Estate

When the war ended, Florence's mercenaries gradually departed. After a full year as a mercenary, Vitus had amassed savings of fifty thousand Florins, far more than he'd expected.

"I never imagined being a mercenary would pay better than doing business."

He resolved to expand his enterprise. He spent money buying a batch of captured armor from the quartermaster, enough to equip two thousand men. The drawback was that he'd need to find blacksmiths to repair it.

The Three-Pounders and Serpent Cannons in the army had also seen too much use. Vitus didn't want to buy these secondhand weapons, so he planned to make another trip to Florence.

In February 1424, Albizzi led three thousand mercenaries back home. Some signed new contracts to maintain order in the newly acquired territory. Others refused, seeking better-paid work. Vitus was among them.

Europe was full of opportunities at this time. He didn't want to serve as Florence's occupying force in the Lucca region, earning a fixed wage while handling a string of trivial tasks.

As far as he knew, Sigismund, the regent of England, and the Dauphin of France (Charles VII) were all recruiting mercenaries. There was bound to be a job for the Tuna Mercenary Group.

(Two years earlier, King Henry V of England had died, leaving only an infant heir. England was jointly governed by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and John, Duke of Bedford.)

Just as Vitus was caught in indecision, Pauli whistled leisurely and invited him to visit his family estate.

"An estate?"

Pauli nodded. "That's right. The city's crowded, and the sanitary conditions are terrible. My mother, sister, and wife usually live at our estate in the eastern suburbs. It's much nicer than the city."

After making arrangements for the Tuna Mercenary Group, Vitus rode toward the eastern outskirts of Florence. He rode past a village, and Pauli pointed toward a cluster of ochre buildings on a distant hill. "It's over there."

Inside the estate, word reached the Di Maggio family, and they gradually made their way to the villa's terrace. Giulio's wife, Catherine Di Maggio, went to the railing and pointed with her fan at a rider in the distance.

"So this is the Byzantine prince? You've mentioned him so many times in your letters. I can finally meet him at last. I hope he's worthy of my Agnes."

At first glance, Vitus Palaiologos wasn't the elegant prince Agnes had imagined. He wore a thick black wool cloak, a sword hung at his waist, and his cheeks were lean, his features sharply defined. His hair was cut in a neat Roman style, and he had no beard on his chin. He looked like the marble statues of nobles from Ancient Rome.

Noticing her daughter's shyness, Catherine Di Maggio gently stroked her hair and said calmly, "Vitus is the fourth son of the Palaiologos family, a genuine member of the royal family. His only flaw is that he isn't favored, but that's for the best. If he had any hope of inheriting the throne, you'd be marrying above your station."

Ever since confirming Vitus's identity, Giulio had been thinking about a marriage alliance.

Bankers might be wealthy, but their social standing was lower than that of the old nobility. Marriage was a common way to raise a family's status, and Vitus was a perfect match.

In Giulio's view, the Palaiologos family had originally been local nobles in Anatolia, rising to prominence in the eleventh century. Over the next hundred years, the family had repeatedly married into powerful houses, such as the Doukas, Komnenos, and Angelos families, gradually growing in strength. In 1261, Michael VIII had reclaimed Constantinople and ultimately usurped the throne.

Though the Eastern Roman Empire had now dwindled to a third-rate power, the Palaiologos family still held the title of emperor and commanded great respect. When John Palaiologos had traveled abroad on a diplomatic mission, he'd been received with the highest honors everywhere he went.

On the other hand, Vitus himself had exceptional military talent. He'd twice saved the expeditionary army from disaster—in the Battle of Genoa and in the mountain ambush in early September. Without him, the expedition would have ended long ago.

At that moment, Phil chimed in, claiming that he and Vitus had often practiced swordsmanship together the previous year, that neither had been able to best the other, and that they were swordsmen of equal skill.

Everyone present laughed at Phil's remarks. Catherine tapped him on the head with her fan and thought to herself:

If Phil had fought him to a standstill, it seems the Byzantine prince isn't much of a fighter. That's no great loss. People of our station don't need to rely on personal strength anyway.

As the party drew closer, the estate's iron gate slowly swung open. The family crest hanging above it depicted a seagull and a lily. Vitus dismounted, handed his reins to a nearby servant, and walked into the estate along the gravel path.

On either side of the path were carefully trimmed hedges that kept their shape even in winter. Ahead stood a three-story mansion, its exterior walls built of warm, pale-yellow stone.

The mansion followed classical principles of symmetry, with three floors. The ground-floor windows were narrow and framed by stone arches, giving the building a sturdy, stately appearance. The second floor was known as the "noble floor." Its windows were broad and elegant, ensuring the main hall received ample light. The roof was gently sloped and covered with reddish-brown tiles.

"Don't just stand there. Make yourself at home."

Pauli invited Vitus into the entrance hall. The floor was laid with geometric patterns of red and white marble, large tapestries hung on the walls to either side, and a faint fragrance of incense filled the air.

After crossing the entrance hall, Vitus was led into the central hall, the heart of the house. A grand, vividly colored mural covered the vaulted ceiling. It wasn't religious in theme, but depicted a merchant ship sailing through a storm. It must have cost a fortune.

A stone fireplace stood on the left side of the hall, thick olive logs blazing in its hearth. Nearby were several high-backed chairs and sofas upholstered in deep red velvet.

Before the guest could react, Pauli began introducing the family members:

His father, Giulio Di Maggio, and his mother, Catherine Di Maggio. Then came Pauli's wife, Rosa, his younger brother Phil, and his younger sister Agnes.

What was going on?

Vitus was taken aback by the Di Maggio family's warmth. He suddenly remembered Albizzi and Pauli's hints from the previous year and more or less guessed what Signor Di Maggio had in mind.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he followed Giulio into the study. Giulio got straight to the point. "What do you think of Agnes? If you agree to a marriage alliance, I can provide a dowry of thirty thousand Florins, along with a vineyard covering two thousand acres."

Am I really worth that much?

Though Vitus urgently needed money, he had to inform Constantinople first. What worried him most was that the emperor might already have arranged a marriage for him with another family without telling him.

"You have a point." Giulio leaned back against the velvet chair and tapped the tabletop rhythmically with his right hand. "Let's each write a letter and ask Constantinople for their opinion. If there are no other problems, then it's settled."