Arthur VII of Brittany (The Once and Never Kings)

Arthur VII (born: Arthur Conan Peter Henry) is the reigning King of Brittany, Duke of Aquitaine, and Emperor of Francia (as Arthur IV). He is the son of King Henry V (1932 - 2001) and his wife, Margaret of Provence (1939 - ).

The third of four children, Arthur was born on August 14, 1975. As he was the younger of his father's two sons, he wasn't set to become King of Brittany, becoming content on becoming a student of history. Amassing quite a collection of books by his sixteenth birthday, he became a well educated young man.

But his older brother, Peter, the heir to the realm, died in a carriage accident. After which, Arthur became Duke of Brittany, the title given to the heir. Between his brother's death in 1987, and his succession in 2001, he committed himself to being prepared for rule, he became fluent in Occitan (still widely spoken in Aquitaine), and began learning Norman, Francian, Burgundian, and Catalan. Known to spend nights on end studying books on the workings of government, he also surrounded himself with well-trusted advisors.

King Henry V died on July 2, 2001, after an almost fifty year reign, and Arthur succeeded him as Arthur VII. As Henry V was also Emperor of Francia, his death prompted the need for a new election. Arthur met the eleven other electors in Tours, and after nine days of deliberation, Arthur emerged with seven votes, and as the new Emperor, Arthur IV.

Since his succession, Arthur has tried to diffuse tensions between common Francian states, and between Francian states and outside nations, particularly with Aragon and the Holy Roman Empire. He has tried to forge neutral relations with Burgundy-Netherlands and the Hansa, after his father and grand-father waged several expensive wars with them. Both have been generally unreceptive, indeed Luxembourg cast its two votes for Auvergne, much to Arthur's disappointment.

Arthur has also overseen a new naval expansion project, in light of the same from Luxembourg, Wessex, and Aragon.

Titles
The full titles of King Arthur VII are as follows:

Arthur VII, ''by the Grace of God and the Will of the Electors, Emperor of Francia, King of Brittany, Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Penteur, Count of Nantes, Count of Rennes, Count of Poitou, of Saintonge, of la Marche, of Aunis, of Angouleme, Viscount of Parthenay, of Castillon, of Perigord