TheRomanSlayer
Kayabangan, Dugo, at Dangal
PROLOGUE: THE WORLD AT LARGE
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HAMBURG, EMPIRE OF GERMANY
FEBRUARY 14, 2020
PRINCE LIONEL OF ENGLAND, HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF VANCOUVER (I)
To any observer, when one takes a look at the city of Hamburg, in the northern regions of Germany, it was just as large as its neighbors in most of Western Europe. However, Hamburg could not match the financial prowess of other major European cities like Amsterdam, Ghent, Rouen, Valencia, Florence, or even the more eastern cities within the Eurasian heartland like Istanbul, and Moscow. It also could not compare to the cultural beauties of the world cities like what anyone else knows, such as the famous port of Ivanodar, located on the mouth of the Luga River. Once upon a time, it was called Ivangorod-on-the-Luga, to differentiate it from the more prominent Ivangorod-on-the-Narva, but one of the Tsars of that period, whose House I didn't know much about, had rechristened it to Ivanodar, just so no one could go to the wrong port. The name change was beneficial: no wanted to go to a port that was situated close to a lake. Ivanodar would emerge as a major port that is teeming with industrial and commercial activity. Almost as much as the cities of London, Manchester, Liverpool and Swansea, but mixed in with the financial activity that has been conducted in the city. However, the story that is about to be revealed didn't focus entirely on one nation alone. Countless nations have their stories to tell, but a quick glance at what the world is like right now should be made. For the exiled claimant on the throne of England, Prince Lionel of the House of Vancouver felt a bit more relaxed, oddly enough, as he gazed over the cold waters of the North Sea, awaiting the fading hopeful news that he would soon return to the throne of his ancestors. However, for now, he is stuck in the bustling German port, alongside his wife, Princess Eleanor of Norway's minor noble family, the House of Bolstad. Fortunately for the exiled Prince, it was Valentine's Day, meaning that he can celebrate it in peace, if it weren't for the presence of a certain group of rowdy men who had a bit too much to drink.
"Are you all right, dear?" Princess Eleanor asked her husband while sitting at the bench. She noticed the irritated look on his face. "Don't be such a grouch, Lionel. It's Valentine's Day."
Lionel turned his gaze at the rowdy drunks with contempt. From their swarthy look to the astonishingly Slavic-like dialect they were speaking, Prince Lionel just wanted to groan. "Tell that to them. Every year on Valentine's Day, those idiots are raiding the pubs in Europe. They haven't had a lot of fun since they left their army."
Eleanor sighed in agreement. "I see what you mean. Chernarusians have a notorious reputation as wild, partygoers."
"That is, if they're no longer in their military. When they are in the military, they are known for being too fanatical and violent. It's the environment that raised such a people, but then again, it is generational. Not since the Russian Conquest did they managed to turn what was essentially a motley group of statelets and the former Spanish Viceroyalty of Nueva Asturias into what is now modern Chernarus."
"Let's get back to the hotel, dear," Eleanor replied back as she grabbed his arm and started to walk back. "We don't need the politics to cloud our special day."
The return trip to the local hotel, just outside downtown Hamburg, was not as fancy as the more famous hotels that tourists from around the world had often stayed in. Because of their financial situation, Prince Lionel preferred to rent out a cheaper hotel, close to the airport. It also made sense from his perspective; he wanted to fly from under the radar, in case some fanatical republican wanted to shoot him, or some diehard monarchist wanted to stalk after his wife. Even Lionel admitted that his wife was extremely beautiful, but the fact that her fanboys didn't know when to stop is wearing on him. So once they entered their room in the hotel, they simply turned on the television. To their surprise, the first thing they saw was the news about England.
"And with the looming referendum on the restoration of the monarchy in England after several decades of solidarist rule, in which the former ruling dynasty of the erstwhile Kingdom of Britannia was exiled by the Solidarist leader Joseph Humphrey, and going through the presidential rotation until the rise of Alfred Selwyn. The collapse of solidarist Britannia was the primary factor in the Britannian Wars, in which Scotland and Ireland seceded from Britannia, but rampant mass murders were committed by all three sides until the Peace of Kuhtaya was signed in 1996, with the recognition of Scotland and Ireland as independent nations," the television said. "In addition, the secession of Wales back in 2006 had put an end to the Britannian entity, leaving England to reclaim its sovereignty.
Lionel sighed in sadness as Eleanor noticed it and hugged him. "I cannot believe it. We went from a dynasty that united Europe through marriage to a post-Solidarist pariah that is now known for ethnic cleansing, religious bigotry, and economic sanctions. How low did we fell?"
"I don't know. Tell me again your family history," Eleanor said.
"All right, I should tell you. My family was descended from the House of York, but maternally, as Ursula of York was one of the ancestors of the House of Vancouver, but the Vancouvers didn't come into existence until the 1700s. She married Christoph von Hapsburg, who would go on to sire around four children. It was from the third brother, a certain Rupprecht von Hapsburg, that we were eventually descended. Of course, the Hapsburgs became extinct in the male line, and the last surviving member was your famous namesake, Eleanor von Hapsburg, who married Hendryk Vancouver. The Vancouver dynasty ruled the Holy Roman Empire, until a dispute with the Welfs turned nasty, and the Welfs usurped the throne from the Vancouvers. Since then, the Vancouvers were content with ruling England. However..." Lionel frowned as the television continued with the daily news. "I didn't know that the House of York would have branched out, even to distant Russia. It is a long tale here, and I'm not sure if we'll have time to finish the story."
---
No one knows how the survival of two most obscure figures in history would play a part in the tales of political intrigues and careful maneuvering. Yes, while the survival of both Ursula of York and Christoph von Hapsburg was due to circumstance, their survival would eventually tie the English kingdom deeper into the politics of continental Europe. Of course, the 3rd Duke of York had been far more attentive of his children's health, and after Thomas of York's early death while in his infancy, Richard would pay close attention to the welfare of his other children, especially that of little Richard, who would eventually become the Duke of Gloucester, and Ursula, who eventually became Holy Roman Empress, with her marriage to Christoph von Hapsburg. The marriage between England and the Holy Roman Empire was crucial, for it also allowed Richard to wed his oldest son, Edward, the Duke of March, to Elizabeth of Nevers, who came from an obscure branch of the House of Valois-Burgundy-Nevers. A marriage match to a cousin of the ruling Burgundian dynasty was far too much for the 3rd Duke of York's deadly rival, the famous Margaret of Anjou. Thus, the Queen would collaborate with much of her supporters, especially the Duke of Somerset, who had emerged as one of the Duke of York's most dangerous rivals. There was also an additional element to the growing antagonisms between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians: with the Nevilles and Percys also being drawn into their respective camps, and a sense of humiliation after England lost most of its holdings in France to the resurgent French kingdom, the state of English finance was not in a good condition.
The fact that the English treasury had been in such dire straits was one of the reasons why both the Duke of York and his ally, the Duke of Warwick, had wanted to propose to Henry VI to cede the port of Calais to the Burgundians, instead of losing it in another pointless war to France. However, they could not propose such a thing in the open, for fear of risking an additional wrath of Margaret of Anjou. The Channel Islands, a symbol of English pretensions to the title of Duke of Normandy, was seen as more of a burden that another plan was drawn up to the King, but one that the Queen would be most happy to support: the cession of the Channel Islands to France as additional reparations for losing the Hundred Years' War. By the time the Yorkists have drawn up the plans to cede the Channel Islands in exchange for a forty year peace, the French delegates were summoned to London to hear out Henry and Margaret's offer of ceding the Channel Islands to France. Unfortunately for both the Lancastrians and the French delegates, the Yorkist invitation to the Burgundian delegates had gone unheeded, and it was only in December of 1455 when Richard, the 3rd Duke of York, had used the invitation he sent out to the Burgundians to fish out a marriage proposal for his son Edward, the Duke of March, and Elizabeth of Nevers, a distant cousin of Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, that Henry VI had been stunned at the revelation. Nowhere did the French or the Burgundians said that England was to cede more territories, and yet the English had no choice but to do so, as they were short on funds. Ironically, the Burgundian acquisition of Calais had negatively affected the nearby port of Antwerp, which saw much of its commercial traffic lessen in favor of Calais. To prevent the decline of Antwerp as a commercial port that the Duchy of Flanders used, Calais would be annexed directly to the Burgundian state, and another port was to be build in the town of Le Crotoy, although construction of the port would not start until the 1560s. However, where the real starting point of the story begins should be at the town of Hertfordshire in northern England.
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ST. ALBANS, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
22 MAY, 1455
JAMES BUTLER, 5TH EARL OF ORMOND & 1ST EARL OF WILTSHIRE (I)
Upon hearing of the Yorkist contingent bearing down towards them, a nervous man-at-arm had approached the tent where James Butler, the 5th Earl of Ormond and 1st Earl of Wiltshire had stayed. The Lancastrian faction had only 2,000 of their troops to defend the town and the king, while a Yorkist army was numbered around 7,000. Fearing a potential massacre of the Lancastrian forces, it was by a stroke of luck that King Henry VI had reassigned the Duke of Buckingham to command the army, while the Duke of Somerset had been sent elsewhere with a few retinues to London in order to persuade Queen Margaret to send a few more troops (1). James Butler on the other hand, could not help but feel a bit nervous as to what the outcome of the battle will be like.
"Milord, how goes the negotiations between His Grace and the Duke of York?" one of the minor lords asked the Earl of Wiltshire.
James snorted. "If Somerset was successful in his endeavors, then I'd say the Duke of York has lucked out this time. He wants Somerset badly, and for what? Because he screwed up in France?"
"I don't think so. It's more to do with the Duke of York's own greed and hunger for power. He's just as bad as Somerset," another minor lord said when an infantryman approached the tent.
"Lord Butler, the Yorkists are approaching our positions!"
James went out of the tent and saw that the royal standard had been neglected. (2) Immediately, he grabbed two infantrymen who stood guard in the tent and pointed at the royal standard.
"Make sure that standard flies high enough for the Duke of York to be dissuaded from doing something stupid," Butler ordered the sentries as they complied and grabbed the flag pole where the royal standard lay. "Be careful with it! I would have you two executed for treason if that standard is drenched with mud and dirt in it."
"Yes, Milord!" the two sentries carefully grabbed the pole and raised the standard a bit higher.
Just as Butler expected, the Yorkist contingent had gradually slowed down in their advance. From what he has heard, the Yorkists had camped out east of their current position. He waited for a while, before spotting the Duke of York himself riding towards the camp, accompanied by the Earl of Salisbury and the Earl of Warwick at his side. Meanwhile, in the Yorkist position, the three riders continue to ride as the Earl of Warwick was holding a white flag, indicating that they don't intend to attack, just yet.
"We want to know where the Duke of Somerset has gone. I wanted to request to His Grace that he turn Somerset over to us. You know what his crime was, and it would be prudent for us to deliver the appropriate punishment to him," York told Butler, who merely snorted.
"I'm afraid you're too late, Lord Richard. His Grace has already dispatched Somerset to the capital to ask for more troops, and to bring in the Queen." Butler pointed at the royal standard that's flying above. "Do you see that standard, Lord Richard? If you dare to attack us while that standard flies, we can execute you for treason."
The Earl of Warwick chuckled at the sight of the royal standard. "You know, flying that thing while not neglecting it is indeed a smart move." He turned to the Duke of York. "What now?"
For a minute, the 3rd Duke of York paused for a while. Surely, it would have been a bold gamble to attack the king's position and to capture His Grace, but seeing as many of his own troops are reluctant to attack the Lancastrian positions while the royal standard is flying, Richard was at a loss. A desperate gamble with a high chance of failure could mean doom for the Yorkist cause, but if he had succeeded, he could wring out concessions from the king, especially the arrest and trial of Somerset. After much deliberation, the 3rd Duke of York stepped off his horse and gave his sword to the Earl of Salisbury as he approached Lord Butler.
"I would like to see His Grace," Richard told Lord Butler, who was puzzled at the sudden turn of events. "And I wish to present my case to him regarding Somerset's failure in Normandy."
"He's lying. He wants to capture the King by treachery!" one of the men-at-arms shouted, but Butler glared at them.
"Did you see how he surrendered his weapons to his aides? It means that he comes in peace, and unarmed as well," Butler told the sentries, who accompanied the Duke of York throughout the enemy camp. "No funny business either! We take him captive, we'd break guest rights."
To ensure that there was no funny business being launched from within the Lancastrian camp, Butler had joined the two guards accompanying the Duke of York. As they arrived inside the king's royal tent, the King himself looked at them with a weird look. At first, all four men bent the knee before him, but the King kept that same weird glance at them, before blinking and stuttering incoherently.
"Your Grace. I have come here before you, with an honest request about Lord Somerset. I am now aware of his escape, but have you paid no attention to what his crimes were?" York asked the King.
Henry VI frowned. "There was no crime in his defeat at Rouen, Cousin. Why have you thrown these baseless accusations at Lord Somerset?"
"The bloody fool has done more damage to our past campaigns in France than even I would have dreamt of, Your Grace." Richard's eyes met the King's for a moment, before the latter sighed in despair.
"I know what you're after, my Cousin of York. However, if you start a fight with Lord Somerset, this will end badly for us all. We're also family, remember?" Henry VI reminded his Yorkist cousin, but the Duke of York snorted.
"Didn't stop good old Edward II from killing the previous Duke of Lancaster over a grudge." The Duke of York suddenly felt his shoulder clapped by the King's hand.
"As your King, I command you to end your grudge against Lord Somerset. In return, I will make sure that your group is included in the governance of our kingdom." Henry VI turned to Butler and beckoned for him to come forward. "Escort the Duke of York out of my tent, and make sure his army is gone."
"Shall I wait back in Sandal Castle, Your Grace? Or should I make my way back to Ireland?" the Duke of York asked the King as he saddled up.
Henry VI simply grinned. "Ah, yes. Do not neglect our Irish subjects as well, Cousin. Godspeed."
"Godspeed, Your Grace." The Duke of York and the rest of his army had turned around and left the Lancastrian camp outside St. Albans.
---
"The miraculous end to the First Battle of St. Albans was significant in that a careful planning by the Lancastrian camp had prevented the Yorkists from launching a carnage that would have destroyed whatever goodwill left between the two hostile armed camps. However, the reconciliation did not last long, mainly because of the growing hostility between the Duke of York and Queen Margaret. In addition, as the House of Percy had increasingly sided with the Lancastrians, the Nevilles had joined the Yorkists in response, and also because of Richard's marriage to Cecily Neville. What ultimately broke the peace between the Houses of Lancaster and York was the assassination of the Earl of Warwick. Officially, Queen Margaret did not sanction the attack, but in reality she and Somerset had cooked up the plan. Why Warwick was the target of the assassination attack in what became known as the Bloody Throat Incident in Coventry was unknown, but a third party was behind the assassination attempt: the House of Percy, which was at war with the Nevilles, of whom Warwick belonged. The Bloody Throat Incident of July 13, 1455 had occurred while the Lancastrians and Yorkists have tried to reconcile the Percys and Nevilles, only for the former to carry out the massacre that resulted in nearly all of the Neville family dead, except for Cecile, who was safely smuggled to Ireland with much of the younger children. The massacre of the Nevilles would initially tip the balance of power in favor of the Lancastrians, as the Percys wanted to help themselves to the properties vacated by the departing Nevilles, but the Duke of Somerset had suggested awarding Richard Woodville, the 1st Earl of Rivers, the former Neville lands. The murder would result in the Duke of York raising up the profile of the de la Pole family, of whom John de la Pole would be appointed as the 2nd Earl of Warwick. Of course, the new Warwick would prove to be a much more flexible ally to the Yorkists, as Richard would search within England and in continental Europe for a bride that would be a perfect match for John de la Pole, before finally landing on a suitable candidate: Duchess Catherine of Guelders. Initially she wasn't the first choice, for that fell to Princess Isabella of Castile. However, the match was not popular within both England and Castile, primarily because John de la Pole's profile was not impressive. What drew the match between John de la Pole and Catherine of Guelders was the common interests that England and Burgundy have in ensuring the peaceful commercial traffic between the two nations. Indeed, it was also because of the Burgundian intervention in the matchmaking process between the House of York and the Duchy of Guelders that led to the Yorkist proposal of ceding the port of Calais to the Burgundian state, in addition to the plan to cede the Channel Islands to France. By the time the famous Christmas Gesture of 1455 had occurred, the Yorkists would not stop with the marital matching of John de la Pole and Catherine of Guelders. In the beginning of January of 1456, Richard would also travel to the Burgundian state to meet with Philip the Good on the discussion of a marriage match between his eldest son Edward, the Duke of March, and one of the Burgundian princesses. Immediately, Philip the Good would put forward one suitable candidate: Elizabeth of Nevers. Although she was also a part of the House of Valois-Burgundy-Nevers, she was a distant cousin of the main branch of the Burgundian ruling dynasty. Nevertheless, both Richard and Philip the Good agreed on the match and while both Edward and Elizabeth were still a bit young to marry, he consented to sending his distant cousin Elizabeth to England, where she would spend time with her future husband." From 'The Wars of the Roses: Strategic Maneuvering', released by the Radio Television England, March 17, 2014.
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COVENTRY, ENGLAND
JANUARY 8, 1456
QUEEN MARGARET OF ANJOU (1)
The chambermaids could hear the sound of objects falling into the ground as the Queen screamed in frustration and rage while flailing around her room. Of course, the two ladies in waiting that stopped in front of her door watched nervously as the chambermaids shook their heads and beckoned for them to leave the doorsteps of the Queen's room. Finally, when all four ladies had entered an empty chamber where the servants would rest, did one of the ladies in waiting spoke up.
"What angers the Queen?" Margaret Beaufort asked the chambermaid.
The other lady in waiting, a certain Elizabeth from that obscure Woodville family, winced. "Lady Margaret, I am not sure if it's wise to ask such a question."
However, they didn't need to kept it quiet as to what went wrong, for Queen Margaret herself started screaming.
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! DAMNED FOOL OF A YORK!" Margaret raged. "Does he intend to depose His Grace and make himself the next king, with his own son and that Burgundian harlot as his heirs!? On top of that, no one had told me that we'd give up our only port in the continent to the accursed Burgundians! May they be butchered for all I care!"
"We must leave the Queen alone. I don't think I can survive putting up with her temper as it is," the second chambermaid insisted, but the Queen opened the doors leading to her room and gestured for the ladies in waiting to come to her.
"We humble come to serve Her Majesty," both Elizabeth and Margaret said in unision.
"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have lost my temper," Queen Margaret told the ladies in waiting, but they remained fearful. "I only unleash my rage at those who deserve it. You two have done nothing to incur my wrath."
Margaret Beaufort nodded. "My Queen, would you want some water? I could also bring in some milk for the young prince as well."
The Queen nodded as she turned to Elizabeth. "You and Lady Beaufort grab some milk for Prince Edward, while I'll get the chambermaids to clean up my room."
"As you command," both ladies in waiting said as they left, but not before bumping into James Butler. The 1st Earl of Wiltshire bowed before his Queen and handed a scroll, which contained a message.
The Queen grabbed the scroll from Butler's hand. "I must say, I have not yet congratulated you for preventing bloodshed from occurring back in St. Albans. Your decision to not neglect the royal standard has prevented the idiot from capturing the king and killing the Duke of Somerset."
The 1st Earl of Wiltshire kept his head down. "I was lucky to spot the sorry state of the royal standard. Moreover, the Duke of York had disarmed himself before entering the King's tent. I don't think his enmity with Somerset would end, and not to mention that the de la Poles are being positioned to usurp the north from the Percys, now that the Nevilles were butchered to the last child."
"All the same, you shall be rewarded for your efforts," the Queen spoke back. She opened the scroll and read its contents before her eyes widened. "Oh, for the love of God!"
"What is it?" Butler asked curiously. The Queen simply handed him the letter for him to read.
To My Gracious Queen:
I did not want to be the bearer of bad news, but John de la Pole was arranged to marry the daughter of the Duke of Guelders. No doubt that this is a part of the Duke of York's plan to cripple our power base with potential help from Burgundy. In addition, he has also sent out Lord Herbert to the lands of the Holy Roman Empire to search for another bridal candidate for his other son Edmund. No doubt that the Duke of York is trying to build his own powerbase from which he can effectively challenge the throne. That is the only bit of bad news that I would bring to you. Lately, I've heard that you've taken my niece into your service as a lady in waiting, along with Lady Woodville. They have a massive potential to be powerful figures within your cause, and my niece's engagement to Edmund Tudor provides an alternative succession that can stop the Duke of York from usurping the Crown. However, if it pleases Her Grace, I would make a suggestion for a future husband for Lady Woodville: Jasper Tudor. If you can wed Lady Woodville to Lord Jasper, you would be able to raise the Tudors to prominence.
Your Devoted Servant,
the Duke of Somerset
---
(1) The first PoD: Henry VI sends away the Duke of Somerset to London, presumably to get more reinforcements, but more importantly, so that the Duke of York won't be able to kill him,
(2) The second PoD: In the OTL First Battle of St. Albans, the royal standard was neglected, meaning that the Yorkists were able to capture the king and kill Somerset. This time around, the royal standard becomes visible enough to prevent such a bloodshed.
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HAMBURG, EMPIRE OF GERMANY
FEBRUARY 14, 2020
PRINCE LIONEL OF ENGLAND, HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF VANCOUVER (I)
To any observer, when one takes a look at the city of Hamburg, in the northern regions of Germany, it was just as large as its neighbors in most of Western Europe. However, Hamburg could not match the financial prowess of other major European cities like Amsterdam, Ghent, Rouen, Valencia, Florence, or even the more eastern cities within the Eurasian heartland like Istanbul, and Moscow. It also could not compare to the cultural beauties of the world cities like what anyone else knows, such as the famous port of Ivanodar, located on the mouth of the Luga River. Once upon a time, it was called Ivangorod-on-the-Luga, to differentiate it from the more prominent Ivangorod-on-the-Narva, but one of the Tsars of that period, whose House I didn't know much about, had rechristened it to Ivanodar, just so no one could go to the wrong port. The name change was beneficial: no wanted to go to a port that was situated close to a lake. Ivanodar would emerge as a major port that is teeming with industrial and commercial activity. Almost as much as the cities of London, Manchester, Liverpool and Swansea, but mixed in with the financial activity that has been conducted in the city. However, the story that is about to be revealed didn't focus entirely on one nation alone. Countless nations have their stories to tell, but a quick glance at what the world is like right now should be made. For the exiled claimant on the throne of England, Prince Lionel of the House of Vancouver felt a bit more relaxed, oddly enough, as he gazed over the cold waters of the North Sea, awaiting the fading hopeful news that he would soon return to the throne of his ancestors. However, for now, he is stuck in the bustling German port, alongside his wife, Princess Eleanor of Norway's minor noble family, the House of Bolstad. Fortunately for the exiled Prince, it was Valentine's Day, meaning that he can celebrate it in peace, if it weren't for the presence of a certain group of rowdy men who had a bit too much to drink.
"Are you all right, dear?" Princess Eleanor asked her husband while sitting at the bench. She noticed the irritated look on his face. "Don't be such a grouch, Lionel. It's Valentine's Day."
Lionel turned his gaze at the rowdy drunks with contempt. From their swarthy look to the astonishingly Slavic-like dialect they were speaking, Prince Lionel just wanted to groan. "Tell that to them. Every year on Valentine's Day, those idiots are raiding the pubs in Europe. They haven't had a lot of fun since they left their army."
Eleanor sighed in agreement. "I see what you mean. Chernarusians have a notorious reputation as wild, partygoers."
"That is, if they're no longer in their military. When they are in the military, they are known for being too fanatical and violent. It's the environment that raised such a people, but then again, it is generational. Not since the Russian Conquest did they managed to turn what was essentially a motley group of statelets and the former Spanish Viceroyalty of Nueva Asturias into what is now modern Chernarus."
"Let's get back to the hotel, dear," Eleanor replied back as she grabbed his arm and started to walk back. "We don't need the politics to cloud our special day."
The return trip to the local hotel, just outside downtown Hamburg, was not as fancy as the more famous hotels that tourists from around the world had often stayed in. Because of their financial situation, Prince Lionel preferred to rent out a cheaper hotel, close to the airport. It also made sense from his perspective; he wanted to fly from under the radar, in case some fanatical republican wanted to shoot him, or some diehard monarchist wanted to stalk after his wife. Even Lionel admitted that his wife was extremely beautiful, but the fact that her fanboys didn't know when to stop is wearing on him. So once they entered their room in the hotel, they simply turned on the television. To their surprise, the first thing they saw was the news about England.
"And with the looming referendum on the restoration of the monarchy in England after several decades of solidarist rule, in which the former ruling dynasty of the erstwhile Kingdom of Britannia was exiled by the Solidarist leader Joseph Humphrey, and going through the presidential rotation until the rise of Alfred Selwyn. The collapse of solidarist Britannia was the primary factor in the Britannian Wars, in which Scotland and Ireland seceded from Britannia, but rampant mass murders were committed by all three sides until the Peace of Kuhtaya was signed in 1996, with the recognition of Scotland and Ireland as independent nations," the television said. "In addition, the secession of Wales back in 2006 had put an end to the Britannian entity, leaving England to reclaim its sovereignty.
Lionel sighed in sadness as Eleanor noticed it and hugged him. "I cannot believe it. We went from a dynasty that united Europe through marriage to a post-Solidarist pariah that is now known for ethnic cleansing, religious bigotry, and economic sanctions. How low did we fell?"
"I don't know. Tell me again your family history," Eleanor said.
"All right, I should tell you. My family was descended from the House of York, but maternally, as Ursula of York was one of the ancestors of the House of Vancouver, but the Vancouvers didn't come into existence until the 1700s. She married Christoph von Hapsburg, who would go on to sire around four children. It was from the third brother, a certain Rupprecht von Hapsburg, that we were eventually descended. Of course, the Hapsburgs became extinct in the male line, and the last surviving member was your famous namesake, Eleanor von Hapsburg, who married Hendryk Vancouver. The Vancouver dynasty ruled the Holy Roman Empire, until a dispute with the Welfs turned nasty, and the Welfs usurped the throne from the Vancouvers. Since then, the Vancouvers were content with ruling England. However..." Lionel frowned as the television continued with the daily news. "I didn't know that the House of York would have branched out, even to distant Russia. It is a long tale here, and I'm not sure if we'll have time to finish the story."
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No one knows how the survival of two most obscure figures in history would play a part in the tales of political intrigues and careful maneuvering. Yes, while the survival of both Ursula of York and Christoph von Hapsburg was due to circumstance, their survival would eventually tie the English kingdom deeper into the politics of continental Europe. Of course, the 3rd Duke of York had been far more attentive of his children's health, and after Thomas of York's early death while in his infancy, Richard would pay close attention to the welfare of his other children, especially that of little Richard, who would eventually become the Duke of Gloucester, and Ursula, who eventually became Holy Roman Empress, with her marriage to Christoph von Hapsburg. The marriage between England and the Holy Roman Empire was crucial, for it also allowed Richard to wed his oldest son, Edward, the Duke of March, to Elizabeth of Nevers, who came from an obscure branch of the House of Valois-Burgundy-Nevers. A marriage match to a cousin of the ruling Burgundian dynasty was far too much for the 3rd Duke of York's deadly rival, the famous Margaret of Anjou. Thus, the Queen would collaborate with much of her supporters, especially the Duke of Somerset, who had emerged as one of the Duke of York's most dangerous rivals. There was also an additional element to the growing antagonisms between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians: with the Nevilles and Percys also being drawn into their respective camps, and a sense of humiliation after England lost most of its holdings in France to the resurgent French kingdom, the state of English finance was not in a good condition.
The fact that the English treasury had been in such dire straits was one of the reasons why both the Duke of York and his ally, the Duke of Warwick, had wanted to propose to Henry VI to cede the port of Calais to the Burgundians, instead of losing it in another pointless war to France. However, they could not propose such a thing in the open, for fear of risking an additional wrath of Margaret of Anjou. The Channel Islands, a symbol of English pretensions to the title of Duke of Normandy, was seen as more of a burden that another plan was drawn up to the King, but one that the Queen would be most happy to support: the cession of the Channel Islands to France as additional reparations for losing the Hundred Years' War. By the time the Yorkists have drawn up the plans to cede the Channel Islands in exchange for a forty year peace, the French delegates were summoned to London to hear out Henry and Margaret's offer of ceding the Channel Islands to France. Unfortunately for both the Lancastrians and the French delegates, the Yorkist invitation to the Burgundian delegates had gone unheeded, and it was only in December of 1455 when Richard, the 3rd Duke of York, had used the invitation he sent out to the Burgundians to fish out a marriage proposal for his son Edward, the Duke of March, and Elizabeth of Nevers, a distant cousin of Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, that Henry VI had been stunned at the revelation. Nowhere did the French or the Burgundians said that England was to cede more territories, and yet the English had no choice but to do so, as they were short on funds. Ironically, the Burgundian acquisition of Calais had negatively affected the nearby port of Antwerp, which saw much of its commercial traffic lessen in favor of Calais. To prevent the decline of Antwerp as a commercial port that the Duchy of Flanders used, Calais would be annexed directly to the Burgundian state, and another port was to be build in the town of Le Crotoy, although construction of the port would not start until the 1560s. However, where the real starting point of the story begins should be at the town of Hertfordshire in northern England.
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ST. ALBANS, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
22 MAY, 1455
JAMES BUTLER, 5TH EARL OF ORMOND & 1ST EARL OF WILTSHIRE (I)
Upon hearing of the Yorkist contingent bearing down towards them, a nervous man-at-arm had approached the tent where James Butler, the 5th Earl of Ormond and 1st Earl of Wiltshire had stayed. The Lancastrian faction had only 2,000 of their troops to defend the town and the king, while a Yorkist army was numbered around 7,000. Fearing a potential massacre of the Lancastrian forces, it was by a stroke of luck that King Henry VI had reassigned the Duke of Buckingham to command the army, while the Duke of Somerset had been sent elsewhere with a few retinues to London in order to persuade Queen Margaret to send a few more troops (1). James Butler on the other hand, could not help but feel a bit nervous as to what the outcome of the battle will be like.
"Milord, how goes the negotiations between His Grace and the Duke of York?" one of the minor lords asked the Earl of Wiltshire.
James snorted. "If Somerset was successful in his endeavors, then I'd say the Duke of York has lucked out this time. He wants Somerset badly, and for what? Because he screwed up in France?"
"I don't think so. It's more to do with the Duke of York's own greed and hunger for power. He's just as bad as Somerset," another minor lord said when an infantryman approached the tent.
"Lord Butler, the Yorkists are approaching our positions!"
James went out of the tent and saw that the royal standard had been neglected. (2) Immediately, he grabbed two infantrymen who stood guard in the tent and pointed at the royal standard.
"Make sure that standard flies high enough for the Duke of York to be dissuaded from doing something stupid," Butler ordered the sentries as they complied and grabbed the flag pole where the royal standard lay. "Be careful with it! I would have you two executed for treason if that standard is drenched with mud and dirt in it."
"Yes, Milord!" the two sentries carefully grabbed the pole and raised the standard a bit higher.
Just as Butler expected, the Yorkist contingent had gradually slowed down in their advance. From what he has heard, the Yorkists had camped out east of their current position. He waited for a while, before spotting the Duke of York himself riding towards the camp, accompanied by the Earl of Salisbury and the Earl of Warwick at his side. Meanwhile, in the Yorkist position, the three riders continue to ride as the Earl of Warwick was holding a white flag, indicating that they don't intend to attack, just yet.
"We want to know where the Duke of Somerset has gone. I wanted to request to His Grace that he turn Somerset over to us. You know what his crime was, and it would be prudent for us to deliver the appropriate punishment to him," York told Butler, who merely snorted.
"I'm afraid you're too late, Lord Richard. His Grace has already dispatched Somerset to the capital to ask for more troops, and to bring in the Queen." Butler pointed at the royal standard that's flying above. "Do you see that standard, Lord Richard? If you dare to attack us while that standard flies, we can execute you for treason."
The Earl of Warwick chuckled at the sight of the royal standard. "You know, flying that thing while not neglecting it is indeed a smart move." He turned to the Duke of York. "What now?"
For a minute, the 3rd Duke of York paused for a while. Surely, it would have been a bold gamble to attack the king's position and to capture His Grace, but seeing as many of his own troops are reluctant to attack the Lancastrian positions while the royal standard is flying, Richard was at a loss. A desperate gamble with a high chance of failure could mean doom for the Yorkist cause, but if he had succeeded, he could wring out concessions from the king, especially the arrest and trial of Somerset. After much deliberation, the 3rd Duke of York stepped off his horse and gave his sword to the Earl of Salisbury as he approached Lord Butler.
"I would like to see His Grace," Richard told Lord Butler, who was puzzled at the sudden turn of events. "And I wish to present my case to him regarding Somerset's failure in Normandy."
"He's lying. He wants to capture the King by treachery!" one of the men-at-arms shouted, but Butler glared at them.
"Did you see how he surrendered his weapons to his aides? It means that he comes in peace, and unarmed as well," Butler told the sentries, who accompanied the Duke of York throughout the enemy camp. "No funny business either! We take him captive, we'd break guest rights."
To ensure that there was no funny business being launched from within the Lancastrian camp, Butler had joined the two guards accompanying the Duke of York. As they arrived inside the king's royal tent, the King himself looked at them with a weird look. At first, all four men bent the knee before him, but the King kept that same weird glance at them, before blinking and stuttering incoherently.
"Your Grace. I have come here before you, with an honest request about Lord Somerset. I am now aware of his escape, but have you paid no attention to what his crimes were?" York asked the King.
Henry VI frowned. "There was no crime in his defeat at Rouen, Cousin. Why have you thrown these baseless accusations at Lord Somerset?"
"The bloody fool has done more damage to our past campaigns in France than even I would have dreamt of, Your Grace." Richard's eyes met the King's for a moment, before the latter sighed in despair.
"I know what you're after, my Cousin of York. However, if you start a fight with Lord Somerset, this will end badly for us all. We're also family, remember?" Henry VI reminded his Yorkist cousin, but the Duke of York snorted.
"Didn't stop good old Edward II from killing the previous Duke of Lancaster over a grudge." The Duke of York suddenly felt his shoulder clapped by the King's hand.
"As your King, I command you to end your grudge against Lord Somerset. In return, I will make sure that your group is included in the governance of our kingdom." Henry VI turned to Butler and beckoned for him to come forward. "Escort the Duke of York out of my tent, and make sure his army is gone."
"Shall I wait back in Sandal Castle, Your Grace? Or should I make my way back to Ireland?" the Duke of York asked the King as he saddled up.
Henry VI simply grinned. "Ah, yes. Do not neglect our Irish subjects as well, Cousin. Godspeed."
"Godspeed, Your Grace." The Duke of York and the rest of his army had turned around and left the Lancastrian camp outside St. Albans.
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"The miraculous end to the First Battle of St. Albans was significant in that a careful planning by the Lancastrian camp had prevented the Yorkists from launching a carnage that would have destroyed whatever goodwill left between the two hostile armed camps. However, the reconciliation did not last long, mainly because of the growing hostility between the Duke of York and Queen Margaret. In addition, as the House of Percy had increasingly sided with the Lancastrians, the Nevilles had joined the Yorkists in response, and also because of Richard's marriage to Cecily Neville. What ultimately broke the peace between the Houses of Lancaster and York was the assassination of the Earl of Warwick. Officially, Queen Margaret did not sanction the attack, but in reality she and Somerset had cooked up the plan. Why Warwick was the target of the assassination attack in what became known as the Bloody Throat Incident in Coventry was unknown, but a third party was behind the assassination attempt: the House of Percy, which was at war with the Nevilles, of whom Warwick belonged. The Bloody Throat Incident of July 13, 1455 had occurred while the Lancastrians and Yorkists have tried to reconcile the Percys and Nevilles, only for the former to carry out the massacre that resulted in nearly all of the Neville family dead, except for Cecile, who was safely smuggled to Ireland with much of the younger children. The massacre of the Nevilles would initially tip the balance of power in favor of the Lancastrians, as the Percys wanted to help themselves to the properties vacated by the departing Nevilles, but the Duke of Somerset had suggested awarding Richard Woodville, the 1st Earl of Rivers, the former Neville lands. The murder would result in the Duke of York raising up the profile of the de la Pole family, of whom John de la Pole would be appointed as the 2nd Earl of Warwick. Of course, the new Warwick would prove to be a much more flexible ally to the Yorkists, as Richard would search within England and in continental Europe for a bride that would be a perfect match for John de la Pole, before finally landing on a suitable candidate: Duchess Catherine of Guelders. Initially she wasn't the first choice, for that fell to Princess Isabella of Castile. However, the match was not popular within both England and Castile, primarily because John de la Pole's profile was not impressive. What drew the match between John de la Pole and Catherine of Guelders was the common interests that England and Burgundy have in ensuring the peaceful commercial traffic between the two nations. Indeed, it was also because of the Burgundian intervention in the matchmaking process between the House of York and the Duchy of Guelders that led to the Yorkist proposal of ceding the port of Calais to the Burgundian state, in addition to the plan to cede the Channel Islands to France. By the time the famous Christmas Gesture of 1455 had occurred, the Yorkists would not stop with the marital matching of John de la Pole and Catherine of Guelders. In the beginning of January of 1456, Richard would also travel to the Burgundian state to meet with Philip the Good on the discussion of a marriage match between his eldest son Edward, the Duke of March, and one of the Burgundian princesses. Immediately, Philip the Good would put forward one suitable candidate: Elizabeth of Nevers. Although she was also a part of the House of Valois-Burgundy-Nevers, she was a distant cousin of the main branch of the Burgundian ruling dynasty. Nevertheless, both Richard and Philip the Good agreed on the match and while both Edward and Elizabeth were still a bit young to marry, he consented to sending his distant cousin Elizabeth to England, where she would spend time with her future husband." From 'The Wars of the Roses: Strategic Maneuvering', released by the Radio Television England, March 17, 2014.
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COVENTRY, ENGLAND
JANUARY 8, 1456
QUEEN MARGARET OF ANJOU (1)
The chambermaids could hear the sound of objects falling into the ground as the Queen screamed in frustration and rage while flailing around her room. Of course, the two ladies in waiting that stopped in front of her door watched nervously as the chambermaids shook their heads and beckoned for them to leave the doorsteps of the Queen's room. Finally, when all four ladies had entered an empty chamber where the servants would rest, did one of the ladies in waiting spoke up.
"What angers the Queen?" Margaret Beaufort asked the chambermaid.
The other lady in waiting, a certain Elizabeth from that obscure Woodville family, winced. "Lady Margaret, I am not sure if it's wise to ask such a question."
However, they didn't need to kept it quiet as to what went wrong, for Queen Margaret herself started screaming.
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! DAMNED FOOL OF A YORK!" Margaret raged. "Does he intend to depose His Grace and make himself the next king, with his own son and that Burgundian harlot as his heirs!? On top of that, no one had told me that we'd give up our only port in the continent to the accursed Burgundians! May they be butchered for all I care!"
"We must leave the Queen alone. I don't think I can survive putting up with her temper as it is," the second chambermaid insisted, but the Queen opened the doors leading to her room and gestured for the ladies in waiting to come to her.
"We humble come to serve Her Majesty," both Elizabeth and Margaret said in unision.
"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have lost my temper," Queen Margaret told the ladies in waiting, but they remained fearful. "I only unleash my rage at those who deserve it. You two have done nothing to incur my wrath."
Margaret Beaufort nodded. "My Queen, would you want some water? I could also bring in some milk for the young prince as well."
The Queen nodded as she turned to Elizabeth. "You and Lady Beaufort grab some milk for Prince Edward, while I'll get the chambermaids to clean up my room."
"As you command," both ladies in waiting said as they left, but not before bumping into James Butler. The 1st Earl of Wiltshire bowed before his Queen and handed a scroll, which contained a message.
The Queen grabbed the scroll from Butler's hand. "I must say, I have not yet congratulated you for preventing bloodshed from occurring back in St. Albans. Your decision to not neglect the royal standard has prevented the idiot from capturing the king and killing the Duke of Somerset."
The 1st Earl of Wiltshire kept his head down. "I was lucky to spot the sorry state of the royal standard. Moreover, the Duke of York had disarmed himself before entering the King's tent. I don't think his enmity with Somerset would end, and not to mention that the de la Poles are being positioned to usurp the north from the Percys, now that the Nevilles were butchered to the last child."
"All the same, you shall be rewarded for your efforts," the Queen spoke back. She opened the scroll and read its contents before her eyes widened. "Oh, for the love of God!"
"What is it?" Butler asked curiously. The Queen simply handed him the letter for him to read.
To My Gracious Queen:
I did not want to be the bearer of bad news, but John de la Pole was arranged to marry the daughter of the Duke of Guelders. No doubt that this is a part of the Duke of York's plan to cripple our power base with potential help from Burgundy. In addition, he has also sent out Lord Herbert to the lands of the Holy Roman Empire to search for another bridal candidate for his other son Edmund. No doubt that the Duke of York is trying to build his own powerbase from which he can effectively challenge the throne. That is the only bit of bad news that I would bring to you. Lately, I've heard that you've taken my niece into your service as a lady in waiting, along with Lady Woodville. They have a massive potential to be powerful figures within your cause, and my niece's engagement to Edmund Tudor provides an alternative succession that can stop the Duke of York from usurping the Crown. However, if it pleases Her Grace, I would make a suggestion for a future husband for Lady Woodville: Jasper Tudor. If you can wed Lady Woodville to Lord Jasper, you would be able to raise the Tudors to prominence.
Your Devoted Servant,
the Duke of Somerset
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(1) The first PoD: Henry VI sends away the Duke of Somerset to London, presumably to get more reinforcements, but more importantly, so that the Duke of York won't be able to kill him,
(2) The second PoD: In the OTL First Battle of St. Albans, the royal standard was neglected, meaning that the Yorkists were able to capture the king and kill Somerset. This time around, the royal standard becomes visible enough to prevent such a bloodshed.