To His Eminence, Adrian Cardinal Albarosa

[MCVDK 2854]

[!] Beneath contents are sealed for the Cardinal ( @Balthasar ) alone and those shown IRP [!]

 

As sent on the Tenth of Harren’s Folley in the 1863rd year of Our Lord

To be delivered to the Cathedral of St. Thomas within the Archdiocese of Albarosa

 

To His Eminence

Adrian Cardinal Albarosa

Archbishop of Albarosa

 

It warms our heart to receive word from his Eminence of Albarosa as the House of Galbraith stands most firm in their consanguinity with the Lord God and His taught word. Unfortunately, your Eminence, the Lord Father of mine has found his time allocated elsewhere in these recent Saints months and therefore I have been encumbered with a bulk of the tasks of His right honoured Lordship, the Viscount of Rivia. As such one of these tasks has constituted active conduction of his written word and it is in the confidence of the Lord Father of mine that I compose these bulletins and such the words beneath should be, by all means, taken as his own. It is not the intention to avoid or neglect the address of his Eminence and the lack of the Lord Father of mine should not be taken as an insult to his Eminence whatsoever. 

 

It is the notion of his Eminence, that the peoples of Oren have abandoned the Lord God and damned their own souls to the Deceiver willingly. We of Rivia must dissent in the thoughts of his Eminence, for the peoples of Oren does yet worship the Lord God and His taught words: we still yet see the Lord God as the one true Creator, alas there remains one issue within the mind of Orenian faith and that continues to be the faultier methods of the Mother Church. And it is our continued desire to remain truthful before the Lord God, and it is our belief that the House of Galbraith has done such throughout the times of excommunicated Oren. Alas the leftover methods of the Pontifex Everard VI has left the rotten taste of false faith within the mouths of the Orenians as a whole. Both aristocrats and commoners. 

 

Whereas we do not desire to speak ill of the dead, the actions of the Pontifex Everard VI have harmed the faith of Oren. We have not lost our faith, your Eminence, but we have lost our Church. We have lost our system of faith. We have lost our ministers of faith. Not due to the sins of our own but due to the sins of Pontifexs before. 

 

We do stand with Their Majesties and shalt not remove ourselves from them regardless of Their excommunication though we do add in return of the concern of his Eminence, that if his desire to return faith to Oren remains true: He ought to discuss the excommunication of Their Majesties, and the consequences which such most foul action has caused. 

 

Yours in faith,

His Lordship G. Galbraith of Rivia on behalf of

His right honoured Lordship, the Viscount of Rivia  

[Balthasar 2497]

The Galbraith-sealed letter eventually reaches the young Cardinal's private chambers. But it was not received in the place it was delivered to. Nonetheless, a letter is promptly sent in response. Bearing the purple seal of the Albarosa. Delivered by courier, who no less demands compensation for his work! A matter to deal with later.

 

---

 

20th of Sigismund's End, 1863

Barony of Rivia

To His Lordship G. Galbraith.

 

It warms my heart to hear from Rivia so promptly and to read its contents gladdens me even more. Having finally returned from my travels around the borders of Oren, your letter had difficulties finding me! The Cathedral of Saint Thomas, along with Redenford have been demolished and flattened. It was a terrible sight to behold, but I am confident that something greater will arise from its ashes, much like a phoenix.

 

I take no offense that you are the one to reply to my letter, is it not the father who should teach his son? I feel that it is good learning experience for yourself - I will pray for your father's wellbeing and if there is ever anything me and my ministry may assist you with, we are only a bird away! 

 

You have truly put my mind at ease. To hear that your house is still faithful to the One God. Speaking as a fellow Orenian, I share your thoughts of High Pontiff Everard VI, bless his eternal soul, was a flawed man, we are all flawed especially in the eyes of God. But I comprehend. It is my wish to repair relations and restore the Church in Oren to the ways it was before High Pontiff Everard VI. I cannot do this alone and I will need the support of the nobles and commoners. I have already spoken to the nobles that have decided to return my letters, only to find that you are clearly not alone in your beliefs, but they have given the Church their support. I do not assume this will be easy at all, it will be a hard fight.

 

In regards to the Anathema, their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress. It is my understanding that the lifting of their excommunication has been discussed many, many times and that His Holiness has penned letters to them. I am however not at liberty to divulge the nature of these letters, I am not their author and do not wish to spread unnecessary rumors. If I might put your mind at some ease, the college of cardinals will have a papal consistory at the ending of the year. The Anathema will be a subject of discussion.

 

Your hopeful friend,

Adrian Helen de Sarkozy