Imperator: Resurrection of an Empire

Having been forcibly removed from the Royal Palace gathering hall where an obvious victory celebration was underway, Cardinal Matthaeus clench his fists in rage, his fingernails digging deeply into his palm drawing blood as his personal carriage rumbled and trundled its way through the city streets.

The filth of this godless place pressed in on him from all sides-the reek of incense being burnt in their backwards paganist alters, the coarse laughter of the public who were in his eyes all heathens and sinners celebrating the slaughter of the innocent and worthy of gods grace.

Just barbarians whose saving grace was strength, the loss of the Ramie Kingdom as a medium to spread their faith was a devastating blow and the ressurrected state of Carthage was wholy opposed to the Principality's presense.

Julius's words still rang out over and over in the cardinals mind.

The fool.

He openly declared that he accepted excommunication by the church, and like a royal decree gave his word that all those faithful were free to depart from these lands.

Best of all, there was no talk about returning lands claimed by the Principality during the course of the origional Kingdoms fall.

The sheer adasity of it.

The affront that he had suffered publically... No, that all of Christendom had suffered!

To have he a high ranking member of the clergy dismissed so casually by a mere boy...

Letting his thoughts run wild within his head, he and his faith had been ridiculed by heathens and warmongers-worst of all by that upstart!

The name repeated to him, a voice included in almost all rumors heard now adays.

'Julius Ceasar'

The name turned his stomach when he also added on Emperor.

There was only a single Emperor on the continent, one who had the blessings of the pope and all of christendom for its right to rule over the central portion of the continent and the guiding hand of stability and peace.

For this boy pretender to dare proclaim himself as an emperor and before the clergy itself had seen fit to ordain him with that title as it is Gods right to bestow the divine right to rule on all legitimate royalty in this world.

The final words that Carthage had submitted to becoming a province of his 'empire', they had gotten word of Parthia's fall weeks ago, so this would mean that on top of his own Romanus Kingdom, two other nations now found themselves fully under his sway and control.

His heresy was spreading almost uncontrolled.

The pope must act to get the Visigoth Empire to restore peace to the continent by dealing with this adversary before its to late.

"Blasphemy."

He hissed as he spat onto the floor of his carriage.

The only other person riding within the carriage seated across from him was another of the cloth.

Father Armand, adjusted his robes to shift them away from the glob of salivia that had been depostited on the floor.

"Your Eminence, what would you like to do?"

Matthaeus exhaled through his nose 'pheeee' trying to force the rage in his heart to still before he spoke.

His words were like the divine words of the lord god almighty himself.

While waiting to answer he thought about the very question itself.

"The city... no this country is lost to us."

He finally started speaking out flatly.

"There is nothing here for our faith but the stench of idolatry and heresy. Begin to pull out our forces at once."

Father Armand nodded before turning the window, having been writing on slips of paper as the Cardinal spoke he reached out and grabbed hold of a bird being carried in a box on the exterior of the carriage, placed the scroll inside a band on the birds foot before setting it to flight and repeating.

The guards following on horseback could only watch as a dozen birds took flight from within the carriage all headed off in different directions into the night.

But even with his will been done, the Cardinal was not finished.

quickly scrawling out additional scrolls even as the carriage shakely rode on.

Once finished he sealed the four completed scrolls before Father Armand signalled to the riders to come closer.

After receiving the scrolls four of the riders broke off.

Matthaeus would not simply retreat like some commoner diplomat whose attempts at negotiation and treaties had failed.

No.

He planned to ensure that this city, no this entire nation or Province would be burned to the ground in the fires of holy wrath.

Within the next few days he planned to have the news spread to every corner of Ramie, Carthaginia, and the Principality.

Every single parish priest, abbot, abbess, and bishop within the three lands would come to know about the exagerated events that had transpired in the royal palace tonight.

And lastly a fifth scroll was sent ahead of their carriage born by a rider travelling at full gallop headed for the cathedral housing the pope informing of King Julius, and Queen Serena's choice to openly forsake Christendom, having pledged themselves and their nations to the pagan pantheon of false gods.

"We shall let these heathens know that Holy Mother Church can no longer protect any who dwell in these accursed lands. That all of our clergy presently within must also leave these lands at once lest they fall under the sway of this devil worship. Our churches will be abandoned, but so to will go our charity missions providing healing and soup kitchens. With the loss of our good nature they will quickly fall into darkness and rot as their rulers have chosen."

a thin smile creeping onto his face.

"Meanwhile we can also preach and announce that the faithful, and true believers-must flee. Every man, woman, and child who holds the lord in their heart should fleet their homes leaving behind all they cannot take with them and head for the holy lands of the Principality. We will need these holy warriors for the crusade to come."

Armand hesitated to respond having not seen the contents of the various scrolls the Cardinal had been sealing and sending off into the night.

"Your Eminence, such an action... The suffering it will cause..."

"Suffering?"

The Cardinal hearing the word snapped.

"Suffering is what these blasphemers deserve! If these wretched people would rather bow down to Romanus and its false gods, than accept the lord into their hearts and minds, so those unwilling to heed this Divine Order will reap what they get as consequences of their treachery."

The father paled, knowing the rumors of Romanus and while his faith was strong, his belief in the strength of the divine warriors of the Christian Knight orders was shaken.

Templars, Hospitalliars, Tuetonics, and the various smaller Orders like the Holy Ghost, and those who served in the name of saints.

Were more ceremonial forces rather than actual militant wings and while territory had been claimed in the war, no actual battles were fought the lands simply were occupied while the real armed forces were off fighting one another or against Ramies invasion.