Rex Juvenis - An Angevin Timeline

[Henderson]

Rex Juvenis - An Angevin Timeline


“You would have been king of the noble and emperor of the brave, lord, if you had lived longer, for you had gained the name Young King; you were indeed the guide and father of youth. And hauberks and swords, and beautiful buckram, helmets and gonfalons, pourpoint and lappets and joy and love have nobody to maintain them or bring them back. They will follow you; like all mighty, honorable deeds, they will disappear with you.”
– Bertran de Born, Mon chan fenis ab dol et ab maltraire


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Chapter I - Henry II​

August 13th, 1170, La Motte-de-Ger, Normandy​

Henry felt the splash of holy oil on his face. The priests around him began to mutter Latin prayers, and the King’s retinue joined them. They prayed for his soul, and begged for God to allow their King entry into heaven.



The Old King couldn’t help but let out a weak wheeze in laughter. Only a few weeks before he had been at the height of his power and health. All of Britain and France had bowed before him. Even the Church had relented in the face of his overwhelming pressure, and crowned Young Henry alongside him. Every challenger had crumbled in the face of his might, from Stephen to Louis, even the vile Becket had relented, accepting Henry's terms. Oh, how the tables had turned! Here he lay, weak and dying, unable to do anything but cough and sweat.



Henry reached out to the man standing closest to him, Richard l'Evêque, the Bishop of Avranches. The Bishop grasped Henry's hand firmly and stared at the dying monarch, eyes filled with both pain and anticipation. He likely expected to hear some grand and majestic last words from Henry, but none would come from the dying king. With the last piece of strength left in him, Henry spoke as loudly and clearly as his bone dry throat could manage.



“Bury me in Grandmont.” the dying king rattled. [1]



The anticipation in the Bishop’s eyes fizzled out, and for a short second he merely stood there, slightly disappointed. But his disappointment was soon replaced with deference towards the King and his last wish.



“Of course my King, we shall all see to it.” Richard replied, hanging his head low and kissing Henry’s ringed finger.



“Good, good.” Henry wheezed out, his voice barely audible even to himself.



It was the end for the Old King, and for his hopes of a grand continent-spanning realm. All he could do was hope that his sons could protect their inheritance, and that Young Henry would be able to resist the enemies that would challenge their house.



Henry II closed his eyes once more, eased into sleep by the hymns and prayers of those surrounding him. He would never wake.



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[1] In reference to Grandmont Abbey, near Limousin, France. Henry asked to be buried there when he fell sick, and was a major patron of the Abbey & the Grandmontine Order.

Welcome to Rex Juvenis! This timeline is my own take on the idea of “What if Henry II of England died early?”. OTL Henry II fell sick at La Motte-de-Ger (near Domfront, Normandy) in 1170, shortly after his son’s coronation as Junior King of England, and he came very close to dying, so the PoD here is him getting nudged just a bit into the grave. I hope you all enjoy it!