Letter 43: To our trusted counselor and administrator,

To our trusted counselor and administrator, The campaign preparations are advancing well, and we want to update you on the current status. The Frankish forces that will be committed to the Italian operation have been assembled and their commanders have been briefed on the objectives and the coordination arrangements with Roman forces in the south. The subsidy from the Emperor has been received and distributed to the army commanders responsible for maintaining their contingents. The one element that remains uncertain is the timing of the Roman advance from the south, which depends on conditions in the Exarchate that we cannot fully control from here. Our commander in the field has been instructed to maintain communication with the Roman commander through the agreed messenger system and to begin operations when the moment is right, not simply on a predetermined date that may not match conditions on the ground. On the political side: Queen Brunhild has been fully involved in these arrangements, as has been appropriate given her role in the negotiations that produced the alliance. We ask you to ensure that all significant communications on this matter are shared with her. We will keep you informed as the situation develops. By order of the king