His troops would begin training and bonding next week for two weeks. On the last week, Queen Elizabeta gathered her forces together outside of Pest.
But outside of the memory of Sigismund, there were other progressions. While the Transylvanian Voivode gathered his own army, paid for by the Treasury, the Queen Dowager had conversations with her court. The only one not present today was the Voivovde due to his training. But the court includes the Palatine Garai, Cardinal Demetrius, the Judge Royal Miklos Szécsi, the Croatian Ban Emeric Bebek, the Slavonian Ban Janos Banffy, the Count of the Székelys Miklos Losonci, the Master of Treasury Miklos Zambo, Master of the Horse Istvan Lackfi, the Master Cupbearer Blaise Forgach, the vacant seat for the Master of Stewards, and the Master of Doorkeepers Miklos Telegdi. They sat in the Royal Office, each with a desk filled with their paperwork and their notebooks and grimoires.
“Forgetting about that Diet meeting, what is the support between the lot of you?”
Lackfi was a regular sized man with a clean shaven face, wearing an orange blanket over his clothing. “Yeah, fuck the Luxembourgs. I’ve heard he got the Kurjakovic, the Szecsenyi and the Pereyeni to join him along with the present Szecsi.”
Szecsi responded, “for no good reason you don’t support him. Just disavowing the will of King Lajos. Do you have a different person to be Maria’s groom or?”
But Lackfi continued, “and then I’ve spoken to the Csak who agreed, along with a few others, that they will only continue to live under King Maria if she is as belligerent as her father.”
“War hungry vikings,” Elizabeta said with disgust.
“Now the Horvat suggestion of Durazzo is interesting. I heard even your cousin cares for it, Queen.” Elizabeta was shocked by this reveal. “But it is only interesting to me in the case of your daughters dying or they have no heirs and no husbands. We should keep tabs on him and his descendants for years to come.”
“Are you done yapping?” asked Zambo. He had silvery hair and a strong build. “Lackfi your vagueness only means you want to practice treason. As a faithful servant of King Lajos in the past, I would support Sigismund as well. Remember, he told all of us years ago that he went over to Emperor Karel for this consequence.”
A shy looking man with brown hair, Losonci said, “well I support the King Maria as much as my big brother does. I’d have to meet Sigismund soon to approve of him. I guess whenever this campaign is done.”
Bebek was another tummy guy with a bald head. Proudly he stated, “the two already love each other and I am not one to get in between such a God given thing!”
Telegdi said, “well, I’m not going to lose my office just because Durazzo seems interesting. I am more interested in Hedwig’s future. Isn’t it wiser and smoother to give her to Simowit? I don’t say this to seem alien but why waste resources fighting Poles?”
Lackfi giggled a bit. The Queen said, “an uncourteous man attacked my subjects in Poland rather than first giving a marriage proposal. But of course, both of my daughters are already betrothed so he wanted to prove his claim with military AND matrimony. I will not simply get down on my knees and hand my daughter over as if he is superior. We have superior military, do we not?”
Telegdi shrugged saying, “we have no reason to commit Hungarians to this. After Hedwig becomes King there, there will be no Personal Union between our countries and just a soft alliance. There will be no suzerainty over them despite said military superiority.”
Then Banffy jumped in saying, “And who says the sisters won’t fight for no reason! Their monthly cycles might bring our children in a useless war against Poland. Might as well give the reign of the kingdom to the rational Siemowit with Hedwig’s hand in marriage.”
“Do you like your wife mister Banffy?” Garai asked.
“I like her cooking!”
The Queen gestured to the Cardinal, he cleared his throat. “Yes well, good discussion so far. Of course, it is within some reason that God would choose kings, but He also gives us free will so the Mandate of Heaven can always be ignored. In this framework, it could’ve been hard even hard for me to choose Maria’s side if I wasn’t a native Hungarian, already close to King Lajos. So I had already crowned her right before that Diet meeting and soon royal decrees will be signed calling her ‘Kiraly Maria’. But following this logic, that one should agree to King Lajos’ agreement to make his daughters king than we should also wholeheartedly believe in his faith in Sigismund. Then I move to our foreign situation with Poland. Even in just a few days, everyone’s too fired up to just cancel the campaign now. But also it is important that the new kings can rule together comfortably. Surely the sisters will stay intimate. They should not be controlled by their husbands. We are the only powerful Christian Kingdoms in the East, neighbored only by heathens and heretics. So we should stay united in sisterhood.”
“Thank you. Palatine?”
“Whatever pleases the Queen.”
“Good. Now, you men have been trusted by my late husband and you have liked me over the past years so I appreciate this continued fealty of yours. It should continue even more. Since there is no unanimity toward Sigismund I think it would be wise to look for other options for Maria.” The men were a bit stunned to speak, all of them.
“A bit quick, Queen?” Garai asked.
“No, we must be quick or at the very least decisive. Lack of decision is the same speed as confusion in deciding.”
Telegdi said, “well then, we will look for other people who could be Maria’s husband! Perhaps still someone in the same generation, born from 1365 to 1375.”
“Well, I have one,” said the Queen. “There is a Prince Louis of Orleans in France she could marry. He is 14 years old,” she said, lowering her eyes. In that way, she did not watch every jaw drop in the room. Then Lackfi broke down in a raucous laughter, falling out off his seat and rolling out of his blanket.
Zambo shook his head, “why?” Lackfi was still laughing.
“It would be a good marriage alliance and he would probably abandon Orleans to rule over Hungary completely. Sigismund would still be tied to Brandenburg by comparison. And so I have already sent Frankopan to give him a proposal this morning.”
“A few issues,” the Cardinal started but then Szecsi rose.
“Not a laughing matter Lackfi. Do you seriously intend to continue this plan if Louis agrees?”
“Yes,” she said looking at him deeply in the eyes.
He turned away feeling disturbed. “Then I must remove myself from the court. To disobey so honestly…this is why women don’t rule in Germany. I will tend to Sigismund simply,” and he went to leave. And that was a scornful reference to the Salic Law which has become Germanic Custom. It excludes women from inheriting landed property or learning magic in most of Francia, Italia, and Germania.
The Palatine forced the door closed with telekinesis and said, “I beg of you, let the Queen elaborate further.”
“What more is there to say? He was only on my side for Sigismund who pays him well enough now.”
Szecsi gestured at Garai but then Zambo said, “and you are just a regent but where is the King? What is her say on this matter? Does she not love Sigismund?”
“Which is why I spent all day yesterday convincing her not to. Like a baby in Baptism, she has been absolved of her puppy love crush. She agrees to possibly marrying Louis and treating him as well as any husband should. The proposal was written and signed by her.”
Zambo was taken aback but then he rose. “Well, Palatine, you should let us have the freedom to quit our offices.”
“You could still be of great value to the Kingdom.”
“Not without Sigismund!” Szecsi and Zambo shouted. The door opened and they slammed it shut.
Lackfi finally caught his breath and rose from the ground. He covered himself in his blanket again and floated in the air. “Well I should even the playing field by leaving as well.”
“So…you were against Sigismund?” Losonci asked.
“The whole time! I didn’t mind Maria being King if she wasn’t controlled by the stereotypical overbearing mother!” The Queen tilted her head. “Let’s see what armies your cousin Tvrtko and Durazzo can build up with my finances. I’ll quit my office as well!”
“You’re fired anyways.”
“Hahaha, fire this!” and he farted as he fell out the window into the sky. They all started fiercely whipping their capes and cloaks to blow away the fumes.
Then the Palatine said, “well, my Queen, while it is a lot to take in, it seems fine to at least send a proposal. I don’t disagree with you.”
Then the Cardinal turned to her saying, “well I do. First of all, there is the Antipope issue to worry about! The Kingdom of France has raised a Pretender to Pope Urban VI that lives in Avignon. The Antipope Clement VII! No good Christian should support him for he is just a French puppet. Marrying Louis of Orleans means a clash in liturgical authority. Secondly, boldly going behind my back to even send the letter is horrible! It could not have even had the Royal Seal.”
“My trusted agent is sending the letter anyways. I just need you to officiate the marriage if anything. There should be no issue between popes.”
“How is that? Louis would just switch sides like romance est facile?”
“Romance est facile”
“Youuu…”
“Unlike the others, Cardinal, you really are indispensable so please keep your faith in me. This takes a lot of strength as a mother and for my daughter.”
“I must contemplate with the Lord for any of this.”
“And you should surely find God’s plan within my same decision. Any other disapproval?”
Bebek, Banffy, Losonci,, Forgach, and Telegdi shook their heads. Then the Palatine said, “to give my thoughts, Queen, I’d estimate 99% of the country do support Pope Urban in the current Papacy and the last 1% are just the predictable contrarians.”
“Percent,” Losonci whispered.
“Including the fact that Urban and Durazzo are tight allies, then you’d lose sway from the whole country marrying your daughter to a Clementine. Then, also Poland will turn against us for they are also Urbanists. The Sejm will go so far as to remake the Crown of Poland for Siemowit if this marriage passes. And even the Habsburgs, who have no reason to be kind to France may annul Hedwig’s betrothal. Just a thing to note, Queen.”
“What did my husband use to say? ‘Not a thing to worry about for I have prayed to God’.” The Palatine nodded.
So a letter was sent to France. While Sigismund did not see this scene, he would hear about it from Szecsi and also Zambo who gifted a few hundred mercenary troops to Sigismund’s army. They were already paid for so not a thing to worry about there. But Sigismund was troubled, “even her own mother is betraying Maria! I will win this war on my own to prove to Elizabeta that I can be trusted with her daughter. Let’s go hunting!”
tdwriter 