As Conradin concluded the letter, he couldn't help but be pleased with Corrado, not only for the success of his mission but also for the manner in which he wrote. He was asking for help, and he was laying out the facts behind his request without exaggerating his accomplishment, which the king appreciated. He had presented his argument in plain and concise words, and he was eagerly expecting Conradin's response. This was a straightforward and direct message, full of facts and devoid of any embellishment or rhetoric, which Conradin admired because he understood that many would have taken advantage of the lack of any form of supervision to load their successes with air in order to gain more false achievement.
As such, his opinion of Corrado leaped in glee after reading this letter, and he understood that he was fortunate to have such a loyal and skilled vassal.
A wave of happiness and relief poured over him as he threw the letter on the table. Until now, he had pretended to be confident in the mission's success to the coalition's other allied generals in order to persuade them that everything was fine, but deep down, he was terrified of the mission's failure, which would have effectively ended the campaign.
This was a major relief for Conrad, who had been feeling a lot of pressure and responsibility for the mission, the success or failure of which would have certainly altered the campaign's outcome. He felt a tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders as he understood Corrado had completed his mission and very well at that .
This would have provided Conrad with a great deal of comfort and confidence, as he would have felt a sense of peace and relief that the task had been completed and that Charles would soon discover that he had been dancing on the palm of the young king's hand.Conradin couldn't help but drool at the prospect of Charles's impending embarrassment, a thought that substantially improved his mood, which was further boosted by Corrado's letter.
''All right, gentlemen, Our concerns about Corrado appear to have been unfounded, since he completed his mission faster than we could have imagined. Not only has the majority of the island been liberated, but Corrado is now on his way to capture Calabria (by the time Conradin received the letter, Corrado had already conquered the entirety of Calabria). Nonetheless, Corrado will soon find trouble on his road as he will have to face the counterattack of the French army in the south. What do you think about it?'' Conradin asked as he was eyeing each person in the room, looking for their opinion on the matter.
The first to answer was none other than Maletta:'' Well your Highness, Corrado's successes sure shine light upon our cause, but as you have said, he will soon face troubles, as such, we should do anything we could to maintain our gain in Sicily, I am more than in agreement with sending equipment and reinforcements to Corrado. Maletta's opinion found a nod of consensual also from the other members of the group, who unanimously believed that they should support Corrado in his endeavor.
"Very well, as Maletta said, it is important for us to support Corrado and to assist him in holding on to our gains in Sicily. He has already had great success, and we must be prepared to help him maintain our gains. Sending equipment and reinforcements to him would be a great way to show our support and to help ensure that we can continue to benefit from Corrado's efforts. We shall send him a ship with amors and weapons; maybe we could also convince Genoa to send some men too while we are at it, '' Conradin finally said before entirely switching subjects.
"I think a celebration is certainly justified, as this is a great victory and a great sign of hope for our cause. It is important for us to celebrate and show our appreciation for Corrado's efforts. This is a great opportunity for us to strengthen our ties and show our unity and strength. Let us gather together and celebrate our victory, and let us look forward with hope and optimism to our next steps in our mission to liberate Sicily and defeat the French once and for all!"
Conradin announced it proudly, as he saw it as a way to honor Corrado for his achievement, well in reality he just wanted to celebrate something that he had not done in a long time.
''What did you have in mind?'' Frederick asked, wondering about what Conradin thought would be an appropriate way of celebrating such good news.
''Well, It has been at least two months since I last used Orion (his falcon gifted by the Genoese), so I was thinking about launching a small hunt in the woods. What do you think?'' Conradin asked the others since this was to be an informal event that would not be disclosed to the public,
"A hunt could be an exciting and fun way to celebrate our victory and to take some time to relax and enjoy ourselves. It could be a great opportunity to take a break from the rigors of planning and preparing and it will also be a good way to get out into the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. Sowould be a great idea, for it would also be a great way to honor Corrado for his efforts."
Said Enrico as he was looking ahead to hunting along Frederick and Conradin,
"Very well, my lords, it has been decided. The hunt shall be launched tomorrow morning, Conradin announced to his retainers '' . Go inform the other allied generals." Conradin ordered to a servant, who then made a bow and left, to carry out the order and arrange for the hunt to be organized and launched as planned. It was decided that the hunters would meet up the next morning and head off into the woods in search of their prey, ready to enjoy a day of hunting and celebration.
As Conradin made his announcement, Frederick could not help but stare at his friend while living in his own thought, 'Is it possible he did it out of a whim to make use of his falcon once again?' Frederick remembered how much fun Conradin had the last time they hunted, which was before the start of the campaign. As a friend of Conradin, he was well aware of Conradin's love of hunting and his desire to use his falcon. As such, he saw Conradin's suggestion of the hunt as a way of hiding his true intentions and as a way of fulfilling his own personal desires. 'Not bad, not bad at all, Frederick thought as he realized that Conradin had just suggested something that they could actually have fun with, something that Frederick missed , for apart from wine and women he was facing utter and sheer boredom. He was aware that the last months had been stressful for everybody, including Conradin, as he was the one that came up with such a clever plan to use Corrado in the south , which without doubt has been made through nights of no sleeping. As such, he was happy that such an occasion came, as he was sure that Conradin needed to relax.
"Yes, it seems that we have a plan. Good day, my lords and king , I will see you at the hunt tomorrow." Frederick said this as he left to go about his business for the afternoon. He could have been going to any of a number of activities, including drinking, training, or meeting a young noble lady. Whatever he was doing, it would have been with a sense of excitement and anticipation, looking forward to the hunting and celebration that were to come the next morning.
''Well, it seems that we shall meet tomorrow, then my lord, I wish you a pleasant day, and you are all dismissed. ''Coradin said before that he, like Frederick, turned and left the room, leaving the other to do the same and empty the once-crowded room.
As for the servant that Conradin had tasked with informing the other allied general of what was to come the day after, he had accomplished his task as Visconti, Tiepoldi, and Della Torre all accepted the invitation, some of them slightly irritated by the low advance notice. After all, for feasts and hunts, weeks and weeks of preparation were needed to prepare for it and give a chance to the one invited to prepare their personal business to participate in the event; this however did not account for Conradin, who just wanted to have another day at hunting.
---------------
Next chapter is tomorrow