Imagine a empire based on HRE (who speak French). The empire

>>55259123
Depends on a lot of factors.

How 'free' are these cities? Do they have a charter with the Monarch? Can they build their own fleets? How friendly is the current Monarch with these other kingdoms?

Will this alliance last until the pirates are eliminated or longer? Have these cities ever rebelled before? How long have they been in the Empire? Just how bad are these pirate attacks?

I guess it is ultimately up to how much control the Monarch has over them. If we're talking HRE Imperial Free Cities then he doesn't have that much power over them and raising a big stink over them negotiating on their own may keep them in line, but cause him more problems then it would be worth.

>>55259123
>Would a normal monarch allow that?
Presuming regular feudalism, I suppose not. Under the feudal system a liege provides protection to his vassals, who in turn assist the liege in both deed and council. The king wouldn't be too fond of his vassals siding with the vassals of a foreign liege to regulate their own protection, undermining the authority of both lieges in the process.

The real question is if the monarch is in any position to stop them. That depends on how large the territory the king rules is. Given that we're talking about the HRE here, this is a very complex situation. First of all, we're dealing with dozens if not hundreds of duchies, bishoprics, free cities and the like that are only symbolically organized under the emperor, except for the territories that the emperor rules directly. Secondly, even within the territory the emperor truly rules as duke, he still has his own vassals there as well as his own demesne. His power within his de facto territory depends on the loyalty of his "internal" vassals as well as the size of his demesne, and the extent of his "external"/in-empire power depends on the extent of his 'internal"/in-duchy power.

So if the only territory the emperor truly owns is a small duchy in bumfuck nowhere with three counts who are each about as powerful as he is as vassals with no intent of obeying him when he asks for soldiers, good luck stopping those free cities all the way on the other side of the empire. At best you can write a very angry letter the mayors of those free cities will use to wipe their boots.

Also why does the HRE speak French? Is this an alternate universe in which Philippe Auguste failed to keep his vassals in line and greatly increase the demesne of the monarchy to the point of making its supremacy within France unquestionable?

>>55259210
Hey