1603 Summer

“...Y, you’ve lost?”

I’ve heard unexpected news. Maurice the Prince of Orange and my in-law, the older brother of the Princess of Wales Emilia(*My daughter-in-law) almost reached Paris with 70,000 troops before he was defeated by French at Haute Vallée forest.

And it was an overwhelming loss. Out of 70,000 soldiers, only 30,000 were able to retreat with 30,000 dead and 10,000 captured as POW.

Losing so many soldiers in a single battle? It’s not WWI or WWII! I momentarily became speechless.

“S, sorry to disappoint you, your majesty.”

“I...it’s okay. So, how many French soldiers did we kill? Maybe 10,000?”

“...M, Maurice reported o, only 6,000 French soldiers were dead, your majesty.”

‘6,000. 6,000! Oh my God!’

Of course, I have another 130,000 armies in other front lines. But, from 70,000 troops I’ve sent to Paris, I lost more than half of them, while France didn’t lose even a quarter of their 38,000 armies.

‘How can it be so serious?’

No, let’s forget it. Let bygones be bygones. I might have lost a ‘battle’ but didn’t lose a ‘war’, yet.

But it really drives me nuts! Who was the enemy’s commander that blasted my brilliant strategy from the start and destroyed my precious military strength?

“...Who was the enemy’s commander?”

How could I have not noticed the famous commander, who may be the reincarnation of Dumouriez and Kellermann who led the Battle of Valmy to victory during the French Revolution and gave the first victory to Revolutionary France?

“T...that is...”

The messenger hesitated to answer, glancing at me and high-rank generals.

‘Hmm...?’

“...Well? Why don’t you answer? I’ve said ‘Who was the enemy’s commander?‘!”

And his answer was

“I, it was Princess Elizabeth, your majesty!”

‘...What the heck!’

I barely managed to not spit the swear word in front of the messenger and high-rank generals in my court. Elizabeth this and Elizabeth that. Oh, my first wife Maria! How could you have left me with such a disaster!

“...You must have meant the Regent Elizabeth, the Queen Mother of France.”

I corrected the messenger his mistake, barely controlling my anger. She’s no longer the princess of England. She’s the Regent of France and thus, the enemy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Netherlands. (*The United Kingdom for short from now. I’ve inherited England from my mother Mary I and inherited the Netherlands from my father Felipe II. And I’ve conquered Scotland and Ireland, also reclaimed Calais in exchange for supporting Henry IV during the French Civil War.)

‘Thud’

“I, I’m terribly s, sorry, your m, majesty! P, please have mercy!”

The messenger realized it, and be clashed his forehead onto the floor, begging for mercy. And since I didn’t want to worsen my army’s already low morale by beating or beheading the messenger, I’ve shoved my hand and told him to go away.

‘Sigh’

“It’s going to be difficult than we’ve expected, your majesty.”

That’s what Philip Sidney, the Minister of Defence said as he crossed his head. In other words, since the only way that the United Kingdom can achieve an overwhelming victory was blocked, this war will be sluggish.

“...Forget Paris. It’ll take longer to receive France’s surrender. Order the Royal Navy and the privateers of West India and East India Company to ditch Iberian Union first.”

I too knows that fact and replied to him like that. France is not the main party in this war, but the United Kingdom and Iberia are. So, no matter how France makes a fuss and no matter how Elizabeth (*Not Elizabeth I in original history, but a girl born between me and the late Maria, the princess of Austria. She’s currently the regent of France and the mother of Louis XIII.)is nasty, as long as Iberia surrenders, that’s the end.

So, I’ll just have to kill the donkey by the name of Felipe III - who is my half-brother and triggered this war – first.

“It shall be done, your majesty.”

At my words, Philip Sidney bowed his head, showing me respect.

1603 Fall

The moves of the United Kingdom’s troops have changed. Instead of landing at the European Continent, they strangled Spain and Portugal’s necks, by attacking and looting their ships at the American and African coastlines and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Needless to say, the MVPs at this operation were the privateers of the West India Company. They’ve looted every merchant ships of Spain and Portugal they could find and brought all their gold and silver to the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, I’ve secretly sent letters to the Spanish and Portuguese viceroys of the Central and South America saying

“I, Edward Philip Albert Charles von Tudor Habsburg, eldest son of Felipe II, solemnly swear to Holy Father, Jesus Christ, and Virgin Mary that if you ditch my incompetent half-brother Felipe III and swear allegiance to me, I’ll grant your autonomy and respect your rights. What do you say?”

Yes, that’s what I’m different with Elizabeth I in original history(*My late aunt Elizabeth who lost in a civil war between me. She revolted right after my mother, Mary I’s death in this history but lost to me in a battle at Cornwell in 1563.)

If this war was just a colonial war between the United Kingdom and Iberian Union, they would have stuck with Felipe III. But, since I’m also Felipe II’s son – his eldest son to be exact – this was is indeed a war of succession between the royal family.

In short, since viceroys are the nobles of Spain and Portugal, they have a right to choose their king – either me or Felipe III – in this war.

And their answer was

“All hail King of Portugal, Eduardo I! Long live, your majesty! I solemnly swear to Holy Father, Jesus Christ, and Virgin Mary that I’ll stand by at your side and make you become the one and only King of the Iberian Union, even at the cost of my life!”

This enthusiastic answer was from Pedro, the viceroy of Brazil. He even boasted that he can send his troops to Europe for help.

“I swear my allegiance to you, your majesty and I really wish to send my troops to Europe. But, if the number of troops stationed at the colonies reduces, the Natives might revolt against us, so I’ll do my best in protecting your sacred territory. Long live, your majesty.”

That less enthusiastic answer came from Ferdinand, the viceroy of New Spain. (*Nowday Florida, Texas, California, and Louisiana of the Louisiana Purchase, Mexico, and several nations in Central America and Caribbean Ocean)

And Diego, the viceroy of Peru gave no reply.

But one was different. The other Ferdinand, the Captain-General of the Cuba Captaincy General – part of the New Spain viceroyalty – replied in swear words.

“F**k off, you greedy Viking! I am the royal servant of the Felipe III, the one and only, legitimate King of the Iberia, King of Naples and the protector of the Christian Faith! I don’t wish to live a wealthy life by surrendering to you bloody pirate!”

After seeing his message, I laughed for a while.

“Wahahahahahahahahahaha!”

“How brave he is! He must think of himself as David, who killed the Goliath with a single stone. I wish to see that Ferdinand in my palace!”

‘As dead.’

Philip Sidney, the Minister of Defence, who was at my side at that moment replied with a grin.

“Yes, your majesty. And I’ll treat that Ferdinand with wine, instead of lead.”

6 weeks later, Cuba Captaincy General fell into the hands of the United Kingdom’s marines. Ferdinand the Captain General and his closest followers were found dead after drinking a wine intoxicated with arsenic at the office.

“Even though he was an enemy, his duty and loyalty that he has shown as an aristocrat should be praised.”

And I’ve ordered his tombstone to be built at Cuba, which is now United Kingdom’s territory.

Although the Iberian Union tried to send Armada for retaliation, since their budget was in serious reds, their fleet could not come out of the port. And with the colonial viceroys betraying or proclaiming neutral, all they could do was to focus on protecting their mainland.

Of course, since the United Kingdom didn’t plan landing and a direct attack on the Iberian Peninsula, yet, the Iberian Union had no choice but to look at their disappearing cash cows.

However, France was different.

“U, urgent news, your majesty!”

“...What is it?”

“B, Brussels has fallen to the French army!”

“...W, What did you say?”

Now, out of 17 states that make up the Netherlands, 7 states is now occupied by France and 5 states are under attack from the French Army and is on the brink of falling into the claws of the Lioness.