1591 Summer

“Allahu Akbar! Heretics of Europe, kneel before the Kayser-i Rum (*Caesar of Rome, one of the titles of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire)!

“Oh my God, it’s the Turks! Light the beacons! Virgin Mary, please save us!”

When my “daughter” Elizabeth – not the sister of Bloody Mary, but a daughter of me (Edward VII) and the late Maria of Austria – wed Henry IV and became queen of France, Telli Hasan Pasha, the Ottoman Beylerbey(Grand Viceroy) of Bosnia invaded the Holy Roman Empire(Germany) – Habsburg Kingdom of Croatia, to be exact – without an official declaration of war. So, it was not Jihad but just another routine of plunder.

Anyway, the short peace after the end of the civil war in France and the Holy Roman Empire ended with the invasion of the Ottomans, forcing the Europeans to focus on the east. The mercenaries who fought during the civil war barely took a rest and joined the fight against the Muslims and the European Powers held their breath at the attack of the heretics.

Of course, as long as the Ottomans don’t conquer France and Holy Roman Empire, it was just Fiddle while the Rome burns to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Netherlands (*My kingdom. I inherited England from my mother, Queen Mary and inherited the Netherlands from my father, Felipe II and conquered the Scotland and Ireland. And took back Calais during the French Civil War).

That year, the Parliament enacted a decrease of the military budget and tightening budget and I agreed to it. Although we barely fought a year in the French Civil war, 54,000 troops were too much burden for my kingdom. However, the budget cut was focused on the army and the navy budget, on the other hand, increased. There were many reasons, but the biggest reason was that we – Me and the Nobles and the Gentries and the Yeomans of the Congress – all wanted 3 things. First, forget the European Continent for the moment. Second, go west and conquer America. Third, take part in the lucrative spice trade.

1591 Fall

The East India Company made the first bridgehead in the Indonesian Isles and named it Batavia(*Nowdays Jakarta). It was a first colonial territory after long years of pioneering and establishing firms. Also, at the same time, the Parliament passed a bill which allows the East India Company to own their corsairs and a private army. The first privateer was made up of 5 Fluyt and 600 sailors.

1591 Winter

“…Apart from the East India Company, I wish to establish the West India Company and let them run the Atlantic trade and pioneer the Africa and America!”

“But your majesty, isn’t it against the Treaty of Tordesillas?”

“Yes, my lord. It will infuriate both the Kingdom of Iberia and the State of Church (Vatican)!”

“Gentlemen? Did you forget who I am? I, Edward VII, am the son of Felipe II, therefore the prince of Spain and Portugal! So, what’s the problem? I’m just claiming my rightful share!”

“…Then, we’ll only count on you, your majesty.”

‘Bring! Me! Atlantic!’

I established the West India Company in London and granted them the monopoly right of western trade. Although the Parliament first expressed worries, when I claimed my birthright as a prince of Spain and Portugal, they were relieved. So, in the end, Congress agreed to establish the West India Company and allowed them to have their privateers just like the East India Company did.

Of course, the Iberia Kingdom (The United Kingdom of Spain and Portugal) – Felipe II to be exact – wasn’t exactly happy to hear this news. But, for 2 reasons, he had to put up with it.

First, since he was over 60 and became increasingly weak, he didn’t have enough energy to fight with me. Second, since I’m his eldest son, I had a rightful claim to the throne of Spain and Portugal. So, he had to use both carrots and stick to silence my claim and inherit his throne to my half-brother Felipe. (Felipe 3rd)

As a carrot, he excused the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Netherland’s expansion toward Africa, America, and the Atlantic. As a stick, he again sent me a warning message

“Swear under the name of Virgin Mary, that you won’t become the King of Iberia.”

And I replied

“I have enough on my plates with the quarrels against the British Congress.”

1592 Spring

Relived at my reply, Felipe II sent my half-brother Felipe, the Prince of Asturias (* Crown Prince of Spain) as an envoy at the Easter Holiday Festival which was held in London.

“Dear Prince, how’s the war against the Muslims going on right now?”

“After we lost Tunisia in 1574, we’re having a hard time, your majesty.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that. Please tell father that his son is always willing to help him crush the heretics.”

“It shall be done, your majesty.”

I only exchanged official words with my 14-year-old-half-brother, who didn’t hold coming-of-age ceremony yet and sent him back to Spain. It was a message that if this looting war with the Ottomans escalates into an all-out war, I will also take his side as one of the members in the House of Habsburg.

Meanwhile, the envoys of the East India Company met with the Emperor of the Ming. (*Chinese Dynasty at that time) Sadly, it was not a person-to-person meeting. They just joined with a group of envoys from small kingdoms of Southeast Asia, which regularly send envoys to Ming.

Anyway, envoys of the East India Company dedicated 10,000 Ducat worth of silver, cross, bible and manual clock, etc and delivered my message. And the Emperor of Ming granted them 300,000 Ducat worth of silk, gold, and silver and ordered them to come in every 20th year.

“300…300,000 Ducat? T…that’s the 30 times amount what we gave, isn’t it?”

“That’s right, gentlemen! Even if considering the frequency, it’s 1.5 times the amount!”

“Oh…it would have been much great if it was once every 10 years!”

After hearing this report from the envoys who returned to London, the shareholders lamented.

‘Oh, so you love money, huh? I still remember your shareholders' grumbling…’

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“How can you allow envoys, as a Christian, kneel and bow before a heretic ruler, your majesty!”

“Silence! Don’t you know the word, when in Rome, do as the Romans do? It’s just their culture! And traditionally, all Chinese emperor pays back much, much more than he receives in official trade with the foreign envoys. Since he considers himself as a son of God and the ruler of the center of the world, he has to keep his face.”

“…Your majesty, how do you know the Far East so well?”

“…I have my sources. Just wait and see.”

Thank you, my past life (*I was an Oxford Graduate at 1st life.) oriental liberal arts classes and my ex-girlfriend, who was an exchange student from Hong Kong. I got interested and learned a lot about the Far East(*China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, North Korea, South Korea) from those 2 sources, although my major was Economy and British History.

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1592 Fall

Anna, my 2nd wife from Ireland, was again pregnant. It was almost 10 years after she gave birth to a crown prince, Richard.

“I do hope it’s a girl this time.”

“…Oh, why’s that?”

“Valois”

“W, why…you bitch!”

‘Slap’

I had enough. That bitch just cursed my family – Tudor – to have no male descendants left and fall like the House of Valois, the family which shattered after the French Civil War.

“Y…you motherfucker!”

‘Slash’

Anna reacted by scratching my right cheek with her nails.

“Guards! Take her out of my room!”

Next day, Anna was exiled from the royal palace and was sent back to her home in Ulster, Ireland. She was charged with insulting the royal family and dared to harm the king. At first, the Parliament and the Church suggested me to ask the Papal States for a divorce, but I refused and stopped with this.

Why? For 3 reasons.

First, I don’t want to lose the grip of Ireland. If I don’t do this, Ireland and Britain will be again separated and will have to spill more blood.

Second, my son Richard – the crown prince and also the son of Anna – isn’t a bad boy. He shouldn’t be ripped off his succession right, just because of his lunatic mother.

Third, I don’t wish to follow Henry 8th - my grandfather on my mother’s side’s - footsteps. He married 6 times but divorced twice and executed 2 wives and had 1 wife died with puerperal fever. And thanks to him, England’s politics and religion went to the dogs and my mother – Queen Mary – and my aunt - the late, revolt, Elizabeth (*The Elizabeth 1st in original history. But she was burned to death, after losing the civil war against me after Mary 1st death.) – and my uncle's - Edward 6th - life was in despair.

A wound from her scratching was swollen big, and I was in bed for a week. In the end, I poured the Rums for disinfection – which was just introduced by the West India Company – on the wound which swells big with pus and squeezed it out with a silver knife. Thankfully, the wound was soothed, and I delivered this remedy to Bristol Royal Medical University and again emphasized the importance of disinfection.

However, the scar didn’t disappear. So, the Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange – who is the stadtholder of the Dutch Republic in the original history, but my royal man in this timeline –laughed at me.

“H…hahaha! Did you got hit by a stray cat, your majesty?”

“…Nope. It was a lioness.”