Chapter LXVII: A New Day on the Way to Rome  

Morning found us still embraced around the old tree. I'm glad that June temperatures are starting to warm up so we can sleep under the open sky without worrying about catching a cold or anything else. My black cassock was dirty from the ground, so I needed to go and change into my spare cassock.

"Antonio, are you awake? Thank you for helping me get through this…," Cesare said, barely awake.

"Cesare, you shouldn't thank me. You should thank the divine for putting me in your path, right?"

Right after that, we received the news that today we would be the guests of the Duke of Milan, through whose territory we must pass. Since the beginning of our journey, I had heard about the cunning Duke Sforza, cousin to Cardinal Sforza and Caterina Sforza, the ruler of Romagna, so it seems we are in for a real feast.

"Antonio, whatever happens, don't look the Duke in the eye. He is the most cunning of all the dukes in the region, so be cautious..."