Befriend Prince Louis -- King Francois is Here

You don't let the opportunity of making a potentially powerful friend in the future pass you by. You treat Louis with the same kindness and positive attitude as he does. Still, you secretly keep him at an arm's length. You cautiously consider the possibly that this is all a giant ruse to get you guard down. But while you are interested in making friends, you don't let it stop you from disagreeing with some things Louis either says or does. You would calmly and quietly set him right. A gesture which he appreciates.

You eat lunch together. It was a fun affair until Louis's father walked in with three guards with him. They had no swords but they were big men. In his mid-40's, King Francois however was a chubby man with a double chin. Brown hair like his son though darker. His crown was large and obviously heavy. Made out of large chunk of pure gold embedded with gems. "I see you've made friends with the Royal Family of Ostgrenze." He says with a hint of disinterest and contempt.

Louis gets up and stares hard at his father, "Indeed I have, father. I will be King one day. It will be my duty to establish good relations with other nations and maintain good relations with allied nations."

"Hmph!" Francois goes and hold his chin high. Then he looks down at you, "So you are the new young King of Ostgrenze. That skank of a mother of yours had sunk her claws into my cousin." Elizabeth restrains herself from frowning but you harden your face still and unmoving. But you both ball your hands into fists underneath the table though. "Had it not been for her, this land would have been mine," then he looks back to Louis disappointed, "and yours when I am gone."

"Why are you here, father?" Louis wanted to get this tense moment over with.

"You," he addresses you, "have taken a strategic piece of land from me and I demand satisfaction. You are unmarried still so I propose you marry my daughter, the Princess Antoinette."

It shocks you when Louis stands in protest, "But father, Antoinette is but a girl of 16 years. She cannot marry yet!" He snaps, only to waver in his defiance when Francois bores his sights into him. "I mean, Antoinette is simple too young."

"You watch yourself, boy!" His eyes sharply turn to you, "The both of you should. Don't forget," he tells his son, "I have a new wife. If you defy me and she bears me a son, I will have you disowned." Then he speaks threateningly at you, "And you," he scoffs, "You maybe a king but you are far from my equal. Do not let your recent territorial gains inflate you head. It will do you well to remember I have influence over the southern Almain states in your so-called Confederation. No one word from me and they will discontinue your open border policy within the Confederation.

My offer of marriage to my daughter still stands. If you are smart, you will consider it." He then walks off.

"That man!" Elizabeth hisses when he was no longer in ear shot. "How dare he insult mother that way?"

"I understand how you feel, my sister. But right now, all we can do is let it pass through us and get over it."

"I apologies, my friends, for me father's behavior."

You flatly tell him, "Don't. He did that. Not you. You aren't him and you did us no wrong." Louis smiles sadly as he weakly nodding his head.

"Does he always treat you like that?" Elizabeth bluntly asks at which you lightly snap at her, "Elizabeth, that question was out of line and you know it!"

"No, it's okay." Louis interjected and stopped a possible sibling spat. "My father's always been harsh. As you know, my father's marriage was political. He married my mother out of duty and obedience to his father. But he kept the woman he loved around as a mistress. I was a young boy at the time but my grandfather ordered my father to send his mistress away. My father refused. Turns out she was pregnant and almost due.

My greatgreatgrandfather had done plenty of good for our Kingdom. He increased the trading and military fleet. Centralized the realm and **** the nobles to give up much of their power. My greatgrandfather and grandfather did their best to maintain their father and grandfather's work with stunning results. They did plenty of unsavory things during his reign but it ensured stability in Frankia. So he did as he always did and whatever he did, he did it because he felt it best."

You frown and the two ladies with gasps as you all come to the same conclusion of what Louis' grandfather did. "I'm not sure if he planned it that way or if it was just chance but on the very day my father's mistress went into labor, my grandfather had her killed on her birthing bed. My father was still holding her hand, I've been told."

"That's terrible," Elizabeth comment.

"Our father," You start, "was allowed by our mother to keep a mistress but she made clear to both of them that she won't tolerate any children to be born between them."

Louis asks you, "You think your mother would have killed your father's mistress killed along with her child?"

Your expression darkens. You have an idea, a very good idea, of what your mother would have done but you can't answer that. So Elizabeth does, "I know she would have."

"Well the end result is what you see. The **** of his beloved mistress changed him. He became more dutiful, more serious and more focused in ruling the kingdom. However he became bitter, harsh and cold and developed a habit of eating excessively for a time." That explains his chubbiness. "He has never laid a hand on me but he can't be quite harsh with his words." Harsher than Louis lets them on.

"My mother and he barely touched each other since that day. Not that it matters in the end. My mother never liked him anyway and was rumored to have been bedding visiting noblemen. No one could prove it though. She died from a horsing accident and my father remarried a few years ago. Not that anything has come out of it."

"I'm sorry to hear that, my friend." You console him by placing your hand on his shoulder. Jacqueline takes his hand comfortingly.