Letters of an Emperor

[Shamino Warhen Ph.D]

The letter is dated 1230AD


Jerusalem. As beautiful as the Holy Book its self. Setting up camp outside of its Holy Walls, I await tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the fall of its walls, the destructions of the buildings that stop The One True Faith, and the deaths of the Islamic Heathens that keep it from us, The Holy Roman Empire.

I heard word that my Father died, hours after leading our Royal Armies into Sicily. Filthy peasant states that tried to take Venice from us, years before. Ten years of war- ten years of Catholic on Catholic war. Finally, crushed. In the letter I was told he was more than satisfied, and died peacefully in his sleep.

I am now the Holy Kaiser- Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. I feel no joy, and feel no different- I know I was raised for this moment... But so far away from Frankfurt, I have nothing to say until I return home.

For now, I polish my blade and pray with the Teutons.

***


There are drops of blood on the letter, with several ink drops in no pattern

Finished.

I am finished.

WE are finished.

Our work is over. The walls were nothing compared to our faith. Our knights climbed the walls, spilled blood of heathens, and opened the gate. I rode personally with the Teutons, and slaughtered the archers as they fled towards the center of the city. The sultan himself rode towards me, but unfortunately our legions of crossbowmen filled him with more arrows than he had pints of blood.

But it is ours. Tomorrow, I ride home.

The letter is listed a month after the previous.

I fear I am dying.

I am sixty years old, Otto the Chivalrous- Otto the Brave. Otto the Crusader. The Pope's personal advisor arrived in the Acre port yesterday and put upon my head the Crown of Thorns. I can feel the power of Christ flow through my aged veins- but I'm afraid he's telling me my time has come. I have been Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire for a month- and I will never again see it's shores.

My reaction times have dulled, my training is non existent. I believe it is my time to pass... In this letter, I give my will.

Charles von Hamburg will take the crown- the Thorns of Christ to be given back to the church. Charles will take the treasury, the palace in Frankfurt- and the legacy of our most Holy Empire.

The last letter I received from our cardinals told me that we no longer have Cardinal Preferadi. The Pope has so quickly forgotten my faith and my accomplishments here?

I must rest, I tire.


The letter is dated the next day, ends with the seal of the Emperor of Rome, with the ring attached.

I lay in a foreign land, on a foreign bed, surrounded by only my friends and most trusted men. Even in death they praise me and fight strong, however- we lost Jerusalem.

Rumors of an unstoppable army in the north are no longer rumors- these... Mongols sweeped down upon the Turkish heathens with ungodly might, and took Jerusalem in hours. We are out manned and out armed, hiding in Acre. We wait for our ships to arrive and save us... But I fear I will die here.

I only wished to die in my bed, with my wife by my side, and our cardinals preaching passages as I pass.

As I die- I can only preach the loyalty and Fervor of the Teutonic Knights, I pray and hope Charles uses their might as well as I did.

I also leave him with a single request- France has been gnawing at our borders for two decades.

Destroy them. Kill the Francs- kill them all.

Anyone that doesn't respect The Holy Roman Empire is not Catholic, and anyone not with the One True Faith can be judged by God in the afterlife.

Slay them all, brother. Slay them for The Empire.

The ring still contains wax on the edges, and a bloody thumb print. With it is the official report of passing of Otto The Chivalrous.

[Shamino Warhen Ph.D]

Written in the hand of Emperor Charles Von Hamburg.


My father, Henry the Scarred passed in Sicily. My brother, Otto, has died in Acre after losing the Holy Land.

And now I am already tired.


The crowning ceremony was quick and uneventful. I am crowned during a time of war. The Byzantine Empire in the east, the French in the west... And I must carry out the dying words of my brother. I must destroy the French.

I do not like to spill the blood of fellow Catholics, but when they trespass on our holy land there is only one way to comply, and that is with arrows and axes.

Paris burns, Dijon burns. Eastern France is now Holy, and Roman. It is only a matter of time before I find every single member of their royal family and execute them- their bodies purified by holy flame.

Holy flame.

The seal is stamped forcefully.

[Leon Loire]

I must admit, the title caught my eye.

I found the short story piece extremely interesting Shamino. It's been a while since I've seen a real work of fictional history, and this one is already proving to be rather strong. Most people don't know much about the Holy Roman Empire, and this plot seems to contain many good plot arcs - a war with France, skirmishes with the Turkish Empire, an invasion by the Mongolians, a fight for the Holy Land, and of course, internal religious politics. All of this could make for a very dramatic story.

The problem I find, however, is that the short story doesn't do enough to help the reader understand what they're reading. Sometimes having them not truly comprehend the introduction is good, as it keeps them focused on trying to understand by reading more. But this is based on history - at least, I think it is; the way you're going with the plot, this could even be alternate history. The lack of description makes one feel as if they need to research the time period in order to understand. That may be your intention, or it may not be. But it certainly leaves one desiring more.

In any case, I felt it was a unique way to begin an introduction by using a sequence of letters. I just wish there had been more to read.

[Shamino Warhen Ph.D]

Its alternate history based on the memoirs and happenings of the Holy Roman Empire in my game of Medieval II: Total War

[Ari Karamzov]

So it's basically Medieval II fanfiction? Still though, seems to be a pretty neat idea so far.

[Shamino Warhen Ph.D]

ari said:

So it's basically Medieval II fanfiction? Still though, seems to be a pretty neat idea so far.

I understand why there's so much hate for you, now.

[Ari Karamzov]

I was complimenting you, saying that the concept so far was interesting. My wording may not have been so great, but I do not believe there is cause to be rude. On that note, however, I apologize if I came across as rude.