Episode 5- A devil put aside
For me, for me, for meeee…
Paris, 19 June 1410
Amongst the ever colorful crowd of people on the Summer Fair one person in particular stood out. You could definitely say that he was a foreigner, but it was pretty much impossible to pinpoint where from exactly. He was wearing a long dark coat with a golden emblem on his chest- a snake wrapped around a tree, matching trousers and shoes made out of snake skin. A pair of purple spectacles were sitting on his nose, completely obscuring his eyes.
‘Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve been here. I like what they did with this city. I would’ve never guessed that the Frenchies would live up to something.” He thought to himself. Then again, last time he was in this part of the world this city was called ‘Lutetia’ and people were mostly speaking Latin.
Crowley had never spend too much time in one place, mostly because the locals were quick to cast him out. Maybe they were jealous of his looks, though his ability to bring misery and misfortune everywhere he went might had something to do with it.
He approached a street stand trader.
“Excuse me, Madam, may I have some of those fine apples?” He said, while trying to conceal his tongue. As you might expect, not many humans have forked tongues and it was usually quite hard to explain it before the locals prepare torches and pitchforks. And while, being a demon and all, dying wasn’t really a problem, applying for a new body took a lot of time and paperwork. Besides, Crowley liked his body and wasn’t particularly interested in losing it.
“Of course, dear. Here you go!”
He bought a pound of apples and ate one right away. He was always fond of apples, mostly for sentimental reasons.
Suddenly he felt a slight shake when a little boy bumped into him, almost causing him to lose balance.
“Sorry, mister!”
Crowley merely nodded and looked away. Then, he instinctively grabbed the boy by the wrist before he had the chance to run away.
”I believe you have something that belongs to me.”
The boy shook nervously, afraid of looking the stranger in the eye. He slowly reached for his pocket and pulled out a leather money bag.
“*Sniff*… I’m sorry, sir. Please, don’t turn me over to the guards! My mommy was fired from her job as a housemaid and we don’t have money for food and…”
Something similar to a smile appeared on Crowley’s face.
”Don’t worry. I won’t turn you in. Just pick your targets better next time. It appears that old Aumerger left his stand unattended again. If you hurry, you might pick it clean before he returns.”
“Thanks, mister!” The boy storms off.
‘Such a young lad, and already resorting to thievery… if he won’t get better at it, he might end up hanged.’ He thought to himself. Cities always fascinated Crowley. There was something charming about the sheer amount of human misery, spitefulness and cruelty confined in such a small space. He even helped with building some of them.
He was about to return home when a street artist caught his interest.
“Excuse me, sir. I was asked to deliver a message to you.”
Crowley stood curious when the singer strummed the strings of his lute, though the moment he started to sing something completely unexpected happened.
*Ahem*
“Lalalalala…”
CROWLEY, YOU SNAKE, WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU EVERYWHERE
He cringed. He always hated when they do that.
”Ah, yes, I wanted to send a message for a long time but I’m always very busy and..”
SAVE YOUR EXCUSES FOR SOMEONE ELSE. BESIDES, I’M NOT HERE TO BERATE YOU. YOU HAVE A JOB
”So what do the higher ups… I mean, lower downs want?”
WE NEED YOU TO GO TO NAPLES IMMEDIATELY AND OBSERVE THE SITUATION
”Naples? But, why?”
I DON’T KNOW, BUT THERE HAS BEEN SOME KIND OF DISTURBANCE. THE BOSS WANTS US TO INVESTIGATE
”A disturbance?
YES, SOME KIND OF SUBLTE SHIFT IN THE SPACE- TIME CONTINUUM
He quickly looked around him.
”Don’t say things like this in public! People still think that the Earth is flat! There might be riots!”
WHATEVER. I DON’T HAVE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT IT. NOBODY HAS, REALLY. THE BOSS HAS BEEN REALLY SECRETIVE
”And you think this… disturbance, might be in Naples?”
DON’T BE STUPID. WE DON’T KNOW WHERE IT IS. THE MORE IMPORTANT COUNTRIES ARE ALREADY UNDER OBSREVATION. THAT’S WHY WE EVEN CONSIDER YOUR ASSISTANCE
”How… generous of you”
BE THANKFUL WE DIDN’T SEND YOU TO RYUKYU. NOW GO, THIS SINGING IS GETTING ON MY NERVES
”Funny, I was thinking exactly the same”
The singer was standing with a confused look on his face.
“Huh… What happened just now? My mind went blank..”
Crowley tossed him a dime.
”Thanks for the concert, ami”
‘Looks like I’ll have to sell my apartment. Well, I never liked it anyway….’
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Naples, 25 August, 1410
The meeting of the emergency War Council went without complications, all things considering. In the center of the room was a big map with “Nepals batle plan” written on it. Louis, Ricardo and a number of nobles were standing around it, discussing strategies. The King was surprisingly silent during the whole ordeal, mostly nodding and agreeing.
The plan was simple in theory- half of Neapolitan army was sent to siege Siena, the other half stayed home to thwart invasion attempts. There was one problem though- the second half of the army was currently in Greece fighting rebels and had to be transported home, which wouldn’t be easy considering the strength of Aragonese army.
France was pretty much considered a lost cause- not only was Naples unable to safely transit troops, the troops they could spare wouldn’t be enough to stop the French menace.
The biggest concern was definitely Aragon- their army wasn’t big, but their superior navy would give the an important advantage in the region. They also had help- Sicily, their puppet, and the kingdom of Brittany
Adriano arrived just when the meeting was finished. Only Ricardo remained in the room.
“The King’s not there?”
“No, he already left. Said he was very tired.”
“Weird, he always has so much energy…. Long day, eh?”
“Yeah, I’ve been here pretty much all day listening to nobles squabble, and we all came to a conclusion that we probably can’t beat Aragon and we definitely can’t beat France.”
*sigh*
“But what brings you here? You’re not here just to chat, are you?”
“I had some news for the council…”
“I can present them to the council yesterday. You seem tired, get a day off.”
“Thanks, but I’m afraid it’s impossible with Louis… Anyway, I have some bad news and some bad news. Which one do you want?”
“Well, usually when someone gives you this choice you get news that are pretty insignificant compared to the bad news. Well, whatever. Give me the bad news first.”
“Okay, so our attempt to transport our troops to Naples failed because of the Aragonese navy. I’m afraid that they will be stranded until the situation becomes better.”
“So, I get to defend the country without an army? Lovely. I hope the good news are better.”
“Indeed they are. Looks like Bohemia’s declaration of assistance was more than just words. They have sent their men to Pisa and are currently engaging Aragonese troops.”
“So we won’t get a huge army marching into our territory? I’m relieved.”
“Well, that’s all. Take care! Send my regards to Louis.”
“I will, if we’ll show up at all.”
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It seems like Ricardo’s concerns were fruitless, as the Neapolitan navy managed to transport troops safely from Greece to Italy. They arrived just in time, too- a Sicilian army has just arrived in Calabria and threatened Naples itself.
Sadly, the situation in Provence fared much worse. The French have all but overran Anjou and Maine. Afraid of the possible invasion, Louis was forced to the negotiating table.
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Siena, 25 January, 1411
“Here, take this letter to Charles. I hope that he’ll cut himself on it and gets gangrene.”
“Aye, my lord.”
“Don’t be so down, my king, you only lost one province. It’s not the end of the world.”
“You don’t understand. It’s the land that my family comes from. And now it’s in the hands of this deranged halfwit!””
“Well, sir, there will certainly be an opportunity to take it back! Someday, I’m… almost… certain of it.”
“Yeah, someday…. So, how is the siege going?”
“Excellent, sir! The city should fall before us any time now.”
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Indeed, just a week after the disgraceful peace with France Siena had fallen before Neapolitan soldiers. The city- state was made a vassal to Naples.
There wasn’t much time to celebrate, as the Sicilian army has seized Calabria. Louis had to return to Naples immediately to defend the country.
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Calabria, 14 August, 1411
“Sir, you sure you don’t want to wait for the rest of the army?”
“Nonsense, Ricardo! We can handle these dogs. Cavalry, charge!”
….
“No, Ricardo, you don’t have to say anything. We’ll just reinforce, wait for the rest of your army and…”
“I don’t think that will be necessary, my liege.”
“Excuse me, but you are….”
“My name is Alessandro Benciveni, my King, general of the Neapolitan Army and commander of the Greek Regiment, at your service”
“The nobles wanted a skilled general commanding the other half of the army. Adriano recommended Alessandro, as he was a nephew of king Antonio of Urbino.” Ricardo explained.
“Yes, after the… unfortunate events that happened a while ago I decided to serve under Naples.”
“My dearest condolences, son. Antonio was a dear friend. Anyway, what brings you here?”
“My troops have landed in Calabria and attacked the surprised Sicilian army. It was a smashing victory.”
“Well, that was unexpected.”
“Indeed. It seems that the Sicilian were demoralized after the last battle.” Alessandro explained.
“Wait, it means that our defeat… had a strategic purpose, right?”
“Indeed, sir! Wait, wasn’t that a goal to begin with?”
“Well… um, yes, of course! My goal was to soften up the Sicilian for the next battle! Come, Ricardo, we will tell the troops about how my brilliant strategy saved the day! Long live the King!”
Louis stormed off. Alessandro looked at him curiously.
“Is he… always like that?”
Ricardo just shrugged.
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Meanwhile, back in Naples
Sunrays were slipping through the curtains of the Royal Council chamber. Inside, Adriano was sitting next to a desk studying official papers. Suddenly he heard steps coming from outside the door.
“My prince, what brings you here?”
Alfonso de Valois, son of Louis and heir to the Neapolitan throne, was standing on the other side. Adriano was surprised, and a little concerned, that he found him there. Because of the war, the palace was under strict supervision. If a little boy sneaked past the guards, what about a spy or assassin?
“Don Adriano, when will Papa come home?”
He sighed.
“Your father is leading the troops protecting us from our enemies. He will be back when Naples is safe.”
“But Naples was safe! The Spanish didn’t target us, they targeted Pisa! Why did we have to fight them?”
“*sigh*You see, in politics, sometimes you must act against yourself. If we didn’t act now, we could be their next prey.”
“People are already tired of war! They don’t want to fight!”
“Tired? Can’t you see the new recruits marching outside? Look at the smiles on their faces. They can’t wait to serve!”
“But Don Adriano, these are clearly smiles of terror.”
“Nonsense!”
“And some of them are way too young.”
“*sigh* You see, I don’t like it either, but your father can sometimes be hard to dissuade.”
“But why does he insist on fighting all the time? Why can’t he come back to us?! I hate war! I’ll never fight when I’m older!”
He stormed off.
Adriano sighed heavily. It seems like the little ones feel the burden of war the most.
He felt sorry for Alfonso. He’s a good kid, but his father is away far too often (he was reminded of his own father, a Venetian sailor; he was always at sea; one day he sailed of and never came back…). He has his mother, sure, but a boy needs a father figure, especially if he is to be a king. We’ll need to find him a tutor. Well, we’ll think about it after the war is over.
The last document he looked at was a copy of a peace treaty between Aragon and Pisa.
They got off relatively easily. Maybe now Louis will calm down…
Key word being ‘maybe’
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Somewhere in south Italy, 6 December, 1412
After the fall of Siena there was almost 2 years of relative peace, with the occasional Sicilian or Aragonese raid, easily dispatched by the Neapolitan regiments.
Louis was waiting to meet up with the other half of the army, recently sent to Greece to dispatch an Aragonese army. Instead of Alessandro, as he expected, someone else greeted him.
“Greetings, my lord.”
“Welcome. Where’s Alessandro?”
“Well… *sigh*, there were complications.”
“What complications?”
“We’ve defeated the Aragonese army in Janina…”
“…but our fleet was ambushed when we were heading back.”
“Any casualties?”
“Well…”
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“Sir, Aragonese ships are closing in!”
“How much time do we have?”
“Not much. We won’t be able to escape with all the ships.”
Alessandro had a serious expression on his face.
“How solid is this ship?”
“It’s an old construction. It can survive two, maybe three volleys of fire.”
He took a deep, long breath.
“Mercutio, I want this ship on a collision course with the Aragonese fleet. Then, abandon ship and order the fleet to evacuate to Reggio.”
“But sir, you can’t beat them with just one vessel!”
“No, but I can slow them down enough to give you a chance.”
The pause that ensued was short, but felt like an eternity for everyone involved.
“Are you sure, sir?”
“It’s my final decision.”
Merkutio Betrivenni saluted him
“It’s been an honor serving under you, sir!”
“Same here!”
Alessandro was alone on the ship. He sat on the deck and readied his sword, buried in deep concentration. He didn’t pray- he already gave his dues to God on land, and knew that whatever sins he committed since then will be pardoned when he’ll die while defending Italy from foreign aggressor. He smirked ‘Italy. It’s been ages since anyone used this word as anything but geographical expression. Now it’s a land of a dozen kings, a hundred princes, where everyone takes whatever land they please.’ Maybe someday we will see a true Italy, united and proud, free of inner bickering and foreign ambitions.
Someday…
“Well, that’s what happened.”
Consternation filled the camp. Ricardo looked at Louis. There was something different in him. All of the usual joyful personality and semi- competence was gone.
“How long will it take for the ships to be operational?”
“It will take about four- five months, sir.”
“Ricardo, gather as many men as our ships can carry.” There was no fury or anger in his voice- there was something much more terrifying “We’re taking the fight to them.”
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So, under the cover of the night, Neapolitan fleet unloaded Louis II and 4000 men on the Sicilian coast. The island was completely undefended, and the soldiers immediately began siegeing major cities.
The Siege of Sicily lasted about a year. First Messina, then Palermo had fallen into Neapolitan hands.
With the island totally under control, Aragon was quick to sue for peace.
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Naples, 12 January, 1414
New Year was spend on celebrations of the long awaited peace. Louis was welcomed into Naples as a hero, something that would seem impossible two years before.
“Adriano! It’s been too long!”
“Yes, my king, you certainly took your time.”
“Well, it was worth it in the end! But tell me, what will I do now?”
“It might be a good idea to take care of your family. Your son is 9 years old now and needs a tutor.”
“Great idea! I’ll look into it. But now, let’s feast!”
There was indeed a lot of reasons to celebrate in Naples.
Because some wars are won, ever when they wave been lost.
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Okay, this one took me way longer than I expected. Sorry for the delay, but I hope that the length makes up for it somehow.
I hope that you enjoyed a more serious and story- heavy episode. I’ve been experimenting with different styles. Tell me if you think it’s good or not!
