For twenty years I've lived here. The Marquis of Monte Santa Maria, was a good man, a strong man, he took care of people in the villages around the castello. Family he called us, said that we should look out for each other. He was an inspiration, I wanted to be like him, to serve under him.
Now I serve in arms under his granddaughter Antonia. Raised by her father and grand-father, she commands like a man, but is short tempered. Her cousin Cerbone turned on the family, hoping to make himself the next head. He enlisted the help of other lords to fight Antonia, and she married into the Montemelini to counter him. Now his forces are outside the walls of the castello, and we are in it, defending the castle from him.
Antonia has been on edge since Cerbone's forces made it this far. The Montemelini force that should be assisting us will be here in another week. Some of the villages were looted and burned by Cerbone's army. Antonia had evacuated those she could to the castello, some of the farmers joined the militia and are also helping us with defense.
The lady had predicted Cerbone's forces making it to our walls, but not that he would attack the villages as well. His intention was to take the castello, attacking the villages would not benefit him later. At night we could hear music from our enemy's camp, they were having fun. They believed surrounding us was close to victory.
During the day they would approach the castello and we'd exchange a few volleys, Antonia too, would be on the battlements shooting with us sometimes. Despite her being a woman she was every bit like her grand-father, a man to admire. Like the old lord she was not fond of speeches, she would make a statement on the battle to come and see to it that it happened. That, was motivation for us.
We believed in her, right up to until Cerbone's army breached the gate. It was the sixth day of combat, we were tired and beginning to lose hope her husband's army would make it in time to deliver us. They poured in through the gate like a flood, overwhelming the gate defense and pushing into the castle. Most of us retreated to defend the areas where the villagers were hiding. Antonia tried to give orders, but the militia had fallen apart and many of us of the regular army were following our commanders who had served her grandfather. In her desperation, she let out a blood curdling scream and shouted from her perch on some barrels against the wall to the main hall. For a moment the fighting stilled.
"I am Marquess di Monte Santa Maria, Marquess di Reschio! I am Montemelini! These lands are mine, this castello is mine, these people are mine! We will not die today! We will drive you from our lands!"
"Surrender Antonia! You are a woman, you should not have inherited control of these lands, it is my birthright!"
"Va’ in malora! What man of Monte Santa Maria bends his head and ask help of those who covet his land! You ruin us!"
"Uccidila!"
Arrows flew towards Antonia, but she did not move. One grazed the side of her head, another struck her in the left shoulder, and one in the right thigh. She did not move or cry out in pain, instead she shouted one order.
"Destroy them all!"
We were motivated again. She stood there fierce like her grandfather, staring at the enemy already within the walls, injured and refused to yield. We fought with new found strength and pushed hard at the enemy. We had driven them back to the gate, but we were already weak, and the high of the motivation had dissipated, then we heard horns and marching over the din of combat.
Ottavio stood on the bridge over the gate waving both the Monte Santa Maria and Montemelini standards. Antonia's husband had arrived with his army. Cerbone's army was caught between us and them, they were crushed that day, few of them escaping the battle. We never found Cerbone's body and assumed he got away.
Antonia hadn't seen the battle end, she had fainted after her last shout. Still just a woman. But she had gained our respect after that battle, and we welcomed the Montemelini. The Monte Santa Maria had held the castello for centuries, now Antonia's descendants, the Montemelini will hold it after she is gone.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFcyiJ7BRs
