The northeast trade winds caressed the coast, bringing the fresh scent of inland flora and propelling the sails towards distant shores. Here, the North Atlantic current forked to the south, forming the vast and gentle Canary Cold Stream. With the wind at our sails and the current in our favor, the journey from the Kingdom of Portugal to the Southern Continent was made ever so convenient, setting the hearts of navigators ablaze with anticipation.
Dias raised his head, gazing toward the sky to the south. Enormous flamingos soared through the sea breeze, their red wings flickering like flames, igniting the hearts of those who watched from afar. The flamingo symbolized freedom and fantasy, and was also the solar bird of Ancient Egyptian mythology. The royal steward mused for a long while before speaking with a wry smile.
"Diogo, we Portuguese can only rely on ourselves. The "Treaty of Windsor" has lasted a hundred years, and although the Kingdom of England is our steadfast ally, they are unable to provide much effective support on land. King Henry and King Richard are both amassing their armies, bracing for the final battle.
This protracted war for the throne has been raging for nearly thirty years! The nobility of England has suffered tremendous losses, with at least 50 distinguished families extinguished and over a thousand nobles fallen in battle. The English people are already weary of war! No matter which king prevails in the end, they won’t have the capacity to respond to us in the potential war with Spain in the short term."
Diogo nodded heavily, his expression grave. In the brutal English Civil War, thousands of nobles and knights had perished, and countless fiefs had lost their lords. This had greatly weakened the strength of our allies and left the future direction of the Kingdom of England uncertain.
"Dias, what about the neighbors—the French? Given the increasingly powerful United Kingdom of Spain, they must be wary, right? When I returned, I heard of the Spider King’s death, and the new King Charles ascended the throne at just fifteen years old. The true power of the Valois dynasty now lies in the hands of the regent, ’Madame la Grand’—Anne, the Dauphin of France, who is ’the least foolish woman’ in all of France!"
"Diogo, your information is still astute. The Kingdom of France harbors hostility towards its powerful neighbor, the nascent Kingdom of Spain, but the French Royal Family is in the midst of divisive confrontation. The regent ’Madame la Grand’ is currently suppressing the challenges of Prince Louis of Orléans. After annexing Burgundy, Anjou, Maine, and Provence, the French Royal Family has grown too powerful. Now only three to four lords still have substantial fiefs, and they all submit to the king’s taxes and conscription."
As he said this, Dias’s eyes held yearning, and his words carried a touch of wistfulness.
"Princess Anne has seized royal power and just convened the Estates-General in Tours. I heard that the delegates had initially agreed unanimously to limit royal authority, but once at the assembly, not one dared to speak out. In the end, the Estates-General became a one-woman show for ’Madame la Grand,’ a display of royal authority and a tool to suppress Prince Louis of Orléans!"
"Diogo, when royal power becomes this strong, the obsolete Estates-General becomes all the more dispensable... This is likely the last influential Estates-General."
Hearing this, Diogo nodded, his expression similarly wistful. When royal power is sufficient, there is no need to compromise with feudal lords and religious representatives, no concessions to exchange for support from all classes. In the eyes of Europe’s elites of this era, only absolute monarchies symbolize strength and progress.
"Dias, Prince Louis is no match for ’Madame la Grand.’ His unique status simply means that the royal family won’t truly deal with him. Nonetheless, the French still possess enough force to balance the Spaniards on land."
"Diogo, that’s true, but the Kingdom of France’s interests are more concentrated on the rich Italian city-states. They’d rather go to Naples to drink wine than travel to the Pyrenees to play with goats alongside the uncouth Spaniards."
Dias blinked and made a crude joke, then continued.
"Don’t forget, King Charles’s grandmother was Duchess Marie of Anjou; he still nominally holds claim to the thrones of Naples and Sicily."
Diogo didn’t laugh. With a serious face, he replied.
"May the Holy Mother bless us! Only true fools would overlook the threat of the Kingdom of Spain and rashly enter into the quagmire of the Italian Peninsula! It is a direct challenge to the Pope of Rome and the Austrian Emperor, bound to dilute the Catholic World’s resistance. Do the French wish to betray the Catholic World and join hands with the nefarious Ottomans?!"
Dias shrugged, his words laden with meaning.
"My old friend, if you could suppress the Spaniards, would you be willing to ally with the Moors across the Strait?"
At these words, Diogo’s expression shifted, and he did not respond for a long time. Finally, he asked in a low voice.
"Across the Strait, the Moorish Kingdom... any good news? Have they just watched their kin on the North Coast be conquered by the people from Castile?"
"Unfortunately, it seems so."
Dias shook his head regretfully.
"The Braganza Palace discreetly sent envoys to the south... Ever since the fall of the Marinid dynasty, Granada has lost the support from across the Strait. The nascent Wattasid dynasty merely controls Northern Morocco and is internally decayed to the core. The returning court envoys reported that they have neither the desire nor the ability to challenge the Spaniards; instead, they are an easy target for conquest.