Re: Steel and Gunpowder

Chapter 87: Glaring Absence

Konrad stared at the parchment extended toward him... before he could even reach out a hand to snatch the letter from the fat cleric, the doors at the far end of the Great Hall groaned open.

Duke Wilhelm of Bavaria strolled into the room.

The Duke had clearly rested, having swapped his mud-splattered riding armor for a rich velvet doublet embroidered with the blue and white diamonds of the Wittelsbach house.

"Bishop Tomas!" Duke Wilhelm called out, "By the saints, you made excellent time on the roads. I did not expect your carriage to arrive for another two days."

The fat little Bishop turned away from Konrad, his watery eyes lighting up. "Duke Wilhelm! It is a profound blessing to see you in good health. The mountain winds were terribly unforgiving, but the Holy Father’s work waits for no winter storm."

Thus, the true nature of this uninvited visit became instantly, painfully clear to Konrad...

He took a slow step back and simply watched the two men embrace like old friends.

This wasn’t a random papal inspection sent to probe the Swabian defenses... this was a pre-arranged rendezvous.

Duke Wilhelm hadn’t just fled Munich in a blind panic; he had specifically told his contacts in the Church to meet him behind the safety of Konrad’s twelve-pounder cannons.

After hearing such words of warm greeting between the two Catholic traditionalists, Konrad felt a sharp spike of irritation.

It was very clear that this Bishop had a deep, existing relation with the Duke... they spoke of mutual acquaintances in Munich, of shared dinners, and of the Bavarian court’s ongoing struggles to pay their tithes.

However, Konrad knew the truth of the Holy Roman Empire’s hierarchy.

Bishop Tomas acted as if he carried the weight of God upon his chubby shoulders, but in reality? He was just a small man.

The Vatican was a sprawling, endless labyrinth of ambitious cardinals, greedy accountants, and warmongering princes.

The Pope himself - Clement VII - was currently playing a massive game against the Emperor and the French King.

The Pope didn’t care about a rushed wedding in a smoky valley. Who knows? Maybe the Pope himself didn’t even know that this specific Bishop was here.

Tomas was likely just a loyal lapdog of Cardinal Morone, sent to keep an eye on the Bavarian Duke’s shifting loyalties.

In fact, Konrad realized with clarity, they were all incredibly small men in the grand scheme of the Empire.

Even Duke Wilhelm, with all his royal pride and his elite halberdiers, was just a regional player compared to the high authorities in Vienna and Rome.

And Konrad? Konrad was legally just a Viscount... a glorified, heretical blacksmith who happened to possess a terrifying new toy.

Even so, there was ultimately nothing he could do about the matter...

The banner of the Pope still fluttered outside in the freezing courtyard, guarded by those six incredibly tense Swiss mercenaries.

It was a shield made of theology... Konrad couldn’t just shoot the fat Bishop and throw his body into the river.

Not while Duke Wilhelm was standing right here, officially binding their houses together.

It was an agreement of state, and Konrad had to swallow his pride and play the game.

"I see you two are already well acquainted," Konrad interrupted, "Wilhelm, did you invite the entire Vatican registry to my home without consulting my stewards?"

Duke Wilhelm turned, his smile fading slightly. "Bishop Tomas is a trusted spiritual advisor to the Bavarian court, Lord Konrad. Given the incredibly rushed nature of your upcoming union with my daughter, I felt it was necessary to have a representative of the Church present to legitimize the vows."

"To legitimize them," Konrad repeated, his eyes narrowing. "Or to make sure I don’t secretly print another ten thousand books while you aren’t looking?"

Bishop Tomas let out a forced chuckle, "Come now, Viscount von Frundsberg. There is no need for such hostility on the eve of a holy sacrament. The Church is fully willing to overlook past... transgressions... if a man shows a genuine willingness to return to the flock. We merely wish to assist in the wedding preparations."

"I don’t need assistance," Konrad stated bluntly. "...But since you are here, you can sit with the Duke and argue over the seating charts. My stewards will provide you with all the wine you can drink."

The Bishop looked slightly offended by the dismissal, holding up the parchment once more. "But Viscount, I bring correspondence regarding the dowry. There are matters of the Fugger bank that must be discussed..."

"Discuss them with the Duke," Konrad cut him off, waving a hand. "I have hundreds of pounds of silk to import, feasts to organize, and a chaotic household to manage. I leave the religious formalities entirely in your capable hands, Bishop."

Duke Wilhelm seemed to buy the performance entirely... the Duke puffed out his chest, looking highly satisfied that the Heretic of Swabia was finally bowing to the tedious traditions of noble society.

"Do not worry, Bishop Tomas. The Viscount is a man of the forge, not the court. I shall review the Vatican’s correspondence with you personally in my room."

"Very well, Your Grace," the Bishop agreed, though his watery eyes still lingered on Konrad.

Just as Konrad was preparing to turn on his heel and escape the politics of the Great Hall, a familiar figure slipped out from the shadows near the archway.

Isolde glided across the floor, she carried a stack of blank vellum to maintain her cover as a simple clerk, but the intense gleam in her eyes told a different story.

She stepped up to Konrad’s side, bowing her head politely toward the Duke and the Bishop before leaning in close to Konrad.

"My Lord..." Isolde whispered, "The bird has flown. The hidden camp is set in the southern ravine. Marshal Eckhard and the four thousand men are fully armed, fed, and entirely undetected."

"They are just waiting for your final orders," Isolde added softly. "The moment you give the signal, the vanguard will cross the Savoyard border and begin the march."

Konrad gave Isolde a nod. "Tell the stewards to bring another cask of the strong wine for our guests," Konrad said aloud, "I have to go check the grain tallies for the feast. Excuse me."

"One moment, Viscount von Frundsberg."

The oily voice of Bishop Tomas echoed across the Great Hall.

Konrad stopped. He slowly turned back around, "Is there a problem, Bishop?"

The fat little man stepped away from the roaring hearth, tucking the sealed parchment back into his robes.

"No problem at all, My Lord," Bishop Tomas said, "But as I am here to discuss the merging of noble bloodlines and the securing of alliances... I simply noticed a glaring absence in your household."

Konrad’s brow furrowed. "My household is fully accounted for."

"Is it?" The Bishop tilted his head, "...the Dowager Baroness, has already sent me a warm greeting from the chapel. But where is your sister? The Vatican is suddenly very, very interested in speaking with the Lady Elise."