William the Bastard: 1038 to 1047
Hardez mocks your cowardice. King Henry does not say it, but you get the impression that he is disappointed in you. His arrangement of his forces is conservative. You keep your banner close beside his, and throughout the long, hard-fought day you see through the dust your squadrons sometimes victorious, but generally getting worsted by superior numbers. Finally, the day is over, and the sun goes down on a field of strewn corpses. The royal army is played out; your own mesnie is reduced to a few dozen effectives still ahorse. In the morning, the royal army withdraws beyond the border of Normandy, where king Henry calls for a parley. The victors want you banished from Normandy. The king has no choice but to agree. He offers in the place of the duchy, a simple fief on the border with Burgundy. History forgets your name.
