to harass and stymy his efforts, to delay the full investment of Metz. Near the town of Nancy Aumale's troops were caught up in a skirmish, and after a bloody fight in which he was taken off his horse, he was forced to surrender. His brother was proud when he heard of the fight that he had put up prior to his capture. Guise would successfully hold the city and Charles V was forced to raise the siege. Diane ensured that Aumale's heavy ransom would be provided, paying the Margrave of Brandenburg 60,000 livres in 1554 to secure her son in laws release from captivity. Aumale was released from captivity on 28 April 1554. Second Italian Campaign Later that year Aumale was back in command, leading a force of 4000 infantry and 2000 horse at Laon as part of Henri's revenge campaign for the destruction of Thérouanne the previous year. The campaign would achieve surprising success, with a small force under Guise besting the Imperial army at Renty. The following year Aumale was back in Italy under the command of Brissac. Having recently received reinforcements from Henri, Brissac made an attack on the town of Volpiano however sickness overcame him and he ceded command of the siege to Aumale. As in years previous, many ambitious young nobles flocked to the siege lines to participate in the victory, including Condé, Nemours and Enghien. Aumale's first attack lacked enough artillery support and failed, this failure alerted Alba to the attack, and he sent companies to reinforce the town. Aumale dispatched Enghein, Blaise de Monluc and other captains to intercept them, which they achieve. By 19 September Brissac returns from his convalescence expecting to receive the towns surrender, but fighting continues until 23 September when the town surrenders. Disaster in the north In the late 1550s, the campaign against Charles moved north into Picardie. Guise meanwhile campaigned in Italy, but without much success, Alba grinding him down in a war of attrition. In May 1557 Lorraine wrote to the king, urging him to relieve command of the Italian forces from Guise, giving the responsibility to Aumale, the king for the moment did nothing however. Meanwhile the Imperial army delivered a crushing blow to a French force under Anne de Montmorency, constable of France and the king's favourite at the battle of Saint-Quentin. Much of the high French nobility including Montmorency were captured in