Without Monica Angelis acting as a mediator between the Empire and the Church, Lyra's rise to become the Church's revered idol and Astrid's coronation as the Pope of Light, which granted her genuine authority over the papacy, would both have been considerably more difficult to achieve.
It was no exaggeration to say that it was this Saintess of Light before her, one who did not blindly worship doctrine and had retained her own thoughts amid the tide of religious fanaticism, who had ended the war between the two nations. She was the true cornerstone that had ushered in peace.
Through the thin fabric of the Pope's gown, Monica could feel the soft, graceful figure of the Empire's Jewel. A hint of the other woman's cool warmth seeped into her skin. Even the snow-white, ample softness beneath the Saintess's dress was compressed and deformed by the embrace, as though gently cradled by gauze, gleaming snow on the verge of spilling from a silver platter.
