Dearest Cousin,
I pray that this letter finds you well. I have now been in Stragosa for nearly a year and a half, and I must admit that though I am getting settled there are still things which constantly surprise me. I have been made a District Magistrate, which is an exciting new responsibility, and have been responsible for hosting a number of important city events, so it seems that uses for my skills do exist here. Stragosa is a place unlike any other that I have ever experienced, or even heard of. There is great potential here, great possibilities for the combined skills and strengthens of mankind’s nations to create something unique, something that truly befits the Throne of God on Earth. But there is also much to do to make that possible, for, while Stragosa may hold a diversity of people and possibilities, it also holds a mind-boggling array of difficulties. There seems to be a dearth of peasants willing to work the land, likely in part due to the sheer number of malefic in and around the city, not to mention the mass of Kuarlites that remain in the valley. There are efforts to mount a great campaign to eliminate the heretics, but as every Rogalian knows, armies do not march on empty stomachs-and of course, much of the potential farmland in the valley goes unworked for a lack of knowledgeable farmers. And so it goes. It seems that, like a tangled ball of yarn, pulling one string to free it only tightens other knots. I can only pray that being here in my youth shall make me a stronger ruler in my own right someday-at the very least, I suppose, I will have experience facing some rather challenging issues.
It’s not as though things are terrible here, though. I have made friends among the representatives of a handful of Rogalian houses, and am working to form alliances, or at least individual friendships, with members of houses from elsewhere in the Throne. Naturally, much of the rulership here is Gothic. I sometimes wonder if they don’t quite know what to make of me-it seems that even in my most serious and somber moments I am far more emotive than they. At the very least, I feel I am developing a good working relationship with them, and am hopefully proving my worth through my efforts. Alas, the one thing this valley seems to lack is men of high birth looking for a marriage match, so I suppose I shall continue waiting for father to find the correct match for me. I will confess to a bit of jealousy watching the various little romances and courtships blossom around me, but perhaps that simply isn’t within what God has planned for me.
Pray for me, cousin, that I may find wisdom to make good and godly decisions in this endlessly complicated place, and pray for the whole of the Stragosa valley, that we may weather the upcoming challenges of the winter. As always, you are in my prayers.
May God watch over us all,
Alexandra
