The day that followed the Unilateral Declaration of Independence was characterised by military parades and celebration all over the territories of the new Roman Empire. This Empire, while did not yet included Rome, had already under its control Northern France, most of Central and Eastern Europe, the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, the Anatolian Peninsula, the Caucasus, Russia and parts of Central Asia, only stopping in the Russian Far East, where the Dominion of Euro Britannia, with its headquarters in Vladivostok, was still trying a last, desperate resistance.
Despite the formal recognition of the independence of the United States of Japan by Britannia and the withdrawal of all the Britannian forces from Japan, Euro Britannia had immediately proceeded with the occupation of the Sakhalin Islands that, should it have fallen under Japanese and by extension UFN control would have permanently cut off Vladivostok from receiving supplies from the homeland.
In the meantime in Japan, while Britannia was retreating from its former colony, Prince Schneizel el Britannia, Britannian Prime Minister, was launching the seeds for a cooperation between the Empire and the Federation. These seeds were the revelation to the leadership of the Black Knights that Zero was actually Lelouch vi Britannia, a Britannian Prince, thing that brought them to betray him and attempt to capture him, from which he only escaped thanks to Rolo, who sacrificed his life to save him. With Lelouch apparently liquidated, the two imperial nations, Britannia and the UFN, could however turn their eyes on their new common enemy: the Holy Roman Empire.
23rd of June, 2018, 09:00 a.m.
Vladivostok Fortress, Vladivostok, Euro Britannia
While the Unilateral Declaration of Independence was made the previous night, minor hostilities between loyalist forces and rebels had ceased only that morning. The last Euro Britannian troops had retreated in the Russian Far East, more specifically in Transamur, Amur, Kamchatka and Yakutia, where they would have waited for reinforcement to retake the lands lost to the rebellion.
In the Vladivostok Fortress, the Viceroy Velaines, Princess Marrybell mel Britannia, Lords Attlee and Nimitz and Lord Maurice Ragland, Imperial High-Inspector for the Euro Britannian Far East, were assessing their situation, deciding what to do.
Lord Attlee was the first to relate about the catastrophic state of the ground forces.
"The Order of Saint Raphael, with its Grand Master has defected, 90% of the Order of St. Michael have also defected, afte the Supreme Council declared that I had no authority over it. As far as the Euro Britannian Defence Force is concerned, between 75 and 80% has also defected, joining the rebels, all this makes the force under my command being of few tens of thousands of men, having lost most of the bases, including important arsenals, in other words, we are barely able to defend what is left."
It was then Princess Marrybel to take the word.
"My situation is not much better. To begin, the Glinda Knights have defected, against all expectatives, they have not only surrendered, but also joined the Roman side, as the images have showed, with Lady Zevon and Lord Galahad at the Winter Palace. The Gordon Highlanders, who fought north of Saint Petersburg were destroyed by the German Army, having still 10% of the force. The Coldstream, the Black Watch and the Gurkhas instead were successfully evacuated, which was already a success. These forces should help in defending our new positions, but even with that it will be hard to recover the lands lost."
"There is still my Territorial Defence Force." Observed Lord Ragland. "There are around 50,000 men there, but it functions as territorial militia and would hardly be successful in an offensive campaign against the rebels."
"What about the Navy?" Asked Velaines to Admiral Nimitz.
"The Pacific Fleet is in full force and can still count on the support of the 7th Britannian Fleet. However the Baltic Fleet was decimated by the Germans and what was left of it was captured by them, only the cruisers Venus, Carolus Imperator and Europa have managed to escape and are now heading to Greenland. In the Black Sea, instead, the Black Sea Fleet, commanded by Admiral Jacopo Contarini announced its defection and joined the rebels. This gives to them the control over five aircraft carriers, if we count that of the German Navy and a naval force powerful enough to secure under their control the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Northern Sea."
"So at least we can count on a still operational navy, if you all agree, I would now contact Prince Schneizel to know what we might receive from Pendragon."
As nobody objected, Schneizel el Britannia, who was still in Japan, was contacted by them and received the updates on their situation.
"With the forces that you have right now." Started Schneizel after receiving the updates. "You should try to protect your coasts and the area until the South China Sea. If you intend to purge officers, which would be advisable, given the circumstances, I might send you new ones from the reserves. On land instead, I need you to hold on your positions for now, but I will be sending a new army group and possibly two Knights of Round. For the time, I also want my sister to take full control of Euro Britannia."
"If I may" Asked Velaines. "His Majesty the Emperor is already aware of these your decisions?"
"His Majesty the Emperor, Lord Velaines, has disappeared yesterday night and nobody knows about where he might be, neither he had left any orders."
23rd of June, 2018, 16:00h
Peterhof Palace, Peterhof, Holy Roman Empire
Giulio was exhausted. Despite having went to sleep right after the Proclamation of Independence the previous night, he had to be up early on the following day, since he had to start organising the new State and attend some official ceremonies, especially the military parade that took place in Saint Petersburg. The other, more important task, was to reorganise the Imperial Government, where to merits and competence he had also to combine the need to compromise with powerful vassals, thing that brought him to place Grand Duke Alexei Romanov as Chancellor and the more trusted Prince Metternich as Minister of Foreign Affairs; his uncle Andrea Farnese was instead appointed Minister of War, the Archduke of Austria instead, received the Ministry of the Economy, Jean-Pierre Clément received the Ministry of Industries while the King of Prussia received the position of Chief-of-Staff of the Joint Imperial Command, other less important positions were distributed among less important Vassals.
During the afternoon, after the end of all the main official ceremonies, Giulio had retreated to the Peterhof Palace, an immense Imperial Residence built by the Romanov in the first half of the 18th Century. There he had to meet with the Exponents of the House of Habsburg and also with Lady Cecilia Colloredo-Mansfeld, whom he had put in charge of organising the grand ball of that evening. Yet first, he went to meet with the Habsburg.
He met them in a sitting room of the palace. For the meeting, other than his minister Archduke Ferdinand von Habsburg, he called his cousins, Archduke Maximilian and Archduke Johann and his younger brother Archduke Franz. The issue to be addressed was the distribution of the former Austrian Empire between them.
"Welcome, Milords, please take your seats. As you know, I have called you here, today, to discuss how to distribute the lands that belonged to your family, since I cannot allow a unitary monarchy in the region. So I would like first to hear from you what would be your proposals or wishes."
"As far as I am concerned." Started Ferdinand. "Having to divide the lands I would like to retain Austria and Lombardy-Venetia and then to acquire the Kingdom of Hungary."
"This would be unfair!" Protested his younger brother, who was younger than Giulio and particularly bold. "In this way you would have way more power than most of vassals in Europe. If I may, I think that the Kingdom of Hungary should be assigned to me."
"You have a point. I will assign the Kingdom of Bohemia and Moravia and the Duchy of Milan to Lord Ferdinand and the Kingdom of Hungary to you. However, I will separate from it the Kingdom of Croatia and the Kingdom of Dalmatia. The latter, will actually not even be restored, as I plan to merge it with Veneto in the new Republic of Venice."
Ferdinand, who was under the effect of Giulio's Geass as far as political decisions were involved, did not disagreed from him, Franz instead, seemed less happy at the idea of losing Croatia and Dalmatia, but there was little he could do about it.
"So, I assume that either me or Johann will get Croatia, and the other?" Asked Maximilian.
"I plan to assign to one of you the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria." Replied Giulio.
"Sounds reasonable but, how do we decide who gets what?" Asked Johann.
"Do you have a coin?" Asked back Giulio.
"Yes..." Johann was confused.
"Do that way, For having a small access to the sea, Croatia might have some more potential, but Galicia and Lodomeria could also be developed into a prosperous realm, but I don't want to be blamed if any of you messes up."
The average young age of all the participants contributed in making that meeting less formal than what one could expect.
"We decided." Announced Maximilian. "I will get Croatia, my cousin will get Galicia and Lodomeria."
"Very well, I will write down the titles still today, so that we can register them and in the next days do the ceremony to invest you and the others of their fiefs. I am glad we have resolved it in a civilised manner, because I've seen some families having some absurd disputes over land."
"Thank you, sir." Said Archduke Franz.
"Just to make sure, the party here at the palace starts at eight?" Asked Johann.
"Yes, I hope to see you all there."
The exponents of the House of Habsburg left after shaking Giulio's hand. One issue resolved!
Finishing the negotiation, Giulio went to the garden, where he reached Cecilia Colloredo-Mansfeld.
The girl, who was placed in charge of organising that evening's party, was now taking a break, resting in a gazebo.
"Hi Giulio! Come seat heare!" She said as soon as she saw him coming. He smiled and reaching the gazebo sat next to her.
"Lemonade?" She asked.
"Yes, please."
"You look tired, is everything fine?"
She was very cheerful and always well humoured, thing also due to her life consisting mostly on parties and other mundanities, while she would leave all the serious concerns to her father and her older brothers.
"Yes, yes, I'm just a bit tired, first the war and that ceremony yesterday, all the things today, you now..."
"Oh yes, I can imagine..."
"Where have you been in these days?"
"Well, I first wanted to get back to New York because there was a 1920s party on the top of the Chrysler Building, it was my friend Jennifer Chrysler who was organising it but when I reached the airport, they told me that all the flights for New York or anywhere in Britannia were cancelled, then later on my dad even told me that my Britannian citizenship has been cancelled and that I cannot get back anymore."
"Uh yes... They did it with everyone that is here, nothing personal I guess."
"That's terrible! Anyway, after that I joined the Princes Lippe in their castle, so at least I wouldn't get bored in Munich until my brothers and my dad would be here. Then you guys went all to war and after that I came here."
"I see, so your father and your brothers are here?"
"Yes, all of them, my brothers were even fighting in the past days, but they should be coming today."
"That will be very nice."
"Sure. Ah, I have been organising here during the whole day. It wasn't very easy to get most of the things I wanted. For instance it was great that you guys managed to conquer the accesses to the Black Sea, because in this way it was easier to get the caviar, but let me say that to get the Spanish and French wine, especially the Bourgogne, it was a pain and I had to rely on the black market. Also it wasn't easy to get the orchestra to come, they complained that they weren't told early and all this staff, but I asked you cousin, Amedeo, go get there with some of the guys of the Order and they changed their mind."
"Wait, you did what?"
"Oh, never mind, I have also noticed that Amedeo and Ayano are, well, close."
"Yes, I figured this out."
"But I thought that you were..."
"Oh no, no, she is my friend but not anything else."
"I see... I was told that you have many lovers..."
"Who told you that?"
"A bird..."
"No, listen, I don't know what they are telling around..." Giulio was getting embarrassed.
"They say that
Ce diable à quatre
A bien un triple talent
De boire et de baittre
Et d'etre un vers galant"
"That's enough Cecilia."
She started laughing.
"Sorry, don't get mad at me. Do you forgive me?"
She looked at Giulio as if she was really asking for forgiveness, in her constant, although not malicious mockery. Giulio laughed.
"Okay, okay, I wasn't mad. just..."
"I know, I'm just being silly, I hope I wasn't annoying."
"Oh no, don't worry about that."
"Have you already decided what to wear this evening?" She then asked, changing completely of argument.
"Not yet, you?"
"Still undecided, you could help me choosing, so then I can help you."
"Yes, sounds like a good idea." Agreed Giulio, standing up. The two then started going towards the Palace.
Peterhof Palace, around 20:40
Giulio arrived at the party after its official beginning, when most of the guest were already there. This was because as the Regent, he needed to be announced and properly saluted.
Before him, the Master of Ceremony entered the hall where the banquet would have taken place. Everybody stood up.
"Lords and Ladies of the Realm, the Right Honourable Regent of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke Giulio Galahad-Canossa von Poltava."
Giulio entered with Lady Cecilia Colloredo-Mansfeld, who was holding his arm. He was wearing an Austrian-styled uniform with a double-brest white tunic and red trousers. On the uniform he wore the Legion d'Honneur, that he gained with the EU and the collar of Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Saint Michael Archangel, that he had now tem taken under his direct command. In respect to the revocation released by Charles, he decided not to use any of the Orders belonging to the Empire of Britannia. Cecilia instead was wearing a light blue dress that followed Edwardian patterns. Their entrance was accompanied by the execution of Haydn's Kaiserhymne.
Reaching his table, Giulio welcomed all the nobles and after the usual formalities, invited everyone to seat. With him at his table were the Princes Colloredo-Mansfeld, Admiral Borghese, who was now First Lord of the Admiralty (institution inherited from Britannia), Lady Oldrin Zevon, General and Commander of the Glinda Knights, Grand Duke Alexei of Muscovy, Imperial Chancellor, with his fiancée, Princess Elisabeth von Waldek und Pyrmont, Countess Ayano Kosaka, who had now received the County of Crimea from Giulio as personal fief, Duke Andrea Farnese, recognised Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Prince Amedeo Farnese, Lady Catherine Neville of Westmorland, wife of Prince Metternich and their children: Prince Werner and Princess Sophie.
As the dinners was served, the guests had their conversation mostly on informal and irrelevant arguments, this was a habit among the nobility, that regarded as rude and inconvenient to discuss about political or official matters during parties and similar events, only after having spent more time on such matters, a brief political discussion could be introduced. It was Oldrin to do so, ending a discussion that Giulio and the Grand Duke Alexei were having about foxhunting.
"I apologise to draw our attention on more political matters, but have you heard the voice about Charles having disappeared?" Asked Oldrin.
"Of course I did, but please, tell us more."Answered Giulio.
"Well, there is this voice, he seem to have disappeared, nobody knows where but he did it during the battle in Tokyo."
"If he is actually disappeared and they will need to crown a new Emperor, this would be Odysseus, right?" Asked Ayano.
"In theory yes, Milady." Answered Metternich. "He is the Prince of Wales, so he should be the heir. Let's not forget, however, that his brother, Prince Schneizel, Duke of Kent, could try to overthrow him or just convince him to renounce."
"Which would be to our disadvantage." Said Giulio. "Since Schneizel would enact a far more aggressive policy towards us, than Odysseus."
"I thought you guys were friends." Intervened Oldrin.
"Friends, not allies, and knowing him, he wouldn't hesitate in eliminating me, under the current circumstances."
"There was another thing I was wondering about, not related with international politics, though." Said Alexei.
"Please, I am listening." Answered Giulio.
"You banished the Britannian Church from the Empire."
"Yes."
"So what will you do now, how do you plan to replace it?"
"Well." Started Giulio. "I intend to destroy all the spiritual bases of the anti-tradition, the Britannian Church, corrupted as it is, was one of them, the other is the Cult of the Supreme Being, that shall be abolished in the upcoming days. I will then give to the Orthodox Church full powers in the East, centralising it under the Patriarch of Constantinople and making you its protector, while restore the Latin Church for the West. These shall be our external forms of religiosity, for the people, while the aristocracy will follow the Ancient Traditions, those previous to the ascension of Christianity."
"That's an interesting project, Milord, but then what will we make of those Pagan rituals that have been already diffused, like in Germany?"
"A civic religion. The people will still attent some pagan rituals that will be integrated in a form of external and civic religious of devotion to the Empire of Rome."
"Sounds like an exciting project." Observed Ayano.
"Yes, but it will only be ready after the liberation of Rome, which hopefully will come soon."
Cecilia yawned.
"Guys, just a question, when will the dances begin?"
Giulio looked at his pocket clock.
"Still a half-an-hour and we will open the dances."
"Amazing! What will they play?"
"To open I think the Kaiserwalzer, by Johann Strauss."
"Very Austrian tastes." Observed Metternich.
As the Regent promised, a half-an-hour later he and Cecilia Colloredo-Mansfeld, were opening the dances with the Kaiserwalzer, under the astonished eyes of the new Roman nobility and of those few reporters and cameramen allowed inside to record one of the most impressive parties that the Peterhof Palace had ever known since the fall of the Russian Monarchy more than a century before. In the image of those two nobles dancing, one could easily see the message that the Ancien Régime was back, and it was back in all its beauty, splendour and grandness, but also with all its excesses and frivolities.
It was already near the dawn. The party had been going on throughout the whole night and now Giulio was lying on a deckchair in a terrace, next to him was Oldin Zevon, who was resting her head on Giulio's shoulder. Inside, in the hall, Lady Cecilia was now chatting with some nobles of the court, Ayano had fallen asleep on an armchair, Metternich had left long ago, Borghese was staying in another room with some other military officers, smoking and chatting, even the orchestra was seeming more and more exhausted.
"Nice party." Said Oldrin, who was also getting sleepy.
"Yes, it wasn't bad."
"And I love the sky, look at the stars."
"They are beautiful, yes... but nothing tonight could be more enchanting than you." Said Giulio kissing her.
"Not even Lady Cecilia, right?" Asked Oldrin, now with some jealousy.
"I just did a courtesy to her, Oldrin..."
"The courtesy of making her your lover."
"No! I've just met her."
"I know you well enough, Giulio, please, don't try to play with me." Oldrin now removed her head from Giulio's shoulder and was looking at him with some irritation.
"Okay, fine, we had... you got it."
"Yes."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine, I know you are... that way. I'm just not the kind of person that can stand this."
"I know, I shouldn't have pushed for anything."
"And I couldn't do this with Anya Alstreim."
"What? No, stop it, for God's sake."
Oldring sighed.
"Eh Giulio, at some point you should make up your mind about it. I think you guys would get along well... It would also be easier for you to keep your libertine lifestyle, once that she has no memory."
Oldrin concluded with bitterness in her voice, raised and went inside.
Amedeo went to the terrace. He was holdin a cigar in his mouth and singing:
"Que reste-t-il de nos amours
Que reste-t-il de ces beaux jour
Une photo, vieille photo
De ma jeunesse..."
"Cease your mockery, Amedeo." Ordered Giulio. Amedeo started laughing.
"Andiamo, Casanova, get a cigar, he said throwing one at his cousin." Giulio lighted it.
"You know, I think it's a miracle that you can still get lovers after you got such a messed up face, a Picasso is close to make more sense." Joked again Amedeo.
"Vais te faire foutre!" Answered Giulio. He remained serious for few seconds, then both started laughing and asked a servant to bring them Cognac.
"And how is your thing with Ayano going?" Asked Giulio.
"Well, it's going well, even because I don't aim at getting a girlfriend and ten lovers."
"I just like to vary, you know." Replied Giulio.
Their silly conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the butler.
"Milords, there is a gentleman from the United Federation of Nations in the ball hall, he is waiting for you."
Giulio raised annoyed.
"What the Hell? I haven't invited anyone from there..."
Inside the hall, the orchestra had stopped playing and all the guests were looking at that figure staying in the middle of the room. This was a Japanese officers of the Black Knights. He still had on him the pilot uniform and his boots were dirty. As Giulio arrived, the man greeted him by doing a reverence.
"Greetings, Honourable Regent, I am Colonel Miasaky Ishiro, of the Order Black Knights and I am here on behalf of the Excellent Chairwoman Kaguya Sumeragi, of the United Federation of Nations."
"Welcome, Colonel Miasaky. Servants, please, bring this gentleman some wine. Now, to what do we owe this unexpected visit."
The servants brought to the Japanese some Bourgogne, that he accepted, he spoke after tasting it.
"Over the past days, you have been occupying member-States of the Federation and attacking our Army. This prevents our countries from establishing friendly relations."
"It was a pre-emptive action, as you were manoevering near the border."
"We regard it otherwise, Sir. Nonetheless, my President had sent me here for another reason: she offers to recognise the Roman Empire as sovereign and independent State and to make a Non-Aggression Pact with you, if you return all the States that you have invaded."
"And if we refuse?"
"If you refure, Sir, then we will make a coalition with Britannia and fall on you with forces that are far superior to yours, giving you and your monarchy no chances of survival."
"Colonel Miasaky, what is the name of this Empire?"
"Roman Empire, sir."
"And what does this presupposes?"
"Rome, I assume."
"You got it, Miasaky. This is the Empire of Rome and Rome shall reach, liberate and make its capital, one day, we want no less than that. Therefore, you can go back to Tokyo and tell you President that if she want land from us, she will have to come get it. That's all." Giulio was firm and determined, no one would have made him change his mind. The Ambassador did not said a single word, he made a reverence and left.
Author's note
Dear readers,
I hope that so far you have enjoyed the development of the story and that it didn't become too monotonous. This last chapter was mainly transitional, just showing the aftermath of the war and the consequent conquest by Giulio and his forces of most of Euro Britannia, with a consequent enmity now on two fronts: the UFN and Britannia. In the gala, besides exploring a bit more the personality of Cecilia Colloredo-Mansfeld it was possible to see some of the positions that were assigned and also some of the political trends of the Empire, at least as far as religion was concerned. Also in the fields of internal affairs, the division of the former Austrian Empire was to show how Giulio is handling his internal affairs, by distributing land within the nobility and giving them vassal status, as if in a Medieval monarchy. In the first part, instead, I took the opportunity to suggest what will be the next moves by the Britannians, which, as you can imagine, will reflect in the next chapters.
In the previous chapter, I don't think there was much needing a further explanation, it was essentially the conquest of Saint Petersburg and of course, there was the switching of sides of Oldrin Zevon. It might be ironical that while in Oz the Reflection she becomes a terrorist, here she joins another Empire, thing that was, however due to a large extent to her friendship with Giulio (I might want to suggest that there's more, at some point...).
Last thing, as I am back to classes now, the chapters will be publishedwith less frequency, but still, I will keep posting.