Brothers at Odds

Inside the military camp east of Treviso, William was meticulously examining the city's defense map. His older brother, John, had entrusted him with this task to ensure there were no obvious flaws in the city's defenses.

A guard suddenly burst into the room, reporting that a man from Siena wished to see him.

"Siena? Tell him to go back to Tuscany if he doesn't want to die. I don't have time to see him."

"Uh... Sir, he says it's urgent."

William frowned, glancing at the guard: "Let him in, but it had better be true."

A Sienese man in a monk's robe, with a fawning smile, saw the guard leave the room and immediately pulled a secret letter from a hidden pocket in his sleeve.

William's expression changed, and he questioned, "Who sent you?"

"General, I come on behalf of the great monarch who rules all, to present this letter to you."

William took the letter from the messenger's hand, his hand trembling slightly as he unfolded the paper. He had already recognized that the man before him was the Emperor's messenger.

So, what did the Emperor's messenger want with him?

William already had a guess in his heart, or rather, an expectation.

When he saw the following sentences in the letter: "By the name of the Emperor and the honor of the Habsburg Family, I swear that the Imperial Army will crush the rebellion of Savoy, and everything shall return to its rightful place. Montferrat will regain all that it has lost, its independent status, vast fertile territories at the southern foot of the Alps, and its rights will be defended and supported by the Emperor."

The letter also mentioned that another branch of the Palaiologos family was now a loyal subject of the Emperor, but William didn't care about those distant relatives who once ruled the Roman Empire; his mind was filled with the conditions the Emperor had offered.

The General suddenly stood up, startling the messenger.

William wanted to say something, but then he saw the defense map on his table and an idea formed in his mind.

"Did your master give you any other instructions?"

"That lord asked me to record your verbal reply and then return to report to him."

"Good! Go back and tell him this: I agree to this deal, and I hope you will keep your promise. Also, take this back and give it to him as well."

The messenger took the city's defense map from William's hand, nodded solemnly, and said, "I will bring your reply back word for word."

The pine resin torches in Treviso's temporary armory flickered in the night wind, and William looked at the Milanese plate armor on the iron rack, feeling a sense of restless anxiety.

Heavy footsteps and the sound of chainmail rubbing suddenly came from behind him. When he turned, his elder brother, John, the Marquis of Montferrat, had already come up behind him.

"Pordenone surrendered a few days ago, and the Emperor's army will arrive in Treviso soon. Time is short now, speak quickly."

John's voice was heavy and hoarse; the past few days had been very stressful for him.

William's sword clanged as it left its scabbard, the cold light reflecting the wrinkles at the corners of John's eyes: "Brother, do you still remember the dungeon in Chambéry? Uncle ordered us locked in that cold, foul-smelling cell, letting his lackeys beat us. Have you forgotten that humiliation?"

John gave his younger brother a cold, somewhat disappointed look and asked, "So you want to wash away that humiliation with the blood of all Italy?"

He slammed his fist against the nearby armor.

"Don't forget that Father was poisoned by this kind of hatred!"

The damp, musty smell seeped from the stone cracks, and the tip of William's sword began to tremble.

He seemed to see again his father's unwilling and pained expression at his deathbed.

"At least Laszlo is willing to return the lands of Piedmont to us." His voice suddenly became hoarse, "And Savoy didn't even allow the bells to toll for Father's funeral."

John unbuckled his sword and slammed it heavily onto the weapon rack, saying with a pained expression, "I cannot betray them at a time like this. The Venetians, the Florentines, the Mantua, and the Genoa, and the Duke of Savoy, I cannot betray their trust. If the Emperor advances further, Northern Italy will soon become scorched earth!"

William sheathed his sword, grabbed the nearby wine flask, and took a deep drink, his expression complex, with a hint of regret, immediately replaced by determination.

"Laszlo's messenger has already left the city with the defense map."

He stared at his distorted reflection in the wine, "The Imperial Army's artillery will soon break through the weak points in the city walls; you won't be able to stop them."

John's fist came with a whoosh, and William knelt, knocking over the weapon rack.

Longswords and morning stars scattered across the stone floor with crisp clangs.

"You have shamed our family!" His brother's roar shook the dust from the beams, "Do you think the Emperor will truly keep his promise?

How can you be so naive!"

William wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with certainty, "I am doing this so that our family will no longer be manipulated, to wash away the past humiliation! The reason I told you these things is that I hope you can recognize reality and not die foolishly."

The moonlight suddenly pierced through the clouds, and John's figure shattered into pale fragments in the window.

The veins on the back of his hand, gripping the sword hilt, bulged, showing that he was trying his best to suppress his anger.

William spread his arms, waiting for John to draw his sword and stab him in the chest.

But after a long wait, he did not receive his brother's punishment; he only heard a weary sigh.

"You should leave the city with your personal guards tomorrow morning. Say it's for enemy reconnaissance. Someone will take over your defense sector."

John waved his hand, signaling William to leave quickly.

He could understand William's choice, but since his younger brother had betrayed them, he could no longer stay in the city.

On one hand, it was to prevent William from colluding with the Imperial Army, which could lead to the city being easily breached.

On the other hand, John wanted to protect William's life, so he let him leave the city early to find the Imperial Army.

"Brother..."

"Enough!" John said weakly, "You can abandon honor and grovel before the Emperor, but I cannot do that. Think about who controls Montferrat now..."

William understood. France was now controlling Montferrat as an outpost for attacking Milan. If both brothers betrayed the Mantua Alliance...

He bowed deeply to John: "Brother, take care."

With that, William left without looking back, leaving John muttering to himself, "How could I forget the family's blood feud? The Emperor... he's just another wolf."

Laszlo was somewhat surprised to see William, who had come to join the Imperial Army, during the march.

After understanding the reason, he did not blame William for alerting the enemy. After all, the defense map of Treviso's fortifications would save the Imperial Army a lot of trouble.

Although he failed to win over the Marquis of Montferrat this time, Laszlo believed there would be another opportunity to subdue him later.

As the western gateway to Milan, Montferrat could also serve to restrict and suppress Savoy; it would naturally be better to win him over.

Two mornings later, a commotion arose on Treviso's city walls.

On the horizon, swathes of torches were tearing through the night, and the Emperor's army, in neat formations, was advancing towards Treviso.

The black eagle banners of the Imperial Army flickered in the torchlight, reminding everyone in the city that battle was imminent.