L'Eglise Aristotelicienne Romaine The Roman and Aristotelic Church

[Enea_]

Enea abbracciò il padre e commosso per le parole disse: "Padre mio, vi rendo grazie per tali parole, venga attuato il disegno di nostro Signore" e usci' dopo essersi inginocchiato e baciato l'anello cardinalizio.
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Enea Alessandro de' Montemayor Borgia
Signore di Fresonara
Vescovo In Partibus di Augusta
Nunzio Apostolico di Genova

[mirceadino]

[ A few days later... ]

In a quite afternoon, a man in red robe arrived in front of the Villa de Montemayor. He wasn't alone, but accompanied by his loyal acolyte Izaak, both of them riding two gray Arabian horses. Mircea, the one in red, descended from his stallion and asked the guardian to let him inside:

Sono cardinale von Hohenzollern.. Sua Eminenza mi aspetta, he said, remembering some basic Italian he had learnt since he came at Rome the first times.

[Alessandro III giarru]

The watchman saw the cardinal and hear his words open 'now the great gate of Villa Montemayor, called a groom who would take care of the horse of the cardinal and he said:" Eminenza, si occuperà lo stalliere del vostro destriero, sarà custodito con molta cura nelle stalle della tenuta. Nel frattempo che vado a chiamarvi il Cardinale nel suo studio potete godervi la natura del posto e fare anche una visita a questo splendido giardino se è di vostro interesse. Tornerò far pochi minuti Eminenza, Vostro servo"



So 'the guardian went inside the building to warn the Cardinal Alessandro guest's arrival.
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Father of the Church

[mirceadino]

Mircea nodded to the guardian, as he didn't understand too much of what he had said. It couldn't have been bad, could it? At least he knew now that the Cardinal of Montemayor will come soon. While Izaak was already admiring the wonderful flowers and exotic trees from the garden, the English cardinal preferred to look at the statues.

Erm.. molte grazie! said he, before the guardian got to go in the Villa.

[Alessandro III giarru]

Alexander was just notified immediately went out of the villa for Mircea, had not seen him for a long time and now that he had become Cardinal, strongly supported by Alessandro, everything seemed so 'surreal after years of working together in congregation:

"Welcome to our holding brother! Do you have a good trip?"

Alexander smiled and hugged his friend
_________________

Father of the Church

[mirceadino]

Mircea sighted the Roman cardinal leaving his villa and approaching him. Since their last time they met, it seemed that the Chancellor has got fatter and some gray hair! Despite of that, he felt young and active as always, in the eyes of the English cardinal. He smiled, accepting the hug from his old superior and friend.

Greetings and thank you! he said enthusiastic. Mircea nodded to the question and added: I must say that it has been an interesting trip rather than good.

Talking wasn't the strongest point of Mircea while sober. He would rather prefer to get inside and share some thoughts with Alessandro at a cup of wine, maybe two. He wasn't hurrying anywhere, it was a great pleasure to visit him.

[Alessandro III giarru]

The cardinal made himself the friend and escort him into the villa.
Proudly showing paintings of his noble family of Hispanic origin, starting with the portrait of their grandfather Alessandro de 'Montemayor who was bishop of the city of Oviedo, move to that of his father Alexander II de' Montemayor and his mother Lodovica Borgia, continuing with its noble brothers, time ago Doges of Genoa ...

Cardinal finally ushered into the reception room where he had been concocted a banquet with the firstfruits of the Genoese Viscounty of Arcola.
They were both served by the easement with wine and fruit, so 'Alessandro beginnings':" Brother, I hope you like our Roman home, please help yourself of our products come directly from the Viscount of Arcola! Hope you like these our products manufactured with love by farmers Genoese. son But tell me, tell me a bit 'of you, what you said in your lands? "
_________________

Father of the Church

[mirceadino]

The paintings seemed to be made by a really talented hand. They didn't look to old, perhaps because the servants of the Villa took much care of pieces of art. The older cardinal was talking about his roots and the various members of his family who were depicted on the walls. Dukes, counts, bishops, it seemed to be a really large family! Mircea, on the other hand, didn't do more than nodding and pretending to be interested, casting a smile occasionally.

At the end of the tour inside the Villa, the two reached the reception room. a servant was holding a tray with fine and exotic fruits, with wonderful colours and shapes. Even if the cups with wine were just next to him, Mircea was more curious to get a certain good where he hadn't seen anywhere. Ignoring the question of Alessandro, Mircea said surprised and astonished:

Eminenza, what is this orange and round thing?

Initially pointing to the fruit, he grabbed it and felt the glossy and smooth peel, but uneven as well. He was looking at that like he was holding a piece of gold or the bone of Aristotle.

Mircea took a bite of it, pulling a piece of the peel with the teeth and chewing it. He crooked and asked:

How do you eat it? It tastes horrible!

[Alessandro III giarru]

Alexander surveyed the scene and broke into a hearty laugh!

"My dear, this fruit is a citrus fruit, made out of hard and bitter peel and inside made of sweet pulp. These "arance" are grown in the mild climate of Arcola, although it would not be their natural environment to mature at best. Observe me and I will make you a true taste of this fruit "

So 'the cardinal took a knife and made a small incision on the "arancia", then from that opening peeled the fruit and open' dividing it into wedges.
He rinsed his hands by pouring some water and servants' a clove with Cardinal and said:

"That brother, try this now firstfruits"
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Father of the Church

[mirceadino]

Mircea looked down, slightly embarrassed that he made the mistake to bite the fruit before knowing how it must be eaten. No doubt that he looked silly and dumb in front of the senior cardinal, who seemed to have enjoyed the scene! Even the servants were helping from laughing. The guest smiled and joined the master of the villa with some chuckles.

Closely, Mircea watched how the cardinal "undressed" the "arancia" and offered him a piece. He was amazed how the fruit had already been divided and cut inside in wedges before Alessandro finished to peel it.

He bit it and felt its sweet taste. He couldn't help himself to eat some other wedges, satisfied. Mircea considered to ask for more of the orange fruit before leaving. He should not forget! He remarked to the cardinal:

It really is good! Grazie.

He then tried an apple, at least that was already familiar to him, waiting for Alessandro to say something and open some topics.

[Alessandro III giarru]

"Dearest brother, tell me a bit 'of you, since you went to England, tell me a bit' of your people, your church, your projects ... I listen you with pleasure!"

Alexander just fine 'to speak made clear the table at the servats, and ordered to bring playing cards, one of his favorite pastimes ...
_________________

Father of the Church

[mirceadino]

Mircea took a deep breath and answered:

Eminenza, I don't have special news. I mostly focus this time on the Church in England and the Brotherhood of Exorcists. I've been recently appointed the vice-archexorcist by Monseigneur De-la-Roche. I'm sure that you've acknowledged that until now! Exorcists need activity, refreshment, something to live for... I'll focus on that.

He sighed, looking to the door to see if the servant with the cards was coming. Moreover, it was warm and very sunny, the Mediterranean weather is different by far from the weather with which he got used in England - cool and cloudy, usually rainy, occasionally serene. The both cardinals headed to the round table and took the seats.

The Church in England is a delicate issue, Eminenza. I'm thinking day and night with the other remained Roman clergy to find solutions regarding the situation. It is difficult, but...

He made a pause as the cards had arrived. The servant was standing up next to them, dealing. Will he stay there all the discussion or will he leave? The cardinals were sharing personal thoughts and plans on important stuff, perhaps Alessandro trusted the man, but Mircea preferred not to.

Mircea gave to the servant a dirty look and took the cards from his hands. They could deal them as well. Hoping that the man understood the reaction of the guest of the Villa, he... excellent, he left the room and the cardinals alone! With the cards already prepared for the first game, the scopa could begin. So they played and kept talking:

How is the Congregation going? Are there free places? Prefects, offices... vice-chancellor? added Mircea, with a wide sprightly smile, watching two of his cards already being captured. Mircea blamed that for his lack of experience in this game...

[Alessandro III giarru]

The Cardinal smiled and then began to speak:
"Well, Eminence, our prefects work hard for the congregation and their prefectures, after years of working as vice-chancellor before and now as Chancellor I reached the desired results, ie, a congregation able to satisfy every need of the faithful and the church itself, I am very satisfied with this" Then soon after, still following with his eyes the game said," Broom! " and burst into laughter.
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Father of the Church

[mirceadino]

Then I'm happy that you're happy with that! exclaimed Mircea, who had had many charges in the Congregation. He firstly was prefect of Villa San Loyats, succeeding Blessed Wilgeforte whose contribution to that office had been remarkable. As an active exorcist at that moment, he became archexorcist, being at that time a colleague and an equal to Monseigneur Giarru. The Italian man got the cardinal dignity and became a superior of Mircea in the hierarchy of the Congregation. For a while, the Wallachian also was co-prefect of the the Office of chapels. See? Many charges and a lot of experience. Mircea would have wanted even more! While many were springing up, in important positions, like mushrooms after the rain, the younger cardinal preferred a safer and more fair way, stepping slowly.

The game was in full swing. The two were playing enthusiastically, drawing cards, posing them on the table, capturing other. Things were moving faster, as Mircea got used with the game and even won a few hands. He admired the deck, comparing it in his mind with the Hungarian design. He even told the senior cardinal about his thoughts:

These cards are interesting; in my youth, in Wallachia, we had played with playing cards imported from Hungary or the German lands. Such a deck had 36 cards. How many has the Italian deck? 42? 38?

Anyway, not the number of the cards in a pack was fascinating. He added:

Suits are different as well. I've played with hearts, bells, leaves and acorns. Here I can see coins, swords, cups and batons, I guess! These shapes are weird.

[mirceadino]

Maybe the Venetian cardinal didn't feel like talking, maybe he had fell in deep thoughts or maybe he was just too focused on the game. Mircea could remark the skills and luck of Alessandro with the cards. After all, discussions about silly things were serving at nothing.

It was the end of the month of April, so the May atmosphere was about the burst very soon. In the Wallachian and Transylvanian lands, the spring reached the maximum of splendor and gorgeousness in May, also called there "the month of flowers". The season seemed to have come earlier in Rome and the Italian lands, where the nature was already magnificent.

The English cardinal lost his last cards in the game, exclaiming at the end:

Oh me! I should have practised more before playing with you!

He left his hand of remaining cards on the table, and stood up. He began to spin around and walk in the room, approaching the pictures and wondering more about the history of the people from there. But perhaps Alessandro was finally ready to say something...