Ferdinand II of Naples

King Ferdinand II of Naples was King of Naples and the uncle of Alfonso of Aragon.

Season three
Ferdinand became ruler of Naples after the French armies departed, leaving behind a city that had been ravaged by plague and misuse, streets filled with starving people, and an army that was lacking in manpower and especially ill-equipped to serve the Borgia family's need of a powerful military ally in their upcoming war against Catherina Sforza. Ferdinand nonetheless flaunted his forces before Cesare Borgia, claiming to possess over 10,000 men, though a secret search through the armory by Cesare's assassin Micheletto Corella would prove that what weapons and equipment were present were rusted beyond practical use.

Before the marriage of Lucrezia Borgia and his nephew Alfonso of Aragon, he made his presence known by sending a letter to Rome, saying he would not recognize or accept the illegitimate child of Lucrezia in the court of Naples, as the infant was not that of Lucrezia's husband. Cesare would travel to Naples to try and resolve the matter, but Ferdinand firmly held onto his view of the "bastard" child. He even went so far as to reject the child being kept close to his mother in Naples, out of public eye, stating how the child would still be part of his family, a family that could trace its lineage back to Aragon and Castile, kings and queens of Spain and Portugal, and that it had never encompassed children of "stable boys". When Cesare tried to press further, asking if the King would risk breaching the marriage contract over the issue, Ferdinand arrogantly claimed that Rome needed Naples as an ally. After being warned by Cesare that the alliance was not yet official, Ferdinand was told to rethink the topic of Lucrezia's son over and to bring his answer to the wedding.

Seemingly to show he did not fear the Borgias and that he had friends he could forge other alliances with, Ferdinand proceeded to invite Catherina Sforza and several anti-Borgia lords of the Romagna to the wedding as his honored guests. Horror-stricken, Alfonso confronted his uncle. Ferdinand then told his nephew, rather threateningly, how inviting Catherina to the wedding and the marriage between Alfonso and Lucrezia were both moves in the game, and that whether Alfonso loved, hated, or was repulsed by Lucrezia, he would marry her and secure their claim to the throne-- as that was the only reason he put his nephew forward to be her suitor. Inviting Catherina was about proving to the Pope that Naples had allies beyond Rome, and that if Rome wanted Naples as a friend, they had to nurture that friendship. Alfonso tried to counter with how Catherina tried to kill the Borgias, but Ferdinand grabbed his nephew and warned him to play his part by marrying Lucrezia and leaving "serious matters" to his elders.

Days after the wedding, Ferdinand and Alfonso shared a drink, during which the King of Naples inquired about what Lucrezia "was like" in bed, asking perversely about what positions she liked to have sex in. When Alfonso could not give a straight answer (unbeknownst to Ferdinand, Alfonso and Lucrezia did not have sex on the wedding night due to an argument), Ferdinand pressed his nephew for the truth and was then told that nothing happened on the wedding night. Realizing that the marriage had therefore not been consummated, thus threatening the alliance between Rome and Naples, Ferdinand confronted Pope Alexander and Cesare with what he had learned. He then told the two how the marriage was "a sham" unless it was consummated, invoking the word of God much to the Pope's anger. Fearlessly, Ferdinand angered the Pope and Cesare further by proclaiming his nephew as an honorable man, while calling Lucrezia out for having a son by a father who was unknown. Waving off threats, Ferdinand then told Alexander he would see the marriage consummated to erase any possibility of doubt in its legitimacy, but he would not just take the word of Alfonso or anyone else for that matter. He wanted proof: a public display of Lucrezia and Alfonso consummating the marriage, with witnesses from both sides of the family. Ferdinand would be the witness for his nephew, and Cesare would be the witness for his sister. The King of Naples clearly enjoyed watching the act and admiring the naked Lucrezia, as he smirked and fidgeted in his chair. "Excellent", he declared once the display was done, and he smugly commented to Cesare how Lucrezia was lucky to have a husband who could satisfy her his first time. The matter of legitimizing the marriage was now settled to his liking, and Ferdinand prepared to leave for home.

When he continued to refuse Lucrezia's son to be recognized at court, Lucrezia planned to kill him herself by poisoning him, but was talked out of it by Micheletto. The assassin then decided to take on the murder himself. During a day of hunting, Ferdinand and Micheletto break away from the group in pursuit of a boar. Ferdinand shows off a rather ruthless side as he shoots the cornered boar with an arrow, causing the animal to fall into a pond of large flesh-eating lamprey where it is eaten alive. As the King takes amusement in the grisly scene, Micheletto approaches him and shoves Ferdinand into the pond as well. Ferdinand is quickly torn apart by the lampreys and dies as Micheletto watches. His bloody body is brought back to Naples where it is mourned by most of the city, except for Lucrezia.

Ferdinand was succeeded as King of Naples by Frederigo of Naples.