The Story
Giovanni Salzano is a Venetian noble at the impressionable age of 17. Through the sins of his father & the dark legacy of his family name (both of which have been kept from him throughout his childhood), his peaceful world is shattered from no fault of his own. His family & best friend murdered, his inheritance burned to the ground, the love of his life taken from him, and framed for the attempted murder of a Catholic Priest, Salzano is on the run!
An outlaw with nothing left to lose and only vengeance left for any purpose to wake the next morning, Giovanni seeks out his family's dark history & legacy. He starts on a journey to inherit the sins of his father in order to find vengeance and, perhaps, justice. Through his dark journey, Giovanni will interact with such historical figures such as Margaret of Austria, duchess & regent to the Habsburg Netherlands; William de Croy, Imperial Chamberlain to the future Charles V & Margaret's sworn enemy; Karl von Egmond, Duke and warlord to the Duchy of Guelders & Margaret's chief rival; and Francis I, recently crowned French king and the fulfillment of a vague & disputed religious prophecy.
**Margaret seeks to unravel a French plot to take the Imperial Throne from her father, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and protect her nephew (Charles V) from William de Croy. Destiny brings Giovanni Salzano before her, and the duchess knows the young man's dark family legacy. Before long, Margaret realizes that Giovanni Salzano may be the deadly sword & anti-hero she needs to not only save her nephew, but also the Habsburg dynasty. In the end, however, how far is too far for Margaret of Austria? In the process of saving the legacy of the Habsburgs and that of their future ruler in Charles V, will she be able to recognize herself anymore? Or will she be forced to sacrifice the last remnants of her soul to ensure the plans of men succeed?
**William de Croy seeks to finish his plot to destroy Margaret's legacy, while turning the young 14-year-old Charles V to French schemes as a backdoor to France's larger plan to put Francis I on the Imperial Throne instead of Charles V, the assumed heir to the Habsburg dynasty of European rule. Among the game of political elites and the changing fortunes of kingdoms and rulers alike, William de Croy could very well find himself as the most honest person, both to himself and to his enemies.
**Karl von Egmond will stop at nothing to secure Guelders' freedom from the Holy Roman Empire. He enlists the services of the mercenary company known as "Northern Company", little knowing Giovanni Salzano is within their ranks and on a path of vengeance. Soon, Egmond will have to make a choice between his rivalry with Margaret of Austria, the Duchy of Guelders, and his shadowy puppet masters of the Faithful Eternal. Instead of choosing one of three, he chooses to have it all---at the risk of more than just his life or even the lives of his citizens in Guelders.
**Francis I inherits a broken and culturally & socially collapsing Kingdom of France. Propelled forward by a vague religious prophecy, the young king must balance the demands of his broken people, a collapsing kingdom, and a secret allegiance to defend the world from the evil plans of the Faithful Eternal. Deciding to go to war in Italy, the young French king plans on reestablishing French territorial claims on land lost by decades of incompetence & corruption by previous French kings.
An outlaw with nothing left to lose and only vengeance left for any purpose to wake the next morning, Giovanni seeks out his family's dark history & legacy. He starts on a journey to inherit the sins of his father in order to find vengeance and, perhaps, justice. Through his dark journey, Giovanni will interact with such historical figures such as Margaret of Austria, duchess & regent to the Habsburg Netherlands; William de Croy, Imperial Chamberlain to the future Charles V & Margaret's sworn enemy; Karl von Egmond, Duke and warlord to the Duchy of Guelders & Margaret's chief rival; and Francis I, recently crowned French king and the fulfillment of a vague & disputed religious prophecy.
**Margaret seeks to unravel a French plot to take the Imperial Throne from her father, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and protect her nephew (Charles V) from William de Croy. Destiny brings Giovanni Salzano before her, and the duchess knows the young man's dark family legacy. Before long, Margaret realizes that Giovanni Salzano may be the deadly sword & anti-hero she needs to not only save her nephew, but also the Habsburg dynasty. In the end, however, how far is too far for Margaret of Austria? In the process of saving the legacy of the Habsburgs and that of their future ruler in Charles V, will she be able to recognize herself anymore? Or will she be forced to sacrifice the last remnants of her soul to ensure the plans of men succeed?
**William de Croy seeks to finish his plot to destroy Margaret's legacy, while turning the young 14-year-old Charles V to French schemes as a backdoor to France's larger plan to put Francis I on the Imperial Throne instead of Charles V, the assumed heir to the Habsburg dynasty of European rule. Among the game of political elites and the changing fortunes of kingdoms and rulers alike, William de Croy could very well find himself as the most honest person, both to himself and to his enemies.
**Karl von Egmond will stop at nothing to secure Guelders' freedom from the Holy Roman Empire. He enlists the services of the mercenary company known as "Northern Company", little knowing Giovanni Salzano is within their ranks and on a path of vengeance. Soon, Egmond will have to make a choice between his rivalry with Margaret of Austria, the Duchy of Guelders, and his shadowy puppet masters of the Faithful Eternal. Instead of choosing one of three, he chooses to have it all---at the risk of more than just his life or even the lives of his citizens in Guelders.
**Francis I inherits a broken and culturally & socially collapsing Kingdom of France. Propelled forward by a vague religious prophecy, the young king must balance the demands of his broken people, a collapsing kingdom, and a secret allegiance to defend the world from the evil plans of the Faithful Eternal. Deciding to go to war in Italy, the young French king plans on reestablishing French territorial claims on land lost by decades of incompetence & corruption by previous French kings.
BOOK QUOTE
“You sell your people in order to save them,” William said without a kind word in his voice as he stood up, his hands on his desk; his voice rising with anger, “Or you may waste away in this political exile! A convenient truth to the daughter of the dying Roman Emperor and the aunt to the future Roman Emperor! No more than a footnote in political theatre. And. Your. People. Will. Suffer.”
(William de Croy, AD 1515)
---Chapter 4; No Tears (Northern Company)---
(William de Croy, AD 1515)
---Chapter 4; No Tears (Northern Company)---