Deeds of the Dukes of Chariton

VI: Union and Separation
January 2686 – January 2689

In early January 2686 Ana, the daughter of Mayor Isaac of Rock Port, married Phineas, the only son of Duke Truman’s former marshal of the same name.

In January 2686, Duke Lyman invited Count Napoleon of Moberly, Count Hannibal of Hannibal, King Franklin Stonewall, Abbot Lee of Bethany, Mayor Isaac of Rock Port, Isaac’s son Everett, and a few courtiers from the counties of Kanesville and Icaria to a small feast. Everett, the Mayor of Rock Port’s son, was also married to Fairuza, a woman who had come to Duke Truman’s court.

Unfortunately, Abbot Lee and most of the courtiers that Duke Truman invited declined their invitation, but Glen (the guardian of Countess Diana of Icaria) and Mayor Isaac of Rock Port agreed to come to the feast.

Calvin Rodman, former Duke of the Quad Cities and Mayor of Sioux City, died in his bed at the age of 74 in late February 2686. Around this time Daffodil Graham, the 10-year-old illegitimate daughter of Lavon Graham, was betrothed to the 20-year-old Shadrach Maizeflower, the late Mayor’s grandson and, it was rumored, spymaster. The new Mayor of Sioux City was named Asa.

In late April Duke Poynter of Driftless was heard discussing ways to reduce King Franklin’s power over the nobility and Sheldon was replaced as Duke Lyman’s steward by Phineas, son of Duke Truman’s onetime Marshal and Spymaster.

At a feast in May, Duke Lyman befriended Count Hannibal of Hannibal, and around the same time King Franklin made Duke Lyman Lord Marshal of the Kingdom of Iowa.

In early June, Duke Lyman of Chariton married his cousin Countess Diana of Icaria. Lana Icaria, a girl whose mother had died and father was unknown, was betrothed to Horace Lucerne.

In January 2687, Duke Eustace of Iowa (King Franklin Stonewall’s younger brother) died at the age of 55 after a sudden illness. He was suceeded as Duke of Iowa by his 5 year old son Ebeneezer. Five days later, on January 22 King Franklin Stonewall requested Countess Diana of Icaria to surrender Corning and her lands to him. She refused and mustered her men, causing King Franklin to do the same. Against 500 Icarians, King Franklin mustered some 1300 Iowans, including some 270 of Duke Lyman’s levies.

There’s a popular story that Countess Diana sent a messenger through Iowan lines to inform her husband, who was training soldiers near Des Moines, of her pregnancy the day after refusing to surrender Icaria to King Franklin, but this story seems implausible.

In February, 500 Icarians led by Jerome Holabird fell on the 270 Chariton men King Franklin had mustered near Bethany. The Chariton men were not commanded by anyone of significance, and 100 Chariton men were killed or wounded against some 30 Icarian casualties. The Icarians began raiding the country near Kirksville as 3000 Iowan soldiers commanded by Abbot Gerald of Estherville and King Franklin laid siege to Corning.

On May 23 Duke Ebeneezer of Iowa, King Franklin’s nephew, was murdered on the orders of Mayor Dwight of Iowa City. Shortly thereafter, King Franklin made Lyman Wapello, formerly the Count of Ottumwa, Duke of Iowa. Melville Baltic, a former subject of the Queen of Lakotah, came to Duke Truman’s court at around the same time. Initially he was a heathen, but on the request of Duke Truman he agreed to be baptized, and after his baptism he was married to Lily, a young woman from the court of Count Orion of Bluffwoods.

In early June Duke Truman mustered 1300 men from Maryville and the surrounding country to deal with the Icarians troubling his lands near Kirksville. Count Napoleon of Moberly was put in command of the Chariton army and ordered to march east.

In early July, the Chariton army met the Icarians at the Battle of Bethany. Count Napoleon had been forced to retreat after being charged by the Icarian center, but the left wing under Lavon Graham attacked the Icarian flank and forced them to retreat west. About 80 Chariton men were killed or wounded, while some 300 Icarian men were killed or wounded.
The Chariton army followed the retreating Icarians west to Rock Port, where the Icarian army of around 150 men was quickly defeated by the Chariton army of 1200 men near Rock Port in late July.

In early August, Duke Truman heard that Count Napoleon sought to fabricate a claim on the Duchy of Chariton. After a polite request to end his plot, Count Napoleon readily agreed, claiming he must have drank too much wine one night.

On August 24, 2687 a daughter was born to Duke Lyman and Duchess Diana of Chariton. She was named Pastoria after her mother’s mother.

In October 2687, Corning surrendered to King Franklin. King Franklin allowed Diana Dedale safe passage out of his kingdom, and she fled to Peketon, ruled by Count Milo Wheatman. Duke Lyman’s daughter Pastoria Still and a nurse took up residence in Duke Truman’s court at Maryville.

In early November, Duke Lyman ordered the construction of training grounds for his militia near Maryville.

In December, 1200 Northmen from the shores of Lake Superior raided the countryside near Davenport and Prince Franklin of Iowa turned 16. The young prince was well known for his charity and kindness, and in spite of his best efforts his fondness for the company of pretty young women was something of an open secret in Des Moines.

On Christmas Day 2687 Duke Poynter of Driftless, who had long served as Lord Chancellor of the Kingdom of Iowa, died of a sudden heart attack, which also ended his ambitions to reduce the power of King Franklin Stonewall. He was succeeded as Duke of Driftless and Lord Chancellor of Iowa by his 19-year-old son Roquat, who was married to Duke Lyman’s sister Pastoria. Duke Roquat was stocky and had bright red hair, like his parents, and much like his father he was clubfooted.
In late December of that year Abbot Gerald of Estherville led some 3700 Iowans against the Northmen raiding near Davenport.

As 2687 turned to 2688, there was news that King Ned of Platte, who had recently turned 71, had remarried after the death of his late wife Isobel. The old king married a Comanche woman whose father was the Marshal of the King of Comancheria.

In May 2688, Duke Lyman invited King Franklin, Duke Roquat of Driftless, Canon Flint of Shoquoquon, Count Saul of Kanesville, Count Napoleon of Thompson, Abbot Lee of Bethany, and his friend Lavon to a private feast. Sadly, most of the nobles invited by Duke Lyman invited declined, citing other obligations, but Duke Roquat and Abbot Lee did accept Duke Lyman’s invitation, and Duke Lyman hosted them at Kirksville in August and September of that year.

Mayor Asa of Sioux City made known his interest in reducing King Franklin’s power, adding himself to a list of prominent nobles who had stated or began working toward similar goals without managing to persuade anyone powerful to join their cause.

In January 2689, King Franklin offered to come to the aid of Duke Keifer of Illinois, who was being invaded by the Atomicist Duke Ralston of Indianapolis. Duke Keifer quickly accepted King Franklin’s offer. When Iowa joined the war, Duke Keifer’s army was laying siege to Chicago and some 5400 Indianapolitans were near Champaign. Duke Lyman remained in Des Moines to train troops as King Franklin called up his levies, including 270 men from Duke Lyman’s lands.