Two Cardinals - A dialogue between opposite worlds

[Draeris 3124]

Cardinal Reinmar & Cardinal Albarosa playing chess in the Duchy of Reinmar, 1793.

 

TWO CARDINALS

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN OPPOSITE WORLDS

 

On his way to the Duchy of Reinmar, a weary Laurence observed the horizon intensely. For the first time, he felt that his decade of hostile publications, from the safety of his cathedral, might now pose dire consequences. Bandits, Haeseni soldiers, angry mobs? As much as his paranoia and stress tightened the muscles of the Cardinal: the serene landscape alongside Reza had a rather calming effect. Walking through Haense simply felt weird. 

 

In the distance, he saw Cardinal Reinmar gathered among a crowd. His kinsman was harmed, and Laurence was immediately instructed to aid in their healing efforts. Taking a medical box from a stranger, to take care of another stranger: to Laurence, this was simply routine. A human was hurt after all, and his Haeseni roots did not matter.

 

The boy, Cedric Barclay, was carried towards New Reza: the Amador Surgeon-General soon arriving at the scene. Laurence silently watched the scene unfold, taking a drag from his Rochefort cigarette. “He is your kinsman, correct?” he inquired to Cardinal Reinmar, who promptly responded with “Aye.” Laurence turned to him with his head lowered: ”I shall pray for him tonight, then.” Ailred would motion dismissively with his hand “No need, he’ll be fine.” To that, the Albarosan could only shrug.

 

The Amador took the young Cedric to the clinic, where Laurence felt increasingly uneasy. Watching the door in his corner, and the crowd gathered around Cedric in the other: he held tightly onto his cross.  Then suddenly, the Surgeon General asked him to cover his wounds. With extreme reluctance and immediate regret, the Cardinal pressed his decorated napkin against the stab wound: staining it red beyond recognition. “Reinmar, can you get my flask from my back pocket?” he inquired, biting his lip.

 

Having poured its contents onto the wound, and applying some Salve provided by the Amador shortly after, the condition of Cedric began to improve. She took charge of further treatment, as Laurence retired to the back of the room. 

 

---

 

“Does Father Anton live here, or live at all?” Laurence would retract his carton of Rocheforts, Ailred rejecting his offer: “He passed a few years back, peacefully.” he then glanced about “I think there’s a portrait of him around here somewhere”. “Did you know him?”

 

Laurence pouted “He was a dear friend and partner.” as he crossed his legs “Not just to me, but also to the entire Albarosan clergy as a whole. My only Haeseni friend, I would joke.” a deep drag would be taken “Did you know your kinsman well?” 

 

Ailred would grin in response “He inspired me quite a bit, and I’ll also admit there was perhaps a bit of nepotism involved in my becoming a cardinal.” Laurence chuckled, tapping some ashes into the ashtray: “My brother essentially made me a cardinal back in the day, I never imagined myself dedicated to the faith in my teenage years.” Ailred shrugged in response “That’s how it goes”, smirking as he took a sip from his Carrion Black “There wouldn’t be enough Cardinals if it weren’t for a bit of politicking to fill the ranks.” 

 

“I suppose so.” Laurence would lean forward through the cloud of cigarette smoke, leaning his elbows onto the table “Although, for the record, I highly frown upon nepotism and politicking”. As both would chuckle and raise their respective flasks, Laurence continued: “Tell me, Cardinal Reinmar: did your kinsman ever speak of me to you?” Ailred nodded slightly, leaning backwards into his chair: “Well, a bit. More so the Pruvias in general.” He would finish his first mug as Laurence interjected “Praise and positivity, I hope?” The Cardinal cracked a smile “We were Everardines originally, so naturally John Everard Pruvia carried some degree of respect here.”

 

“Pfft.” Laurence would pout, taking a sip from his flask “To be fair, I said some slanderous words about you lot at the time.”

“Aye.” Ailred would raise his chin “I am aware of the Kaedreni-Haeseni rivalry”. Laurence would offer his carton of cigarettes once more, the offer being politely rejected “Mhm. My predecessor was assassinated nearby, I frankly didn’t feel safe walking here. Though the landscape is refreshing: Helena chokes me, too much Urbanism and large crowds.” A short silence would fall in the room: the cigarette smoke being pushed away by the movement of Ailred’s mug and Laurence’s cigarette hand: “I must admit.” Laurence would then break the ice “Kaedrin and Haense are more alike than most Orenians would expect.”

 

“Oh?” Ailred tilted his head inquisitively “How so?”

“The piety, the appreciation for personal liberties: despising overbearing authority. What matters is not the colour of your banners, or how much you find our wigs fashionable: what matters is the integrity of your soul.”

“Aye, I suppose so.” Ailred would tilt his head “When is the Empire evicting Kaedrin then?”

 

“God I wish.” Laurence laughed, feeling rather naughty, reaching for his second flask in his breast pocket “They will never let us go, and frankly, we don’t want to be let go. Kaedreni are too interwoven into the Imperial fabric, for it to tear properly like yours.”

 

“Eh..”  Ailred scoffed in doubt “The way I see it: the whole idea of an Imperial fabric precludes any tearing. Oren without the Kingdom of Joren is a farce, really.”

 

“Quite the spicy expressions, Reinmar.” Laurence would raise his glass, to the chuckling of Ailred, who had now reclined into his chair “Maybe so. Haense takes after the Dual Kingdom of Renatus-Kaedrin in many ways.”

“Interesting angle.”  Laurence pondered “Though I wonder where this separation will bring our sacred home.”

“It’s a tougher job being Pontiff when humanity’s divided.” Ailred sighed “That’s for sure.”

 

“It also plants the seeds of rivalries that transcends the original Albarosa-Jorenus one.”  Laurence muttered, Ailred responding questioningly: “Hmm. I don’t actually know the current Cardinal Jorenus, come to think of it.”

 

“Ahh.” Laurence rubbed his fingers over his chin “I believe his name was Rodrigo?” he reclined in his chair “Some dubious Illatian name, I wonder what his roots are.”

“Rodrigo?” Ailred repeated, “Wasn’t that the last cardinal of Helena, or somewhere?”

“No idea.”  Laurence chuckled “I was on pilgrimage for a while: had to get away from all these deaths in my family, frankly.”

“Fair enough.” Ailred nodded, avoiding the tragedy hidden behind the explanation “Go anywhere interesting?”

“It was boring.” he would shrug to Ailred “No idea why we pretend like it is some honorable, amazing ordeal.” he motioned his hand dismissively “Anyways, I must ask: if I may let my curiosity free.”

 

“Go on.”

 

“How do you feel about the Albarosan clergy, assuming you are aware of what we are and stand for?”

Ailred would press his lips in thought “I am entirely unacquainted with them, I must admit.”

“I don’t blame you.” Laurence would take a chug from his flask, offering it to him “Want some? It’s wine from the Adrian I days.”

“Why not?” Ailred responded, stopping the flask that was shoved towards him over the table. As he took a sip, Laurence spoke “I also have some Albarosan powder, if you wish to try.”

Finishing his sip, Ailred responded, “No thank you, the wine is good though.” as he shoved the flask back. “Fearing the unknown is a sign of weakness,”  Laurence winked in jest, taking the flask and emptying it himself. He chuckled “I am just afraid of developing strange addictions.” Laurence chuckled awkwardly “Ahh, those.” He then felt compelled to touch his nose, perhaps out of insecurity. “Do tell me, Ailred, if I may call you that?” the Cardinal nodded back “Go ahead.”

 

“Do the Haeseni hate us Orenians as much, as we hate the Haeseni?”

Ailred licked his lips in contemplation “I think feelings have reversed since our independence: beforehand, I’d have said the Haeseni disliked Oren more than the reverse. But now, I hear nothing about Oren in Haense, but I hear about Haense a lot in Oren.”

 

“Frankly.” Laurence would lean forward as if he was about to tell a secret “I think my contemporaries find it hard to accept that they failed in reforming Haense. Imagine you’re the Imperial government, and you keep achieving victories. You dissolve Curon, you reduce Kaedrin’s standing.” he would suddenly raise his voice “BAM! Suddenly Haense isn’t abiding by their will like others are, in almost treasonous defiance.”

 

“The dissolution of Curon was definitely a misstep, in my view. It happened before my time, so I don’t have the full context, but it strengthened the us-against-them mentality. Curon was after all, the only province Haense did not have issues with.”

 

“It broke an unwritten consensus that vassals were untouchable.” Laurence would interject “Right after Curon, they started to pressure our electoral system in Kaedrin quite a bit.” he would summon a new cigarette “Though I feel Haense provoked quite a bit. You actively undermined our systems wherever you could.”

 

“How so?” Ailred scoffed in confusion.

“Didn’t you form this Muldav political movement to undermine most government legislation?”

“The Muldavs only voted against insane bureaucracy.” Ailred would state, as Laurence shook his head.

“Like laws against abdication, or creating thirty new agencies, and the likes.”

 

“Do you think abdication laws are insane bureaucracy?” he would perk a brow at Ailred “Surely, there is a benefit to this legislation?”

“If a lord is no longer able to perform his duties to the best of his ability, prohibiting him from abdicating only leads to bad governance. Or even non-existent.” Ailred would pour some more Carrion Black into his mug “Furthermore, it wasn’t even permission from the Emperor that was required. But permission from a minister.” he takes a short sip “How demeaning is that?  Some random bureaucrat prevents you, a Duke, from abdicating because you don’t qualify under Section 3(I) of Page 4 of some memo they wrote?”

 

“Hmm.” Laurence would take another drag “I don’t think they had these intentions, but I can relate to the abstract discontent with overbearing bureaucracy.”

“-- As for being obstructionists.” Ailred would interrupt “One of our family who was in the Commons passed one of the largest legal reform bills during the ‘Muldav Menace, but of course it was never put into law. The Emperor just refused to look at it! So much for Haeseni obstructionism.” Laurence chuckled “I suppose the relationship itself was a grand tragedy.” he nods “What I find insulting is that they never consulted His Holiness before expelling you. It was he who coronated both Sovereigns after all.”

 

“It certainly makes our lives more difficult too.” Ailred would rub his forehead with his thumb “Of course, I imagine the Empress still intends to be treated like the Empress of all humanity. Haense will also want favourable treatment.” he would let out a deep sigh at the thought of these complex relationships “Which of course, could put us in plenty of binds in the future.”

 

“Which is why this conversation is important, I suppose.” Laurence smiled weakly, trying to lighten up the mood as he puffed some smoke from his cigarette “I do worry about looming conflict, Cardinal Reinmar. One of your clergy is preaching that Aenguls have free will.”

 

“Indeed.” he sighs “And what a long argument that was. Letters were coming in and out of Reinmar like it was nobody’s business. I’ll imagine you’ll chime in at some point, the Council is still open?”

“I don’t know what to say frankly.” Laurence would fiddle with the ashtray now “My opinions aren’t always as appreciated. Besides, it takes time to ease back into my role as Cardinal.”

“By the way.” Ailred would perk up, a curious expression would dominate his face “Who do you think fills the empty seat?” Laurence sighed with a smirk, these type of conversations making him nostalgic “I of course hope it is one of my own. But it might be some Haeseni that I am yet to be aware of.” Ailred nodded “I thought of Bishop Benedict as the main contender myself. Although His Holiness would be slow to raise yet another Haeseni cardinal.”

 

“You are the dominant faction after all.” Laurence would roll his eyes “How much time can change, huh?” Ailred shrugged  “It’s a natural position, really. Haense has dominated the College of Cardinals for the majority of time Haense has existed.” Laurence perked his brow “It is natural that the Haeseni are dominant?” he would clasp his hands “I suppose the Albarosan era was an exception to the rule, in your eyes?” Ailred would silently nod, before looking up towards the entrance.

 

---

 

Charlotte Rosamund Helvets & Victoria Hildegarde Pruvia-Albarosa would’ve received word from Laurence regarding his whereabouts, just in case he would go missing in Haeseni territory. Bearing a gift from Owynsburg, the two madames would sound the bell in front of the Reinmar keep. As the gift, a bush of Albaroses, was given to the Cardinal Reinmar, Laurence inquired about the painting of his late friend: Father Anton. With the entourage trailing after the Barclay, they moved through all kinds of hallways in their vast estate. Somewhere in the maze: they reached the portrait of Anton Barclay. 

 

“That disgusting beard..” Laurence muttered, his hands clasped behind his back: tears forming beneath his eyes.  “Quite the detour your Eminence.” Charlotte would express in an annoyed fashion, her side being elbowed by the watchful Victoria. The Cardinal Albarosa would kneel before the painting, his head lowered to hide the tears as he whispered “May you have a lot of beverages up there, you bastard”. As he signed a cross, and rose back onto his feet, Victoria would stand ready with a dose of Albarosan powder. 

 

The conversation that followed was short, as Cardinal Reinmar wished to retire to bed. As the entourage walked back to Owynsburg, Laurence remained terribly silent. The two women looked at each other in confusion, unaware of the emotions that the Cardinal kept to him. As he walked by the path towards the Basilica of New Reza, he would stand still for just a moment: signing a cross in its general direction. “Rest in peace, Cardinal Barclay.”
 

 

[argonian 14254]

Ailred idly sweeps some spilled Albarosan powder off the floorboards the next morning, thinking back on the discussion. 

[Froschli 838]

Alfred Cardinal Jorenus frowns at not being invited to the chat.