World of Kaiserreich: Italy
Alex DiMauro for Romeo (Italian Soldier)
'Romeo' is our name for an otherwise untitled narrator. He is a young romantic, a loveable and cocky rogue.
Romeo narrates the events of Italian history in this fictional universe, but mostly, he is unconcerned with the war or happenings outside of Italy. Romeo only has eyes for Julia, his childhood sweetheart who now lives across the heavily fortified border. Every night, he sneaks out to meet her in secret...
- male young adult
Ahh… Lucia, my love, mia cara. When we grew up in the turbulent 1910’s, we knew little of the storm raging outside. We were young, and in love – the war was such a distant thing. Your father despised it, of course. I was, after all, a mere baker’s son from the villages, and you came from a well-off family from Milan. But borders did not stop us then, and they do not stop us now, mia cara.
Our secret meetings became even more secret when our country broke apart. Yes, defeat in the Great War was a tragedy for our fair Italy. From a united nation, we regressed to a band of squabbling states – each obsessed with their own brand of ideological nonsense. The Social Republic, syndicalists they call us, waved their little red books and proclaimed all others to be reactionaries. The Republic in the North was decried as an Austrian puppet state. And the papist pearl-clutchers in Rome grasped power in their catholic Southern provinces. I could not tell you the details, mio caro, my love, for I am not a historian and care little for the fate of nations.
Italy is a geographical construct, they say now. A relic from the past. But Italy exists in the hearts of the people, Lucia. As our love has weathered this storm, so too will the love of the Italian people for their homeland. The Germans and Austrians may draw their arbitrary borders, rule their little provinces. But they are cold, heartless creatures, and they too, will pass. Like the Roman Empire, the German Empire will crumble and fall, in time. But young hearts will always find a way.