A Shrewd Negotiator
A Shrewd Negotiator
The year of the Lord 1291, Friday 4 May, half way between Padua and Noale, N. Italy
A colourful delegation carrying the golden lion of the Serenissima Respublica on their banners, approached the strange camp build on a small hill only several miles east of Brenta River, some halfway between Padua and Noale. The camp, fortified with wagons, a small palisade and several wooden towers, was built near a fresh source of water and commanded the plain around it. At the main entrance, two wooden towers flanked the gate, each one having big banners carrying a stylized fleur-de-lys of a silvering colour. Or perhaps it was more of the colour of polished steel…
The delegation was formed from 3 highborn-men and 20 escorting soldiers in full armors. Out of the three, there was clearly one leader, lavishly dressed in the most expensive cloth made from Chinese silk and decorated with jewels and golden and silver embroideries. On his 43 years old head he carried a big hat made from Flemish felt but also decorated with peacock feathers and filigree. His name was Silvio Beluconni and he was the Doge’s own nephew and member of one of the most powerful family in Venice.
Once in the camp, they dismounted and were conducted to the commander tent. Beluconni’s attention was drawn by the order, discipline and, especially, the cleanness of the camp. Accustomed with the realities of the wars and campaigns, he was astonished about all these elements and concluded that everything was clearly arranged for his visit. They clearly want to be contracted by the mighty Republic and therefore they want to impress by all means. They even might be desperate for a contract…
***
One month ago, a nearly 5.000 strong mercenary company had finally crossed the border into Carniola, leaving behind the Black Horde’s Tributary Kingdom of Croatia, to the great relief of its ruler, King Martin II Krčki Frankopan. Martin give thanks to God for getting read of them as he could do nothing to stop them looting their way out of his country. Short of money, Khan Nogai Andrew of the Black Horde awarded Edouard and his men the right to “collect” half of their due pay directly from the lands they will cross, task that the mercenaries accomplished with high scrupulosity and zeal.
The “Company of the Iron Lily”, loaded with plundered goods, did not stay too much in Carniola, a land nominally controlled by the Duke of Austria, but in reality mostly independent, and moved away into Italy were there were numerous rumors of plenty of jobs. After collecting a “protection tax” from the Bishop of Aquilleria for not plundering Friuli, they moved even further west, approaching the city of Padua, were it seems that was a veritable job fair.
After several decades of not involving into the “continental” affairs, isolated by the resentful Christians for their role in the Mongol Invasion, the Venetians had finally decided to come back in force. Swimming in money made from the trade with the different Khanates, they have recruited a large mercenary force to conquer back their mainland territories, now under the nominal hegemony of Milan. After several victories when they captured Treviso and several other smaller towns, the conflict was bogged down in a series of raids and sieges without any concrete result for already several years. However, the Venetians were now in the brink of winning another great victory by capturing the city of Padua. A bastion of the anti-Venetian sentiments, the city was put under siege since the last autumn and was currently starving, hopping for a miracle. That miracle was a big Lombard army which was coming in its help. Milan and its allies in the Lombard League had gathered a huge number of troops, including thousand Germans knights, Catalan almughavars, Provencal and Genovese crossbowmen, backed by levies and town militias from most of the cities and towns in the Po basin.
Most of the estimates gives numbers from 25.000 to 35.000 for the Lombards, while the Venetians fielded something between 26 to 28.000 men but they were divided in two armies: one besieging Padua and numbering between 15 to 17.000 men and another one, around 10.000 strong, foraging around Verona, had the mission to delay the enemy as much as possible. The crushing majority of the Venetian troops were mercenaries and only a handful were Venetians themselves as the citizens were required to serve firstly in the navy and in its marine force. The campaign plan was that the Lombards will be delayed long enough for Padua to surrender. They entrusted the command of the smaller but far better army in terms of composition and experience to a high ranking and well respected patrician, who had successfully commanded the army for many years – Ricardo di Bonaroti. Ricardo decided to block enemy for crossing the Adige or at least to delay it significantly and to inflict maximum of damage when the inevitable will happens, counting on his higher mobility. With little luck, the Lombards will arrive too late for saving their pesky allies.
When Edouard’s band approached Padua, the Venetians were highly worried and immediately sent envoys to ask the purpose and the intention of their travel. They feared to be a Milanese distraction. However, they found with ease that those battle-hardened warriors were friendly and ready to join them for the correct price. The Doge sent his own nephew Silvio Beluconni to negotiate with the newcomers that price. In the face of superior Lombard forces, the Republic was ready to recruit more troops. After spending a fortune with the siege, they could not afford to lose when the victory was so close. Several thousand more men could do the difference and the enemy will be turned back or even decisively defeated.
***
Once arrived in the great tent, Beluconni looked with stupor to the mercenary captain. He was a barely 25 years old blond man with girlish features and dressed like a Mongol noblemen. Around him, there were several companions with different ages and looks, all lightly dressed and armed only with swords and daggers. They were all gathered around a big table on which he saw a sort of a map. Even more curiously, he saw a women, a very beautiful woman with blue eyes, fair skin and dark hair, staying near the table. On her belt, she carried a dagger and a sword like the other men... Her traits as well as her dress pointed her to be a Cuman.
After a long and embarrassing starring at the girl, Beluconni pursued with the exchange of usual politeness, before he make the offer.
“I see your men well-armed and well organized” said Silvio Beluconni to Edouard, “but I haven’t yet seen them fight!”
“Do you haven’t see us fighting?!” responded Edouard. “Oh, we fought! We have fought for the Khan in the last several years… And for others before him. We are a real army and a highly experienced one. So, if you want us to fight for you, you should pay the price.”
“Yes, yes… we heard about your deeds in hounding down rebels and heretics in Bosnia…“
“Yes, yes… we heard about your deeds in hounding down rebels and heretics in Bosnia…“
For a negotiator, Silvio was a little too arrogant. He believed that he will intimidate the man in front of him who he consider him inexperienced. “What was in his minds to speak such ironical to the captain of such a powerful force? Does he did not believed that they are a force to reckon with? Dose he believed that downplaying them will obtain a better price?” Edouard thinks all these while looking through the flamboyant man in front of him speaking. “Oh God, this fool loves to hear himself speaking.” He had enough listening how mighty and powerful Venetia is and how little they need him and his men…
“But still”, continued the Venetian, ”we decided to offer you a fair price. For your service under our banners for one full month, we will offer you 150.000 groso[1]”
Silvio makes a long pause after this words, imagining that his interlocutor will be amazed by this offer. Seeing no reaction, he continued:
“And a sixth of the plunder taken in campaign, of course with the exception of Padua which is under the brink of surrender and the siege was conducted without your participation.”
The offer was indeed fair… but, to the astonishment of everybody, Eduard refused.
“Well” said him, “your offer is tempting, but it’s not enough. We will accept to fight for you if you pay us half a million Groso for a 3 month of contract. 200.000 shall be paid immediately, while the rest will be paid in equal tranches every week. Venice will ensure all the food, fodder and provisions we need during the campaign.”
Beluconni could not believe his ears.
“And we want a fifth of the plunder” settled Edouard with a short smile on the left coin of his mouth.
The entire Venetian delegation was confused. Why this bastard refuse such a generous deal! He’s a full. A greedy full. Beluconni tried to negotiate but his interlocutor was inflexible. Therefore, without even bothering to finish the meeting with the prepared politeness, he departed back to Venice to report his uncle that they do not need that band of greedy men. If they were so greedy, what will stop them to change the side if the others offer more? Well, they will defeat the Lombard with or without their help!
Did the envoys not even arrived to their horses guarded a couple of dozen paces from the big tent and the men surrounded Edouard start speaking with a visible dissatisfaction.
“Why have you rejected the offer? It was a fair one!” said a bearded man which looked like a northern German, with his blond-reddish beard and hair. He was one of the older in the room.
“It was more than the Khan had paid us!” added another man, most probably a Frenchmen after his accent and dressing. The others agreed with him.
“Doesn’t we come here to fight?” said this time a short man with slide eyes. “Why do we stay here to rotten under the sun?”
“Our provisions will end in two–three weeks. And you had forbidden us to plunder the environs.” He was one of the Turkish captains.
Edouard looked at the men confronting him for his refusal. They do not understand…
“Do not worry! We will seen them back in a week or two!”
After a small pause, seeing that his men do not get it, Edouard continued.
“I do not like the man. He was too full of himself and he do not appreciated us to our just value. He think that they will not need us. But they will. The Lombards will cross Adige with, or without heavy loses and still outnumber the Venetians. They will need us and if they did not, the Lombards might do it. As I’ve told you, do not worry.”
They left the tent without being convinced that it was a better choice. At the end, remained only the girl which was quiet during all these discussions. She look at him and said:
“I hope you know what you are doing… “
“Neither you, do not have faith in me?” asked Edouard irritated.
“I have… IF you choose rightly.”
“Neither you, do not have faith in me?” asked Edouard irritated.
“I have… IF you choose rightly.”
The girl pressed her voice when she said the “if”.
“Liz…”
It was too late. She had already left the tent leaving Edouard alone with his map and his thoughts. Proud and deadly like a she-wolf, the beautiful girl of age 21 and name Élisabeth, was the own daughter of the Khan Nogai Andrew. Well… one of the forty or thirty or so daughters the Khan had with his countless former wives, mistresses and concubines. Nogai give her as a gift to Edouard for his capture of Severin, while offering 200 Cuman warriors from the clan of her mother to serve her as dowry. In this way he wakened the clan who had started to have too great ambitions while also forging an alliance with the greatest House in Christendom… even if it was via a bastard link. Edouard had fallen in love of the girl, but he would prefer her as a concubine not as an official wife… However, he had little choice than to accept and therefore the two were married right before his departure from Severin. For his plans and aspirations, he would have preferred a better marriage than with a bastard daughter of a half-barbarous and half-pagan king at the edge of the Christendom, but a refusal... was not an option.
While the attraction between the two was reciprocal and very high, their marriage was not so easy going. While praising her intelligence and character, Edouard wanted to tame her. On the other side, Élisabeth was self-conscientious of her powers and assets and she wanted more influence, being committed to tame her husband too (among others, she was fiercely jealous on her husband un-hidden mistresses) . She had kept the command of the troops her father gives her, which were a very important component of the Company’s strike force. Often, the two grooms played psychological games one with another who often finished in quarrels, upsets and disappointments. However, when they worked together, they create veritable synergies and could move mountains.
***
Tuesday 15 May, half way between Padua and Noale
The gates of the fortified mercenary camp opened again to let a Venetian delegation entering. This time, the negotiations were led by the Venetian treasurer himself. Silvio Beluconni was present as well, even if he did not wanted, however his uncle commanded him to participate as a lesson of humility. They entered in the same tent as they were two weeks before, meeting the same men as before, but this time they were ready to accept the terms… any terms. Silvio looked around to see that girl… that girl which haunted him in his dreams, but he could not see her. This time, she was not around.
Less than one week before, the Lombard army led by the outstanding commander Marco Berllini, had crossed Adige and trapped the 10.000 men of Bonaroti between them and the river. After a day of fighting, most of them were either dead, prisoners, or deserters. Berllini has outsmarted, outmanoeuvred and outfight his Venetian counterpart with a stunning success. The road was now open to Padua and the Venetian forces were outnumbered by more than 10.000 men. The Doge and the Venetian Senate panicked. They need more men and quickly. If not, they will be forced to lift the siege of Padua and retreat. A fortune of money and blood lost for nothing…
“We decided to accept your demand” said Filippo Ferrero, the Venetian Treasurer opening a chest full of silver coins.
The eyes of the other mercenary captains opened large out of greed. However Edouard remain impassable.
“This is your promised earnest and more will be paid every Sunday for the full three months”
“My Lords” finally said Edouard, “we might have a misunderstood. That was our offer two weeks ago… But many things happened since then. Right now, we are forced to raise the prices.”
The diplomats were confused… they start to speak slowly among themselves. What the hell his talking about? The defeat at the river Adige was still kept secret, but it seems that not secret enough.
“The price have just raised to 800.000 Groso for three months. And one fourth of the plunder.”
“This is outrageous!” intervened Beluconni, to Ferrero’s annoys.
“This is outrageous!” intervened Beluconni, to Ferrero’s annoys.
“This idiot must shut up” Ferrero thought. He had already spoiled the deal in the first time cause of his arrogance. Why the Doge insist that his incompetent nephew be present everywhere? Did he not realize that he do more harm than good for his family by constantly pushing him in front?
“No, my lords, it is not outrageous, but the new reality. Two weeks ago, there was much less dissimilarities between your numbers and the ones of your enemy. Our joining would have increased your odds significantly, while for us, the risk of choosing the wrong side was much smaller. However, today, everything had changed. Right now, a far superior Milanese army is heading to Padua, an army which greatly outnumber you. So, if we join you, we might win but we might also lose. The risk is high, so the reward should be appropriate. It would be safer for us to just join the Milanese, even for a much smaller payment… but we still believe that we can do business.”
The Venetians do not know how to react. Is this bastard in front of them just blackmailed them to join the opposing force? What should they do now? The Treasurer asked for time of reflections. They receive it but Edouard knew that they were his from the moment he had seen their banners approaching the camp. In consequences, he had already send orders to the men for mobilization. They will leave as soon as a contract will be signed.
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[1] 1 venetian Groso = 2.2g of 98.5% fine silver, so approx. 150kg of silver
Source: wikipedia
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