Past Lives: The English War

by Jet556

There came a time when the French king died with no heir. Yet he had a sister who had a son and that son was Edward III of England, he was the closest living relative of the late king. Yet the French did not recognize Edward as the rightful king even though he was and thus a war started. Edward is now dead and his grandson now sits upon the throne of England. The war is not over.

1. ACT I

Dramatis Personae

The English

The Second Richard, English Duke of Cornwall (Randy's past life)

The Beautiful Joana, English-allied Duchess Consort of Brittany (Theresa's past life)

The Invulnerable Nuno, an English-allied Portuguese solder (Niall's past life)

The French

The Wily Henry, French-allied King of Castile (Howard's past life)

The Sixth Philip, French Count of Maine (Stevens' past life)

The Treacherous John, French Duke of Normandy (Ken's past life)

Setting: The year is 1395. It has been six years since the French victory of the second third of the English War and the final third will not be for another twenty. Neither side is in the right or the wrong, both English and French kings have a right to France's throne. It is the English kings however who has a better right, for Edward III was nephew to Charles IV of France while his successor was only a first cousin.

ACT I

Scene 1. London. An antechamber in the Crown's castle.

English, Welsh, Cornish, Anglo-Norman, Latin it seemed like no one was willing to speak the same language. Everyone with their own conversations and not wanting eavesdroppers spoke only the language they knew others did not speak.

As Nuno was Portuguese, and the languages of Portugal were Portuguese and Latin, he could only speak with Duke Richard in Latin. Likewise as Joana was a Breton and the languages of Brittany consisted of Breton, Gallo, Latin, French and Poitevin she could only speak to them in Latin.

It would be much the same in France. The languages of France consisted of French, Occitan, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Alsatian, Picard, Walloon, Francique and Franco-Provencal while the languages of Castille consisted of Castilian, Basque and Arabic. Thus Philip and John would only be able to speak with Henry in Basque.

"Would King Edward still lived!" said Nuno. "To follow such a man would have been glorious."

"He would be eighty-three years old." Commented Richard.

"What do I care about his age?" asked Nuno. "The man was a legend known as far away as my Portugal!"

"He was to be respected and feared." Added Joana. "France has yet to produce such a man."

"But now he is dead." Stated Nuno. "Who is to lead us now? No King Edward, his son Prince Edward of Wales predeceased him, John of Montfort has been dead fifty years, Duke John IV of Britanny has no interest, Thomas Dagworth is dead, Peter of Castile is dead, John of Gaunt has no interest, Henry le Despenser has no interest—"

"There is still his grandson." Said Joanna.

"His grandson!" exclaimed Nuno. "Where is his grandson? Who is his grandson? Who is he to be a leader?"