W_L

I returned to London in September 1558 after the final round of a separate diplomatic negotiation between the intermediaries of myself and Catherine de Medici, the regent of France, was finalized. Her husband, Henry II, had died of shock upon hearing the disaster that befell the allied army and the capture of Francis, the dauphin and heir to his throne. Catherine as a result needed the return of her critically injured son, Francis, and her 15,000 troops along with various military equipment who

Chapter 26 The beginning of the reign: All Hail Aelfric Elias Tudor! Aelfric is an old English-German name with the combination of "Aelf" meaning "Elf, fair people, fair, wisdom", "Ric, meaning "ruler, leader". I chose an English name as a Courtesy title/name to deviate from the traditions of Western Europe, incorporating the Asian monarch titling concept. This kind of reform isn't well known in Western Europe, but later German and Russian monarch did make their version of "Caesar" in the form of Kaiser and Czar as their courtesy title/name of monarchs. As such, I am making an English equivalency of this concept. The dual meaning of Aelfric is interesting as well since it also claimed Fair Folk roots, basically like waving a Pride flag as a name 😛 Some other interesting notes: Omega issues are touched upon in this chapter. I have no forgotten that my main character is intersex and there's some sore subjects like pronouns and gender bias issues. In a universe, where binary gender spectrum is all that has ever existed, I wanted to make sure that these issues are explored and discussed. Something few Omegaverse stories touch on is the inherent issues of having a tri-gender human society, there are a lot of sociological problems with various people. Additionally, the inclusion of vaginal sex without erogenous response and the Omega's gestation period being around five months, the Omega gender is significantly different than females and males during reproduction. They need a partner to facilitate reproduction, but on the other hand, the gestation period being so short will allow Omegas to easily grow in terms of population distribution. Two new characters were added in this chapter: Don Antonio and Matsudeira Takechiyo, both will become important characters for future stories. Don Antonio was the son of a Portuguese prince, who had a claim to the Throne of Portugal, but in history due to various issues (including his Jewish mother) was declared illegitimate. Philip II, son Emperor Charles V of Holy Roman Empire and King of Spain, became King of Portugal as well, cementing Habsburg rule over Iberian peninsula for decades. He's an interesting character in history, someone whose parentage and bloodline was infamous. On the other hand, Matsudeira Takechiyo, in history will later rename himself to Tokugawa Ieyasu, is the third unifier of Japan, who would begin a shogunate that reigned for more than two hundred years until the 19th century. He is going by that name right now due to various issues, including his dislocation and sale into slavery to the Spanish/Portuguese, who had made contact with Japan at this point in history. As I alluded to, I am well-aware of Shogun, both the original miniseries and FX series currently airing. I like the idea of introducing Asian ideas into English history, just like the book/show are inserting Western concepts into Japanese culture. It's a juxtaposition and cultural relativity lesson from a modern Otaku. This week's law of power is 34th law, "Be royal in your own fashion. Act like a king to be treated like one", basically you need to establish yourself like royalty in order to be treated like one. People may think royal titles and names are useless, but it established the concept of presence. A leader is just a leader, if they want to be a king, they need the title equivalent to one. Eli had to take a title like Aelfric to both raise the status of the rulership and effectively command the realm. References: 1. Henry II did die on July 10th, 1559, followed a year later by his heir and eldest son Francis in 1560. This resulted in the regency of Catherine de Medici, who controlled France for much of the 16th century akin to a Dowager Queen for her remaining children. 2. Interesting fact about Portuguese Don Antonio, I had not realized that he was possibly the son of a Jewish mother until I started researching his background for this story. It raises a lot of unsettling questions about anti-semitism inherent in the lack of succession. There's some touchy subject matter here, but it's a fascinating angle that was worth exploring as the historical figure factored heavily later in English history during the English Armada attack on Spain. Of course, history will likely be different in my story 3. Matsudeira Takechiyo was held hostage by Imagawa Yoshimoto, when his family was defeated during a clan war. He later served Yoshimoto until Imagawa defeat at the hands of Oda Nobunaga at the Battle of Okehazama. The future shogun of Japan had a colorful life, but you should note that he only kept the name Matsudeira Takechiyo until he began serving Yoshimoto at age of 13, when Yoshimoto renamed him Matsudaira Jirōsaburō Motonobu. This meant in my story, he was sold into slavery by the Imagawa or Oda clans sometime before he turned 13 years old. Technical details like ancient Japanese rites of ascension and hostage customs were considered in my story.

The first time two male humpback whales have been captured performing homosexual acts in the wild. https://globalnews.ca/news/10323696/humpback-whale-sex-homosexual-behaviour-hawaii/ Interesting how the power dynamic works between the two males: Wonder if this was just a one-time thing between them (No strings) or if it's like a mating thing to invite the skinny down-on-his-luck Whale A to form a pod/family with a healthy jock Whale B or something. -------------- The first thing I thought when I read this news was recalling a scene from Star Trek IV when Captain Kirk asked why would aliens spend so much effort to talk to some humpback whales on Earth. 😛 I'm a gay nerd, what can I say?

1. Creating Chemical Compounds Inside an innocuous workshop in the middle of Bristol, England, a series of bottles containing the usual apothecary ingredients were displayed. However, the workshop above was merely a shell, among many other shops along the street. Below the street was an underground facility, where additional material was being created. Inside the room was a solitary industrial engineer. The first was a young woman who wore a white coat, and glasses and had her dark hai

This chapter was a combination of several military and technological advantages that I had hinted at over the last 24 chapters. Even so, if this were a long drawn-out war, Eli couldn't win with the resources available against the combined might of Europe along with most Latin America and parts of Asia offering their manpower and resources. Being an Otaku, Eli is familiar with Japanese military strategy: Strike hard, boldly, and with the best steel you have, so I adapted Japanese strategy to counter European strategy. This kind of tactic may seem risky to Western and even Chinese military strategists who favor method rather than bold action, but it won Russo-Japanese War for a reason. I took the concept and adapted it into this story. Calais would not be abandoned in this timeline as an English Continental possession, but logistically moving thousands of troops would be an issue immediately after winning the kingdom and having to face several military forces in Ireland and Scotland that outnumber your own. It's a gamble to send out the entire modern steel fleet. An offensive campaign was the best choice.

I placed Mary under house arrest in London, along with a garrison of 3,000 troops and the wooden-ship English fleet for support around the port. While William Cecil argued that I needed a coronation immediately to have legitimacy, I countered that two battlefields needed to be taken care of before a coronation could occur. In the north, 50,000 French and 10,000 Scottish troops, along with Mary’s loyalists that escaped from Northumberland, were regrouping for a counterattack. However, due to the

Chapter 25 Going to pause after this chapter as the mid-way point for a week, see you all on March 8th This chapter is the promised Calais Campaign of 1558. Interesting historical footnotes: Thomas Wentworth was in charge of Calais during Mary I's reign and William Grey was a stubborn and capable military commander during the defense of Calais, who would go on to serve Elizabeth well in Scottish campaigns later. As for this story, all the build up of military technology and equipment was leading to this kind of war. Essentially, the only way to defeat the combined militaries of the New Rome Papal State and German Empire was to borrow a military strategy that the Japanese used against Russia, Kantai Kessen. To win using this kind of strategy, you must be technically superior to your enemy, which Eli has achieved with naval and land forces. This kind of strategy won the Russo-Japanese war for Japan, which should have been impossible due to Russia's overwhelming manpower, resources, and capacity compared to Japan. However, in terms of naval technology and tactics, Japan had far better warships than Russia with higher caliber guns and better coordination between their navy and land forces. I also borrowed the failure of this strategy in World War II against the US as inspiration, because the US was able to break Japanese communication codes in the Pacific, allowing them to easily identify enemy fleet disposition and direction. That was how the US Fleet at the Battle of Midway ambushed the 4 Japanese carriers and sank them, forcing Japan to lose naval superiority after 1942. By combining superior communication equipment with the use of vacuum tube radios and an enemy who does not realize their communications are being monitored, Eli could defeat armies of fifty times larger sizes. As for the peace treaty at the end of this chapter, it is a temporary peace that was needed by both sides. Displaying a 15 kiloton attack against German army and semi-automatic rifles against Papal troops would be a frightening thing to see. While technically they have Sky Fortress and an air force that could do just as much damage, Eli is technically using better equipment than either of them due to Robert's ability. With reports of tracked tanks and other mid-20th century weapons appearing in English battlefields, this peace treaty may seem like a capitulation by Eli's opponents, but it was a necessary pause for them to adjust their strategies and plns. For Eli, the peace treaty was a breathing room for the nascent reign. A military success and territorial acquisition in France will win support from various people. It also buys time for massive nation-level industrialization to occur in England, Wales, and Ireland. Charles of Lorraine is trying to preserve his family's limited power after all the failures, so he may be an interesting frenemy in the future (Remember he's uncle to Mary Queen of Scots as well, so he has a desire to keep his niece in power, along with regaining influence in French court). In history, his detractors painted him as someone similar to later Cardinal Richelieu or Mazarin, so my idea of this character is in a similar light. He doesn't understand all the technical details about time travel or the power within the church hierarchy, but he is a master of politics and diplomacy, Eli and him will have more dealings in the future. FYI: William of Orange or in this case William of Nassau is introduced in this chapter. He's the father of the Dutch, so I hope Dutch readers will enjoy This week is the 28th Law of power, "Enter action with boldness", which teaches people to take action decisively and with courage, despite what may seem outlandish or impossible. Just as the historical lesson I based this military campaign in Calais on, sometimes being bold in action will surprise your opponents and cause confusion. Notes: 1. Interesting thing, Count William of Nassau-Siegen was the father of William of Orange, but in this timeline, William the younger did not inherit the title of Prince of Orange, so he doesn't get his famous title. Interestingly enough, English king William III was also called William of Orange. 2. We briefly saw a glimpse of Ferdinand of Bohemia, who was the brother of Charles V and should have inherited the Holy Roman Empire from him. He was a good military commander in history as I mentioned and a practical political mind compared to his brother. You may see his latin maxim being used by another character 3. The description of the 15-kiloton blast is taken from the observations of the atomic weapons test conducted by the US and Soviet Union, blast wind velocity at the center versus outlying area. Despite being several miles away, Hurricane-force winds would still be hitting the town as a result. I know not many people may care about this technical detail I used, but I liked the mechanics.

The orbs are one of the big mysteries in the story that I may need to explore in a sequel novel, like The Expanse did with Protomolecules and the Gates. They're not human technology; even at our best pace of technological breakthroughs, we wouldn't be able to create an energy/computing system as compact and powerful as an orb. We're talking Type II or III Kardashev civilization level of technology. Eli and Robert both have realized this is likely alien technology, or at the very least, not native to the humans of their era. The movie Interstellar and the book series The Expanse have similar conceptual ideas, it's a bigger mystery and I have ideas on it.

It took years of planning and military build-up, which I just briefly touched on throughout my chapters and short stories. I could probably go deeper into how Eli and Robert created a material supply chain, developed welding techniques and riveting with traditional blacksmiths, and installed a vacuum tube based systems, along wth a more complex fire control system in the Dreadnaught.

William Jennings Bryan was an infamous populist and Western member of the US Democratic party in the early 20th century (along with a penchant as one of the biggest proponents of US Creationist of the 20th century with his role in the Scopes trial made famous by Inherit the Wind ), I know of him of course 😛 The Gold Cross in my story is essentially a cautionary tale, people are foolish enough to desire physical wealth placed in front of them, while not cautious enough to protect the wealth from "critical resources". No amount of Gold will ever be enough to equate critical resources to national interest, i.e. for the US modern military/industrial technologies, the near-earth satellite network for communication and military coordination, and above all the financial infrastructure that maintains social interactions. While you can sell out any of these things to outside players, it would mean you are weakening national interest and undermining things in the long-run.

Before the final mile of the road to the Tower complex, I made one last speech to the gathered crowds that had followed us from Fleet Street and St. Mary Aldermary Church. I urged them to leave my side and await word of our victory. I did not want any innocent civilians to be accidentally harmed by this engagement. While presenting my military forces' power openly was useful for establishing my authority, I needed good public order to maintain the civil infrastructure of London. By doing this, I

Chapter 24 The battle has been won and there's a lot of revelations. I want readers to remember that Eli/Eric and Robert/Jack's backstory for how they're integrated into this alternate timeline is just as important as the big players. Reginald Pole died on November 17th, 1558 historically, so this death is only a few months earlier, coincidentally Mary Tudor also died on November 17th 1558, 12 hours before Reginald Pole. However, history would not play out as it once did as Mary is going to live longer than Reginald. Here are a few key reveals in the conversation: 1. The orbs/cores possess many extreme properties from energy manipulation, computing capacity, scan/analtical sensors, and even applications to genetic sequencing. 2. Jack engaged in genetic experiments with the cores on transgender individuals seeking to transition. The cores have advanced analytical and energy manipulation abilities, hinting at the application of bioelectrical manipulation and gene editing. 3. Reginald Pole, Peter II, and by extension, much of the Papal/Catholic high office holders are members of the Corporate Consortium, which Jack Humes, co-founded. However, they represent a splinter faction that worked with the Western Charter and had stolen assets of this faction. 4. Dozens of Sky Fortresses are being built, hinting at the improving industrial infrastructure of the European powers. Remember each of these Sky fortresses can produce firepower equivalent to nuclear weapons. 5. There are charging stations for cores disbursed between various powers, the majority of which are in the hands of the Western Charter. As for historical concepts, the "two-bodies" concept is an interesting political-philosophical concept that existed in European mindsets around this era. It holds that the ruler can be both individual and political, essentially representing their interests and those of a nation. Two separate bodies with distinct needs and identities. Elizabeth I in history used the concept define herself as both a woman and a monarch, defining two identities into one person, meaning that she could transcend the "female" definition, which Mary I was unable to as a traditional Christian woman remaining subservient to males. I took the concept and went further with it as I found it provocative that Europeans didn't go further down this concept's path on identity as other cultures like Japan did to create "third-gender" LGBTQ principles. This week's law of power is 47th, "Do not go past the mark you aimed for. In victory, know when to stop", this rule teaches victors to know when to stop after securng their goals. Overextension or overconfidence can lead to various mistakes. In this chapter, Eli made 2 major mistakes after nominally defeating Mary's forces in England and securing the throne: 1. Revealing his capabilities to Reginald Pole to counter his opponent's perceived superior position, and 2. Wanting to showcase Mary as the defeated monarch in order to demonstrate who is the stronger leader. Both created unplanned issues, including the death of Reginald Pole and Mary's extended lifespan. Notes: 1. Elizabeth I as a proponent of the Two-Bodies political philosophy concept was also part of the ascension speech when she took the throne in 1559, so I incorporated it here. 2. While it is not well known, Mary I actually could give strong speeches, like the speech she gave to rally troops during Wyatt's Rebellion in actual history. However, in this timeline without Wyatt's rebellion, Mary's oratory skills have not been displayed until now.

It will take time, years of therapy, even with Robert and Eli's abilities working in tandem. Growing limbs is not impossible, since we know other creatures have that factor within their genome. Robert's ability to manipulate matter and Eli's ability to analyze and use information makes some of the speculative fiction possible.

I always loved the ending of the Tudors, when Henry VIII had to face his internal demons for everything he did throughout his life for his vanity, his ambition, and his power. To me, a contemporary who was just as guilty of everything that happened during that time frame like Thomas Howard represents a kind of reflection on that era in English history.

Old Nick makes astute observations

He is still with us, this is Barnaby's death poem. Kind of a farewell to someone you love that will never be heard

Barnaby died of poison in Chapter 17, you will discover who did it later. The assassin is quite famous

It's going to be fun

Futuristic technology exist in this world, some even more advanced than our own modern technology. The side story reveals certain things, especially the "cores", a power source and artificial intelligence source of unknown design, potentially non-human origin

Good ideas, I also added some bonus material as you seem to enjoy these chapters.

Alas, sweet Edward, fair sovereign of my heart, In this shadowed hour, I stand bereft, torn apart. Thine tender years, a fragile bloom untimely severed, A boy king's reign, by fate's cruel hand endeavored. O, how oft have I beheld thee, radiant and bright, A princely visage, bathed in innocence and light. Thy laughter, a melody that danced upon the air, Now silenced, as death claims me, a love so rare. From childhood's embrace, thou didst asc

Thanks for reading

It's good and bad, since Eli is crushing it on the battlefield, but avoided attacks on civilians. In some ways, the lack of civilian casualties may not be a positive thing.

A lot of people forget what traditional Christmas truly was, not a commercial or consumer holiday, but a communal holiday where people shared their resources with one another. Ironic, considering UK was one of the original nations that pushed commercialism for Christmas celebrations.

Good strategem