Middle+Ages+Letter

Dear King Baldwin III , I am very happy that we have forgiven each other after all these years of fighting. I never wanted to go to war against you and I am now very glad that we have made peace with each other. After I was married to your father, Count Fulk of Anjou, I was supposed to be given true power as the queen. This is what I expected, but after a while I realized that King Fulk was ignoring me and tried to keep me from having any power. I was annoyed by this because it was agreed that your father would give me half of the power when we were married. I increased by group of supporters and after awhile he gave me admission into the inner councils of the kingdom. After this, Fulk did not make a decision without asking for my assistance. After your father died I became the sole ruler of the kingdom. You were only thirteen at the time so you weren’t old enough to take the throne. I tried my best to be a strong and competent administrator. When you became fifteen I ignored your birthday which I’m very sorry for. When you became twenty-one I realized that people would probably start pushing you to take the throne away from me and I was true. Nobles began pressuring you into taking your share of the kingdom and eventually you demanded that we should split the kingdom after you became King Baldwin III. You controlled Tyre and Acre while I controlled Jerusalem and Nablus. Peace soon returned but didn’t last for long. Your advisers urged you to take control of the rest of the rest of my lands and this is probably where the most conflict began. As your army overtook my army in Nablus I was very upset. I never wanted us to fight. When your armies came into Jerusalem I was so happy when the mediators were finally able to convince us to make peace. I hope we will never have to fight against each other again. If you ever need any help with making decisions about the kingdom I will always be happy to help! You are a great son and I hope you do well ruling!

Love, Melisende