King Of My Heart (mpreg)

CH 26

I was back in Madrid for four days and I honestly kept forgetting about my engagement; whenever I saw Maria though, wearing the red veil, I was reminded again. We didn't spend that much time together since we weren't allowed to, we could only eat breakfast together with her family and my companions. When we returned from Valencia, was finally time to talk business; the real reason why I was in Iberia in the first place: to get military support for the reconquest of my nation. However the situation changed completely.

King Antonio announced his retirement the day after we met Maria so the crown was placed upon Juan's head and the days that followed were chaos as Juan reorganized the government. New Advisors were hired and old ones were fired, some people were sent home from Juan's court and others were invited; it was impossible to get a word with Juan as everybody of any notable ranking or birth within Iberia was trying to get his attention.

The one meeting I was able to get with him, he basically said that he wasn't able to offer any military support since he was afraid his elder brothers might leap at the the opportunity to start a civil war; he gave me a large amount of money, nearly doubling what I brought with me, but that was it. This entire trip to Iberia was a grand waste of time. If worse came to worse though, we had enough money to hire mercenaries now

My friends and I sat in my room as Culpepper shuffled through the small stack of papers he had with him; invitations and letters from the other royal courts of Europa. My companions bickered over where to go next; while all the courts and monarchs we've made contact with were sympathetic to my issues, they wanted something in return for their help. Their requests ranged from unlikely to outrageous to inconceivable; the King of Poland, for example, wanted the territory of Wales in exchange for his help, while the Queen of Saxony wanted half of the taxes I would receive for the next seventy five years for her aid.

The most outrageous was that the King of Burgundy wanted me to "secretly" impregnate his daughter, who was only fourteen, so she wouldn't have to marry but still be able to produce a child. While technically at fourteen she was old enough to marry and have relations with; most people, including me, wouldn't even consider touching a woman unless she was at least sixteen.

"There is one place we can go" Edward said after another round of circular arguments "We can go to Rome and ask the Church". "The Church?" I asked, Edward nodded "If you play the part of a good Christian then the Church will give you help in driving away the pagans from Britannia; I bet you the Church must be squirming knowing that pagans sit upon a Christian throne".

I looked at Culpepper, waiting for his rebuttal since he always had one, but instead he just sighed and said "We have very few choices and the Church will offer the most help and ask for the least in return". "We have a way in, Cardinal George is an Englishman selected to be a cardinal when your parents were still alive, Louis" Eleanor said.

"Unfortunately...I think...Mr Harry will have to stay here" Edward said, looking at him. "Why?" I asked. "Because you two aren't as subtle as you think and if the Church even suspects something going on between you and Mr Harry...it'll be disastrous" Edward said carefully. "Plus Princess Maria needs a chaperone from you since you two are not yet married" Culpepper said "It'll be highly distasteful of you to leave the Princess by herself". I looked at Harry "You should go" was all he said "I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes".

A few days later as I stood at the dock of the ship as the ship was readying itself for the voyage to Rome. We were departing from the Iberian city of Barcelona where Harry and Maria would stay and wait for us to return; Maria was back at the mayor's house where they would be staying, resting from the trip from Madrid. "Harry may I speak to you a moment" I said before I had to board the ship.

I led Harry into an alley that I saw before I pressed him against the wall and roughly kissed him "I'll be back as soon as I can" I said breathlessly after the kiss. "I meant what I said Louis, I'll wait for you, forever if I need too" Harry replied "This is the first time we've ever been apart, will you write to me?" I smiled "I'll write you every day, so often that you'll need a new ink well at the end of every week. I have to be going, I'll miss you Harry; you'll always be in my heart".

-

The voyage from Barcelona to Rome was uneventful and within a week we were docking at Rome's harbor; a man in red robes and a red cap surrounded by armored footmen was waiting for us. "Prince Louis, welcome to Rome!" he said "I am Cardinal George of Ipswich". "Your Grace" I said, slightly bowing my head. The hierarchy of the Church compared to the secular governments were confusing so I just decided to be respectful to everyone wearing bright red or white; bright red was the color of the cardinals and their staff while white was the color of the Pope himself and his staff. To wear bright red or white within Rome without being tied to a Cardinal or the Pope was a crime punishable by being burned at the stake; my companions and I wore dark, blood red, nearly burgundy red clothes to keep within the law.

The law was...complicated in Italia. On paper the Lombardy monarchs ruled Italia from their palace in Milan but in practice the Pope and the Church was the main governing body within the nation. According to the reports Eleanor and Harry have received, the Lombards were more concerned with throwing lavish parties and having fun than ruling a nation so they didn't care that the Church stole their nation from under them. The Church's rule of Italia was one of the reasons it was so powerful; because the Church controlled the nation, it also had armies.

"I've never seen armor like that before" I said to Eleanor as we were getting ready to disembark from the ship, looking at the heavily armored soldier that had the Holy Cross cut into his helmet and painted on his breast plate. "That is a Templar, from the Knights Templar; the military branch of the Church" Eleanor said, glancing at what I was looking at. "So are all warriors of the Church a Templar?" I asked. "No, the Church also has God's Legions, the actual army of the Church. The Knights Templar deal specifically with guarding important Church members, hunting heretics and guarding sacred sites; they also have the power to call an Inquisition".

"A what?" I asked "If the Church, or specifically the Knights Templar, believe that there is a large number of heretics or blasphemers with a kingdom or nation, they have the power to call an Inquisition which means that they can place any person on trial for being a heretic or blasphemer regardless of birth, rank or station. During an Inquisition all laws, both mortal and divine, are suspended and even monarchs can be placed on trial during an Inquisition". "They are the reason you and Mr Harry must be kept secret" Culpepper whispered softly in my ear. "Then let's not screw this up" I said.