Annnd I'm back with more TL-ly goodness.
September-December 1066
September: Duke Odo (now known as Odo de Bayeux) marries Agnes, the daughter of Guy-Geoffrey, Duke of Aquitaine, as a way to legitimize his rule. Guy-Geoffrey, for his part, agrees to the marriage to extend his influence to the northern lands in France.
King Malcolm of Scotland sees the weakness of the Northumbrians, of Earl Morcar falling in battle against the Danes and being replaced with Eadric Wilde, a mere earldorman. After watching the violence in England and Normandy, he enlists the services of Tostig, brother of Harold, who knows the tactics of the Saxons quite well.
Tostig arrives in Scotland, and begins instructing the Scottish in various tactics, designed to defeat the armies of King Edgar (and more importantly, the forces of Earl Harold). He demands a large stretch of land in Northumbria in exchange for his aid against the English. King Malcolm agrees to the demands, though wanting those same lands for his own use.
Meanwhile, King Harald Hardradara of Norway makes motions of moblizing a force against the English, and demands one thing in return for not invading England in a time of weakness: The hand of Margeret Atheling for his son Olaf. He seeks to legitimize his claim on England this way, but realizes that his own days are numbered. Earl Harold's exploits against the Danes and the Normans impress the Norwegian King enough that he offers a force of 1,500 Norsemen to King Edgar to be used against the Scots. Edgar, frustrated that Harold keeps him away from any battle, declares that the marriage will be null and void unless the troops are placed under his command.
Hardrada himself is approached by Alexios Kommenus, one of the most talented of the Byzantine princes, and offered a deal. Hardrada had formerly been a member of the Varangaran Guard, an elite group of men from across Scandinavia devoted to the Eastern Roman Emperor. Alexios, though young, knew Harald by the Norse lord's fearsome reputation. Hardrada, eager to gain loot and glory, and bored of his constant wars with the Danish King Sweyn, agreed, but noted that he was busy with his plotting in the Anglo-Scottish war.
Mid-way through September, Robert Guiscard takes a force of 3,500 Norman soldiers, and assaults Count Gisulf at his fortress of Salerno. Gisulf is slain in the vicious combat, ending the line of the Lombard Princes of Salerno. However, Guiscard is severely wounded, and though Salerno is taken, the war grinds to a halt until the new year.
In the last days of September, Edith of Merica bears Harold Godwinson a son, also named Harold.
November
Throughout November, the Scots and the English build up their forces in preparation for war. However, the autumn and upcoming winter is an especially chilly one, and the armies are forced to go back to the fields to stave off a famine. The war is stalled, for the moment.
Over in Normandy, Duke Odo faces the first threat to his rule, a peasant uprising rumored to be sponsored by the regents of young King Phillip Capet of France, who disapprove of Odo's usurpation of the Duchy. Odo shows his ability as a military commander and ruler by crushing the rebellion and redistributing the land/farms of the dead rebels amongst loyal peasants. He even grants several knighthoods to commoners that showed bravery in battle.
In Brittany, Conan II of Brittany was not poisoned (In OTL, he was assassinated in this way, likely by Duke William of Normandy) and instead goes along with his OTL plans to invade Normandy, by first besieging the city of Angers, to neutralize his rival, the Duke of Anjou. The residents of the city are stubborn, however, and resist his attempts to starve them out. Thus, Conan settles in for a long seige. Conan placates King Phillip (and thus, the massive armies of France) by promising to bring the Normans under French control after resolving this dispute with Anjou, and by swearing fealty to the King.
December:
Robert Curthose, awarded with Vasto and a force of several hundred Papal soldiers (combining with his own Norman followers), attacks Geoffry of Hautville, Robert Guiscard's brother, at Benevento. Geoffry is killed, and Robert Curthose of Normany seizes complete control of the town of Benevento, along with the town's surrounding areas.
The Guiscard, still recovering from his wounds, responds slowly, and Robert Curthose is quick to proclaim himself "Duke of Normandy in Benevento", signifying that he still has designs on Duke Odo's domain. Curthose allies with Richard Drengot, becoming fast friends with both Richard and his son, Jordan. Robert Curthose pays homage to the Pope for his lands. A large amount of Normans opposing Robert Guiscard immigrate to Robert Curthoses lands.
Returning the Drengots a favor (as they helped to install him within the Papacy), Pope Alexander II proclaims the Peace of God between Richard Drengot and the Guiscard, recognizing both in their possessions. He also recognizes Robert Curthose as Count of Vasto and Benevento, infuriating Robert Guiscard, who vows to remove the Pope from power by any means possible.
Observing the events in Italy, Harold Godwinson wisely begins the construction of several monasteries in Wessex, to placate the Pope.
In his old age, Lanfranc of Pavia, (teacher of Robert Curthose) starts to write a history of the Normans in Sicily. He will die before it is finished.