Chapter 25: The Sicilian Coup and the Lion's Shadow
While Julian was surviving the social crossfire of his own household, the geopolitical board was being kicked over. The Spanish didn't just move; they struck with a calculated brutality that sent ripples through every court from the Vatican to the Baltic.
The Fall of Benevento and the Sicilian Coup
For two weeks, the "Rebel Coalition"—the Spanish crown's favorite deniable asset—systematically dismantled the Duchy of Benevento. They didn't just occupy it; they hollowed it out. The merchant guilds were bled of their gold, the local lords were stripped of their armor, and the ancient ducal house was dismantled beam by beam.
Once the city was a shell, the Spanish dropped the mask. In Sicily, the puppet king was officially dismissed. Spanish officials, backed by the steel of Madrid, replaced the local administration. With the southern island secured, a grand army of 10,000 professional troops began their march into the Kingdom of Naples.
They didn't call it an invasion. They called it a "Crusade of Liberation."
In Naples, the nobility fractured. Three of the Five Great Houses, already entangled in Spanish marriage ties or buried under blackmail, opened their gates. The remaining two houses, loyal to the old ways, were crushed in short, bloody skirmishes. By the time the Spanish vanguard reached the capital, the Neapolitan defense had dwindled to 6,000 men, entrenched behind the high walls of the city, bracing for the impact of 9,500 Spanish crusaders.
The Imperial Response: The Hero's Arrival
The news hit Arch-Marshal Conrad von Hohenfels, the Imperial Commander of Italy, like a physical blow. He didn't wait for a formal declaration. He mobilized his core force—2,000 professional infantry and 500 heavy cavalry—and began the grueling march toward the contested border.
However, the Emperor had a faster solution.
In Frankfurt, the Great Arcana Circle was activated—a rare and prohibitively expensive event. Through the teleportation gate, Albrecht von Luxembourg, the "Hero" and former fiancé of Emilia, arrived in Milan with his personal detachment of 1,500 elite Bohemian troops.
Teleporting an army of that size cost a fortune in mana-crystals and placed a massive strain on the local ley lines, but the political message was clear: The Empire was awake.
Albrecht rode into the Imperial camp, his golden armor untarnished, his eyes searching the horizon for the woman who had abandoned him for a "Philosophical Viscount."
The Chancellor's Game: Late Mobilization
Back in the Imperial Chancellery, the atmosphere was funereal. The Duke of Saxony stood before Emperor Frederick II, his voice low and urgent.
"The Spanish cite diplomacy while they burn our vassals, Sire," Saxony argued. "They are using the 'Crusade' claim to bypass the Pope's immediate disapproval. We cannot afford to look like we are attacking a holy cause, but we cannot sit still while they swallow the South."
"Mobilization?" the Emperor asked, his eyes cold.
"Late mobilization, Sire," the Duke advised. "Do not declare a full Imperial Ban yet. We need a reserve of 50,000 men ready before we escalate. If we move too fast, the Pope will excommunicate us for 'disrupting a crusade.' If we move too slow, there will be no Italy left to defend."
"Wait for the official Spanish declaration," Frederick II commanded. "But tell Hohenfels and that boy Albrecht to hold the line at the San Vigilio ridge. I want the Spanish to see the Imperial Eagle before they reach the Papal border."
The Calm Before the Storm at San Vigilio
At Castello di San Vigilio, Julian sat in his study, staring at the reports. The "punishment" from his wife and aunt had been... educational (involving a week of "administrative penance" and a very cold shoulder), but the news from the south had ended the comedy.
A messenger entered, panting. "My Lord! The Imperial Commander is five miles out. And... the Hero, Albrecht von Luxembourg, is with him."
Julian stood up, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. 'So, the ex-boyfriend is here with 1,500 men, the Spanish have 10,000 in the south, and the Pope is deciding if I'm a heretic.'
[System Notification: Strategic Pivot Detected.]
[Current Objective: Survive the 'Hero's' Ego.]
[Warning: Albrecht's troops are 'Holy-Aligned.' Your Water Magic may react violently to their presence.']
"Tell the men to ready the barracks," Julian ordered. "And tell Lady Emilia... her past has just arrived at our front gate."
He looked out the window toward the southern horizon. The sky was a bruised purple, and the air smelled of ozone. The shadow-war was over. The real one was beginning.
To be continued...