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III
III: Matters of the Throne
To the Frankish people, Bernard's coronation was a joyous occasion that symbolized the unity of a nation. To the Frankish nobles it symbolized a progress away from the traditions of the realm, and of course away from their power. Under Frankish law Charles' sons should have divided the kingdom into three realms, and the nobles would have been given the privileges of regency over large amounts of land in the time of the boys' minority. When the Pope decreed Bernard as the new king the nobles were tasked with the choice of their church and king or themselves, and many chose themselves. Two factions arose among the noble class of France: The Castellans, so named for their refusal to leave their castles to attend Bernard's coronation, and the Loyalists, supporters of Bernard, though they numbered relatively few. The Castellans held their fortresses and refused to pay royal taxes until Bernard ceded the throne to his grand-nephews. A reign of terror begun on the fringes of the realm as lords fought and subjugated those who supported the king.
For Desiderius in Italy, matters of the throne remained much easier. The Lombard nobles felt slighted by the Roman Church and wished for vengeance. The Italian nobles refused merchants from Rome and punished their subjects for paying tithe to churches affiliated with the Bishop of Rome, yet Rome did not retaliate yet. Desiderius saw good relations with Leo in this time, and with the Bishop of Constantinople Niketas despite the fact that he was unpopular, due to his beliefs in iconoclasm. Desiderius frequently attended Leo's events in Constantinople and the alliance was strengthened by Desiderius' re-baptism by Niketas. This act was seen as treasonous by Pope, who of course claimed religious authority over all of the former western Roman Empire.