Elliot of Taranto, the only son of the Count of Taranto.

Compared with the aristocratic young masters of this era, Elliot is not very prominent, and even a little cynical at times, but he is a fairly reliable person.

At least this time he fulfilled his mission successfully.

When he heard that the commander of the Aragonese expeditionary force was Count de Sanchode, he couldn't help but think of the description he had heard from his uncle.

"Brave, determined, not hesitating once a goal is set, stubborn like a donkey."

This is what Count Mordillo said about Count de Santjude.

In the past, she had heard her uncle's assessment of the Iberian nobles as an anecdote about his early years in the peninsula, but now she knew that Count Mordillo was not just interested in them, or simply liked to judge people's strengths and weaknesses.

Perhaps knowing that one day he would become a natural enemy with those men, Count Mordilo was concerned about all the Iberian magnates he had met or heard of.

The unhesitating character of setting a goal seems to be a must for success, and anyone who wants to succeed must have a tenacious belief to be qualified to touch the fruits of victory.

But stubbornness like a donkey...... this may not be a problem most of the time, but once stubbornness is excessive, it often brings bad or even opposite results.

Count de Santchude was evidently determined, but more stubborn, which doomed him to the fact that when he had set a goal, he tended to be more willing to trust his own judgment than the fact that he might be wrong, even if the situation changed.

When she was sent to Messina by Josa, Elliot had another and more important task to convince Sophia to accept Josa's plan in addition to being an emissary to the Wallachians.

Count de Sanchode, who had a wealth of experience in warfare, could not fail to see a wonderful plane appearing in front of him, and the situation of the coalition advancing in a separate position was enough to lure a cautious general to take the initiative, and Count de Sanchod was much more courageous and decisive than those who were cautious.

The adventurous Count had shown remarkable courage in the Reconquista, and it was that bravery that earned him Ferdinand's trust.

What's more, the Count was convinced that the Aragonese fleet could blockade Sicily once it returned, which meant that even if they were at a disadvantage in land warfare on the island, if the retreat route was cut off, the coalition would face a crushing defeat.

It was precisely because of this impudence that the already bold and brave Count de Sanchod would not let go of such a good opportunity to break through, and once the Wallachians were alone, it would become the most ideal target.

The Neapolitan coalition was stationed in Ragusa, and the Wallachians were in Noto, which was not far but not close, and it was just enough time for an army waiting to be surrounded to strike at the enemy.

What Jossa arranged for the Count de Sanchode was such an illusion.

While she summoned the local nobles in Ragusa to show the majesty and mercy of the Queen of Sicily, the coalition forces had already marched swiftly on Noto, and for this Zhisa did not even go to the battlefield but stayed in Ragusa in order to confuse the Aragonese.

It's just that this well-thought-out plan faces a very important problem, and that is Sophia.

Whether she could persuade Sofia to accept the plan, and even persuade her to throw her precious dragoons into battle with the Aragonese army in order to attract the Aragonese people firmly, was an important question.

That's why Josa sent Elliot, who she thought was eloquent, to Messina.

For Elliot, the trip had turned into a nightmare, and for the first time he had truly seen how terrible the legendary Grand Duchess was, and if it hadn't been for the old Greek's great dissuasion, he might have been hacked to death by the Archduchess's sword.

Sophia had decided that the Dragoons were trying to trap her, or at least because the dragoons might pose a threat to her proud grenadiers, so she came up with the idea of using the hands of the Aragonese to strike her.

Therefore, despite Elliott's best efforts, not only did he not receive any effect, but on the contrary, he almost suffered because he angered the Grand Duchess herself.

And the plan was finally realized because Sophia finally changed her mind.

However, this did not come without a price, and after much deliberation, Sophia made a condition that Elliot had no right to agree to in place of Josa - she wanted Josa to promise to publicly support her son, August Alessandro Valleollio, in his capacity as Queen of the Two Sicilies, in the future to marry the daughter of King Ladislas II of Bohemia.

This proposal was completely beyond Elliott's mandate, and it involved an Elector of the Empire, who had to return to Palermo in embarrassment to relay Sophia's seemingly whimsical idea to Josa.

And after hearing this condition, Ji Sha couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Just half a year ago, Anna of Naples, wife of King Ladislas II of Bohemia, gave birth to a daughter, a matter of joy and annoyance for the old son.

After all, he is very old, and the queen is also an older mother, but her body is still healthy, so it is unlikely that the two will have children in the future, and the queen will not go to God immediately for a while.

Therefore, he did not plan to think about marrying another young wife and giving birth to a male heir for him.

In this way, the princess should be the heir to the Kingdom of Bohemia.

And Queen Anna of Bohemia was born into the Neapolitan royal family.

Ji Sha suddenly felt that she should no longer underestimate the wild girl she remembered that in addition to her chest, her head was empty.

Even if the idea was probably Alexander's arrangement, she was able to take the opportunity to make conditions at this time, which shows that she is not what she used to be.

For this condition, Jisha agreed without much thought, of course, she did not do this perfunctory, but after hearing about this incident, a magnificent map of the future "Alexander Empire" quickly appeared in her mind.

And if she could take the opportunity to expand the influence of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to the interior of Europe and to the east, it would also be a golden opportunity for her.

The plan was thus decided, and before Elliott returned to his life, Thissa asked him to tell Sophia very seriously: "The fate of all of us is in your hands, whether we can firmly attract the Aragonese, and even force them to take the initiative to attack is the key to everything, I put my fate in your hands, and our fate belongs to Alexander." ”

Josha's reminder, or warning, was undoubtedly prescient, and when the most dangerous moment came, Sophia wavered for a moment.

Although she knew that the coalition forces had been secretly arranged on the Aragonese flank, looking at the enemy rushing towards her position like a tide, Sophia thought about giving up at that moment.

She didn't know if she would be able to hold out enough to draw the Aragonese into attack, and her dragoons were under tremendous pressure and could collapse at any moment.

That sentence in the Book of Generals became the pillar that supported Sophia's persistence, she didn't know how many five minutes she had to hold on, but when she saw that the Aragonese finally attacked on all fronts, she knew that it was she who stood on the battlefield to the end, not Count de Sanchode.

Sophia sat down tiredly, she didn't care about what happened on the battlefield next.

On December 27, 1501, the Aragonese expeditionary force of 6,000 and the combined forces of the Trade League and Wallachia of about 6,500 were engaged in a fierce battle with the southern Sicilian port of Noto.

The Aragonese army suffered heavy losses from the front and rear of the coalition forces, and the commander of the expeditionary force, Count de Santjude, had to retreat to Port Noto under unfavorable circumstances.

The next day, beginning in the early morning, the coalition forces launched an incessant artillery bombardment that lasted for several hours, followed by a fierce assault on the defenders of Port Noto.

As the commander of the expeditionary force, Count de Sanchode, was wounded in the battle and his whereabouts are unknown, on the afternoon of the 28th, the remnants of the defenders of Aragon ceased resistance and surrendered to the coalition forces.

In the battle, the Aragonese expeditionary force lost more than 1,100 casualties, and the rest surrendered.

The coalition forces suffered more than 400 casualties.

The war for the unification of the Kingdom of Sicily came to an end.

There were still snowflakes in the sky, but when they fell to the ground, they had already melted.

But the sky was gloomy, and the sea in the distance was also rolled up with layers of waves, and the low and constant sound of the inky waves rushing towards the shore when they hit the sand, as if they were wailing for the ghosts of the dead.

Standing on the stone slabs of the pier in Port Noto, she looked at the roaring sea in the distance, her wide skirt blown almost against her body by the wind, completely accentuating her graceful figure.

Just turning her head to look at the woman standing there like a proud heifer next to her, Jisha sighed softly, and her original good mood seemed to fade a little.

The day after the Coalition victory, Jossa arrived at Noto and showed extraordinary respect to her arrival, even to the Wallachian officers.

The whole plan was drawn up by the Queen of Naples, who even ventured to stay in Ragusa in order to confuse the Aragonese, and when the coalition army quietly marched towards Noto, there was only a guard of more than 100 men left behind in Ragusa.

Everyone must admit that it was the courage and audacity of the Queen of Naples, and her unusually correct judgment of the movements of the Aragonese, that allowed the Battle of Noto to achieve the results of the coalition with a complete victory.

The sound of the ringing had undoubtedly reached a new level at this moment, so much so that when Sophia saw her, she seemed rather cold because of her unhappiness.

But she didn't care about that, she knew that she and Sophia might not get along in this life.

But it doesn't matter, in Jisha's opinion, as long as Sophia can ensure that the future "Alexander's Empire" is stronger, it is enough.

It's just that looking at the bohemian woman in front of her, who looks more like a scourge after giving birth, she feels a little uncomfortable.

Seeing Sophia's impatience, she beckoned her to her entourage to bring her a thick cloak, she didn't want to stand on the beach and suffer from the cold like this woman who was healthier than a heifer.

"I know that many people are worried about the Aragonese fleet, and even in the coalition forces, there are those who think that if we are blocked, not only will our previous victory be lost, but we may even be trapped in Sicily because of the cut off retreat."

Sophia let out a "snort" sound in her nose, she knew that Jisha was right, and after the joy of defeating the Aragonese expeditionary force, many of the coalition generals immediately saw the potential threat ahead.

It's just that even though she knows that this is indeed a common problem faced by everyone, she can't help but feel a little unhappy when she sees that she always seems to be in control.

"I don't think we need to worry so much, it's not easy for the Aragonese fleet to come back." As she spoke, she looked back at the rough sea in the distance, the wind blew her hair away, so she simply took off her scattered hair ornament and threw it on the ground casually, and then she raised her head to let the cold snowflakes fall on her face.

"Alexander promised me that one day he would take me to the other side of the sea, and he said that there was a new world in the farther west that we knew nothing about, and that I only hoped that by that time you or any other woman would become a burden to him."

Sophia stared at Jisha with a heavy face, she didn't really understand what Jisha was talking about, and she didn't really look forward to the so-called new world.

Those places were too far away, and she now wanted her son and daughter to have a big enough "home".

Of course, if there is also Alexander in this family, that would be the best.

Two days later, the coalition forces moved into Kalibo.

The Aragonese army defending Calibo did not resist and chose to lay down their arms and surrender to the coalition forces, while the Aragonese flotilla transporting the expeditionary force immediately left the port of Calibo and withdrew towards the island of Malta.

Caribo has a new conqueror, but this time a queen and an archduchess.

When the local officials of Calipo told the two noble ladies about the situation in Calipo, to their surprise, the queen suddenly asked with interest if there was a monastery called San Sebaron.

Upon receiving an affirmative reply, the Queen of Naples immediately looked very interested and immediately decided to visit the monastery.

The Queen's move came as a surprise to the officials, and although it could be explained by the Queen's piety, it didn't seem like that just by looking at her excitement.

But Sophia was obviously not interested in going to the monastery, and she was now learning to write letters, although it was very difficult to spell them one by one, but because they were addressed to the lady-in-waiting who was far away in Wallachia to take care of her children, she was still very patient and told him to take care of his children, lest he forget anything.

When Jossa arrived at the Monastery of St. Sebalon, the abbot had already been informed in advance to open the door that had been closed all year round, and a strange look flashed in the abbot's eyes as she looked at the Queen of Naples, who was walking slowly along the company of her entourage.

"Your Majesty, you will be blessed by God for being so religious, and it is an honor for all of us to be the protector of the monastery." The abbot walked slowly through the abbey with the young queen, introducing her to everything that was here, and not forgetting to praise the queen with appropriate compliments, but this sounded more like a hint to others that "now is the time to pay for it." ”

Unfortunately, the queen did not seem to understand such an obvious hint from the abbot, and she only visited the abbey with great interest, until she suddenly stopped and distanced herself from the abbot, intentionally or unintentionally, and then asked as if very casually: "Where is the dungeon of this monastery?" ”

The abbot's expression changed instantly, and he tried to calm himself down, but he looked at the Queen's smiling face, and at this moment he realized that he might be in big trouble.

"I know there's a dungeon here," Shosha said from a safe distance, looking at the abbot in front of her, "I don't really know who you are, but I think there's someone you should know, and that's who told me you might be here." ”

Listening to Ji Sha's words, the abbot slowly raised his hand, and his action immediately aroused the vigilance of the guards around him, and they all took out the muskets that had been prepared long ago, and the muzzles of a row of black holes were aimed at the abbot.

"I think I know who you are," said the abbot, who slowly took off his hood, showed a face that was indeed unfamiliar to Josa, but if Alexander was here, he must have been familiar with this man, "I think your uncle, the Count of Mordiglo, told you, but I don't think he told you who I am." ”

As he spoke, the abbot stretched out his arms and saluted respectfully, "Salute your Majesty, Clarion is willing to serve you." ”

Winter in Galicia was warm, at least for Alexander's memory, when the constant abnormal weather affected most of Europe for several years.

Especially on the coldest days, when the rest of the country is already covered with snow, even in Iberia, there are many places when it is cold to the bone, and it is a special sight to see a group of young women lifting their skirts and washing their clothes in the river barefoot.

The women were dressed in brilliant colors that are characteristic of Galicia.

In fact, the incomparably deep impression of the Spanish girl with flaming red lips gradually evolved from the Galician locals, and many years later, the unrestrained and obsessive image even became the symbol of Spain like the bullfighting, which also originated in Galicia.

But now Galicia is a very special place in Castile.

Due to its intricate relationship with Portugal, Galicia was seen as a Castilian outlier, so much so that many local nobles were seen as complicit to the Portuguese at the court of Barrialydod.

Especially after Manuel had first started the war, there had already been a question in Barrialidod about whether troops should be sent into Galicia at once to prevent the natives from colluding with the Portuguese.

A group of horses on the other side of the river caught Schell's attention, and he beckoned to the Balkan guards next to him.

Looking at the knights who had stopped on the opposite bank, Alexander got up from the stone on which he was sitting.

Dismounted, Gonzalo came to him with the river flowing, and as soon as he stepped ashore, he tore off his wet boots and walked barefoot in front of Alexander.

After a pause in silence, Gonzalo finally spoke: "Duke, I don't know why you came to Castile, but it doesn't seem to matter anymore, I have to tell you something. ”

At this point, Gonzalo exhaled deeply, as if he wanted to completely put aside the dullness that had accumulated in his chest, before he continued: "Your Majesty, it may not work. ”