Trouble in the Holy States

It certainly is ground shaking news. You seat around a wide yet elegant and finely crafted table. All the monarchs in attendance to wedding are seated around the very same table. Your mother and step-father too and Eliza as well.

King Emmanuel, whom you formally met days prior together with his wife and older children, is seething in rage. He had his hands balled into tight, strong fists which he had earlier slammed down onto the table. He is the most upset one among you all over the news.

According to the report, the Holy States — a political entity with the Most Holy Father governed, a politcal entity that bordered the Southern Confederation States and effectively split the Italian Peninsula in two and kept Naples out of reach — had been raided severely by pirates apparently from the northern region of the continent in the south. They came without warning and attacked without mercy There was heavy looting and plunder. The pirates massacred all the defenders and took whatever they could.

But what could be considered the worst to have come from all this is how those heathens butchered the Most Holy Father and the Cardinals. Fortunately, a few Cardinals were out visiting the Italian States of the Confederation. Their number were severely reduced but they could elect a new Most Holy Father soon.

You look around you and don’t see the other monarchs all too distressed about it. You can’t read their minds but if you did, you’d know just exactly what each of them are thinking.

Eliza - better them than my people.

Helga - too far for me to care.

Beatrice - a lose but not my lose.

Franz Jacques - at the end of the day, the world will not lack for people.

Francois - a terrible event. I must take the necessary precautions it does not happen to my country.

Alana - yawn...

Arianna - Goodness! How terrible! Those poor people.

Emmanuel - Curse those pirates! Almighty Damn those heathens! They will pay for this!

Franz Karl - well that went well. Onto the next phase of the plan.

Arianna stands from her seat, genuine concern and desire to help shown clearly on her face. “We must do something! We need to help the people of the Holy States!”

“Please calm down, Queen Arianna.” Franz Karl says in a calm tone, trying to calm the Iberian Queen. “I have already taken steps in that regard.”

Everyone looks at him questioningly and skeptically. “Have you?” King Emmanuel challenges him.

“Yes.” Karl says flatly. “My trusted friend, general and mentor, Nachiavelli, has already brought food and medicine to the effected areas of the Holy States as well as troops to maintain law and order.”

“And just how have you come to react so quickly to that?” Emmanuel looks at Karl with a piercing gaze.

“I’ve made several contingencies should disasters occur in or around my Kingdom and the Confederation as a whole.”

“But the Holy States isn’t a member of the Confederation.” Emmanuel counters.

“It isn’t but like I said, I made contingencies for moments like this.”

“You say that,” Francois chimes in, “but you’ve basically occupied the Holy States.”

Franz Karl rebutes this plainly, “You could look at it that way but the people in the Holy States are probably grateful of what my men are doing for them as we speak.”

“Still,” Franz Jacques speaks up, “it’s a tad odd that pirates would all of the sudden attack the Holy States on both sides of its coast.”

“Odder still that a large number of them were coordinated and organized enough to initiate such an attack with brutal efficiency.” says Beatrice

“Brutal efficiency!” Emmanuel says outraged. “Begging your pardon, former Queen of Ostgrenze,” the sarcasm isn’t lost to anyone, “but brutal efficiency isn’t what I would like to call it!”

You immediately slam your hand hard on the table. It hurt your hand but you ignore the pain. “I get you are upset over this, King Emmanuel, but there is no need to yell at my mother. No matter how you look at it, the pirates that raided the Holy States were indeed efficient. How else could they have caused so much chaos and devastation upon our most Holy City. Hell, even the more inland areas of the Holy States weren’t spared.”

“So what is to be done here? Those dastardly pirates must pay and pay dearly!”

“To kill a pirate, one must first find one.” says Francois. “By now, those pirates are keenly aware of the outrage they’ve caused. If they are smart and I think they are, they will lay low for a long while.”

“So we’re going to do nothing!” Emmanuel shouts.

“King Emmanuel, my cousin has already done what he can to help the Holy States. If you wish, you may take your fleet and go pirate hunting yourself.”

“How could any of you just seat there and act like it was just some small fishing village that was raided. This is the center of our Faith!”

“They killed the Most Holy Father and the Cardinals. They ransacked the Most Holy Cathedral. They stole all that could be stolen. They killed all the men that got in there way. Yes, it is all terrible but we can’t do much right now.” Karl responds, keeping his calm demeanor. “My fleet has been recalled to port for a complete and thorough inspection and maintenance. It hampered my trade but I needed the ships to be at their best.”

“Majority of my fleet is still up in Ostgrenze.” Says Eliza.

“My fleet was severely depleted in number and manpower after the civil war.” Says Helga.

Francois added, “My fleet in the Great Mid-Land Sea is too small to go against this presumably large and organized pirate fleet.” Louis looks at his father curiously. While what he did say about the fleet in the Great Mid-Land is true, he left out the part where he could just call the fleet patrolling the northern and western coasts of the Kingdom. “I stand by what I said though. If these pirates are as smart as I think they are, I will not be attacking anyone any time soon.”

Emmanuel sighs in defeat and slumps back down on his chair. Arianna tries to console him.

Franz Karl coughs “This is indeed an unfortunate event. But the priority action is has been taken. The people in the Holy States are under my protection and care now.” That earns him a glare from Francois and Emmanuel. A glare he does not seem to care for. Franz Karl might have just say that he controls the Holy States now.

“I believe that aside from Prince Louis and Princess Jacqueline’s wedding, we came here for another reason. Let’s get started with that, shall we?”