The entry of the Kingdom of Naples into the field alongside the papal troops risks marking the end of Florence. Among the Priors there are those who doubt Lorenzo, but the Magnifico, determined not to let Florence fall into the hands of the enemies, finds a stratagem to banish the Priors replacing them with the Council of Ten, composed of men loyal to him. When Clarice, pregnant, is sent to the country with the children, the family is attacked by the men of Riario. Faced with the approaching military threat to the city, Lorenzo decides to leave for Naples with his new advisor Bruno Bernardi, to try to break the encirclement and restore peace.