The King’s Ransom Timeline 1355-1360

 The Adventures of Ximene Trencavel

Timeline 1355-1358

December 1355 Alise Perez arrives in Seville to rejoin her mother Maria De Pedella
December 1355 Charles of Navarre, Gaston's brother in law, attempts to overthrow John II of France.
January 1356 Du Guesclin attempting to kidnap Alyse,thinking she is Ximene,is ambushed by Pedro, Alyse's father. Du Guesclin escapes with his life, but only just. Pedro has gained a bitter enemy.
January 1356 Ximene travels to England, meets King Edward and commences negotiations.
January 1356 John works with Jean de Grailly, Capital du Buch to prepare an Anglo-Gascon army for an invasion of France.
5 April 1356 Charles of Navarre arrested and put in prison.
19 September 1356, The Black Prince wins battle of Poitiers and captures Jean II, the Frankish King.

November 1356 Gaston is released from jail.
1356 Bertrand do Guesclin holds out
 in Rennes
Ximene learns that Lord James Audley is a hero but has also been badly injured.
March 1357 Ximene is in London when army returns. John is at head of Princes Guard.
1357 Truce Declared between England and France until April 1359
1357 Black Prince decides John has talent in jousting
1357 In France Estates write the 
Grand Ordinance.
Oct 1357 Gaston and the Captal de Buch leave for "German" Crusade.
30th November 1357  Charles of Navarre is released from jail and is invited to Paris and is greeted "like a monarch"
November 1357 Bertrand du Guesclin is given 
a life pension for his defence of Rennes.

Time line 1358-1360

22 January 1358 Etienne Marcel declares Paris independent of Dauphin.
January 1358 Charles of Navarre retires from Paris to Normandy and declares war on Dauphin.
26th February 1358  Charles of Navarre returns to Paris.
April 1358  Civil war in the immediate vicinity of Paris.
April 1358 The revolt of the Jacquerie
June 10 1358 Jacquerie defeated at battle of Mello by Charles of Navarre (and at Meaux by his brother-in-law Gaston Febus, mysteriously returning from the crusade).
May 1358 1st treaty of London. Ransom for King Jean 6m gold ecus of which 600,000 are required before release.
10 August 1358 Amnesty granted to all involved in the Jaquerie, both those who revolted and those who took part in the ruthless suppression.
November 1358  Still no ransom.
July 1359 King Jean moved From the Savoy to Smarten castle in Lincolnshire
24 march 1359 King John signs 2nd treaty of London and declares alliance with England against Charles of Navarre, (Charles lands in France to be ceeded to Edward in addition to previous treaty)
September 1359 John Stanley becomes tournament champion of Europe.
December 1359 King Edward invades France and lays siege to Reims. Siege of Reims fails. Thomas Chaucer is captured by French.
Monday 13th 1360 April -  Black Monday. Edward's army immobilised by appalling weather.
1 May 1360 Treaty of Bretigny. Charles of Navarres lands given to France, not England.
1360 King Edward renounces any claim to the French throne. In return King Jean recognises independence for Aquitaine.
November 1360 King John released and is accompanied by Ximene on his return to France.
1360 The tournament at Winchester
1360 Alyse Perrers (Perez)
arrives in England
November 1360 Joan of Kent Marries Black Prince in secret. Marriage is rejected by Pope.
10th October 1361 Prince and Joan re-marry.
January 1362 Party at Landon House

The most dangerous woman in the world

The Treasure of Trencavel

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Extract from The Prisoner of Foix--Chapter 43 -The EntranceNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley-26th April 1355

 

'Looks like we are going to see a bit of excitement, John. The Captain tried to get an agreement from the Prince that if there is surf running across the channel to Arcachon we will turn back to Bordeaux, but the Prince would hear none of it. Instead, he has offered to provide insurance for all three ships. If they are damaged or sunk, the owners will be compensated and every sailor who makes the passage will be given a bounty payment. What none of this seems to take into account is that if we sink in rough, fast-flowing waters we might all drown.'

John raised his eyebrows. 'But that is what we are going to do?'

'Yes, despite the fact that surf running accross the entrance is not uncommon and the deep water channel moves continually. In the end, the Prince attacked their captains on their weakest point, their professional pride! He threw down the gauntlet. He offered to take the Sally first through the channel, and to take control during the passage.' He raised his brow. 'We are going into the Bay of Arcachon, come what may! '

Extract from The Eagle of Carcassone -- Chapter 24-- A Real GoddessNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley - 22 July 1355

An hour later John walked with Ximene close to the river along the valley below St Feriole. It was the very essence of a summer’s day. The sun was fierce but in the shadow of the trees, it was cool and fragrant. The trees and shrubs along the riverbank hid their progress, from the Château, from St Feriole.

Eventually they reached a point where John thought it was safe to emerge from cover. To his satisfaction the stream extended into a pool with a sandy beach, shaded by trees. Where the stream entered the pool there was a flat grassy area, almost circular. Behind this, the bulk of two mountain ridges provided a splendid backdrop. He looked around once more ‘Not just a good training ground but a great training ground. If the Greek heroes knew about this they might be tempted to join me, to train with me’

Ximene laughed out loud. He turned to look at her. She had removed her outer clothes and was wearing a white chemise, cut short so that it barely reached her knees. Around her waist, she wore a plaited leather belt, obviously fashioned from the multitude of leather straps to be found in the tackle room.

She ran her hands down over her breasts. ‘When you were unconscious I heard you muttering about gods and goddesses, so  I have decided that from now on, for you, I will be the goddess.’

The Prisoner of FoixVol 1 of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

Aquitaine, an English possession, is in crisis. It is under threat from neighbouring nations and internal dissension.

The Black Prince, King Edward III’s eldest son has been given the task of taking command in Aquitaine.

Suddenly there is an opportunity. Ximene Trencavel is the heiress to the lands of Occitan, to the east of Aquitaine: lands controlled by the Franks. Ximene wants independence, both for herself and for Occitan.

A union between Aquitaine and Occitan would be mutually beneficial. The Black Prince undertakes a secret journey to meet Ximene to negotiate a marriage contract. It is, however, a marriage neither of them really wants.

Meanwhile, the  Franks plot to murder Ximene to prevent ,not just the marriage, but any kind of union between England and Occitan.

The Eagle Of CarcassonneVol II of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

The loose alliance between Ximene Trencavel and the Black Prince is under threat.

The Prince invades Occitan, to show his support for Ximene but it becomes an invasion which creates more problems than it solves.

The Prince has fallen hopelessly in love with Joan of Kent and Joan is now determined to marry him and become the next Queen of England.

Joan is therefore  determined to convince Ximene that she should not marry the Prince.

Part of her strategy is to encourage Ximene’s relationship with John Stanley—one of the Princes bodyguards—not an easy task as both John and Ximene have doubts about their compatibility.

However, John is grievously injured in a battle and Ximene commits herself to nurse him back to health.