On leaving the city of Tours he repaired to Paris, where he fixed the seat of his government." Paris was certainly the political centre of his dominions, the intermediate point between the early settlements of his race and himself in Gaul and his new Gallic conquests; but he lacked some of the possessions nearest to him and most naturally, in his own opinion, his.
To the east, north, and south-west of Paris were settled some independent Frankish tribes, governed by chieftains with the name of kings.

So soon as he had settled at Paris, it was the one fixed idea of Clovis to reduce them all to subjection.

He had conquered the Burgundians and the Visigoths; it remained for him to conquer and unite together all the Franks.

The barbarian showed himself in his true colors, during this new enterprise, with his violence, his craft, his cruelty, and his perfidy.
He began with the most powerful of the tribes, the Ripuarian Franks.

He sent secretly to Cloderic, son of Sigebert, their king, saying, "Thy father hath become old, and his wound maketh him to limp o' one foot; if he should die, his kingdom will come to thee of right, together with our friendship." Cloderic had his father assassinated whilst asleep in his tent, and sent messengers to Clovis, saying, "My father is dead, and I have in my power his kingdom and his treasures.