Smoke still curled from the shattered windows of the Florent Palace as Victor strode through the breached outer gates, boots crunching over plaster, splintered marble, and fallen banners.
The siege had ended barely an hour earlier, but the air still throbbed with the last echoes of cannon fire. Musket barrels steamed in the morning chill; wounded men were dragged carefully across the courtyard tiles; surgeons shouted for water.
Inside, the palace's grandeur, its frescoed ceilings, its gold-leaf columns, its papal tapestries, were hidden beneath dust and ruin. A chandelier lay toppled on the marble floor like a slain giant, its crystal arms scattered like broken ice.
Victor dismounted his horse. "Find the clergy," he ordered. "Alive."
His soldiers pushed deeper into the conquered halls, kicking aside barricades made from overturned pews and hastily stacked furniture. The Soldiers of Christ had fought fanatically, furiously, and disciplined to the last, but the Luxenberg breach had been overwhelming. Their numbers heavily outnumbered them.
A shout rose from the far corridor. "Majesty! We have them!" Victor followed the call.
In a great audience chamber, five robed figures sat under heavy guard. Dust smeared their vestments; streaks of smoke blackened their faces.
Pope Constantine IV, his once-regal tiara removed and replaced with a simple bandage above the brow, sat ramrod-straight, defiant as a statue carved from ironwood. Even defeated, the man radiated authority.
Beside him sat his highest advisors: Cardinal Naso, trembling; Cardinal Rossini, staring daggers; Cardinal Rufus, muttering furious prayers beneath his breath; Cardinal Crispus, eyes fixed on the floor.
Victor approached at an even pace, stopping only when he stood directly before them.
"Your Holiness," he said evenly, "the palace is taken. Your guards have laid down their lives. You are under my protection."
Constantine's golden eyes, sharp despite exhaustion, rose to meet his. "My protection?" the Pope repeated. "You speak as though we are guests, not prisoners taken by violence. You had no right to interfere in the politics of this land."
Victor did not flinch."I speak as a king, preventing chaos from ripping a continent apart. If not for me, this blasted war you and Alphonse started would last a decade."
Rossini surged to his feet, only to be shoved back down by a soldier's hand.
"You dare depose the Vicar of God?" the cardinal spat. "You dare spill holy blood…"
"No holy blood has been spilt," Victor cut in, voice firm. "I ordered my men to take you alive. They obeyed."
For a moment, tension knotted the room so tightly it seemed the walls themselves held their breath.
Victor turned back to the prisoners.
"You will not be harmed," he said. "But you will remain in Florenzia under lock and key. Until the conflict between throne and altar is settled, you will remain under guard."
Constantine folded his hands, the faintest tremor in them betraying his fatigue.
"And what does the King of Luxenberg intend to settle, exactly?"
Victor exhaled slowly."Peace. Stability. An end to this madness."
Rufus scoffed. "By taking hostages?"
Victor's gaze hardened. "By ending a war before it devours the continent. I will take this continent and put an end to this pointless conflict."
The Pope studied him for a long, unreadable moment, as though judging not his answer, but the man behind it. Finally, Constantine nodded once. "Very well, King Victor. For now."
The cardinals were escorted away under heavy guard, their crimson robes trailing through the dust.
Victor watched them go, his jaw set like stone. Outside, the Luxenberg banner—a golden eagle on dark blue—was raised above the ruined palace, snapping boldly in the wind.
Florenzia was his. The Pope was his captive. The Church's authority had been shaken to its core. But Victor felt no triumph. Only the weight of what came next: Capturing his friend, Alphonse.
The Pope's faction had been defeated. There was now only one enemy remaining, King Alphonse, Victor's friend and a man with whom he shared a grandchild.
As much as Victor wanted to conclude the war and let Alphonse continue to rule, there was no way Victor could allow it. His inaction towards his subordinates who committed atrocities was alarming. The murder of a father, the sacking and razing of a city. Matteo Vegni had already been served justice. Luca Sozzini was next.
When news of the Pope's capture spread, Alphonse's faction did not celebrate. They knew that with the fall of the Pope and his faction, they were to be next. Napo was already captured, Madena was about to be besieged, and Roma was soon to be isolated from the rest of the continent.
Victor did not immediately push towards Cornae, which was between Florenzia and Roma. Instead, he sent a messenger pigeon to Count Valentine. He ordered him to march his army from Napo to besiege Lodi.
In the meantime, Victor would let his army rest for a week or two. They would wait until news of Madena's capture. Until then, the soldiers of the Luxenberg Army would enjoy a well-deserved rest.
Ale and meat were brought to the soldiers who were in the vanguard during the siege. It was a reward for their valiant service. Additionally, Victor walked amongst his men and praised each battalion that fought hard to capture the Florent Palace.
They were appreciative of Victor's gratitude; it made them glad to serve him. Whether it was the summoned soldiers of his army or the men who were born and raised in Bulgar, they equally loved and admired Victor. He was a true leader and a man worthy of their respect.
For two weeks, the soldiers of the Luxenberg Army rested in Florenzia. They enjoyed a break from the musketfire. Enjoyed not having to march headfirst into cannon fire. It was a well-deserved break, but it would only be for two weeks.
After two weeks, the news that had been awaiting finally arrived. Madena had fallen; the future Grand Duke Polo had succeeded in capturing the city. After bombarding the city for over a week and a half, the city wall had collapsed due to the heavily focused barrage of cannon fire. 30,000 soldiers died, but the result was the capture of the city.
With Madena captured, Victor and his army began a 3-week march to Cornae.