The return of the fallen king

Chapter 63: Receiving the new

<<"A tale is but half told when only one person tells it.">> ~ from The Saga of Grettir the Strong, written in Iceland

While Conradin was gathering with the other allied generals to decide on the next actions to take to weaken Charles' support in Italy, the victim of this scheme was sleeping off with a cup of wine in the home that had been assigned to him inside the city. Charles was resting and enjoying himself on a lovely Sunday afternoon, taking a vacation from the continual politicking and planning that was typically a regular part of his existence. He was at ease and grateful for the chance to take a breather and enjoy himself for a time in between all of the strain and excitement that came with being a freshly proclaimed king.

Charles was filled with excitement and enjoyment during this period of calm and relaxation, and he was savoring every moment of it before returning to all of his responsibilities and duties as a leader. Charles was drinking a wonderful glass of red wine, loving the taste and feeling the buzz from the alcohol in his mind. He was relaxed, content, and enjoying the time, not worrying about anything significant or worrisome, such as the war or Italian politics. He was entirely engrossed in his wine, enjoying a nice, serene moment to himself, when he was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door. He grimaced, angry at being interrupted from his quiet and pleasant time, but he told the individual to come in, unsure what it could be about.

The man entering the room was clearly a soldier who had been disarmed before joining Charles, he informed his king that his fleet had been spotted returning to the dock. When he heard this, Charles decided it was time to quit relaxing and get back to work. He stood up and proceeded out of the mansion and to the dock, his guards close behind him. He was curious to see what the fleet's efforts had yielded and what kind of knowledge they had gleaned from their mission. Little did he know that he was in for a really bad surprise, since the fleet he sent sure of its victory thanks to the renowned skills of the Venitian fleet had actually lost, and even worse badly at that.

Charles felt confident and hopeful about the outcomes that his forces could achieve, and he was eager to get to work on putting that plan into action. When Charles arrived at the port, he noted that the number of ships returning was smaller than expected. As a result, he got more serious and proceeded toward the flagship to speak with the fleet commander. Charles was an experienced leader who understood that this may spell bad news, and he was keen to find out what was going on as soon as possible.

He walked over to the commander of the ship and asked him what had happened and what information he had discovered from his mission, and it was clear from the commander's face that he was not happy and that he had some serious things to report.

''What is the meaning of this?'' Charles asked while eyeing the one he thought was the commander angrily.

The man fidgeting replied nervously and with caution, ''Your highness, we were defeated by the Genoese. During the battle, a bolt hit the commander's shoulder, causing chaos in the commanding structure and leading to the inefficiency of coordination on the whole plan. Following this, some ships started to rout, followed by ourVenetiann allies. As such, it led to a full-route. Many ships were captured with their sailors being thrown into the sea. The commander is currently on his private deck, being looked after by some medics.

Charles frowned at the news of the defeat. He was disappointed not only at the defeat but also at the loss of ships and sailors. This was a serious defeat, and it was a heavy blow to the papal-French cause. Charles was angered at the chaos and inefficiency that had led to the defeat, and he was determined to hold those responsible to account. He looked at the commander and said, "You were given a clear mission, and you failed. Tell me, how did this defeat happen? Why was the commander shot, which led to the poor coordination and chaos that led to this humiliating defeat?" The vice-commander looked down in fear and reported to Charles that the commander had decided to join the battle to increase the morale of the fleet, but a straying bolt hit him, leaving the guard of the captain unable to do anything to protect him. Charles listened to the report with shock and anger. He was furious that such a mistake had been made and had led to this humiliating defeat. He was disappointed that his crew members had not been careful enough to protect him, and he knew that this could not be allowed to happen again.

Then, with the same rage, Charles sent the vice-commander to inform the defeated captain that he had been relieved of his obligations. Charles was enraged at their humiliating setback, and he chastised the captain for not being more cautious and taking adequate precautions to protect himself. He was ready to punish him harshly, but the man in command of the fleet was a noble with great ties. Charles realized that he needed to be more cautious in his punishment of the commander in order to avoid greater wrath or resentment from the noble leaders for his actions.

In addition, Charles was informed that the allied Venetian fleet, after retiring from the conflict, continued to their homes without even greeting him, and as one could guess this was not taken kindly by Charles.

This enraged the already furious King, who began loudly debarring the Venetians for their rudeness and lack of skill, believing that they were also to blame for retreating just as some of the ships began to do so. He was enraged by their lack of professionalism and evident contempt for his cause, and he promised that no promised trade concessions would be granted to those 'useless sea worms'. Later, though, he came to his senses and did not continue with the rest of his rant, realizing that now was not the time to turn old allies into new adversaries.

Charles resolved to take matters into his own hands after learning that the maritime battlefield had been lost. He gave orders to his loyal vassal Count Jean to compose letters to his allies, urging them to bring forces to Florence. They would march towards Pisa and select a favorable terrain from which they could provoke Conradin to attack, allowing them to reclaim the region they had lost. Charles was resolved to demonstrate to Conradin that his cause was more alive than ever, and that they were ready and willing to fight back and continue the battle on the ground. He knew this was a critical moment, and the outcome of the next conflict would determine a lot.

He wanted to do everything he could to prepare his men and guarantee that they were ready for the upcoming confrontation, despite the fact that he knew he had very little time. A major fight loomed on the horizon, and there was no time to squander. In the coming weeks, the fate of his future would be decided; if he lost, he would either die or return to Sicily in disgrace; if he won, he would be able to place his bloodline on the Sicilian throne, and much more in the future.

Jean grasped the gravity of the situation, and he knew he had to do everything he could to assist his king in this crucial campaign. He was willing to obey his king's orders and do his best for the cause of this important campaign; after all, if his monarch failed, he would also lose his place as count, because Conradin would gladly kill Charles's supporters. "Yes, your highness, I obey," he responded as he entered the mansion and began composing the letter to each commune who expressed their support for Charles, in order to order them to bring their armies to Florence from which they would advance as a united army.

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Author's thought:

Hi guys listen In the next two weeks or so there could be days where I will publish no chapters, do not worry I am dropping this novel , since I am having lot of fun in writing it , I just wanted to inform that for school's issue I may drop in half the number of chapters published during this two weeks.

Sorry !

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