The Valley of Decision Book IV - The Reward - Section 4.11

In which the Duke awakens from a prolonged illness to a changed world, finding himself both estranged from his past passions and drawn into the calm yet inexorable currents of political upheaval sweeping Italy and France. As old alliances crumble and new powers vie for dominance, he wrestles with the heavy solitude of leadership and the poignant stirrings of a renewed, though wary, resolve.