Conradin's heart began racing in his chest as he read the letter. He was frightened and nervous about what it held, and he was concerned about how their relationship would become .
His thoughts wandered as he let his fingers trace the rough texture of the letter, his skin lightly touching the light brown parchment. The king's mind was filled with anxiousness and uncertainty, as he tried to prepare himself for the news that the letter would bring.
*"My dear boy, May God bless you and your mission.
It's been a long time since we spoke, and I hope this letter finds you well. I'm writing to you now to express my willingness to reconcile. Although we haven't spoken in a while, I've been thinking about you for a long time, since a mother's love and anxiety are stronger than steel. I'm sure your father is very proud of you and everything you've accomplished. Your decision to reclaim your crown is a testament to all of your hard work and dedication. Nonetheless, I am still of the opinion that it was too dangerous for you my son since when you left me you were just a child , inexperienced and scared about the world, I am still concerned for your well-being as I know that this campaign is one of great risk and danger.
You always have had a mind of your own and a strength of character to rival your father, and I can see his persona in the actions you have taken..... *
Conradin stopped reading for a moment to take in all the informations , and then in a small voice like a whisper he responded to his mother,'' I am doing my best to be a strong and courageous mother, as I know that you are worried for me and my safety. I am aware of the dangers that lie ahead, but I believe that I am capable of overcoming them and coming out victorious''. Conradin knew that what he did was infantile since his mother could not hear him but it certainly helped to diminish the guilt he felt upon disregarding his mother's worries for him. As he recomposed himself he started reading again.
*My son I beg you to please be calm and prudent in your campaign, for I had already lost a husband and I don't think my fragile body can lose my son too, please you are my only child in this world do not cause me the pain of outliving you, for no parent should bear such pain to bury their own son. Your father, may his sould be blessed, wanted to teach you how to wield the sword and ride, however, unfortunately, god never let him do that since he was taken from you at a young age , I always wanted to show you compassion and love to use it when you could, as such I wanted to ask what would be the fate of the sons of your late uncle Manfred. Please, my son, they are just children, just a bit younger than you .
I am begging my son to show as much compassion as you could spare for they are still of your blood.
I hope that this letter is what you hoped for, and I await with much expectation your response.
Signed your dear mother.*
Conradin lay on the bed, closing the letter he was reading, and began to reorganize his thoughts while glancing at the ceiling.
Conradin yet with the soul of a boy yearning for love was impressed and touched by his mother's message, which filled him with a tremendous and profound sense of love and gratitude for her. He was grateful for her commitment, and he would have been confident that she would always be there for him, supporting and encouraging him; but, his mother's fears gave him a sense of guilt at the notion of how much agony he had indirectly given her. As he read and digested the letter, he was overcome with emotion, but in the end, he was thankful to have such a wonderful and caring mother.
He got from the bed and smiled as he exited the room,clear minded just as an infant once he is done with his natural business. God seemed to be favoring him recently; he had military victories, his opponents were divided, and fresh steps were taken in private areas. Overall, it appeared that Conradin had benefited a lot from the previous months.
Conradin was currently in a good mood; he felt a revitalized sense of purpose, confidence, and strength. He had a strong feeling of duty and obligation to his mother and his country, and he was prepared to confront any problems that arose. His victories in battle had given him a huge push, and he was anxious to continue to show to the world that he was capable to take the reins of his kingdom back.
As he left his room and walked towards the hall, he met with Galvano and Frederick, who, upon noticing Conradin, bowed lightly and greeted him. ''Good afternoon, your Majesty, said Galvano, while Frederick instead greeted him by his nickname Conradin. The young king was obviously fine with the name Frederick gave him, for the two have been best friends for years, and he felt even more close to him by throwing out his titles. His relationship with his friends and allies had always been a great source of strength and comfort for him, as he felt confident that he could rely on them when needed. He was thankful to have such close and dear friends and retainers by his side, and he was proud to call both of them his friends.
''Good day to you too, Galvano and Frederick, '' Said Conradin with a smile on his face, which did not go unnoticed by them, prompting Frederick to ask for more information: ''What is with the smile? Did something good happen? Said Frederick while sharing a light smile with his friend, ''I had received good news for personal matters, that is all''. Said Conradin, trying to close the matter with that. Frederick understood that Conradin did not want to disclose it, so he dropped the matter, but not before hypothesizing about what it could be. Unfortunately, Frederick missed the truth all the way, for he thought that some young woman finally gained the interest of the loveless young King. 'About time', he thought, mistakingly thinking he had nailed the coffin, not understanding that he had completely missed it and hit the ground.
If Conradin knew, he would have sensed that Frederick was genuinely curious and interested in his personal life and love life—maybe a bit too much, as Frederick has always been too adamant on corrupting the young monarch to his way of life, which, to the happiness of his close retainers, failed.
Conradin was well aware of Frederick's attempts to corrupt him and lead him down the wrong path, and he was determined to resist them and remain true to himself. He was confident in his own moral and ethical values and would have been proud to live his life according to the standards he had set for himself, much to his friend's dismay.
As the group walked through the hall, exchanging some short talks and laughs, Galvano directed the discussion in a more productive way. ''Do we know anything from Corrado your Highness?'' Asked Galvano, as he understood that the success of Corrado's mission was fundamental for the success of their plan.
''No, we did not receive any knowledge; it has been two weeks, however, I am sure that Corrado's letter is coming,'' Conradin said, without knowing he was right since it has been a week since Corrado sent a letter to him, which was on its way to arrive in Pavia soon.In a few days the messenger, which was directed there by the Senate to go there, would bring the message written by the general.
''Do not worry, I am sure that Corrado has achieved some level of success; he does not need to conquer the kingdom all alone; he just needs to create trouble there so as to divide even more the front of Charles, since I am sure that he will be in for a big surprise if he finds out'', Conradin said while smiling towards Galvano.
After all, he had complete trust in Corrado and his skill to adapt to how the situation progressed. Little did he know that Corrado would even go even further than what his king expected him to, succeeding in his mission and going even deeper in his kingdom , which will lead Conradin to respect his retainer even more.
Soon both Corrado and Conradin will find out how much the action taken by the general will effect the campaign against the Usurper, for it is here that Corrado will show to the world the hardness of his resolve much to the dismay of his enemies
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