Topic: Catching Up

William Marillier

Date: 2016-01-15 08:59 EST
April 5th, 1615

Just as Alys had predicted, William Marillier arrived at Arindale far in advance of the reply he had written to the letter that had announced the birth of his first nephew. He had informed the king, his uncle, that he was going, and had been sent off with Christian's blessing, arriving in Lonnare barely a week later. Delighted with his sister and her husband, and even more so with the newborn babe that bore his name, he had brought his merriment with him to the isolated duchy, thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to tease the married ladies who were Alys' closest friends, not to mention their husbands who had become close to Charles. But his friendship with Charles was older than theirs, and it only took a few days for Will to finally get some time alone with his dearest friend.

"Fatherhood suits you, Your Grace," he chuckled, raising a cup to Charles as he lounged in his friend's study comfortably. "How does being Your Grace suit you?"

"T'would suit me better, if you'd stop calling me Your Grace," Charles retorted, chucking in return as he flopped down on a chair, a cup of wine in his own hand. It had been too long since he and Will had spent any real time together like this - not since before he and Alys had gotten married and made their home in Arindale.

Crossing his ankles comfortably, Will grinned at his friend. "Where's the fun if you won't let me remind you constantly that you're going to outrank me until I succeed my own father?" he pointed out in his merry way. "You're one of the highest in the land these days, Charles, don't forget it. I'm just a glorified secretary of the chancellor's empty office."

Oddly, Charles did not smile at his friend's reminder that his life was no longer carefree, if it ever was. He was proud of his accomplishments, proud that he'd been elevated far beyond his birthright, thanks to Christian's generosity, and he was more than happy to have won Alys' hand in marriage, but with all of that came duty and responsibility for an entire duchy. Though he'd been warned, he'd never realized how exhausting it could be. Still, if he were to do things over, he wouldn't change a thing. "I'm surprised to hear you complaining. I thought you were content not to shoulder the responsibility."

"Oh, I wouldn't be Chancellor, not for all the riches in all the world," Will agreed, nodding his head vehemently. "At some point, Christian is going to have to appoint someone to the position, and I have already told him it will not be me. I do not have the inclination to spend every waking hour going through dispatches and official documents, not to mention the vast network of spies that lace the continent. As it is, I know what is known right now, but I would be happier not knowing."

As Duke of Lonnare, Charles didn't have to worry that it would be him either, nor did he have any ideas who might be a good candidate for the position, which Bereth had vacated by command of the king. Though Charles thought he, too, might be happier not knowing, he couldn't help but inquire as to what his closest friend and brother-in-law knew that he didn't. "And what is that' We have a tenuous peace, Bereth is in prison, and you are an uncle. What more do you want?" Charles asked, lazily gesturing to his companion with his cup of wine.

Will laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, Charles ....where should I start?" he said with a sigh, leaning forward to refill his own cup from the pitcher that stood nearby. "Bereth is not in prison. The Dalai in his wisdom evidently considers the man too dangerous even to keep him in Gelre. He has been sent as a missionary to the heretic council of Lotharingia."

"Not in prison?" Charles echoed, his expression darkening. This did not come as good news to the duke, no matter how far away Bereth might be, if he was free, it was not far enough.

"Not in prison," Will nodded, sitting back. "How to explain this" Old Peter of Carib actually seems to be pretty determined to die at some point in the next year or so. He, as you know, has no heir and no functioning government. Lotharingia has been caught in their attempt to marry Jolly Saint Peter to one of their own noblewomen, on the pretext that when he dies, those heretics can annex Carib and consolidate their power-base once again. Thus ....Bereth, who is too much an embarrassment for the Church to give him any more power, has been sent as a missionary to Lotharingia. He will either fail in his mission to bring them back to the Goddess, or they will kill him, and when that happens, we have been instructed by the Dalai's offices to immediate cut all diplomatic ties with the heretic council in preparation for war. The pieces are moving, Charles."

"Good lord," Charles murmured under his breath. They might be at peace with Coimbra for the moment, but it didn't look like that peace would last. "We can't afford to let Carib ally with Lotharingia."

"Exactly." His friend took a slow swallow of wine. "We have time, though. Among the Dalai's other decrees was an instruction for Clovis of Valentia to stop pretending a war footing with Pomerania on pain of excommunication, and it has been heeded. That particular worry is now gone; the vassal states of Pomerania will not see one of their number cede from the High King's power in a fit of pique, at any rate. That leaves Pomerania free to deal with the threatening clouds gathering over Edessa." Edessa, the single most stable state in Merengia. News that things weren't going well there was almost shocking.

"Edessa?" Charles echoed, furrowing his brows as Will continued to share news of the other countries that made up Merengia, be they ally or enemy. "What is happening in Edessa?" he asked solemnly as their conversation turned to more serious matters of state.

"A problem of Pomerania's own making," Will told him with a rueful cast to his humorless smile. He sighed, putting the words together in his mind before he began to explain this one. "You know, as I do, that Edessa has always held to her own customs; that her women fight as well as her men, and the firstborn child of the king is the heir, not the firstborn son, yes? Well, the current queen of Edessa is the High King's own sister, and she's spent the last twenty years muddying the waters." He rolled his eyes as he sat back. "By Edessan law, Sigmund's heir is his daughter by his first queen. However, Queen Anne has been making the case that her son, Sigfried, should be the heir, since he is Sigmund's only son, and she has gathered a sizable faction in her favor. Sigmund took a nasty wound at Berynsford when he joined us there, and it looks to be killing him slowly. If High King Philippe does not intervene soon, Edessa will erupt into civil war when Sigmund dies."

"And Philippe will likely favor Sigfried, as he is his sister's son, rather than follow the custom, which could cause a war between factions," Charles said, saying nearly the same thing as Will, but in a different way. And if that happened, Francia might need to choose sides and get dragged into another country's civil war, fought on foreign soil. In fact, several countries might be dragged into it and Coimbra and her allies would likely use it to their advantage.

William Marillier

Date: 2016-01-15 09:02 EST
"My thoughts, exactly," Will nodded. "Although Philippe may yet find a way to smooth things over. Of all the vassal states, Edessa is the most obedient to Pomerania rule. If they hadn't sworn allegiance in the first place, they would have killed each other off centuries ago." He rubbed a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "The problem is that they would both make good rulers. Brynhilde, because she is a true Edessan and fitted to be a queen; and Sigfried, because he is a little more politically educated than his sister and would make good decisions regarding their foreign policies. Whatever happens, it will have to be dealt with carefully. Thankfully, however, it is Pomerania's problem, and not ours. For the time being, at least."

"It's too bad they're siblings or they could share the crown," Charles remarked, knowing even half-siblings could not be married and share rule as king and queen. "Perhaps a match could be made for one of them elsewhere. What if Brynhilde was married to Peter of Carib?" he mused aloud. Though it would not be a pleasant match for a young girl, it would give her a position of power and Peter would not live forever.

"It's a good thought." Will looked surprised - not that his friend had thought of it, but that the idea hadn't occurred to him at all. He chuckled. "Maybe I'm spending too much time buried in paper, that never occurred to me. It would be a way for Philippe to take control - to order Brynhilde to marry old Peter, provided he has a second husband in mind for her when the old goat finally goes to the Goddess, and set Sigfried on the Edessan throne. A very good thought; they would both be rulers, then, and Lotharingia would have to think twice about invading a country ruled by an Edessan queen. Those horse lords in Carib would worship at her feet if she bested their champion, and I've no doubt she could."

"Yes, but has Philippe already thought of it, and if he hasn't, how do we suggest it without stepping on any political toes?" Charles asked. While the idea might be a good one, suggesting it was the hard part and might require the services of a good diplomat.

"That's the rub." There was a pause as Will considered this. "Christian could send the idea to Chappel, the ambassador in Philippe's court. As I understand it, he is a good friend to the Crown Prince, and he could plant the suggestion there. Stephan might then present it to his father. Might." He snorted with laughter then. "He's a little distracted himself right now, what with the entire Pomeran court being utterly fixated on little Mari's waistline."

"He'll be a lot more distracted if war breaks out in Edessa." Especially if that war spilled over into Pomerania. "Better to deal with it now than chance war. She probably won't like it, but given a choice of that or being married off to a lesser lord, she might see reason." Of course, it also depended on how badly each sibling actually wanted to rule and whether or not there was any affection between them, though Charles knew whether there was or there wasn't, various factions could still use them as pawns in their own struggles for power. He sighed. "I do not like to suggest such a thing, but I see no alternative."

"Well, Philippe hasn't held all the vassal states together for so long without learning a few things about how to manipulate them," Will shrugged. "It's his problem for now." He grinned as he realized that his friend had missed the subtle allusion to the fact that Christian's daughter had done her duty. "Would you care for a wager, Charles" A hundred nobles that Marianne delivers a boy before the next snows."

Charles' mind had wandered as he considered the various implications of the problem Will had posed to him, until Will's mention of Christian's daughter drew him out of his thoughts again. "It's hard to believe Mari is old enough to have a baby of her own!"

"Well, believe it," Will laughed, raising his cup to his friend. "She's pregnant, and by all accounts, Stephan is so delighted with her that she's virtually been wrapped in silk since the news was announced. Due in the autumn, I'm led to believe."

"What makes you think it will be a son?" Charles asked curiously, now that the subject had changed to a happier topic of conversation. "You know, she used to follow me around when she was little," Charles said with a smirk before draining his cup of wine.

"Of course she did, you and Christian used to let her win those swordfights of hers," Will laughed cheerfully. "It was a shame that he denied her those games when Frederick was born, but perhaps her husband will let her try them again. He seems fond of her, according to Chappel. As for the son ....why shouldn't she bear true" She has plenty of years in her, and plenty of children, no doubt."

"What's the point in betting with you? If you're so certain she's going to have a boy, you've already won," Charles pointed out, though there was always the chance William was wrong, and no one could truly know whether Marianne would give Stephan a son or a daughter. "What do you think of your namesake?" he asked further, hoping his friend was pleased with the naming.

"You're no fun, Your Grace," Will chuckled once again, settling comfortably in his chair. "What do I think of your firstborn" Do you truly expect me to say anything but that he is a fine lad" My own sister would geld me if I said anything even faintly critical of the boy!" He raised his cup to Charles in amusement. "But no, he is a fine boy, and named well. He'll be a strong brother to the siblings that come after him, I'm sure."

"Did you think I would name him after anyone but you?" Charles said with a smirk, leaning forward to refill both their cups before raising his own cup in return. "To many siblings and one among them named for the king."

"Make it a girl, and I want to be there to see his face when you tell him so," Will grinned, toasting along with his friend. "Let's see, what else? Oh, Leandro of Elan has married Adelina of Cicile, you might want to tell Alys that. Neither one of them speaks a word of the other's language, but since when does that matter when you're bedding a Cicilian woman?" He flashed a grin to Charles; they'd both experienced a little of that country's very special women. "Hmm ....Oh, and there's the matter of Christian marrying again. Alanic wants an alliance, as does Carantania, but there's a push at court for him to take a Frankish wife this time."

"Hmm, Christine, perhaps," Charles mused aloud, an amused grin on his face. He tipped his cup back for a deep swallow while William changed the subject once again back to news of the realm. "It will only be a matter of time before that union produces children," Charles remarked, making no comment regarding Cicilian women. He was quite happy with his own Frankish wife, the misadventures of his youth part of his past. He wasn't so sure he could say the same for William. "Marrying again?" he echoed, arching a brow at the news of a possible impending royal wedding. "Perhaps this time Christian should marry for love."

"He's lonely," William told his friend with blunt honesty. "Not for a bedmate, either. He and Romola had not shared a bed in almost a decade, not even once. He misses the easiness of being able to walk into her rooms and just talk to her, knowing she was his wife and she would listen however long he needed her to. I can understand that myself - I have days when I just need to talk to Ursula, despite the fact that she's never forgiven me for admitting that I loved Daniela better than her. She's my wife, and we talk. Christian has lost that."

William Marillier

Date: 2016-01-15 09:03 EST
Charles frowned a little, concern obvious on his face, along with a little guilt. He didn't have those problems - he and Alys talked about nearly everything, and there was nothing lacking with their love life either, but then maybe they were the exception, not the norm. He knew they were lucky to have been allowed to marry for love. "And finding a woman who isn't only interested in raising her status is difficult."

"Very true." William considered this for a moment. "Made all the more difficult by the fact that, as king, he will expect whichever woman he chooses to be young and beautiful. There are many families who would throw their daughters at him. If he asked my advice, I would suggest he ask for a portrait of Seren of Alanic, or her sister, but then, I am a little biased toward the ladies of that land."

"You are biased toward women, in general," Charles teased his friend, knowing his fondness for the ladies. He'd been right there with him on many of his conquests, both of them earning reputations as rakes, though his marriage to Alys had cured that, as far as Charles was concerned.

"Ah, but I have never taken a mistress," Will defended himself cheerfully. "I may not be faithful, but I keep faith with my wife, even when she is being a bad-tempered witch." There was a certain amount of fondness as he said this, though - as much as he and Ursula disliked one another's company these days, they had a son together, and she had been nothing but a good, kind mother to both Will's boys.

"Perhaps you should make peace with her, Will. A woman never likes being told she is loved less than another, even if it's the truth. She is a good mother," he pointed out, though he and Ursula had never really seen eye to eye. Charles believed the woman was jealous of even him.

"I think I have made as much peace with her as I ever will, my friend," Will sighed quietly. "We are friendly, but ....not friends. I should never have been so honest with her, but truthfully, I did believe myself in love with her at the time. I thought that if she truly loved me, she would not begrudge me the loving memory of the wife I had lost." He looked down into his cup, his expression pained. "I still miss her, Charles."

Charles was sympathetic to his friend's pain, knowing if anything was to happen to Alys, he'd feel the same way. "I know. I'm sorry, Will, but at least you have Christopher." As tragic as Daniela's death was, it would have been even harder on Will if he'd lost his son, too.

"Who looks more like Daniela every time I see him," Will nodded, but the pain eased away once again, hidden well behind his carefully maintained facade of seemingly careless merriment. "And I have Edmund, who is going to be a handful when he starts learning with a real sword." He snorted with laughter. "It's very strange to see them sharing tutors with Frederick and Arthur. One of us should provide them with a little sister or cousin, or they're going to be a boys' brigade for decades to come!"

Charles smiled, knowing his friend well enough to know he was hiding his pain but reluctant to remark on it further for fear of causing him more pain. The smile was a little bit sad, though. As much as Charles loved Arindale, he missed the friends he'd left behind at court. "I miss them," he admitted, the smile fading a little. "I miss all of you. You should come visit more often."

"You'll be at court by mid-summer," Will predicted with a faint smile, "but I might accidentally get myself and the boys snowed in up here next winter. I miss my friend and my sister, and the boys have never seen snow so deep as to hide them completely when they step into it."

"Winters are cold, but quiet," Charles remarked, smiling at the thought of Will and the boys snowed in at Arindale with them. "Perhaps Alys will give me a daughter next, and you will have your niece," he said, amusement clear on his face.

"Aye, or perhaps your friend will deliver a girl," Will grinned. Oh, yes, he'd noticed the little bump at Justine's waist, and the protectiveness of her husband; he'd been there himself, after all. "Or perhaps Ursula will lose her dignity and let me back into her bed long enough to give her the daughter she wishes she had borne."

"If she wants a daughter badly enough, she will swallow her pride and come to your bed," Charles pointed out, hoping she wouldn't be foolish enough to find refuge in another's bed, even if her husband had. Nothing good would come from it.

"She misses Romola," his friend confided in him. "Aye, and Marianne, too. It is a shame she and Alys never really became friends, but I think perhaps Alys is a little too much like me for Ursula to truly warm to her. But with Romola now out of reach to her, and Marianne only a friend via letters ....I think my wife is running out of reasons to pretend she enjoys the court."

"She has no other friends at court?" Charles asked. Though that was what Will seemed to be saying, Charles did not keep up with the gossip and goings on at court anymore now that he and Alys made their home in Arindale. Even when they returned to court, it was doubtful Alys would ever be close to Ursula, considering the woman's connection to Romola.

"With Romola's disgrace, many of her former ladies have gone to ground," Will told him. "The court almost completely emptied of feminine companionship overnight. And, of course, with my mother as the first lady of the court, Ursula has no real wish to spend time there. That's another reason for Christian to marry again - get his sister back under control."

"How will marrying again do that?" Charles asked, curiously. He had not been at court since marrying and had clearly lost track of what was going on there.

Will raised a brow, smirking as he looked at the cup in his friend's hand. "How much have you had?" he teased laughingly, hurrying to answer before Charles threw the cup at him. "The first lady of the court sets the tone. As queen, Romola had her ladies modest and devout, but present. Without her, there is no protective influence for ladies at court, and thus, there would be no ladies were it not for the fact that my mother has taken over as the first lady of the court. But she is shameless and promiscuous, as you well know, and if she is left in that position of influence for too long, the Frankish court will become infamous for all the wrong reasons."

"Then Christian will have to choose another wife wisely," Charles pointed out. He hadn't forgotten Cecile's behavior. The woman had, in fact, unashamedly flirted with him on occasion, though he was nearly half her age. Will had mentioned one or two, but Charles could think of no serious prospects for Queen of Francia. "Perhaps Alys could suggest someone."

"Perhaps," Will agreed. "It all depends on whether or not he wants a Frankish wife, or a marriage to cement an alliance. He's being very cagey on the subject, but I do know for a fact that Lady Hannah has been paid off and cast from his bed. She's to marry Lord Norham before midsummer."

"If he wanted a Frankish wife, he could have married Lady Hannah," Charles pointed out, making no comment on whether or not he was or was not a little too deep in his cups. He'd not seen Will in some months and intended on enjoying his visit.

"Hardly," Will disagreed, shaking his head. "She's not a woman you would want as the mother of the country, Charles. Good company, aye, and obviously fond of the king, but she's too fond of rich things and openly enjoying her blessings. That, and no king who ever married his mistress did not come to regret it in time."

Charles threw up a hand in frustration. "I am out of names, Will! This is why I am no matchmaker!" he added with a laugh. He had once captured many a fair lady's eye, but now that he was married, he only had eyes for one. "I am sure Christian will find someone suitable."

"Here's to the hope of a good wife for the king." Will raised his cup and took a long swallow, disappointed when there was nothing left but a drip when he was done. "Either I am drinking more than I used to, or your wife has had all the cups in this place shrunk by a third," he accused his friend with a lopsided grin. "I'm more inclined to the latter, myself."

"My wife, your sister," Charles echoed with a laugh. He poured out the last of the wine between them and tapped his cup against Will's. "To friendship," he said, a warm smile on his face.

"May it ever last," Will agreed, chuckling as he settled in once again.

With the worst of the politics out of the way, and concerns about their friend and king spoken about, the talk turned to themselves - to their other friends, to their families, to the hopes they held for the future. It had been too long since the duke and the lord had sat together and talked, and they were not likely to emerge for some hours yet. But when they did, that friendship was as strong as ever. It would take more than a little political upheaval to separate Beauforte from Marillier.

((And there we have it - a rundown of exactly what is going on in Merengia at this particular point in time! Surprisingly tough scene, but fun! Many thanks to Charles' player for letting me confuse him so thoroughly!))