Interlude 3.5 : Caesarissa
Author’s Note : This interlude alternates between Leila’s and Schneizel’s points of view. This interlude is part of a short SPQR-focused arc. It shows what was happening on the Roman side before the story returns to the main Britannian timeline. The main storyline will resume with Chapter 26 after these interludes.
Leila’s POV
SPQR
The Senate and People of Rome
Province of Gallia Narbonensis
In front of an old mansion on the outskirts of Paris
“...This place should be fine.”
I looked out the window and murmured.
“It has a garden, and the river is nearby.”
Akito carefully wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.
“Leila...”
Just as he lowered his head and brought his lips closer to mine—
“Ahem.”
A cough came from behind us.
“Youth... what a truly wonderful thing.”
“Even Hebe would be jealous at this sight.”
I spun around as if struck by lightning.
Standing there was Iacobus Chiracensis, a Roman senator from the Province of Gallia Lugdunensis.
“I greet Athena herself—Your Excellency, Leila Vitonia Malcalia.”
As he bowed before me, I let out a sigh.
“...What is it this time, Uncle Iacobus?”
“Er... Uncle Iacobus?”
At Akito’s perplexed look, I crossed my arms and explained.
“He’s the man my mother dated before she met my father. But his family and ours used to spend time together sometimes, before the Atlantic War.”
“My father and his wife both know about that relationship, and they both say it’s fine, since my mother and he are only friends now.”
“Er... okay.”
Then I turned back to Iacobus.
“You can drop the formalities, can’t you, Senator?”
At my words, he began to speak.
“Yes, Leila. The reason I came here is—”
But before he could finish, I cut him off.
“No. I’m not going. I’m not returning to Rome.”
Iacobus let out a sigh.
Then he removed the senatorial badge from his chest, placed it in my hand, and bowed his head deeply.
“U-Uncle?”
“I will lay this badge at your feet. If you do not return, then neither this badge nor my life has any meaning.”
“N-no... don’t do that...”
“Leila... if you do not return, another military hard-liner like Eugene may seize power again, or the Mediterranean parasites may revive. The Senate and People of Rome will collapse.”
“I already handed everything over to General Douglasius Nivalius. He is the current Megas Domestikos. It is up to him now.”
“He is the very man who strongly petitioned Her Majesty for your return.”
My eyes wavered.
“...I-I am nothing but a defeated general who lost to Britannia.”
“There is also Admiral Marina, who rescued as many refugees as possible from the South African colonies and held back the Britannian navy for two weeks with her fleet at Ilulissat during the Atlantic War.”
“She petitioned alongside General Douglasius, and she shares his opinion.”
“I beg you... please, Leila.”
My voice trembled, and then the tears burst out.
“S-sob...”
Akito quickly pulled me into his arms.
“It’s all right... it’s all right...”
I cried in his embrace for a long time.
In the end, I nodded.
A few days later.
SPQR
The Senate and People of Rome
First Capital, Rome
The Center of the World
An audience chamber deep within the Imperial Palace—Palatium Palatinum, the palace first built by Augustus of the Old Roman Empire and later restored by our founder, Barba Ruba, and his son.
The young Augusta—Lily Aemilia Altocastarenis Augusta Basilissa—dismissed every attendant and remained alone with me.
Then she knelt before me.
“Augusta Basilissa...?”
The Augusta removed the golden laurel from her head and held it out to me.
“Our family no longer has the right to lead the Senate and People of Rome. Please lead them anew in our place.”
I recoiled in horror.
“Augusta Basilissa!? Are you trying to turn me into a rebel like Eugene, who is now suffering in hell!?”
“Eugene tried to seize the crown from my father by force. I am voluntarily abdicating in your favor.”
I shook my head.
“Neither the Despotes, Saint Dragašis, nor the Western Caesar, Napoleone Bonaparte, ever ascended the imperial throne.”
“How could a defeated general like me covet the golden laurel and the purple robe?”
Yes. Saint Dragašis—who swore fealty to the New Western Emperor of his time and offered Constantinople and Morea to the New Western Roman Empire in exchange for becoming his son-in-law—reclaimed Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch, but stopped short of becoming Imperator Basileus.
Instead, he was satisfied with the title of Despotes. He also played a major role in reuniting the divided eastern and western branches of Christianity, leading to the birth of the Unified Church, before dying in battle during the Persian expedition.
As for Napoleone Bonaparte?
He was born in Corsica and led several Gallic generals such as Valarus and Lucius, as well as former priests such as Carolus and Umbrae, into El Escorial and Buckingham Palace. He conquered two parts of the Old Britannian Empire—Iberia and Albion—but wed the princess of the Altocastarenis dynasty and became the Western Caesar, receiving the silver laurel and red mantle from the Imperator Basileus, the Archbishop of Rome, and the Archbishop of Constantinople.
But he did not receive the golden laurel or the purple robe.
And me?
I am just a loser who merely drove the invading Britannian Army away from Toulon, Calais, the Tadla Plains, Hastings, York, Edinburgh, Egilsstaðir, and Ilulissat, but stopped short of entering Pendragon, the capital of Britannia. I allowed the Britannians to strike back, wasted time in the Pampas and Area 2, and brought about our defeat in the Atlantic War.
No, it was worse than that.
While I was trapped in my office for two weeks, stunned by the announcement from Lysander—Britannia’s fourth prince, Duke of Tenochtitlan, and Grand Marshal of Britannia—that the Senate and People of Rome had been completely encircled, we lost battle after battle at Ilulissat, Egilsstaðir, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tindouf, Burgan, Juba, and Khartoum.
Two weeks later, the previous Imperator Basileus—Her Majesty’s father—declared unconditional surrender.
“Please, Augusta Basilissa, withdraw your words.”
The young Augusta hesitated, then opened her mouth again.
“Then... become Caesarissa instead.”
At her words, I could no longer refuse.
Although that office had been vacant for almost two centuries, if I refused even that, then there would be no point in my return to Rome.
“Yes, Augusta Basilissa.”
As she rose to her feet, placing the golden laurel back upon her own head, the Augusta smiled and replied calmly.
“Please address me as ‘Your Majesty’ in private, Leila.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Schneizel’s POV
Holy Britannian Empire
Imperial Capital, Pendragon City
The Chancellor’s Office — my office
A few weeks after our father, Charles zi Britannia, delivered his imperial address in Pendragon Square—
Slam
My advisor and the Minister of the Imperial Treasury, Galen Paranese, came rushing into my office.
“Your Highness, it’s an emergency!”
“Lord Galen? What happened?”
Click
Galen flicked through his mobile phone and showed me a live broadcast from the SPQR.
It was Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Priests from both Saint Peter’s Basilica and Hagia Sophia—two of the Holy Sees of the SPQR’s Unified Church—were singing hymns, while the witch, no, the Commander-in-Chief of the SPQR, Leila Vitonia Malcalia, entered the hall.
As she knelt before the young empress, the Archbishop of Constantinople presented the seal of Caesar, and the Archbishop of Rome presented the red mantle and silver laurel.
The seal was a red shield bearing a golden cross and four Bs, with a double-headed eagle wearing a golden crown. It had once been the coat of arms of the House of Palaiologos, but ever since Saint Dragašis, it had become the royal seal of the Caesar.
Then the young empress herself placed the mantle over Leila’s shoulders and set the silver laurel upon her head.
“Leila Vitonia Malcalia... from this day forward, you are Caesarissa.”
The basilica was covered in cheers.
All one hundred senators of Rome and Constantinople.
The generals of the SPQR’s army, navy, air force, and Knightmare forces.
High-ranking officials of the SPQR cabinet.
And the comrades who had fought beside her in the Atlantic War, including her lover, Akito.
...
A short silence fell over my office.
Galen spoke first.
“Should I ask Lady Chamberlain of the Household, Countess Violet, to censor this?”
“No. She is probably watching it too, so there is no need to remind her.”
“But censorship is just a short-term fix.”
“If the market and the people find out that the witch has returned...”
Sigh
Yes. During the Atlantic War, the Commander-in-Chief of the SPQR had destroyed several royal residences—starting with mine in the Archduchy of Montreal—as well as Sakuradite plants and Britannian Orthodox churches in Area 2.
At that moment, my secretary, Oliver, entered my office and shouted,
“The Chinese Federation has already started reporting the return of the witch—I mean, the Commander-in-Chief of the SPQR!”
“Stock markets are already collapsing, Your Highness. Only military, gold, silver, and Sakuradite-related assets are rising.”
Oh God...
How could a bull market turn into a bear market in less than an hour?
That left me only one choice.
“Fine. I’ll contact Cornelia.”
“Pardon?”
At my words, both Oliver and Galen looked perplexed.
“She was the one who fought the Commander-in-Chief of the SPQR during the Atlantic War, defended Area 2, and advanced into Greenlandia and Icelandia.”
“If Cornelia receives complete wartime command authority over all Archduchies in Area 2, the market will calm down.”
“But wouldn’t that only benefit Prince Lysander?”
“Lysander and Cornelia have just gotten married!”
“Of course that alone will not be enough."
"I will also have Lloyd prepare a Level 2 upgrade plan for the Imperial Capital of Pendragon’s arcology, as well as a plan to turn every county in Area 1 into an arcology.”
“Soothing the security risk and increasing social overhead capital at the same time... a good choice, Your Highness.”
“I see. Then I’ll summon Lord Asplund right away.”
“No. I will visit the Ministry of Science and Technology myself as soon as I finish my call with Cornelia.”
“Understood.”
P.S.
Napoleone refers to Napoleon in OTL.
Valarus the Lanky refers to Joachim Murat in OTL.
Lucius refers to Louis-Alexandre Berthier in OTL.
Carolus refers to Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord in OTL.
Umbrae refers to Joseph Fouché in OTL.
They were all Romans in this world and conquered Albion(=UK) and Iberia(=Spain and Portugal), two parts of the Old Britannian Empire.