The Crystal Crux Series covers ten days in August 1198. In Chapter 14, we have gone back five months to a banquet hall in Parthenope and the beginning of Pero’s woes.
Taking advantage of his influence with the Court in Spain, Pero developed trade relations with the Almohads. Circumventing the provost office in Parthenope, he signed a treaty.
The Crystal Crux Series books are not historical fiction per say although they contain certain elements of history and world geography as it was in 1198. These truths are sprinkled throughout the story.
Parthenope is simply an older name for Naples, and there wasn’t just one court in Spain, but many courts and multiple jurisdictions as well as minor kings and queens.
Pero, having been raised in Spain, would probably have had some contact with the Almohads who ruled over much land and several cities in Spain including Cordoba and Sevilla.
The Almohads were Berber Muslims from Morocco who rose to some power in the early 12th century but fell from that power by the early 13th century.
To create friction between Pero and the court at Parthenope, I decided to have Pero rush into being a trade treaty with the Almohads while he was in Spain, introducing his bride-to-be Anthea Manikos, to his mother and friends in Spain.
Because the newly established trade agreement would stand to make wealthy merchants wealthier, Lord Commander Gherardus Fabbro is pleased with it and decides to hold a banquet in Pero’s honor. Even when there is strife between certain parties, wealth can placate the troubles, at least for a moment.
To Gherardus’ right sat all the important members of state. The man at his elbow was Provost Guidus Salvatore.
Guidus is one of the most important men in Parthenope, if not the most important. He has loyally served Gherardus Fabbro for eight years and knows every detail about every bank, guild and treaty the kingdom deals with. He’s an extremely intelligent man who serves and suffers to be the best accountant. No one doubts his fealty and devotion.
But Guidus Salvatore is not happy about this trade agreement with the Almohads that is being celebrated. He had no part in the creation of it, or the signing of it. And that is unheard of.
Guidus can’t wait for this banquet to be over.
He’s a businessman and would prefer to be in his office working. He also knows, despite his outrage with Pero, he will soon get over it because there will be much more work to do tomorrow. Guidus isn’t one to dwell on anything including slights.
To Gherardus’ left sat his two sons and a host of henchmen and mercenaries.
Gherardus sons, Talento and Rugerius are at the banquet to honor Pero. Talento is decked out in bright florid clothing while Rugerius is armed and wearing all black.
Talento is measured and quiet while Rugerius is loud, proud, boastful and drinking heartily.
Capua’s company was small in number and seated on a slightly less elevated dais directly opposite Gherardus’ grand party.
The rival parties are honored and facing one another across the center of the hall where there is plenty of room for entertainers to perform. Between them, to their left and right, are sideboards and tables with all the other guests, many lords, ladies and knights.
Singers sing. Dancers dance. Food and drink are served. The banquet proceeds as expected without any issues.
Inevitably, the raucous debates the men had concerning their adoration for women, horses and hunting transformed and degenerated into politics. The seriousness of these conversations was too weighty to be contained or appreciated by inebriated minds.
Emperor Henry VI had recently died and Europe was taking sides trying to decide who would rule next.
Italy, and especially places as far south of Germany as Parthenope (Naples), weren’t overly concerned about who was Emperor because they didn’t give the empire much attention and often repelled any incursions that deep into their countryside. For the sake of The Crystal Crux Series, I appointed Capua as the southernmost possession of the empire in Italy making Pero’s appointment there dangerous. With Henry dead, Pero knew the empire wouldn’t be in any position to really support him if the Italians decided to try and remove him. He had hoped establishing this prosperous trade deal with the Almohads bought him some good credit. And the Lord Commander throwing him this banquet seemed to solidify their goodwill.
But Pero was on the wrong side of this debate.
Pero should have kept his mouth shut but he was in a really good mood and thought he could speak honestly.
He was invited to stand and speak his thoughts, so he did.
The crowd immediately turned on him when he announced his support for Philip of Swabia.
The crowd grew silent. The tacit arrangement between them was about to be breached. This was the event many wished to see. There would be blood. And without warning, Rugerius unsheathed his long sword. He screamed as madmen tend to do and made a rash lunge.
Most knew there was bad blood between Pero and Rugerius because of Anthea, because Pero was going to wed the woman once engaged to wed Rugerius. Many wanted to see a fight between them. Many were sure that Rugerius, being larger, stronger and an experienced warrior, would chop Pero in half.
But Rugerius had been drinking all day and could hardly keep his feet beneath him.
Pero unsheathed his sword, Miriam, and easily disarmed Rugerius.
Pero very cooly placed Miriam’s sharp tip near Rugerius’ neck just beneath the throbbing Adam’s apple.
One would think Pero had won at this point, but the audience froze and no one said a word.
Rugerius huffed and fumed and did the stupidest thing he could possibly do. He spit in Pero’s face.
Having exercised unparalleled restraint, Pero calmly flashed Rugerius a grin before rearing back and busting the hard pommel of his sword across the braggart’s face. Rugerius’ jaw shattered as teeth and blood flew from his mouth.
Rugerius fell unconscious to the floor as the heated room got hotter, and other lords and knights unsheathed their swords, prepared to rush Pero.
Pero’s men of Capua rushed out to the center of the hall to surround and protect Pero.
The men of Parthenope stopped their advance, unsure what to do next. They wanted vengeance. They wanted Pero’s head. And they cried out for it. They demanded it.
The Lord Commander finally got to his feet and demanded silence. He reminded everyone why they were at this banquet, that Pero de Alava was the guest of honor. He instructed Pero to pack up and leave at once.
Pero tried to rebut him but Rugerius’ best friend, Bergus of Brindisi, drunk and unsteady, unsheathed his sword and approached.
Francis Whitehall blocked his path and Merle wasn’t so drunk as to fight the Griffin of Warwick. He stopped and cursed at Pero from a distance.
“Spaniard!” He gibbered from afar. “Count your days. Hell is all around you. Your world is collapsing. You deserve to die.”
The Lord Commander eventually instructed Bergus to retreat and he obeyed.
The Lord Commander made one last plea to Pero to leave Parthenope at once. Take his men and ride home.
“I will soon send word on how this matter can best be resolved.” He glanced at the irate knights and mercenaries with their shiny weapons at the ready. “Now is the not the time.”
Disgusted, Pero obeyed and sheathed his sword as did his men. They bowed to Gherardus Fabbro, but the Lord Commander turned his head decidedly away which infuriated Pero further.
As they exited, a great number of knights began collecting their wares to leave, their hasty intentions well understood.
Gherardus commanded the vengeful lot to stay where they were. ‘I have bid Pero and his band safe passage. You will remain in the hall and respect this command.”
It was a difficult ride home for Pero. He knew he had messed up. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut. He knew he almost got his men killed.
And it was during this ride home in the dark of night, he began seeing shades, ghosts that would haunt him, regrets he couldn’t overcome.
And that’s it for today.
Next posting, we return to the proper story time as Pero and Francis, having left Anthea at the La Torre market, make it back to Capua to hear what the messenger from Parthenope has to say. Pero has been waiting for months to hear from the Lord Commander on how peace can be reestablished. So far, there has only been silence.
Until next time, stay inspired and keep reading!
Author Allen M Werner 
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