Re: [DLV AAR] An Eastern Jewel in a Western World!!! Chronicles of a French Miserable.
2nd Iberian Campaign (Part II)
Chapter XXXIV : Spanish rest...
An de Grâce 1205 AC.
Royaume de Castille et Leon.
Toledo.
Current world...
Aide memoire:
Philippe's trips
Heroes...
It took us four weeks of restless wandering to reach Toledo. We were exhausted and we were out of supplies. My wounds were still painful. The one on my back I received in Italy against the English Pope had been opened during the ambush and my friends were worried about a possible infection. I was in a really bad shape.
I asked to be received by the King of Spain. I knew that Clara was there.
My destiny was waiting for me in the Toledo Citadel. It could be a quick and painful fate, or maybe a new start if I was sufficiently lucky.
When I entered the reception hall, I tried to walk with dignity. I had put my twinkling armor, despite my wounds, in order make me as impressive as I could.
I saw the king Vermundo the Honorable on the throne. His crown was sparkling. Just beside him was Clara.
When I saw her, I felt a little disgust in my throat. She was as ugly as before. And she was unfortunately my last hope. I should make the best impression.
I went toward to meet the King and ask for his protection. He agreed with a crafty smile. He was apparently aware of the opposite powers which were fighting in the heart of the French Kingdom. And he surely saw in me a way to take advantage of the complex situation.
I ask to meet my wife and to enjoy with her our reunion. To say that was most painful than a billion of wounds but it was the only way.
I noticed that Clara smiled when I said that. Maybe she was not angry anymore against me. What a luck!!!
I was swearing. But I was relieved. The Kingdom of Spain was my shield against Louis and France from now on…
I won’t tell the awful nights I spent with Clara this winter. I managed to do that because Margit stayed with me. I was still her secret lover and we shared wonderful times together. Without her, I couldn’t have beard to stay a single minute in the bed of Clara. I spent the winter learning Spanish and recovering from my wounds. I restarted training and I increased my spies’ network.
Thanks to that, I learned that Zaragoza, Narbonne and Pamplona were still loyal to Louis, despite the revolution in France. However, the loyal leaders were not many and I knew that the people of these towns reminded me and the good management of my dead friend Charles de Bouillon. It should not be too difficult to reverse the trend in my favor.
I just needed some time and some troops.
Could the Spanish provide me some help and it was clear that my success was at my hand range.
I discussed about that with Vermundo and he seemed to like fueling the discord amongst French family trends because he allowed me to use a little Spanish troop.
It was clear that the will of the Spanish King was to use me like a puppet to weaken the French strengths, and even to increase his authority to the South of France. I knew that and I would like to use his confidence for my own.
I would just like him to let me reach my goals. Then, I could find the time to avoid and annihilate his secret plans.
During this winter, I also noticed that the belly of my “beloved” Clara was growing. What a good new. With a son or daughter from Clara, I could now pretend to be a real figure in the Christendom alliance’s game.
What a weapon! The kingdom of Spain was powerful and having a child who is linked by his blood with the royal Spanish line could be quite a wonderful shield.
I secretly hoped that it could be a boy…
Spring arrived slowly. Vermundo offered me the lead of some axemen, spearmen and also a unit of sergeant swordsmen. They were inexperienced troops but it was enough for me to reach Zaragoza and to claim for my rights over the French cities.
I was determined to use the confidence of the people of Zaragoza to raise an important army and then to force Louis and Michel to accept my authority and to stop the hunt they had started against me.
Sometimes, I tried to ask Vermundo what he knew about the French situation but he avoided to answer directly and changed the conversation.
Clara was like glue stuck beside me. I hoped that I could go back fighting again. I was still spending a lot of time with Margit. We were Spanish fluent now.
In August, it was the time to leave Toledo and try to reach and rule Zaragoza. I said my last “au revoir” to Clara. She was not angry anymore. She was totally fond of the baby in her belly and was even forgetting that I was her husband. I was quite pleased about that.
Margit was going with me to Zaragoza. I knew that it was a risk but I preferred to see her beside me, under my protection, than in the Spanish court, in the middle of plots and spies.
I thought it was better trusting just me.
We reached the French area in the middle of the month. The heat was oppressive but my men were Spanish ones so they were used with that better than me and Margit.
I enjoyed being back in the area I ruled some years ago. I recognized the landscape when we approached the town.
We were 3 days of walking from Zaragoza when my scouts reported me that the French soldiers of the town were heading against us. They had noticed our approach and they seemed to be quite aggressive.
Their lord was loyal to the king Louis and he would surely like to put my head on the top of a spear. He was named Arnolf de Montaigu. I had never heard about him. Maybe he was another upstart, I thought.
My scouts described his troops. He was leading quite the same amount of warriors than me.
The great problem was that Arnolf leaded a great strength of mounted knights. I had just my bodyguards to oppose to him. The rest of his troops were spearmen and crossbowmen, as usual in French armies.
Time for battle had arrived. I remembered my last great battle in Italy. It was nearly two years ago. Two years without troops. Two years of flight.
It was time to become again a great leader, famous and respected.
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I'm still hoping you can wage a large campaign on those Anglo-Normen pigs still resting on your continent, tho. I would also like if you could show some piccies from your retinue/titles, weather you are a knight/squire or some followers (drill master, marshal, etc.) and create some history relating to those, and perhaps some piccies from the campaign map too. 
Originally Posted by Finn
), has an unpleasant and without charm wife 
(Clara), who is the descendant of Alfonso VI...
