1620
In the Vatican, the Pope, buoyed by the success of the Tenth Crusade, begins looking into the work of Galilei, and as he looks over it, he becomes convinced the man is a heretic. But sensing that good will toward the church is so hard fought for, he decides, against his better judgement to let the man go. He also sends several letters to the Patriarch of Constantinople, urging for there to be a council, where they can put their differences aside. After all, the Turk might be gone, but there remain threats to them in the Protestant menace. When his letters are received well, a date is set for the next year, and a meeting in Adrianople is set. The anticipation fills in the Vatican and the Catholic and Eastern world with the possibility of a reconciliation thousand years in the making. The Pope’s ill health is a small obstacle.
In Damascus, the Shah of Persia meets with the Papal ambassador. He wines and dines him, shows him the sites in the ancient city, and then when that is done, he gets to business. The talk of restoring the Kingdom of Jerusalem intrigues the Shah, whilst he is a Muslim, he is more tolerant than some of his other brethren, and finding an ally in the Middle East would be particularly useful. He asks who the new King of Jerusalem would be, and when told that the House of Savoy would be chosen, he nods, not really knowing who they are. The negotiations end with the Shah agreeing to restoring the Kingdom of Jerusalem, to be made up of: Jerusalem, Acre, Jaffa, Ascalon and Tyre. When pushed about Antioch, the Shah states that it is not for him to decide on that matter, instead it is for the people of the region to decide. A formal invitation is extended to the House of Savoy to claim the crown by the Papacy, and though Charles Emmanuel, the Duke of Savoy renounces his rights to the crown, his son Vittorio Amedeo gladly accepts. Upon arriving in Jerusalem himself, the man is crowned Vittorio I of Jerusalem, witnessed by the people of Jerusalem, and by the Shah of Iran and the Papal legate.
In India, the Emperor begins rooting out supporters for Chanakya, killing them off slowly. Though more and more slowly begin to sprout throughout the empire. His armies are hunkered down in engagements throughout the empire, Afghanistan seems the only stable region. Chanakya himself remains elusive, never venturing out of his hiding place. But directing operations. Eventually, the Emperor having defeated several armies at once, finds a location and marches there. Chanakya is not there, but his family are. The Emperor destroys them, and drags their bodies back to the capital, where they are left to rot. A clear message to the man.
In England, King Philip, an old man, who celebrated his diamond jubilee whilst on Crusade, arranges the marriage of his grandson, Prince Philip, to Princess Maria, daughter of King Carlos III of Spain, and sister to King Carlos IV of Spain. The marriage takes place in Westminster Abbey, and sees the Prince created Duke of Cambridge. And whilst, there is good news on that front, there is also bad news, King Philip receives word from Prague, that his daughter Mary, married to the Duke of Further Austria had died from fever. It is this grief that fills the King for a brief time, leaving government in the hands of his son the Prince of Wales. Eventually, though the King recovers, and sets about releasing Henry, Duke of Rothesay from captivity. He also, begins deciding who will succeed him where in his territories. In his will, he gives Normandy to his son Prince William, whilst giving the Kingdom of Lothringia to his second son Arthur, Duke of York. This is done with consent of the Dutch estates. He also approves the request from Walter Raleigh to name a town in what is now Maryland as Philipstown after him.