Love-at-arms : $b being a narrative excerpted from the chronicles of Urbino, during the dominion of the high and mighty Messer Guidobaldo da Montefeltro

"Love-at-arms: Being a narrative excerpted from the chronicles of Urbino" by Rafael Sabatini is a captivating journey into the dangerous world of 15th-16th century Italy, a period rife with scheming nobles and shifting allegiances. The tale centers on Francesco del Falco, the esteemed Count of Aquila, who finds himself caught in a web of deceit as he is asked to help replace the unpopular Duke of Babbiano. As the Count navigates through secret meetings and rising tensions, the story explores themes of honor, desire for power, and the difficult choices one must make when personal values clash with political expectations amidst a plan to place the Count on the throne. All the while, the reader is invited to consider romance, such as the Duke’s fiance, Valentina della Rovere, as she forms a tenuous relationship with Aquila, under looming threat of betrayal in a time of political danger.