Ciriaco Dandolo's Defeat

The room fell eerily silent as the weight of Abdullah's words sank in. Leonardo continued, the seriousness of his expression contrasting with his earlier light-hearted emotions. "Moreover, he proclaims a unilateral peace towards all Venetian ships, with a singular exception: those owned by the Dandolo family are expressly unwelcome in the ports of the Roman Empire for trade."

Ciriaco Dandolo's complexion shifted to a sickly green as he absorbed the implications. The letter not only threatened his personal wealth and the operations of his fleet but also isolated him diplomatically from the rest of Venice, potentially making him a scapegoat for all the senate's frustrations.