Crusader Kings (2)

A papal legate.

Never thought this would have been the time for this issue to come up at the table, nor for it to be driven by a situation well beyond the pope's own willingness as something had sparked through the recent war. I wasn't exactly a high authority when it comes to papal history, but even I knew that the pope asking for asylum because Odoacer had started to appear belligerent towards the Church felt fairly off due to the historical context. Sure, the drive behind the recent conflict was one of stability, religion and Roman tradition bound to novel connotations, but I failed to see, just like my fellow monarchs, how that had evolved in such a shitshow.

Pope Felix III was not his predecessor. He wasn't the man that consecrated Odoacer as King of Italy, he didn't take action to reaffirm that announcement and had many times sounded more antagonistic towards the extreme restriction of religion within the peninsula. Just like a proper and ruthless dictator, Odoacer had cleverly turned Religion into the drug people needed to believe in a superior benevolent being that had entrusted the control of Italia right to Odoacer. Smart, but fairly fragile if the pope, someone that was deemed by a large majority of believers as the highest representative of Christianity, was keen to make snide remarks towards Odoacer's management of the kingdom.

Not only was it clear how the new 'king' had just taken notes in copying the Roman system and applied to it to some degree together with its original tribe's traditions, but its focus had been an expansive one at best. The Rugians were shattered, new lands in the north were conquered in Noricum (modern Austria), and yet the 'Italian' ambitions were thwarted by the birth of Gallia and the most recent conflict. One of the plans set by Odoacer to accomplish in the ensuing years after consolidating his rule was indeed to expand west, but with the formation of a strong nation blocking any advance in that plot, the issue of our alliance became a pressing one for the 'king'. The resulting effect? Pressure towards the pope to do something.

While that might not sound 'much' considering modern authority for the pope, the Bishop of Rome within the time period was nothing short of a religious juggernaut due to the unbound power of the church. It would have been simple for him to excommunicate the alliance and land a serious hit to our legitimacy… but he didn't. The church wasn't exactly as quick to bow their heads to monarchs that ended up conquering the husk of a former empire by pure political opportunism. Especially if they didn't have the proper means to outright seal the papacy away from delivering a response to this kind of ultimatum. Sure, they could have done much to prevent a papal retreat in the Balkans to reach Constantinople. But one thing was being able to restrain movements in Italy, another was exploiting how difficult it was within this century to man a proper sea-wide blockade.

Thus, the pope planned to commit to two major steps: first, a denunciation of Odoacer's rule which would debase his claim as heir of the Western Roman Empire, and then evacuate in Gallia to request asylum. Obviously this last move was essential to happen so it could prevent a premature death and passage of the papal role to a Pro-Odoacer candidate. Thus, the legate was sent with a mission 'of peace', which was meant to be perceived as an imposition, but actually was an imposition since the way the man spoke, the way he levied some words that remarked the 'religious importance' and the 'divine morality' behind the need to support the pope, made it clear we had to give it a serious thought. And I will be honest here… nobody wanted to take that hassle.

Sure, religious-wise the group of four was interested in the matter, with the Suebi and the Gallian King and 'King' intrigued the most due to their attachment to the Roman Bishop, but the issue was tied on 'where' to keep the pope in case of acceptance. Let's be honest here, despite the man being the maximum representative of man to God, he was still going to be a nuisance. To be more honest on the situation, this wasn't the worst time to have popes around. At this point they were half-pious and half-ambitious/zealous, and quite far from being enforced through conclaves. They were tied to the local clergy in Rome, and were thus less-driven by external influence and interests.

Felix III was born in Rome, and had long understood the plight of his people. But understanding was not the same as knowing how to solve his situation and that meant he was meant to be put through a difficult 'hot potato' situation between all rulers. The Franks were outright refusing to handle that 'hassle', which was ironic considering how Charlemagne would have handled that situation. Nonetheless, with three out of the four kings unwilling to take that responsibility, the issue fell on my hands and… it wasn't as easy to say no as it was to say yes. If I refused, the chances of this opportunity backfiring with the first excommunication were pretty high; and if I accepted, then I would have to find a way to live with the arrangements of having the Pope living in my court.

Sure, when one thinks of Popes of old they would imagine those people that loved to live in expensive settings, with many privileges to handle their capricious needs, but at this time the Popes were less about it, and more concerned about surviving. They still wore precious outfits to match the importance of the role, but I had this distinct feeling while I was thinking on what to do. Eventually it became less of a choice and more of an imposition. I had to take the Pope in so we would have had the chance to then knock at Odoacer's door and claim Rome in the future. That was the basis of our commitment in this alliance. No one was rushing for it, but it would have been destabilizing if I decided to close the door on the Bishop of Rome.

So yes, now I have a Pope in my court. And to make things more interesting, I had the chance of meeting him a few days after this whole affair had concluded. The religious man was smuggled out of Rome just in time before the city was put under siege, and his boat safely reached the new ports owned by Gallia, where he was recognized and brought to our current location. By historical context, his relevance was just unforgettable for a single reason: he was the main cause behind the Great Schism. He excommunicated two non-Chalcedonian Patriarchs in the East and then failed to mend the conflicts between the Chalcedonians and the Eutychians through an Edict. At this stage of his life, he had gone through the first excommunication, with the second one and the messy edict having not been brought up. Yet.

Still, with that much of an impression I could really tell this guy was a real piece of work. I thought so. And then I found myself unsure of that once I had the chance to speak with him personally. Felix III was no Felicianus. While he was already father of two children, with both having just recently reached adulthood, the man was roughly in his mid to late thirties. He looked quite young, younger than a modern pope would be. And way too kind for what messes he was responsible for.

"King Joseph Britannie, I mostly thank you both as the representative of the Holy See and of myself, a humble servant of God, for accepting the request of asylum I forwarded to you and your fellow monarchs," He introduced himself politely, going as far to bow at me much to the dread of many of his attendants.

In a way, it looked quite amusing due to how airheaded that made him appear and… how it pretty much centered the peculiar personality he had. Felix was an odd individual to interact with. Maybe it's the role, or perhaps the fact that I was just expecting someone so horrible to keep up with that I was quite stunned by what I actually got. Felix didn't look much like what I imagined from a pope with that kind of reputation, which was fair considering some of those individuals were either a 'no other choice' candidate or someone that decided to do this out of commitment rather than greed.

His main focus during his time in Gallia and through the trip north was to wonder about the new places he was visiting. His entourage was less enthused, but they said nothing as the Bishop of Rome just questioned whenever he could about the stops we were making along the way. The army, the language, the kind of people he was expected to find and actually my family.

"I can tell by that smile, your highness, that you feel blessed with your wife's lovely news. It's truly a joyous time when new births are announced. More innocent souls to provide an opposition to the outrageous ones that seek power through deceitful means," Felix III praised vibrantly. "If you may concede it, and if your bishop allows me, I would love to preside over the ceremony."

Preside but not take care of, which meant he wanted to be there to see it, but not take the duty of handling it through as the procedure would demand from Felicianus. Quite the odd request, but I saw no issue to deny it. At the question tied to the 'heretics', I was suddenly handling a few legitimate troubles within that situation. He asked of the island's situation on the religious scale, and was pleased to know the Picts in the north had slowly started to accept converting to Christianity. The real pickle unfolded when he mentioned he had heard of Ria's kingdom.

"The 'Dual Kingdoms' of Britannia. Such an odd notion, but I assume your reasons to form an alliance with a heretic kingdom are worthy enough to justify such a situation to someone like me," He pointed out politely. "Obviously, I can tell you are a man of God, just like your people are. Still, may you provide me with some insight?"

I sighed. "If I have to be honest I am of the strong opinion that the stability of the children of God, their lives and their health, should be the priority before faith."

"And you thought that allowing sinners in your midst was the reason to keep such a faux peace," One of the attendees remarked sharply, if not angrily. "Surely his holiness-"

"I don't believe I provided you with the right to speak in this conversation, Eugenius," Felix interrupted firmly, his gaze hardening as the man froze and looked away, mortified. "Now, King Joseph, continue with what you were saying. As far as I've seen, dialogue is normally not seen as viable with heretics and pagans. Are you quite confident in admitting that this time you managed to score a reasonable agreement within them and your kingdom?"

"I'm not just confident, I'm also aware that's indeed the case."

"Your confidence could still be misplaced. Tell me, do the fake idols worshipers require assistance from the church?"

"No. They have their own religious sites. None has been granted permission, and will never be granted permission, to perform pagan rituals in the house of God. Just as much as I will not impose the Lord in vain by forcing His way into their houses."

"Their fake idols-"

"Are fake, yes. But that doesn't justify being forced to follow the old rules of the first alliance," I remarked flatly. "Wasn't King David the founder of a new alliance that was driven by moral expansion rather than one of material things? Wasn't his son, King Solomon, the bearer of the Lord's wisest mind and soul? Did he ever think of engaging in virulent warfare for the sake of bringing His word to the rest? Nay, he stood his ground as a king meant to protect his kingdom, not one driven by ambitions that are somewhat misleading and confused as divine imposition."

There was a pause at this, and our entourages were fairly… quiet. Lancelot had yet to fully recover by the notion we were to have such a prominent guest, but he was glad that his religious calling wasn't brought up to discussion. That could have been another can of worms to answer.

"Your perspective is nothing short of humbling, and one of good news for the possibility that perhaps… things can be fixed. Everywhere," Felix III replied happily, genuine delight flashing in his teeth and eyes yet not without some doubts. "Still, about your fellow king. He knows that his current rule isn't absolute like yours, Vallius and those other monarchs that stand by the Lord's side as protectors of the Faith."

"He has embarked on actions to rectify this issue. Arthur is someone close to me. More than a friend… family."

The pope's lips twitched in clear amusement. "Beware, King Joseph. Piety can often lead to heresy if you mingle too deeply with some of your peers, kings and queens. Alas, I find that notion of familiality worthy of thought. After all, not many can commend such a pleasant friendship with others nowadays."

"Not when there are too many dangerous people trying to get power as quickly as possible," I added.

"And at the expense of the needy," The Bishop of Rome concluded with an agreeing tone.

The rest of the conversation was much more tame than that. But the questions that were brought up highlighted a sense of distrust that I would have to eventually deal with. Nothing that could be solved on the spot, as I could tell the pope wanted to see proof of good rather than believe it.

That strong of a faith was only meant for God after all.

The trip back home was way more packed with importance than I had initially planned when I first left.

Definitely didn't see bringing the pope back to Londinium as a possibility, and definitely didn't imagine said pope to be this… 'pleasant'. The discussion we had about Ria's kingdom left me to ponder about the reasonable concerns he raised about its decentralized rule. Ria had been unable to dethrone some of the more influential vassals of her, with these lords just having enough riches and men to wage troublesome wars for Camelot. I would have offered her support, but I doubted that would have been a feasible task.

Which is why I suggested to her plenty of times to invade Ireland and get support from there. The whole island would back her up if she handled them right and gave them unity and autonomy in exchange of manpower and resources in moderate amounts. And I had the distinct feeling that the lack of initiative wasn't caused by Ria's reluctance anymore. I knew her vassals had gotten a bit uppity with taxation, and to think they would actually veto an invasion was a reasonable concern. Which is why I planned to push the issue by asking/forcing her to accept my call for arms in taking care of Ireland's situation.

Why am I getting involved? Well, let's just say that the raids on the Glasgow Area have yet to dissipate despite the deployment of some ships in the area. The bastards knew how to sneak around with tiny boats and use the weather to their advantage. The moment Ireland was tamed and provided a unitary state to work with, I could tell the looting was going to stop for good. But for now, I was stuck in handling this hassle and making sure that this no longer created me no new headaches in the future.

Now, looking back at the pope's arrival, I have to specify that I had been alerted beforehand of the news since I didn't want to cause a ruckus on the spot when the arrival was announced. And I could tell that I had to have given a few strokes to people all around, and quite certainly made the day for Felicianus for the big jolly grin on his face when he was one of the first few people to greet us. He tried to be polite and submissive before the pope, but he was quite surprised when he bowed his head, he ended up slamming onto Felix's head as the Bishop of Rome had gone to bow his head too at the same time. And they had tall hats which made for quite the awkward development in that curious scene. Kudos to Felix III for not taking it badly, but 'chiding himself' for bowing so suddenly.

A wave of people greeted us and some were even repeating their religious songs. It was spectacular for sure, and the pope showed no sign of discomfort in making his way to my castle. There he was pleased to know he would be assigned a proper home where to stay since the living quarters were 'ill-fitted' for his importance. I wasn't going to give him a gilded room, but I wanted him to feel 'respected' for his role. Just enough for him to be pleased but not overall satisfied with what I was offering him. It had to sound like 'I respect you as the Bishop of Rome' rather than 'You are God's voice, so please take my bed, my throne, and, why not, also my clothes if you want'.

Sometimes one has to provide some extra commodities for a guest, but never one should go too far with that kind of acceptance. It takes one mistake to be seen more as a doormat than the host of the house. And that's the last thing I needed while I faced anything else that required my attention. Specifically the housing situation. Differently from the cities in the English area, the Scottish one had developed fairly slowly due to the lack of major resources required to proceed with internal expansions and through the impressive growth of new generations in the span of almost a year. People were happy with making families, there were job opportunities and the quality of life had improved.

Thus more kids were being made. Which was good… if we could keep up with the housing and the services. A situation that was spotted just in time by the people in charge of these villages which saw fit to send at me a combined letter with the whole situation laid out for me to study, while also providing themselves some estimations of the minimum of new settlements that were to be built to prevent utter collapse. Fifteen new towns. I would have expected ten, but I was off by five and that early number was at best what I thought could work to solve this, not the 'minimum'.

This was indeed an interesting development, but definitely one that had to be handled with a delicate touch. Which is why I saw fit to plan out a large relocation of resources to start building five settlements in the next four months and five more for the next four. I doubted we were going to get the needed numbers done by the needed time limit, but we were eventually going to catch up and suffer minimal issues tied to it. All in all, not a bad predicament itself.

Two days went by, and I thought things were going great in the homefront. Mya was a bit more prone to naps and ate a bit more, her belly growing clearer and bringing out some emotional situations out of it as she was quick to cry without a reason and demand my attention at sudden times. I was glad that I had hired some secretaries to take care of the job while I was out of the kingdom, making sure that none was willing to backstab me before leaving, for I would have had more issues at hand with Mya in charge with this kind of emotional unbalance. Yet, nothing screamed of trouble, and I was of the belief that I had nothing to be concerned about.

Except for a strange mood that took over Mya during this last day.

She looked deeply amused, her smiles shining a light I have seen before and then she decided to actually have a 'sleepover' with our daughters. She used the excuse that she wanted to spend some more time with them and wanted to let them know she would still care for them lots despite having to also focus a good part of her attention on our soon-to-be-born child. I saw no issue to lament it, and I expected to find the bed fairly empty at that point. My expectations were well-reasoned and I saw no general issue with it. But I should have thought through other details I didn't think could be pointing at this very matter.

I saw Scathach being fairly unfocused throughout the day during our daily chat, but I thought she was distracted by the Pope and his own philosophy. Lucy was missing, and that should have been a massive red flag that there was something up and that I would have to keep vigilant all the time. So, when I found out that I wasn't the sole occupant in the room and that someone was shifting under the sheets of the bed, I carefully approached the scene with dread. An assassin? A magician or… someone trying to get the king to cheat on his sweet wife?

The third option actually struck the hardest and left me a bit pissed, and yet I approached it as cautiously as I could, unwilling to let an assumption throw me off the loop and distract me. Soon I was within reach, my right hand tightly holding the hilt of my unsheathed sword and the other reaching out for the sheets and…

…

"Lucy?"

The redhead stared at me wide-eyed, trying to say something but muffled by the ribbon planted around her lower face. She was dressed in ropes. Just ropes. I had to avert my eyes at that and yet be confused by the sight.

"So… what is going on?"

I expected the frustrating idiot to give me an answer and I was about to release the ribbon when I paused at a familiar sound. The door had been closed and locked up. My shoulders went rigid as my tense posture set me in a guarded stance while I looked at the source of that move. My gaze was instantly aimed at the red eyes glowing in the shadows. I gulped nervously and hummed at the figure approaching.

"S-Scatha-"

"I spoke with Mya, and she worried that due to her conditions you were receiving less attention than usual. An issue that, truth be told, is quite troublesome with a stressful duty as yours, Joseph," The woman interjected and smoothly explained. "Alas, I saw fit to employ myself and my current ward to make sure to make your stress go away."

"Don't I get to choose?"

Her smile didn't falter. In fact, it strengthened as soon as I said that.

Why do I feel like this was something Scathach expected me to say?

"Well, if you so believe I'm wrong, I'm more than happy to engage in a tedious and deadly battle to abate your stress and perhaps beat you into submission for breaking your wife's kind heart," The woman rebuked confidently, two Gae Bolgs appearing by her hands and-

"T-That's not much fair," I argued and Scathach chuckled.

"Nothing is much fair in Love and War, foolish student of mine. Especially when your wife is such a caring woman and wants only your best."

Of course she was doing it out of the goodness of her heart. Nothing else. I tried to think of an escape plan but-

"No running from trouble, Joseph," She said as she dashed swiftly and stopped in front of me. She saw my flight mindset take over and took steps to prevent any effort of mine to bail from this matter. "You asked for it. And you know it~."

Familiar warm lips pressed against mine and, before I could say more, I found myself thrown into the mattress, with Lucy taking the chance to jump onto me. An impressive feat considering how tied up she was and how tight the rope seemed to be around her body.

Yep, Mya may have a thing for matchmaking me and herself with others. That much I can tell now.