Plantagenet Legacy

What happens when a king loses his prowess? The day Henry IV could finally declare he had vanquished his enemies, he threw it all away with an infamous deed. No English king had executed an archbishop before. And divine judgment was quick to follow. Many thought he was struck with leprosyGod's greatest punishment for sinners. From that point on, Henry's health was cursed and he fought doggedly on as his body continued to betray himreducing this once great warrior to an invalid. Fortunately for England, his heir was ready and eager to take over. But Henry wasn't willing to relinquish what he had worked so hard to preserve. No one was going to take away his royal prerogativenot even Prince Hal. But Henry didn't count on Hal's dauntless nature, which threatened to tear the royal family apart.

From the day he was crowned, Henry V was determined to prove the legitimacy of his house. His father's usurpation weighed heavily on his mind, and he needed a grand gesture to capture the respect of his own countrymen and the rest of Europe. What better way than to follow in his great-grandfather Edward III's footsteps, and recover the territory lost in France over the previous fifty years? Better yet, why not go for the crown? Poor, deranged Charles VI couldn't manage his own barons. The conflict between the Burgundians and Armagnacs was more of a threat to his country than the English, even after Henry laid siege to Harfleur. But once Harfleur had fallen, the French came to their senses and determined to block his path to Calais and destroy him. By the time the English reached Agincourt, they were starving, exhausted, and easy pickings. Or so the French thought. Little did they reckon on Henry's leadership and the stouthearted English archers who proved, once again, that numbers didn't matter when God was on their side.