French wars of religion II:The king in exhile and the Spanish prince
King Henry of Bourbon
Simón Ruiz amassed a small fortune with the trade of clothing in Medina del Campo following the steps of his parents.In the general fair of the republic he was able to build a large commercial network which he would use to expand into other markets like oil,spices or porcelain.His fortune started growing larger when he started to buy oil paintings from the rising school of French artists that had been stablished around Paris after the patronage of Francis I of France and became the main distributor of the paintings in Castile.With the fortune that he amassed Ruiz was able to obtaine the title of lender from the junta and invested his fortune in loaning money to the peasant families which the junta rented its land.As most bankers saw the investment as too risky Simón was able to charge larger interests to the farmers which were usually paid in raw materials that were in high demand outside of Spain like nuts,oil,wheat,saffron or citrics.He would then expand his business in America with la compañia Americana making him one of the wealthiest people in Castille.
Simón was a member of the alumbrado gentry class who supported Henry and the protestant cause.After most bankers gave up on Henry's ambitions,Simón was the only banker that kept financing his raids and campaigns in the south of France that were for the most part unsucessful,but his strategy of targeting catholics in the south of France would be one of the main reasons for la grande émigration to happen.
After Henry repudiated his wife Margaret for not producing a heir in 1588,he married Berta Ruíz in exchange of Simón forgiving his debt as the dowry.Henry and Berta would soon have 3 daughters named Berta,Juana and Isabel.
After the death of Simón Ruíz in 1597 the new leader of the Ruíz family Cosme wasn't as permissive as Simón who financed him mostly due the personal ties that both have rather than succes of his endevours.
Henry had made some important gains in France.After the death of Henry III in Poland the legitimists switched to their side and with less catholics in the south he had a solid base of supporters in the region.The unpopularity of Charles and his second wife Marie de Medici.In France rumors said that the Medici's with Charles' aid agreed to kill Henriette in exchange of a massive dowry and a marriage with their daughter Marie.Queen Marie and Charles were never able to remove this image from the French conciousness which deeply hampered their reputation.
Cosme gave Henry a new loan but with a few conditions like getting the formal support of cities and nobles and most importantly a heir.
After Berta got pregnant and on christmass eve Louis was born.
Louis of Bourbon
Prince Louis of France
Louis grew found of Valladolid which was a thriving city were a lot of innovations were happening.He grew very fond of the little toys called the automatas that were small wooden toys that could move on their own based on the technology of the hombre de palo by Torriani,the Italian engineer radicated in Toledo.Apart of his fascination with mechanics he also loved the tolerance between cultures in Toledo were catholics,alumbrados,huguenots,other protestants and jews lived in harmony with each other.
After the death of his father in 1609 under suspicious circumstances and the death of his mother Berta in the plague of 1611 Louis became an orphan with just 12 years of age and his tutelage passed to his uncle Damián Ruíz.
After the raise of Gaspar de Guzmán Valladolid became the capital of Castile and Louis' fate would change forever.Since the beginning Gaspar started treating with the Ruiz's (which he new from the consorcio del mar) and started to see Louis frequently.Gaspar brought the best teachers from Salamanca to the Ruiz's palace and gave Louis an education similar to the one that his father gave him,which was more strict than the one he recieved from his French tutors.Louis became proficient at rhetoric,hunting and astronomy and his tutors believed he had a great future on his way.Gaspar started bringing Louis to the consejo de estado were he started to learn the art of ruling and diplomacy.
After the people's crusade exploded Louis participated in the small campaigns against the insurrection in Valladolid and Palencia and grew a distate from war which he found repulsive,barbaric and dirty.
His uncle Damián had signed the treaty of Valencia without his consent.Louis was angry at his uncle as he hadn't given him the permission to sign the treaty.Louis was 23 but being treated as an infant and not as a kid greatly offended him.His distate of war and his lack of connection with France made Louis question wherever he should even try to rule over France and simply give up his claims.
After hearing the news that he was planning on giving up his rights Gaspar met with him in his room to discuss all matters and his speech made him change Louis idea about ruling France:
"It is not a question of wanting or willing,it is a matter of honor and duty.France needs guidance,France needs a ruler,France needs it king!.My dear king God has giving you the mission to guide France to the place it rightfully belongs and has been unrightfully strippen from.The first nation of christanity is in danger and the land of CharlesMagne,Roland,Saint Louis and your father has put its eyes on you .Are you going to turn on them? Are you willing to let France an orphan?Are you willing to let war consume it for eternity? Are you going to let an impostor piss on your rights? Are you willing to accept that you will be a failure to your father? If your answer is yes to any of them I pity France because God has punished them with a faggot when they needed a man!"
Gaspar speech gave Louis the push he needed to pursue his destiny of ruling.In the years following the treaty of Valencia Louis would amass the support of some cities and nobles that were displeased with Charles of Guise and recruiting a Huguenot army from the Huguenots that had settled in Castile.Gaspar on the other hand created a mercenary company joining the main mercenary companies of Castile into one and put it directly under Louis' command to give undirect support to his war effort and not directly entering into the war.Gaspar also hired the alumbrado Genovese condoretti Ambrogio de Spinola that had great success on Henry's last campaigns.
"France has been ravaged by war,death and division for as long as most can remember.But why? Why should the Huguenot kill the catholic? Why should the catholic split on the éclaire? We are all equal to the eyes of God and certainly so we are the sons of France.Who wants more wars? Who needs more famines? Who needs a king that murders his own wife? Not you my people.You have suffered enough.Fight with me for a new France a France for all were no one is excluded for what they think or believe.A France with peace,food and prosperity.A France that all its neighbors look to. A France which everyone could call home"