Empire Rising: Spain

Chapter 20: Chapter 19: Arrival in Madrid

On August 17, 1869, Carlo, accompanied by Giotto, Kaman Esposito, and Drew Russo—his three confidants—and dozens of servants, chefs, tailors, and physicians personally selected by his father Vittorio Emanuele II, as well as a Palace Guard of about 500 men, embarked on a grand voyage to Spain.

Carlo was quite satisfied with the Palace Guard that his father had entrusted to him. At Carlo’s strong request, most of the soldiers in this Palace Guard had participated in the Italian Unification War, with quite a few hailing from under Garibaldi’s command.

The combat effectiveness of these soldiers was guaranteed, and with Giotto, Garibaldi’s second son, at the helm, there was no need to worry about their loyalty.

Moreover, the families of these soldiers would accompany Carlo to Spain, serving as another means to ensure their allegiance.

In simple terms, from now on, these soldiers would be entirely under Carlo’s command. Carlo also needed to provide them with military expenses and equipment to secure their absolute loyalty.

With the foundation of these 500 men, expanding Carlo’s Guard Army in the future would be much easier. After all, to form an army, one not only needs a carefully selected leading commander but also some genuinely experienced lower-ranking officers to accelerate the building of the army and to shape the soul of an elite force.

On the largest ship in the fleet, Kaman Esposito and Andrew Russo were looking at the vast Mediterranean with excitement, their moods particularly buoyant.

Upon learning that Carlo was the Prince of Italy, their spirits were incredibly uplifted. Initially, they thought Carlo was just a noble youth but hadn’t expected his status to be higher than they imagined.

Then, a few days ago, upon hearing from Carlo’s own mouth that he was heading to Spain to be crowned as King, their shock was unparalleled.

This led to both of them expressing a very excited agreement when Carlo invited them to Spain.

After all, their civilian status in Italy did not offer them many avenues for advancement, making upward mobility quite challenging.

There were many excellent graduates like them, and Italy did not have much room for them to exercise their talents freely.

But if they went to Spain, it would be entirely different. Carlo’s staff did not have many usable people, and they were the confidants among confidants, naturally receiving ample opportunity to hone their skills.

Though initially only deputy captains of Carlo’s Palace Guard, Carlo promised the unit would quickly expand to the strength of a brigade.

Both Kaman Esposito and Andrew Russo could take on the role of colonel in the expanded Guard Brigade. This was a much better prospect than staying in Italy, where their rank of Lieutenant confined them to leading a company.

At this moment, both of them were ardently loyal to Carlo and had persuaded their families to join them in going to Spain.

Despite one being stout and the other slim, they were not foolish. They knew what to do to show their loyalty and earn Carlo’s favor.

Carlo certainly noticed their efforts. If these men proved competent, Carlo wouldn’t mind grooming them to become key figures within the Spanish Army.

If their abilities were more mediocre, they would still stand as exemplary figures for Carlo, entering vital positions in the Ministry of Defense or the Staff Department.

After several days of sailing, the fleet finally approached Barcelona in the Catalonia Region.

The Barcelona port looked crowded, surrounded by throngs of people, seemingly welcoming Carlo’s arrival.

“Your Majesty, Regent Serrano is already waiting for you at the port.” Seeing Carlo somehwhat puzzled, Prim stepped forward with a smile and said to Carlo.

Upon hearing Prim’s words, Carlo immediately realized that the crowd had been arranged in advance by Serrano, to ensure Carlo’s arrival in Spain was not awkward.

If Carlo arrived in Spain without anyone to welcome him, and even the citizens were indifferent, it would not only embarrass Carlo but also the government that selected him as King.

Carlo nodded, his smile unmoved: “Where is Mr. Serrano?”

Following Prim’s directions, Carlo and his entourage slowly stepped onto the port under the escort of the guard and headed towards the Spanish Government’s location.

The moment Carlo set foot on the port, the band, already prepared, played Spain’s national anthem “Royal March.”

The use of this song was most apt here, not only highlighting the importance of welcoming the new King but also emphasizing Spain’s Monarchy, giving Carlo enough prominence.

“Your Highness!” Several members of the Spanish Government bowed to Carlo.

Because Carlo had not yet sworn the oath to be crowned as the King of Spain, his status at this moment remained the Duke of Italy.

However, the oath could be administered at any time, which was different from the coronation ceremony, so everyone treated Carlo with utmost respect.

Prim and Serrano smiled as they introduced the various officials of the Spanish Government to Carlo, and amid the welcoming of many officials, Carlo entered Barcelona.

This was merely a stopover. After a brief rest, Carlo and the officials would commence the journey back to Madrid.

The good news was that although Spain didn’t have much railway mileage, it did possess nearly 5,000 kilometers of railway tracks. And as a major city on the east coast, Barcelona naturally had a railway line connecting to Madrid.

The bad news was that the railway’s speed in this era was severely slow, and the travel experience was far from comparing with that of later generations.

For Carlo, the journey from Barcelona to Madrid could well be even worse than the bumpy days at sea in the Mediterranean.

However, the good news is that once back in Madrid, Carlo could reside in the vast Madrid Royal Palace.

This palace is touted as the third-largest royal palace in Europe, second only to the Versailles Palace and the Schönbrunn Palace in terms of luxury. From this perspective, the extravagance of Spain under the Bourbon Dynasty is evident—at least in terms of royal food, clothing, and living, the Bourbon Dynasty’s Spanish Kings hadn’t been stingy.

On August 23, 1869, Carlo finally arrived in Madrid, with Prim also returning to Spain’s political center after several days.

While Carlo was eager to explore Madrid in 1869, after several days of travel and exertion, he was too exhausted to contemplate anything else.

The officials and soldiers who accompanied him felt the same.

On the first day of arriving in Madrid, Carlo simply led his confidants and servants to the Madrid Royal Palace, and comfortably slept in the clean King’s bedroom that had been prepared in advance.