I Am Louis XIV

The Duke of Colonna will come of age next year. The age difference between the two is a bit large, but not unacceptable. However, the official marriage must at least wait until the woman comes of age. If you get married too early and get pregnant and give birth, the mortality rate of both mother and child will be high. He did not say it casually when he said that he would wait until Elizabeth was twenty before allowing her to marry in Sweden.

The little portrait of Anna of Tuscany remained in the Duke of Colonna's room for only one night before it was taken out of its frame, rolled up and quietly sent to the Bastille, where the strange and charming figure The noble prisoner looked at it in silence for a long time, but did not speak, cry or laugh. Varro Vesalius sat quietly with "him" all night, and he did not tell "him" that the king had decided, Let the Duke of Colonna conquer Gaiola in person on the first day of his adulthood.

The rebellion on Gajola Island has been going on for a long time. The rebels were fierce and cruel. The wizards who dared to resist were all used as the cornerstones of the city wall. They immediately expressed their surrender, or the wizards were simply doing their jobs. Forced to wear magic collars and shackles, they worked and fought for them like slaves.

The castle they are now besieging, built against the cliff, did not originally belong to Mancini, but was a "hive" built by the wizards of Gaiola to preserve books, treasures and magic instruments, because from the beginning, They have made preparations for this fortress as a last resort, and the retreating wizards can hold on there for at least ten years, so it is not difficult for a few hundred people to stick here - although they can say that when they encounter a night raid It was caught off guard, but as the six major families, the Bufandi wizards reacted very quickly. They didn't even consider whether it was a riot of magical creatures or something else. With a wave of their wands, they destroyed the tower connecting Mancini Castle and the mountain. Narrow paths.

Anyway, wizards don't rely solely on their feet to come and go.

Their reaction was very correct. Although wizards can travel everywhere with the help of fire and water, this kind of magic not only requires powerful magic power and precise skills, but it is also dangerous to be interrupted during the casting process, which may cause limb mutilation or deformity. ——They can also rush to the fortress on broomsticks, Pegasus and other flying mounts, as well as magical creatures with wings that can fly high into the sky, but Mancini Castle has long been equipped with giant crossbows.

These giant crossbows were built by Marie Mancini at the request of Louis XIV. The wizards were quite disapproving at first. For wizards, the most trustworthy thing is magic. The outside of Mancini Castle and There are ancient and rigorous defensive formations engraved here a thousand years ago, and wizards regularly maintain and inspect them. These people probably don't think that all formations may be destroyed or modified.

With her amazing courage and wisdom, Mrs. Gagne destroyed the defensive array of Mancini Castle. The three families of Agnelli, Rocca and Gagne all thought that they would only face the gargoyles and knights in the castle next. , the magic in their bodies would make them powerful protectors of the castle, but they were wrong. The first batch of rebel wizards who rushed to the castle encountered giant crossbow arrows like lances.

As soon as Agnelli closes his eyes, he can see the pale face of the head of the Rocca family. No one knows when he sneaked into the team. After all, it was night and there was chaos everywhere. Maybe it was because of the young man's Not convinced at all. His mount was originally a nightmare horse. Although it was a bit special in the team, it was not uncommon. After pulling up the hood, everyone only focused on themselves. Who would have thought that the head of a family would take the lead regardless of danger.

No, it should be said that without mortal weapons, he might not have died. Too fast, the weapons they ignored seemed like the god of death plucked the strings of the violin. With a buzz, they watched Delon's magical creatures and their fighting wizards fall down, as if they were extremely mature. Fruit - the head of the Rocca family was even pierced with another wizard and a giant owl. He died before he hit the ground. The giant crossbow arrow was as thick as Agnelli's wrist and broke the boy directly. his thoracic spine, his eyes wide open, as if he didn't believe he was dead like this.

The first offensive against Mancini Castle did not achieve the results they wanted. Or, on the contrary, it was better at night. When the sun rose, their wizards saw black bloodstains and hideous corpses all over the place. corpses, their hearts became weak - if Madame Gagne had not made a prompt decision, she not only executed the two wizards who wanted to escape, but also ordered the ordinary wizards they had arrested before to be pushed to the castle, using them to kill the castle's crossbows. With magic, it’s hard to say how the situation will turn out.

It was only during the subsequent siege that they realized why their ancestors built the last fortress of the wizards in such a dangerous and steep place - for a thousand years, although there were still some minor conflicts on Gajola Island , wizards and wizards, wizards and priests, wizards and werewolves, wizards and vampires, but these "wars" often only involve two or three families, dozens or hundreds of people, even in recent hundreds of years, If they want to fight, they will agree to a place where there will be a referee and an audience, and they will pay attention to elegance and fairness.

This was the biggest mistake they had ever made. When Mary Mancini, in an arrogant and crazy manner, first took away the position of the head of the Mancini family, and then used alienation, bribery, threats or direct When the challenge directly destroyed the family except Mancini, they should have realized that the power from the outside world had invaded the inner world in another form.

I just hope it's not too late.

When Agnelli was lying on the chair with his head up, taking a short rest in a tired posture that must not be seen by the wizards under his command, there was a knock on the door.

"Your Excellency Agnelli." It was Mrs. Gagne who walked in. She almost couldn't escape when she destroyed the magic circle. The enemy's potion hurt her throat, so that she now has some difficulty speaking. Twisted and husky: "We don't have much time," she says. "We need to capture the fortress as quickly as possible."

"It seems that what you brought is not good news." Agnelli said, he raised his palm and wiped his face, "Who did the King of France send?"

"The Duke of Colonna," Madame Gagne said coldly.

"Not Marie Mancini?" Duke Agnelli was a little stunned.

"It's not her, no one knows where she went," Mrs. Gagne said: "I asked the prophet to make a prediction - he can only confirm that Mary Mancini's star is still on."

"Do you think she will sneak in here suddenly and launch an attack?" Agnelli stood up, grabbed the kettle on the table, and poured a large gulp of strong wine directly into his mouth.

"Didn't we close the 'door'," said Madame Gagne, "she is outside."

When the key was mentioned, Mrs. Gagne's and Agnelli's expressions turned ugly. For no other reason than the fact that Rocca's parents' key could not be found on him. Someone stole it during the melee. , it was the parents of Roca who gave it to others. Of course, they also had the keys in their hands. Plus Delon and Dante, it was with these four keys that they relied on the majority (thanks to the decision of the Third Wizarding Council) The decision made by the decision-maker not only blocked Caiola Island, but also ensured that Mancini could not enter even if he had the key.

But Roca's key disappeared after they imposed a blockade.

They didn't know whether the key was hidden or given away. No, Agnelli immediately rejected the idea. It couldn't be given away. They knew only how terrible the cornerstone was. No one could do it. arrive! Agnelli thought this and took two steps: "Where is Duke Colonna now?"

"In Montpellier three days ago and in Marseille yesterday." Madame Gagne opened the letter sent by the secret agent and read it again and again, as if the letters would change on their own if she read them too many times.

"It's so fast. Does he have an army?" Agnelli asked.

"With the army of wizards," Madame Gagne said, "it is said that they rested in carriages during the day and rode on broomsticks or Pegasus at night."

"Where are the priests?" Agnelli asked. "Have they all gone to bed? Where is their vigilance?"

There was a sarcastic look on Madame Gagne's face: "Elario, the Grand Inquisitor of the Inquisition, is Louis XIV's confidant, and the Duke of Colonna is Louis XIV's first-born son. What do you think?" She looked at Agnès. Lee sighed, and then said: "We must take action, Agnelli, capture Mancini Castle before they come here, so that we can have the conditions to negotiate with the king."

"Can a wizard's castle be of such value?" Agnelli asked.

"I don't know, but I think that if His Majesty doesn't want to completely destroy this place." Mrs. Gagne looked around: "If he really wants this place as the first territory he gets in the inner world, he will You should negotiate with us.”

"Me, you, and Delon," Agnelli said: "Which other wizards can transfer through fire and water?"

"There are six more Gagne families." Mrs. Gagne said: "Even I am seven." Agnelli's face showed disappointment: "Only seven? Merlin, madam, I don't know if I should Counting you, there are twelve members of the Agnelli family. Counting me, where is Delon? Can he find more people?"

"I'm afraid it won't work anymore. The Delon family started out by taming magical creatures, and few of their wizards are powerful enough to cast this spell," Mrs. Gagne said. "We can only do our best, everyone."

"It seems so." Agnelli said no more. He went out and summoned the wizards from the Rocca and Agnelli families. When the wizards from the Delon and Gagne families arrived, there were only about thirty wizards. And it's one thing to be able to successfully cast a spell, but it's another thing not to be interrupted when solidifying your body.

Mrs. Gagne waved her magic wand, and a simple drawing of the castle's internal architecture opened in the air. Everyone tried hard to remember: "I will land here," Mrs. Gagne said, "His Excellency Agnelli will fall here," At one point, a ball of fire ignited on the virtual map, "Mr. Delong, you are here, and you, you and you..." She made another gesture, and the flames ignited from the ball to the line, as if melting The wax oil flows in all directions, "I can only give an approximate location, but it doesn't matter. You don't need to know who is inside. There is no innocent guy there. Just remember this." .”

"What happens when we arrive at our destination?" a wizard asked, "Madam, should we help others?"

"You guys go through the same path again and don't miss any suspicious places. Your Excellency?" she said to Agnelli.

The wizards behind Agnelli carried over several boxes, which contained the treasures of the Agnelli family for a thousand years. It was no longer the time to feel sorry. The wizards looked at each other and quickly armed themselves.

————

"Did you hear anything?" Vesalius asked.

"I can guess," said the Duke of Colonna. "Don't forget, sir, that I also went to war with my father."

"Perhaps we can wait until they capture Mancini Castle before entering Gajola Island." Vauban said. He had just left the Netherlands not long ago. The king originally wanted him to take a good rest in Versailles, but the general—— Yes, he is a general now. Obviously, mud and gunpowder smoke are his favorite things-he asked the king if there were any more battles to fight. Louis hesitated for a while, and then boldly asked him Sent to Duke Colonna.

Firstly, it is because although Duke Colonna has experienced a real war before, he is just a bystander. It is best to have an experienced officer to guide him; secondly, it is because he used it during the war in Flanders. He has killed many wizards and witches. For upper-level officers such as Vauban, Viscount Turenne and Marquis of Lovas, this world is already a semi-open secret. In the future, he will use Gaiola Island as a base to launch an offensive against Naples. , will the wizards of Gajola Island still be allowed to fight at that time?

No matter what, wizards are incomparable to mortals.

"I'm afraid not," Duke Colonna said, "Sir, there are also my soldiers inside. Just like my father, I will not give up on those brave and strong people." He smiled: "Although I know your intention."

To capture a fortress, in addition to a strong attack, a long-term siege is also a good way, especially on an island. If they start fighting before the opponent captures the castle, they will definitely suffer losses, but if they wait until the opponent enters the castle, then Just wait - Vauban looked at the map and saw that the location of Mancini Castle would not affect the projects he needed to complete later.

"Open the door, Vesalius," said the Duke of Colonna.