22nd of April, 2019,
Quirinale Palace, Rome, around 22:00
The guards were escorting the prisoner through the corridors of the basements of the palace. There was total silence and the only noise that could be heard was that of the steps of the soldiers and Clara Lanfranc, who was also wearing a helmet in metal that covered her entire face.
"Where are you taking me? Please, say something!" Yet, the guards stood silent. For the first time, Clara was truly feeling scared. In the Geass Order she was trained to kill and she always did that, yet she had never found herself in the position of the victim and was now fearing what would come.
Finally, they brought her inside a room, where she was tied to a chair.
"Your Majesty, she is all for you now." Said the Sergeant. Then the soldiers left and the door was locked.
Giulio uncovered her. At first, she closed her eyes, due to the light but then she reopened them slowly. Giulio was staring at her, immovable, without showing any expression. She also looked back at him, without knowing what to say or do.
"So you are Clara Lanfranc... the reason for many of my disgraces."
"I am an agent in mission, I just do my duty." Replied the girl.
At these words, Giulio lost the control he had struggled to keep and attacked her with a stick he had with him. He hit the prisoner many times, first on her head and then on the whole body. Clara, tied at the chair, could only try in vain to protect her face, while crying and begging the Emperor to stop.
"Please! Please stop! You are hurting me... You will kill me this way!"
Giulio was however out of control and after throwing down the chair, he still kicked her a couple of times before returning to reason and realise what he was doing. He then stopped, standing up in front of the girl who, on the ground and completely dirty of blood was now crying of pain and terror.
"Why? What was the need for this?"
"You killed people close to me or even worse, forced me to do it and now you tried to overthrow me. Furthermore, you are not a soldier, who would deserve respect, but a spy, without honour or decency!" Replied Giulio expressing his anger.
Clara seemed to start calming.
"It's true, all of this. I killed people dear to you and I tried to overthrow you. But it was never out of personal animosity, despite what you did to me."
"And tell me, what would I have done to you?" Asked Giulio sarcastically.
"You killed all my family and friends when you attacked the Geass Directorate, together with Lelouch."
"You lie. The people coming from there were just laboratory creations, there were no families or friends over there."
"Yet we have sentiments! We love each other and we have ties. Even those like me and Rolo, who were created and programmed since the beginning to spy and kill. But of course, this is far beyond your aristocratic pride, if you barely consider as people the poor and treat other races as subhumans."
Giulio was indeed surprised by the finding: he would never expect a "Creature of the Cult" that was not C.C. to have sentiments or be capable of loyalty.
Moved by compassion, at this point he put the chair on which clara was tied back in place and taking a towel cleaned her wounds and then untied her arms.
"Here, take some ice." He said giving it to the girl.
"Thank you..." She said with some hesitation, taking it..
"So you... had a family?" Asked Giulio with some perplexity.
"Yes... more or less. I mean, we were created in laboratory but still, we felt linked to each other and for me it was painful to learn about that."
"I can imagine, just as it was painful for me to lose so many people to whom I was attached. But tell me, why were you so loyal to Britannia?"
"It's not that I was loyal, it's that didn't had any choice. I was created to serve the Empire, I am its tool and as such I can be discarded, tortured or killed that nobody will miss me."
"Does this scares you?"
At this point, clara hesitated. "Well... yes, it terrifies me. I feel I will be killed by you in this basement and then thrown to the dogs and nobody will ever notice or remember me. It's scary and above everything sad."
"On this I can reassure you that although such was my initial intention, I won't do it now, neither will I inflict you more pain than I already did."
"I am grateful for that. But now I need to ask about what will be my destiny."
"This I don't know yet. I fear that if I set you free, you will try to take your revenge on me."
"Oh, it's a reasonable fear, although I don't feel inclined to do so."
"At least you recognised that I have reasons to worry, it's very honest from your part."
"Thank you. I assume you would like me now to answer some questions."
"Are you willing to do it?"
"Sure. You know, I was sent for some time to be Lelouch's fake sister, as a replacement for Nunnally."
"What? When?"
"Last year, after the First Black Rebellion, when Lelouch was captured and Geassed by his father."
"Please, tell me more." Said Giulio intrigued.
"Well, with his false memories he was used as a puppet by Charles zi Britannia, he was sent to lead armies or even to chase dissidents and similar things."
"Interesting, you will be of great use to me." Said Giulio thinking about what she had just said.
"As I said before, I am a tool, a tool that was abandoned by its master, so now I will submit to your will, whatever it will be."
"Yes, I have already taken note of that and I will eventually do so. Yet, I will do it in another moment, now I need to go, since tomorrow there is a battle awaiting for me. I will now send you a doctor and then you will be transferred into another cell. Goodnight!"
With these words, Giulio started heading towards the door.
"Wait a second, Your Majesty." Said Clara. Giulio turned at her.
"Yes?"
"Thank you Sire. Good luck for tomorrow, and goodnight."
"Night." With these words, Giulio left going to have a few hours of rest before the battle on the following day.
23rd of April, 2019
H.M. Prison Alcatraz, Constituent Country of California, Holy Britannian Empire
Nunnally woke up at 6 a.m., as was the routine in the prison. Then, always as by routine, Anya Alstreim, her inmate, would help her getting ready and then accompany her to the canteen, where she would have breakfast.
This was one of the very few moments in which she would have the opportunity to see the other prisoners. Other moments were the lunch and dinner, then the hour they had available to spend in the patio. Otherwise, she would just stay in the cell with the former Knight of Six. Other prisoners detained there were Schneizel, Ohgi, the Tianzi, Tohdoh, Lloyd Asplund, Rakshata Chawla, Kallen Kozuki, Gino Weinberg, in short, all those who had taken arms against Lelouch.
They had no contact with the outside world, besides for some information that the guards would let escape sometimes, yet nothing gave them reason to hope. They knew they were all sentenced to death, that the Roman Empire was going through serious difficulty and that it would have hardly reached the next autumn.
"Do you think Giulio will be brought here at some point?" Asked Nunnally to Anya.
"I think he would rather shoot himself than accept this."
"So you think there is still hope?"
"People says this is the last to die. If nothing, I have back my memory now."
"And instead I wish I could not remember that my brother is doing all this to us."
Nunnally and Anya were talking staying on their beds, the Knight of Six in the upper one and the Princess in the lower, waiting for the time to go have breakfast.
The guard reached their cell.
"Time to go, ladies."
They went to the canteen, where they had their breakfast. Everybody was silent, as after months in that place, there was not much to be said to each other.
"There is a letter for Prisoner 00006, Anya Alstreim." Announced an officer showing a letter.
"You will excuse me, Your Majesty." Said Anya raising and taking the letter.
This had on its front the wax seal of the Roman Emperor.
"It's a letter from Giulio!" Exclaimed Nunnally when Anya returned.
Anya opened it. It was a two-pages long letter, handwritten by the Roman Emperor, she started reading it and as she did so, she seemed first to be worried and than happier, it was the first time that Nunnally would see her mood improving.
"What does he says?" Asked Nunnally. "Does he says something about us?"
"He tells about everything he went through, he had a difficult time, he also talks about what he heard about us and says this:
'My beloved Anya, while I am not sure you will be able to answer to this letter, I urge you not to give up your hopes, since while you will be reading this, I will probably be marching, leading my troops, against Britannia.
As I said, I was shaken and I had lost every hope, until two days ago, when I had that dream. I am now confident and willing to fight to the last of my energies. For you, for our friends and for everything we stand for.
I must go now, the enemy awaits for me across the green fields and hills of Southern Italy. It's springtime here, I wish you were here to see how beautiful is Italy in this season. Pray for the Gods to be on my side. You have my word that soon I will be there, I will break through that prison and take you in my arms.
With love,
Giulio'"
"He was sweet." Observed Nunnally with a smile. "You really think he will come?"
"Hopefully he will."
"Giulio is coming to liberate us?" Asked Kaguya who was sitting next to them. As she asked, everybody looked at them.
Anya was at first surprised by the reaction of everybody, but then she took courage she stood up and shared the information:
"His Majesty the Emperor of the Romans has come out of his castle in the Austrian Alps and is now leading a large army against the forces of Britannia. He is decided to chase and destroy them from the hills of Italy all the way to New York and put an end to the tyranny of Lelouch."
Castel Porziano Villa, 06:00
"(...) Avanti Ardito
Le Fiamme Nere
Son come il simbolo
Delle tue schiere
Scavalca i monti
Divora il piano
Pugnal fra i denti
E bombe a mano!"
Singing this and other songs and drinking, camped outside the Imperial Villa, the soldiers of the newborn "Fiamme Nere" Division, under the command of Princess Cornelia li Britannia, were waiting for the arrival of the Supreme Commander: H.M. the Emperor.
Giulio was inside the villa, reviewing for the last time the battleplan, as he was done with that, he reached the Fiamme Nere, accompanied by Lucrezia, in tears, Amedeo and Philippe. Absent were instead Oldrin and Ayano, who had both joined the Finnish contingent, bringing them reinforcements.
"Giulio, for the last time, please, don't go." Begged Lucrezia.
"Lucrezia, I must go, when will you understand that this is my duty?"
"Never! You should stay safe! If not because you are my brother, at least because you are the Emperor."
"A coward Emperor would be worth nothing, dear sister. Even Cesar in Alesia had went to fight on the battlefield."
Lucrezia remained in silence for a moment, looking at the soldiers and at Cornelia already up to receive their commander.
"Well, at least if I cannot stop you, let me do something to help. I cannot pilot a frame, but I can do other things like... help in the centre of command, just please, don't let me stay here watching and feeling useless."
"Alright, Lucrezia, you won. You can go to the bunker and tell the officers over there that you are attached to their department as Supervisor."
Lucrezia smiled and hugged her brother, kissing him twice.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! You are the best brother on Earth!"
"You're welcome, Lucrezia, now however we need to go."
"Go and crush them all!"
As Giulio and his two cousins reached the troop, Cornelia first presented her sword, then all the soldiers rose their knives with their right hand.
"Fiamme Nere,
All Hail Julius!" Exclaimed Cornelia.
"All Hail Julius!" Echoed the soldiers.
"Legionaries of the Fiamme Nere" Started the Emperor. "Today here we rescue the honour of Rome and we revenge the slap received in Japan. Lelouch wants to bring his flags inside Rome. Well, let us make him happy: let's take his flags and carry them in triumph to the Altare della Patria!"
The soldiers reacted with an ovation at these words, then the soldiers and the officers went to take position in their frames.
"Lady Cornelia, I hope you have slept well." Said Giulio in radio.
"Et j'espere not in the company of my cousin Jules." Added Philippe with his usual sense of humour.
"Philippe, for God's sake! You are always the same idiot!" Exclaimed Amedeo. "Princess Cornelia, please forgive him, but often his tongue is faster than his brain."
"Not a problem, I am familiar with the sense of humour of the Princes of Orleans."
"Well, I can see you are all there. Guilford, are you also with us?"
"Spearhead of the Empire ready to fight." Replied the former Britannian Count.
"Fantastic! Let's then reach our position and let the dances begin!"
Fortress of Gaeta, 07:00
The fortified town of Gaeta, for centuries used as last resort bastion by the Kings of Naples, was now hosting Princess Marrybell, who was monitoring the beginning of the Battle for Italy.
"Orpheus, everything ready in Cassino?" She asked videocalling Orpheus Zevon.
"The Old Abbey is ready for another fight, Milady." Replied the commander.
"Excellent, because I see on the sitrep a quite large Roman column heading towards your position."
"We can see it as well, we will play a game with them now: those who get through our artillery will have to face our troops on higher ground."
"I thought this Giulio was more intelligent." Mocked a Brigadier General sitting near Marrybell.
"That's why I am afraid of what's going on..." Answered Marrybell looking at the column advancing.
"Brigadier Kimberley here." Called the commander of the air squadron. "We are now flying around Rome and so far we found no enemy presence. Looks like they have withdrawn. Should we land in the city?"
'It doesn't make any sense. What in Hell is Giulio thinking?' Thought Marrybell while looking at the screens.
"Orders, Your Highness?" Insisted the Brigadier.
"You can land in Rome and establish a security perimeter around the Aurelian Walls." Ordered Marrybel. "Welsh Guard, Gordon Highlanders and Imperial Marines, you can start advancing in the direction of Rome passing through Latina and Aprilia. Also I want the Alabama Infantry to secure the city of Terracina."
"Yes, Your Highness." Answered the different commanders at the radio.
Marrybell stood watching her troops obediently executing the orders, everything was going well, too well to be true.
Ponza Island, Kingdom of Napoli
On the dawn of the 22nd of April, the quiet and peaceful life of the island of Ponza, in the Thyrrenian Sea, was completely upset by the arrival of hundreds of small boats of the Imperial Roman Navy. These were the feared MAS of the 10th Flotilla MAS, commanded by Prince Scipione Borghese di Sulmona in person, a master of the naval raid.
On that morning, Scipione Borghese had been up since 5 a.m. and when the manoevres in Gaeta started, he was at the port with his troops, smoking his pipe and waiting for the order to depart.
Indeed, Marrybell was a highly skilled land General, but her maritime counterpart, Admiral Smith had few flaws. One of these was his over confidence in large ships with great fire power, which indeed were perfectly fit for covering the advance of a ground force, yet would have been placed in difficulty by the MAS. To worsen things, the light ships of the Britannian squadron were away in the North, around Corsica, where they have been attracted by a diversive attack. Soon the Britannian ships would have been near the port of Anzio and then they would have received an unexpected visit by the Decima.
"Dad, we are ready." Said Junio coming to him. This was his first son, who had followed the family tradition and was already a Captain.
"Perfect Junio, Livia and Massimiliano are already in their positions?"
"Yes and ready to fight. When will we attack?"
"Soon, very soon. You just need to be patient, son."
"Yes, dad."
Junio returned to his post, leaving Scipione alone, smoking and looking at the boats. He thought about his life: he had dedicated his whole life to the cause of the Renovatio Imperii, as most of the Italian-Britannian nobles and now he was about to risk his life to defend it. That was a death that he would have gladly welcomed. Finally he received the message from Giulio.
'John Bull is reaching Anzio.'
It was time to go.
"Troops, to your posts!" Ordered the Admiral and in a few minutes all the MAS were ready for action. He also entered his own.
"Legionaries of the Sea,
Today we decide the future of the world. If Rome falls, then Lelouch will impose his dictatorship over the whole world. It's time to detain him. Remember that the 10th Flotilla is the heir of the traditions of the X Legio of the Roman Empire, the one that was invicta. Let us prove ourselves invincible. The Gods are with us.
For Rome and the Emperor!
Eja eja eja!"
"Alalà!" Completed the soldiers.
The large fleet of small boats departed in full speed from their base towards the Britannian ships proudly flying their black banners with the skull holding a red rose in the mouth and the motto Memento Audere Semper.
Bunker Soratte, outside Rome
The Bunker of Soratte was a secret military installation built by the Italian Republic in the 1940s, during the Great War, near the town of Sant'Oreste. Meant to serve as a refuge for the Italian Government in case of the usage of weapons of mass destruction on the Eternal City, the bunker had served for decades as headquarter for covert operations of the Italian Army first and then of the Black Knights, until being inherited by the Roman Imperial Armed Forces, following the conquest of Rome.
There, together with his sister, Giulio and Cornelia were monitoring the conduction of the operation against Princess Marrybell.
"This was a very bold decision, to let the enemy inside Rome." Observed Cornelia. "Because if our hackers fail, then we will be lost."
"I know, Cornelia, but by this point I think you know me well: I am a poker player. Although I have my own strategies, I still place a good share of my destiny into the hands of luck. I know it's a bad habit, but this how I am. After all, wasn't I like this I would neve have brought your siblings to Montecarlo two years ago, before the war."
"You have failed to mention this to me and mom." Intervened Lucrezia, pretending to be angered.
"That I brought Schneizel, Marrybell and Euphemia to Montecarlo? I did and it was quite fun."
"All them, besides Euphie, ended up drunk, then your brother drove back home and destroyed a Porsche, together with an uncountable amount of things in the city and caused incidents in the highway."
"What?" Asked Lucrezia astonished.
"I bet it was Euphie who told you everything." Said Giulio to Cornelia.
"Yes, she phoned me on the following day. She found it amusing, but said that would never do it again... Euphie." In the end, Cornelia could not avoid showing her sadness. "She was so happy when she went to Europe, because she was going to meet you there."
"I remember those days well... But that's why we are here: to make sure that her sacrifice was not in vain."
"Your Majesty." Called General Mannerheim.
"Yes, General?"
"Sorry to interrupt, but with the Britannian ships already in difficulty, I would make the hackers enter in action, so that we can begin the attack."
"Yes general, I will proceed now. What's the situation in your sector?"
"We have managed to make a large force commanded by General Orpheus Zevon, follow us in the Abruzzi and as you commanded, reach the plains of Avezzano, now we would begin the encirclement."
"Perfect, keep going." Said Giulio closing the call.
"Cornelia, it's time to go have fun. Lucrezia, you are in command here." Said Giulio taking his helmet. He was already in his pilot suit, as he was planning to enter the battle in person.
"What? But Giulio, I have no experience."
"You have all those officers to give you assistance, I gave you all the instructions, you are intelligent and I am sure that you will be able to manage the situation from here. Plus, I will always be in contact with you, okay?" Answered the Emperor taking her hands.
"Okay, I will do my best." She said with a smile.
"Good luck, Lucrezia-chan!"
"Good luck, Giulio-san!"
Gaeta Castle, around 10:00 a.m.
Marrybell was looking at the screens, monitoring the situation. All her officers seemed enthusiastic and she was the only one to look seriously worried. She knew the Roman Emperor, they were friends and she knew perfectly well that he was not stupid. Now indeed Orpheus, taken by euphoria, had chased the Roman Army throughout the Appennini, entering the Abruzzi, while a good part of the Britannian forces, concentrated in Rome, could have been caught by a surprise attack and forced to fight an urban warfare against infantry equipped with anti-tank weaponry in the middle of the narrow streets of the Imperial capital. In their frames they would have had a hard life.
Realising all this she was trying to ensure communication and support to each of her commanders, so that none of them would find himself isolated. She was even managing to give air support to the Britannian fleet of that incompetent Admiral Smith.
Suddenly, however, something unexpected happened: all the radars, radios and means of communication stopped working. All of them seemed disturbed by interferences that made impossible their functioning.
"What's going on? We cannot see or hear anything!" Asked Marrybell getting worried.
"Interferences, we are trying to fix them. Just a matter of minutes." Answered a female operator of the same age of Marrybell.
"Thank you Jennifer. Please, do it fast."
Yet, neither the operators, nor the technicians seemed able to fix the problem.
"Do we know if our troops can communicate between themselves?" Asked Marrybell.
"Negative, we are completely cutted off." Replied the operator.
"I bet Giulio is behind this..." Said Marrybell already considering going on the battlefield herself.
In that moment, the symbol of the Roman Empire appeared on their screens, while a cheerful Polka started playing from their speakers.
"What is this?" Asked Marrybell enerved.
"A Finnish Polka, it's called Sakkijarven Polka, Your Highness."
"I don't care about how it is called. I care that Giulio has trapped us and has even the courage of mocking. But I will teach him now to make fun of me..."
Saying these words, Marrybell left the command room and returned to her apartment. There, with the help of a maid, she quickly changed her uniform with the scarlet and very revealing pilot suit and taken her helmet, she went to gather the troops that were still left in Gaeta (around 4,000), leaving a garrison of 1,000 men defending the town.
"Britannians, the honour of our Emperor Lelouch and of our Fatherland is now in our hands. Let us prove worthy of the glorious Empire to which we belong!"
With these words, she led her troops northwards, through the coast. First they passed through Sperlonga, then Rio Claro and finally Terracina, where another Britannian garrison was sationed. Now, the Pianura Pontina was opened in front of them and they kept advancing through it in the direction of Latina.
At few kilometers from the city, near Borgo San Michele, they were stopped facing a long black line. At its head, a big, red knightframe holding a blue flag, on which were designed black flames with at the centre a sword placed vertically, at its side were other Knightmare Frames: the Totenkopf, the Roland (piloted by Prince Philippe d'Orleans) and two new Alexanders, piloted by Cornelia and Guilford.
"Did you liked the design of the Fiamme Nere?" Asked Giulio calling the Princess.
Soon, the image of the Roman Emperor appeared on her screen.
"G-Giulio?" She asked with surprise. He was very changed since the last time she had seen him. His face, once handsome, was full of scars and burns, his eyes, that once could have been those of a cheerful young gentleman, where now those of an experienced warrior, who was however not completely immune from insanity and cruelty, finally his half smile had a malicious and sadistic air.
The Roman Emperor, in his new frame, the Augustus Invictus, was indeed taken by a state of insane excitement. With his Geass, in this moment dangerously out of control he could sense the fear in his enemy and especially in Marrybell, which in that moment seemed to be filling him with even more energy and some sort of sinister pleasure at the idea of slaughter.
"What happens, Marrybell? Are you not happy to see your friend again?" He asked with sarcasm.
"Giulio, please, we don't need to do this." Said Marrybell, hesitant.
"Maybe we don't. Of course, you can surrender. But now I want to have fun."
"What's going on with you? What has happened to you? You are changed!"
"You and all the others have betrayed and tried to destroy me. Now I will destroy you, Britannia and take Lelouch's head and put it on a pike on Castel Sant'Angelo!"
"Giulio, please, this is not you. The Giulio I have met was a reasonable and sweet person, that would never speak in this way and..."
"The Giulio you have met has died last year in Germany! Betrayed by you, Charles and all the others in his moment of maximum weakness! Now you have in front of you the Fury of Rome."
"Giulio, this is pontless! You cannot defeat the entire world, because that's what you have against you. Please, put down your weapons and surrender. We can be friends again and we can negotiate a honourable peace with Lelouch."
At these words, Giulio laughed loudly. "A honourable peace? You believe in that, Mary? There is no honourable peace, either me or him. One of us needs to be annihilated and that's what I intend to do. Make my life easier, surrender and I will spare your life and that of your soldiers. Keep fighting and this place will become your grave."
"This won't happen, Giulio, I am not going to surrender. I am not the one here that has fighting against an Empire that dominates the whole world. You are and it is only in the name of our friendship that I am offering..."
"You are offering? In the name of friendship? Which one? The one that you have betrayed by remaining on the side of Charles zi Britannia first and of his son Lelouch later? Is it? When even Schneizel and Cornelia abandoned them because they realised the kind of persons they were? We have talked for too long now, it's better if you put up your helmet and get ready, because I do not intend to take prisoners. Fiamme nere, A Noi!"
"A Noi!" Replied the soldiers.
"If this is what you want, Giulio, then be it." Said Marrybell in tears, putting back her helmet. "Troops, enter the bull horns formation. All Hail Britannia!"
"All Hail Britannia!"
The Fiamme Nere attacked the Britannians before they would have finished regrouping, entering immediately a ground melée fight. Marrybell had entered the fight shaken by her conversation. Giulio instead, simply did not cared about their former friendship, with his heart consumed by this abnormal wish to destroy. Thus, with this deadly fight between two former friends, the destiny of Italy was to be decided.