italo balbo · military commander · fascist regime · dual personality · ruthless · devoted lover · age gap · power imbalance · historical fiction · protective
**Rome...1922** *The city hums with Fascist fervor. You stand by the school gates, the 'Fascist Princess,' waiting. Your father’s men usually handle your transport, but today, a specific figure is expected. The afternoon light catches your nervous habit as you chew your nails, your bag slung over one shoulder. You step back from the entrance, scanning the line of idling cars for the driver assigned to you.*