To Have Flown with Eagles: A letter to the Vuiller Family

[Minuvas 2972]

*The letter would bear no seal, delivered in rather ordinary parchment - brought privately to the Vuiller family residence. It has no return address to be delivered. The script, however, bore the old writing of a well-practiced hand. It has a simple phrase written on the envelope - Aquilarum amicus*

"sirame ito kae'leh, nae oroment, llir'Malinor and dear friends of House Melphestaus,
  I am the Elf known as Minuvas, one of perhaps only a handful of those living who can call truly call themselves Imperial. Rev Vuiller was one such soul to have been a part of this circle of friends, until his recent passing. I have received the tragic news of Rev, a compassionate Valah to whom I knew as friend for much of his youth and mine own. I do not know if he spoke much of me, for we parted our own ways at the time of the brother's war - ourselves victims of the tragic warring of Novellen children. What I will tell you is that your Patriarch was a rare breed of man - so few have I met in my time whose ambitions do not eclipse the nation in which they serve.  He was a kind and dutiful soul and he took to his patriotic suffering privately, as any diligent statesmen in the upper echelons of power should.

He was no politician, to call him such would be an insult; He was a Statesmen, a father, a pious man. As ArchChancellor of the Empire, I knew Rev had a remarkable ability as an advisor to be trusted - a rare trait not only of men, but of elven kind as well. There are no statues of Rev Vuiller, no vainglorious monuments of self-congratulations as you will see of the Elven Princes and Princess' in the realms I walk now - but no such monuments to ego would please your Patriarch. I dare say you should deny any such statues in his honor, for Rev lived for his countrymen - and would see honors awarded to none  but the people to which he served. Destiny saw fit to place no crown upon his head, for we both knew that the nation must outlive the man.

I knew him to have a heavy heart following the death of Emperor Philip II, yet together we served admirably in the following years during the reign of Philip's grandson. We were loyal servants to our country and neither of us could muster to speak ill will against her, yet I knew he was unhappy with the state of Imperial affairs later in his life - and I so wish we had talked of them more. Had we known what would have become of the nation, perhaps we would have. I hope, and believe, he found some measure of happiness later in his life in his restoration of the goodness of man in Balian. The Heart of the Valah kindles once more in Balian, and this is in no small effort due to Rev Vuiller - for he brought men together, he did not sunder them apart. So many seek to destroy, for it is easy - so few seek to build, for it is so hard. Let it be said that Rev endured to build, to create, to restore and to bring life.

 Save perhaps the late Princess and ArchChancellor Josephine Augusta, there is no Valah I would consider having been a closer friend in my first century of life than Rev Vuiller. and cannot express my unhappiness to know of his passing, and though I no longer believe in the Valah God - I do hope that your strong canonist faith and your family saints, carry you to a place of contentment and happiness. If there truly are blessed skies, I ask that Malin intercede and ensure that Rev has reached the seventh of them - for he is surely deserving.

Minuvas"