12th of December, 2024
Singapore, Imperial Settlements of the Strait
After the official visit to Japan, Giulio and his sister headed South, to the Roman colony of Singapore, where they were supposed to meet with Kallen Kozuki, who was now leader of the Independent Federation of Indonesia. While at the arrival, the Emperor was received with all the honours by the Governor-General of the colony, the meeting with Kallen happen in the Imperial Suite of the luxurious Raffles Hotel, a historical hotel built in Singapore during the first years of Britannian colonisation.
"Giulio, I insist this is stupid and dangerous." Complained Lucrezia to her brother.
"Then you can go." Replied Giulio. "Kallen should arrive in 10 minutes and I have no intention to cancel the meeting now. I will be more than happy to spend time with her alone."
"That's exactly why I am staying. To keep you out of troubles."
"You are so lovely, dear sister..."
Someone knocked at the door.
"Who's there?" Asked Giulio.
"Kallen Kozuki."
"Please, come in!"
Kallen opened the door with the key given to her at the reception and entered the suite. She was wearing a grey business attire with a skirt that ended right above her knees. Her appearence could be that of any young professional working for a bank or for a multinational.
"You may reject Britannia as much as you want, but your timing remains stereotypically British." Joked Giulio as she entered.
"I was expecting this. But let me remind you that the Japanese are even more punctual than the Brits."
"I hope you had a nice trip, Kallen." Said Lucrezia.
"Not the easiest, with the Japanese bockading our sea routes and having air superiority, but still doable." Kallen sat on an armchair around a small table, facing Giulio and his sister.
"We are very happy to see you." Said the Emperor.
"And we hope not for the last time." Added his sister, thinking of Kallen's situation.
"Yes, yes, I know... this time I have messed up." Recognised Kallen.
"You don't tell." Replied Lucrezia serving herself with Porto wine.
"Lucrezia, for the Gods sake!" Exclaimed her brother taking the bottle from her and serving Kallen first and then himself.
"Cheers!" Said then Giulio raising his glass.
"Cheers!" Replied Lucrezia and Kallen.
"I know I did something serious this time." Continued Kallen. "But I was ordered to commit a war crime... plus the Empire of Japan is far away from what Lelouch wanted Japan to become. That's..."
"An Asian version of the Roman Empire?" Asked Lucrezia with sarcasm.
"Lucrezia please, stop!" Exclaimed again Giulio. "Kallen, what you did is something serious, indeed. I mean, you have started a war against Japan. I have nonetheless to recognise some responsibility in this, when I have advised you to follow your conscience... Knowing you."
Kallen laughed. "Even though I thank you for the advise you gave me last summer, I think I would have ended up in this way in any case, sooner or later. It's just not in my nature to accept injustice. It doesn't matter who is the perpetrator."
"I know, I know it well." Replied Giulio. "Just be careful with this. Often those you think are your friends will reveal themselves ungrateful and stab you in the back, while your enemies will always be implacable."
"I know... and you? Are you my friend or my enemy?"
"You know it already. As much as I may like and respect you, I am still the Emperor of Rome."
"I know. All this is very sad though." Replied Kallen.
"We just belong to two different worlds, I cannot allow you to make your view prevail just as you couldn't tollerate mine if you were in my situation."
"I wouldn't say two different worlds. The world is the same for everybody. Two different poles maybe, you remember? The Yin and the Yang." Replied Kallen with a smile. Giulio smiled back.
"Indeed, I like it more, two poles that still complete each other." As he was speaking, he put his hand forward to take some of the pastries that were on a course on the table, for his surprise not finding any and touching the silver bottom of the course.
"Lucrezia!" Exclaimed the Emperor. "Did you ate all the pastries alone?"
"You talk, I eat." Replied his sister, with her mouth still filled by the last one.
World News
From LVX News Agency, 16th of December, 2024
Emperor Julius met with the Persian Diarchs in Teheran. Announced mutual recognition between Rome and Zilkh Dynasty. Queen Shamma: "Iran has no hostile intentions towards Rome and its allies."
20th of December, 2024
Luoyang, Chinese Federation
Major Roberto Nascimento was sitting in front of the fireplace at the house of the commander of the Roman garrison in the Legations Compound, Major Giuliano Gariboldi.
"Well, no food, access to water blocked, medicines finishing and ammunitions too... at least we still have some scotch." Said the Italian officer, serving another glass to the Brazilian colleague.
"Yeah, better to drink and not think about this mess. Who would have thought we would have ended up this way?"
"Dying in the hands of the Chinese?"
"No... Drinking and having depressive thoughts." Joked Nascimento.
"Well, at least we've got good alcohol. This is a Gordon & McPhail." Replied Wrangel with a bitter laugh.
"Nonetheless, I have to say that to resist for more than a month under such conditions has not been a bad result. If only we could receive news from outside..." Thought Nascimento.
While the two officers were having a break from their duties, at the residence of the Roman Ambassador, the leaders of the compound were discussing the plans.
"Shouldn't we seek to obtain a releasing of at least women and children?" Proposed Hector Clément, thinking of their desperate situation.
"This would be reasonable." Said the Baron of Cotegipe while trying to warm himself near the fireplace.
"I would also second that." Added Ambassador Richard Terreblanche, South African Ambassador to China.
"Sorry to disappoint, but the Chinese will never accept that. Or better, they will accept, only to slaughter all the civilians as soon as they will be outside the walls. They want our heads." Objected Schneizel, taking his third glass of brandy.
"It will make little difference, then." Stated General Dimitri Enkvist. "Since the beginning of the siege we have lost 30% of our force and used more than half of our ammunitions. We cannot warm ourselves properly, we cannot eat properly and now we cannot even cure our disease. The Chinese may well keep us under siege and wait for all of us to die here." Concluded the Spanish General.
"Be it then." Said Plenipotentiary Mischchenko, who had become chargé d'affairs for Rome after the murder of Ambassador Falkenhausen. "If we will have to die here, then we will die, but not without taking many of them with us to Hell."
The Tianzi was drinking hot chocolate and looking from an upper room of her residence at the fortified Legations Compound, where for over a month the battle has been raging, right in front of her palace. She was worried. Worried about the ultimatum, of course, worried about her people and even about herself.
As a matter of facts, by not listening to the ultimatum she had not only isolated her country, but also herself and now had realised how much she had been a puppet through all her life. First she was a puppet of the Eunuchs, who almost turned her Empire into a Britannian colony, then of Lelouch and his Black Knights, then she became the puppet of Rome and now of that General Xiquan. In all this, the only thing she had learned was that she was extremely unfit to rule an State and maybe now she was closer than she has ever been to her deserved downfall.
"Your Majesty." Called Yuan Xiquan entering the room.
"Ah you..." Said the Tianzi with indifference.
"Something is wrong?"
"I am thinking of accepting the ultimatum."
"Your Majesty, there is no need for that."
"No need? I think instead that there is no need to see this country destroyed by the forces of the whole planet."
"Your Majesty, our troops are strong and our coastal defences are highly efficient. The international forces will disintegrate at the first contact with the Chinese forces."
"Yes, yes... Just as the Boxers are being disintegrated by a bunch of foreigners locked in the compound, right."
"When the Chinese Army will be on the field. The Legations Compound will hardly last more than six hours."
"I hope so, Xiquan, for your own sake." Replied the Empress turning back to the window. She knew her threat had no effect, after all she was now prisoner in the palace, while all the powers were with Xiquan and the ministers.
21st of December, 2023
Balmoral Castle, Scotland, Holy Britannian Empire
Nunnally was in her room, watching at the TV the results of the snap elections. While she did what she could to have them called for January of February, in the end the Imperial Resurgence Party and the Syndicalist Movement were capable to obtain to have them still in December, in exchange for ending the general strike. In the room following the elections with her were Cornelia, Gino and Lord Gilbert P. Guilford, husband of Cornelia. The results that they were digesting with a large dose of fatalism were catastrophic: the Imperial Resurgence Party had won in England, in the East Coast, in Eastern canada (except for Québec), in the Mid-West and in Oregon, securing with this an absolute majority. The Conservative Party was the main opposition party, having won in Scotland, in the Dixieland, and in Western Canada. The Parti Nationale Quebecois was victorious in Quebec, the Irish Catholic Union in Ireland (except for the North that voted for the Imperial Resurgence Party) and the Whig Party in California.
"We're done!" Exclaimed Gino, seving himself some Porto wine. "When should we depart for Europe?"
"No! No! No!" Exclaimed Nunnally. "This is a disgrace! Those fanatics will now hijack the country and drive us into a war with the Holy Roman Empire."
"I've always considered insane this idea of universal suffrage and enlarging the powers of the Commons, so don't look at me." Stated Lord Guilford with a certain resignation in his voice.
"Should we leave the country or take some measure like a secession?" Asked Cornelia.
"Absolutely no." Replied Nunnally, who seemed ro regain her energy. "If we do so, we will lose legitimacy. We must stay and make clear to the Duke of Mercia that the source of legitimacy in Britannia is the Crown, not the House of Commons, nor the Syndicates and even less the Imperial Resurgence Party."
"Here in Scotland we should be safe." Observed Gino. "Notwithstanding the fact that they are Jacobites and would gladly have back the House of Stuart."
"And here we will stay, also as a demonstration of detachment from the new executive." Stated Nunnally.
"Good choice... and safest one." Replied Cornelia. "I would never like to manage your security in London in this moment."
"With this I assume we will make the Duke of Mercia travel until here to take the oath, right?" Asked Gino.
"Wait a moment, the appointment of the Prime Minister is not automatic." Observed Guilford. "The House of Lords must come together five days from now, which will be a nightmare because most of its members will be on holidays and then decide if recommend Lord Montgomerie or someone else for the role of Prime Minister. As a member of it, I would gladly push for the IRP Secretary, Sir Oswald Mosley, who is well known for being a staunch royalist."
"That's a good idea. Go forwards with that." Said Nunnally.
Imperial Villa of Canazei, County of Tyrol, HRE
As by habit, Giulio left Rome on the 20th of December for his winter villa in Canazei, in Fassa Valley, near Trent. This was a villa he had built in the middle of the Alps for his winter holidays, in a place where he could spend his time removed from the court and the imperial elites, only with those he would be willing to invite there.
"I come here to relax a bit and instead here I am... taking care of bureaucracy." Complained Giulio looking at the gardens from the window of his office.
Indeed, the timing for his holiday was not ideal: that was the day of the expiration of the ultimatum on China, which meant that from that day, the Holy Roman Empire would have been officially at war with the Chinese Federation. In addition to it, the IRP-syndicalist seizure of power in Britannia had now encouraged anti-monarchist forces across Europe to begin demonstrations in cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow and others. All this while in Congo the Force Publique was defeated by a large force led by this mysterious leader known as Chief Mobutu, who was now marching on Léopoldville, slaughtering any opponent.
Oldrin entered the office.
"I have just talked to Metternich and told him to take care of all State matters while you are on holidays. Also, Borghese has assigned General Graziani to the African theatre and I am intensifying counter-insurgency activities. Also the Imperial Senate is going to vote the Imperial Security Act, that should temporarely restrict some freedoms and expand the powers of the secutiry forces."
Giulio turned and sat behind the desk.
"Thank you for everything." He said.
"Are you alright?" She asked worried.
"I just need to be left alone."
"Giulio... I know well of these your moments. Don't you want to tell me what's happening?"
"It's just... Ah, never mind."
"I do mind, Giulio! Especially when you react like that and refuse to talk."
"Better not."
Oldrin pushed a chair, sitting next to him.
"What's making you feel so bad?"
Giulio shook his head. "Everything falling apart and I feel completely powerless to avoid it."
"But we will go through it, we did it once."
"We did and at what cost? Guinevere, Philippe, Cecilia and many others, so much suffering... Who will be now? Lucrezia? Amedeo? Ayano? You? Who else must die because of my own dreams of grandness?"
"They weren't fighting for your dreams of grandness, Giulio! Nobody was fighting to make you happy. We all fought because we shared your cause!" Replied Oldrin taking his hands. He held hers.
"Thank you, Oldrin. Without you I don't know where I would be at this point."
Oldrin smiled and kissed Giulio. "Now stand up, let's take a walk and then go back to work, you just have to sign the new law about national security and then you'll be on holidays." Said Oldrin standing up.
"I am vetoing it." Replied Giulio.
"Why?" Asked Oldrin surprised.
Giulio took the folder on his desk and threw it into the fireplace. "Because it's inconstitutional. Either they ask me to take back all of my powers or they respect the people's freedoms. Dura lex sed lex."
"Oh... Okay. I thought they acted on your interest..."
"My interest is the guarantee of justice and the defence of the nation. I don't respond neither to the Comitia Curiata, nor to the Imperial Senate, they are the ones responding to me, because I have the Mandate of the Gods. Now let's take our walk."
22nd of December, 2024
Bajkal'sk, Imperial Territory of Irkutsk, HRE
Leila and the other girls in her dormitory were waken up abruptly by the alarm and the red lights. It must have been around 2 am. Without asking questions, she immediately put on her uniform and without waiting for a single moment rushed outside to the position of her platoon in the patio. There waiting for them was the commander of the regiment, Colonel François de Montfort. In a matter of minutes, the whole 4th Régiment de Volontaires Royaux was gathered in front of the mast where normally would have been raised the flag.
"Soldiers" Started the colonel. "Just thirty minutes ago we have received orders by my superiors to mobilise and attack the Mongolian positions on the border. As you know yesterday our Emperor has declared war to the Chinese Federation, as part of an international effort to put an end to the xenophobic violence sponsored by the local government. Our Emperor doesn't expect from us anything less than a total victory. The Mongolian Army hasn't had yet the time to prepare. We shall break through their borders and march through it in less than a week. For Crown and Country, Roma Imperatrix!"
"Roma Imperatrix!" Echoed the soldiers.
'There we go' Thought Leila. 'My cousin could hardly stay more than a few years without getting involved in a colonial war... It's in his blood.'
World News
From Corriere della Sera, 23rd of December, 2024
The Imperial Roman Army has started the offensive against the Chinese Federation this morning. While details remains classified, it is known that Roman troops have crossed this the border with the Khanate of Mongolia and that other forces are attacking from Western China. A Japanese force has began is striking from Manchuria.
Security Law vetoed by the Emperor. "It violates our Empire's Constitution. The people's freedoms and rights can only be restricted by Our Sovereign Will, in cases of extreme necessity. Let's not forget that the Roman Legal Tradition is fundamental for the existence of this country." Declared the Emperor in a press release.
From LVX News Agency, 24th of Decembre, 2024
Anti-monarchist riots throughout the country are being repressed by the Gendarmerie Impériale. Emperor Julis I condemned all political violence and abuses by the police forces and called for a return to institutional debate, emphasising the importance of the rule of law.
House of Lords recommends Lord Henry de Montgomerie for the Prime Ministership of the Empire. Empress Nunnally to officially appoint him by this evening through official communicate.
From BBC News, 24th of December, 2024
In speech at the House of Common, Lord Montgomerie declared that Britannia will commit the 7th Fleet and 200,000 soldiers to the South-East Asian theatre, against China.