A Pilgrimage of Sorts

[Justosia]

Eisenbach
Elbener capital
10:00 PM

HRH Prince Julian Francisco-Francois II. Bestowed the title Prince of Atonement in a publicity move by his king to appeal to Justosia's Franco minority. The very same title his father, the Rebel King Julian Nicol Francois I, Justosia's sole Tiburan Catholic monarch, whose reign lasted just 8 months, widely condemned to this day as a vile traitor by most, had. The half blood prince. Also a prince who'd never be king. For his not so secret secret. Julian is a Catholic. It's why he requested this position. Why did Justosia's Protestant/Episcop King Carlos Francisco II grant it? The worst reason. Hoping, praying something, deathly, would befall him & he'd be used as a mayrtr for whatever publicity. Worse still, Julian knew this.

He would regail himself however, with his first visit to a staunchly Catholic country. Oh how his immortal soul would be nourished. He wished to take in every square inch of @Elben.

"Thank you for this blessing, blessed Virgin Mother." He prayed to himself as he touched down & looked to see what, who would greet him.

 

[Elben]

The airport was a busy place, with all manner of people coming and going. The only place that rivaled it this late in the evening was the central train station in the center of the city. Priests and nuns, soldiers and sailors, pilots and stewardesses, civilians coming to catch a redeye or arriving after a long day of flying, the terminal was a busy place.

One flight in particular had someone waiting for it. Erich, a foreign service officer familiar with the Aurarian language and its child tongues, waited at the customs checkpoint. The man stood talking to the customs officers, showing them the picture of Julian so they'd know who to look for.

Eventually the flight came in and the passengers disembarked and started queuing through customs.

"There he is. Thanks for the help. Have a good night." Erich gave the officer he was standing with a pat on the back and then stepped forward to flag down Julian. "Sir! Yes, I am with the foreign ministry." He flashed his credentials and added, "Step this way." His mastery of Julian's language was almost complete.

The two men passed by the checkpoint and Erich led Julian to the waiting limousine. "Sir, we're taking you to your hotel and then tomorrow you will be presented to the king so that you can provide him with your official letter of credence from your king. Welcome to Elben!"

 

[Justosia]

"My.......it's beautiful here. Though this cold bites at my southern Himyari bones. Thank you Mr. Erich."

Julian loved what he was seeing. Especially the nuns & priests. He wanted very much to see & enter a Catholic church.

 

[Elben]

Erich tapped on the window dividing the back of the limo from the front where the driver sat. He picked up a phone and spoke into it. The driver nodded and took a turn.

The limo diverted from its course to the hotel and took the scenic route through the city center. There was Corpus Christi Cathedral, the seat of the archbishop, with its two towers and spire, all lit with floodlights. Over there was the Royal Archabbey, its monks no doubt awake and chanting some part of the Breviary. The limo passed the New Palace's gardens with its huge Christmas Tree all alight in the night.

Finally the limo pulled up in front of the hotel and someone opened the door. Erich led Julian inside. "We'll pick you up tomorrow at 10 and take you to the Palace. Good evening, sir."

 

[Justosia]

Julian disembarked. Was he assigned no security detail? It wouldn't bother his hot headed self anyway. He didn't know how many people in Elben knew who he was. Perhaps it was better that way. He was shown to his suite. He walked in. Then to the window to gaze at the skyline. North & south were two different worlds indeed.

 

[Elben]

It was cold the next morning, but with the sun shining, people out and about were comfortable in their winter coats. Erich stood in the lobby of the hotel as the clerk rang up to Julian's suite to inform him. After a few moments, the prince came down and the foreign service officer greeted him.

"Sir, all is ready, come along!"

They climbed into the limo and retraced their route from the night before. Along the way, Erich spoke.

"You are our second royal this Christmas, sir. Queen Julian of Gunnland and her party have visited as well. Quite busy as you can imagine."

Eventually the limousine passed through the gate of the New Palace and headed up the drive. A footman opened the door and soldiers in ceremonial uniforms stood at attention.

An attendant greeted Julian and Erich and led them through various rooms to an antechamber. "His Majesty will be holding court in a few moments. I will introduce you and then you will come in and present him with your letter, sir. Please remember to address His Majesty as 'Your Majesty' or 'Sir.'"

 

[Justosia]

Julian waited for HRM to enter. He was curious as the vast majority of Justosians had never seen a foreign monarch. Save for Eiffelland's King Albrecht. Diplomacy & deepening of relations was an objective. So was him inquiring about the Father of their Holy See. He has a bone to pick....

 

[Elben]

The doors opened and a herald called out, "His Royal Highness Prince Julian Francisco-Francois II of Justosia." Erich led the way, escorting Julian forward to a spot on the floor of the Great Hall several paces away from the dais where King Friedrich Maria sat in the throne.

The Great Hall was still dressed in its Christmas finery and many lords and ladies of the court were present to get a look at this prince from Justosia.

In German, Erich declared, "Your Majesty, I present to you Prince Julian of Justosia who has been sent by his king to serve as ambassador." A translator who had appeared repeated all that was said for Julian.

The king rose from the throne and unsteadily stepped down to the main floor. He replied to Erich in German, "We will receive him. Have him step forward, please."

 

[Justosia]

Julian knew this song & dance well. He stepped forward & bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty."

He then presented his credentials.

 

[Elben]

The king accepted the letters of credence and then handed them off to Erich for placement in the archives of the foreign ministry.

He spoke, the translator repeating his words in Julian's language, "Have you any messages from your master?"

 

[Crotobaltislavonia]

The Ambassador from Crotobaltislavonia present at the Royal Court was intrigued by this ... Prince ... of Justosia. But after appraising the Prince as men are wont to do of other men, the Ambassador found him wanting. Surely the races of Gallo-Germania were the superior of Europe.

 

[Justosia]

"With respect Your Majesty. Master isn't a term I'd usually acknowledge. I am apart of two royal houses actually. The ruling House de Francisco, and the House de Francois. You could say....my blood is doubly annointed, above. My Crown Sovereign is addressed as Your Royal Majesty, Your Majesty, My King, My Lord, or My Sovereign Lord. My only true master is my Lord God and Christ Jesus."

Julian said this knowing the repercussions of his remarks should they ever get back to his king. He said them anyway. Whilst saying such he felt prying eyes upon him. They were promptly considered ancillary. The only people of importance were currently in front of him.

 

[Natal]

Niall Loganach was the Caledonian ambassador in Eschenbach. He was the youngest Caledonian to ever become ambassador, being only 27 years of age. He was an eminent scholar in foreign relations, managing to finish a PhD on the role of the monk orders in the evolution of the relationship of Caledonia and Elben in late 2018, but his relationship to Clan Loganach, one of the 4 great clans of Caledonia might have helped him more to get this posting.

Like nearly all Caledonians coming from the north-east, he had ginger hair which could be barely seen as he was sporting a buzz cut, with with a ginger two weeks stubble of a beard, green eyes and pale white skin. He was wearing a black-white-blue tartan kilt. The Caledonian kilts were longer than the Gunnish ones, which were ending right above the knee, whereas the northerner version of it, went lower, to cover the calves too. On his upper body he was wearing a black jacket with the Star of the North medal, which meant that he was a member of the Order of St. Ninian, the crusading order which Christianised Caledonia.

He was standing between the ambassador from CBS, which was on his right, and the ambassador from Auraria, which was standing on his left. Further to the right, was the ambassador of Pelasgia. Niall smirked as the Justosian prince was presented as ambassador of his country to Elben, as he was sent to Dun Eidyn as ambassador less than two months ago. Avalon didn't even notify Dun Eidyn that it was vacating its embassy in Caledonia. He bemusedly whispered the facts to both the Aurarian and Slavonian ambassadors.

 

[Elben]

"Indeed, He is master of us all." The king looked well pleased by this declaration as he made the Sign of the Cross. All Elbeners present instinctively followed his example.

"Have you any words from your king [Erich's translation brought along Friedrich's emphasis] that you as his representative to Elben were instructed to deliver to us?"

 

[Ostmark]

Eightythree years old Friedrich Heinrich von Wien served as ambassador of Ostmark in the Kingdom of Elben longer than anyone else has. His knowledge of Elbener royal dynamics and events and the decades spent in the northern Kingdom have allowed him to keep his position despite the many regime changes back in the fatherland. Even Volkskanzler Grasser aknowledged his merits and his role as a fundamental member of Ostmark's nomenklatura in the last century. He is a strong man, stubborn as a man of his age is supposed to be, maniacally respectful of royal protocols and customs. He even challenged the regime back at home by categorically refusing to become a member of the National-Syndicalist People's Party. However, for this man, and this man only, there were no consequences.

He was only twenty years old when he was appointed ambassador to Elben in 1955, and two years later King Ludwig IV von Wien, his third cousin, was forced to abdicate from the throne by a velvet revolution led by democratic socialists. He lived around King Friedrich Maria IX for over six decades. He was there, when Friedrich Maria IX received the crown, and after that he witnessed all the events, and heard most of the conversations that took place in this room for the last sixty years. Sitting close to the ambassadors of Auraria, Caledonia and Crotobaltislavonia, he couldn't resist but join the conversation. His words could not be heard by the rest of the gentlemen in the room. His face doesn't reveal any particular feeling or emotion. A result of decades of experience in the field of international diplomacy.

 

[Crotobaltislavonia]

The Ambassador from Crotobaltislavonia was Rok Danijel Kozel, a younger man with a reputation as an iconoclast. At the moment he was in morning clothes. Across his body was a red sash bearing some insignias and military decorations that were altogether meaningless outside of the Motherland. As the monarch of Elben and the Prince of Justosia continued their discourse, Ambassador Kozel turned his head towards Ambassador Loganach and spoke so that his words carried to the other diplomats.

"You know what the Bergers call Elben? 'The Hillbilly Germans of the Continent.' His Majesty will meet with anyone who shows up at Court."

 

[Justosia]

Upon his last declaration of mastery, Julian shot the Elbener King a look. His phrasing was plainly Catholic. As he didn't call them God Yahweh & Christ Yeshua. The most holy names to address God & Saviour by in the Protestant National Justos Episcop Church. Of which his king was Supreme Arch Bishop/Holiness Temporal as well as head of state. His eyes implored "UNDERSTAND THE RISK I TAKE....". This was amplified by his clearly wanting to sign the cross, but visibly stopping himself.

"Your Majesty. My Sovereign Lord, His Royal Majesty King Carlos Francisco the Second of the Great Southern Kingdom of Justosia sends the following sentiments. He regrets the religious chasm between our states. He sincerely wishes it not deepen. Especially when there is so much in common between us. Rightist, Capitalist, Monarchist, and still part of greater Chrisendom ultimately.

He knows a genuine friendship can yet be found in Elben. He sees your nation as a beacon of northern hope. Still prominent. Still viable. Still worth being respected. Still worth our friendship."

HRH said this knowing the eyes upon him. He did hope they enjoyed those not so subtle swipes. A subtle warning not to interfere with his officiale state business here.

 

[Natal]

Niall leaned a bit towards Rok Daniel Kozel and nodded at his remarks. "Well, this really seems like a cheap show, to be honest, but the guest really seems oblivious and arrogant," he whispered to be sure that he is heard only by the Slavonian. Afterwards he commented towards his whole group to be sure that he Aurarian and Ostmarker hear him too, saying: "I really believed that Elben was following the social teachings of the Church set up by Rerum Novarum. The Pope did condemn back then both Capitalism and Marxism, I don't know where all of this comes from..."

 

[Elben]

As the translator translated these words, the king nodded at various points. In his peripheral vision, he could make out the courtiers present, the members of the diplomatic corps talking amongst themselves. His attention returned though to Julian as the translator finished.

"All these are fine sentiments. Religion let us put aside for now. As for the rest, Elben and its allies of the North, Gunnland and Geotri, seek to stand against the twin menaces of secularism and communism. Those who share these common goals can be our friend, provided they come in peace."

 

[Justosia]

"Your Majesty, my king comes in more than peace."

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Julian presented the king with the Justosian Royal Deber or Duty Medal. The highest civilian or foreign honour the Milenio Royal Palace can bestow. A lanyard of pure gold.