William I of Cattala

King William I of House Celestine was the second King of Cattala and the son of King Roger Celestine, the founder of the Cattalian monarchy. His reign saw the expansion of the Celestinian state and the expansion of his father's grand capital, Celestine.

Early Life
William was born four years after his father was crowned King, and was the third child of Roger and Clarissa. His parents marriage had been arranged as part of a pact between House Celestine and House Aroe and it was known to have been an unhappy marriage. As a child, William was educated in the city of Celloporto, the capital of the kingdom. His two elder siblings both died in their youth and of Clarissa's seven children, William was the only one to live to adulthood. He was raised to understand that it was his duty to unify Cattala, as it was his fathers. He rarely saw either of his parents as his mother was often away in Fieranti with her family and his father at court or travelling the realm.

Crown Prince
William accompanied his father throughout many of his later battles as King, most notable the siege of Garlas. There, his father sent 10,000 men to raze the stronghold to the ground after its lord refused to recognise his rule. William was one of the first senior commanders to visit the crushed city after the battle was over, and saw the death and destruction it had caused.

As part of his duties as heir, William was commander of Celloporto in his father's stead. He was granted the title Duke of Celloporto in 1015 and had control of the development of the city and its small defensive force. He also had an input in the construction of Celestine Cathedral, which would form the centre of the grand new capital his father envisioned.

After his father's injury in a battle in modern-day Monte Calida, William took over command. King Roger was taken back to the partially-constructed Celestine, and died in the cathedral as William comprehensively won the battle.

Ascension to the Throne
His father's brutal treatment of the Garlas dynasty was spread across the islands and when he died in 1021, many lords hoped that his young son would not repeat such an atrocity. King William had been raised with his father's ideology and the desire to continue the expansion of the kingdom and the completion of the capital city was as strong, if not more strong, than his father's had been.

As the son of Lord Aroe's eldest daughter, William was also a favourite of the now-elderly Lord of Fieranti. His grandfather commanded his armies to unify with the new King's and made his first trip outside of Calora for more than a decade to visit his grandson's coronation in the autumn of 1021, which was attended by lords and ladies from across the island, all eager to discover if the new claimant of their lands would follow his father's policies.

Reign
The first major event in the rule of King William was in 1025, when he raised an army three times the size of his fathers and marched through Aroe land, and arrived at Allais. Here, William's army met the small garrison of House Callea's border town. The Lord of Calleas saw the vast host and pledged fealty to the King at once. Neighbouring House Blais, surrounded by allies to the Celestine's, also pledge fealty. By William's death, all of the noble houses of Cattala had pledged fealty to the crown and only House Garlas had been fought against and defeated in battle.

During his lengthy, 43-year reign, the capital of Celestine was completed and the palaces and cathedrals that formed the centrepiece of his father's plan became dominant in the skyline of Amosseri. The castle stronghold of the kingdom, Citadel di Celestica, was expanded and extended to become a central defensive structure in the city. It still stands today.

The death of his wife, Queen Estella of Calleas, in 1051 had limited impact on the King, who was in Rome on a trade mission at the time. His dedication to the duty of kingship meant that for most of their 30-year marriage there was little contact between them, and she spent most of her time in her family home in Calleas and not in the palaces of Celestine. He also failed to attend the funeral, after falling out with Queen Estella's brother about where she should be buried. He demanded that she was buried in Celestine, but Lord Calleas refused to send her body to "a place she despised".

However his diplomatic and military successes meant that he paid little attention to his son and heir, King Alain I. His son was raised in the burgeoning capital but grew up as a paranoid and nervous child, traits he carried into adult life. Unlike his father, William was determined to conquer the whole island within his lifetime and dedicated little thought to the continuing stability after his death.

Death and Legacy
King William died at the age of 65 in the booming capital of a country transformed since his birth. His death in the Citadel ended decades of expansion and prosperity in the western regions and was mourned greatly throughout the realm.