William, the duke of Normandy: 1048 to 1060
This time, your king seems too powerful to face in open battle. And when he lays siege to castles he cannot be dislodged easily: you can harrass his lines of supply, but he has more resources to draw on than you do, and yours are stretched to their maximum. It seems only a matter of time until you must come to the bargaining table. So you decide to throw in the towel and submit to Henry's terms. He cannot disfranchise you now; but he can impose severe limitations to your power, now that your military strength has failed you.
For the rest of your life, you will answer to him and his successors: your duchy is carved up to form less dangerous fiefs, and you are effectively no more than "the count of Rouen", as your ancestors were before they expanded their realm through conquest. Rather than the "Conqueror", you are remembered by history as William the (meek) Bastard.
