Concerning Principalities

I imagined the battle in Paris last chapter to have been pretty decisive, basically bringing an end to the Senate with the seizure of their halls of government, although maybe I should have added something about the death or capture of senators, although it's not like Republican sentiments have died out or anything crazy.

The Peace at Versailles had truly reshaped Europe, restoring many pre-revolution states or returning French gains to their previous owners. The Holy Roman Empire may have been gone, but a loose coalition of German states stood in its place, united by a desire to never again fall under the sway of a foreign power. A new Swiss state was created, the Habsburg territories in the Alps were returned to them once more, and Greece had been completely returned back to Ottoman control as well.

The Dutch provinces were free, but trapped in an interregnum as the various states squabbled over who would be appointed to rule them, with the Flemish and Walloons proving particularly unhappy with any choices presented by the largely Protestant northern portions of the "United" provinces.

Lelouch and Bonaparte had arrived in Toulon after some days hard riding with their guards, and were sailing from France to the southern Mediterranean, fleeing from the snow that had started to dust Europe as December passed by. Their first stop was Corsica, where Bonaparte departed to rule his own independent Principality, completely separate from France and for all intents and purposes just a reason to keep Napoleon's son away from Europe.

After resupplying, Lelouch sailed by the ex-French island of Sardinia, which had fallen to the French along with Piedmont-Sardinia during the beginning of the revolution. The island had even played host to the Savoyard royalty in exile, although they met similar ends to the French Bourbons when the revolutionary state invaded in force. Technically, it feel under Lelouch's control according to the dictates of the peace, although he knew that military force might be required to bring the island under his control, as it wasn't really high on his list of original Italian priorities.

Much of the more rural Italian land only really fell under his sway in name, because he had control of the cities which dotted the peninsula, and Lelouch knew it would be an uphill battle to try to centralize the country too quickly, or to put too many reforms into place. He supposed being under Britannian rule kept the rest of Europe from pouncing on him before he could prepare himself, although Lelouch's potentially liberal state only coming into being due to the threat of military force from absolutist Britannia was certainly ironic.

The ship reached Palermo on Christmas day, and his arrival only seemed to heighten the jovial mood that surrounded the holiday season, although murmurs of an Italian kingdom with Lelouch as king sent shivers down his spine. While Lelouch would prefer independence, if he could get away with it, he knew that any attempts to claim Italian kingship would go poorly for him at the moment. Even with much of Britannia's military might tied down on other continents, he knew that a fight for independence would be a fierce one- one that would leave him open to the other absolutist powers of Europe who would be happy to kick the state while it was down. Lelouch hoped to negotiate a Viceroyalty of Italy with Britannia.

He rode to the Norman Palace with as much haste as he could manage as the crowds filled the streets, but managed to reach the castle before the day grew too late. It had been some seven months since he had stepped foot in the palace and seen his sister, and he knew that Milly would be waiting with her, and possibly Reuben if business had not dragged him away from Palermo.

The guards had let him inside without any trouble although they were a little surprised to see him back without any real warning, and as Lelouch entered the dining hall to see his sister, she heard him opening the door and her head perked up. "Lelouch?"

"Nunnally." Lelouch wasn't the fastest man in his armies by any means, but he felt like he had never moved faster in his entire life as he went to embrace his sister.

"It's wonderful to have you back, Lelouch. You arrived just in time for Christmas dinner." A proper Sicilian dinner certainly seemed appetizing, especially after months of army cuisine and hardtack when more conventional supplies grew meager. However, Milly's expression made all the fine food seem about as appetizing as hardtack.

"Lelouch vi Britannia, you left your sister alone for months-" Well, Lelouch honestly didn't expect any less, and he definitely deserved it, so he didn't dare interrupt the tongue lashing Milly was about to give him.

Unfortunately, it seemed Reuben was out on business for that particular evening, and Nunnally seemed too enthused by Milly's verbal assault to stop her. Once she had simmered down and Lelouch had properly greeted her after years of separation, they sat back down for dinner.

"So, I assume a peace has been negotiated?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, one has, and I assume it was only hard riding that let me ride before news of the peace did. The Peace of Versailles, or so it's called."

"So what did you get out of it, Lelouch? I certainly hope you didn't leave Nunnally behind only for the powers of Europe to keep you from gaining anything from it."

"Disregarding Friuli and Corsica, at least for now, I am ruler of all Italy, in my father's name at least."

"At least for now?"

"I'm going to have to negotiate with the Danubians to reach a long term solution about their claims in Northern Italy, and their diplomat, Metternich, certainly didn't like me."

Milly smirked. "And what's not to like about Lelouch vi Britannia? The towering intellect, the Italian origins, the military genius- practically Napoleon reborn, and so humble too!" Nunnally giggled a little, and Lelouch suddenly perked up.

"Speaking of Bonaparte, I met his son, Bonaparte the second. He's surprisingly young actually, a little less than me. He rules Corsica now, as its prince."

"Why Corsica?"

"The powers of Europe needed somewhere to put him and decided that Corsica would work. I suppose he's technically not a prisoner, but it's exile in all but name."

Nunnally frowned. "How unfortunate. How was he?"

"Certainly better company than anyone else at the negotiating table, even if I did kill Beauharnais."

The conversation fell silent at that, but Nunnally spoke again. "Where's Jeremiah? He left with you, but isn't here. Is he alright?"

"Yes. He leads to the main body of the army to Rome, and I'm going to meet him there soon, to get some more of the specifics of the government decided. I believe he's also picking up some representatives from the territories he is passing through, to get something like an Italian parliament going, even if they're not elected. Considering how this might be more of a long term stay, I'd like you two to come with me, to stay in Rome."

Schneizel was one of the first to hear when news came from Paris, of the Tsar's death while wintering in France, and he knew immediately there would be trouble. While he had managed to weasel a confession out of Konstantin that the man had resigned his claim to the throne, the general public and possibly more importantly the military didn't know that, and a great mass of soldiers marched to the Winter Palace.

Of course, the full might of the Russian Army was still tied down in France, but there were garrisons left behind in key Russian cities, garrisons that took a more liberal lean than their comrades who had marched with the Tsar to crush the French, and it seemed the liberals had spread their influence while the old Tsar was gone.

Schneizel was fortunate enough to be holed up in the British embassy and not the Palace proper, which was seized by garrisons early in the morning. In any other circumstance, the revolt would have been crushed by the might of the main army, but in the apparent confusion of the succession liberals had seized the palace with hopes of influencing who would ascend to the imperial throne and their policies while the majority of the army marched home.

Konstantin was certainly no Jacobin, but he was significantly more liberal than his younger brother, and the revolters couldn't help but seize the opportunity. While Schneizel couldn't gather the specifics, it seemed that they were requesting a liberation of the serfs and a push towards a legislative assembly that could check the powers of the sovereign. While Schneizel didn't expect them to last for too long as neither the remainder of the military or the other powers of Europe would look too kindly upon them, but history changes due to the smallest things.

After assuring that the Sicilian parliament could manage themselves while he was gone (including greasing a few palms, as usual) Lelouch, Nunnally, Milly, and Sayoko all departed by boat as the year ended.

It was almost fitting that Lelouch arrived in Rome a few days after the year 1826 had begun, the passing of the year marking a new beginning in the Italian administration. Their welcome in Rome was very warm, although Lelouch made sure that Nunnally was escorted into their residence separately from him, just to make sure she would get there safely away from the crowds. Lloyd was also supposed to arrive in Rome eventually, but he was taking days to pack all his belongings and tools, even with Croomy's help.

They were staying in smaller, more defensible quarters until Jeremiah and his men could arrive and they could move to the Quirinal Palace, a splendid complex on one of the seven hills of Rome. Strangely enough, it was also a previous residence of Napoleon, when he ruled as Emperor, and when he wasn't on campaign he would spend his summers in the Eternal City.

While they may not have moved into their more permanent quarters yet, Lelouch still had a lot of work to do. Requests sent out all across Italy for administrative records, to get firm numbers and data about the country he ruled, and Lelouch almost regretted not taking all the paperwork he could have from Milan- it was the previous capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, and served as a political center afterwards until Lelouch took it over. He had to prepare boats for a potential invasion of Sardinia, and he also made an appointment with the Pope, both to talk politics, and to make sure holding Rome wouldn't eventually get him in trouble with the Vicar of Christ on Earth.

He crossed the Tiber river to meet with the Pope at the Papal apartments, and over lunch they discussed the fate of Italy, and the Pope's place in this new state.

"Your Holiness. It's been some time since we have last met."

"Indeed, vi Britannia. Much has changed in Europe since we last talked."

"I suppose we should get to what I came here to discuss, that is, your role as as temporal leader in Italy."

Pope Benedict gave a weary sort of half smile. "Will I get to leave the Vatican at long last? The French did keep me there for quite some time, after all."

"What I propose is an independent Papal state which controls the portion of Rome contained within the Leonine Walls, in addition to a stipend to make up for Papal lands and privileges within Italy proper only rivaled by myself or my father."

"That would be agreeable, vi Britannia, but could you indulge me and let me at least participate in the creation of the Italian constitution? You did say privileges equal to your own, after all."

"That would be fine, but you're certainly being agreeable about this whole situation. I expected more disagreement, honestly. In fact, I expected more when I first came to talk with you about my Italian ambitions."

Benedict gave a smirk. "Can a man not wish to see his home country united and free of oppressors at long last? I am no Julius II, no warrior Pope, but when I see man with the skills and ambition necessary to unite Italy…. Perhaps the Vicar of Christ wouldn't support him, but an Italian would."

"You're truly fine with just the Leonine city, though?"

The pope shrugged. "It feels like an offer made in good faith, and I honestly can't see a theocracy ruling over most of Italy working for much longer. The times are changing, and it might be time for me to focus on herding my flock and not political struggles in Italy."

Jeremiah arrived in late January, the army of Risorgimento behind him as well as the first of many representatives from the parts of Italy he had passed through, like Savoy, Genoa, and Tuscany. Lelouch and Jeremiah had also prepared many letters to be sent, both from Sicily and from Northern Italy, calling representatives from those parts of Italy they wouldn't be visiting directly.

Jeremiah's reunion with Nunnally was almost as heartfelt as Lelouch's, considering how much of a role he played in both their lives, although Lloyd's arrival a little after Jeremiah was a lot less emotional. At the very least his plans for rail lines were certainly exciting for Lelouch.

One of the other palaces in Rome become the new seat of what would become the Italian parliament, even if more government work was being done by Lelouch in the Quirinal Palace, at least in the short term. Representatives trickled in from the remainder of Italy as February came, even as Lelouch sent out deputies to start putting the land in order as a portion of the army seized control of Sardinia.

Although there was an occasional noble among them who had been fortunate enough to survive the French, many of the representatives were burghers or the like from the cities of Italy, definitely not perfectly representative of the Italian people, especially the rural farmers, but hopefully they would be more approving of a liberal constitution.

Even with only some of the representatives present, Lelouch had already been drafting civil codes and the framework of a constitution. One of many ways to unite the patchwork of Italian cities would be by linking them all under a common code of law without years of feudal complexities and idiosyncrasies. Once again, Lelouch found himself following in Bonaparte's footsteps, as his law code took inspiration from the Napoleonic Code which many of the French puppet states (including the Italian ones) used. The comparative simplicity of the code, along with the secular principles and accessibility for the common people, were something to strive for.

Lelouch's greatest hope for the constitution was some form of universal suffrage, or as close as he could reasonably get the Parliament to agree upon. Female suffrage was going to be a difficult sell, even if the short lived Corsican Republic had implemented such a thing before the French swallowed them up in 1769, and Lelouch could definitely see it not going through.

Lelouch knew better than to expect extreme speed from the parliament, but all the debate grated on him a bit. His mood was lightened considerably by reports from Sardinia of a coal deposit deep underground, and Lelouch set Lloyd to work helping develop the technology needed to mine it properly. He couldn't believe he was that fortunate to have coal in his lands, even if the colliery wasn't located in mainland. Some projects that were on the back burner like steamboats suddenly became bigger concerns, and plans were made for tremendous amounts of rail lines, to get the coal to the coast and to move it to the inland cities of the Italian peninsula. Lelouch would bring the peninsula into the modern age of industry kicking and screaming if he had to, and he wasn't going to ignore the southern portion of Italy, which still seemed to be lagging behind the northern portion of the peninsula, even if French rule had led to some reforms.

Lelouch had grand ambitions, public schooling to combat illiteracy and great factories in bustling cities, but they remained small scale until the government had reached something more ordered. Plans were laid for a great senate to be held in Rome and something approaching federalism, although all of the territories would still fall under his rule as viceroy.

Equal rights and enfranchisement for all adult men was one key portion of the new constitution, and much of Lelouch's work in revising and collating previous law codes was integrated. A majority of the political structure was taken from Britannian Sicily, with hopes that a very similar constitution to the one Britannia had tolerated for nearly two decades now would go over well. Of course, Britannia would come knocking eventually, and Lelouch knew that he would have to return to that snake pit called the Imperial Court, to negotiate the specifics of his new government with his father. Hopefully, the whole of Italy was enough of a prize to keep the reins loose.

News of the Russian revolt reached Vienna and Berlin in time, and they were more than happy to reinforce the portions of the Imperial Russian Army marching back from France. Schneizel heard reports of them coming almost as soon as the Russian government did (or at least the small liberal contingent that had seized control of St. Petersburg). They had been reinforced by garrisons from the Baltic and Finland, bolstering their numbers, although not to a point where they rivaled the main Russian force.

Schneizel's guards had fortified the embassy as much as it reasonably could be, and while other diplomats would flee from a situation like this, he knew that opening up relationships with whoever came out on top after all this disorder ended would be critical in assuring Britannia's continued success.

While Lelouch played close attention to the proceedings of the parliament, it wasn't like they incapable of operating by themselves, so when Jeremiah came to his side, a disturbed expression on his face, Lelouch turned to listen.

"What's the matter, Jeremiah?"

"A great Britannian fleet has been seen near the mouth of the Tiber. Most notably, the HMS Victory."

The HMS Victory was one of the few British ships to survive Trafalgar intact, Horatio Nelson's flagship during the indecisive battle, and its role as flagship in the Royal Navy was kept even if Nelson wasn't. Of course, there would be few reasons to bring such a storied ship to visit, unless….

"My father?"

"I believe so, my lord. It flies Emperor Charles' flag."

Lelouch stood up. "Gentlemen of the Parliament, if you'll excuse me, I have business with my father, the Emperor."

As Lelouch and Jeremiah left, he could hear the conversation turning from the subject of law to his upcoming discussion with his father.

The Emperor was escorted up the Tiber River and he entered the Quirinal Palace with great pomp and circumstance. Lelouch's father certainly cut an intimidating figure, towering head and shoulder over his guards so everyone could see his stoic countenance, the Knights of the Round escorting him marching in lockstep.

"Your Imperial Majesty." Lelouch bowed, careful not to display any behavior that could be seen as rebellion. Sicily had certain rights, but Charles still expected absolute obedience from his subjects.

"Lelouch. You've governed Sicily well in my absence."

"I know you only expect the best, your majesty. Is it not simply Britannian nature to be ambitious and seize the moment when the opportunity presents itself?"

"Perhaps so, but things have changed greatly since Britannia first acquired Sicily, and true Britannian recognizes his role in the Empire."

Of course, Lelouch had expected that Italy would have greater dues to the empire than Sicily would ever have just due to the larger size of his new state. Sicily had more value as a naval base than whatever taxes could be harvested from the island, and taking fighting men from the island would only make it an easier target for the other European powers.

However, while Italy may have been most agricultural, it still had incredible potential, with a massive population that could rival the British isles proper (not including Britannia's many colonial possessions, of course), although the Italian peninsula was less industrialized and wildly decentralized in contrast.

Increased taxes, of course, and while the Britannian Empire technically didn't practice conscription and had volunteer armies, the military zeal so ingrained into the people meant that a certain amount of "brave volunteers" would be expected from a state Italy's size. Fortunately, free trade was rapidly gaining in popularity in the courts of Britannia so Italy wouldn't be crippled by mercantilist trade restrictions. Access to the markets of India and the colonies certainly wasn't a negative either, and would help cover the heavy taxes laid upon his state.

When it came to matters of royal styling, it was decided that Charles would take the title King of Italy while Lelouch ruled as his viceroy. It wasn't much more than a change in name from Viceroyalty of Sicily to Viceroyalty of Italy, but it was certainly a step up even if Italy remained under foreign rule.

Surprisingly, Charles didn't demand any real changes to the constitution of the Viceroyalty, although perhaps he valued the fact that Sicily attracted Britannian political dissidents like moths to a candle flame and kept them from rabble rousing on the islands proper.

The meeting was swift and matter of fact, devoid of any real familial warmth (not that Lelouch expected any from his father) and with his new obligations as Viceroy laid out, Charles left almost as swiftly as he came. A visit from the Emperor was certainly a high honor, but it felt like cold comfort to Lelouch, especially considering that Charles planned to leave within in the day for Sicily- to visit Marianne's grave in Sicily while ignoring the woman's living daughter in Rome.

In theory, according to all the records he had gathered so far, Lelouch would have enough tax revenues to pay his dues to the Empire, but of course the issue was gathering all those taxes, the appointment of sheriffs and deputies. The parliament certainly grumbled when presented with the fact that one of their first acts would be the levying of taxes to pay their new obligations, but none had worked up the daring to disobey the edicts of the Empire, at least not yet.

Plans were also laid for a proper Italian army, properly organized with educated officers instead of a gathering of enthusiastic, if disorganized infantry. Sicilian horses were certainly good, but having all of Italy would give them the chance to field actual cavalry instead of using them to pull supplies or as horse artillery. With all the resources of Italy, in theory Lelouch could field an army in the tens of thousands, although their current selection of officers was lacking.

Plans were laid for a great industrial complex on the outskirts of the city, and while Lloyd may have been busy with the Sardinian coal mine, he had many schematics and plans for water powered factories, which could be built almost immediately on the banks of the Tiber without waiting for coal to run steam engines.

Literacy was low, especially in the southern portion of the peninsula known as the Mezzogiorno, and the south also had the potential to crumple in on itself further if he focused too heavily on the cities of the North and ignored law and order in the South. The might of the Italian peninsula was under his control, and he would not waste it. Machiavelli had dreamt of an Italian freed from foreign tyrants, and while they still bent to Britannia, Italy stood unified in a way it hadn't since the days of Odoacer.

They were also laying out a framework for more general elections for the parliament, although the men on the parliament certainly seemed slow getting to that particular part of the agenda.

The Britannian Royal Navy and the merchant marine carried all sorts of merchandise across the seas. Silks from Asia, naval stores from Northern America, and ivory from Africa were a few of the many goods these ships moved. These ships also moved people, and even if the Slave Trade Act prevented the sailing of slaves across the Atlantic, thousands of men, whether laborers or fighting men, traveled the seas.

One such traveler was a Britannian civil servant by the name of Aidan, who worked for the Honorable East India Company in Calcutta, but when he heard news of war in Italy, he felt a calling. Perhaps the opening of the Italian markets would be his chance to make a fortune? Even if not, if the Sicilian prince proved successful then he would need administrators and officers. He may not know a lick of Italian, but the company had books of all sorts, and he had studied on the long sea trip to Sicily, between frequent bouts of sea sickness. He usually had quite the iron stomach, but perhaps there was some disease spreading? The conditions in the ship were miserable, perhaps some foul miasma in the salty sea air?

At least his mood was brightened when the ship stopped in Gibraltar, and he had received news that Prince Lelouch had taken Italy and won recognition from the other great powers of Europe.

Sicily was a sight for sore eyes, and even through his worsening sickness the sight of the fair city of Palermo lifted his spirits. Speaking of spirits, he immediately began to look for a bar near the bustling docks. He was miserably thirsty.

Even after quite a few drinks, he still felt a little off, and he felt a terrible feeling in his stomach. The streets were crowded and filthy, and the one time he had seen London it was only worse. He stumbled outside and managed to lean against a wall before vomiting again and again. He felt so weak, and now that he was leaning against the wall he found it hard to stand. He managed to stumble over to a privy before he had miserable diarrhea. He could barely walk at that point, and he knew even if he could find a place to stay the night he'd probably collapse before reaching his room.

The next thing Aidan remembered was someone tending to him, gentle hands lifting his body and measuring his pulse, comments about a horrible blue pallor and a sluggish heartbeat. Who could they possibly be speaking of?

Random history fact: One of the world's first cholera pandemics began in India in 1817 and it would eventually spread to Europe and the Americas, killing thousands in Russia, France, and Britain, lasting all the way until 1837. Isn't history interesting?

Interesting fact: estimates place the Italian population around 18 million in 1800, while Britain and Ireland would come in at around 15 to 16 million. Of course, that doesn't include the colonies or India, but Italy was very population dense state limited by not really having a strong central authority. I imagine there'd be less immigration to the new world in the Code Geass-verse, considering how it's basically the same as the old world with nobility controlling land and such. Our timeline's Britain was a beast, and it controlled around 24% of the world's GDP in 1870. It could be even higher than that in Code Geass considering how much colonial land Britannia has.

Of course, trying to apply our timeline to the Code Geass timeline always gets messy. Did the Anglo Saxons invade? Characters certainly have Germanic names, but the Britannian emperors are supposedly descended from the Celtic kings who fought the Romans. Cool setting, but they want you to watch the mecha fights and not think too hard about all the history.

Title of this chapter is based on The Prince, where a few chapter titles are something like "Concerning _ Principalities"