BOOK 3: One True Destiny

Chapter 12

                                                                                            Neophyte

Vincenzo is Philip's most loyal and truest friend. They were together as neophytes in The Order. Unlike Philip, Vincenzo came from humble roots; he is a son of an Italian peasant. The two cemented their loyalty to each other as brothers for life by performing a blood pact the same night that they became full-fledged mercenaries. Philip had saved Vincenzo's life numerous times, a fact that made the latter vow to be at the Spanish King's service for his entire life. Their friendship was put into test when Philip decided to leave for good when he witnessed how The Order caused  the destruction of humanity instead of maintaining the balance of power among nations. In secret, Vincenzo aided in his friend's escape and did everything he possibly can to protect him from the other mercenaries. He warned Philip of planned assassinations and of impending attacks against Spain. But despite of all his efforts, Philip was captured. King Charles, Philip's father and Spain's then ruler, had no choice but to negotiate with The Order. In the end Charles agreed to be held captive for the remainder of his days in exchange for his son's life. Bash and Philip traveled together to meet Vincenzo at the Burgos Cathedral tonight. In this gathering, they will discuss as to how Bash can successfully become a member without raising suspicions. The Cathedral is empty as the French prince and the king arrived. As their eyes wander they saw a man fully dressed in black armor suit kneeling at the altar, praying quietly. "Vincenzo, my brother, is that you?" Philip calls. The man immediately stood up and as he turned replies, "It is I brother." The two gave each other a hug. "Old friend, it has been a long time." Says Vincenzo. "Yes, it has. Brother, this is Bash, the young man that I told you about." Says Philip. The seasoned mercenary stared at Bash for a moment and said, "Do you understand what you are putting yourself into? I need to know if you come fully prepared. I promised Philip that I will guard you with my life, but you must know that my protection has limits. The Order will not hesitate to take your life when they find out what your true intentions are." Without fear, Bash replied, "Yes, I am aware of all the dangers that I am about to face." Vincenzo took a deep breath and said,  "Very well then, from now on, you will address me as your Master. I will introduce you to the brotherhood as my apprentice. You must forget your ties to the world... Forget who you are and refrain from mentioning anything about your loved ones for their sake and for yours'."

                                                                 The New Accommodation

For days, Carlos and Mary have been traveling in a close carriage with the Condottiero. Although they are somewhat relieved that they are no longer kept in a cell, they cannot help but wonder as to why they are being relocated. Their captors never mentioned a word as to where there destination is... All they know is as long as they are mobile, it will be harder for them to be rescued. It is now impossible to attempt another escape; the guards are watching their every move. The caretaker is with them at all times, limiting their chance to even have a private conversation. Hours have passed when the carriage finally stopped. The Condottiero then opened the carriage door and led them out. Mary and Carlos are stunned! They can't believe what they see! In front of them is the beautiful Rocca dei Borgia Castle! The castle was built for Cesare Borgia, a well-known member of The Order. Now that its owner had been long gone, the castle serves as a refuge for the mercenaries when needed. If they are looking at The Rocca dei Borgia Castle, then that means that they are in Italy! "I trust that your new accommodation will suit your royal needs." Says the Condottiero. "We believe that as a queen and as a prince, you are still entitled to the life that you have been used to, even as our captives." He adds. The guards escorted them inside the castle. Mary's chamber has been fully furnished. Her captors are generous enough to provide her with lavish Italian dresses and rare jewelries. Carlos' new chamber is as comfortable as that of Mary's. The Prince have been provided with new attires fitting a royal's liking and his room is large enough for him to conduct activities of his choosing; he is now allowed to engage in activities such as archery and swordplay provided that he remains indoors. The two royals have the privilege to go out at the castle garden so long as they remain with the guards. This new accommodation seems too good to be true... From being kept in a cell to being transferred to a castle. This made Mary all the more worried... What do their captors have in mind? Why the sudden change? Is this a trap of some sort? Although Carlos is pleased that they are no longer being treated as captives, he remains skeptical. What are the mercenaries really up to?

                                                                                      The Search

While Bash is being initiated as a new member of The Order, Francis traveled back to France with Francois, the Duke of Guise, to aid King Henry in managing the realm and to lead the French spies with their efforts in search for Mary. The prince knows that so long as his fiancée remains missing, chaos can occur. Without Mary, King Henry is now responsible for protecting the Scottish territories  from invaders. It is of great advantage and relief that King Philip agreed with the truce, and that Queen Elizabeth of England kept her promise not to lay siege on Scotland. Unfortunately, there are other enemies that can still attack the Scots; there is Italy, Portugal, Germany, and other unknown rulers who are eager to take hold of Europe's most powerful countries. They must remain vigilant at these times.

As soon as they arrived at the French court, Francis immediately proceeded to Mary's former  chamber. He begins to inspect her possessions, hoping that he can find any clue that can aid them with their search. After a brief moment, Francis successfully found Mary's secret chest; inside the chest are letters received by Mary from her mother and from her Scottish advisers. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary until the Prince saw an unsigned letter with the red "X" symbol! That means that unbeknownst to them all, The Order has been tailing Mary for a long time! Her abduction has been carefully planned and executed! The Scottish Queen made the terrible mistake of not alarming the French court of receiving such an unusual and disturbing letter. Perhaps she dismissed the letter as a hoax or as something that she does not need to be bothered with. Her current ordeal might have been prevented by simply letting Francis know about it.