The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 103

Normandy (3)

―Near Manche, Normandy―

Henry II’s critical condition was a consequence of his own poor health management. The failing health of the old monarch signaled an opportunity for the young lions, who had been watching him closely, to make their move.

The cunning princes, already divided into two factions, seized this moment. It was time to determine the true heir to the throne.

Across Europe, it was understood that this civil war would mark a significant historical turning point.

Henry II’s princes:

Duke Henry of Aquitaine.

Duke Richard of Normandy.

Duke Geoffrey of Brittany.

Duke John of Ireland.

The stage was set for a struggle among these four ambitious princes, each possessing unique strengths and abilities.

The princes’ rivalry, previously characterized by mutual ‘checks’ and balances, escalated into open conflict with the clash between Prince John and the Brittany fleet, marking the definitive start of the civil war.

This conflict in England became known as the War of the Lions.

As the fighting intensified, Duke Henry of Aquitaine’s thoughts grew more complex.

The fleet he dispatched as an initial strike was defeated by Prince John and branded as ‘pirates.’ But was the Duke of Aquitaine’s power truly limited to a single fleet?

He possessed multiple forces, and he intended to deploy them against Richard, the opponent whom Duke Henry of Aquitaine considered the most formidable.

‘Richard is indeed formidable. Strength combined with wisdom…’

Duke Aquitaine steeled himself and summoned his younger brother.

“Geoffrey.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“What is the situation in Anjou?”

“As we anticipated, they are employing purely defensive tactics, remaining within the castle walls.”

“To maintain their resolve even after internal provocations… Their experience is truly remarkable.”

They had openly attempted to destabilize the situation through spies, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The Duke of Aquitaine was impressed by the extraordinary patience of the seasoned nobles.

‘Well, the troops in Anjou won’t be able to come out anyway.’

Thanks to the capable old nobles, the Anjou territory remained secure despite the attacks from the allied forces of Henry and Geoffrey.

It resembled Constantinople of the Eastern Roman Empire, relying on its triple walls but unable to launch an offensive unless in defense.

However, the Seven Great Houses publicly declared:

[We are committed only to protecting the rightful King of England. We will not interfere in the succession war of the grown lion cubs.]

Crucially, the Seven Great Houses remained neutral, not siding with any prince, and focusing solely on protecting the ailing Henry II.

Although the Earl of Surrey, who favored Prince John, traveled to Ireland to offer advice, even he did not join the war in Normandy. His role was limited to providing counsel as an elder nobleman.

However, Duke Henry of Aquitaine, having experienced much in the world, remained suspicious.

“Those old men… they absolutely won’t come out, will they?”

The Seven Great Houses had been a key factor in the defeat of the previous Great Rebellion. Despite their age and declining activity, Henry II’s absolute vassals were always a cause for vigilance.

This instilled an inherent ‘caution’ in him.

“Yes, that’s right. Involvement in this civil war would not be advantageous for them either.”

After concluding the discussion about the Seven Great Houses, Henry raised another issue with his brother.

“Geoffrey, the commander who scouted Normandy has returned. What was his report?”

Troops had briefly ventured to the outskirts of Normandy. However, this vanguard served as a reconnaissance unit. It was the final intelligence gathering mission, sent to assess the quality and quantity of troops, as well as the morale of Richard’s army, ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice.

“Normandy was more fortified than expected, as if they had been preparing for a decisive battle for a long time. Their defensive tactics were flawless.”

“Richard… it seems he’s not just skilled at attacking.”

“Brother, that traitor suffered humiliation in a defensive battle against the Seven Great Houses during the Great Rebellion.”

Henry, Richard, Geoffrey.

When Prince John was young, these three princes had joined forces to attack Henry II, giving them insight into each other’s strategies and tactics as former allies.

After probing Normandy and assessing the strength of Richard’s army, the Duke of Aquitaine declared:

“The main battlefield… it has to be there, right?”

“Where else would we strike but the key supply base in southern Normandy?”

“Good… this battle will conclude like the Battle of Hastings.”

Surprisingly, Henry invoked Hastings as well. He, too, aimed to bring this conflict to a swift end.

“Let’s go deal with Richard, that monster.”

“And that cunning John as well.”

“Yes… let’s go now!”

―Neigh.

A prince on a white horse appeared. It was Duke Henry of Aquitaine.

‘Brother, our inheritance laws differ from those of the Eastern Roman Empire. I am equally qualified.’

He recalled a past conversation with Richard.

He saw himself as a hero, Henry, confronting a devilish younger brother.

In his left hand was Aquitaine, and in his right hand, the weapon of ‘eldest son.’ Depending on the battle’s outcome, a crown would also be placed upon his head.

“All troops, advance to the destination!”

―Yes, Your Highness!

The moment they won this battle, the unconscious Henry II would naturally abdicate.

“This is the true first battle.”

―Yes, Your Highness.

Watching the Duke of Aquitaine speak with such valor, Geoffrey thought:

‘Shaking… very much. John, are you feeling the same way as I am?’

The Duke of Brittany, Geoffrey, knew that this battle would determine whether he would be ‘killed’ or would kill.

There was only one throne, and if Henry’s daughter and his son married, eventually his descendants would form the royal family.

The same must be true for John.

Geoffrey felt a strange mix of emotions. He was trembling, yet also filled with a sense of exhilaration.

“Hehe.”

He couldn’t suppress a laugh. Civil war is a legitimate form of patricide.

* * *

―1190, Normandy Territory―

“Uncle, this is the final strategy meeting.”

“I understand.”

I had grown close to the Count of Champagne after spending so much time with him. Still, being called uncle so casually felt strange.

We had a skirmish not long ago—a light warm-up, really.

‘Rain arrows on the retreating troops!’

‘Target the rear of the enemies with mobile tactics!’

The vanguard was defeated, or rather, they fled before a real clash could occur.

Just as Henry had assessed the state of Normandy, we had also gauged the army of the rebels, primarily from Aquitaine.

While Henry’s army remained stationary, several small-scale battles took place between Geoffrey’s forces and ours.

A ‘rehearsal’ had concluded. And now, the main performance was about to begin.

“Manche and Maine are likely targets, but we must advance to Manche.”

Manche is located on the border between Normandy and Brittany. It is a vulnerable point in Normandy that Duke Geoffrey of Brittany and the Duke of Aquitaine are likely targeting.

Richard didn’t elaborate, but he wasn’t ignoring his subordinate commanders. As comrades who had fought together for a long time, they seemed to understand.

He had likely informed them in advance. Richard had sought my opinion on this matter previously.

‘Come to think of it, many veteran commanders here tried to overthrow Henry II during the Great Rebellion. But the only nobleman I truly admire is just one person. Like that person over there.’

My gaze shifted to a particular nobleman.

He is an old and powerful figure, a recluse who only emerges when the ‘time’ is right. He hadn’t even met me when I visited England, a dignified nobleman who only answers Richard’s call.

I was seeing him, a nobleman like a hidden master, for the first time since the Great Rebellion.

Even with Richard’s explanation, he remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

“Your Highness, do you truly intend to advance to Manche?”

His name is the Earl of Oxford.

Not the university, but one of the most influential figures of the Middle Ages, who provided crucial support when I implemented pro-Richard policies in Britain.

The ‘last sword’ of the William Dynasty, who served my grandmother Matilda in his youth.

He spoke sharply, as if he had been drawn from a scabbard.

“My lord is a great commander, admired even by this old man. But I urge you to consider the opinions of others.”

“The Earl is right. Dogmatism is dangerous. Even if I disagree, I must listen to the perspectives of others.”

“This old man also believes that Manche will be the main battlefield. However, it seems that the preparations for it are still insufficient.”

“Tell me. All of your concerns.”

Richard listened attentively to the Earl of Oxford’s concerns.

“As expected, you are ‘Your Highness,’ willing to listen so carefully to the opinion of this old general.”

“My shortcomings are filled by you. You are my Samuel.”

The reference to Samuel alludes to the prophet Samuel [a key figure in the Old Testament], but the Kingdom of Israel, which overturned Saul’s justification, is a courtesy to the old ‘powerful figure.’

‘I will not ignore you like Saul, the foolish king who disrespected Samuel and lost his justification to David, but I will respect you!’

The Earl of Oxford, understanding the implication, drank his wine with a satisfied expression and said to Richard:

“Forgive this old man’s rudeness.”

‘This is completely like Fan Zeng [a key advisor to Xiang Yu], happy to meet the intelligent Xiang Yu [a prominent figure in Chinese history] in the Chinese style.’

I wondered if I was the only one who felt this way, as the Easterner Yue Buqun [a character from a Chinese wuxia novel] wore a deep smile.

After listening to the opinions of the other vassals, Prince Richard incorporated their suggestions into his strategy as much as possible.

One by one, our strategy took shape.

* * *

―Near Manche, English Territory―

Now everything was set. The cooperation of neighboring countries, the intelligence on the army, and the gathering of opposing forces.

The English all recalled the Battle of Hastings [a pivotal battle in English history]. In Eastern terms, a decisive battle was at hand.

The Count of Champagne, who had followed Richard, his second uncle, as his lord since childhood, thought:

‘As expected, he is my lord.’

He was once again impressed by Prince Richard.

Because he had secured the most important ‘force.’

John and Richard were bound by fate in many ways, so it couldn’t be called a promotion.

However, the fact that the Earl of Oxford, known as the last sword of the William Dynasty, showed a cooperative attitude towards Prince Richard, and even participated in the battle directly, spoke volumes about Richard’s skill.

The troops of this era were mostly mercenaries rather than conscripts.

The soldiers hired from Ireland were treated differently and paid more, but there were many re-hired veteran mercenaries.

As the Count of Champagne expressed his satisfaction with his lord, Godfrey also felt pleased as he observed Prince John’s corps.

‘It is a force that started in Mortain and was forged in Ireland.’

The main force of this era is mercenaries.

And these veteran mercenaries were naturally the soldiers who had participated in the holy Crusades under the command of Prince John, along with knights, younger sons of noble families who had received lower nobility titles, and those who had been persecuted, all survivors of the Crusades.

In the Crusades, they had received enormous rewards and returned home safely. They also knew that Prince John’s power had been instrumental in conquering Egypt.

In particular, he never neglected to supply his subordinates, even taking an arrow in place of the Holy Roman Emperor to save him from a life-threatening situation.

‘Our lord.’

‘That lord is once again making history.’

‘To make Prince Richard the next king!’

As Prince John’s forces took pride in this, their leader, Prince John, declared:

“We will make Prince Richard the Crown Prince. And we will make him the lord of the Angevins. We are Prince Richard’s Lionhearts!”

―Yes, Your Highness!

The soldiers in Ireland all respected Prince John.

They awaited Prince John’s command.

“Follow me, let’s place the great king on the throne with our own hands!”

―Let’s put him on the throne!

They poured their strength into fighting for Richard, their prince’s superior, rather than their own prince.

Prince John, who prided himself on being a safe zone, thought as he looked at his subordinates: