In the summer of 1191, Richard I of England-the "Lionheart", used an intervention on behalf of his sister Joan and fiancee Berengaria as a pretext to take Cyprus from its Greek ruler, on his way to the Third Crusade. In OTL, Richard quickly sold the island to the Templars. However, what if he had found an ingenious way to use his newfound possession to dispose of his scheming brother John?
I am busy with an other TL now, so I will post a teaser post and see in anyone likes it. Without further ado...
Summer 1191, off Cyprus-Richard The First of England, “Coeur de Lion”, having recent used the pretext of a familial hostage crisis to oust the independent Greek ruler of Cyprus, Isaakios Komenmos, would have proceeded immediately to the Holy Land, to save the True Cross and battle the infidel, if that were possible. Unfortunately, he had quite a dilemma. His scheming, ambitious younger brother John, who had opposed his claims numerous times in the fratricidal civil wars during their late father Henry’s reign, was now plotting to wrest power from his sworn liege, contained only by the adroit diplomacy and statecraft of their mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
On the one hand, it would be extremely inadvisable to simply set off for Acre, leaving his realm open to French attack and internal subversion. On the other, he truly was a pious man, loath to abandon the crusade, and forever condemning his soul to eternal damnation. Besides, the loss of potential loot, reputation, and prestige would be incalculable. Abandoning these hypotheticals, he was jolted back to the present, as a seagull flying from the Famagusta cliffs had chosen to relieve itself on his nose. Perturbed, he glanced up while wiping the vile gunk from his nostrils, gazing at the dark, guano-scented shores of his admittedly ill-gotten conquest.
He pondered exactly what to do with his new possession. He was certainly not the administrative type, instead relying on capable lieutenants for matters domestic. Regrettably, competent stewards seemed to be entirely lacking in these parts. He was mulling over the idea of selling the island to the Templars, strengthening the Church while netting a tidy sum, to stave off the ruinous financial effects of campaigning on behalf of said Church. For all his zealotry, there were moments of doubt in which he wondered wether organized Christianity wasn’t simply a very profitable racket. But for the burst of a neuron…
In wondrous rapture, he grasped the single simultaneous solution to his predicaments. Calling for an amanuensis to write a letter to his “beloved” brother, Richard reflected that, perhaps, his mother wasn’t the only geopolitical genius in the family.
A History of the Crusader Kingdoms of Outremer, Bernard D’ Aubingy- Having conceived of a way to both neutralize the political threat posed by John, and uphold the prestige of himself, and of the Plantagenet dynasty in particular, Richard acted with characteristic speed and forthrightness. It must be kept in mind that, while the momentous events of that summer were hammered out in only a few communiqués, the delivery speed of 2-3 months per letter was indeed brisk for the period. By mid-December, the strategic transformation that was to revolutionize the future history of the Levant, the Mediterranean, and ultimately all Europe was finalized.
Prince John, the intriguing erstwhile heir to the English throne, was to receive the island of Cyprus (and with it, independence from the general Plantagenet realm) from his brother and overlord, for no fee. When John saw Richard’s two conditions, he discovered that, had he the choice, he would have gladly rather paid a very sizeable indemnity. The prince was to forfeit all lands within the dynastic patrimony, and also renounce all claims to any lands held by any Plantagenet at the time before the acquisition of Cyprus, to be disinherited in favor of his young nephew, Arthur, heir-apparent of the Duchy of Brittany.
As could well be imagined, John was livid at his abrupt ouster from the line of succession. Indeed, there were many interests equally perturbed by the change. It would be reasonable to surmise that opposition to the reshuffle would have been inevitable. A backlash most assuredly would have occurred, if not for the quite brilliant diplomacy of Richard. Most of John’s more moderate and established allies were mollified by massive bribes, while, for those of a more volatile and military position were appeased by the completely unprecedented move of Richard granting Cypriot lands directly to John’s former bannermen and partisans, rather than through their new liege. Many of the placated nobles had richer personal demesnes than John himself now did.
Of course, this revolutionary (one-time) redefinition of the feudal contract on Richard’s part required major concessions to John. By far the most significant of these was John’s elevation. In order to make the new arrangement at least somewhat palatable to his brother, as well as to avoid the Byzantine connotations of the ducal title, Richard helped his brother John finance his coronation as “King of Cyprus.”
Among the others, one allowance was crucial to the future independence of the Cypriot polity. John managed to convince his former liege to sign a document stating that, except for the direct land grants Richard had already distributed, no interference in to Cypriot affairs by any other Plantagenet realm would be regarded as legitimate.
Late spring, 1192- John’s ersatz “flagship”, in reality merely a converted trading cog, sailed ever closer to Limassol harbor, ever farther from what seemed to the epicenter of his world, his birthright. The prince was impatiently pacing the deck, hoping to soon at least catch a glimpse of the strange land that was to be his domain. John had a crown on his head now, but not remotely the one he wanted.
I am busy with an other TL now, so I will post a teaser post and see in anyone likes it. Without further ado...
Summer 1191, off Cyprus-Richard The First of England, “Coeur de Lion”, having recent used the pretext of a familial hostage crisis to oust the independent Greek ruler of Cyprus, Isaakios Komenmos, would have proceeded immediately to the Holy Land, to save the True Cross and battle the infidel, if that were possible. Unfortunately, he had quite a dilemma. His scheming, ambitious younger brother John, who had opposed his claims numerous times in the fratricidal civil wars during their late father Henry’s reign, was now plotting to wrest power from his sworn liege, contained only by the adroit diplomacy and statecraft of their mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
On the one hand, it would be extremely inadvisable to simply set off for Acre, leaving his realm open to French attack and internal subversion. On the other, he truly was a pious man, loath to abandon the crusade, and forever condemning his soul to eternal damnation. Besides, the loss of potential loot, reputation, and prestige would be incalculable. Abandoning these hypotheticals, he was jolted back to the present, as a seagull flying from the Famagusta cliffs had chosen to relieve itself on his nose. Perturbed, he glanced up while wiping the vile gunk from his nostrils, gazing at the dark, guano-scented shores of his admittedly ill-gotten conquest.
He pondered exactly what to do with his new possession. He was certainly not the administrative type, instead relying on capable lieutenants for matters domestic. Regrettably, competent stewards seemed to be entirely lacking in these parts. He was mulling over the idea of selling the island to the Templars, strengthening the Church while netting a tidy sum, to stave off the ruinous financial effects of campaigning on behalf of said Church. For all his zealotry, there were moments of doubt in which he wondered wether organized Christianity wasn’t simply a very profitable racket. But for the burst of a neuron…
In wondrous rapture, he grasped the single simultaneous solution to his predicaments. Calling for an amanuensis to write a letter to his “beloved” brother, Richard reflected that, perhaps, his mother wasn’t the only geopolitical genius in the family.
A History of the Crusader Kingdoms of Outremer, Bernard D’ Aubingy- Having conceived of a way to both neutralize the political threat posed by John, and uphold the prestige of himself, and of the Plantagenet dynasty in particular, Richard acted with characteristic speed and forthrightness. It must be kept in mind that, while the momentous events of that summer were hammered out in only a few communiqués, the delivery speed of 2-3 months per letter was indeed brisk for the period. By mid-December, the strategic transformation that was to revolutionize the future history of the Levant, the Mediterranean, and ultimately all Europe was finalized.
Prince John, the intriguing erstwhile heir to the English throne, was to receive the island of Cyprus (and with it, independence from the general Plantagenet realm) from his brother and overlord, for no fee. When John saw Richard’s two conditions, he discovered that, had he the choice, he would have gladly rather paid a very sizeable indemnity. The prince was to forfeit all lands within the dynastic patrimony, and also renounce all claims to any lands held by any Plantagenet at the time before the acquisition of Cyprus, to be disinherited in favor of his young nephew, Arthur, heir-apparent of the Duchy of Brittany.
As could well be imagined, John was livid at his abrupt ouster from the line of succession. Indeed, there were many interests equally perturbed by the change. It would be reasonable to surmise that opposition to the reshuffle would have been inevitable. A backlash most assuredly would have occurred, if not for the quite brilliant diplomacy of Richard. Most of John’s more moderate and established allies were mollified by massive bribes, while, for those of a more volatile and military position were appeased by the completely unprecedented move of Richard granting Cypriot lands directly to John’s former bannermen and partisans, rather than through their new liege. Many of the placated nobles had richer personal demesnes than John himself now did.
Of course, this revolutionary (one-time) redefinition of the feudal contract on Richard’s part required major concessions to John. By far the most significant of these was John’s elevation. In order to make the new arrangement at least somewhat palatable to his brother, as well as to avoid the Byzantine connotations of the ducal title, Richard helped his brother John finance his coronation as “King of Cyprus.”
Among the others, one allowance was crucial to the future independence of the Cypriot polity. John managed to convince his former liege to sign a document stating that, except for the direct land grants Richard had already distributed, no interference in to Cypriot affairs by any other Plantagenet realm would be regarded as legitimate.
Late spring, 1192- John’s ersatz “flagship”, in reality merely a converted trading cog, sailed ever closer to Limassol harbor, ever farther from what seemed to the epicenter of his world, his birthright. The prince was impatiently pacing the deck, hoping to soon at least catch a glimpse of the strange land that was to be his domain. John had a crown on his head now, but not remotely the one he wanted.
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