On October 8, the weather was clear.

Although it was already late autumn and the night was so cold that there was dew, some people took to the streets early as dawn.

This day is the first day after the death of Ferdinand, the former king of Naples, and according to the canon, from this day on, the entire Kingdom of Naples finally ended the month-long state mourning, and all life was to return to the same state.

Although for the vast majority of people, life has not been greatly affected by Ferdinand's death, the word national mourning still hangs over people's hearts, and at this time, even the most presumptuous people will be more or less restrained.

Of course, there are some people who are exceptions.

At least in the aristocratic circles of Naples, the rumors of the jealousy of the young lords of Agri for women and people are interesting, and for many people this matter can really provide them with too much to talk about, and because both parties are very argumentative, this topic has become a big topic in Neapolitan aristocratic circles for a time.

Many people know what kind of uncle the little Córdoba is, and if Gonzalo of Aragon is an obnoxious and arrogant fellow, no one will think it is too much.

And the young lord of Agri does not seem to be so simple, although he seems to have been only an enviable landowner so far, but this young man also has an uncle who is now in high demand in Naples.

This made many people seem to see that a good show is about to be staged, although they are still generally not very optimistic about the young Cambrai, but this arouses their curiosity to see the excitement, because people are eager to see how the young man who dared to challenge the authority of the future king at Ferdinand's funeral did not know how to live and die with the Naples emperor.

Even Frederick would have liked to see that odious Gombray deflated in front of Gonzalo.

Frederick was certainly not a tolerant and generous man, and he never forgot Alexander's previous unreasonable treatment of him, but on the eve of his succession, Frederick did not want to cause any accidents because of a small person, but there was always a thorn in his heart that constantly stimulated his nerves, so that whenever he heard the news about that Gombray, he would be in a bad mood all day.

It wasn't until he heard that Cambrai had actually fought with Gonzalo's nephew that Frederick's mood suddenly improved.

This was because Frederick, from what he knew about Gonzalo, knew that the proud and arrogant Aragonese would never allow a hairy boy to insult the Córdoban family so freely, even if he didn't like his nephew at all.

Frederick could even imagine what Gonzalo would have taught the little Sicilian bastard who had offended him a lesson, and although it might be a bit embarrassing for the Neapolitans to be serious, Frederick would have liked to see such an outcome.

Because he was in a good mood, Frederick looked at everything much more pleasantly, and even the meeting of the former queen Joanna did not make him feel as bored and impatient as usual.

When Joanna asked for a meeting, Frederick was disgusted, because every time the woman would make such and such a request, Frederick wanted to shout at her: "Wake up, do you think you are the queen of Naples, your mad husband is already dead." ”

And this time, although Joanna made the same request, Frederick was somewhat surprised, and even secretly happy.

"To meet the Pope? Pray for the Pope's blessing for Ferdinand's soul? Frederick was a little surprised, he didn't know why Joanna suddenly wanted to leave Naples, although this was really what he wanted, but when he was about to be crowned, the former queen suddenly left, but he was worried that he would be criticized, "Why can't I go later, although I also hope that through the Pope's prayer my poor nephew's soul will be at peace and blessing, but is it a little too sudden?" ”

"I believe this is what my husband wants me to do." Joanna looked calm, and after a month, she finally came to accept that her husband was dead, and that Naples no longer belonged to her, especially after Frederick's coronation and the return of his notorious wife, Joanna knew that her situation would only become more awkward.

"But it's still a bit hasty," Frederick tried to make his voice as tactful as possible, but gave up after only a little effort, "since you have decided that I will not stop you, after all, this is a prayer for the peace of Ferdinand's soul, which is pious and praiseworthy." After a few words, Frederick finally asked in a tentative tone, "Then when are you going to depart, I think I can still help you, after all, as Ferdinand's uncle, I have an obligation to take care of you." ”

Listening to Frederick's generosity, Joanna tried her best to suppress the anger and sorrow in her heart, and she secretly calmed down and continued: "Your Highness, I am very grateful for your generosity, but I have already received too much, and now please let me take only a shred of the soil of Naples for which my husband gave everything during his lifetime, and if I can receive this grace, I will be forever grateful to you, Your Majesty." ”

Hearing the title of Your Majesty, Frederick's face suddenly flushed, although his breathing was a little short, but he still tried to calm himself, and then he stretched out his hand and whispered: "If this is what you ask, how can I not agree, may God bless you and my children, I believe that your piety will also move God, and Ferdinand's soul will be at peace." ”

Joanna slowly knelt down, and as she kissed the back of Frederick's hand, she felt her cold lips touch a piece of red-hot iron, and the heat made her body tremble.

Until watching Joanna silently retreat, Frederick always maintained the smile of the elder, but the figure of the current queen had just disappeared outside the door, Frederick couldn't bear it anymore, and his excited hands slapped hard, making a crisp sound of "pop".

Joanna walked out of the palace with a gloomy face, and none of her attendants dared to say anything, they could see that the queen was in a bad mood, and it was not even too bad to describe it.

In the distance, a group of cavalry whizzed by, watching the bright black mourning flag that had been removed from the lead fluttering in the wind, Joanna seemed to be irritated by the overly bright color, she stopped and closed her eyes for a moment, and then ordered the people next to her: "Go back and prepare, we will soon leave this country." ”

After Ferdinand's funeral, Joanna moved out of Château Nuova and moved into the old Palazzo Neapolitan, which was obviously not as comfortable as Castel Nuovial, but which Joanna felt much more comfortable than watching Frederick and his high-spirited henchmen all day.

Now that she had plans to leave, Joanna naturally made some preparations in advance, but she just walked in the courtyard and watched the servants pack up those not rich cages, and the former queen couldn't help but feel gloomy for a while.

Although the Dutch man named Groningen was very generous to forgive a large amount of debts, Joanna's life was still not easy, there were many people around her, and she still had to put on a show as a queen, which required money. And just thinking about the various expenses along the way, Joanna has a bit of a headache.

The former queen, like her husband, is not good at managing money, and after her husband's death, Joanna has to spend a lot of money to support the scene, which makes her feel that life is getting more and more difficult day by day.

Looking at the mess in front of her, Joanna's mind couldn't help but flash the figure of the young man named Cambrai.

Joanna regretted it a little.

She had heard a few things about the young nobleman from other sources, besides the food he had brought to Naples, and the gossip that he had a conflict with Gonzalo's nephew over a bohemian woman, which made Joanna somewhat aware of why Alexander was so aloof when she sent someone to speak for that Groningen, and then to be unusually distant when he brought the IOU to her.

It's just that she still doesn't understand why Alexander has such a big reaction, especially when she hears that the bohemian woman is actually just an underage child, and even a mute, Joanna is even a little annoyed.

She felt that Alexander was unreasonable to such a woman, and even an insult to her as the queen of Naples.

But now she could not help but admit that she had begun to think of the young man, or rather of his money, and that she could have received more help from him, but that it had been lost because of a woman, and Joanna could not help but be annoyed by her previous recklessness.

But she was even more angry that she had fallen into such a situation, thinking that as the queen of Naples to live in the eyes of others, Joanna felt an indescribable sense of humiliation.

An attendant hurried around the mess on the ground to the queen, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered: "Your Majesty, there is a woman who has asked for your summons, and she said that she had brought that message from Groningen. ”

Joanna was slightly stunned, Ferdinand's creditor left a deep impression on her, although she had never seen that person, Joanna could vaguely feel that person was not simple, at least few people could be so generous.

Just looking at the way the attendant was about to speak, Joanna knew that things might not be so simple.

"A woman?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said the attendant, with some trepidation, "that woman is very famous in Naples, and she knows many people, and it was in her house that Agri's Gombre had a conflict with little Córdoba. ”

"A prostitute?!"

Joanna finally understood who the woman the attendant was talking about, and her face suddenly welled up with anger, and the great sense of humiliation made her want to order the woman to be driven out of her palace at once.

But in the end she didn't, and she remembered that the woman had been sent by Groningen, which forced her to take it seriously.

"Let that woman come to me," Joanna felt her voice so hard as she said this that she didn't even dare to look at the gaze of her attendant looking at her, "I'm waiting for her right here." ”

The attendant bowed away, and Joanna straightened her back as much as she could, feeling that if she were to see the woman in the room, she would do something she regretted because she couldn't bear the great humiliation.

When Lady Orgala appeared outside the courtyard, Joanna's expression had completely recovered to her original state, she looked at the woman who had walked far away and was stopped by the attendants, and after she curtsied, the queen asked coldly: "So you have come to deliver a letter for Groningen?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Olgara, bowing her head respectfully, "my master, Hubert of Groningen, has brought him an apology for you, and he apologizes for the misunderstanding you have inadvertently caused between you and Mistress Agrigombre, and in order to make amends for this mistake, my master is willing to make some amends for you in exchange for your forgiveness." ”

Joanna looked at Orgala in some surprise, she didn't expect that this famous Neapolitan prostitute would come for this matter, and this also aroused her curiosity somewhat.

Although she did not know what had happened, it was clear from Alexander's cold attitude that he did not have a good impression of the Groningen, but then Alexander took out the IOU, which was undoubtedly given to him by Groningen.

Now that Groningen has sent this woman to make up for the misunderstanding with Gombray, Joanna can't help but wonder what Groningen is up to.

"Your Majesty, my master wants me to send you a message," Orgara saluted Joanna again, she knew very well what she was like in the heart of this young widow, perhaps in the eyes of the former queen, even the cats and dogs she had were nobler than her, but Orgala did not care about this, a hint of sarcasm flashed in her eyes with her head down, in fact, it was only from having to summon her that this seemingly glamorous queen was not necessarily more dignified than a prostitute now, "It is said that Lord Gombray will soon travel to the north. ”

"Cambrai is going north?" Joanna was a little strange at first, she didn't know what Groningen had so much trouble sending this woman to tell her what she was doing, but then she vaguely guessed the purpose of the man, she groaned slightly, and then asked, "Do you know when he will leave?" ”

"It shouldn't be too late," Orgala smiled, as the most sought after woman in Naples by men, it was not a big secret news, and she sometimes knew it even before her master, "It is said that the Count of Mordillo intended to let his nephew leave Naples before his coronation. ”

A smile hung on the corner of Joanna's mouth, she agreed with Orgala's words, and many people may also think that Modillo's beating of Alexandre out of Naples at this time was indeed the smartest move.

If it was a conflict between the Count and Frederick, everyone would still be able to accept it, because it was a tradition of many years of feud between the entire Mordilo family and the royal family.

But if it had been Alexander, Frederick would never have tolerated a descendant of the Mordillo family to challenge his dignity.

Joanna waved her hand to signal Orgara to come closer, then thought for a moment and said, "In that case, you can greet Agri's Gombray on my behalf, and if it is convenient for you to tell him, I may also leave Naples to meet the Pope in the near future." ”

"Willing to serve you, my majesty." Orgala bowed respectfully.

Watching Orgala leave, Joanna let out a sigh of relief.

Despite the good news that Orgala had brought her, she was still not used to being with this woman, and now that she was gone, Joanna's mood immediately lightened up with the good news.

It was not clear why Groningen had helped her to ease relations with Alexander, but Joanna knew that her predicament would soon improve, and that alone made her willing to agree to any offer from the Dutchman.

Orgala's visit to Alexander was much simpler, but when she came to the villa in the middle of the mountain, she couldn't help but smile inexplicably when she saw Sophia, who was laboriously putting on a small trumpet armor with the help of two sturdy maids.

The armor was made by Alexander to fit Sophia's figure, but it was Josha who really cost him the money.

Sophia's eyes narrowed when she saw Sophia's fine armor as fine as a work of art, and she was first annoyed by Josha's ostentatious behavior, and then Alexander felt that his life was starting to get worse.

It wasn't until he had to agree to build a suit of armor for Sophia as well that he breathed a sigh of relief.

And this time, he was very interested in the news that Orgala brought him.