King Rudolph II of Burgundy to King Heinrich of Germany (secret)
My thanks for your concern; I am doing quite well and have safely reached my court at Besançon. My forces are gathering for the offensive you have been informed of - which I trust we will continue to keep quite secret - and I believe I will be capable of leading them personally in not too much time.
The baronial rebellion several years past has, in my opinion, exposed the rotting structure of King Charles' rule. He has been forced to yield Normandy to the norsemen, and controls little outside his own demesne in the Île-de-France; the Dukes of France have as much power in their lands as I do in my Kingdom. I do not believe that Charles has the strength or support to contest your claims over Friesland - I am not sure he can even comfortably leave the environs of Paris without a rebellion storming in behind him. He cannot afford declaring war on the King of the Danes, and does not have the power to bend Friesland to his will. Nevertheless, you surely understand that given my other plans, opening hostilities with the King is not in my best interest. I will, however, diplomatically support any move to place Friesland under your protection.
I fear that a major conflagration is at hand, from Brittany to Salerno, and that it is unavoidable. In such times I believe that righteous men must not shirk from conflict, but be ready to take advantage of the situation to its fullest extent.
My thanks for your concern; I am doing quite well and have safely reached my court at Besançon. My forces are gathering for the offensive you have been informed of - which I trust we will continue to keep quite secret - and I believe I will be capable of leading them personally in not too much time.
The baronial rebellion several years past has, in my opinion, exposed the rotting structure of King Charles' rule. He has been forced to yield Normandy to the norsemen, and controls little outside his own demesne in the Île-de-France; the Dukes of France have as much power in their lands as I do in my Kingdom. I do not believe that Charles has the strength or support to contest your claims over Friesland - I am not sure he can even comfortably leave the environs of Paris without a rebellion storming in behind him. He cannot afford declaring war on the King of the Danes, and does not have the power to bend Friesland to his will. Nevertheless, you surely understand that given my other plans, opening hostilities with the King is not in my best interest. I will, however, diplomatically support any move to place Friesland under your protection.
I fear that a major conflagration is at hand, from Brittany to Salerno, and that it is unavoidable. In such times I believe that righteous men must not shirk from conflict, but be ready to take advantage of the situation to its fullest extent.
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