving the battle plan.
    Around 7 in the afternoon, everything was ready.
    I made a little walk with Bertrand, speaking about my family, about the life and the Nature. It helped me to relax. I was no more the young lord I was during the siege of Pamplona, years ago.
    When we ended the walk, I took a deep breath, smiled to my friend, and hugged him with happiness.

    “Here we go Bertrand.
    Let’s take those dirty walls. I took Rome years ago, why should we care about Antwerp?
    Did Caesar know something about that bloody city?
    Of course not…


    We laughed and I went to my tent, in order to prepare myself for the battle.


  9. #129

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part II)
    Chapter LXXII : Gory night




    An de Grâce 1210 AC.
    Duchy of Flanders.
    Antwerpen.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I'm campaigning in Fanders to finish that bastard duchy off.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learn to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    My plan for the siege of Antwerp was to let some fake soldiers guarding the camp, and behaving as if everybody was sleeping. Therefore, we let a lot of fires and braziers in the camp.
    At the same time, I was with the bulk of my army far away, going round the citadel, in order to enter by the opposite side, where Arnoul was expecting to await us…

    It was almost completely dark and we were obliged to light on some torches.



    We soon arrived near the walls. I ordered to put off every light and I advanced, alone with my bodyguards, toward the citadel. We were riding in the shadow.
    The plan was to light on one arrow, waiting for the answer of Arnoul.



    We threw the firing arrow and waited some long and stressful moments…
    I was praying subconsciously for some imaginary gods to help us.

    And then it happened. We saw one torch lighted on at the top of the gate, then another, and several ones. It was the answer. Arnoul was there, with the loyal infiltrated French soldiers, at the top of the gates.



    Arnoul and his men wore some Flemish uniforms they had stolen. It was why they could reach the city walls unnoticed.
    I knew that Arnoul had surely barricaded himself and his men there, and was safe for a while from the Flemish, but I shouldn’t waste any moment…

    I ordered my troops to put their torches on.
    It was a beautiful sight. Thousands of soldiers appearing from the darkness.



    I rang the signal of the first phase.
    My elite Brittany spearmen came in first line. They were dreadful knights, experimented to fight dismounted, and to cope with heavy troops. They could easily terrorize the militia troops waiting for them.



    At the same time, I could hear some noise from the citadel. The guards were warning the people to take arms, and to start the citadel defense. Hundreds of little lights were running at the top of the walls.
    It was time to attack.


    I launch the signal and my Brittany spearmen ran toward Antwerp, roaring a Celtic call.
    They were very impressive…


    As soon as I saw the Brittany guys close to the walls, I ordered the mercenary Pikemen to rush and support the first line.



    It was a hard decision to send the mercenaries as a first line but I wouldn’t take the risk to see my French troops decimated in case Arnoul wouldn’t succeed to hold the gate, and keep it opened.

    However, Arnoul succeeded his hard mission. The Brittany knights reached the open doors and rushed into the citadel. They didn’t suffer significant loss until they came under the gates. There, some cunning Flemish welcomed them with boiling oil, and some of those brave warriors fell, decimated by those shameful weapons.



    They burnt till their death, unable to get out of their heavy armors. What a horrible death! I shuddered, listening to their screams…



    As soon as the Brittany warriors entered the citadel, they made a defensive schiltron formation. It was part of the invasion plan: Quickly enter the city, then protect the other units coming.
    Strangely, no foes were there to attack. They were surely still disorganized and surprised because of the night attack.



    When a scout rushed to say me that our first forces had successfully entered the citadel, I ordered my regular heavy troops to assault.
    A wave of axes ran towards the gates. Their duty was to climb on the top of the walls and fight against the bowmen, already shooting at my Brittany troops.



    The battle had begun inside. We could hear some screams and horses neighing.
    In fact, a unit of mounted knights was trying to attack the Brittany spearmen. Fortunately, the mercenary pikemen were also in the citadel. They quickly organized themselves and made a pike wall against the Flemish cavalry.



    I thought it was the right time to send the bulk of my forces. I glanced at them. They were ready and impatient to surge in the citadel and take their part of blood and money.
    The moon was at its height, watching the scene…



    - “Chargez mes amis…
    A l’assaut. Our friends are already in the place. Let’s finish the fight, let’s kill those evil fat merchants…
    Montjoie Saint Denis !!!


    They roared together and rushed toward the citadel.



    I stayed behind. I shouted to Bertrand to stand there. I would like him and his mercenary cavalry to wait that our soldiers clear the gate, and then to enter.
    He nodded and I rode into the citadel to support my troops.

    I followed the last of my foot soldiers entering the gates like a river of spears and shields, ready to spread the true words of France.



    When I entered the gate, I saw the massacre. A lot of my Brittany spearmen had been decimated by the Flemish bowmen. However, they had succeeded to hold the position and my mercenary pikemen were slaughtering the last of the Flanders’s cavalry.

    What an irony. Flemish knights decimated by Flemish pikes. It made me smiled. They were trapped at their own games. They deserved such a fate after all the bad they did to our Kingdom.



    I glanced at the city walls and saw the second part of the battle. My proud and courageous axemen were already there, fighting against the bowmen militia.
    The poor Flemish peasants and merchants didn’t have any chance. They were linked with the death. They tried to flee but couldn’t, because they were surrounded.


    They finally accepted their terrible fate and died singing some Flanders song. My men took pleasure slaughtering them, cutting their throats, ending their song, spilling their blood…


    The sound of bones breaking, of screams, of metal clashing, spread all around.
    It was time to call the mercenary cavalry. We had to take the opportunity to finish this battle as soon as possible.
    I sent a messenger ordering Bertrand to come with his knights.



    I gathered my men around me and waited for Bertrand to come.
    When he arrived, I ordered to rush everywhere in the city and to kill the last Flemish units.
    I thought it would be as easy as to take control of the gates, but it appeared that the Flemish spear militia had gathered around a local knight, leading them near the citadel square.

    When my first men reached them, a melee began. Then, there were no rational fight at all. Everybody tried to preserve his life and to fight in the darkness of the night.
    It was a massacre. My soldiers were not sure fighting Flemish or French…
    I tried to bring a lot of torches but it was too late.



    In every street, there were some fights, battles or ambushes. Soldiers were trying to rally their standards but it was difficult discerning the blue or the yellow that night.
    They were just some French and Flemish cries, orders, shouts… to guide the warriors.



    My mercenary pikemen were fighting well. They were people oppressed by the Flemish and they were proud to fight them, and to help the French Kingdom. Lots of them offered their lives for their liberty.

    At the opposite, my mercenary cavalry was from France, but they were also eager to fight, mostly for money. When they joined the melee, they sliced blood furrows amongst the foes. The Flemish militia was crushed…



    That moment, the Flemish local lord tried to reverse the trend and surge toward me with his last bodyguards.
    Useless. The poor guy just didn’t succeed to reach me. His steed was slain by an evil pike and he fell on the ground. He lived some more moments, before to be impaled by a Brittany spear.

    - “Goodbye my Flemish friend”, I jeered.


    That time, the battle was won. It didn’t take long before the last of the Flemish militia surrendered.
    On the walls, it was the same; my axemen had completed their mission and no more Flanders’s flag was flying…


    We were the winners.
    The easy fight I was expecting when besieging Antwerp finally led to a slaughter. The Flemish people shouldn’t have formed some militia. It cost their life and the lives of my soldiers.
    I wasn’t fighting against them.
    I was fighting against their lords.

    Poor people!
    It was hard to discern any cobblestone in the streets, which were covered by dead corpses.


    I was glancing through the dead with my friend Bertrand when I suddenly felt that something was wrong. Arnoul wrote me that there were some pikemen in the citadel. But I couldn’t remember any fight against them.
    Where were they?


  10. #130

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part II)
    Chapter LXXIII : "Fleur de Lys" company




    An de Grâce 1210 AC.
    Duchy of Flanders.
    Antwerpen.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I'm campaigning in Fanders to finish that bastard duchy off.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he had managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helps me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learn to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and plays a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    I ordered my troops to search everywhere.
    It could be a trap.

    After half an hour, some of my remaining knights rushed back to announce me that the pikemen had been found in the top of the city walls, trying to escape.




    - “Ahhhhhh” I roared.
    “Those cowards didn’t protect their people. They let them fight against us, when they were fleeing. They deserve the death. Let’s attack them with the axemen.”

    I rode to find those bastard cowards. They were indeed there.



    My Brittany spearmen had found them and were already cutting their retreat. I sent all my heavy infantry to fight them. I knew that the pikemen were elite troops and that the casualties would surely be important, but I was furious to see warriors abandoning their people.
    That time, I would have loved having some crossbow troops to avoid a close and bloody fight.

    My Brittany spearmen were fighting well, but I could hear that the pikemen were fighting for their lives and did no mercy.



    My axemen arrived at the opposite side of the walls and began the fight. The pikemen waited them in a defensive position and it was extremely difficult for my men to take the advantage.



    The sun was nearly rising behind the hills when my axemen finally succeeded to infiltrate the pikemen and disorganize their pike wall.
    The great axes were cutting off Flemish arms, legs and bodies. The men were walking on the dead, and fighting in a blood river. The pikemen refused to surrender. They knew that I wouldn’t allow them any mercy.



    Until the last one, my axemen did their mission.
    When the last pikemen fell from the walls, the first ray of the sun lighted up my fierce and courageous soldiers. They burst forth. Some of them wept after such a tough fight.

    I thanked them strongly, men by men. I offered them to be my royal guard. They deserved it after such a proof of courage.
    I called them “The Fleur de Lys company”.

    We suffered some losses, but it was a clear victory. Despite the courage of the Flemish militia, they didn’t succeed to match my professional and experimented troops.


    Antwerp was mine.
    We had succeeded to take the citadel jewel of the Flanders County.
    Perfect.

    I knew that the great armies of the county were protecting Bruges, and that I would have to deal with them, but I could count on a defensive base from where I could easily throw troops to assault the Flanders’s capital.



    Antwerp was an excellent strategic citadel. It offered me an access to the North Sea, and it was also securing the North borders of my Kingdom. There was a merchant harbor and lots of exotic goods coming from the British Isles and Scandinavia travelled there, waiting to be spread all over the Kingdom.
    Thanks to that, I could hope to increase dramatically the Royal Treasure.

    However, I couldn’t stop thinking about Bruges, the most important city of the North, which was the heart of the Flanders Duchy. It was the North Sea Jewel and I needed it.
    I also needed to avenge Philippe Auguste, my father.

    I decided with my generals to attack as soon as possible. It means I was expecting to make a general invasion at the end of the summer.
    I used well the little times I could afford. I trained some troops in the new Drill Square we built in Antwerp.


    I was quite annoyed having destroyed it, thanks to my spies, because it took me some weeks and money to build it back.

    But anyway, things were going well. I would have loved to come back in Paris in order to see Margit and my 4 little children, but the road was far too dangerous across the Flemish lands.
    I dispatched some orders to my governors and to Michel and Charles. I would like to keep them informed of the situation, and to order them to keep defensive policies in the cities.

    I was most particularly fearing the bastards devious English.
    Indeed, some reports from my spy network showed some troops movements in Normandy and Brittany. The Sleeping Lion was maybe waking up…

    I was alone…
    Even if Bertrand du Guesclin was helping me for the administration of Antwerp and the recruitment of troops, I kept alone…
    I was the only one I could rely on for leading troops and armies. I didn’t know any other general that loyal and experimented. The problem was that I needed some to secure the Spanish Border, the German one and the English one. I couldn’t separate my body to fight everywhere.
    Definitely, I was cruelly missing Olivier and his leading skills.

    Olivier!
    I was desperately waiting for news. He should have reached the Holy Lands but there were no reports about his landing. I feared the worse…

    The training of the troops kept my mind focused and I wasn’t really aware about what happened outside the Kingdom, but those thoughts were sometimes haunting me.

  11. #131

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part III)
    Chapter LXXIV : Fight to the death



    An de Grâce 1211 AC.
    Duchy of Flanders.
    Bruges countryside.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I'm campaigning in Fanders to finish that bastard duchy off.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learn to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    In October, I launched the invasion signal from Antwerp. My strategy was to surprise again the enemy by crossing the Schelde in Autumn, and then to loot and sack the Flemish countryside, forcing the Flemish to go out of Bruges and attack me in open fields.

    We were two armies entering the Flemish lands.
    I led the main force and some of my loyal generals led the second one, which was more defensive than mine.



    We spent the winter there.
    I wasn’t sacking the peasant people, but I was making a real blockade around Bruges, in order to make the city isolated, without any supplies. Strangely, it didn’t work perfectly. The Flemish didn’t take the bait and kept their armies in the Bruges.
    The winter was tough and my men weren’t as motivated as at the beginning. Each week, there were soldiers missing. I increased their pay, and promised them that a large part of the Flemish treasure would be theirs. Despite that, they continued to desert.

    I had finally to take the decision to threat of death any deserter found. It worked well that time and I maintained my troops till the beginning of spring.




    I was wandering the countryside with Bertrand and some of my bodyguards when a breathless scout rushed to meet us. He had just received some news from my spies in Bruges. Apparently, there were some changes…

    - “What happens?” I asked to the young guy.

    - “I don’t know Monseigneur, we received those letters from Bruges. It seems very important.”

    I took the main letter. I could discern the writing of Arnoul.
    It was said that the Flemish were at last moving. They left Bruges to meet us. The whole forces were coming.
    The last warriors of the desperate Duchy…

    I fixed Bertrand and smiled to him. He understood immediately.
    - “When will they be here?” he asked me.

    - “I don’t know. We are approximately at 3 days of walk from Bruges, so let’s say they will be there tomorrow…
    I’m eager to meet those bastards, and most particularly their evil King.”
    I replied to my friend.

    Bertrand nodded, and ordered to come back to the camp.
    We had to prepare the battle plan.




    The thing was that my army was in the south of Bruges while my reinforcement one was wandering in the East of the city. We should be quick to gather together, because it would be a slaughter if the Flemish succeeded to engage the battle against me alone.


    I ordered some messengers to warn them. No time to rest.
    Each second cost a lot…
    With Bertrand, we took the decision to walk north in order to be close to our friends and to find a perfect battlefield.

    I was quite confident in my soldiers and I could already see the end of the Flemish Duchy. Why not to make Bertrand Duke of Flanders? It could be a nice reward for the guy who saved the Iberian cities from the Spanish invasion.



    The following day, we stopped in a field bordered by some woods. It was a sunny day.
    I was expecting to continue the walk to the north when I heard some horns far away.

    The Flemish…
    “What the hell? How could they be already there?” I thought with anger.
    Some of my scouts were rushing back and the scout sergeant explained me that they had been ambushed. Indeed, they were exploring the woods few miles away when they had been attacked.


    The Flemish cavalry was there and trapped them. They fought but couldn’t bear the fight against the heavy knights so they routed to warn me.
    Apparently, the main army would be there in less than 2 hours…

    It was really short to be prepared, and still no signs from my reinforcement army.
    If I was confident few hours ago, I was not anymore…


    It would definitely be the most important battle I had ever fought. My scouts explained me that the Flemish army was compound of two waves of fighters.
    The first one was led by the new heir of the Duchy, Jonkheer Vincent. It was a young noble, who was elected heir when his brother had been slain by Louis few years ago.



    He was leading a cavalry force, mixed with strong militia, with some experimented bowmen.



    Just behind was following the old Duke, Graaf Robert. The old man was a great fighter and was the one who decided to attack France. I considered him as the responsible for the death of my father Philippe Auguste. No mercy for him…






    Around him was the flower of the Flemish militia. The elite pikemen, some royal halberd militia, and experimented spearmen.
    Their armors were exactly matching the Flemish wealth. Under that sun, I could expect to be blinded by those pure steel armors.
    What a shame that those bloody merchants were wearing such beautiful helmets, shields and weapons!
    They didn’t deserve it. We were ready to prove them that truth…


    In our side, I had at my disposal a massive army, compound of a good mix of infantry men and cavalry. I was just lacking of crossbowmen. They were in the reinforcement army.
    However, my “Fleur de Lys” companies of axemen were there to hold the French standard.
    The elite Brittany spearmen were also there, with my mercenary pikemen, and the bulk of French spearmen and swordsmen.


    I could only pray for the arrival of my second army because against the heavy pikemen, we would be dead men without any crossbowmen.

  12. #132

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part III)
    Chapter LXXV : Just one more left



    An de Grâce 1211 AC.
    Duchy of Flanders.
    Bruges countryside.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I'm campaigning in Fanders to finish that bastard duchy off.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learn to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    I used efficiently the little time I had.
    My men gathered to form a defensive line. They knew that the battle they would fight would be an epic one. Most of them knew relatives who felt against the Flemish during the last ten years and they were eager to revenge their friends. To know that the Duke Robert would be there was motivating them.





    I jumped on my saddle, and rode in front of my troops, haranguing them for the fight.
    - “Let’s fight my dear friends,
    Let’s revenge our beloved Philippe Auguste.
    We have to fight the last battle against those bastard swines. For two decades, they are looting our fields, they are slaughtering our people and they are laughing at us.
    It is time to show that merchants are not allowed to threaten any French men.

    We are the Kingdom of the Chivalry, of the glorious knights.
    We fear nobody…

    I’ve heard that our reinforcement army is coming to support us soon.
    Let’s engage the battle to show our friends our courage.

    Be strong my men, and think about the lord and Philippe Auguste who are watching us from the heaven.

    Montjoie Saint Denis !!!






    My troops roared.
    The battle could begin. I knew that I lied when talking about the reinforcement army. I had no more news about them, even if I had sent some messengers. I was secretly wishing them to join us as soon as possible.

    We waited the Flemish army for a little while, watching the dust clouds approaching…





    They arrived.
    I succeeded to see the long pikes in the distance. Fearful pikes…

    Tonight, no one should remain. But it was a titan work. We had to cut down an entire forest.
    My men were also watching the experimented militia with fear. They knew the worth of those warriors.

    They suddenly stopped. We were two armies facing for the final battle.
    Everybody was there, apart my reinforcement army, and still no news about them.

    A horn rung behind the Flemish lines.
    The signal of the attack…





    The first companies of Flemish bowmen crossed their lines and started to shoot at us.
    I ordered my men to hold the line.
    They used their shields, but sometimes, we could hear some screams amongst my lines.





    I had no choice. I should wait and use a defensive formation till the arrival of my second army. It would have been madness to charge in the Flemish pikes.

    The Flemish were surely trying to make us move, but seeing that we wouldn’t do it, they called back their bowmen and started some cavalry charges.

    I saw that the heir was leading the Flemish cavalry.
    I smiled. That novice young noble was experiencing the mistakes of the youth.

    For glory, he was forgetting the essential rules of the war.
    “Never charging a wall of pikes and spears”.





    My men were waiting with great pleasure those idiots’ knights. Behind the large shields, the spears were ready to stop the Flemish, to dismount them and to impale them without any mercy.





    At least the left wing of the Flemish cavalry charged my spearmen. Indeed, the right wing made the terrible mistake to charge my mercenary pikemen. It was like a birthday present for those guys.

    With Bertrand and my friends, we laughed a lot, scoffing at those bastards.





    However, when the heir Vincent charged with his heavy knights, it was not as funny because the war steeds crushed my infantry lines. I took the decision to meet him in the melee.
    I was completely right.
    Those knights were much experimented and could have harmed a lot my troops. I entered the fight with my loyal friends. Bertrand stayed behind, to manage the troops.

    I remember how surprised I was when I fought some of those knights. They were quite as experimented as us. For sure, they had learnt the French war training.

    I fought hard to make my way to the heir Vincent.





    Soon, Durandal, my armor and my steed were covered of blood. I was keeping an eye on Vincent. I didn’t succeed to reach him but I watched with anger that he was fighting quite well, far better than what I would have thought.
    He was also covered of blood…





    The melee was terrible; we were trampling some dead steeds and knights. My spearmen tried to help us but couldn’t get close to us, because of the mad steeds.

    At the other side of the battle line, the last idiot knights were still trying to crush my pikemen.
    It was useless.





    Back to the melee, the fierce French knights finally took the best upon their Flemish relatives. Vincent was still fighting when I came close to him. He was quickly surrounded by the French knights.
    He had to stop fighting.





    I shouted:
    - “Vincent,
    You are a young but brave knight.
    We are at war, but I ask you to surrender. I have no grief against you. I promise to let you free after the battle if you accept to surrender.
    What is your choice?


    Vincent took back his helmet and I could see his black eyes.
    He was bleeding and sweating, but his mind was proud and I knew his answer before he shrilled:
    - “You bastard French,
    You are not and will never be my lord.
    I piss over you and your infidel swine friends.
    Go in hell, miscreant…”

    He raised his sword and tried to fight again.
    Unfortunately for him, it was not a game and he was playing with his life. My knights didn’t hesitate a single second and drove in his body their swords.

    The poor young man screamed and fell in the blood pond…




    Sad and useless death.
    I wasn’t expecting such a craziness.

    When Vincent died, the last Flemish cavalry knight was pierced by pikes, and everybody could see the Flanders standard falling before to be trampled by my men.


    Surely the symbol of their defeat…
    We all roared of pleasure.

    That moment, a concert of horns could be heard from the Flemish infantry lines, which still hadn’t moved.
    The Duke Robert was there, leading and gathering all his troops.
    Times of skirmish were over. The real battle could begin.


    I saw the Duke.
    I was expecting to see an old man, exhausted and dotard.
    Not at all, Robert was still a rock, and the time didn’t make any marks on him, apart from some old scars.

    “Here we are”, I thought, “The target is there…”
    I ordered Bertrand to lead my left wing when I would lead the right one, who had been slightly injured by the Flemish charge.

    I was waiting for a blue wave to submerge that yellow beach of bloody bastards…
    Let’s flood them…


  13. #133

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part III)
    Chapter LXXVI : The winds of change and sorrow



    An de Grâce 1211 AC.
    Duchy of Flanders.
    Bruges countryside.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 30 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I'm campaigning in Fanders to finish that bastard duchy off.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learn to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    It was a really hard fight. The Flemish outnumbered us by two to one. And there were still no news about my reinforcements. What the hell were they doing?

    Anyway, I had no time to think a lot about that problem. All my attention was focused on the infantry clash.
    My spearmen were eager to fight and charged without order the first Flemish unit of pikemen.





    They tried to disorganize their ranks but it was a hard task. The pikemen were very well organized and didn’t offer a lot of opportunity.

    Below, my swordsmen were fighting. The pikemen were also taking the best upon my soldiers there. I was riding along the battle line to support them but I felt ill at ease, seeing the ineffectiveness of my soldiers to pierce the pikemen units.





    I was thinking about a solution to divert them from my lines.
    These bloody pikemen were still pouring on my troops. I was desperate to find a good idea. Bertrand was facing the same problem.





    I thought about rounding them with my cavalry, but there were some pikemen kept in reserve by Robert. We wouldn’t have a chance.

    I decided to send my “Fleur de Lys company” in the heart of the battle when one of my men showed me a dust cloud at the distance.

    I missed to cry. My reinforcements were at least there…



    It changed everything.
    The Duke Robert was also aware about that news, and decided to divert some of his Pikemen toward my reinforcements. It means that the Flemish army was trapped between two fronts.
    I was so happy that I decided to use my mercenary cavalry in the game. I ordered them to go round the pikemen who were not anymore protected.

    The mercenary were reluctant to do that but I promised them some extra reward for that and they rode with pleasure.

    They began to crush the experienced pikemen, surprised not to be protected by their friends. It seemed to be the turning point of the battle.


    Indeed, the first Flanders’s banners were rushing back from the battle line.
    The first Flemish to rout.
    At last…


    I thought it was the perfect moment to enter the battle.
    I gathered the fine flower of the French nobility around me and we made our way amongst the Flemish units. My goal was to reach the Duke Robert and to slay him.


    We finally found him; he was fighting against my reinforcement army. I heard screams and French swearing. That bastard duke was literally slaughtering some of my spearmen.
    They were rushing back to flee that yellow devil.

    We were already at full gallop and couldn’t avoid our poor men. I couldn’t stop my charge…
    I winced when my steed trampled some of my men.


    It was an epic clash. The Duke wasn’t expecting us and suffered some injuries before to counter attack in a cavalry melee.
    There was a feeling of déjà-vu.
    After the heir, the Duke…

    We were fighting at the heart of the battle but the soldiers could hardly pay attention to our duel because it was a full fight without mercy from any part.


    I found my way to reach the Duke Robert, forbidding any of my men to fight against him.
    He was there, with his yellow armor. The black Flanders lion was still there.
    “He would be dead tonight…” I thought.

    Robert noticed me and tried to pierce my stomach with his sword.


    I avoided it with ease and jeered at him:
    - “What a ridiculous blow, my Duke…
    I hope you have better in your arms that a bird strength.
    Do you want some help to raise your sword…


    Robert was furious and shouted with anger:
    - “I don’t care about a young Sarasin. I have killed some thousand of them in my life. You will just be the next one.
    I don’t fear to kill a French King. Your father was the last one. You will be the next one.
    Go in hell, you evil bastard one-handed!!!
    God bless Flanders…


    He didn’t have the time to finish. I was already making a powerful blow to show him the sharpness of Durandal.
    I believed slaying him when a shield from one of his bodyguard protected him at the last second. Some other of his knights came between me and him, protecting their Duke at the price of their life.

    - “Coward!” I shouted. “I will slay each of your knights and then finish with your old body…”

    I had to fight some of the best knights of the Flemish duchy.
    I killed two of them before one succeeded to destroy my left hook. I felt the pain, involved by some sharp steel cutting my arm till the bone.
    I rushed back behind my knights, the time to take my breath and to overcome the pain. I used that time to have a quick look to the battlefield.

    Those terrifying pikemen were beginning to surround my men. The French lines of swordsmen and spearmen were shrinking. My French men were courageous, but couldn’t cope with the long pikes.
    I winced of pain and disgust.


    The battle was far from being won…



    Anyway, I had to focus my efforts and those of my men against Robert. I went back to the melee and fight with despair.
    I sliced arms, pierced bodies, and cut some bloody furrows amongst the last Flemish knights. I was sweating, my throat was dry, my left arm was pissing blood, but I didn’t stop the fight. I saw Bertrand beside me trying to cope with our foes. He wasn’t at all a skilled warrior but he had great courage…

    At least, I reached that fuc-king Robert. He was surrounded by my men and understood seeing me that his last times on Earth were counted…


    I smiled at him.
    He didn’t say anything. My knights rushed back to let us fight.
    The old man charged me with the last of his strengths. I roared and raised Durandal. Our two swords clashed together. Some sparks appeared.

    Robert missed to lose his sword. He was severely exhausted and seemed resigned. With Durandal, I blocked his sword and stroke him with my bloody stump.
    I broke his nose.
    Robert was nearly knocked out. His sword fell down.

    I slapped him.
    He was still conscious.

    I shouted:
    - “Robert,
    Evil Duke.
    The time for judgment had come.
    You promoted the war. Because of your madness, thousands of soldiers and people died. You are sentenced to death…

    You killed our beloved Philippe Auguste, and you should deserve a more cruel punishment but I’m not that kind of man.
    However, be sure that your head will sit enthroned in Le Louvre castle, in order to welcome each Duke who would dare to threaten the Kingdom of France.

    Long live to Flanders my Duke…


    Robert closed his eyes and with a sudden blow, I decapitated him.
    His head fell down, before to be picked up by one of my men. Bertrand impaled it at the top of one chivalric spear.


    I watched the sky and shouted:
    - “Philippe,
    My father.
    Today, you are at last avenged.
    May you lie in peace from now on!
    I will continue your work and never forget what you learned me.
    I still love you my king.


    I wept. My tears mixed with the blood of my foes.
    I dried my face and had a quick look around.

    The situation was disastrous for the remaining French troops. The pikes and halberds were decimating my last men who were protecting us.
    There were not a lot of French banners still floating…


    I rode along my men, trying to gather them, and to motivate them.
    They saw the head of the destitute Duke, but it didn’t help to reverse the trend.
    When a fresh unit of Flemish knights charged my men, a large part of them routed, despite my efforts to rally them.

    The battle was lost.

    Definitely.


    I cried of anger. The work was almost achieved.
    It wasn’t possible. I couldn’t resign myself to accept the reality.

    However, when the Flemish troops charged me and my last men still loyal to me, I understood that I was obliged to flee.
    We rode back, trying to reach the woods. The field was covered of dead and wounded men.

    My heart was broken watching that terrible spectacle.


    Dead, dead, dead…
    My life was built with dead people.


    We finally reached the woods.
    I was safe…


    But what about my men?
    What about my glorious troops?
    What about my honor after that flight?
    What about my future?

    The darkness of the wood couldn’t hide such evidence:
    I was not anymore a glorious noble!

    I was defeated and the only thing I was able to do was to flee.
    I should succeed to reach Paris as soon as possible.




    That day, I lost more men than during my entire life before.
    I discovered later that a lot of my reinforcement forces had routed very quickly during the battle. They succeeded to gather and make a good retreat.
    I forgave them.
    I had no other choice.


    So many of my brave French men remained in the flowered meadows of Flanders.
    It was heartbreaking.
    What a sad memory…


    I didn’t mind their rank.
    They were peasants, they were professional warriors, they were mercenaries…
    Anyway, they were all people with families, people with mothers, and people with little sons and daughters…
    So many little French will never see again their dad.

    I was ashamed. All those lives lost for nothing. They died for a defeat.

    Worst, I didn’t have enough money to pay back the prisoners the Flemish captured after the rout.


    My men were kept in dungeons if nobles, kept in slavery if not, and executed if wounded or too weak for work.

    I was furiously mad when I learned the treatment the Flemish reserved to my men. They would regret it…



    However, it was terrible to admit, but the two sides were losers.
    I was defeated, and I lost lots of my men killed or brought in slavery, but the Flemish lost maybe more.
    The Duke and the heir were killed during the battle. The heir was the last male descendant of the Duke line.
    Because of that, the succession was hard and some of the remaining Flemish nobles fought together to elect the new Duke. No agreement was found and the sovereignty was proclaimed destroyed.

    “Graafschap Vlaanderen” was not anymore an independent Duchy recognized by the Christendom. It was a rebel Duchy, and nobody cared about their future till a new Duke would be elected.


    I learned that during my retreat to Paris.
    It was the only good news of that shameful campaign. At least, Antwerp was not threatened, as long as the Flemish nobles wouldn’t agree together.

    Arnoul who was still in Bruges, told me the events.
    The Flemish troops had severely suffered the battle, but were still present in Bruges and the countryside.


    Moreover, the people of Bruges decided to hire and train some more terrible pikemen.
    The militia of Bruges was not as powerful as before the battle, but it was still a very dangerous one, and I couldn’t expect to attack without a strong army.


    So, there were the current state of the war between France and Flanders.
    There would be more battles, more dead, and more bloods, spoiling the flowers…
    It saddened me deeply.

    But it was my fate. I knew it since the beginning.
    Tears and sadness!
    Blood and pain!



    A sign in the road indicated the direction to Paris.
    One hundred more miles…
    We were a little troop of exhausted, wounded and depressed men, but we had just entered the French kingdom and I smiled for the first time…

    Margit…


  14. #134

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXXVII : Prowling lions


    An de Grâce 1211 AC.
    Kingdom of France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 31 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I destroyed the flemish Duchy, punishing them for the murder of Philippe Auguste.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for a long time the unofficial leader of the Kingdom, because he managed to use the lords as a tool to take the command of the Kingdom, against Louis. I became the heir just because of his will.
    He is working in the shadows and is potentially more dangerous than Louis himself.
    From now on, he accepted my lead and I appointed him governor of Dijon. But it is a matter of time before we clash...






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    Maybe because of that, he decided to be a rebel in order to steal his father’s crown, and had been thrown by Louis in the Paris dungeon. He has then been reconciled.
    During the last battle, I captured him, believing it was Louis.
    I appointed him governor of Metz, in order to drive him apart and not be seen as a tyrant.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our son, Raoul, and to Sibylle, our first daughter.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learns to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    Three days after, we finally succeeded to arrive in Paris.
    It was the night. When the guards saw our little troop, they quickly opened the gates.
    They were totally stunned to see such a pitiful army.

    I didn’t have the courage to discuss with them; I just would like to see my little Margit. I needed some comfort.
    I rode straight to the court. I found her asleep.

    What a beautiful woman.
    Hardly had I begun to kiss her cheek that she woke up.

    She fixed me in my eyes, and without a word, without a single smile, she kissed me strongly.
    I was exhausted and still wounded. I felt the pain when I hugged her but it was so good to be there.
    She was my angel.

    We made love.

    It was the last test… I fell asleep.




    When I woke up, I firstly didn’t understand where I was.
    What about that warm bed?
    What about those soft sheets?

    I suddenly realized. I was back in Paris. I turned my head. Margit wasn’t anymore beside me.
    I stand up, winced because of my arm wound, and left the bedroom.

    Margit was there, playing with the little kids. Raoul was toying with his little sister Sibylle. Margit turned her head and smiled.
    She whispered.
    - “Come on my little love, here is your Papa, go and welcome him…”

    Raoul ran toward me and I took him between my arms.
    - “What a lovely little knight!” I laughed. “But where is my princess?”

    Sibylle was trying to reach me, but she hardly knew how to walk and fell on the floor. She wept…
    I kissed her and it was over.

    I was so pleased to see my children. The little Colin was still sleeping in his cradle and Philippe was in school, learning how to write.
    A deep pleasure filled my heart. I was back close to my family.
    The disastrous defeat was almost forgotten. I could at last have a good rest…

    I proposed Margit to have a little walk together in the woods outside the city.
    Sorrow suddenly appeared on her face. She took a breath before to say, with a desolate sigh:
    - “You know that it is impossible mon amour, it is far too much dangerous…”

    - “What?” I exclaimed, puzzled by her answer. “What is dangerous?”

    It was the turn of Margit to be surprised. She didn’t say anything for few seconds, but then taught me the source of the problems:
    - “The English are almost there…”

    I didn’t let her the time to finish. I grasp her with my last hand, and asked her with a tough voice:
    - “The English?
    Where are they?
    Why?
    Had they already attacked any French city?


    - “Nobody told you what happened? You are totally unaware about what occurred at Metz?” she replied with a quavering voice.

    I was completely stunned by what she said. The English? Metz?
    There was no connection…
    What was really occurring in that bloody Kingdom?

    Margit understood how tense I was and explained me what she knew:
    The people of Paris had been warned two week before.
    Apparently, Michel and Charles had planned an entire conspiracy against me and the French Kingdom with those bastards English…
    A massive English army led by Michel, Charles and some Norman’s barons was coming near Paris. A lot of peasants had already surged to find protection in the Capital, and the traitors were reported to be less than one day of walk from the city.

    Margit started to weep; she was apologizing not having warned me when I arrived. She was so happy to see me alive that she forgot to tell me the news.
    Obviously, I forgave my love… but my mind was elsewhere.

    Michel was back in the game…
    What an idiot I was when I thought he would accept to serve me! What an idiot!
    Michel was still the incarnation of darkness and devious treachery…
    He was a nightmare.

    And I couldn’t believe he made an agreement with the English.
    They were too much things to understand. I left Margit and ran to find my advisors in the royal Court.


  15. #135
    Shadrach's Avatar Miles
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Posts
    325

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Still the best AAR that I've ever read, written with such passion and with great action pictures!
    Keep it up LaCoupe my friend!

    The Danes, I swear, with their half arsed attempts at a 'war'. You gotta give it to 'em, they just dont stop trying. Listen, I've fought the Timurids, ever heard of them? Elephants with cannons on their backs. Yea, Timurids. You guys are like kids on tricycles compared to them. -REZ

  16. #136

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Thanks a lot my friend.
    You words sounds like golden coins in my pockets

    It also means that there is some rain in your country, isn't it?

    Anyway, you helped to break the loneliness I was lost in there. Thanks.

  17. #137

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXXVIII : Stress and panic





    An de Grâce 1212 AC.
    Kingdom of France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 32 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I destroyed the flemish Duchy, punishing them for the murder of Philippe Auguste.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for long the unofficial leader of the Kingdom and ordered my death.
    When I came back in Paris and defeated Louis, he accepted my lead, but didn't lose time to betray me with Charles, making an alliance with the english, and offering them Dijon and Metz.
    He is a nightmare.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    He rebelled against Louis and was thrown in the Dungeon. After being reconciled, he met me, and I agreed to let him the lead of Metz. However, that little snake made a deal with Michel and sided with the english hawks to kill me.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our children: Raoul, Sibylle and Colin.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learns to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    When I arrived in hurry, Bertrand and all the other nobles and friends were there talking.
    The Kingdom was in peril.
    I asked for the news. They were bad. The problem was that the rebellion began one month ago.
    Michel and Charles knew that I would have hard time with the Flemish. They decided to make an alliance with the English. Indeed, they couldn’t gather a lot of French troops willing to fight me, their official King. Those two bastards accepted to offer Metz and Dijon to the Normand. In return, the English provided them with heavy troops and siege equipments. Apparently, the plan of Michel and Charles was to walk straight to Paris and liberate Louis, in order to take back the power and destitute me.

    But there was a trouble. They didn’t know that I had been defeated by the Flemish army, and already back in Paris. They were surely expecting me to be still in the Flanders’s Duchy.
    It was a two edge problem.
    In one hand, I could motivate the Paris people to resist and fight against those traitors.
    In the other hand, I risked to be trapped in Paris and be slain.

    Bertrand advised me to flee Paris with him to Zaragoza, and let end those times of turmoil, before to come back.
    I finally disagreed.
    The crown of Charlemagne was there. The people of Paris would stay there.
    I had the duty to protect them against those swine English and bloody traitors.


    I spent all the morning talking and adopting emergency measures with my advisors and generals.

    The first problem was that I could use only few and exhausted troops. I ordered Bertrand to ride till Antwerp and call back the cavalry garrison there. They could save us if enough quick. Moreover, I ordered to train and to arm as many people as possible in the Paris militia.

    The second problem was the fortifications. They had been partly damaged during the old war against the Flemish. I decided to use the Paris people to build additional protections, and repair the more damaged parts.

    The third problem was the supplies. Paris was a big city and needed a huge amount of supplies each day. I commanded my advisors to take care about the storage of the essential supplies.

    We would have just one or two days to prepare before the arrival of the English. We could feel the tense in the streets of Paris. The Parisian people were ready to protect their houses and family, even if they feared a lot the English.

    I spent the whole day riding along the city walls, and ordering the training of a special militia linked to each district of the city. The good thing was that we had a lot of weapons stored in Paris, thanks to the old wars and sieges made by the Flemish.
    Just before to go to bed, I at last found the time to cure my wounded arm. It was more and more painful, even if I took care about cleaning it each day. I was well aware about the gangrene. Too many of my soldiers had found their death because of that terrible war scourge.



    Margit waited for me and we slept together again.
    I was in peril, but I forgot all those torments since I entered our warm bed.

    The morning, I was dreaming about red devils shooting at me. I was ill at ease, sweating and woke up suddenly.
    Relieved to notice that I was in my bedroom, some memories came to my mind all of a sudden: The longbowmen.
    I remembered that little fight against the English rascals. They were already in French territory. Now, I would have to face an entire army.
    I didn’t know well the English war tactics. I just fought Flemish and Mediterranean Kingdoms. None of them rely on their bowmen. It would be a different battle I wasn’t prepared for.
    I prayed the sky to help me overcome that new difficulty…

    The door suddenly opened and one of my guards said, trembling:
    - “My lord, the English are there. They are surrounding Paris…”

    “Let’s fight, again…”
    I thought, with a bit of weariness…

  18. #138

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXXIX : Preparation and provocation




    An de Grâce 1212 AC.
    Kingdom of France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 32 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I destroyed the flemish Duchy, punishing them for the murder of Philippe Auguste.
    I'm currently besieged in Paris by the English, Michel and Charles.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for long the unofficial leader of the Kingdom and ordered my death.
    When I came back in Paris and defeated Louis, he accepted my lead, but didn't lose time to betray me with Charles, making an alliance with the english, and offering them Dijon and Metz.
    He is a nightmare.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    He rebelled against Louis and was thrown in the Dungeon. After being reconciled, he met me, and I agreed to let him the lead of Metz. However, that little snake made a deal with Michel and sided with the english hawks to kill me.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our children: Raoul, Sibylle and Colin.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learns to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    The weather was bad outside.
    It was the first Sunday of September.

    I met up my vassals and generals in the royal court and went with them directly to the city walls. I was anxious but extremely curious to see the English army.
    Indeed, they were there. I could make out the infantry units, rounding the city, and also the supplies chariots just behind them. They were a lot and I worried that the Paris militia couldn’t cope with such an army.
    My eyes were suddenly caught on a distinct cavalry group. They wore white doublets, not red ones like the common English soldiers. They were templar knights.
    Michel!



    I understood. Michel was the grandmaster of the Templar order and he brought with him some of those powerful and terrifying knights. I didn’t succeed to find him amongst them but I knew he was there. And Charles would surely be around too.

    Those Templar knights…
    They had chosen their side. The wrong one for sure.
    I turned my head and fixed Jacques d’Orléans. He was the Templar commander of Paris, and was amongst my generals.
    I was furious.
    - “Jacques! What is that bloody mess?
    Are the Templars officially attacking the French crown and people?
    Weight your words my friend, it could be your last ones…


    Jacques seemed as surprised as me. He stammered, but finally succeeded to answer.
    - “Philippe, my lord,
    I really don’t understand why my brothers are amongst the English army.
    They are supposed to protect the Crusader people, and to help the French crown if endangered. I haven’t been warned of anything. I don’t understand…


    I smiled, relieved to know that it wasn’t another trap in my road. However, there was another point to clear out. I asked with harshness:
    “Jacques.
    I need to know your position and the one of the Parisian templar brothers.
    I prefer to let you know that if you fight for the Kingdom, you will be rewarded, and I know some cathedrals where a bishop is required…
    At the opposite, no mercy will be shown in the future for a traitor order. Be sure of that Jacques.


    Each of my generals was silent, waiting for the Templar answer, which could change the issue of the battle. Jacques didn’t reply instantly. He glanced at me, then at the other knights all around.
    He then watched the sky and kneeled down in front of me.
    - “Philippe,
    I swore to protect the poor and unprotected people when I entered the Templar order.
    Today, I see the people of Paris, and all those English knights gathering in the French fields.
    There is something wrong.
    There are people who need protection. There are children who need a home and a sword to protect them…

    We, the Parisian Templar knights, will offer our lives to protect them.
    I, Jacques d’Orléans, promise that we are going to help you, Philippe, even if we have to fight our brothers…
    They had surely been fooled by some perverse lord. May God save their soul…


    I warmly hugged my good friend.
    Jacques was a priest since his youth, well known in Paris for his courage and faith. I liked this guy because even if he was far too much convinced of the existence of God, his priority was how to help the poor and protect the people against their lords.

    I could count on him and his men for the defense of the city. I knew that each men ready to fight for Paris was more than welcome…



    2 hours after, some English messengers arrived. I ordered some of my men to negotiate, without saying a word about my presence in the city. I wouldn’t like them to know that I was there. It would have motivated them more than needed.
    When my men came back, they announced me that the English would like the city to surrender, to deliver Louis and stopped being ruled by a bloody bastard Sarasin. It was me…
    Moreover, they taught me that Michel was effectively leading the army with some English generals and Charles.

    I ordered them to send this little message:

    “Dear English,

    We, the people of Paris, would be proud to be under your rule, without any fight, if you accept the 3 following conditions:
    -Quartering Michel and Charles
    -Burning London
    -Cutting your bowls

    Then, we would be perfect English men and will promise:
    - to eat horrible food as long as you wish,
    -to be as ugly and idiot as you are,
    -and of course to drink hot water at 5pm,

    With our best regards, be assured of our sincerity.

    The French people of Paris.


    None of my men agreed to send the message. They were a little worried. Finally, to show me his loyalty, Jacques d’Orleans decided to go.
    In fact, nothing happened, apart the fact that the English messenger turned pale, wondering how he could report it to Michel and the English generals, without suffering the consequences…




    The English understood quickly that they couldn’t assault the city without siege equipment. However, they were well equipped. I saw some chariots carrying the untied wood pieces, which would be used in order to build the siege equipment.
    It made me wince.
    Maybe within a week, they would succeed to have their equipment ready.

    I ordered to protect the doors and towers. The local people of Paris helped to prepare some sharp stakes at the weak points.



    I spent the next 3 days preparing my troops. I mixed my experienced troops which fought in Flanders with peasants, merchants and anyone who was willing to fight for Paris.
    Thousands of people agreed to form militia troops. Indeed, it was an emergency level.

    I was pleased and relieved to see all those men, loyal to their Kingdom, ready to give their lives for it.


    Six days after the English arrival, there was still no news from Bertrand and the Flanders.
    From the city gates, we could observe the first trebuchets already built. They were impressive and terrifying machines. I never had the opportunity to see some, but I knew from my school learning that they were very efficient to destroy even the heavy walls.



    The weather was extremely bad and there were some cloud burst now and then.

    It was like the sky was waiting the battle in order to burst between thunders and lightnings…

  19. #139

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXXX : The First Day



    An de Grâce 1212 AC.
    Kingdom of France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 32 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I destroyed the flemish Duchy, punishing them for the murder of Philippe Auguste.
    I'm currently besieged in Paris by the English, Michel and Charles.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for long the unofficial leader of the Kingdom and ordered my death.
    When I came back in Paris and defeated Louis, he accepted my lead, but didn't lose time to betray me with Charles, making an alliance with the english, and offering them Dijon and Metz.
    He is a nightmare.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the only child and son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    He rebelled against Louis and was thrown in the Dungeon. After being reconciled, he met me, and I agreed to let him the lead of Metz. However, that little snake made a deal with Michel and sided with the english hawks to kill me.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our children: Raoul, Sibylle and Colin.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learns to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    The following morning, I was woken up again by my guards. It was early morning and apparently, the English were moving towards our walls. I quickly took my armor and a blue doublet with some “Fleur de Lys” on it to make me recognizable from the militia.
    When I get out, I took a deep breath, smelling the nice old smell of Paris.
    It reminded me my youth…

    I ran directly to the Notre Dame square, where my troops were supposed to wait for me. It started to rain. I shivered of coldness a little.
    “Not a time to behave like a woman”. I thought, running with my guard and royal standard…



    My troops were indeed there. A lot of crossbowmen had been hired, but there were also some knights, sergeants and skilled spearmen amongst my men.
    They were waiting for my speech before to go back to their positions in the top of the city walls.



    I took the lead of the lords unit. I had previously ordered to prepare for a fight by foot in the battlements. I wasn’t used to fight dismounted but it would be the rule during the siege…

    I faced my brave men. I could discern the Templar unit of Jacques d’Orléans.



    I shouted:
    - “Brave Parisian.
    I would be quick.
    None of us need a long talk about bravery or honor.
    We have all a wife, some children and friends to protect in this city. They are the reason to fight today. Like you, I will fight for my four little children.

    What more should I add? Nothing.

    My dear friends, make your family proud of you tonight, and please don’t count your blows against those evil English pigs.

    Let’s show the world that Paris is a free French city, fearing nobody!


    At least I had finished that a sudden lightning flashed the square and Notre Dame, proudly standing in front of us.



    It was a sign from the sky.
    I took the opportunity to shout a last sentence:
    - “God heard us. It is a sign. Today is going to be a glorious one.
    Let’s go my friends.”

    They roared.
    I led them to the city walls…



    They ran to join their positions. They were motivated and ready.
    Perfect…



    A sea of blue soldiers paraded in front of Notre Dame. Courageous French soldiers.
    I wished to make them proud, but I secretly knew how hard the fight would be.



    When we arrived at the top of the battlements, I discovered the scene.
    It was frightening.
    The English crew members were pushing around 20 trebuchets in the range of my walls.

    It would be a thunderstorm soon…



    I wasn’t at all expecting they could build such a lot of trebuchets. I couldn’t cope. But I promised me to fight till the end…
    I had no choice after all. My only card to play was that Louis was still my prisoner, and that I could save my life, releasing him. However, Michel and Charles would surely be happy to see the death of Louis and wouldn’t let me a single chance to flee.

    Yes, definitely, I didn’t have the right to lose. My fate was linked with the one of Paris.
    I thought about all the struggles, all my friends dead, all the men I killed.
    What a long and hard road my life was!

    And I was just 32 years old. What other difficulties should I overcome to have the right to rule the Kingdom?
    I deeply sighed…

    I heard a horn from the English lines. I glanced at them and saw the line of trebuchets. They were ready to switch on the fireworks.
    I felt so defenseless.



    Everything was silent that moment. None of the knights around me were speaking. Everybody was under stress. We were not used with those engines…

    That time, I would have offered a lot to be at the other side of the battle. I was a little jealous of Michel and Charles, who should be some happy and cozy spectators of the big show…



    They were surely already speaking about how to punish me, about the torture to use first…
    I felt ill at ease. I would like the fight to start. I wasn’t used with such a waiting time.

    My men were also watching the scene. I had ordered the crossbowmen to be in the first position, in case the English would try something. They had been offered a new uniform, thanks to the development of our forges. They were wearing some coat of mail.



    We spent one hour waiting. There was a tense feeling in the air. I didn’t succeed to talk or joke. It was like during my first battle.

    We suddenly all heard the signal of the attack and saw the first lightning of the thunderstorm…

    The cannonballs were arriving…



    I still remember the piercing whistle of the cannonballs. Frightening and deadly whistle…
    They flied up slowly. It was like the time stopped.
    And then suddenly, they fell upon us like a bird of prey.
    None of us was breathing.

    They finally burst behind us. A bit too high that time.



    What could my war skills do against that scourge coming from the sky?
    I turned back and saw the explosions in Paris. Some houses were struck by the fire cannonballs and began to burn.



    I rushed back in the city to organize the fir defenses. Lots of houses and buildings were mainly built with wood, and a great risk was to let a big fire increasing and spreading.
    Far more dangerous than any English assault…



    The only good news was that the weather was still horrible. Thanks to that, the buildings were humid and the fire found some difficulties to expand…

    I was organizing the fire fighting when I heard a big noise from outside the city. I watched the sky and saw, appalled, a sky full of fire.



    Apparently, the English decided to make a full attack, risking destroying the entire city.
    From now on, we were living in hell.

    One of the most famous hotels of the capital, located next to the city walls, was the first victim of the English fire. In less than two hours, it was nearly destructed, and reduced to dust.



    I was enraged, thinking about the poor innocent people who died in it.
    What a bastard that Michel and his English bloody swines!

    The more the day was over, the more the cannonballs were thrown deep in the capital. I didn’t know what they were targeting, but it was definitely more dangerous for us to be in the streets and organize the fire fighting than being in the battlements of the city walls.



    I sometimes missed to be killed because of the fire explosions of those evil cannonballs.
    I hoped they didn’t have a lot of bullets in storage. For the moment, people were still confident and motivated to put out the fires, but who know as long they would keep courage if the English continued their unstopped bombing.

    Even during the night, they were still attacking the city. I didn’t sleep that night. I helped the people like a common man. Obviously, I was constantly aware about the situation, in order to be ready to go to the city walls in case of an attack.

    My first day of siege was under the sign of the fire…



  20. #140

    Default Re: An Eastern Jewel in a Western World !!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.

    Flemish Campaign (Part IV)
    Chapter LXXXI : Under fire


    An de Grâce 1212 AC.
    Kingdom of France.
    Paris.

    !!!Medieval Music to listen!!!
    Current world...



    Aide memoire:





    Philippe's trips








    Heroes...



    Hello mates.
    I’m Philippe.
    Dauphin of the Kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Philippe Capet, adoptive son of the French King. However, my real name is Muhammad Sahadeddine. I’ve been adopted because of an amazing coincidence. I hoped to become a hero of Chivalry, and help the poor and the orphans.
    I know, I’ve read a lot of hero stories, but I was a dreamer…
    I’m 32 years old.
    I’ve killed the Pope myself, and destroyed the entire Papal States.
    Back in France, I became the rightful ruler of the Iberian part of the Kingdom.
    I raised some loyal troops and assaulted Paris and Louis. We fought, I captured Charles, but lost my left hand during the battle and let Louis escape. I finally fought him during the Ordalie in Paris and won the crown.
    I'm the new unofficial King of France.
    I destroyed the flemish Duchy, punishing them for the murder of Philippe Auguste.
    I'm currently besieged in Paris by the English, Michel and Charles.






    Louis the Merciless.
    KING of the Kingdom.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my elder “brother”, and the King of France.
    He is a very skilled and fearful warrior. He can be qualified as a “butcher”.
    He is my worst enemy since he raped and killed my first love Hélène.
    He engaged the battle against me near Paris, and lost. However, he suceeded to flee but we faced in Paris and he lost the Ordalie.
    He is no more than a destitute king, without hands and bowls, prisoner in the Louvre dungeon.







    Michel.
    "Brother"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my second “brother”. He is one year and a half more than me.
    We were very good friends during our childhood, but it seems that these happy times are over.
    Michel was for long the unofficial leader of the Kingdom and ordered my death.
    When I came back in Paris and defeated Louis, he accepted my lead, but didn't lose time to betray me with Charles, making an alliance with the english, and offering them Dijon and Metz.
    He is a nightmare.






    Charles.
    "Nephew"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is the first son of the king Louis the Merciless.
    He was supposed to be the rightful heir but because of Michel plans, I’ve stolen him the title.
    He rebelled against Louis and was thrown in the Dungeon. After being reconciled, he met me, and I agreed to let him the lead of Metz. However, that little snake made a deal with Michel and sided with the english hawks to kill me.






    Clara.
    "Wife"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    It is my official wife. She is the daughter of the Spanish King and thanks to that marriage, I’m now considered as a real noble and I’m a little more protected against the anger of Louis.
    She is definitely ugly and I absolutely don’t want to sleep with her.
    The problem is that she deeply loves me.
    Despite the nightmares, I made her pregnant and let her in Zaragoza. She gave birth to Philippe, my first son.






    Margit.
    "Secret love"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    She is my deep love. Nobody knows that, even my close friends.
    She is beautiful and clever. She is a Hungarian princess.
    Now that the problems had been solved with Olivier, I spent wonderful times with her.
    She has given birth to our children: Raoul, Sibylle and Colin.







    Norbert.
    "Michel spy"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He is the messenger who just taught me the amazing news of the death of my father, and that I’m the new Heir of the Kingdom.
    He is the personal spy, and maybe assassin of Michel. He was sending me Michel orders.
    He killed my dear friend Charles de Bouillon and try to slay me.
    I hate him…






    Olivier de Beziers.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was one of my loyal generals. He is quite as young as me and a very good warrior.
    Moreover, he is very clever and he helped me to convince the army that the Pope Alexander was an enemy.
    After some love problems we finally overcome, he is from now on my "compagnon d'arme".
    He saved my life twice, and was severely wounded by an arrow during the Ordalie.
    He is in the Holy Lands, in order to be cured by the best doctors.








    Bertrand du Guesclin
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Bertrand du Guesclin is a local noble from brittany, who became the governor of Pamplona. He believed in my dream to found a new Kingdom and he became one of my close friends. He helped me more than everyone else to build an alternate Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
    From now on, he is leading my troops at my side, and learns to enjoy the reality of war.






    Arnoul de Penthièvre
    "Personal spy"


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Arnoul is my best personal spy.
    He was previously spying for Philippe Auguste, my father. He is extremely experimented and played a key role in my chess game against Louis and Michel. This guy saved me when I was the prisoner of Baudouin, waiting for my death...



    Dead Heroes...


    Philippe Auguste the Chivalrous.
    DEAD in battle.
    "Father"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    He was my adoptive father, but also the French King.
    He loved the Chivalric Code, and enjoyed good tournaments. He was a wise ruler and French people liked him a lot.
    He died in battle, against Flanders, trying to defend Paris.








    Charles de Bouillon.
    ASSASSINATED.
    "Friend"

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Charles was the governor of Toulouse citadel and then the governor of Zaragoza.
    Charles was my only real “friend”. He liked me and I could trust him.
    He was not a warrior, but he was a clever leader, knowing a lot in the domain of diplomacy, economy and management.
    He had saved me from Louis’s sword.
    He had finally been killed by that bastard Norbert when I was away in Italy...





    At dawn, I was with a unit of crossbowmen militia in the Notre Dame square, ordering them to lead the firefighting, when I saw one of the worst things that could happen:
    We heard the whistle of a cannonball, followed by a noisy explosion not far from us.
    I was used with the bombing but that time, something went wrong. I turned my head and made out the problem.

    Notre Dame had been shot.
    Even for such an atheist like me, it was a crime to see that symbol destroyed by a bloody stone…



    We watched breathless the first tower falling. The artistic statues and gothic arches were destroyed. The work of hundreds of art sculptors erased with a single shot.

    What a shame!
    What a crime!

    It wasn’t finished, unfortunately. Some 4 others cannonball followed and destroyed the last tower.



    I cursed like a mad man at those evil men who dared destroying such a jewel. Weren’t they supposed to believe in the same god?
    It was the worst sacrilege…

    “They would regret it”. I promise myself.



    I spent the entire morning leading the fire fighting rescue forces.
    I was exhausted. After midday, I decided to take a little and well deserved rest. I offered Jacques d’Orleans the command, because he showed some good aptitudes to fight against the permanent bombing.
    Before to rest in the court, I decided to have a last inspection of my men on the battlements.
    My crossbowmen were there, ready, observing the foes movements.



    We could observe that they were building some siege towers behind their trebuchets line. I knew that they would try to assault the city. It was clear that they were expecting a short siege. Maybe they even didn’t know that I was in the city, and were thinking no strong men would hold it…

    When I finished the inspection, there was no more bombing. Apparently, they had stopped their “fire operation”.
    “Fuc-king bastards” I thought. “You are at last short of cannonballs; don’t expect us to provide you some…”

    I smiled; maybe I could sleep quietly that afternoon. What a wrong thought.

    Hardly had I begun to descend from the battlements that I heard a sudden burst of noise. I turned back my head, with a little panic.
    They had started again the bombing.



    A massive one that time.
    We all understood that they were no more shooting at the city. Their range was shorter than before. They were shooting at us, shooting at the battlements…
    I saw the fear in the faces of my soldiers.

    I shouted:
    - “Protect yourself from the cannonballs; but hold your posi…”

    I didn’t have the time to finish. The first cannonballs crashed just behind us.
    “What a piece of luck that time!” I thought.



    I stayed for a while watching the scene, like hypnotized by those fired cannonballs, shot at us. Deadly but beautiful.

    The English didn’t take too long to adjust their range and soon, we were under a heavy bombing. It was terrifying. My crossbowmen seemed so defenseless with their little crossbows. Moreover, they were people from the Paris streets and I was worried about their courage.



    The cannonballs were exploding against the city walls. For the moment, the walls were good ones, strong and thick.
    The fumes of the bombing were wrapping each of us, the battlements and all the area around the city walls. I could hear lots of men coughing, and some fear cries.



    Indeed, we couldn’t see anything, but we were able to hear the heavy bombing. My throat was dry as hell and I suffocated. I ran along the battlements to find place where I could breathe and take a rest, when I stumbled against something.
    I fell, hurting my arm. The fumes suddenly disappeared and I saw what made me fall. It was a burned corpse. I could at last smell the unpleasant smell. I wasn’t used with such a war. I winced of fear and tried to escape that deadly zone.

    It was a disaster. Cannonballs were smashing the walls and the battlements. There was no shelter. Not far from me, I saw a group of my men burnt by a sudden explosion.
    The screams still rang out in my head.



    I was not far from the stairs but I knew that my life didn’t weight a lot. A single cannonball could kill the most skilled of the warrior. What a bad fate for the chivalry…
    I succeeded to walk till the stairs amongst the fumes, the dead and the flames.

    Those battlements were like Hell.



    I took a long rest.
    My men were there, in the battlements, suffering the bombing. I felt a little shameful and decided to come back. Fortunately, the bombing frequency decreased and we could assess the consequences.

    I feared that my walls would be destroyed.
    Fortunately, they didn’t.

    Obviously, some parts of the battlements began to break, which was a bad new for the defenders, but the most important was secured:
    The city walls were still there, and we were more than motivated to show our anger to those bastards’ English pigs.



    Some of my men were dead, burnt for the most of them, but some also fell from the battlements.
    I even saw some of my crossbowmen dead under the city wall stone collapse.
    War was not a game.
    War was not funny.



    The swine English continued their battlement bombing for some days. They were still building their siege towers. It was clear that they were waiting for an assault, after damaging the walls and the defenders.
    Indeed, when the trebuchet ran out of cannonballs, they had succeeded to make Paris a devastated city, to damage the city walls and to kill a great number of poor brave Parisian defenders…



    But we were still there, and it was clear that we wouldn’t give up Paris without a bloody tough fight.
    An extremely tough one…

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