[Medieval] When the Eagle Emblem Takes Wing

"When Mount Etna's lava devours this world cursed by Sodom, the emperor named Constantine will return from Hell on a white horse."

After transmigrating to the Middle Ages, Constantine is born into Europe's most illustrious family, with five crowns to inherit. His future seems bright, but what awaits him are the early deaths of his parents, ambitious schemers with their own agendas, and a childhood spent amid turmoil and abuse, followed by a troubled early life. Frederick II was hailed as "a modern man on the throne," and Constantine will not only achieve equally dazzling feats, but actively lead a life of even greater scope:

The Church hates my whole family? I've already used my succubus skills to sweet-talk the pope into grinning from ear to ear.

The Bulgarian Tsar has a dream of becoming emperor? I'll send you to the capital with a blade in hand!

My uncle has been stabbed and is at death's door? I'll grab a scalpel and give the Middle Ages a medical shock.

The French want to steal my wife? Sorry, the anti-French coalition has already been formed. Here's a group-beating package, please sign for it.

"He is a master of diplomacy, a revolutionary who leads the spirit of the age, and the true emperor of the world before the Renaissance swept in."

He is a hawk who flew from another world to the Middle Ages, and he leaves the world in awe.

A sweeping ensemble of thirteenth-century Europe. The male lead is a handsome, devil-may-care polymath. His love interest remains Matilda, daughter of Richard I and Berengaria. A therapeutic, cat-petting, raising-and-customizing story. Pure, sweet indulgence, no angst.

A medieval history sky screen story, updating concurrently~

In 1184, on an utterly ordinary Christmas, the Plantagenet family is immersed in the festive spirit of a "happy family": loving father and son, brothers who get along, and a devoted couple. Then a water mirror appears without warning. It is a divine miracle, and a warning of the future:

[Every blessing fate gave Henry II in the first half of his life will be taken away in the second. He will ultimately be abandoned by everyone, even betrayed by his beloved youngest son, John. He will die miserably in a monastery, and after his death, his servants will strip him of every jewel...]

Henry II: Divorce! I want a divorce! No marriage, no kids, a happy life!

[The legendary Richard I does not meet his end in a duel with Saladin, a war against his old enemy Philip II, or even a plot by his brother John. Instead, he dies in a thoroughly ordinary little rebellion, struck by an arrow fired on a whim by a cook.]

Richard I: Got it. I'll do it again next time.

[Frederick II does not yet know that although he will successfully recover Jerusalem, he will face a papal-backed invasion of Sicily and a notice excommunicating him. Yes, you recovered the holy city, but you've been excommunicated.]

Frederick II: ?????? What is wrong with you people??????

[Alexios I never imagined that his request for help from the West would lead to an invitation to let the wolves in. The Crusaders ultimately do what the Persians, Arabs, Bulgarians, and all their other old enemies never managed: sack Constantinople.]

Alexios I: Rescinding that crusade invitation immediately.

[During an utterly ordinary horseback hunt, Mary of Burgundy is thrown into a ravine and dies a few weeks later. Her husband is swiftly driven from the center of power, and their two children are soon to face a difficult, turbulent fate...]

Mary of Burgundy: Never riding a horse again.

[Isabella of Aragon ultimately dies in childbirth. Her son Miguel dies not long afterward in his maternal grandmother's arms. Queen Isabella, mourning her beloved daughter, does not yet know that compared with her three sisters, who are imprisoned, driven mad, or cast aside by their husbands, Princess Isabella is the lucky one.]

Isabella I: ...Starting today, I'll get in shape and outlive my husband.

"1184: The Plantagenets in The Lion in Winter"

"1226: The Fall of the Hohenstaufens"

"1095: The Komnenos Dynasty and the Crusades"

"1482: The Rise of the Habsburgs"

(To be continued)

A sky screen broadcast, a compendium of medieval gallows humor, starting with the familiar Plantagenet family. More will be added whenever inspiration strikes or my reading notes suggest something. There may also be bonus chapters watching other stories.

Theme: Pursue the truth