The Italian Honeymoon Chapter 2, an azur lane/碧蓝航线 fanfic

Part Two – Why nothing that is easy, is worth doing.

After I had gotten my mother and aunt out of the room, I sat on the sofa and asked, "Mom, what's going on?"

Yorktown shifted from one foot to the other as she rubbed her left arm and looked off to the side while saying, "Can't I just want to live where my son lives?"

I sigh and lean back against the sofa as I say, "If it were that simple, I don't think you'd be asking for asylum."

Yorktown sighs and hangs her head before brushing some hair behind an ear as she says, "No, I suppose I wouldn't be." I watch as she moves to sit beside me and leans her head against my arm as she adds, "I've missed you, a lot."

I place an arm around her shoulders as I say, "Thanks for raising me, Mom. I don't think I ever said it before, but Mamma as much as she loathed to actually admit it, she has commented that you did a good job with me."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Yorktown smile a little as she says, "I'm envious, that she got to be your mother though, you're a good person Christ… Cristiano."

"Thanks, Mom." I answer as I rub her arm and ask again, "Now, what is going on?"

It wasn't lost on me that she's quiet again before she sighs out, "Things are getting bad in the Union."

That makes me raise an eyebrow as I ask, "How so?"

"There seems to be a movement in the Union that doesn't like the idea of us Kansen." She pauses as her brow knits together and she adds, "Like I've seen people marching in Virginia chanting, 'The Kansen won't replace us'!"

I look up at the mirror on the wall across from us as I say, "That's not good."

She shakes her head as she says to me, "I've heard about things happening to kansen that were out shopping," she pauses and looks off to the side as she says, "I've been accosted with words and slander, but nothing more than that. I've heard about far worse happening to others though."

"Mom, that's not something I can do anything about." I say feeling frustrated that things still aren't moving in the right direction in the Union.

"I know you can't, but it's getting bad there and I worry that parts of the Government are okay with it." She says to me, still looking off to the side and out the window.

"I am too, but again there is nothing I can do about it." I answer her. It's true, I'm more powerful than I have ever been at any other point in my life, and there is nothing I can do to help the woman that raised me. After a few moments I sigh and say to her, "I can't just grant you asylum, Mom, I need to talk with the Senate and see what we can do." I pause before adding, "What I can do right now, though, is suggest you 'visit' Brindisi for a few days."

I watch as her eyebrows move as she tries to follow the hidden meaning of what I said to her before she nods and gets up to hug me and say, "Then I'll go and visit Brindisi for a few days and we can catch up when I get back."

Giving her another squeeze I say to her, "Looking forward to it, Mom."

Once she was out of the room, I hurried to get dressed and leave the living quarters. Once the door closes behind me I see my Aunt Littorio standing there, one boot on the wall, ready to push herself off of it. Her arms were folded under her bust as she said, "Vittorio is escorting that carrier to Brindisi of all places, I wonder why she would suddenly want to go and tour the other side of Italia?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I sigh out, "Because the universe is testing me, that's why."

"Oh?" she asks, a playful look coming to her face as she pushes off the wall and starts to walk with me.

Looking ahead I ask her, "How soon do you think I can scare up the leaders of the Senate?"

"Why would you want to?" she asks with a smirk.

"Because some information came to light and I don't know how to deal with it." I say as we walk through the marble halls.

She gives me a sideways look for a moment before asking, "What kind of information?

I sigh and stop walking before looking around and leaning in to whisper, "It sounds like widespread racism is being directed towards Eagle Union kansen. Yorktown has been verbally abused, but she has heard of far worse happening to other girls."

"Mio Dio." My aunt says slowly before looking around and asking, "Why would that be allowed to happen in such a nation?"

I shrug and start walking again as I say, "There are suspicions that parts of their Government actually support it."

My aunt puts a hand on my arm as she says, "Cristiano, we cannot get involved in the politics of another nation."

"I know." I get out between clenched teeth and take a moment before I add, "But maybe I can ask President Tillman if he knows anything about it when I meet with him later today."

"Good luck with that, I'm sure that will be a fun conversation." She says to me as her arms go behind her head and she starts to mimic my voice, "President Tillman, thank you for the Yorktown, she's going to make a fine addition to the glory of my empire."

I groan and run my hand down my face as I say, "That is something I'm not going to bring up, as I really don't know how to deal with this yet."

"Si, si." She says and makes a dismissive gesture as she adds, "I'll see who I can scare up from the Senate for you."

"Thank you." I say as I reach for the doors to the dining area.

XXXX

Much later in the day, I arrived at the beach for my meeting with President Tillman, I moved it to the beach just to get some fresh air, as well as giving a photo op to those that wanted it. I wish I could say that I came into this meeting with little on my mind, but the Senate had just cautioned me to be careful and wouldn't commit to granting Yorktown asylum or not. I watch as Tillman walks along beside me in silence for a moment before saying, "Hard to believe that just a few months ago this beach saw shelling."

I raise an eyebrow and say to him and point down the beach, "Really? Because I remember it like yesterday, in fact, Lady Hood saved my very life just down there."

He looks a little flustered for a moment before saying, "Yes, well, of course, it would still be fresh in your mind."

As I keep moving down the beach I rub the back of my head and try to broach the subject that Yorktown brought to my attention this morning, "So, in regards to kansen rights in the Union, I would like to know what is holding it up?"

He gives me a flashy smile as he says, "You grew up there, you know what it's like when you have a senate and house that are of a different party than the president, they tend to work against the presidency."

I nod, there was some truth to it, the Eagle Union does tend to fall into that trap; one party seems intent on not doing anything other than obstructing progress for that nation. After a moment I say to him, "Then why don't you use the power of your office to shine a light on them?"

He rubs the back of his head and shakes his head before saying to me, "Because I want more than one term."

I roll my eyes and sigh as I say, "And how could shining a light on them stop that?"

"Money, the vote of the people doesn't matter, only the backing of big donors matter. And they don't like it when you call out the money in politics." He says with a shrug.

I shake my head and say with a disapproving tone, "So much for the Union being a democracy, it sounds more like an oligarchy."

"You're one to talk, you're an Emperor." He says to me in a tone full of contempt.

"I may be one, but I wasn't raised as one. I grew up in a single-income home, living in apartments and barely making ends meet." I say, nearly glaring at him as I add, "I had the title of Emperor forced onto my shoulders, I didn't seek it out."

He laughs and shakes his head before saying to me, "And in many ways, you were given more power than I took by money, yet for all that power, there is nothing either of us can do with it."

I sigh and nod as I say, "What a pair we make then."

"Indeed." He says as we start to move forward again.

After a while longer I decided to just bite the bullet and ask, "Some reports of demonstrations in Virginia, people protesting the kansen as well as some reports about…" I pause and look off to the side as I chose my wording carefully, "attacks on kansen by civilians have made it to my ears. Why is this evening happening in your country?"

He gives me a sideways look, his lips pressing together before he says, "How did that information make it to your ears?"

Doing my best to keep my expression neutral I say, "It doesn't matter how it did, only that it did."

He snorts and adjusts his jacket before he tries to downplay it as he says, "Just some rabble-rousing by some confused people."

"I'm not sure civilians attacking kansen shouting, 'the kansen will not replace us!' is a bit beyond 'rabble-rousing by some confused people'." I say to him as I fold my hands behind me and keep walking.

Looking at Tillman out of the corner of my left eye I see him go a little red in the face, but I know it's not out of embarrassment; rather it would be of frustration I would assume, after a moment he says, "Well, what goes on in the Union isn't of any concern of yours."

I nod slowly as I say to him, "You are right, for the most part." I pause before adding, "But don't forget, I was raised by the kansen of the Yorktown, so this is concerning to me."

He blinks at me a couple of times, tripping over his tongue to ask, "Yo… what?"

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose as I say to him, "Yes. When I was an infant, I was stolen away from my mother. Admiral Whitmore led a task force that intercepted the fleet that had me, rescued me, and then Yorktown made the case to raise me and wouldn't let me be dumped in an orphanage and raised me herself."

He blinks at me a couple of times I don't think he expected that, it seems to take a few minutes for his brain to catch up and he says, "I can see why kansen rights are important to you then."

Now I see my chance, it wasn't lost on me that part of his trip here was to work out passage to the Suez Canal and not having his transports being stopped by my fleet. I stop walking and turn to look out at the water as I say, "If you want a treaty with us, you will need to make some headway with kansen rights in your country." I pause and look back over my shoulder to him, "And if a kansen were to come to me, seeking asylum, I will be inclined to grant it."

He goes bright red and stomps towards me as he says, "Now hang on, they are property of the Union!"

There we go.

In a cold tone, I say to him, "They are people, your own laws forbid slavery."

That stops him cold in his tracks.

"They're not slaves!" he protests, the frustration clear in his voice.

"Are they free to move about your country? Are they free to not serve in your navy?" I start to hammer him on these questions; I knew the answer to both already.

Tillman avoids looking me in the eyes as he says, "No."

"Then we are done here, President Tillman." I say and start to walk away as I say over my shoulder, "Should that change, I will be happy to talk about other matters."

XXXX

After my meeting with Tillman, I found myself at my family's mausoleum for the first time, since I put what was left of my grandfather in it. I heard the echo of my shoes on the marble floor as I walked past the names on the plaque, letting my left hand drag across them until I came to the four sarcophagi in the center of the central chamber. I knew who was in three of them, the center-left being my grandfather, center right being my grandmother, my father in the outer left, and my uncle in the outer right. I moved to sit between my father and grandfather as I asked out loud, "How did you do it? How did you manage to rule the empire?"

I knew no answer would come, but it didn't stop me from wanting to know the answer. I sigh and fold my arms as I bring up my knees and rest my chin as I keep talking, "The kansen that raised me arrived today, and she told me about things that are going on in the Eagle Union that are alarming me." I pause and close my eyes as I add, "I want to protect her from it, she's asked for asylum but I don't know if I should grant it."

I sigh, lean back and move my arms to prop myself up as I continue to talk, "If I grant it, I run the risk of antagonizing the Eagle Union, they are a powerful nation. But if I send her back, I'm sending her into a situation that is dangerous and could result in the world coming apart."

I sigh and stand up, as I do so I put my hand on the lid of my father's sarcophagus and it moves slightly. Panic sets in on me right away and I start looking around to see if anyone saw me do this, as I do so, I catch sight of a container in with him. Taking out my phone I turn on the flashlight and shine it in, on the cylinder I see my name, my head tilts to the side and I give another look to see that it's just me here before I reach in and pull it out. Once I've got it in hand I close up the lid again and sit down between my father and grandfather as I open it up to see a letter inside.

I looked over the letter and started to read it to myself;

Cristiano my son,

I'm sorry I cannot give you the guidance or love I should, but I hope this letter finds you in a time of need and it will be helpful. I wish I could've been there to see you grow, but I know that you will be a great man one day, able to shoulder the hardest of burdens. I understand that life will make things harder just to see if it can, it will throw obstacles in your way at the worst times, but know this; both I and your mother loved you the moment we knew you were going to be part of our world.

I know my father will likely have asked you about a strong nation and a wealthy nation, as much as it pains me, we are the wealthy nation in that question. I wish we were both a strong and wealthy nation, but more often than not that strength comes at the cost of wealth. That is why alliances are so important because even several weaker fighters can bring down one stronger fighter by working together. What I mean by that is do not let yourself be pushed into an alliance you do not believe in. Trust yourself, trust that you will make the right choices at the right time and know, that no matter what life will throw at you, the love of a good woman, human or kansen, will make it better.

With Love,

Your Father; Emanuele Franco Luigi Savoy.

I fold the letter and place it into a pocket on my jacket before I stand and place a hand on my father's sarcophagus and say out loud, "Thanks, Dad."

XXXX

When I returned to the winter palace, my aunt was waiting for me in the motor pool her head tilting to the side as she asked, "What did you hope to find in that place?"

I place a hand on the pocket and smile a little as I say to her, "Some answers and guidance."

"I don't know how that's possible, the dead can't speak." She says as we start to walk into the main floor and I stop at the oil painting of my grandfather, father, and uncle.

I reach into my pocket and take out the letter as I say to her, "He loved Mamma, a lot, but more importantly, he left behind a drop of wisdom."

My aunt takes the letter and gives it a quick read as she nods and says, "I always liked Emanuele."

With a sigh, I say, "I wish I could've known him."

My aunt puts a hand on my shoulder and rubs it as she says, "He'd be very proud of you, you're a good man Cristiano and in many ways, you are so much like him."

I reach up and pat her hand as I say, "Thanks Aunt Littorio."

XXXX

A/N: Chapter 2 done! Things are getting set up for a few more challenges to come his way before his ending.