OT: Anglo-French universe (was: Welshness & Brithenig)

Ray Brown scripsit:

> What I have mused upon several from time to time is what might have
> happened if Joan of Arc (or any one else) had not driven the English
> king out of France, i.e. if the King of England had held onto his French
> possessions and eventually established himself as King of France also.
> I imagine the English nobility would've maintained Norman French or
> Anglo-Norman, supported by their francophone subjects and that this
> would've formed the basis of what became in time the common language
> of the Anglo-Franch realms.
(Is "Franch" a typo or deliberate?)

Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series (the novel _Too Many Magicians_
and the collections _Murder and Magic_ and _Lord Darcy Investigates_,
now unified as _Lord Darcy_) are set in just such a universe:  the
Anglo-French Plantagenets (John IV is the incumbent) rule over an
Anglo-French-speaking empire of worldwide scope.  In addition to the whole
of the British Isles, Ireland, and France, they also have suzerainty
over the Italies and the Germanies: the Anglo-French Kings have been
Holy Roman Emperors as well for several centuries.  In addition, they
rule New England (North America) and New France (South America) through
local rulers:  the Moqtessumids are Dukes of Mechicoe, e.g.  The chief
adversary of the Empire is Poland; the Scandinavian countries are firm
allies but not part of the Empire, and Spain is still in Arabian hands.

The POD is the Siege of Chaluz: Richard the Lion-Hearted does not die
of his fever, but becomes a reformed character and rules England well
thereafter.  His brother John never comes to power.  In the later part
of Richard's reign or his successor's (I forget), St. Hilary Robert
discovers how to control and free the human talent for sorcery, and by
the 20th century sorcerous technology (carefully regulated by the Church)
has made an industrial revolution.

Lord Darcy himself is a Crown investigator in the Sherlock Holmes mold
(though with differences); his assistant is an Irish Master Sorcerer
specializing in forensic sorcery.  Puns and allusions abound.
Recommended.

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