My story is about king Henry II of France. He ascended the throne in a young age, being merely 4 years old. At first he grew to be a scholarly king, albeit his rather dim wit. He wasn't by any means a religious man, in fact he regulary corresponded with his decades dead daughter and claimed that Earth circles the Sun - a statement that rather annoyed the Pope. But this was about to change.
In the year 1116, a crusade was called for Jerusalem. Henry had by then a man grown son of 19 years of age, who was rather more zealous than himself and had already fathered a son. But nevertheless, a few years later he joined The Knights Templar, which disinherited this young, promising prince. Henry, devastated with this blow, joined the crusade in the year 1119, to join his son in battle. The war lasted for over 30 years and was for the most part considered an impending failure. In 1132, a civil war broke out in France, which meant that the french forces needed to retreat to fight it out. After the civil war was put down, Henry II, now known as The Bold, gathered his forces once more, for the final desperate push to win the crusade. And then, in the year 1142, what was almost certain muslim victory was turned into a glorious triumph for christians. His forces slashed the infidel forces with newfound ferocity, sieged and stormed holding after holding, until in the year 1144, the war was won and Jerusalem given to Henry, who never knew his glory, for he had fallen into coma a mere week before signing the peace treaty and died a few months later, in the glorious age of 77.
Despite his startings as a rather non-religious and heretical man, through his trials and sufferings, he died a true christian knight, full of love and still corresponding with his belowed daughter, who by then had been dead for over 40 years.
His son Phillipe, however, had left the templars due to unknown reasons that had probably something to with a duel and killing of grandmaster. This meant that this young, promising, 49 years old prince, inherited the throne he had once refused and became a king. He was known as "the Hammer" but I rather picture him as an old, maimed and disturbed man who had only known war in his life, ruling over old, maimed and disturbed men, who had only known war in their lives.