Swiss Arms 90 (Patreon)

Swiss Arms

Chapter 90

-VB-

Isabella von Fluelaberg

Trouble after trouble. It seemed to be the story of Chur.

A baron defying the prince-bishop. It led to a battle where the prince-bishop lost too much of his levies and man-at-arms, including several ordained knights. Neighboring lords saw this as chance and pounced, leading to the Unruly Year. It was during this time that Chur’s former territories lost a tenth of its people through famine, war, and migration. It was also during this time that her husband secured his valley for mutual protection.

It was almost as if his rise had been at the cost of Chur. The once capital of the Prince-Bishopric was now a mere member of a defense pact filled with peasants and merchants.

How the mighty have fallen.

And now, just as they secured safety and security, the prince-bishop was dead.

‘And that’s the problem for the people and powermongers of Chur Diocese, isn’t it?’ she thought to herself as she greeted another priest from far away lands.

The Prince-Bishop was, of course, a bishop first and foremost. This meant that he was supposed to put the wellbeing of the Diocese before his secular holdings. This was what Prince-Bishop Siegfried did for the most part, but his alignment with the Compact also made his other priorities clear not just to his people but also other bishops and priests outside of Chur.

After all, the Compact had gone to war with its neighbors before, and denizens of those neighboring states also included the catholics under the Diocese of Chur.

It was a criss-cross of responsibilities and duties that would make the election of the next Prince-Bishop fiercely competitive.

Why?

Because in the founding document of the Compact, the membership of Chur was not “city of Chur and its surrounding dependencies” but “Prince-Bishop of Chur.” For the city of Chur, this was now a matter of survival and prosperity while for other priests and bishops, it was a chance to become something more not just in the eyes of secular lords that bullied churches whenever it suited them but also in the eyes of God.

Was it not the Prince-Bishop who was blessed by God to have come in contact with a talented commoner like Baron Hans? Was it not God’s blessing that allowed the city of Chur to prosper?

Isabella also wondered if all of this had been part of God’s plan, but she was neither a priest nor a pious woman. She could only guess and seek council.

And speaking of which…

“It certainly is a mess, isn’t it?”

She glanced to her left and looked at Deacon Benjamin, the one and only ordained minister in all of Davos and Fluelaberg. The recently portly man looked happy at the sight of all of the higher-ups of the dioceses coming to compete for the seat of the Prince-Bishop.

“It is,” she replied.

“I am most worried about Lozarn*.”

“Why?”

He glanced at her. “The priest of Lozarn is an ambitious man. Unlike the city’s people who dislike the Habsburgs and their overarching influence, he seeks to aid them. If he were to get elected, then it is clear that he will use his influence within the Compact to isolate the Forest Cantons from the east, which would make it easier for the Habsburgs to continue their plan of taking over that region of the Alps.”

Isabella hummed but she was thinking what that would mean for her and Hans. With her cousin being married to the Habsburg emperor, it could be said that she should be convincing Hans to join hands with the Lozarn priest.

But she also knew that Hans’s family lived in the Canton of Uri.

She glanced at the deacon. “You are very well informed, Deacon Benjamin.”

He merely smiled. “I am just a fat man who likes his rumors and gossips a little bit too much,” he chuckled as he slapped his belly.

She rolled her eyes. “My thanks.”

“Of course. My responsibility is to the people of Davos and Fluelaberg, and that includes the interest of you and the baron, milady.”

---

“Really?”

“Yes,” she replied as she covered her nude body with the bedsheet. Now that she told him about it, she found herself regretting her words.

Hans had started another passionate night, but only after three rounds, she blurted out words she heard to him when he asked why she looked distracted.

Ad now, it was going to be over when she knew that he could have gone another five rounds easily.

Yes, she kind of regretted telling him what she thought about this entire situation. She could have been enjoying another hour of sex but nooo she had to bring up politics.

Ugh.

She was her worst enemy sometimes.

“What do you think?” she asked him as she rolled over and cuddled up to Hans’s chest. Sturdy and muscular chest she could run her hand over all day.

He hummed, making his chest vibrate pleasantly. “I think it’ll be best if we sit this one out.”

“You think?” she asked in surprise.

“I do. As great as our tie with the emperor is, I am also wary about letting him have more power in the Alps.”

“Why not?”

“... Alright, you may not know, but I have been gathering reports from afar. Merchants and spies alike. And what I found in Habsburg lands is … not great.”

“How so?”

“For one, Habsburgs allow their middlemen too much power. Corruption and abuse of power is all too common where they rule, especially here in the main domains of their house in the Swabian lands. Their hold over Austria and Styria is too new for them to have done much over there, but it looks like they want to make those lands their main holdings if the rapid constructions of forts say anything.”

She didn’t know about this.

She pouted.

He noticed her pouting after moment. “What? Did I say something?”

“Why are you so good at everything?”

“... But I’m not?”

She mock-glared up at him.

He stared back for a bit before rolling his eyes. “Fine. Be playful all you want… but right now, I want to touch you more,” he grinned as he rolled her over and pulled her legs apart.

“Eep!”

And that squeak turned into moans of pleasure as he made love to her again.

-VB-

Hans von Fluelaberg

For me, this whole election of the Prince-Bishop was turning into one fortune after another.

The Habsburgs growing strong… it didn’t benefit me, but it also didn’t bother me. As I was right now, they weren’t strong enough nor focused on their currently main domain here in Southern Swabia (Northern and Central Swiss) and Transjurania (Upper Burgundy/Western Swiss). I knew that whatever strength they gained would be usurped by the Forest Cantons in the years to come, so I wasn’t going to side with the power that wouldn’t stay in these lands for long.

I was, however, more interested in the two abbots that have come to meet me.

To my left was the representatives of the Abbot of Disentis and to my right across the table was the Abbot of St. Gallens.

The Abbot of St. Gallens, Heinrich von Ramstein, was an elderly man in his mid seventies. He didn’t look as frail as his age and there was a sharp glint in his eyes that told me that he was here to gain something.

On the other hand, the representative of the Abbot of Disentis, Gion the Priest**, a homely-looking priest who looked very uncomfortable being with me and the Abbot.

“Speak first, abbot,” I urged the elderly man.

He nodded after a moment.

“I wish for the Abbey of Saint Gall to join your Compact.”

My back straightened in surprise. “I … am surprised that you want that, abbot. Are you aware of what it means to be a member of the Compact?”

“I do,” he replied. “It is a mutual defense and trade pact with limited political integration, is it not?”

I nodded slowly. “It is.”

“But I have a condition for Saint Gallens, both the city and the abbey, joining your Compact.”

I leaned back slighty. “And what would that be?”

Finally, the abbot looked a little uncomfortable. “I only became the abbot of Saint Gallens through some financial compensation to my rivals, and even before that, the abbey itself took on a lot of debt for a number of projects, including the reconstruction of devastated areas of Saint Gallens the city.”

I nodded slowly.

“I wish for the Compact to pay off half of that debt. In exchange, I will waive the right to leave the Compact.”

Okay. Well.

Saint Gallens was a big city with around two thousand people. Sure, it was only about the same size as Chur and Fleulaberg, but Saint Gallens was also an established city like Chur. Having another established city would be … beneficial, especially since the city, the abbey, and its surrounding territories would give us direct access to the Bodensee. Sure, it would be a round about way to access it instead of going straight through the Werdenberg and Heiligenberg lands.

“And how much would that be…?”

“...”

“Abbot?”

He whispered something.

“Pardon?”

“Three hundred guelders.”

Suddenly, I felt the back of my neck pull at the sudden shock.

Three hundred guelders? Brother in Christ, that’s a literal king’s ransom! How the hell did you and your predecessor get into that much debt?!

“We… We’ll talk later.”

“I understand.”

I turned to the pale as a sheet Gion the Priest.

“And you, oh priest of Disentis?”

“W-We also seek to enter the Compact.”

“Oh. Are you are war with anyone right now?”

“N-No?”

“Do you have anything against commoners gaining wealth and status?”

“No?”

“Priests and deacons doing trade jobs on the side?”

“No?”

“Will you fight to defend your brothers and sisters of the Compact?”

“N- I mean yes.”

“Wonderful,” I said as I pulled out a piece of paper, wrote out a few sentences. “This is your application to join the Compact. I will gather representatives of the Compact and set up a vote to see if we want you in the Compact. Please sign here as the representative of Disentis and the Abbey of Disentis…”

He did.

With that done, I thanked him for coming and asked him to leave so that I may discuss sensitive topic with the Abbot of St. Gallen who didn’t ask others to leave before blurting something so big.

I turned back to face the abbot.

“Alright. Let’s discuss how we might be able to handle that tidbit…”

-VB-

A/N: *Lozarn is High Alemannic for Lucerne

**Gion II, future Abbot of Disentis Abbey. It is under him that Disentis Abbey became an influential member of the Grey League.