Shadow Without A Name 1360-1363

The Adventures of Ximene Trencavel

Timeline 1360-1362

1360 Muhammed V, Emir of Grenada is overthrown by his own family.
1360 Phillipa de Roet becomes mistress of Lionel of Antwerp
1361 Formalisation of border between Aquitaine and France commences.(known as Renunciations)
1361 Ximene is now 22
1361 Henry Trastamara (illegitimate half brother of Pedro of Castille) is expelled from Aragon
1361 Henry Trastamara destroys 
the city of Rhedae.
(Rennes le Château is now on the site of Rhedae)
1361 Aladin Ali becomes 
Bey (Emir) of Karamaran
March 1361 Lionel of Antwerp appointed Govenor of Ireland ( Phillips de Roet and Geoffrey Chaucer both members of his household)
0ctober 1361 Phillipa De Roet becomes Mistress to John of Gaunt (3rd in line to throne)
1361 Blanche de Bourbon, wife of Pedro of Castile  dies at Medina Sidonia.
September 1361 Maria de Pedilla, Mistress of Pedro of Castille dies in Sevilla.
November 1361 Alyse Perrers (Perez) arrives in England.
December 1361 The Party at Landon House.
December 1361 Castile invades Grenada but is defeated at Gaudix.
January 1362 John visits Sevilla to evaluate situation
February 1362 Muhammed V returns to Grenada and defeats Muhammed VI who flees to Sevilla
25th April  1362 Muhammed VI dies in Sevilla
May 1362 Pedro of Castille signs 
an alliance with King Edward and Charles Of Navarre
1 June 1362 John helps Gaston prepare to invade Armagnac.
1362 Pedro of Castille signs 
an alliance with King Edward and Charles Of Navarre
Dec 1362 Gaston Comte de Foix 
defeats Jean, Compte d’Armagnac at battle of Launac.

Timeline 1362-1367

1362 Phillipa de Roet marries 
Geoffrey Chaucer
1362 Pope innocent VII Dies
1363 Du Guesclin appointed Captain General 
of Normandy

May 1963 Black Prince and Joan attend treaty conference at Tarbres to afree truce between gaston and armagnac
1364 Charles of Navarre invades Normandy. Du Guesclin captures the Captal du Buch who has become leader of Navarese army.
I364 John goes to Ireland to train army being assembled by Lionel.
29 September 1364 John Chandos captures Du Guesclin at battle of Auray when Du Gueslin leads the army of Charles du Bois, pretender to Brittany. Du gueslin was not only a prisoner but he had lost his most important client.
1364 King John willingly returns 
to captivity but dies almost immediately
1364 Alyse Perrers becomes 
King Edwards Mistress
1365 Du Guesclin’s ransom paid, 
Du Guesclin released
1365 Du Gueslin leads the Routiers 
into Spain (nominally on a crusade to drive 
the moors from Grenada.)
1366 Du Guesclin attacks Pedro of Castille and Trastamara claims throne of Castille.
1366 passing of the Statutes of Kilkenny
1366 John and Ximene and Alyse travel to Sevilla to rescue Alyse's sisters Constance and isabelle
1366 Ximene returns to Sevilla and transports Pedro first to Lisbon then to Bordeaux.
1367 Black Prince invades Castile 
defeats Henry Trastamara.
1367 Du Guesclin is taken prisoner - again

The most dangerous woman in the world

The Treasure of Trencavel

List of Characters

Table Of Contents

References

characters

List of Places

Table of Contents

Pseudo History

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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! '

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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.’

Available February 2020
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.