Chapter 1: Capture of two Kings
All, I've done a bunch of TL's over the past years that usually focus on the 1750's to 1870's time period due to my interests and knowledge. I've decided to push back to an earlier time for this one.
Note that I am not a history or English major (forgive the "Who or Whom" mistakes), so feel free to correct anything you feel is factually wrong. I also tend to write a quick chapter at work when the boss isn't watching and this often prevents me from a good spelling/grammar check.
As this is historical "fiction", I am not going to be constrained by certain tropes. For example, it is common for any persons after a divergent point to be different from the original TL on the assumption that the same sperm wouldn't hit the same spot at the same time. In order to maintain historical characters, I often ignore this rule on my TL's and will probably do so when I feel appropriate here.
Chapter 1: the Capture of Two Kings
Siege Tournai, northern France
October, 1513
While his men got drunk off their asses and toasted the Queen's incredible victory, the young King Henry VIII of Great Britain, on a few years upon the throne after the long darkness of his father's unlamented reign, fled the command tent into the night.
The handsome and athletic redhead, only twenty-two, had sought glory in France after the nation had stagnated under his parsimonious father's reign. The King's ancestors had spent centuries lamenting the loss of France in the 100 Years War and the alliance forming against France (led by the Pope, the Emperor and the King of Castile) may actually allow Henry VIII to regain at least part of his patrimony. A realist may say the King was actually fighting out of vainglory rather than any true expectation of conquering France from the hands of the aging and heir-less Louis XII. Yes, France was exhausted from the Italian Wars (and the attempt to seize Milan) started by the French monarch as well as the new threat of the religious reformists arising throughout France, the Netherlands and Navarre. But France was the largest and most populous country in Europe. Was it realistic to think the nation could be conquered?
Henry VIII's invasion of France from his stronghold in Calais had come at great expense. His miserly father's enormous fortune had been exhausted within a few years of Henry VIII's ascension by his reckless spending habits and the first few years of war. Without the capability of raising taxes in England beyond the modest traditional methods that reaped only a fraction of what France, Spain, etc collected from their peoples, the young King would soon have to come crawling to Parliament to permit him to raise taxes. It was debated if he HAD to do this. But the King knew damned well the nobles would turn upon him if he did so without permission. Henry was already looking for new sources of money and some whispered he invaded only with the intent of seeking an annual payment from France to maintain the peace. With a population of five times that of Britain and able to collect far higher taxes per capita, the King of France could afford it, at least in Henry's eyes.
Initially, the war had gone well enough. With French armies required in Italy and near the border of Spain, the English force maintained the ascendancy in northeastern France. Henry had sacked a few walled cities, though at great expense. He certainly hadn't made a profit yet, that was to be sure.
But at least he had found glory at the Battle of the Spurs. During the siege of Tournai, his forces had put the French to flight. Several thousand French killed to only a few hundred (if that) English losses. He sent back a message to his beautiful blonde wife, Catherine of Aragon, whom he left as regent. Naturally, his wife sent waves of congratulations. Then she sent word that, only a month later, she had crushed the Scots in Northumbria, devastating their army...and taking the King of Scotland as a prisoner.
The accomplishment left the King with the feeling his great battle of the Spurs was nothing more than a mere skirmish in a losing war. The Scots, old allies of the French, had taken advantage of the King's absence and invaded northern England, winning several victories, sacking towns and cities, and threatening his kingdom. Henry wished he had returned immediately to deal with the situation himself. Then he would not hear whispered jokes that the Queen should command the army rather than he.
Eventually, the King began to see that another year's campaign would be impossible to sustain without massive increases in taxation or loans (with no conceivable way to pay back). Henry began to wish the King of France would quietly negotiate his return to Calais and London, perhaps with enough gold to pay for his Pyric "Victories" which had bankrupted him without causing significant harm to the French. French forces had been pushed out of Italy and were now available to march on Henry in force. The young King sought glory and only found himself the butt of jokes and resentment at the expenses of war.
Henry decided to go for a ride. A handful of courtiers followed silently, sensing his mood. What would Henry do with his brother-in-law, James IV of Scotland. His sister Margaret was presumably regent in James' absence. Maybe he could negotiate his way out of France and then negotiate a ransom from Margaret? Catherine had written that she seriously considered beheading the King and sending it to her husband but even Henry was shocked at that suggestion.
The King rode through the night, believing himself safe, unaware that the French cavalry was in the midst of a winter raid towards the British camps. Too late, the King realized he was surrounded by French riders, whom seemed even more shocked than he. Trying to draw his sword, the King was dragged from his saddle and thrown to the ground, injuring his shoulder on the near frozen soil. His adjutants were killed or captured as well.
It would be morning before the English camp would realize their King was missing. A French officer, later the next day, would ride forward with news that Henry VIII of England was now an honored guest of Louis XII.
Note that I am not a history or English major (forgive the "Who or Whom" mistakes), so feel free to correct anything you feel is factually wrong. I also tend to write a quick chapter at work when the boss isn't watching and this often prevents me from a good spelling/grammar check.
As this is historical "fiction", I am not going to be constrained by certain tropes. For example, it is common for any persons after a divergent point to be different from the original TL on the assumption that the same sperm wouldn't hit the same spot at the same time. In order to maintain historical characters, I often ignore this rule on my TL's and will probably do so when I feel appropriate here.
Chapter 1: the Capture of Two Kings
Siege Tournai, northern France
October, 1513
While his men got drunk off their asses and toasted the Queen's incredible victory, the young King Henry VIII of Great Britain, on a few years upon the throne after the long darkness of his father's unlamented reign, fled the command tent into the night.
The handsome and athletic redhead, only twenty-two, had sought glory in France after the nation had stagnated under his parsimonious father's reign. The King's ancestors had spent centuries lamenting the loss of France in the 100 Years War and the alliance forming against France (led by the Pope, the Emperor and the King of Castile) may actually allow Henry VIII to regain at least part of his patrimony. A realist may say the King was actually fighting out of vainglory rather than any true expectation of conquering France from the hands of the aging and heir-less Louis XII. Yes, France was exhausted from the Italian Wars (and the attempt to seize Milan) started by the French monarch as well as the new threat of the religious reformists arising throughout France, the Netherlands and Navarre. But France was the largest and most populous country in Europe. Was it realistic to think the nation could be conquered?
Henry VIII's invasion of France from his stronghold in Calais had come at great expense. His miserly father's enormous fortune had been exhausted within a few years of Henry VIII's ascension by his reckless spending habits and the first few years of war. Without the capability of raising taxes in England beyond the modest traditional methods that reaped only a fraction of what France, Spain, etc collected from their peoples, the young King would soon have to come crawling to Parliament to permit him to raise taxes. It was debated if he HAD to do this. But the King knew damned well the nobles would turn upon him if he did so without permission. Henry was already looking for new sources of money and some whispered he invaded only with the intent of seeking an annual payment from France to maintain the peace. With a population of five times that of Britain and able to collect far higher taxes per capita, the King of France could afford it, at least in Henry's eyes.
Initially, the war had gone well enough. With French armies required in Italy and near the border of Spain, the English force maintained the ascendancy in northeastern France. Henry had sacked a few walled cities, though at great expense. He certainly hadn't made a profit yet, that was to be sure.
But at least he had found glory at the Battle of the Spurs. During the siege of Tournai, his forces had put the French to flight. Several thousand French killed to only a few hundred (if that) English losses. He sent back a message to his beautiful blonde wife, Catherine of Aragon, whom he left as regent. Naturally, his wife sent waves of congratulations. Then she sent word that, only a month later, she had crushed the Scots in Northumbria, devastating their army...and taking the King of Scotland as a prisoner.
The accomplishment left the King with the feeling his great battle of the Spurs was nothing more than a mere skirmish in a losing war. The Scots, old allies of the French, had taken advantage of the King's absence and invaded northern England, winning several victories, sacking towns and cities, and threatening his kingdom. Henry wished he had returned immediately to deal with the situation himself. Then he would not hear whispered jokes that the Queen should command the army rather than he.
Eventually, the King began to see that another year's campaign would be impossible to sustain without massive increases in taxation or loans (with no conceivable way to pay back). Henry began to wish the King of France would quietly negotiate his return to Calais and London, perhaps with enough gold to pay for his Pyric "Victories" which had bankrupted him without causing significant harm to the French. French forces had been pushed out of Italy and were now available to march on Henry in force. The young King sought glory and only found himself the butt of jokes and resentment at the expenses of war.
Henry decided to go for a ride. A handful of courtiers followed silently, sensing his mood. What would Henry do with his brother-in-law, James IV of Scotland. His sister Margaret was presumably regent in James' absence. Maybe he could negotiate his way out of France and then negotiate a ransom from Margaret? Catherine had written that she seriously considered beheading the King and sending it to her husband but even Henry was shocked at that suggestion.
The King rode through the night, believing himself safe, unaware that the French cavalry was in the midst of a winter raid towards the British camps. Too late, the King realized he was surrounded by French riders, whom seemed even more shocked than he. Trying to draw his sword, the King was dragged from his saddle and thrown to the ground, injuring his shoulder on the near frozen soil. His adjutants were killed or captured as well.
It would be morning before the English camp would realize their King was missing. A French officer, later the next day, would ride forward with news that Henry VIII of England was now an honored guest of Louis XII.
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