About this book
Love‑at‑arms is a historical‑fiction narrative set in early‑sixteenth‑century Italy, drawn from the chronicles of Urbino under Duke Guidobaldo da Montefeltro. The opening scene places the reader amid the frantic preparations for Valentina’s wedding, gold‑leafed chests being shipped from Venice, a bridal bed arriving from Rome, and artisans racing to finish the ceremony, while the scheming Romeo Gonzaga plots a counter‑move. Gonzaga’s internal monologue reveals his calculations for a covert operation against the fortress of Roccaleone, his need for a small band of mercenaries, and his uneasy descent into a grim tavern where he encounters the rough‑spoken captain Ercole Fortemani, a self‑styled veteran of countless Italian wars. The passage blends court intrigue with the seedier underbelly of Renaissance Italy, introducing a cast of nobles, mercenaries, and conspirators whose motives intertwine around a contested marriage.
The prose imitates the ornate, almost theatrical style of early modern Italian chronicles, with long, flowing sentences, vivid descriptions of settings, and a formal diction that mirrors the period’s courtly language. Dialogue is peppered with archaic Italian phrases and rhetorical flourishes, creating a texture that feels both historical and dramatized. Readers who relish richly detailed Renaissance politics, the machinations of condottieri, and the clash between aristocratic ceremony and street‑level grit will find this work engaging. It appeals especially to fans of historical adventure who appreciate a narrative that balances elaborate setting with the raw energy of a tavern encounter.
