Conradin had the opportunity to strike up a discussion with the two knights who had been assigned to sit next to him at the banquet once it began. The knights felt delighted and honored to be placed near the monarch, and they were anxious to speak with him and enjoy their time at the dinner. Conradin during it all was friendly and cordial, as made an attempt to make the two knights feel at ease in his presence. The talk was light and casual, and everyone participating found it pleasant and delightful.
''So what are your names?'' Conradin asked the two knights, prompting them to answer, '' My name is Hans, your highness, and he is my friend Anselm; we both come from Raetia. When your majesty called for all knights to assemble, we answered the call to arm to serve you'' answered the second one, named Anselm.
''Well I am honored to have such loyal knights to serve me '' said Conradin praising the two knights. He tilted the cup of wine in his throat, savoring the slightly sour taste of the drink that created warmth inside his stomach.
'' So tell me, Hans, how am I perceived by my soldiers?'' asked Conradin, curious to know what the men fighting for him thought of their king.
''Well, your highness, your latest actions have certainly raised your popularity among your men; many of them, especially the knights, are proud to fight for someone who bravely joined the fight and even saved one of them, ''responded Hans.
Hans' positive evaluation of Conradin's popularity among the soldiers pleased and encouraged him. He saw it as a sign of the soldier battling under his command's loyalty and admiration. He took it as a vindication of his deeds and leadership, and it undoubtedly boosted his confidence and drive to carry out his duties as their king. He was proud and grateful for his men's support and loyalty, and he was driven and determined to continue leading them and doing the right thing; after all, what 16-year-old monarch wouldn't want to be revered by his men?
Conradin's heart felt warm because he was aware that his soldiers admired him; It was for this reason that he enjoyed leading soldiers; the adrenaline of battle is one thing, but the respect of the soldier who looks up to the leader is quite another.
The dialogue between Conradin, Hans, and Anselm continued into the night, and Conradin would have learned more about Hans and his background. He learned that they were both 35 years old and that they had been friends since they were children, when their fathers were comrades in arms. This revelation offered another foundation for connection and friendship between the two, as well as increased their mutual esteem and respect, which, during the years only blossomed .
After a bit, Conradin started engaging in conversation with the others, as soon as he finished discussing with the two knights , Conradin saw Maletta reaching out to him.
''May I ask your highness what we will be doing next after we have taken into account the achievement ?'' asked Maletta, wondering how they would proceed.
''The general plan is the same; we shall remain here, for if things progress in this way, Charles will have no choice but to make the next move, which will surely destroy all the preparation they have made since now.'' Said Conradin while locking eyes with the noble , as he got closer Conradin pointed out details in his appearance that he did not notice before , he saw in fact that Maletta's eyes were of a green color with a bit of yellow, something that Conradin was actually envious of for he lacked such interesting eyes.
''But, your highness, is it truly prudent to do so? Willn't this give him greater support, decreasing our prospects of victory?''
Maletta had become increasingly eager to reclaim his lands in recentweeks , and he conveyed his doubts about the plan's viability multiple times .And each time he also suggested that it was critical to act quickly and decisively rather than wait and enable Charles to consolidate his position and gather additional support, they were to go on the offensive . He persisted in pressing Conradin for a response, claiming that there was little time to squander and that decisive action was required to secure their success.
''As I already said, Lord Maletta, the plan remains unchanged; apart from the fact that Charles had half a year to convince the communes to support him, what do you think will allow Charles to convince someone that he failed to do so in nearly 8 months? I Keep to what I said: we will wait here for Charles's next move. I suggest you stop being impatient, for if we let it rule us, we shall make mistakes and fail. I suppose that it is hard to rule one's land if he has his head on a pike isn't it ? Because that is what will happen if we lose and I don't know you but I like living ''
Conradin responded firmly and decisively to Maletta's concern, reiterating the plan and insisting on following it. He tried to show a bit of authority and make Maletta understand that he was not someone who was willing to compromise or change his decision once it was made unless there were actual reasons to prove that the decision was wrong. Conradin saw and still sees the plan as the best one to ensure their success. He expected Maletta to respect his decision and to follow the plan but instead, he was insisting on going the opposite direction of what Conradin had decided. Multiple times the king discouraged him from being impatient, as he believed that impatience would lead to mistakes and failure.
It even started to become a sore point between the two.Normally Conradin would not get agitated , however the repetition of the event was starting to make him irritated , especially when Maletta continued to press the issue. And the fact that he was trying to relax and tried to avoid the conversation, made it worse .
Maletta apparently understood that Conradin was adamant about his stance, and he realized that there was nothing he could do to persuade the king otherwise.
As He was aware that continuing to push the issue further would only lead to further irritation or offense to the king,he made the right decision to back off and accept Conradin's decisiveness , as to respect his position as the king.
As Maletta backed off, Conradin sighed with relief as he wanted to enjoy the evening and get away from the stress of warfare, and to do that, he knew that he needed help. As such, he turned toward Frederick with an expectant look.
Frederick, being his friend, immediately understood what Conradin wanted and was more than willing to help lift his spirits and the mood. He to do that he tried with a light joke
'' So A ship is traveling across the sea during a storm. There are in the vessel a Varagian guard , a French knight, and a guard employed by a cardinal, all traveling together. The crew is ordering the passengers to throw things overboard to lighten the load and help prevent the ship from sinking. The French knight throws his bottle of wine away, saying that there are many in France.
The guard employed by the Cardinal throws his master's cross, saying that there are thousands in the Pope's palace. The last remaining passenger, a Varangian, is asked to throw something overboard as well, and instead of a bottle of wine or a cross, he throws the emperor overboard, saying that he will find dozens more in Greece as they multiply like damn flies.''
After the joke was told, Conradin laughed heartily at the joke, finding it particularly amusing and entertaining. For it played on the idea that the Byzantine Empire was constantly plagued by civil wars and political strife. ''Well it is true that the romans seem to be in a civil war every month , but who are we to talk about that since we are currently in a strikingly similar situation?'' Said Conradin to Frederick who grimly nodded in agreement .
The feast continued into the night, as Conradin and his group all sat down to eat the meat that they had harvested during the hunt. The meat had been cooked in various ways, including boiling, roasting, and being served with many spices that could be found in the city . The flavors of the meat were rich and delicious, over all it would have been a pleasing experience for the diners to enjoy the well-prepared and savory meal. The fellowship and celebration made the meal even more enjoyable, especially with the wine that made everyone more talkative and got everyone in a more uplifted mood.
At some point during the banquet, Conradin asked Pietro to share some poetry with the group. However, Pietro, under the influence of wine, was unsteady on his feet, leading him to stumble and make a fool of himself. This caused everyone at the banquet to laugh at his drunken folly,as it was a light-hearted and humorous moment during the otherwise joyful and celebratory banquet. Pietro's drunken antics provided a moment of levity and humor that lightened the mood, adding to the celebration and merriment of the event.
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Hey guys , we are reaching near to the next action filled point into the stories. I hope that this light 4 chapters did not bored you too much as I needed it to emphasize the division inside Conradin close court.