The Wind of Change

And so just when I am getting in the swing of being a swinger...

Oh well the new chap is lustful, and as I have married him to the old Duke's wife there shouldn't be a problem - after all she was happy enough married to the oldest swinger in town....

So off he goes on pilgrimage, while the troops move up for a new round of land grabbing in Italy. This time the target is Treviso...

And of course we win...

However there is a problem, in the form of the heir...

He has low diplomacy skills, a useless wife, and in his time as Count of Trapani has made a number of enemies due to his generally ambitious nature.

I can't say I like the bloke much either.

But while I fret about this the Duke of Latium launches a war on the King of Italy for the castle in Rome, which is his last holding, apart from some tribal lands in Norway.

Oh and did I mention that we have now gone Pommeranian?

There is some scandal at court, when the Duke gets a 16 year old unmarried courtier pregnant, and does the decent thing by acknowledging the child - which doesn't go down well with the missus.

And just as they are about to appear on the Jeremy Kyle show....

He dies....

Leaving us with a problem. A problem compounded by the new Duke bringing the usual array of useless courtiers, unlanded sons, and general hangers on...

Oh and there is no hope of getting a divorce from his useless wife. A murder plot is started but dropped on account of not wanting kinslayer, which would make the diplomatic situation worse.

So out of habit, he goes on pilgrimage, and the army goes north to grab a bit more of the King of Italy's stuff....

Interestingly, the Croatian maintain strict neutrality against us, whilst fighting as an ally against the Duke of Latium - yes that war is still going on - and despite capturing the castle, and winning most of the battles, the Duke of Latium and his allies are not really progressing the warscore on account of their charging about aimlessly.

In the end it takes a 4,000 gold bribe to the Pope to get the divorce, at which point the new Duke marries the old Duke's ex-wife - meaning that she has now married the last three or four Dukes, and is de facto ruler of the Republic....

This doesn't bother me, the woman is clearly very able, but I am beginning to think that perhaps it is time for a little re-adjustment.

Those with keen eyes, will have noticed that recently my holdings have fallen from 9 to 6, on account of my getting rid of the castles I was holding and focusing on the cities. The only real negative of this was that I lost some 70 ships - well maybe not lost, but they are no longer guaranteed to me, and subject to vassal approval/

And with the changes to the vassal limit - changes I like btw - I am sort of in the place I was back in the early 1200's, where I am essentially locked into to marrying a specific type of woman just to get the necessary score to run my realm. And none of it is making me any money, or not significant amounts of money - the feudal tax accounts for at best 1% of my income.

And sitting here watching the pygmies go at also reminds me of just how irritating vassals can be. That and the re-appearance of independence factions....

No that is not strictly true...

What finally pushed me over the edge was the new Duke of Lombardy, declaring war to revoke the title of the Countess of Lombardy, and then getting thoroughly spanked in the war - his blushes only being saved by her death making the casus belli invalid.

This being the same Duke of Lombardy who is pushing for independence, turns up supporting every plot, has a face I want to punch and is the epitome of the useless trouble maker.

Ok, the original plan, if plan there was, was to grant independence once the crown of Italy had been destroyed. But since in order to do that means fighting wars in Southern Russia, the Balkans, Holland, Norway, and then finding out that they have one castle in Timbuktu - or whatever - I really cant be arsed....

So I give independence to everyone I can....

Leaving Italy looking like this....

Ah.... I didn't take a screen shot....

No matter.

It's all pretty straight forward really, the only issue is that Modena holds Spoleto, and the Duke of Medina is married to the Countess of Messina. Which means potentially two de jure wars - which I am slightly holding off on, since the crown of Italy has changed hands, and I don't drive the newly independent states into giving up their vassalage.

Oh and the Duke of Latium did this...

Creep...

Still it does make it easier should I wish to set up an anti-Pope...

Which reminds me I need to change the law to free investiture...

peace:)