Cogitated and worded by the ever friendly: Duchess Maria
Put into text by the ever wise: Cataldo
Contained herein is the journal of Duchess Maria as written by Cataldo. May its grand insights inspire future Orsini to greater things.
21st of October Anno Domini 1153
Poor grandfather is dead and I have taken his place. According to his last words if I'm to be a proper Duchess I need to connect to God, however last time I tried that I ended up confessing to Uncle Bass (Count Ippolito) in the Papal wine cellar (Ave Maria!) so I believe befriending the voice of God and his heir a safer way to communicate with God. Or it would be if they weren't both pillaging Pisa at the moment.
With that in mind I shall instead begin my reign searching for a good husband or future husband.
Grandfather left quite a few suggestions behind - most of which are ill-suited to me but that boy Friedrich has wit enough for the five years I'll spend waiting.
Two letters arrived today: one accepting my suggestion of betrothal and the other one informing me that the war is over. Unfortunately the Pope has decided on a new heir and might decide on another by the time my invitation reaches him so instead of possibly inviting the wrong cardinal I have decided to simply invite the entire College of Cardinals.
Today one of my grandfather's prisoners gave me quite the strange book. It had pictures of people being created out of of ribs, murder, and floating circuses! Suffice it to say I threw the grotesque thing away at once. (Let us hope the windows of heaven are all closed for Alucard's sake.)
The guests have finally left and if spending most of a night talking is an indicator of anything then I believe I am now quite close with the Pope! If it didn't take so long for the servants to clean up I would be planning a celebration feast already!
Ten chests full of silver and I'll get back my princess or at least that's what my translators tell me; perhaps it would be more reasonable if I was actually interested in Byzantine princesses and paying Arabs whose ancestors likely fought against my grandfather.
Another bout of carousing and I have created more friends in the Papal See. One has to wonder why one would even bother with crusading when salvation is this easy. (Or why one bothers transcribing, truly.)
It only took several buckets full of jeweled plates, but I was able to finally appease the priests! Cotanzo is a living saint.
The natives have taken to chanting "Ave Maria, every mile of her!" as I pass in my carriage. I should order a crusade or two to punish them, but some wine from Rome just arrived and there will always be another council meeting...
As all good things must come to an end so to must my parties with the College of Cardinals. Oh well, there are still plenty of barons, bishops, (scribes) and counts to go around.
Perhaps it was for the best that the Pope refrained from attending as this most recent bit of carousing was exceptional! Uncle Bass brought figures he painted himself and we played wargames on grandfather's old maps. I lost in the end but Uncle Bass was the Caliph and I doubt the war elephants were fair.
According to the word of Lord Mayor Demetrio Count Isnardo is a traitor, however I think the 'evidence' says more about Demetrio then it does Isnardo.
For instance: Isnardo and Fernado have recently become close friends and I've known Fernado for longer then Demetrios has been Lord Mayor.
I've played more wargames with the gentry and after some contemplation I have begun crafting a plan for this duchy. First of all I shall give Jaffa to the Pope since I have no need of it.
Afterwards I will make Croatia my tributary as currently the income of the duchy is insufficient for the many needs of the Holy Land.
Five years I've waited for nothing because Friedrich is no longer my betrothed according to his father! If my duchy wasn't already mobilized for other reasons, I would already be at his gates and Friedrich would be beside me now.
I would much prefer a daughter to a husband at this point but the former is required for the latter and Pal seems to be suitable enough.
Some better news from Croatia: nearly 2000 Croatians dead and the survivors have been driven back. Soon my commanders will siege their capital!
Pal has fulfilled part of his role; I am with child! In a couple more months we shall see if he has fulfilled all of it.
I have finally gotten news from the Croatian campaign and it seems that all is going well: their capital is encircled by 8000 men and should fall soon.
Pal has fulfilled his role and little Maria is doing well even if doing poorly. I am not too worried, I have a heir, Croatia's capital has fallen, and Fedrigo has been my court physician for years! (Sadly Fedrigo does indeed take precedent over me in such matters.)
Fedrigo just walked past me with a familiar looking jar and I don't hear a struggle, in other words, Maria is certainly dead from malpractice.
I always told her that Fedrigo was hated for a reason and she failed to heed my words even after the "laughing cure." I would say that this was an inevitable end but that seems excessively grim and I'd rather not give Fedrigo that much credit; his poisons can't even kill rats.
That being said... hopefully this chronicle has given you some insight into at least some of your ancestor's machinations. If not, well, there are plenty of other Orsini to look for insight in even if you ignore lowborn scribes.
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Topic: Crusader Kings II Dynasty Succession Game (Persus13) (Read 46801 times)