[DIPLOMACY]The French Perfidy is Revealed!

Rome

Cardinal Lopez smiles broadly at the French Cardinal he had sparred with earlier.

"So, Your Eminence, you still claim that the King of France was completely uninvolved with the French soldiers fighting on the side of the infidel against the King of Aragon?"

Before he has a chance to answer, Cardinal Lopez turns to the Pope.

"Your Holiness. A ship bearing a very curious passenger has arrived here from Tlemcen. The commander of the Aragonese forces in Tlemcen explained that this man, named 'Jehan de Bonpre', was a commander of the French soldiers. If I may permit, Your Holiness, I will read the letter sent from de Cordoba.."

With the Pope's assent, Cardinal Lopez opens the letter and begins to read:

"Your Holiness,

I, , am Commander of the Most Catholic King of Aragon's army attacking the infidel in Tlemcen. I am happy to report, Your Holiness, that after several hard battles and a siege, the infidel King of Tlemcen has been defeated and has pledged vassalage to the King of Aragon, Praise God!

However, Your Holiness, in the course of this most holy contest for Tlemcen, a grave sin was committed. Not by the King of Aragon, nor myself or the men under my command, but a fellow Christian Prince. When we arrived in Tlemcen, the King of that country sent messengers to the infidel King of Morocco calling for aid, and to the Christian King of France. Both responded. Soon, my army was attacked most viciously by Moroccan and French soldiers, and driven from the field. However, my men were angered by this betrayal of the Faith, and rallied again to defeat the Moroccan and French. In the course of the battle, one of the commanders of the Frenchmen, Jehan de Bonpre, was knocked down and captured by my men. In an effort to spare his life, he revealed that the King of France personally ordered his soldiers to fight with the Moors!

I understand that the agents of the King of France will vigorously deny these allegations. To dispel these lies, I have sent a galley containing the said Frenchman and several of his companions to Rome, so that they may also be interrogated by whoever you so choose.

In Nomine,

Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba"

Cardinal Lopez folds the letter and bows to the Pope. "Your Holiness, the prisoner is in chains in my palace. If you desire, I can have him brought to a place of your choosing."