Although Anthony disliked Lina, he understood that he could not afford to let the future empress establish connections with the leaders of the other two factions. If either faction gained Lina's support, it could complicate his plans and threaten the position he had worked so hard to secure. Consequently, he had withheld all her letters, using Pope John III's serious illness as an excuse for delaying the coronation ceremony. As long as the Pope remained too ill to perform the necessary rites, the Church could claim that the delay was unavoidable. Anthony appeared determined to keep things this way until he officially ascended the papal throne, although whether he would then find other ways to make life difficult for Lina remained uncertain.
"How are we supposed to resolve this?"
