For a time, things began to slow down. I collected gold tribute from the kine merchants under my influence, then invested it back into the local economy. Went out at night alone and held fine Elysiums to rebuild my reputation in the eyes of my peers, and convinced the Monarch of the Fiefs to fund the development of Lübeck. Settlers were sent from Frankfurt to make their home in this land, and the Monarch even built a trade town closer to the shore - Femora. I used my gold to build an abbey town - Kiln - and to invest in the growing Burgher Class of the cities. As majority shareholder in most of the trade companies in Lübeck and its immediate surrounding areas, I paid off my debts and made wealth.
Giovanni managed to convince the head of Clan Cappadocian to focus more on finances, so I was able to build seneschal offices - places where my own businessmen would operate, make investments, collect interest and shares, and generally help the whole country prosper. In turn, I worked to develop the county and required my court to make regular contact with the kine of the city from different walks of life and to learn from them. Over time I became a beloved leader in the county, and a proponent of its prosperity. My wife Froizza constantly complained that I showed too much care for the kine, but I put up with it.
One day, I received a message from the King of Burgundy, Guillaume.
"In a few days' time my vile vassal, Duchess Alacrinis, will travel through Lübeck. If you orchestrate an ambush and capture her, I will reward you generously. If you accept my offer, you will get half of the money now, and the other half when you turn over the prisoner."
My wife advised me take the offer. My heart told me to reject it out of hand. But my ghoul, Hals, suggested a good compromise - I accept the first half of the money, but instead of ambushing Alacrinis I should warn her and pretend the ambush just failed. Burgundy is outside the Fief, so he can not reasonably retaliate.
I went with this, and summoned Alacrinis to my court. She arrived in my haven. She was a beautiful woman with blond hair like gold, eyes like stars, and red lips. She wore a black habit and a red cross, a sign of her Noddist faith.
"Prince Giovanni, why have you summoned me?", she asked.
"Your liege tried to hire me to ambush you and hand you to him in chains. Why he wanted this I do not know."
I handed her the letter and saw her eyes narrow in anger.
"You are a most honorable man, Prince Justus Giovanni. I owe you my freedom - perhaps even my unlife. Who knows what that impotent leech would have done with me had I needed up in his dungeon?" She shuddered, clearly imagining possibilities and finding them gross.
"I will return the favor, I swear it!"
I smiled. "Well, I know one way you can. I am isolated up here, with mad Quiritares for neighbors and cruel norsemen across the sea. I need allies."
She put her hand on her chest. "I am honored by your request, and I would be glad to call you an ally."
She returned home, and I declared another war for Dithmarschen. This time I was joined not only by Prince Nürnberg but also by Duchess Alacrinis. Our three armies overwhelmed the Dithmarschen, going from village to village and removing the mad ghouls and mortal thugs who worked for Sarus. Those agents who surrendered were allowed to leave with their lives intact, and even in villages where the thugs fought on I made sure my men would spare the civilians. When I arrived at Sarus' haven, it was abandoned with only a note on the door.
"The county is yours."
"You have my thanks", I told my two allies. "Come, let us celebrate." The three of use went to my haven for a small, impromptu Elysium. Herdsmen, corpses from the battle, and cows were gathered to feed on. Musicians began to play. But it was interrupted with news.
"My Prince", the messenger said, "Patriarch Augustus Giovanni has been killed."
"Who rules the family now?", I asked.
The messenger paused before answering. "Nobody. The family is scattered, with every scion for themself. Your father and sire, Claudius, still holds Krete, and many relatives fled with him there. But others seek to live with you."
"They shall find shelter here. Now let me think ... this changes much."
The little Elysium was cancelled prematurely, and my two allies returned home. Alacrinis swore to make her liege pay, and Nürnberg had his own plans. I did not enquire what they were.
I will not lie - my grandfather's death was a relief. It felt as though a great weight was lifted from me, and I would no longer have to fear the wrath of the Anziani. Moreover, whatever terrible plans Augustus had would follow him to the grave. But when you spend so long with your destiny in the hands of others, suddenly gaining the reigns for yourself can be a frightening prosect.
I sat down to think, but I did not have long to do so. Froizza came in, irate. "Why have you cancelled the celebrations!"
"I have much to focus on-"
"Enough of your excuses! All you care about is this pigsty and the kine! You really are pathetic!"
My head was throbbing, my hands were shaking, and something snapped in me. "Leave."
"Oh no, you are going to listen to all my-"
"Leave! That's an order! Guards, escort this woman out of the room."
They dragged her out, with her screaming that I'd hear from as soon as she saw me again. It occurred to me that I liked freedom after all, and I wanted more of it. I called the kindred priest who officiated my ceremony and requested an annulment - he agreed in exchange for six months of free rent for his haven. A fair trade.
Froizza only learned of this when my messengers met her while she was out feeding and told her to leave the city and never return. I am told her reaction almost violated the masquerade. Of course, my alliance with Nürnberg ended, but I couldn't care less.
I declared myself Duke of Holstien, to celebration and joy. I spent then next year focusing on my realm. Part of that duty was meeting with my new vassal - the revenant Grimaldi family. They were driven out of Italy and scattered, with their last holding being a barony my new county. The Baron Grimaldi was a cruel and vile man, but his younger son was a kind soul - he was the only one in my visit who asked me how I was. Thus, it was to him that I granted the county of Dithmarschen.
After a year, I decided I no longer wanted to be alone. But this time I would not marry for politics; I would marry for love. I began by turning my eyes to Burgundy, but unfortunately that was not an option. The perfidious King Guillaume met his ends at the hands of the Shadow Inquisition, but sweet Duchess Alacrinius failed in her revolt and was imprisoned by Guillaume's childe. I could only mourn and look elsewhere.
Finally, I found her. Her name was Gunebrith Medon, and she was everything my ex wasn't. She was calm, patient, and forgiving. Not to mention she was pretty too.
When she gave me a proper bow. "I accept your proposal for marriage", she said respectfully like a true Ventrue. We were wedded that night, and I made sure every night since to show her courtesy and romance. I remembered her favorite songs, I picked flowers for her, I wrote her a love poem under the base of a beautiful oak tree, and we conversed for hours on end. When I could cause her to naturally smile it made my heart flutter.
Finally, one night I heard screaming from her chamber. I entered it to see her struggling for her life against a kindred assassin, one holding a knife to her throat. My vision turned red, but when I came to my Gunebrith was safe and my clothes were covered in dust. The two of us spent the night in my chamber, and only learned the next day that my servants found among the ashes a letter from the assassin's employer. It was my ex. I mailed the ashes back to Nürnberg with a letter firmly demanding this not happen again. I don't know what the Prince of Nürnberg said to his childe, but I know Froizza never bothered either of us again.
I found my soulmate! I never thought this would happen, but now that it has I do not know how I lived without Gunebrith in my life.
With a new wife, one I could love, I decided to expand my family once more. I would finally embrace a childe. With the influx of refugees and migrants from the northern Adriatic, my city was now more Italian than Saxon. It was like the Venice of the North, a place of art and commerce. And among this throng were several kine Giovanni. I chose one of them for my embrace. Her name was Elisabetta, and she was a distant cousin. She was an excellent steward, diligent like myself and single-minded, and she knew how to lie and keep secrets too. I believed she could survive in kindred society without losing her soul, and so offered her the embrace. She quickly proved herself, and became my new steward.
For a time, things went very well. Gold flowed into my pockets and was reinvested, the people were happy and loved my court, and the city was booming. Every month it's development rose.
But then a disease spread across the continent, a horrible ailment that caused those so afflicted to grow horrible buebos and then die in pain. The streets filled with corpses and entire households emptied. I had to enforce a curfew and station guards to prevent retaliation against the Jewish quarter and to squash apocalypse cults that began to emerge. The city of Femera was entirely wiped out, with its infrastructure falling into ruins.
I would have much work to do to restore the city, my city to its former glory, but it was a trifling matter. I rebuilt the seneschal office in Femera, and by petition even convinced Monarch Jurden to grant me the county of Ribe.
I also decided to expand the kindred side of the family by embracing more childer. I already lined up some candidates from the Giovanni kine, all skilled with money. They are Stentore, Ferruccio, Enzo, and Benedetto. I shall embrace them soon"