From Brother, With Love I

Posted on Sun Jul 23rd, 2023 @ 11:52pm by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Emperor Antonius VI

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: The Pyramid
Timeline: Date 2371-08-14 at 1900
5572 words - 11.1 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

The streets of Rome were clearing through the massive panes of the floor to ceiling window of the Secretariat Room. The old eyes of Antonius watched the throng meander from the square outside and the long road where they had gathered to celebrate and to elect the members of the newly restored Senate. What would it be like to be one of them; a member of a body so much bigger than himself? What would it be like to escape this golden prison and walk the streets of the Eternal City? Would he be going home to a modest dwelling on the outskirts of the city where his family would gather for something quaint and nice? Would they love each other?

He sighed. Worry for his grandson and Jessica tugged at his heart, irritation with Giuseppe, and a deep guilt for the fate he’d consigned Paolo to threaten even to cause tears to well-up in his eyes. But he couldn’t do that.

“Majesty.”

Ruggero Bava stood a respectful distance from Antonius as he called for the man’s attention. He had served as Antonio’s private secretary for decades; Bava had never once given Antonius a reason to question his loyalty in that whole time. Bava himself had been quite upset over the situation with Giuseppe even prior to this day, and this debacle had only added to it. Not that anyone could tell. He stood there impeccably dressed in his high end suit, his hands clasped behind his back and his face stoic.

“Silas Sharp is requesting an audience with you.”

Antonius forced back a sigh, turning his attention back toward Ruggero.

“Private?” He asked in return, simple and quiet.

“Yes.” The reply was simple and steady in return.

“Very well.” The Emperor said, and stood from the chair he’d pushed right next to the window. Adjusting his suit, he spoke again over the low din of a room with small sounds of talking. “Lead the way.”

Ruggero turned without any further prompting and walked out of the room. He led Antonius down the long hall at a natural pace, not rushing but also not being ponderous about it. When they got to the small meeting room, one of the guards opened the door and preceded them inside and with a slight bow Ruggero deferred to Antonius. “I will be outside.”

Antonius didn’t acknowledge what Ruggero said. As his Personal Secretary, he was the man with the most control over the Emperor’s time besides himself and his wife. If they talked about everything, they’d never get any work done. Instead, he walked into the room with Silas and two guards and stood straight, his short stature made up for by excellent postured and a serenely high gaze.

Silas stood next to the window, his arms folded and his lidded eyes seeming to focus on nothing. When the door opened however, he came out of his reverie and straightened, then bowed as Antonius entered. “Imperial Majesty.”

“Director Sharpe.” He said, his voice full of a quiet menace, as if he were growling at more bad news already. He said nothing else, but instead let the silence create space and tension.

“I wanted to inform you of another development. Approximately twenty minutes ago, we intercepted an explosive device that was sent to Princess Giana’s private apartment in Rio. We apprehended the individual who was making the delivery, and he pointed the way back to two others. They have been taken into custody and delivered to Imperial Intelligence for interrogation.” Silas spoke, his voice calm and his demeanor meek compared to his usual.

Antonius nodded, noting that it was good news this time.

“Giuseppe would murder his own sister in cold blood with a bomb.” He said under his breath. “I was right to displace him. Such a monster must never rule the Empire again. Antonius III was bad enough, but even he wouldn’t have done that.”

He was ashamed to have sired him, and prayed silently for his death.

“I assume they know nothing of Giuseppe’s location, but anything they can tell us might be enlightening.”

“I wasn’t sure if you would want the Princess Royal to be informed or not.” Silas said honestly. It wasn’t exactly something a woman would want to hear, but perhaps Antonius would want to have her gold for his own reasons. He had no love for Giana; she was spoiled and a brat to her core, and though he also had his qualms with Giuseppe, obviously, he still doubted Giana’s story of her elder brother’s abuses.

“I will tell her myself.” Antonius said. “I don’t see a reason to keep this from her. I doubt it would surprise her at all.”

Silas nodded, holding his tongue on any other opinion he might have. He knew he was on the proverbial thin ice right now and while Antonius was keeping it together for the moment, many here had witnessed exactly how volatile he could be when pressed.

Antonius exited the room and walked back to the Secretariat room in silence, flanked by four guards who watched him lest another one of Giuseppe’s plots should succeed. He entered the room, and As he did so, his approach was announced by a young herald. He waved at everyone to keep there seats and set his eyes on Giana. The moment they met, he communicated without words that he wished to speak with her and then resumed his high-backed chair by the giant window.

Giana had been in the middle of a conversation with one of her aides to make sure Bella Gia was being taken care of in her absence and that everything necessary for her to continue her role as Dominion Lady was brought to her. When her father caught her eye, she immediately frowned and made her polite excuses. Why on earth did he want to talk to her right now? She softened her features and walked over to him with a bit of haste.

“Papa?” She prompted him gently when he was by his side.

“How are you holding up here, Giana?” He asked, his eyes on the people still exiting the street. The sun was touching the horizon, casting a gorgeous orange, purple, and blue color over it all and making them depend on the lights within the room. “I had Nadia bring beds, furniture, and various accouterments and we’ve turned some offices into suites for the night.”

What a strange question; also not the reason he brought her over here, of that she was quite certain. “I’m alright. It has been a bit stressful, sure, and Uncle Mario insists on being well… Uncle Mario.”

“Mario is a wind bag. He’s still angry about being born second, even in his old age.” Antonius replied, wistfully. “Siblings are a funny thing. Close enough to comfort; close enough to kill.”

The man turned and looked at his daughter, his aged hand reaching out and grabbing hers for a change of pace. He was quiet for several seconds, initiating contact that was rare for him. One could see in the cerebral man the gentleness of his youngest.

“They intercepted a man delivering a bomb to your apartment in Rio.”

Comfort given by a sibling was a foreign concept to Giana and she imagined likely to her own father as well. Jealous Mario would have put a knife in his back, and ice queen Claudia had the emotional depth of a thimble. Actually, now that she considered it all together, she really wasn’t surprised her family was as fucked up as it was.

The news of the bomb really didn’t shake her, and really the only reaction she gave was a frown. Her hand squeezed against his slightly, and she looked down at him as he sat there.

“Papa?” She prompted again, her voice soft and almost childlike.

“Giuseppe sent men to blow you up with your servants and, likely, half a city block.” Antonius clarified. “The man was stopped and captured. He’s being thoroughly questioned by Imperial Intelligence.”

Again, she didn’t react when he expounded more on what Giuseppe’s plans were for her. Before anyone else in their family had, Giana had understood what kind of monster her brother was. She let Antonius’ words sit there for a beat while continuing to look into his blue eyes with her own that reflected him. Then she spoke very softly to him.

“Papa, why didn’t you kill him the night you killed all those lords?”

A flash of something came over those blue eyes of his, something rare and unspoken. It was hurt. It was there one second and suppressed the next, replaced by a manly stoic expression. His lips parted, but no sound came from them for several seconds.

“He was my son,” Antonius said, finally. “And I’ve never harmed my family. Family should be about something more than that. So I gave him a lordship and hoped he would be smart enough to be a second son. He was even less wise than I imagined.”

How was it that the most powerful man could not see how that would have never worked? Was it because he too was a man? Stripped of his position, Giuseppe’s pride had been mortally wounded, and there was nothing more dangerous or animalistic in the world than a powerful man slighted, his pride taken from him.

She wondered if her father simply would have rolled over had Mario been put above him. Perhaps he would have; he certainly had a profound fantasy of their family… the reality was nothing like it.

She didn’t point any of it out to him, why would she? It would only anger him. Instead she gave his hand a slight squeeze.

“Is there anything you need from me, Papa?”

“Just stay safe, Giana.” Antonius said. “And try to keep spirits up.”

That wasn’t all, Antonius realized. He looked out of the window again. When he spoke again, his voice sounded soft; almost meek.

“Wait..what has Paolo said to you about all of this?”

“What do you mean?” She asked, frowning slightly again. There was a part of her that was immediately, intensely jealous. Paolo. Always Paolo. He looked worried about what the boy thought; he hadn’t seemed even remotely disturbed by the fact she could have been blown up. Sure he had offered a bit of comfort, but on a day like today, her death would have just been another thing on the list.

Paolo’s teenage concerns however…

“About what’s happening. About Giuseppe.” he said, his eyes finding a redheaded boy being picked up by his father on the street below. “Did he say anything that might indicate to you what he’s thinking about it all?”

Unknowingly, her eyes found the same son and father and as she watched them, she slowly and absently slid her hand from Antonius’. She wasn’t in his mind now and she wouldn’t pretend otherwise. “He’s upset.”

“Of course he’s upset, but..” Antonius’ tone was gentle and not meant to rebuke her answer. “Does he want vengeance? Does he want to talk to Giuseppe, or bribe him, or kill him? I asked him, but his answers were…uncharacteristically vague.”

“I don’t know. He’s fourteen. Who knows what he is really feeling at any given moment. He’s upset.” She repeated. “Have mother talk to him, maybe. In you he only sees Emperor now, and if he is feeling any way he thinks isn’t appropriate for a Crown Prince, of course he isn’t going to tell you.”

Giana wrapped her arms around herself. Of course she could have told her father the truth, but something in the back of her mind decided the better choice was to keep the confidence of her brother.

Antonius sighed. What a mess. He felt terrible, in truth. A failure through and through.

“This is a terrible job..”

“Well, figure out how to make it better.” Her voice started out terse, but then she softened again, looking to Antonius with her big blue eyes. “I know you could do it if you put your mind to it.”

Antonius looked at her, suppressing his feelings again. A man like him couldn’t emote. He couldn’t be effeminate. He forgot that at the Supreme Council meeting weeks before, but he was rededicated to it. Giana didn’t understand, but he wasn’t sure how important it was that she did.

“The only way to change this situation is to kill my son.” he said, standing up and turning to face her. “And I very-much intend to do that. Quickly; publicly.”

He turned then to the table where several officials sat looking at devices and talking. Around the room, some people conferenced on phones and others just sat and conversed.

“Camila Joyce. Do you have my document?”

In the middle of the table, the picture of balance, CJ spoke quietly on her Sonus. When the Emperor addressed her, she quickly got off the phone and looked over to him.

“Yes, sir. It was brought up a few minutes ago. The Chancellor refined the language a bit, but otherwise its exactly as I proposed.” she said, standing up and sliding a crisp piece of gold-line beige paper to the inside of the semi-circular table.

Antonius looked at Giana and indicated with his head that she should follow him, then he walked the short distance to the place where his chair once sat. CJ looked at Giana, offering a somewhat friendly expression, but not smiling.

Giana briefly glanced at CJ, giving just the slightest of nods but she wasn’t feeling particularly friendly right now. At his summon, she moved after Antonius again though this time didn’t prompt him or ask questions for what he had in his hand.

“The first bill from the Imperial Senate, given before the opening of their session with Our permission.” He said, eyeing Giana. He picked up a golden and wrote in small cerebral letters “Antonius Imperator” underneath. As soon as it was done, a page picked it up, bowed to him, and exited the room quickly. Antonius raised his voice, silencing the whole room with is booming echoing sound.

“The fugitive, Giuseppe Angelo Orsini, has betrayed his true and lawful Emperor and has been declared to be an Enemy of the Senate and People of Terra. All citizens now have a duty to kill him, should they have the chance.” He spoke, and the impact was clearly seen as anyone who knew history understood that this move hadn’t been done since the Empire of old. “Upon his death, he will be wiped from history. All mention of him will be destroyed. Every image, every recording, every printed sign and word that signifies him. And anyone who speaks of him will be in danger of the executioner’s block.”

Giana stood behind and to the side of her father as he made the announcement. His loud voice at such a close proximity didn’t phase her anymore. It was commonplace in her life, but she did notice how some of those in attendance did flinch just slightly. Her father could command a room, of that there was no doubt. She listened to his words - something harsh to fit the crimes the beast had committed, but the problem was it was all already done.

Too little too late.

At once, the Emperor was on to other paperwork. Before Giana could leave him, however, CJ had rounded the table and approached her.

“Would you walk with my, Your Highness. I need to stretch my legs a bit. Barking at journalists is tiresome work.”

Giana looked at CJ and then back to her father, her lips parted as if she were going to say something but then she stopped and frowned just the smallest of expressions. Instead she turned fully to CJ, lifting her head high.

“Of course.” She gestured for CJ to lead the way.

CJ turned, gracefully moving for the door, confident the Princess would maintain her speed beside her. She was careful, as always, not to walk in front of her. The hallway outside the Secretariat Room was quite busy as well, but she knew a place that wouldn’t be. Stepping into an elevator she pressed a button and turned to Giana.

“We haven’t spoken in a while, ma’am. I thought you might care for some wine.”

“Yeah, that might be nice.” Giana sighed and her body relaxed slightly. While she wasn’t completely naive and knew CJ wasn’t being kind and friendly for altruistic reasons, Giana couldn’t deny the woman had been instrumental to the changes in her life as of late.

“I’m sure this has been such a fantastic day for you.” Giana’s voice dripped with sympathetic sarcasm.

“It’s certainly had its challenges. But, this job gets me out of bed in the morning every day. The chance to help people, even from far away.” the door opened then, and she smiled. “The chance to make an impact.”

CJ stepped out of the elevator and walked with Giana by a sign that said “Department for the Glory of the Fatherland. Of course, they had their own building nearby, but CJ was working from her Pyramid office during this particular crisis. All of her critical staff had come over as well so they could run a tight ship. They walked past a window which presented a bullpen full of staff on the other side, all of them working, and calling, and talking over cubicle walls. CJ took her down a hallway instead ane went straight into an office with pine walls and one triangular window-wall which provided a view of the city. It was relatively low in the building, so the tops of trees were closer than in some other places.

The room was neat and well decorated with cream couches, pale tan-padded chairs, and a stylish desk in front of a telecommunications station that ran television screens which covered nearly the entire wall. CJ bypassed all this and went to a cooler which was built into the wall. She pulled out a bottle, grabbed two glasses, and walked to the couch area.

“What a day for you. As frightening as it is…predictable.” she said, handing Giana the glass and sitting down on one of the chairs.

It wasn’t as though Giana had never walked past cubicles or working people before - in fact it was more common of an occurrence now given she owned a business - but every time she walked by one of these large windows, she couldn’t help but look inside. It was like she was looking into another world… or perhaps a zoo enclosure. Her blue eyes didn’t linger long and she focused on walking with CJ.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in here. It is a nice office.” Giana offered up as she looked around the room. Perhaps it was automatic politeness, perhaps she really did think it was nice. It was hard to tell. She followed CJ over to the couches and took a seat, not waiting for an invitation.

“Was it predictable?”

“To some, yes. To others…yes, but in a different way.” CJ said, not looking amused or making light of the situation at all. She was aware of what Giana was going through, more than the younger woman knew. “Are you surprised Giuseppe Angelo escaped from prison? Be honest, and rely on your intuition. Does it really surprise you that much?”

Before she answered, Giana waited for her wine and when it was presented, she took a small sip of it. Should she have? Probably not, it was more customary to wait for the other person so it spoke to her trust in CJ.

Or at least the trust she had that CJ didn’t want to die an agonizing, horrible death.

“No.” She finally said through a soft sigh.

“No one is surprised.” CJ said with a shake of her head. “Maybe the Crown Prince is surprised, actually. And yet, here we are.”


“Here we are.” Giana repeated almost as if she were agreeing with some sort of toast. She took another sip of her wine and crossed her legs at her ankles.

“Paolo still sees good and hope in everything. Of course he is surprised and upset.”

CJ looked at Giana, a curious expression on her face, but whatever question she had in her mind, she didn’t ask. Instead, she lifted her own glass to her lips and sipped the dry wine.

“I’ve been able to watch the Crown Prince for months now, and have even been asked to give him a crash course on Imperial Media and propaganda. He took to it with great interest, of course. That is his way.” CJ said, her tone was neutral; alarmingly so. “I hear you’re going to be our next Crown Princess if, gods forbid, something happens to your father.”

Giana looked at CJ and sucked a bit of wine off of her lower lip. She was under the impression that those particular plans were supposed to be a secret. It was possible her father had told CJ, it was possible someone had broken confidence in the household, it was possible this was some sort of test.

“Gods forbid that were to happen.” Was her only answer.

CJ grinned then, seeming pleased with the response, and folding one leg over the other.

“So, whether that is true or not, you are most obviously second in line. How does that make you feel? The idea of being Empress, I mean.”

“Well if you ask me just based on today, it doesn’t seem like a good time.” Giana’s voice held a bit of sardonic sarcasm, perhaps more than a bit. “It’s a mixed bag of feelings, CJ.”

CJ couldn’t imagine, really. If it were her, she would have no qualms about it whatsoever. But it was good for her and her family that it was on the heads of the Orsini. She had no interest in changing that at this point.

“It’s not an easy job, that’s for certain, but someone has to do it.” She said evenly. “And, unfortunately, someone’s family has to pay. With their lives.; with all of their ambition and fear.”

“As you say.” Giana agreed and rubbed the glass in her hand with her thumb slightly. Maybe it was just because of the events of the day, but these questions and comments weren’t settling quite right with her. She did not, however, want to drive CJ off.

“So how does your department handle a day like today?”

“There hasn’t been a day like today in over a century, so I don’t really know.” CJ said, taking another sip. She knew Giana was uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to treat her like a child. Help her, sure, but not handle her. “But Dr. Ramsay’s standing orders are core administrative officials and their teams are to gather here at the Pyramid. I’ve got my entire office here and call out for junior staff and the ministries underneath the DGF. Our offices off world continue with business as-usual. It’s all quite interesting to a bureaucrat. Ultimately it just paints a big target on our backs that says ‘drop bomb here’.”

“Does it? How so?” Giana took another sip of her wine but was being careful to pace herself. She did at least have the self-awareness to know how she could get when she was drunk and there were exactly two people in the world she trusted getting drunk with… maybe three if she included Paolo, but she had never really considered that as an option given his age and their relationship.

“”What happens if one gathers all their eggs in one basket and then drops it?” CJ said, her slight tone of cynicism for the day marking a slightly unusual approach for her. “This is the most well-defended place in the Empire, and the sub basements can hold us if it comes to that, but still. It’s almost an invitation.”

CJ looked out of the window at the setting sun barely peeking around the buildings. It was beautiful, inside this place and out.

“What’s wrong, ma’am?” She asked, knowing a thousand possible answers. In times like this, despite the absurdity of the question, anyone who cared just had to ask.

“I just wanted a normal day. It is my father’s birthday… this was supposed to be a triumphant day for him. I guarantee you Giuseppe planned this as a giant ‘fuck you’ to him.” It was peasant language but she didn’t particularly care right at that moment. “First my mother tried to kill us all with her hand made breakfast and then there were public appearances, his speech and the announcement of the senate, then the grand party which we’d usually end with a little quiet celebration at home to finish the day, but no. Giuseppe had to be Giuseppe.”

“That does sound frustrating.” CJ said with a nod. She didn’t communicate excessive tenderness on the occasion, something she wasn’t exactly known for, but she did care and she was listening. “Most days are good days, but the recent fallout with your brother has really upturned the apple cart. Your father has been very upset, more than I’ve seen him in my four years working for him directly, at least. Richard has been trying his best to keep the tedious paperwork off of his desk in order to give him time to process it all. I’m managing the flow of information to the public so they will see things our way.”

CJ nodded. Leaning in, clearly preparing to be delicate.

“It’s not easy. And since Giuseppe being Giuseppe isn’t something anyone would understand as well as his family, we’ve reached a bit of a rough spot. Your father removed Giuseppe for reasons only understood by the court. The people don’t get it. We need someone who knows him to speak out; tell people who he really is.”

Despite most of the upper class thinking Giana was the vapid, oblivious princess who only had concerns for looking good and being popular, she was intelligent and when the mood struck her it showed. She understood immediately at CJ’s barest of hints, and suddenly her expression soured considerably. She set her wine down and sat up. “No.”

CJ’s eyebrows set a bit, not out of irritation, but confusion. She knew Giuseppe must have been a terrible brother, but she didn’t know anything more than that. Lifting her head to look at Giana, she opened the hand that didn’t have the wine glass in it.

“And, of course, that’s up to you. I wanted to ask you, but I don’t mean to put on any pressure. Please don’t take my question as some attempt to air whatever happened between you two specifically.”

CJ paused for a moment, placing her own wine glass on the side table. With her hands now in her lap, she turned her head to the side slightly. She knew Giana wanted to believe, on some level, that she’d asked to talk with her just to allow her to vent her feelings, and that was the case on some level. But, more importantly, CJ did her job. She was of use to no one if she didn’t do her job.

“I really only asked because I thought you’d be the most competent. I could always try Elana. Paolo is young and has too much to lose on a public appearance like that. If you really don’t want to, I’ll ask your sister.”

Giana let out a scoff. “He didn’t do anything to Elana outside of what a normal brother would do and besides nobody actually likes Elana. They wouldn’t care.” It was harsh, but it was also true to a point, though it was less of a dislike and more nobody knew who she was and since she didn’t seem to care, neither did the people.

“And even if Paolo didn’t have anything to lose, he’s…” She paused and then continued, “I’m still working with him to help him get more comfortable with appearances. The one you’d really love to have is Jessica but that is obviously out of the question too.”

“Yes, your brother took care of that question for us, already. That poor woman is probably sitting in a dark room in some basement somewhere until she has her baby.” CJ said with a frown. “I have some experience with Giuseppe, of course. He was a regular attendee at meetings when he wasn’t deployed and, though he rarely took genuine interest in my work, I was able to watch the way he engaged with my fellow Secretaries. It left a lot to be desired. If only everyone could see the dull tyrant the man was, neither bright enough to know nor…patient enough to learn. I can only imagine what you know about him.”

The comment about Giuseppe not have done anything to Elana didn’t go unnoticed by the secretary, and she could only assume that Giana herself had something done to her. The imagination said enough. Perhaps Giuseppe was worse than she thought.

“Then why don’t you have those people all give interviews or statements or whatever you had in mind?” Giana asked, folding her arms over her chest in a defensive way. “I’m sure there’d be even more than just the Secretariat. What about the servants and slaves of his house?”

“Servants took a vow to keep their mouths shut in these matters, as you know. So did the Imperial Guard. As did I, actually.” CJ said with a shrug, standing now to join Giana, clasping her hands over her stomach and fidgeting with her fingers as she so often did. “None of us can say a word, by law. And the slave’s testimony is completely inadmissible for anything more than gossip. It needs to be a royal. Your uncle approached me offering his help in the matter already, but something makes me think that isn’t a good idea.”

“Does that actually all still apply in a situation like this with Giuseppe being declared erased, more or less?” She didn’t actually know. How could she? This hadn’t happened since decades before her lifetime.

“Your father got a bit ahead of himself on that one. Giuseppe is an Enemy of the People, not erased. I think he was saying he ‘will’ be erased.” CJ answered. “If I can’t get any royals, I’m sure the director I selected can scare up a list of former friends and officers who worked with Giuseppe. It’s still not an impossible project.”

What value would the words of lower classes really hold to the people that mattered though? Giana knew they likely wouldn’t. “What ‘help’ did my uncle offer you exactly, CJ?”

The question was direct and Giana looked at CJ with a gaze that was much more appropriate to something that would come from her father.

CJ let the silence rest between them for a few seconds. She knew that the Emperor’s brother was less than thrilled about, well, everything, but she didn’t know the significance of Giana’s interest. There was something going on in this family, and she very-much intended to find out. Secrets made her job very hard.

“Prince Mario said he had some particular information about Giuseppe’s behavior that would, as he said, ‘stop the presses'.”she said, her eyes lingering on the Princess, knowing Giana was very serious about the subject, for some reason. “When I asked, he wouldn’t tell me. I told him I would never air something without knowing what it was.”

“And how long has he been trying to tempt you with that? Or something about Giuseppe in general?” Giana probed, her eyes bright and piercing. Mario could have been full of it, but…

“He came to me two days after Giuseppe’s arrest with an idea for a streaming documentary about the prince to show the people who he is. I liked the idea and told him I’d look into it.” CJ said with a look of disconcerted concern on her face. “Is this something I should be worried about?”

Giana’s face suddenly screwed up in anger, her blue eyes alight with fire. She licked her lips and was quiet for a long moment, then suddenly turned about face and walked straight out of the room. “Come with me.”

CJ was surprised by the command, and it showed on her face for a brief moment. She walked toward Giana without a word, leaving her abandoned wine glass where she’d placed it on the side table.

TBC