Records: the Elegant Union

## **A Turn of Events**

The recent restoration of Charles VI to the Throne of France had elevated the Plantagenet-Valois House back to Royal status. The Ricardian Crown was down by one kingdom, while France was again "independent" (or at least with its own dedicated sovereign).

Former "Duke Charles" was in the inner circle of Richard and Edward – and subject to the same acceleration magic, both physically, mentally and emotionally. He was now himself was usually mistaken for a man in his late 20s, not his mid-teens.

He was also a philosopher, a political theorist, an artist and a poet. He summed up much of the heart and soul of France... and underneath a tunic, he was a magician and a reluctant warrior. He was every bit Rick's distant cousin, but was really as much as brother as Edward.

That's when Rick saw an opportunity for a little old-school diplomacy...

### **I'd Like You to Meet Someone...**

Mary, daughter of Louis I of Hungary and Poland, was originally betrothed to Sigismund, one of Anne of Bohemia's half-brothers. When Sigismund perished in the riots in Germany, the plans for unifying central-Eastern Europe crumbled (not that Poland had liked that idea to begin with).

At the time, there was nobody on the horizon for Charles. In the original timeline, this was close to the time that such a union might've been proposed for him with Isabeau of Bavaria (House of Wittelsbach), but in this timeline, that hadn't come around yet (and likely never would). Even as a duke, Charles still would've been quite a catch, and doubly so after the royal restoration, but there were other factors at stake.

The Dominus Exorcus was, frankly, terrifying to Paris, France and anybody who knew the story. Sure, he'd survived, but what might yet linger? Further, he ran with Rick, learned and demonstrated competence in magic and so on, so that threw it in the other direction, where he was both way out of the league of mortals and potentially tainted by magic. There were just too many unknowns.

This was when Rick himself proposed a union between Europe's newest king and the daughter of Louis I of Hungary.

### **Meet the Father**

Louis *loved* the idea. The whole nature of the Holy Roman Empire had fallen apart, and there were reservations about being subsumed in a union there. This, on the other hand, was a connection to an elegant Western European kingdom, a solid member of the new *Commonwealth*, and another assurance that Rick would maintain his half of the Treaty of Warsaw.

She was 11, he was 14, but there was chemistry and communication. From the view of the French king and his potential consort, there was approval from both sides. It was resolved they would wait three years, unless it seemed Louis was in bad health.

King Louis' health had, *miraculously*, stabilized since establishing good relations with Aquitaine. Coincidence, of course...

## **Franco-Hungarian Politics**

There were issues in both Poland and Hungary, but they were partly self-resolving. The Hungarian nobility thought Durazzo was the rightful heir, but the week before, he'd died at the Battle of Ginestra against the Golden Horde. His personal lands were now in turmoil, but Hungary started leaning toward Mary (especially toward Mary with Charles of France behind her).

Croatia, on the other hand, was looking for leadership...

In Poland, there was public discontent that they would be dissolved and woven into an expanded Hungary. Charles of France listened, proving himself now-fluent in Polish, and intervened to have the Polish Crown Jewels moved *back* to Poland. It was an incredible stroke for Polish national pride.

Further, with the Plantagenet-powered Regiments enforcing peace with Lithuania, Poland was buying into it.

There was still private discontent from the separatist magnates of Greater Poland, who were leaning toward Germany or Pomerania, with the lords of Lesser Poland trying to maintain a union against the incursions of Lithuania. The differences, however, weren't nearly as divisive as they might've been simply because the motivation toward Germany was considerably dampened (much by the Germans themselves).

Charles was already working Hungary and Poland as a master diplomat – and things, for once, were looking up. It helped that Charles was now able to start deploying *Regiments* in the east to combat the orks.