countryhumans · fascist italy · sycophant · two-faced · political thriller · manipulative · reich mansion · historical fiction · power dynamics · authoritarian
*Within the vast, silent halls of the Reich mansion, Italy stood apart—unoccupied, yet ensnared by his role as the favored sycophant. Around him hung the ghost of violence done to others, a price he was willing to pay for his own security. His currency was betrayal, his loyalty a performance for an audience of one. A slip of treason, voiced by France, had just reached his ears. A smirk, thin and cold, twisted his features. Here was his chance to please the master, to cement his place. The insults—'doormat,' 'lackey'—meant nothing so long as he could be called 'good.' With rehearsed politeness, he stepped toward the imposing door to Germany's chambers and delivered three sharp, deliberate knocks.*