In The Lion's Sign. Stefano Vignaroli

which represents for you a treacherous ground full of perils?»

      Giovanni mocked himself and widened his mouth in a smile, then Andrea saw him get closer to him, until he put his hand on his shoulder, almost in a gesture of friendship. From him? From someone he considered an enemy? Did he have to expect to fall into some kind of trap? There was little to trust. Andrea stiffened and the other one lowered his arm, then he started talking.

      «I bring good news for you, maybe a little less for me» the Medici said. «The Duke of Urbino has agreed with the new Pope, and...»

      «You’re telling me things I already know. The deal with Adrian VI happened two months ago!»

      A smile was printed on the lips of the interlocutor again.

      «Don’t interrupt me, let me finish. I’m not talking about the Pope who, I think for a little while longer, sits on the papal throne. I speak of the Bishop of Florence, of Julius De’ Medici, who will soon take his rightful place. There are rumours that Adriano Florensz is in very poor health and has a short life. If the good Lord does not call him back to his side, he will have to renounce the office soon. And the papacy will return again to the house of Medici.»

      «And you are here to make me believe that my lord, the Duke Della Rovere, who has always been a bitter enemy of the house to which you belong, has already made a secret agreement with the Bishop of Florence, even before having the certainty that he will be elected to the papal throne! Do you think me stupid?»

      «Trust me! To show my good faith, I have brought you a gift, which I’m sure will please you.»

      With a snap of his fingers, Giovanni beckoned to approach one of the remaining thugs... The latter jumped to the ground and went to lay a large wicker basket next to his lord. Then he bowed in reverence and retraced his steps. The tension could be cut with the knife. Everyone remained silent, even the Counts of Carpegna had stopped at a respectful distance and were waiting for how the events would unfold. The only noise that could be heard was the withering of the banners, which were stretched out under the wind. Giovanni opened the basket and grabbed the macabre contents, showing it to Andrea. A head cut off cleanly from his neck, still dripping blood, his hair entangled between the fingers of the man whose outstretched arm was waving it proudly under his nose. Andrea barely held back a gagging gag, but he recognized to whom that sort of trophy had belonged in life.

      «Your worst enemy, Messer Franciolini! Masio da Cingoli. As you can see, I’ve taken the trouble to make sure he doesn’t bother you anymore. You should be grateful!»

      «To tell you the truth, I had other intentions about him. I was going to describe the facts to the Duke Della Rovere, in a letter whose contents I already had in mind, calling for a fair trial for this little good. The last of my wishes was to kill him without the intervention of justice. If I had done so, I would have put myself in his shoes. Let it never be said that the Marquis Franciolini is a coward!»

      «You could have always challenged him to a duel, but since someone else thought of him, you had saved your honour and you can certainly consider yourself satisfied», and so saying Giovanni dalle Bande Nere threw Masio’s head with contempt on the ground, near Andrea’s feet, resuming his speech immediately, before the latter had a chance to reply. «But there is more, and this is the good news for you. My troops and I are leaving San Leo. Given the terms of the alliance between the Medici and Duke Della Rovere, there is nothing more to fear in these parts. In the coming days, the communities of San Leo and Maiolo will fall under your jurisdiction. Our presence is instead claimed in Brescia. It seems that the Lansquenets have moved from Bolzano and press on the gates of this city. The Gonzaga on the one hand and the Visconti-Sforza on the other, feel themselves in danger, being the bulk of the Venetian forces at the moment engaged in Dalmatia to repel the attacks of the Ottomans. Della Rovere, alone, was unable to stand up to those gangs of bad soldiers, and no one wanted the army of Charles V of Hapsburg to come behind them and threaten cities like Milan, Florence or, worse, Rome. My soldiers of fortune are needed, and our common friend, Francesco Maria, has understood this well!»

      If I were not in these conditions, surely the Duke would have summoned me and my men to fight at his side, rather than this bloodthirsty angel-faced man, Andrea said to himself, beware of expressing this thought. But, at the end of the day, perhaps it is better now. Away the Medici, these territories are quiet at the moment and I will be able, as soon as possible, to return to Jesi and marry the Countess Lucia.

      He took one last look at Masio’s head, took pity on it, picked it up and put it back inside the basket, closing it with the lid, then turned to Giovanni.

      «I am happy for you, Sir Ludovico», and he remarked the voice on this name, aware of how unwelcome it was for the person in front of him to be so called. «I thank you for everything and I wish you good luck.»

      Having said this, he turned around, jumped on the horse, reached Piero and Bono, who had remained silent spectators until that moment, and started again at their side towards the fortress, spurring the horse at a fast pace.

      «A boaster, there’s nothing to say!», Piero from Carpegna said.

      «Yeah!» Bono replied.

      «Forget it», Andrea intervened. «He won’t bother us anymore, and that’s what’s important. Rather, retrieve the basket with Masio’s head. I want him to be given a decent burial. I really can’t stand that someone took the trouble to do justice for me, and I don’t want it to be said that I accepted with pleasure the summary execution of that coward. Coward when he was alive and coward remains. But I am no equal to him!»

      «And it’s true!», Piero replied again. «You have a noble and generous soul, and we all appreciate it. We’ll provide Masio’s mortal remains are settled. In fact, we’ll also send someone to look for the rest of the body, after Giovanni dalle Bande Nere has left San Leo.»

       

       CHAPTER 3

      Eleonora was so beautiful. Her naked body, half-abandoned on the bed, beaded with sweat, reflected the flames of the fireplace, taking on her an amber colour, which revived again Francesco Maria’s desire. Making love with his wife was much more satisfying than making it with a maid or, worse, with a slut. He reached out his hand and grazed her nipple. He felt it rise up under the delicate touch, then he saw Eleonora move, wake up from the torpor and lean towards him again. The mouths joined in a long kiss. A meeting of lips, of tongues, of naked bodies burning to unite again, in a weave of long hair, her blonde hair, his dark hair. Before penetrating his wife again, the Duke put his dark, almost black, eyes into her sea-blue eyes.

      «I love you», he whispered to her, realizing those two words, apparently so simple and obvious, would not be uttered in the presence of any other woman. In response, Eleonora took his face in her warm hands, caressed his rough beard, and accompanied him to lie on his back on the linen sheets. Then she sat astride him, sliding his swollen member between her thighs. Francesco Maria was in ecstasy. He loved she took the initiative. He watched Eleonora from below swinging above him, in an ever tightening crescendo of swinging movements, in an ever faster and more pressing rhythm. Drops of sweat, from her forehead, came to rasp his chest, his cheeks, his forehead. He pushed his warrior’s hands along the flanks of his indomitable filly, until they reached her breasts, to start caressing them in a circular motion. He felt Eleonora get even more excited, her gasping breath turn almost into a cry of pleasure. He realized that he could no longer hold back and flooded the belly of his woman who, having reached orgasm, shouted even louder, then stopped and fell on top of him, making sure that his member still did not leave the coils of her womb. Francesco sighed, satiated with the night of love, waited for the erection to slowly come to an end, then gently moved the helpless female body. He knew well that after the third intercourse, Eleonora fell deeply asleep. He made sure that her breathing was regular, covered her naked body with a sheet, and got out of bed, putting on his stockings. He brought a couple of grapes of sweet white grapes to his mouth and then, thoughtful, he approached the window admiring the silvery reflections of the moon on the lake waters. For some months he was a guest in the Scaliger castle of Sirmione, a castle surrounded by water on all four