Chapter 28

Chapter 28 - 1283 to 1300:

It is December of 1283. Young Emperor Ecgberht is 2 months shy of his 14th birthday, 2 months from fulling ascending to the throne. For now, Duke Beorhtric of Lothian, son of former Emperor Æthelstan IV, acts as regent of the Empire. The Empire has seen turbulent years, with the Devil's ruler himself, Ælfweard, fueling instability and chaos, and then good Cynewulf leaving this world so soon after taking power.

Ecgberht comes to age on February 25, 1284. A diligent, patient man, he also shows great care when it comes to the law of the land. On most days, being a very zealous man, he attends mass. However, under all the saintly apparel, Ecgberht is quite learned in the ways of Intrigue.

Soon after his birthday, Ecgberht sends an emissary to France, requesting King Ekkehard II's daughter's hand in marriage. The King quicklly accepts, happy to have such a powerful ally. His daughter, Princess (and now Empress) Tiburge, arrives in Norfolk in March. She is a gregarious, scholarly woman who, like the Emperor, is a very zealous Catholic.

In November, The M comes of age. Although she is a rather enthusiastic eater, her sharing and gregarious nature makes her many friends. She is married to Prince Sigismond of Aquitaine.

In April of 1287, Tiburge is pregnant with their first child. In November, twins are born, a boy and a girl. She is named Blitz the Dragon, the daughter of long ago King Breselueu. He, the heir to the Empire, is named Loup, after the first de Gael king to rule England.

Timburge is again pregnant in 1289. In July, another daughter is born. She is named Necro Creature.

Princes Dunaden and Dom Martin both come to maturity in February of 1292. They are each great leaders of men, but Dom Martin's skill with a sword bests Dunaden, as does nearly every other skill he possesses. They are each awarded with a fief to govern over, Dunaden receives Kildare, while his brother is handed Dublin. In honor of his skill, Dom Martin also is made Duke of Meath.

In June of 1269, Ecgberht declares war on the independent Scottish ruler of Moray, citing the conquest of Buchan. 13 thousand personal levies are raised and sent to Durham to organize. They are ready in August. To the north, nearly 7 thousand Scots have entered Britannic Scotland.

At the same time, the Empress is again pregnant.

The army, led by the Dukes of York and Lancaster, and the Emperor himself, makes contact with the enemy in October. It is a short and brutal battle in which the entire enemy army is destroyed. Victorious, the Britannic army besieges Buchan.

A son is born to Ecgberht and Tiburge in March of 1297. They name him Scipion.

The first siege of Buchan ends in November. As Aberdeen falls in October of 1298, the petty King of Moray surrenders. He hands over the county of Buchan, defeated.

In October of 1299, a year after the war for Buchan ended, most of Scottish Moray is conquered by a host of Swedish men. Britannia now has a new enemy on its northern border. Not a strong enemy, but a more foreign one than has been seen for generations.

The year turns to 1300. The world has changed much in the past century. In the Middle East, the two dominating powers have broken. The Seljuk Sultanate has splintered somewhat with the Abbasid Dynasty, Qutuzid, and a few small rulers, having declared independence. As the Seljuks have so much inner turmoil, they can do nothing to stop the seceding states. In a similar matter, the Fatimids, while so successful in their past jihads, have failed to appease their vassals, leading to a large war for independence among many of the states. The Middle East is now a patchwork of Muslim Emirates.

Emperor Ecgberht calls together his Council. The Councilors include Duke Ordgar of York, Duke Cadwal of Cornwall, Duke DKM III of Gwynedd, Prince Dom Martin, Duke Eadwulf of Lancaster, Chancellor Beorhtric, Marshal Hrodberht, Steward Maccus, Spymaster Æthelsige, and Court Chaplain Ceolwulf.

Ecgberht requests advise on the current military situation. Although Britannia is in no danger of invasion by sea or land, and has an incredibly powerful military, he puts forth the question of what to focus on in the coming years. The current opportunistic areas are the remaining free Scottish rulers, the new Swedish conqueror, and the Norwegian islands to the north. The Empire has been, for the past 2 decades, spending nearly all of its money on building and expanding holdings throughout Britannia, and its gold deposits are fairly low. It cannot afford multiple wars at once. It is up to the Councilors to decide:

Vote (please comment either A, B, or C):

Focus military efforts on
(A) Moray and Ulster, the last free Scottish rulers

(B) Ross, the Swedish conquered territory

(C) the Norge held islands to the north (including Færeyar, Orkney, and Iceland)

This vote will end Saturday 10:00 AM EST

NOTE:
-Andrew de Gael died in 1299 at the age of 73...
-DKM III is now Duke of Gwynedd.