"Mom, have we arrived?" Asked Lucrezia. It was almost noon and their plane had landed in Milan, from where they hired a private driver to take them to Modena, the city which was for centuries seat of the House Galahad-Canossa.
"Not yet, Lucrezia. We just passed Piacenza, there's still a little bit before we arrive."
Giulio frowned. "Why Modena, mom? What's in there for us?"
"It was where your ancestors lived and where I believe we can now live being left alone. Plus, we, or better, you two, as your father's heirs, hold some important assets there, which I will be managing."
Giulio did not seem convinced, but did not reply. Instead, he looked outside the car, to the flatland, covered by fields, which ended with the Apennines, the mountains that starting from there, cut the Italian peninsula vertically, all the way down to Calabria.
"Is it true that we have to relinquish the religion?" Asked again the young noble, after a long silence.
"Unless we want to be marginalised, overtaxed and outcasted, yes. Do you care so much in remaining under the Church of Emperor Charles?" Was Charlotte's dry response.
"Not really... I just find the Religion of the Supreme Being just as disgusting."
"You just sign a paper, you don't have to actually follow it, like 90% of the people here do."
"If I do this thing, will they allow me to go to the military school?" Asked Giulio, still trying to digest this new state of things.
"You can, since our citizenship has been revoked and therefore we will get the European one in the next days. Still, make sure you are still in time."
Giulio sighed. The only thing worse, in that whole situation, was for him to have to go to a public school.
Finally, they arrived in Modena in the afternoon, after stopping to have lunch outside the city. It was the first time for the young noble in Italy and stopping in that simple, rural restaurant where they ate, he found the local food quite likeable: at least a positive point in this whole tragedy.
The house where they were to reside was located at the end of the city centre, on a poplars tree-lined avenue, characterised by Belle Epoque villas and palaces. Their house was one of those: a beautiful, two-stored villa, with the upper floor in red brick and a small tower on the left corner of the façade. It was also surrounded by a large garden, in which grew different trees, including a few palms and had a pleasant art-nouveau gazebo in wrought iron.
"It's a beautiful house, small but beautiful." Observed Giulio, as he left the car and looked around. Indeed, it was nothing near the mansions and palaces to which he was used, but it was nonetheless a pleasant place to reside in.
"Part of the furniture is already there and belonged to the original owner, while for the rest I have made contact with the best antiquarians in town." Explained Charlotte. "Now what are you still looking at? You'll have time later, go pick up some baggage and help me out."
Life in Europe, for the family, seemed to start out well: Lady Charlotte took over the properties and investments that the House Galahad-Canossa had in Europe and through them could secure the family a good income, while the kids were now to start school. Lucrezia was then sent to a private school, while Giulio was able, much for his disappointment, to join the "Nunziatella" Military School, based in Napoli, only the following year, when he was already fifteen, had spent a year in a public school and had only two years of high school left.
Thus, he arrived in Napoli on the morning of the 1st Vendemiaire of the Republican Calendar, also the Republican New Year and anniversary of the abolition of the monarchy in France, to resume, under a new uniform, his military studies. He arrived early in the morning, on a high-speed train at the Napoli Centrale train station, with a luggage and a briefcase. He was quite excited to be in that city for the first time and even more to be again in a military institute, honouring the family's tradition.
Leaving from the train station, he found himself in the busy and decadent Piazza Garibaldi. He then checked his watch, a Patek-Philippe from 1890 inherited from his grandfather and noticing that he still had some time, he thought of getting have a good breakfast and seeing a small, but cosy café across the square, he thought of heading there to find something to eat.
"Uagliò, a' Signore!" Called someone in Neapolitan, behind him.
"May I help you?" Asked Giulio politely, turning at him.
"I have a family to maintain, two kids and I have no job. Please, give me something..."
Immediately, the young noble turned his back and walked away, only to be stopped, with that man still behind him, by another one.
"Please, sir, I just came out of Poggio Reale and..."
Now even more irritated, Giulio tried to turn away, but he soon found himself surrounded by other three beggars, asking him things in dialect and trying to push his luggage or pick things from his pockets.
Now panicking, Giulio lost his nerves and acted instinctively: "Help! Police! It's a robbery!" He shouted in English.
Luckily, an Army officer appeared almost immediately, wearing a leather jacket, a black basque, carrying a luggage with one hand and holding a gun in the other.
"Away from the gentleman, you scumbags!" Shouted the middle-aged man, making all the beggars run away. "Are you alright, sir?"
Giulio nodded. "Alright, sir. The bastards almost took my watch... I assume this is how they say 'welcome' in Naples."
"You need to be careful in this part of the city... And in the Spanish District. Tourism in such parts of the city isn't really advisable."
"As a matter of fact, Sir, I am not here for tourism."
The man, a Major in his 40s who wore a pair of Ray Ban Aviator seemed surprised. "Really? Then what takes you here? Are you some exchange student?"
Giulio shook his head. "I am going to attend the 'Nunziatella', they let me in even if I am Britannian due to the political refugee status."
The officer seemed a bit disoriented. "In this case, let me welcome you already from now. I am Major Alessandro Tommaseo, the new Vice-Commander of the School. Just arrived here from Trieste."
"Honoured to meet you, Sir. Though it's not something I would have suggested to a superior at the Virginia Military Institute: should we share a taxi? I really don't want to meet more 'interesting' people around here."
"Considering that we are going to the same place, sure, come along." Replied the officer.
Arriving at the military school, Giulio was immediately object of hostile comments and looks by the other pupils, who seeing him arriving with an officer, imagined him to be the son of some officer, entering by recommendation. He nonetheless paid no attention to them and entered the line without saying a word. In front of him was a girl with partly blue hair and a black biker-style leather jacket, covered by anarchist symbols.
'And then I am the one who they think shouldn't be here, while they accept such trash!' He thought by himself, with some indignation, as the queue progressed.
Finally, he appeared before the NCO doing the registration.
"Surname, Name and your document." Said the officer.
"Galahad-Canossa, Giulio. Here is my document." He replied, handing his papers.
"Ah, a Tommie!" Mocked the officer, when he saw the birthplace. "It was really what we were missing here, Britannians in the Army... Ormai entrano cani e porci."*
"I came from the Imperial Military School of Virginia, Sir, and I see as an honour to serve in the..."
"You only speak when authorised, Brit!" Shouted the officer, standing up. He then sat down again and more calmly resumed the filling of the paperwork. "Now, you Britannian scum, you are assigned to the Classical Studies, Class A 'Uber Alles!', take your stuff and reach your dorm. Get lost now!"
After this unpleasant welcome, Giulio saluted the officer, took his luggage and the one provided by the military school, with inside all of his uniforms and headed to the dorms.
The dormitories were large rooms and each class had two of those (one for boys and one for girls) in which the pupils of all the years lived together. At their entrance was written the class and its motto. When Giulio entered in his dormitory, his white outfit, with his double-breasted jacket and his red ascot draw on him everyone's attention.
"Hey, look! Al Capone!" Joked one of the pupils, to whom Giulio gave a disdainful glance.
"I bet this one like dicks." Commented an older one.
"Sorry to disappoint, but if you want to get sodomised, you'll have to look for someone else." Replied Giulio, taking one of the beds. The whole room fell silent as the other moved in Giulio's direction.
"Fa attenzione, picciotto."** Said the cadet, with a strong Neapolitan accent. "You're nothing in here, you're dirt! Do you think this is your castle in Britannia, eh? Next time you'll have your lesson."
Giulio did not reply, letting the bully move away.
"Don't provoke them." Said a first-year pupil next to him, with big glasses and a Milanese accent. "I was told that is better this way, because the school tolerates them."
"Right." Replied Giulio, while opening the luggage to take off his new uniforms. "Good to know."
"I am Paolo Fabriani, by the way." Said the young boy, extending his hand to Giulio.
"Giulio Galahad-Canossa. Nice to meet you." Replied the nobleman, shaking his hand.
Starting after spending one year in Modena, Giulio found himself in the third year, at the military school. In spite of this, being a new entry, he was eventually treated by the other students as a fresher, a condition that, combined with his noble status and his Britannian origin made him subject to a particularly intense and at time violent bullying and exclusion. In fact, he learned at his expenses that unlike his old military institution in Virginia, this one was paradoxically more violent and had a way harsher competition, with the pupils often resorting to the lowest forms of selfishness and individualism and even deliberately harming the others to secure even the most miserable advantages. This was a great paradox when one thought that it was the Britannians who endorsed Social Darwinism, while the EUR was, at least in theory, democratic and egalitarian.
"Eating alone?" Asked one day Major Tommaseo, seeing Giulio sitting on a table alone in the canteen, eating and reading a book at the same time.
Immediately, the young nobleman stood up and saluted his superior, who however invited him to remain seated.
"I was waiting for my friend Paolo, sir. But you are more than welcome to join too." Said then Giulio.
"Very well." Replied the Major, taking a seat. "How is the school treating you? The nonnismo***is sadly rampant in our military institutions."
"I noticed it." Said Giulio, while they were being served. "But I am determined to stay. My family has a military tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages, I won't be the one who will break it."
"Military and banking tradition, indeed." Observed the Major. "At some point the Galahad-Canossa rivalled with the Rothschild." He added, with a smirk.
Giulio nodded, with satisfaction.
"I did some research about it." Added the Vice-commander, laughing.
"Were the Tommaseo also nobles?" Asked Giulio, who found his surname also somehow familiar.
"Not really, just a wealthy family from Dalmatia. First, loyal citizens of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, then Italian Patriots. During the European Civil War, my grandfather served as an officer of the Arditi and even fought in Fiume under Gabriele d'Annunzio."
At those words, Giulio raised his eyebrows. "Fascinating. I am not overly familiar with D'Annunzio yet, but from what I had read he seemed to be quite a great character: a perfect mixture of a dandy, a patriot and an artist."
"And a wastrel and a scammer, but I guess this goes into the definition of 'dandy'." Added the officer with irony. "But surely a fascinating figure. I should get you something of him."
"I would be grateful." Replied Giulio, happily.
"Speaking of books." Added then the Major, pointing at the book Giulio had left on the table. "You may like to use a cover when you read Evola. Don't forget that counterrevolutionary literature can get you in a lot of troubles, especially in the military."
"I'll keep it in mind, Sir." Said the young nobleman, putting immediately the book in his briefcase.
"I'll pretend I had not seen it, but remember: monarchism has no place in Europe... At least for now."
"Yes, sir."
"I'm sure you will." Concluded Tommaseo. "Well, keep doing your readings, it's important to know both points of view. Now you will excuse me, I've got some work to do and you I believe will have class soon." Concluded the major, standing up.
"One last thing, sir." Stopped Giulio, noticing in a near table that some older cadets were humiliating a younger one. "Why is this so tolerated here? In Britannia with all the ideology we had, they would teach us the exact opposite, that we needed to be united, help each other etc."
The officer shrugged his shoulders. "We are commanded by old men, who believe this will select the best and toughest and act as a filter against weaker elements. Then they end up kicking out a lot of smart people and awarding idiots and incompetents. Sadly, as everything in the EUR, it's difficult to change it. See you around, Galahad."
Giulio saluted the officer, who then left.
He had just sat back to eat some fruit when he saw Paolo arriving in a hurry and letting himself fall on a chair next to him. He had blood falling from his nose, had his uniform dirty and damaged and on his face, signs of having been beaten up.
"Paolo, what happened?" Asked Giulio, appalled.
"They came me again... It was Alfonso... that bastard!" He shouted, as he started crying.
"It's alright, Paolo." Reassured Giulio, touching his arm. "Let's take you to the nursery, then we do something about Alfonso and his stupid gang."
If taking his friend to the nursery was something doable, doing something about a bunch of bullies so peacefully accepted by the commander of the institution was certainly not and with it, it was impossible to do anything about the situation they were facing. This whole situation, for Paolo, reached a point of no return on a cold and rainy day of the beginning of the winter.
It was around noon and the other pupils were all having lunch, when Giulio decided to look for his friend. He heard nothing of Paolo during the whole morning and even his classmates told him to have no idea of where he may have been. Worrying that something might have happened, the young nobleman began to search for him, heading, eventually, to the dormitory.
"Paolo, where are you?" Asked Giulio, entering the dormitory. "Paolo, what..."
The words remained stuck in his throat, as soon as he realised what had happened to his friend: Paolo Fabriani, 14, was hanging lifeless, having improvised a rope with two blankets, from a wall, where he had found a nail strong enough to tie the blanket. On the floor, few chairs turned over suggested how he had managed to reach it. For a moment, Giulio remained very confused by the situation. He then wanted to cry, but repressed his impulse, instead rushing through the corridor to notify the first officer or professor he would find. He had now made up his mind: this thing could not go unpunished, either by the hands of the officers, or by his own...
NOTES
* An expression in Italian to indicate the absence of any standards for the admission of people into a certain circle. Literally: "We're accepting dogs and pigs."
** "Be careful, kid."
*** Practice, in the military, through which the older cadets/conscripts would harass, often even violently the younger and less experience. In the past, such episodes even led to some important scandals in some Italian military institutions. Though this and the next chapter are inspired by such cases, they DO NOT refer to any specific case, nor the author intends, through these pages, to produce any sort of attack or defamation against the Italian Armed Forces or any military institutions. This is just a fanfiction.