At the end of November 1502, Ferdinand returned to Zaragoza, after a long absence.

Unlike ever, this time Ferdinand returned to Zaragoza, not only did he not have a grand entrance to the city, but not too many people even knew about it in advance.

Ferdinand, anxious to return to Zaragoza to clean up the mess, ordered all the nobles who he thought were still loyal to him to rush to Zaragoza as soon as possible, and at the same time wrote secret letters to the nobles of Zaragoza who still trusted him on the way, hoping that they would be able to assume the sacred responsibility of King Qin at a critical moment.

But to Ferdinand's surprise, when he returned to Saragueza with his few guards, he was greeted by the Archbishop of Zaragoza, who was welcoming the king outside the city with a group of strange nobles.

At this moment, Ferdinand knew that his plan had failed.

After only a brief ritual, the procession proceeded swiftly into the city, attracting no attention along the way, so that when Ferdinand entered his chambers in the palace, several servants who were cleaning saw the sudden appearance of the king and almost knock over a valuable vase in surprise.

Along the way, Ferdinand wanted to ask the archbishop what he was doing this for, but he didn't have a chance, and it wasn't until he kicked the irrelevant people out of the room that Ferdinand fixed his eyes on the archbishop's face.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was suffocating, and even the archbishop felt secretly nervous.

It took a while for Ferdinand to ask, "Why?" ”

The archbishop, apparently aware of the meaning of the king's brainless question, thought for a moment, as if he were preparing words, but at last his shoulders fell slightly, as if he had abruptly abandoned those plans.

"Your Majesty, you need not only a strong king, but also the people who need someone who can stand before them and guide their spirits where to go, but you are clearly not the right person, you are too proud and arrogant, and your ambitions are unsettling, so all this is just the bitter fruit of your own making."

"Is that so," Ferdinand looked at the archbishop with distrust, "if that Gombray hadn't bribed you with a large sum of money and promised you the promise that you would become the archbishop of the autonomous diocese, I might have believed your words, but now your explanation is worthless to me." ”

Ferdinand said as he stood up from his chair, took a few steps forward to the archbishop, paused almost close to it, and leaned over to put his face into the archbishop: "I must admit that your words can indeed exonerate many crimes, but there is no doubt about betraying the king. ”

Ferdinand stared at the archbishop, who no longer seemed to want to linger with him.

He walked to the door and opened the two closed doors, so that they could be seen by all the people waiting outside in the living room.

Ferdinand looked over at the men, and saw that although they should have heard the two men in the room, they seemed so calm, which made Ferdinand's heart uneasy.

He looked at them and was astonished to find that they were all looking at him with cold eyes, as if his majesty at this moment did not cause any fear in their eyes.

"Do you want to rebel?" Ferdinand couldn't help but raise his voice, he tried to get the attention of the guards outside, but the archbishop seemed to have read his thoughts.

"Your Majesty, I have to regret to tell you that some small changes have taken place in the palace during the days of your expedition, and now the palace is guarded by a group of loyal guards of my choosing."

The archbishop slowly raised his hand and gestured behind him, and with his movements, a violent sound of footsteps suddenly came from the hallway, followed by a group of heavily armed guards, led by several officers.

Ferdinand looked at those people dumbfounded, he didn't know what it meant, but he never thought that the archbishop would dare to be so blatant.

"Do you know what you're doing, Bishop?" Ferdinand asked fiercely.

"We all know what I'm doing, Your Majesty," replied the archbishop in a-for-tat manner, "and we all know that you want to wrest power from Queen Isabella but have never succeeded, so it's not surprising if anyone suspects that the Queen's sudden death has something to do with you, isn't it?" ”

Ferdinand looked at the archbishop in disbelief, he couldn't believe that this man would say such a thing, considering that even the enemies who were full of malice towards him had never attacked him with this.

This is because everyone knows that the accusation is too big, and if you are not careful, you can completely offend the two great powers of Castile and Aragon.

But now the Archbishop of Zaragoza has no qualms about speaking out on a subject that everyone considers taboo, and Ferdinand finally realizes that these people are indeed determined to oppose him.

"What did that Gombray give you?" Ferdinand looked at the men in disbelief, he thought they were all crazy, or maybe they had some deal with Alexander that he didn't know about, and he wanted to know the answer to all this.

"Your Majesty, what if you know a lot of things? You can't change anything, trust me that will only add to your troubles," said the archbishop disapprovingly, "and perhaps you are still thinking of reassembling your loyal men, but let me remind you that even those people can't change much now, especially now that Zaragoza is completely under our control. ”

"But don't forget, I still have the support of the nobles of Aragon everywhere, I am the rightful king of the kingdom of Aragon, and the Sicilian woman you hope for, even if she can inherit the throne, will be many years later, I will try to live, perhaps longer than her."

The archbishop's face slowly darkened, he knew that what Ferdinand said was actually right, even if he inherited the throne, it might be a long time before he inherited the throne, and no one really knew what would happen in the meantime.

If that were the case, they would be in an awkward position in the future, because according to the Treaty of Garwell, if Quesha was unable to inherit the throne due to an accident, then Charles, as Ferdinand's direct heir, would be the first in line to the throne, and it was believed that at that time, he would settle the shame for his maternal grandfather.

The archbishop's eyes narrowed slightly, he knew that he had to make a decision at this time, but he also knew very well what kind of risk he had to take to make that decision.

Since ancient times, killing kings has never ended well, and even if they succeed, they often end up with a tragic end for the mastermind and murderer.

Even the kings of hostile countries would not tolerate such murder of monarchs, since it was a provocation to the status of all monarchs.

Ferdinand was also vaguely aware of the murderous intent passing in the archbishop's eyes, he forced himself to calm down, and his eyes met the archbishop's eyes without blinking, he knew that he must not back down at this time, otherwise he might really be close to death.

"Your Majesty, I think you're in a bad mood since the expedition, I think you're sick," the archbishop finally spoke, as if he had discovered something in Ferdinand, and then looked back at the nobles who were watching from the sidelines, "Do you think the king should have a good rest?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty should rest in a quiet place," a nobleman stood up and bowed to Ferdinand, his tone respectful, but his eyes were very cold, "I think you should set up a special palace in the palace for recuperation, and it is better that this place is not disturbed." ”

Ferdinand immediately understood the intentions of these people, it was obvious that they did not dare to harm his life, but they could imprison him, thinking that he might have to live this kind of captivity for many years to come, Ferdinand could no longer pretend to be calm and composed, he clutched the cross on his chest with one hand, drew his sword with the other and waved it in front of him: "Go away!" Before you is the king! ”

The soldiers looked hesitant, they were clearly frightened, and no one dared to take a step forward in the face of the king.

"It's a pity that your behavior has made it very difficult for us, Your Majesty," the archbishop shook his head slightly helplessly, and then waved his hand to an officer, "Don't hurt Your Majesty, and don't let him hurt himself." ”

"Yes, sir." The officer nodded, winking at a few of his companions.

Before Ferdinand could understand what had happened, several officers suddenly pounced on him at the same time and pushed him to the ground amid the screams of the people around him!

"Let go of me! I am the king! King! ”

Ferdinand struggled to resist, but his neck was strangled from behind, and Ferdinand's mouth, which could not be breathed and could not help opening his mouth, was immediately stuffed with a large ball of silk that seemed to have been prepared, and then his mouth was sealed with a wide leather belt used by Lerin, and the back of his head was tied.

Ferdinand let out a low whine, his arms were tied with belts, and he was horrified to see someone bring an ancient helmet with completely riveted face armor, leaving only eyes and a fence to breathe.

"Your Majesty, this is for your own good, and the way you are now makes one have to suspect that you may have fallen under the influence of evil, and you may even hurt yourself, so we must keep you safe," the archbishop said, but Ferdinand waved his hand at the men with a hysterical cry of despair.

Under the gaze of a group of nobles, Ferdinand, who was tightly clutched by the hands and feet, watched the helmet slowly move towards him, and he cried out in despair in his heart, shouting the names of God, Jesus, Mary, and all the saints he knew, praying that they would save him, the pious King Christ.

But the miracle didn't happen, a darkness hung before him, and then his blood-red eyes, which were almost bursting out of their sockets with rage, appeared in the gaps in the eyeholes of his helmet.

I swear that as long as I live, I will take revenge, and I will throw those who are here today into hell, but I will keep the archbishop alive, and I will let him taste all the torture in this world.

Through the eyelets, Ferdinand's already red eyes swept over each face like nails, which made the hearts of everyone in the room cold, and when his gaze finally fell on the archbishop's face, a terrible "whine" sounded in his throat.

"Your Majesty, they will untie you when they arrange you in the right place, but you must not do anything drastic, I have ordered them to take some more rude measures against you if necessary for your safety, and it is entirely for your sake."

The archbishop said quietly to Ferdinand, who was gasping for breath and just staring at him, that he didn't pay attention to the way Ferdinand stared at him, or that he didn't want to see him as he was.

Forced to don a knight's robe and cloak, Ferdinand, who was "crowded" by a group of guards, walked towards the door as he looked like an ordinary knight.

At this time, the palace seemed unusually quiet, although not many people knew that the king had returned, but this silence faintly made the atmosphere in the palace of Zaragoza seem oppressive.

Although Ferdinand had left, none of the people left had spoken, and the atmosphere in the living room was unusually strange.

The archbishop looked at the men, and he smiled and said, "Tell me what you are all thinking," and then without anyone speaking, he added, "No, no, no, no, don't think it's something bad to say, and don't forget that all of us are participants." ”

"King, he won't give up, will he?" A nobleman asked tentatively, and when he saw the eyes of the others looking at him as if they were looking at him, the nobleman couldn't help licking his dry lips, "He will take revenge on us, Ferdinand is such a person, so he will not let each of us go." ”

Speaking of this, the nobleman's body trembled with excitement, and he looked at the archbishop and asked in an anxious tone: "What should we do, if the nobles loyal to the king are allowed to rescue him, then we will all have to go to the gallows." ”

This man's words caused the others to be uneasy, and they looked at each other nervously and whispered, and gradually the chatter disappeared, and everyone involuntarily looked at the archbishop.

There was the same thing in their eyes, it was a terrible killing intent.

"What do you want to do, murder the king?" The archbishop looked at the expressions of those people and waved his hands, "Then we will all be really unlucky, you should know that the murder of the king will leave us all dead." ”

"So what do we do?! Maybe we shouldn't have ...... in the first place," the nobleman cried out in despair.

But then the archbishop slapped him back from what he hadn't finished.

"Shut up, idiot, God probably only had stupidity and recklessness left in his hands when he created you, otherwise you wouldn't have a little reason in your head."

The archbishop cursed for a while before stopping, he slowly walked over to the throne where Ferdinand had sat before, reached out and tapped lightly on the armrest of the chair, then turned to sit down and looked at the nobles who had gathered around.

"We have another way, don't we, have you forgotten what we're doing all this for?"

The archbishop's words puzzled the nobles at first, and then some of them suddenly became excited because of what they thought.

"Queen of Sicily?" A nobleman blurted out excitedly because he had thought of a solution to the problem in front of him.

Then more people showed a sudden realization.

"Yes, we can ask the queen to be regent of Aragon on the grounds that King Ferdinand was so irritated by the frustration of his previous defeat that he was insane," said the archbishop, as if remembering something, "I remember that Queen Juana seems to have gone crazy too, right?" ”

"Yes, this is a scandal in Castile, and if it weren't for the fact that she was the daughter of Queen Castile and Isabella, perhaps she would have been ......," said a nobleman excitedly.

The archbishop interrupted the man with a wave of his hand, and he stood up and paced slowly on the ground, enjoying the satisfaction of all the hope placed in him, and after a while he paused and said, "I don't know if Juana's madness has anything to do with her parents, but if the king had gone mad too, it would have been much easier to explain." ”

Everyone showed a sudden expression, although they knew that saying this was likely to cause an uproar, but at least it was much better to be counterattacked by Ferdinand in the future.

And the rest of the troubles should be for the Queen of Sicily, they just need to get the Queen to Zaragoza as soon as possible, and then the reality of the fait accompli will make the nobles who still feel that they should be loyal to Ferdinand understand that everything has come to an end.

"As for the king, let him not be rescued, but more importantly ensure his safety," the archbishop told his associates, "and it is in our best interest to remember that Ferdinand is alive." ”

The archbishop's words made the eyes of some nobles fluctuate, and they vaguely guessed his intentions.

Obviously, the archbishop intended to use Ferdinand as a bargaining chip with the new queen, and a living Ferdinand was indeed a big constraint for the new monarch.

The nobles were quick to calculate, they knew that according to the treaty, the Queen of Sicily was going to Zaragoza to officially claim her status, and now she should come sooner, and before that everything must be prepared, both to welcome the queen and to prove their influence in Zaragoza.

"Go and write a letter," said the archbishop to one of the officials of the nobles, "and we will send a letter of public invitation to the Queen of Sicily, inviting her to come to Zaragoza to preside over the affairs of the country." ”

The nobles gathered around the official and watched him begin to draft the invitation, and every now and then someone would come up with the idea of adding or subtracting a sentence or a word, so that after much deliberation, a public invitation was finally written.

"Where is that Moor, didn't he come with the king?"

The archbishop suddenly remembered the Moorish man who was said to be a close confidant of the Regent of Castile, but it was strange that they had not seen the Moorish named Ullius since they entered the city.

"Find the Moorish man, tell him what is happening in the palace, and then ask her to give this letter to the Regent, and ask the Regent to pass it on to Her Majesty." Impatiently, the archbishop instructed his retinue to go to Ulliu, "This matter is very important, and the Moor must be found as soon as possible." ”

While everyone was looking for Uliu, Ulius was having a sumptuous dinner in a rather luxurious mansion in the city of Zaragoza.

But instead of sitting at the luxurious table, he was sitting at a small wooden table in the kitchen, and across from him was a young half-breed cook who was smiling at the fragrant Ulliu.

"Is it true that you say you are friends with our Duchess and Lord Tiego?" The young cook asked, taking advantage of the opportunity to pour him juice.

"Yes, I know your duchess very well, especially Tiego, and we used to talk and laugh together when we were in Rome." Uliu said as he tore off a piece of meat from the chicken leg and chewed vigorously, "This meat is really good, your craftsmanship is so good, I think you can be a cook for the king." ”

"You're really good at talking," said the pretty young cook, smiling even more happily, "but if you're willing to work with me, I don't mind going to work as a cook for someone else." ”

"Trust me, you won't regret it, there is a noble lady with a high status that you can serve her now, you must know that she is pregnant now, and it is the time when she needs a cook who can cook delicious meals for her."

Uliu said casually, he didn't mind finding himself a beautiful chick who could cook and was very eye-catching as a companion under the banner of Jisha.

The young cook nodded at once, but then said with some disappointment: "But I can't leave for the time being, I heard that there is also a noble lady in Valencia territory, and it may not be long before I will go to the territory to serve the duchess, no, the queen." ”

Ulliu's hand holding the chicken leg to eat slowly stopped, and he thought for a moment.

Valencia? Duchess? Queen?

Thinking about the approximate time, he had already guessed who the noble lady was.

Uliu's face slowly fell, and for a moment he felt that the chicken legs in his hands were no longer fragrant.