30th July 1075
Words fail me.
The king of 'France' lay dead at my feet. My homeland had been restored to her former glory. Robert stood victorious in Iberia over the French rebels there. Portugal and Spain are currently competing for whom receives that prized land as we speak.
But...I have no words. Christendom has fallen. All is lost.
...
I had just taken Zaragoza. The first true enemy that stood in the way of our holy crusade lay destroyed before us. I sent diplomats at once to receive offers from the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal to see which would claim this land once we had left it (I have no desire to become embroiled in their civil war). As both have territories connecting to the city's lands, either could feasible hold this place, though whomever does so will have changed the balance of power in their favour. Should Portugal not receive this land, they shall posses only Castle Pamplona in the north, meaning Spain shall have a much easier time closing that second front permanently. Should Portugal get the city however, Spain shall have two large fronts to fight on and will be partially surrounded. In the long term, they have more to lose in this situation.
But I digress, for not hours after news of our victory spread, the Angel of Destruction cast his wings wide and ensnared us all. The Pope, our Pope of England-born, has excommunicated us for 'unjustly attacking' the Christian Frenchmen.
This can only mean one thing, and was confirmed by Daniels' network yesterday. The Sicilian King has covertly taken over the Vatican and is ruling Rome himself as a 'permanent house guest' of the Papacy. Such treachery is nothing short of satanical and yet performed so perfectly that none but the Milanese know the truth.
Our path is lost. God might even now be turning against us as his heavenly servants have been forced too. King Rodrigo has made his bed with Lucifer and lain in it, but the other European nations, our friends and allies, don't know that yet. Already I have heard that confused and heated communications from Denmark head for my father.
I do not know what to do, other than wait for the truth to come out.
...
31st July 1075
Hope is rekindled. The Danes believe me when I say the Pope is being held hostage within his own city, that we were unjustly punished and that Rodrigo has gone too far. This alliance of three, Denmark, Milan and the United Kingdoms must defeat the Sicilian pretenders and destroy their evil confederacy, lest all Christendom fall to their whim.
The Mediterranean flotilla for the island campaign has reached its attack position. We shall take them with all haste and then make for Rome. My home and hearth can wait, for I shall not rest till my God as well as my country is at peace.
I do solemnly vow that I will personally behead Rodrigo and hang his head and innards from Hadrian's mausoleum. So this I swear. So this I shall do.
...
6th August 1075
Chilling news abounds abroad. The Hungarians have also been excommunicated, as well as the Holy Roman Empire. Whilst the Germans are in no state to complain, picking an unprovoked fight with the largest Christian empire in the world is foolish in the extraordinary. What does Rodrigo seek to accomplish here? An excuse to murder the righteous Pope and host a new election that he will utterly control? Perhaps that is his plan.
Our diplomats have finally found and made contact with the Turk and Egyptian. Whilst Egypt has proceeded exactly as I had feared, developing along the exact same lines as Gaius' old Egyptian enemies, the Turks have surprised me. The Byzantines have been pushed out of Europe yes but they hold a steady hand upon all Asia Minor. Cyprus, their island citadel, is no doubt aiding them as much as it aided every Roman campaign in that region. So the Turk has moved into the lands of the Armenian kings of elder years, then expanded into Russia and the Steppes! Do those fools not realise with what beasts they are poking sticks at! Nothing good ever came out of the Steppes for a would-be empire...to attack the cold norths also, even as a powerful nation such as Poland seeks to do the same? Madness.
Robert's men successfully captured the main island off of Italy with no trouble, due in no small part to the surprising capability of their two commanders, the twin brothers Mark and James. They were adopted by Robert as older guardians for Antony and Francis (Rufus' son and Robert's own respectively). Hmm...they too are growing to maturity. Perhaps I should give their education some practical experience? Too young? Perhaps...
With a grandeur only Daniels the scholar could conceive of, the pair named the castle they fought the local peasants over 'Cair Paravel' for it was a peninsular region and of interesting design, primitive though the defences were. Plans for a town and port to bring in the lifeblood of trade are underway presumably as I write. I am also personally curious as to whether we shall discover the ancient villas Cornelius and Gaius were known to have constructed there.
Apart from these idle fancies, one small island remains north of the large main one and then Italy and, perhaps even more significantly, Sicily herself beckons. At last I shall walk amongst those hallowed halls where the Scipii were born, nurtured their young and created an empire. Robert and I shall walk there together and I shall impart my final wisdoms to him before retiring to London and England.
Soon. A task for tomorrow and tomorrow.