Chapter 290: 289: Formation of the Iberian Union

While Granada was preparing for the inevitable war with its neighbors, the Iberian Catholic Monarchs had been summoned to a meeting at the Vatican. The Pope had purposely asked for their attendance, and as exceptional members of the faith, they had not disobeyed his commands. 

The Kings of Portugal, Castile, and Aragon were gathered in a room with the Pope. It had been some time since these men had been in the same room, and they had a feeling they knew what this was about.  As such, Pope Julius was the first to speak as he addressed the men who had gathered.

"My children, I must thank you for traveling all of this way to the Holy See, we find ourselves in grave times, and it is with a heavy heart that I must request something important of every one of you."

The three Iberian Kings nodded their heads in silence as they waited for the Pope to speak his peace; after doing so, the Pope sighed heavily before revealing the Holy Roman Empire's intelligence about Berengar's actions in Iberia.

"You should all be aware of the heretic known as Berengar the Accursed. We do not know what evil intentions he has, but the man visited Granada and met with the Sultan. We fear he may be plotting to arm the Moors with his demonic devices! If we do not act now, then your Kingdoms are in grave danger of being overrun! I implore the three of you to join together and fight against the Moorish menace!"

This news came as a shock to the three Kings of Iberia; they were not aware that Berengar had met with the Sultan of Granada, nor that he was in the process of arming and training them for war. However, if such a thing was true, it did indeed threaten the stability of the region; as such, the three men began to bicker among themselves for the best course of action.

As the King of the most extensive Kingdom of Iberia, King Fransisco de Trastámara of the Kingdom of Castile was the first to voice his support for the Pope's words. 

"I agree with His Holiness; if we do not join together to fight against the Moors, then we will be opening ourselves up to future troubles. This must end now! For too long, the Muslim filth has occupied our lands!"

King Felipe de Trastámara of the Kingdom of Aragon was the next to speak on the matter, as such he cleared his throat before speaking in an authoritative tone.

"And who will lead this supposed alliance of ours? I do not know about you, but I do not trust King Fransisco not to stab me in the back when this is all over!"

The two Kings were cousins, and as such, had a bitter rivalry as they both intended to take over each other's kingdoms. Thus, without an outside enemy's interference, it was unlikely for the two men to come together and unify their forces.  The moment Felipe made this claim, Fransisco nearly jumped out of his chair as he raised his voice at his cousin.

"How dare you claim such a thing about my character! I'll have you know that my honor is renowned across the globe! To insinuate that I would betray you if anything resembles your character greater than my own!"

Before the two Kings could lunge at each other over the words that had been spoken, the Pope interrupted by clearing his throat. The moment he did so, the two men shrank back into their seats as if they were schoolchildren being scolded by their teacher.

"We have greater concerns than your petty squabbles. I suggest the two of you look at the big picture. If the Granadans are armed and trained by the Austrians, then only by coming together and uniting your armies against them do you stand a chance of survival! Look at yourselves closely, and ask yourselves if your disputes are worth the destruction of your kingdom!?!"

After saying this, the two Kings glanced at one another before quickly looking away. As for the King of Portugal, he enjoyed the sight of the two men bickering; it was not every day that he could witness such a spectacular sight. 

King Luiz de Avis was the current Monarch of Portugal and had sustained his territory despite the ongoing conflicts with his neighbors. One of the ways he had managed to do this was by playing the Castilian and Aragonian thrones against one another so that the focus was off of his realm. 

Though he did not desire to see a union between Castile and Aragon, he had to admit that the threat that an Austro-Granadan alliance posed was significant, especially since he had become aware of the swift vessels known as clippers Berengar had used to transport goods across the Mediterranean rapidly. 

If Austrian Naval vessels were half as fast as his merchant fleet, they posed a significant threat in warfare. As such, the Portuguese King was much more open to the idea of cooperation against the Austro-Granadan alliance.  Thus the man spoke with some civility as he began to discuss the potential, albeit temporary union of their three countries. 

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"Without a doubt, if we leave the Austro-Granadan alliance to its own devices, they will eventually attack us. We should strike swiftly while the Granadan troops are still unprepared for the event of war. A temporary alliance between our three countries is the most efficient means to achieve victory. 

If you two have a problem with the potential of each other leading said alliance, then why don't I take the position? Compared to the two of you, I have no interest in either of your realms and if one of you were to betray the other, I could support the wronged party. These terms are fair, are they not?"

Hearing this, the other two monarchs frowned; though they knew what Luiz said was reasonable, they were having troubles coming to terms with such an arrangement. Portugal was an outsider; though they were Iberian, they had begun to split from the Castilians and Aragonians culturally. 

However, at the same time, it was because they were an outsider that the Portuguese might be the fittest to lead the alliance of the three countries. As such, Fransisco was the first to agree to these terms. 

"Very well, though I want you to know that this alliance is temporary; as soon as the Granadans are defeated, I will immediately withdraw my support!"

Upon hearing this, Felipe became outraged and immediately threw his support behind the Portuguese, not wanting his cousin to gain the upper hand.

"I, too, support this alliance under the same terms and conditions as Castile!"

With that said, the three Iberian Kings had come to an arrangement, and Pope Julius smiled amicably at the result. Truthfully he did not care which of these fools led the alliance, only that it was formed to deal with the Grenadans, and by extension, the Austrians with them.  After seeing the results, the Pope declared what would shock the Catholic World when it was released to Europe at large.

"Very well, then it is under these terms that I announce the formation of the Iberian Union, led by the Crown of Portugal. Until the Moorish menace is defeated and driven from the Iberian peninsula, you three Kings will do your best to eliminate them! God wills it!"

Immediately the three Iberian Kings chanted back the Pope's words.

"God Wills It!"

With that said, the Iberian Union was formed and would face off in a proxy war against the Granadans. In doing so, the conflict between Austria and the Papacy had begun to take a more sinister turn. The winner of the fight for Iberia would determine the future of the world in many ways. 

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