William, the duke of Normandy: 1048 to 1060

You take leave of your senses! You have put yourself in king Henry's power. He demands your fealty or you will be disfranchised in Normandy. If you want to remain duke, you must comply with your suzerains's demands. Henry and you ride with a French army to join with your Normans. But Henry does not attack Alençon: he summons count Geoffrey to a parley: where you two are reconciled, and count Geoffrey agrees to never attack you again. He gives up the towns of Domfront and Alençon to the king's troops. With royal garrisons on your southwest border between you, Anjou and Normandy experience a period of peace.

By this submission to the king, you have lost the initiative toward independence that you were building. From now on there will be no independent actions abroad on your part: your people will follow the stronger man. History remembers you as William the (meek) Bastard.