Chapter 61: Emperor of Calais
Rafael was also fortunate enough to take a look at that extravagant betrothal gift. Even he couldn’t help but marvel at the generosity of the Emperor of Calais. It seemed that the young emperor had taken out everything he could within his authority, and his sincerity in marrying Sancha was undeniable.
So, his current situation must be quite dire.
This was Rafael’s only thought after he finished reading the parchment.
Duke François has certainly been putting immense pressure on his young nephew. Rafael hadn’t devoted much attention to the affairs of Calais, nor was he fully aware of the current state of the Calais court. However, judging by the offerings the young emperor had presented, it was clear that he was in desperate need of an ally to help him escape the oppression of his powerful, elder uncle.
Since ancient times, the struggle for the throne has been a fight to the death. François III of Calais passed away due to illness in 1075, and at that time, the young emperor François IV was just seventeen years old. He was essentially the late emperor’s child born in his old age, arriving when the emperor was nearly fifty. Naturally, he had two older brothers ahead of him, but these two strong and promising crown princes died one after another due to different reasons, and thus the crown of Calais inevitably fell to François IV, who had never received any formal education in governance.
The old emperor was worried about his young and inexperienced son possessing such a huge empire, so he appointed his most trusted brother as his son’s chief regent. Thus, the Duke successfully grasped the supreme power of the empire.
He had once fought alongside his brother, risking life and limb for his brother’s country and throne. Otherwise, the cunning Francois III would never have handed over his trust to him so easily.
But power and ambition can change a person.
Clearly, the Duke was no longer content with merely being a steady support for his nephew. He wants more – no, it should be said that even earlier, he had already been unable to suppress his greedy desires.