Chapter 119: Josephite rebellion

HARALD ALAN

DOSTOV

HOUSE OF ANCONA LANNOVER

1014 LIGHTMONTH

He sighed as he looks around at this unfamiliar land. He is here in Dostov with his mother. The war has forced him here.

His father sent him here when the Vermont forces break ground in the North. The war is unfavorable to his family right now.

And his father is more like hidden them here, far from the reaches of the dragon.

'Arial' Harald muttered under his breath

He was his rival in the Knight Academy and now he is marching to the North to fight his father.

Years have passed and times have changed. Before, he was not even in his notice, now he is an existence that could rival his own father

And who would have thought that they would have such bad blood?

And to think he is the one leading the army of his House. If that is not enough his achievement out his accomplishment to shame.

How could they be of the same age but be so different? He also wanted to contribute in the military and his heart was furious but his father asks him to protect his mother

So he accompanies his mother to Dostov in the House of Ancona territory

They are living near Lake Canter, one of the largest lake in the continent.

While his father is trying to repelled the attacks by the Dragon forces in Alan, here in Dostov, there is a civil war brewing for many years and this year it has broken out.

Unrest everywhere, plots spoken in hush tones in the royal court, and alliance created and broken between rivalling lords.

No matter where they go, it seems there would be no peaceful life for them. In the Dukedom, there is the War of Succession.

And here? A rebellion. The Josephite Rebellion. They are the supporters of King Joseph III of Dostov.

King Joseph I ruled Dostov from 870 to 890 from the ruling House of Sable but because he was a Vern Lucellian he was replaced by House Quinn.

Those who continued to support the exiled King Joseph I and his heir became known as Josephites

The House Quinn began creating their own dynasty vowing their dynasty would last when they founded.

While the Quinn was basking in the glow of glory, the deposed King vowed to return and take back his throne.

The Josephites were opposed by Terrisemites or Terrisite, people of Anglais who supported the Cori Lucellian cause and would not tolerate a Vern Lucellian Kingdom.

There are many battles fought between the two forces and it has simmered down but this year the battles flared up again.

Joseph II once led an army to Dostov from Bardent but it was quickly quelled. And many Loths died that day which make the most of Josephite supporters.

And House Ancona for better or worse is a supporter of the Josephite cause. Though before the rebellion, their support of the cause is secret.

Even his own mother didn't know about this.

If not for recent event, then his mother would never have known. This must be his grandfather plan when he decided to back Harald father to become the sole power in Alan.

To help him restore the line of Kings under House Sable.

The glorious revolution began. Harald is a native of Alan, the race of Caelum but he has a mixed blood from his mother side.

In the Dukedom, Caelum race dominates everything. Rarely there are other races other than some outlander that came for a visit.

In Dostov there are many races.

There are the Anglais, the Raxons, the Loths and many and many more. Those who intermarried with other native inhabitants whose blood is not pure Caelum.

To his eyes the complex web of religious and political loyalties which underpinned Josephitism can seem alien and unsympathetic.

Which is why he is reading the book right now.

Because it matters to his mother side, that he knows of their history and what at stake here. What his mother side of the family has been fighting for all these years and why and how the conflict came to be.

He flips the pages to the next chapter. And he reads it.

The whole movement might be said to span the decade from the deposition of Joseph I.

He was a Lucellian devote but his faith was of Vern doctrine.

Joseph I decided that by promoting edicts of religious tolerance, he would be able to surreptitiously re-establish Lucellian Orthodox as the official faith of Dostov.

This notion produced near-hysteria in Joseph's Lucellian Liberate subjects - who had been taught to abhor this doctrine of faith.

When a son was born to the King and Queen, Dostov Liberate were faced with the prospect of never waking up from their worst nightmare: an Orthodox Lucellian dynasty.

They turned to Joseph closest friend, Lucellian Liberate Lord William of Quinn. Lord William of Quinn come from a powerful noble family and very influential in the land.

In 890 AF he led a successful invasion of Dostov supported by many of Dostov Liberate nobles. Joseph I panicked and fled the realm.

Many of the nobles declared for William. It was an easy victory and William rose to the throne.

The Quinn dynasty was established and since then battles were fought between these two factions of ideologies.

And so begins the sporadic battle which was thought to be crushed by Terries Quinn during his reign in 1002AF.

He was focusing on his reading when he heard the sound of the door creaking. Then it slowly opens to reveal his mother

'Son?'

'Mother' He reply. His mother look at him and saw the book on his hand and she smiles. Then she asks.

'Still reading?' herald smiles bitterly and nodded

'Yes. I need to gain some knowledge if we are to live here.' She also nodded. There was an odd silence and ten like she could not contain her anxiousness anymore she asks

'Do you think your father will be safe?' there is worries in her tone, and he could see the dry tears on her eyes.

She worries about him.

'Surely, my father will beat the Dragon forces.' He said confidently. But his mother was not consoled hearing this. Instead she creased her eyebrows and sighed

'He didn't seem so sure, son' His mother said, her hand is twitching. One of his mother habits when she is nervous.

She just sighed and smiles. Then his mother leaves the room once again to talk with grandmother he presumes.

These days they are always talking. He always maintained his manner in the castle befitting the behavior of a High Lord and as such he did not eavesdrop on them

Then he resumes his readings. He knows how the movement started but how does it reemerge? He set the book aside and look at the outside.

The reigning King

The new King from House of Quinn, Terris Quinn reign is characterized by government tactlessness and economic disasters.

With Renasia on the south began expanding their powers and the bad relations with Bardent because of the strict religion code that forbid a Lucellian to trade with people of other religions and the souring relationship with Tuca, there is no trade partners that is truly willing to negotiate with them.

And not to mention the threats that Seren posed. There is always fighting around the borders and the frontier towns.

Thus, to the die-hard believers in the hereditary right of Joseph were added, to the dissatisfied lot.

Josephitism became a pull for almost anyone with a grudge against the government. The Union of 1010 then produced what was for many Loths the grudge to end all grudges.

The Union was something that gives a lot of freedom to traders and religious freedom and lifting certain banning from the church of Liberate

The ink was hardly dry on the treaty before it was being widely denounced, and the lands were ripe for sedition.

The Bardenian, who were at war with Dostov a few years before, suddenly saw an advantage to be gained here.

They would land the new heir, Joseph III 'The Pretender' in his ancestral kingdom and start a rebellion.

It was an excellent opportunity to unite much of the nation, even many Anglais and Raxons, on the Josephite side against the Union.

Why he is so concerned about this?

Because a month ago the King, he sacked his grandfather George, Duke of Lannover title because of his insistence on helping his father gain the throne of Alan.

And a few weeks after that Harald grandfather retaliates by raising the standard of House Hannover, on one side he put the banner of his house, House Ancona, a lion biting a deer while on the other is the twin Lions banner the symbol of Josephite banners.

Thousands have heard the summons and thousands have flocked to the banner. Thousand have come with spear and sword, offering fealty to the cause.

The rebellion is finally happening with his mother side of the family is leading it. Hence why it is so important for him to educate himself on the matter

And right now his grandfather is trying to take the west of Dostov and he gained many successes, taking cities after cities without difficulties.

And sooner or later, he too will be in battle here, helping his grandfather. But there is one mistake that his grandfather had made.

He raises his banner of rebellion without even bothering to warn the Josephite court. And Harald also heard disturbing news that came from Vangua as the Human Continent seems to be plunged into chaos right now.

Their young King is in hiding after an assassination attempt is uncovered. Right now no one knows where King Edward of House Merovich is hiding.

He is still not married at his age, and right now he is the only heir to the throne.

Why he is worried about a foreign king and his kingdom?

Because Vangua is a major player in the Continent, now that Vern is in decline and Renasia and Alan begin baring its fang to the Human Continent

While he is worried about that, thankfully nothing bad is happening on his grandfather side

Soon if not sooner, the entire west of Dostov will be under the control of his grandfather. This is something that the crown should be worried about.

He has already prepared himself to join the battle by training every day in the training ground. His father is on Alan fighting the Dragon and Spears forces while here they fight against the Crown.

If they fail in both endeavors, who would know what will happen to his family. But if they won? Now… that would send his house to unprecedented heights.

And this conflict in Dostov is unique

This was not a phenomenon of a backward rural people rising for archaic notions of loyalty to the deposed king.

There was strong support for the Josephite cause in the trading burghs of south of Dostov, as well as in the highlands in the North.

The Patriotic Loths and disgruntled Dostov

From the reports it seems Duke of Argyl did try to advise the King regarding Harald grandfather sacking from his title, warning that Beyond the Lands of the Fire, the rebel have thousands spears to ten at least against the crown.

His grandfather did try to take the land around the East but repelled by Lord Argyll which seized vital ground around Virling, but he was heavily outnumbered.

Then at the battle of Serifland, when all seemed lost, his grandfather lost his nerve and suddenly withdrew.

The belated landing of the Pretender couldn't retrieve things, and the leaders of the rising fled. Now rested and their morale replenished, Harald grandfather tries again.

But, even Harald could see that the moments have passed and now the exiled House of Sable became no more, than useful pawns in foreign hands.

But one family need to be at the forefront of this battlefield if it was to receive rewards.

And that would be their family. He has planned this by himself. Grandfather has a strict believe in the divine Right of the King but I don't. Harald mused

If what Arial do is any indication, the divine Right to rule came from your own strength. Ruling by military might

And like the Vermont's backing of the family of Uncle Adrian, he too will do the same thing here in Dostov.

They might not have silvers and gold as much as the Vermont's but they have a just cause, which many of the noble's lord flock to and an army that at least can help the Josephites wins while the others join.

The Northern and Eastern Dostov had settled and won under the Terris regime, which is unloved, but did not move to outright revolt.

They need a little push for them to move into action

And now word came from Bardent, that Joseph III has put together his own tiny invasion force with the help of Tuca and Bardent to land in Dostov.

The Prince came with an army, aye, he did, but not with supplies and gold.

It is up to the western noble houses to aid him when he came from the East from Bardent and South from Tuca.

One is led by a military soldier from Tuca while from Bardent the army will be led by the King himself.

The king has sent letters to Harald grandfather, guaranteeing that even if the uprising failed, that his grandfather will be highly rewarded.

Words are winds Harald father once said. Give them steel and let see which is more powerful. Swords or words?

And the rebellion is beginning to intensified and even though his father still struggles in North of Alan, Harald can do nothing but pray to the Light above and hope that his plan works.

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While Arial is fighting in the Dukedom, Harald is trying to amasss force for his father in Dostov. If he succeeds the conflict in the Dukedom might take a new dimension as it will brought Dostov into it