I think I shall pass on that
That's not very nice to the Tuscan kings though, is it?
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That's not very nice to the Tuscan kings though, is it?
Firefly for the win!
Inara would make an interesting addition (since all the other characters are male). If not, maybe the Preacher.
You might be right; however, it would be too weird in my opinion
Good to know.
They had their chance!
Sorry for not updating in a while. Netflix has decided to be a big jerk and remove the David Tennant specials of Doctor Who -- "Water of Mars" and "End of Time" -- by December 1, so when I'm not watching Harry Potter with my wife, I'm watching Doctor Who to get caught up. I should be all caught up today or tomorrow, so I should update on Friday.
Thanks for your patience!
Well, you lead a country to glory and then you can't even be a country anymore.
Chapter 40: The price of absolute power
16 May 1663, Chancellor's office, Rome
David O'Connor, freshly returned from Pensacola, had a new job and a new title. He'd earned a promotion to Baron, which meant that now his children -- if he ever had any, as his mother might have said -- would become nobles upon reaching their sixteenth birthdays. He also had a new job. He was now Undersecretary for Colonial Affairs; the difference between this job and his old one was that he would stay in Rome and communicate with the new Governor-General once he was appointed. David supposed he was pleased that the Emperor trusted him, and he liked working for the Chancellor, but he wished he was given something more important.
A clerk handed him a note, and David immediately recognized the handwriting -- it was the Chancellor's, Prince Napoleone di Farnese.
David,
Congratulations on the promotion. I need to see you in my office as soon as possible.
N
As the Irishman scanned the note, he was puzzled. Although David knew and liked the Chancellor, he'd never been especially close to Prince Napoleone. Still, if David wanted to continue advancing up the cursus honorum, it didn't hurt to make a few personal connections. He entered the Chancellor's office, bowed, and closed the door upon Napoleone's gesture.
"Thank you for coming, Baron O'Connor."
David was absolutely shocked. Everybody knew that the hunting accident that nearly cost the Prince his life had left him permanently unable to speak. Napoleon smiled briefly, anticipating the young Baron's question.
"Yes, I am perfectly capable of speech. It is true that for a time after my accident I could not speak, but those wounds healed rather quickly. My doctor has been trying to tell my brother, but, well, Peter has never trusted doctors, particularly since the Empress's passing."
Both men briefly muttered a prayer for the departed, then Napoleone continued.
"It is my brother I wish to speak about. You are aware what he did to the French king at the conclusion of this most recent war, yes?"
David nodded. "Indeed, sir. I am quite close to Aedile Lan Zhu at the Foreign Minister's office, and he witnessed it, along with about twenty or thirty other nobles in Paris."
"And your opinion of his actions, Baron?"
David coughed and cleared his throat. "It is not my place to pass judgment on the man selected by God to rule our land."
Napoleone smiled sarcastically. "I shall note that you answered 'correctly' if anybody asks me. Now, tell me the truth."
After another moment of hesitation, David blurted out, "It was morally reprehensible, sir. Killing an unarmed man is wrong and against one of God's commandments."
With those words, David half-expected he could kiss his promotion -- if not his life -- goodbye. But to his amazement, the Prince nodded.
"I happen to agree with you, David. That's why I asked you to come here. I know your father is very ill, and I'm truly sorry to hear that, as he is a hero to this Empire. But I also know that you will inherit much of his prestige, and you will be in a position to influence things in ways I cannot."
"I'm not sure I understand, Chancellor."
Now it was Napoleon's turn to hesitate. "Here's an example. The Emperor actually ordered all of our forces to leave France after peace was signed."
"I'm not a general, but that seems prudent."
"Perhaps, except that France was still at war with the Iroquois! Now, when the Foreign Minister confronted my brother about this, Peter acted like he couldn't be bothered, even threatened to arrest di Ferrari for annoying him. Doesn't that strike you as disproportionate?"
David frowned, but said nothing. Napoleone sighed.
"I can see you still do not trust me. Look, I am not asking anything untoward of you. Just to be vigilant. The Marshal and Lan Zhu agree with me, at least, and combined, they were able to fix the Emperor's mistakes, signing a peace with the Iroquois and stationing some troops in France until our Governor-General there can reestablish an army."
David ventured a safe question. "Chancellor, who is going to be Governor-General of France?"
Napoleone nodded. "That's a good question. It's Field Marshal della Torre's position as of now; I'm not sure who will be our administrator there in the long term."
David thought a bit longer. "What are you asking me to do?"
"Help fix any... mistakes... my brother might make, here at the Chancellery. I will protect you from any retaliations; thankfully, my brother listens to me, or at least my notes. I have a feeling Duke di Ferrari won't be Foreign Minister for much longer, and so once Lan Zhu is promoted to Deputy Foreign Minister -- which shouldn't be very long at all -- we'll have the three most important government ministries in capable hands."
"Don't you trust the Emperor?"
Napoleone smiled. "A very fair question, my young friend. Ever since Dominique died, he's started to, well, act unusually. I don't entirely trust our Minister of the Interior, Duke di Campofregoso. Did you read about the reign of John I in your history courses at the university?"
David shuddered. "It is hard to forget him."
"That is exactly where we come in. I hope this is just a momentary lapse in judgment, perhaps his way of grieving. Like good servants of the Empire, we must anticipate our Emperor's needs. If he makes mistakes, perhaps it is simple an error of transmission."
"And what if it isn't temporary?"
Napoleone had never looked more somber. "Let us pray it is."
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19 July 1664, Germanicus Academy of the Imperial Legions, Florence
Chief of the General Staff Jacopo Contadino was absolutely delighted with the progress of his new weapon. And to think it had come from a Dutchman!
The new mortar was the product of Constantijn de Ruyter. A strapping young lad of 19, he nevertheless attended one of the finest schools in the Netherlands, the University of Leiden, and was scheduled to deploy to sea when the war between France and Italy had broken out. With the destruction of Holland's fleet as a result of the war, de Ruyter had no real opportunity to prove himself. His quick thinking and gunnery had sunk an Imperial cog, which was better than many naval officers had done in the short but bloody campaign.
The war had awakened something deep within the young Dutchman. Tales of Karel van Dijk, the namesake for the Imperial College of War, had fascinated his parents in school. Constantijn himself had studied Italian history as one of his specialties. He also spoke Latin perfectly. When General Ubaldini landed his soldiers on Dutch soil, de Ruyter made a decision to seek employment within the Empire of Italy. Like most children of his generation, he knew absorption into the Empire was inevitable; most schools around Europe were making Latin mandatory as a second language. He decided he'd rather establish himself now, making a better life for his future wife and children.
But before he left, he visited Baron von Coehorn, a family friend, and copied down plans for one of his ingenious new cannons, hoping it would earn him a place in the Imperial classes. The Imperial fleet had no real interest, but General Contadino knew they were superb on the spot, and gave the lad a temporary commission as a Lieutenant in the Imperial legions. Jacopo did this as much to protect him from the new conscription law as anything else.
Citizens of the Empire,
Despite our glorious victory against the hated French, our numbers are depleted. I am hereby decreeing that all male non-noble citizens of the Empire will now have five years mandatory service in the Imperial legions upon the age of 18, unless they are already engaged in a necessary industry or enrolled in a university. Imperial censors are already drawing up lists of eligible young men. The first class will enter the legions in 1665.
I know many will be reluctant to sacrifice their sons, but without proud soldiers of the legions to defend us, many of our freedoms we hold dear may be lost forever.
Glory to our Empire!
Peter I di Farnese, Emperor of Italy, King of France, Overlord of Achaea, Corsica and Morea
And so, with a noble rank, the Lieutenant could not be drafted into the legions; that way, when the navy expanded and needed new officers, van Ruyter would find his name eligible. Of course, it could have been worse. After years of negotiations, Parma had finally joined the Empire, making the Italian peninsula whole again for the first time since Rome fell in the fifth century AD.
The poor unfortunates in Parma were drafted immediately; they had no opportunity to wait until the following year.
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1 June 1665, a new construction site outside Rome
Peter I, still wearing his old Commander's uniform, smiled at the progress his men made. Napoleone had complained about the expense, but Peter didn't care.
Peter looked at his old palace with disgust. The Castle St. Maso was old. Incredibly old. Once known as the Castel Sant' Angelo, the former home of the Papacy symbolized the preoccupation with the past that many Italians shared. Peter respected traditions, as any Emperor would, but what made the New Roman Empire so vibrant was its youthful vitality and vigor. This new palace -- the centerpiece of which was a 50 foot tall likeness of Peter -- would be an excellent place to rule, away from the noise and mud of Rome.
He thought for a moment about his brother, the Chancellor. Napoleone had finally stirred up the courage to admit to Peter he could talk. The Emperor briefly considered jailing his brother for treason before a recent treatise published by the University of Rome showed that Napoleone was the finest Chancellor Italy had had in years.
With the surge in popularity, his brother was now untouchable, even for an Emperor. As much as that rankled Peter, since he hated the idea that there was anything he couldn't do, he kept his tongue, an admirable act of restraint if he said so himself. He didn't even oppose Napoleone's personal project -- a new Fine Arts Academy in Sidon. As if naive infidels could even comprehend the greatness of Italian art.
Peter thought for a moment about those around him. He had to admit a terrible truth; he really didn't trust many of them. Some had dared to question him about his actions against the King of France. As far as Peter was concerned, the swine had gotten what he deserved. First the so-called King had tried to prevent his marriage to his beloved wife, then he refused to acknowledge Peter's rightful claim of inheritance.
That reminded him -- he really needed to talk to Dominique about the Imperial Gardens. They had been woefully untended for a couple of years now.
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30 January 1666, Pensacola
General Antonio della Ubaldini wondered if he wasn't being punished, apparent promotion notwithstanding. His family -- an old and prominent one, respected throughout the Empire -- had fought against the new assignment to the New World, but a talk from both Baron O'Connor and the Chancellor had shut them up. The General might be Governor-General of the American Colonies, which sounded prestigious, but it was a meaningless backwater.
The land seemed empty to him, especially compared with the glorious civilization he was used to in Rome. Even London had been more luxurious than Pensacola. He had 13,000 bored soldiers, and boredom was something soldiers didn't handle well. The Iroquois, who held the territory of Tuscaloosa just to north, sent periodic raiding parties into Pensacola, frustrating the highly disciplined and trained legion with their knowledge of woodland terrain and tactics. When the Timurids invaded, the legions punished them and forced them to a humiliating defeat, if not tribute. But no matter how many raiding parties killed citizens of the Empire, Ubaldini was not authorized to move north, only to defend as best he could.
He'd tried to appeal directly to Marshal Cato, who politely but firmly rejected all of his transfer requests. The Emperor himself had been rather more firm and less polite.
General,
If you value your life, you will stop wasting the Marshal's time by asking for transfers.
The Emperor
And so Antonio suffered.
What else could a soldier do?
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27 March 1666, Marshal's office, Florence
Brutus Porcius Cato, trusted Marshal of the Empire for years, glanced around his office one final time. It wasn't officially a firing -- the Emperor had been kind enough to let him retire with full honors and rank, even giving him the post of President of the Van Dijk College of War, a very prestigious and respectable retirement assignment. But Brutus was no fool; he knew exactly why his "retirement", which had never even been hinted at before, was all of a sudden immediate for "reasons of ill health," despite being much healthier than men half his age.
He opposed the Emperor's war, and made the mistake of doing so in public.
Toulouse made no sense! It wasn't near Italian territory, except for Bearn. Burgundy had already stated they would intervene. France couldn't do anything, as they were the juniors in the Personal Union with Italy, but Burgundy was a formidable foe. Most of the legions were still tired and exhausted from the war with France. Plus, who knew who else might see this as a moment of weakness?
Brutus knew he should have shut up, knew he should have just nodded and obeyed, but the truth was that he'd never been very good at just keeping his mouth shut. Hell, for years, Peter respected that very fact. But Peter was not the same man he had been those years ago.
At least the Emperor chose an excellent replacement. Jacopo Contadino, a man Brutus had known since he was a private in the legions, was the new Marshal of the Empire. Della Torre would stay Field Marshal, which was fine, as he never really wanted to leave that post. Vittorio di Medici was named Chief of the General Staff, another good choice. Brutus wished the new Marshal luck.
He would definitely need it.
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It feels good to finally get another update out there! Thanks to Sethanon for de Ruyter, our newest character! Hopefully, I'll be back on a more normal schedule of updating now.
I've never played as Tuscanny, but I think I am going to add it to my short list. I've been there and it's a nice town. Would be cool to transform it to the heart of a mighty empire that rivaled Rome in glorious splendor!
Would be cool to transform it to the heart of a mighty empire that rivaled Rome in glorious splendor!
Great update. It seems Pietro may have gone as crazy as a 3 dollar bill. He doesn't even realize his wife is dead. Seems like it may soon be time for an *ahem* "change in management"
I can't imagine how the conversation about the Gardens might go.
"so dear, what should we put in the garden?"
"I was thinking maybe my grave."
"No flowers or anything?"
"no."
"so dear, what should we put in the garden?"
"I was thinking maybe my grave."
"No flowers or anything?"
"no."
It seems our (not-so) beloved emperor is suffering from a sudden stroke of memory loss. I'd say it is indeed time for a change in management!
*prepares the facibus and hastae (merely because the Romans did not know what a pitchfork was)*
You seem to be against the emperor?
Good, everyone is
I like France and Holland, he kicked both of them around and finished of by killing the beloved king of France like he was a mere peasant. That's not what the NRI stands for, is it now?
I've never played as Tuscanny, but I think I am going to add it to my short list. I've been there and it's a nice town.
I hadn't until the readers of my Novgorod AAR suggested it either. The trick is to not get eaten by Milan; if you can do that, you should have somewhat smooth sailing.
I was hoping I hadn't made that too subtle
Very nice
*prepares the facibus and hastae (merely because the Romans did not know what a pitchfork was)*
You seem to be against the emperor?
Good, everyone is
I like France and Holland, he kicked both of them around and finished of by killing the beloved king of France like he was a mere peasant. That's not what the NRI stands for, is it now?
Interesting exchange, I must admit.
I say Napoleonne will take down his brother and put somenoe else on throne!
And i hope that happens...the emperor is getting crazy, guess losing his wife wasn't good for his health....
And i hope that happens...the emperor is getting crazy, guess losing his wife wasn't good for his health....
Maybe you are right, maybe you aren't. I'm not saying.
That's very true, and Italy will be no exception.
Excellent point; it's not necessarily just one or the other, is it?
Next update should be Monday evening, possibly Tuesday afternoon, GMT -6 hours.
I have often times said the difference between genius and crazy is that genius is what they call it when it works and crazy is what they call it when it doesn't.
I planned to update this evening, but alas, I shan't be able to, but for a very good reason -- I forgot how epic this war was. I will update again this week; on that you have my word. I just can't say when, for sure.