Imperator: Resurrection of an Empire

The banquet hall was alive with racquous jubilations at what was just announced but the festivities were not allowed to last for long for the hall was loudly entered just a few moments into the renewed celebrations by a stern pair of men wearing heavily embroidered robes.

Looking very much like one would see a cardinal of Rome as their worn garb and hats were of a blood red color that almost looked to be fabric woven after it had been dyed in blood itself.

The two entered the hall finding a jubilant feast underway but cared not for the attendees and alongside their entourage stormed their way up the seated isles before coming to stand before the table of honor upon which the Queen Serena sat partaking of her meal, with an unknown man seated in the place of honor next to her.

"Your Majesty, Queen Serena, we, the envoys of His Holiness, Pope Peter III, have endured days of waiting for an audience, only to be slighted. By choosing to feast with these harbingers of war, you not only dismiss us but also spurn the divine mercy of His Holiness. Is this how you honor the will of God's chosen shepherd on Earth?"

The mans haughty words quickly silenced the hall filled with merriment and joy.

The envoys sent from a hostile nation had indeed been kept waiting but such was their right, the Principality had invaded during a time of weakness for the kingdom but now that weakness was gone and its strength renewed and the Principality and its ruling eclastical body feared potential retribution or even being stripped of the lands gained during the initial invasions and sought to come to terms before it was to late.

But instead the queen kept post poning the talks, and then news reached them that the queen had left the city, only to return a day later with foreign guests.

Fearing this new entrant would disrupt possible peace talks or make their position worse still cause these holy men to act out of emotion rather than logic.

"Hmmm? Cardinal Matthaeus your request for an audience has indeed reached my ears but as I'm sure you're aware we are a country at war, and there is quite a lot going on these day."

"All the more reason, then, for Her Royal Highness to grant us an audience, that we and the Holy Church may extend the hand of God's mercy to the poor and starving. In these troubled times, it is our sacred duty to bring comfort to the suffering and warmth to those left in the cold."

"Cardinal while you might be a diplomatic envoy surely you know to interrupt a royal whilst she is speaking is beyond rude, and worse yet you barge into this private gathering without an invite such affront cannot be forgiven, at this point you'd best be getting home, for I have no desire to speak with you at all, on matters of the state or otherwise."

"Surely, Your Majesty jests. Consider the well-being of your people—for is it not the sacred duty of a queen to hold their hearts and souls foremost in her mind? If you rebuke us now, I shall have no choice but to counsel His Holiness to pronounce the grievous sentence of excommunication upon the entire Kingdom of Carthaginia. Such a decree would see our priests and nuns withdraw from your lands, and with them, the benevolence of Holy Mother Church—her charity, her guidance, and the salvation she offers to your suffering people."

...

...

The idle threat lingered in the air for a second, Serena did not respond and the envoy thought he had hit upon a weakness he could exploit but before he could capitalize another voice entered the conversation.

"Do it then."

"Wah?"

"You heard me your Eminence, counsel his holiness, and we shall move forward from this moment under the belief that excommunication has already been enacted, you may take all the bishops, priests, nuns, and if they fear living in such a land even believers as you'd like and return with them to the territorial lands of the Principality."

"grrrrr You! Who are you to say such things, we were addressing her Highness Queen Serena!"

"It is not I but you who forgets himself... for your question may have been made to the Queen but she has no right to respond to your question."

"What did you say, explain yourself at once, who are you!"

With a flourish rising from his seat as he slowly walked around the table to come face to face with the Cardinal whose face was becoming red as his robes.

"I am Emperor Julius 'Aquitania' Ceasar first of my name, ruler of the Romanus people as ruling monarch of this the Province of Carthage, I have shown your great deference for your arrogance in being a visiting diplomat who refused to bow not just before my royal presence but in that of my fiance as well."

Julius's flowing toga kept shifting as Julius narrating his own position and showcasing in just how many ways the cardinal had 'sinned' on this day.

Emperor...?

That word kept ringing in the Cardinals ears.

There was only one emperor on the continent, but the name was familiar, but then again the words replayed in his mind.

!!! Carthage is a Province of Romanus!!!

Since when!

The news was shocking, no beyond shocking and the aura of dominance being projected from Julius the minute the mans mind had caught up with what he had heard caused his knees to wobble and shake, threatening to send the old man crashing down to the floor.

Before him now stood the greatest threat to his own home nation, the man in control of a great army capable of slaughtering the holy orders of Christendom and bringing their religion teaching of a single god crashing down into the annals of history.

But what the old man didn't know was that Julius never planned to invade the principality... no he had a far more sinister plan in mind the the theocratic nation that had been a thorn in his side through many a playthrough during his gaming days.