Letter 15: I address you in my own name, as the mother of King Childebert and as the guardian of his kingdom during the years...

To the most pious and mighty Emperor Maurice, from Brunhild, queen of the Franks, greetings in Christ, I address you in my own name, as the mother of King Childebert and as the guardian of his kingdom during the years when his age requires that those around him bear the weight of governance. I am aware that some may find it unusual for a queen to conduct diplomacy directly; I ask you to judge me by what I say rather than by the conventions that do not always apply in exceptional circumstances. The situation in Austrasia requires steady leadership and steady alliances. The threats that face this kingdom — from without, where the Lombards press on our Italian interests, and from within, where the rivalries among the Frankish nobility require constant management — are ones that I have been navigating since my husband Sigibert's murder. I have learned what is required. What I ask of the Emperor is the recognition and support that a loyal ally deserves, and in particular the cooperation in the Italian theater that the letters you have exchanged with my son have been developing. I commend those negotiations to your continued attention and add to them a personal request: that the Emperor's court treat the representatives I send as worthy of the same reception as those sent by any Christian king. I pray for the Emperor's health and for the welfare of the Roman state. Brunhild, queen