The Broods of Eagles and Serpents – A Second Empire or Bust

[Elias Tarfarius]

The Broods of Eagles and Serpents – A Second Empire or Bust

Prelude

In our universe, Francois Joseph Charles Napoleon Bonaparte, or Napoleon II to Bonapartists, had the misfortune to live his life as a prisoner of his Austrian relatives because of his father’s double downfall. He desperately wanted to be numbered as a great man but his physical condition and political considerations collaborated to withhold glory from the young man. He lived in a see-saw of hope and despair; one moment he believed that by sheer determination he would still be able to lead a normal life; the next he was tripped up by physical weakness, by his inability to fight the germs of consumption. At the beginning of 1832 he resumed his military duties, caught pneumonia and was again back under ordered bed rest in his Hofburg apartments. His activities were limited to extra sleep, lots of reading of newspapers, pamphlets and books, although outings to the theater and riding were allowed. He was still recovering on his 21 birthday on March 20, 1832. He had now lost the hearing in one ear. While some were recommending that the Duke remove to a warmer climate, like Italy with his mother, some argue that it was the Austrian Chancellor Metternich who blocked that option. Metternich had no need to poison his old enemy’s son, as some writers have claimed he did; all he had to do was to let him die. For at the beginning of this spring of 1832, it seemed possible that Francis might still be saved. Francis then was moved by carriage to Schonbrunn on May 22 and he took up residence in rooms that his father occupied following Austerlitz and Wagram. He died at the age of 21 on July 22 in the palace. He was buried in Vienna with full military honors, but was finally reunited with his father in 1940 when his body was returned to Paris by Adolph Hitler as a gift to the recently conquered French nation. Yet, that is in our universe and ours only.

The Death of The Duke of Reichstadt, 1832

In a universe next door to our own the story is different. For a moment, Metternich is not the master of realpolotik and instead allows the young Bonaparte to be moved to Italy for convalescence. He returns to good health, although tuberculosis will continue to plague him during the rest of his short yet eventful life, and is put in command of a new regiment at Milan. He has served three years there and has gained the rank of brigadier while at the same time becoming a luminary in Milanese society. This is where our story begins…

The revived Brigadier Franz Josef Karl Bonaparte, Duke of Reichstadt, 1835

#Goals#
-Revive the Empire of the French as it was at its height, circa 1810 (conquering the Low Countries and Italy along with preventing the union of Germany, unless under French auspices, are included in that goal)
-Expand colonial holdings in Africa to at least the historic bounds
-Retake colonies in the Americas that were lost during the Ancien Regime and the Wars of the First Empire
-Avenge Napoleon I by forever crippling Russia
-Avenge Napoleon I by humbling the British forever
-Taking all of South-East Asia
-Maintaining an alliance with Spain no matter what
-Making damn sure that the Bonapartes rule till the end of time, this in our case will be 1920
********************************************

[Elias Tarfarius]

Chapter One - The Chance of a Lifetime

“I envy that boy. Glory is waiting there for him: I had to run after Her. I will have been Phillip: he will be Alexander. He has only to extend an arm, and the world is his.” - Napoleon I to Geraud Duroc on the occasion of the birth of Napoleon II



It was the right season in Lombardy again. The heavy heat of summer had not yet come and the snows of winter were barely in memory. This was also always the time the Duke, that is Franz Josef… or shall we call him Napoleon… no, no, no. That would never do. The Duke of Reichstadt was his grandest title to that date so we shall call him that. Now where was I… ah yes, the Duke was most active as at that time as the weather was beneficial to his condition. He was never a man to do anything by half measures; it was either all or nothing with him. So it was that day in the month of May, eighteen hundred and thirty five, while we were out for a walk in the garden of the Governor’s palace…

The Duke: It is clear to me that poor King William has no chance of holding the Belgians and that no one will come to his aid in the matter, even though the Belgian revolt violates the stance of the signers who were at the Congress when I was a mere babes in swaddling clothes.

Lucretcia Maria Antonia Borgia, daughter of an old noble (meaning at this time broke) family: Who would help the dumb arse anyway? It is he who misruled and now he shall pay the price for it. Sic Semper Tyrannis!

The Duke: Odd coming from a descendant of one of the most corrupt and wicked families ever to walk this continent. I guess the Papacy is excluded from that formula.

Lucretcia: Argh! Francois, how many times must I endure your barbed insults to my family’s honor? I am only a woman and cannot defend myself against the half bred son of a godforsaken Corsican warmonger and father of a thousand bastards who was the son of a washerwoman and a two-bit numbskull of a noble and a lawyer!!!

The Duke: Well see, you can give as well as you get. *smile which quickly disappears* Now take it all back… *gives the evil eye*

Lucretcia: Oh have I offend his high and mightiness by saying the truth… *sighs* Fine, for the sake of friendship I take back all I said about your father and grandparents…

The Duke: *grabs her hand* and I do the same as well. You know, I have been thinking about our…

Suddenly a long haired old man dressed in ill fitting clothes that were fashionable… in 1789… jumps out of a fir tree into the middle of the path. The Duke quickly draws his saber, the same one his father brought back from Egypt after his triumph over the Mamluks.

Old man: *yelling at the top of his lungs* Vive le Emperor!!! Fear not, my true liege, I bring tidings of great joy.

The Duke: Jesus has returned, correct? *smiles*

Old man: No, my Emperor, and this is no time for jesting. The French nation is in sore need of their rightful ruler and I am part of a cabal to get you that place.

The Duke: By God in Heaven, I will have none of this sedition and intrigue. Louis Philippe is your king and I am a prince of the House of Hapsburg. If you wish Bonapartist conspiracy, Louis’s son is your man and not I.

Old man: Please, this is not a plan of scattered brained lunatics. Men within the government are part of it and have come here to talk to you this evening since we figured that it would take more than an Old Guard grenadier to convince you of the task at hand.

The Duke: Wait… you were in the Old Guard?

Old man: From Jena to Moscow, then I served on the Spanish front during the retreat, and again fought at Waterloo. What a day that was… but I digress. We shall meet back here at Midnight since it is distance enough from the palace that we can’t be noticed. Oh and… bring the lady.

The Duke: Why? This concerns me and matter of world politics; women should never be part of such conversation.

Lucretcia: You really are your father’s son, aren’t you? How it is that we are still friends after three years, I have no clue.

Old man: You must bring this lady because first of all, she already knows too much and thus must be brought fully into the cabal lest we be exposed. Not saying you would do that willingly, dear lady, but one can’t be too careful.

The Duke: And the second reason is…

Old man: From what I heard while I was hiding, she sounds quite intelligent and bold. Such people are always assets in times as these, even if they are only women. The Revolution taught us that among other things. Well now I must be off… remember Midnight! *sprints off*

The Duke: *yells* Very well old man!

That’s right; your narrator is a woman! What are you going to do about it, hmmmm? Anyhow, the Duke was very excited and yet apprehensive about this meeting at midnight. He wanted to see France and Paris and to take a more active role in the world. He knew as long as Metternich lived this could never occur in Austria. On the other hand, Austria was his country by right of birth as well. Could he ever betray them by leaving, no less, leaving to go to France. What would the nations of Europe say? Would it be a new war to oust him? Would he return the Continent to decades of bloody Armageddon? At that moment all those thoughts raced threw his head as they could only go threw his head and then we turned about and swiftly marched back to the palace.

The Duke: Let us drink and eat and talk, putting this out of our minds until the hour of the reckoning is upon us. Still, I will have Tomas and Lorenzo pack our essential things and have them put in the garden secretly. I have a mind to spread my wings, longer in Austria, and not just in France, but across all Europa and perhaps the globe.

[TreizeV]

Vive L'Empereur! I wish you good luck on your venture citizen Tarfarius. This should be an interesting read

[Estonianzulu]

Excelent start!

[Elias Tarfarius]

Chapter Two - The Valley of Decision

It is on us, on the Revolution of July, that this job has been imposed; it is our duty and responsibility to establish definitively, not order alone, not liberty alone, but order and liberty at the same time. The general thought, the hope of France, has been order and liberty reuniting under the constitutional monarchy. There is the true promise of the Revolution of July. – speech from February of 1831 made by Francois Guizot

Fortunately for the occasion of our nocturnal meeting with the visiting members of the cabal the moon had been kind enough to hide most of itself. We had gone back to our respective rooms after dinner and then we waited for what seem an eternity, but finally the Duke came to my glass door at about a quarter till Midnight. He was dressed in his full uniform along with a walking cane with his mother had purchased in Florence. I, by contrast, was dressed in my drab brown riding outfit, including those tight pants which Francesco… I mean the Duke never failed to critique or, more often, criticize. We walked with a brisk pace down the path; nary a word or look passed between us. We just drove on like hunting dogs on the rabbit’s tail. Once we got to the spot by the fir tree, we were disappointed to fine no one….

The Duke: Damn that buggered old bastard to hell!! I have done all this for someone’s idea of a joke I suppose. If I ever see that dirty, rotten…

Old man: *steps out from behind the tree* At your service, your Excellency. *bows*

The Duke: There will be none of that. Now where are the other people?

Old man: Over there in the inky shadows. *points ahead*

Three well attired men step out of the shadows and each shake the hand of the Duke and bow to his lady accomplice.

Old man: Now this man here is currently Minister of Public Instruction and oft has the ear of the King of the French, my Emperor I introduce to you Mr. Francois Guizot.

The Duke: Charmed to meet you.

Old man: This man is most likely the most powerful industrialist in the nation, Mr. Eugene de Melmotte.

The Duke: Delighted to make your acquaintance.

Old man: And last but not least, one of the most outstanding men to have served in the armies of France in the last fifty years…

The Duke: *big smile* Marechal Marmont! It is good to see you again. *hugs the elderly man who had fought beside his father from Toulon to Leipzig* I would never think to see you involved in a deal like this.

Marechal Marmont: Times make these things necessary. Louis Philippe’s popularity among all segments of the population is slipping year by year.

The Duke: Why? He promised a constitutional monarchy and that is what he has given them.

Guizot: Sort of, I would say. The problem is some agitate for universal suffrage, some for you or Louis Napoleon as a new Emperor, and there even a few fools that want the main Bourbon line to return to the throne.

Melmotte: But those problems have a root in the fact that we are not the center of Europe anymore. London is and it is all because they industrialized first and they have tyranny over the seas of the globe. France is a mighty power, this is true, the strongest on the continent in terms of the military… besides the Russian behemoth. Yet, I would rather war with Prussia, Austria, and Russia than with Britannia. She is our problem and to defeat her once and for all will be all the prestige we will ever need.

Marechal Marmont: You must admit that that prospect is in the distant future, yes?

Melmotte: Indeed, but it must be a standing goal to any man that takes power over the French nation.

Lucretcia: *yawns* While this is all very interesting, how does this at all pertain to the Duke whom you have dragged out here in the mid of a very dark night?

Guizot: Well, I am sure that his Excellency is aware of how much his majesty Louis Philippe along with me and many others in the government along with the entire French nation love and admire his father and all his family, except for Louis Napoleon. Louis Philippe is a man of reason and he would certainly be amendable to be advised by the second great Napoleon, thus join the Bourbon and the Bonaparte in one mind, never to fight and oppose each other again. Instead we shall stand together and shake Europe and the world with our new found strength. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity! The July Revolution cannot fail with you behind it.

Marechal Marmont: This is true and also I have kept an eye on your development as a commander and leader of men. There will be a rank as full general waiting for you when you come to Paris…

The Duke: My dear Marechal, be ye not so presumptuous. What about my family here? I speak not only of my mother but my Uncles, Aunts, cousins… my cousins! I am to be a traitor to all I have ever known for the sake of a chance adventure?

Lucretcia: Yes!

The Duke: Oh, I see you are my mind now.

Lucretcia: I say this to you because I don’t want to have to listen to you whine about a lost chance to fulfill the dreams of your “glorious” father and the like. This is your chance, so take it. Your star is on the ascent.

The Duke: Ah… I suppose… it appears so. What will mother say?

Lucretcia: She will act shocked and appalled like all the rest of the big chinned ninnies in Vienna but deep down inside she will have the greatest pride any parent would have in a great son like you.

Marechal Marmont: I could not have said it better myself.

The Duke: My dear Lucretcia, your sweet comment along with your bitter poke at my family has made my mind up once and for all. I will…*sigh*... I will go, go to be of aid to my people, whether French, Italian, Austrian as they are all my people by right of blood and soil. To Paris, gentlemen, to Paris!

[Meltdown1986]

A woman in pants! But that´s, I mean you could certainly see her... ankles! Sacre bleue,... she must be a right harlot! I... I... uhm... excuse me, I think I have to take a cold bath.

Oh, á propos, very good start, I´m looking forward to hearing more of your dashing young gentleman and his... womanly accomplice with her, uhm, unusual taste for attire.

...hurries off to somewhere, probably a place containing lots of cold water and some boring literature.

[coz1]

A wonderful start to this tale, I must say. I hope you will be able to achieve your goals, but I dare say it may be difficult. It will be quite fun to see if you meet them. And I like the old man - quite funny.

[Elias Tarfarius]

Chapter Three – Making Friends and Influencing People

“It is a truth that man is difficult to know, and that, if we may not deceive ourselves, we must judge him by his actions of the moment, and for the moment only.” – Napoleon I on the nature of men

And so our great escape began. What few possessions our servants had gather and placed in the vicinity before the meeting were loaded onto a hay wagon while the rest of us rode ahead with all speed. By midday, we were in the lands of the king of Sardinia-Piedmont. At Genoa, we said goodbye to the Marechal, who had been exiled from France since the Revolution of July 1830 and is generally hated for his betrayal of Napoleon, and we boarded a yacht belonging to Mr. Melmotte bound for Marseilles.
There, we were very careful to not look to suspicious and the Duke went about in a long light grey overcoat (remind you of anyone) and a big floppy hat he had been given by a Lombard farmer a couple of years ago. Mr. Guizot was able to pick up a paper before we boarded the first in a long series of stage coaches that would take us to Paris and Destiny.

Mr. Guizot: Well, according to this paper the Austrians report that unknown assailants have kidnapped and perhaps murdered the Duke of Reichstadt.

The Duke: They say that because it would be quite an embarrassment on many levels to report that I have escaped their bonds.

Lucretcia: I wish I could imagine how the various governments are taking the news.

Viennia

Metternich: NO!!! *bangs fist on table* Did I not say this would happen if we let that boy have a bit more leash? He is the son of a viper and viper he is also. Now that terror is released on Europe once more! *bangs fist on table*

Franz I: But, dear sir, he was also our grandson. He may have the blood of the Corsican thug in his veins but through and through he is a Hapsburg.

Metternich: Would a Hapsburg be running off to France to plan world domination with King Louis Philippe?

Franz I: Who told you that rubbish?

Metternich: The servants of the Duke and Lady Borgia, who under interrogation admitted to not only packing items of the Duke and the Lady for the escape but also listen to them plot with a few other persons of note:

Franz I: Such as…

Metternich: Such as Francois Guizot, the industrialist Melmotte, and the Duke of Ragusa.

Franz I: Why would Franz…

Metternich: Ahem, if I may politely say so, your majesty, he is not your cute little grandson who stands guard outside of your door in a little solider uniform anymore, he is now the greatest threat to the peace and security of Europe, and thereby the entire world, since Waterloo.

Franz I: Fine, Herr Metternich. You are the wisest in these matters, as always. But why would the Duke be involved in a plan with a man who betrayed his father?

Metternich: They both have get respect for each other and the Duke is a young man, he can afford to forgive something that was necessary and could not be helped. Young men are that way, not embittered by many decades of intriguing as we older men are; at least that’s what Aristotle says.

Franz I: Alright, do all things that you must and I will only request two things of you.

Metternich: It will do my heart good to fulfill any wish your majesty has in mind.

Franz I: First, do not make the fact that the Duke willfully escaped public and do not even tell that to his mother. Make it appear to be a kidnapping or some such thing. Second, keep the British dogs of war at bay as best you can, I don’t imagine they will be any more excited to get this news than you have been.

Metternich: Very true. I shall do my best as always, your majesty.

London

Palmerston: How in God’s name did this happen?

Man hiding in the inky shadows: Our agents in Milan, Viennia, and Paris have gathered that it is a cabal who’s goal is to install the Duke of Reichstadt as Emperor and return France to its “proper” station as the most grand and glorious state in all Europe. This is not a case of kidnapping as the Austrians have tried to pass it off as. The Duke willingly left with certain important persons, among them Guizot.

Palmerston: *sighs* We are cursed then. This continent shall never be rid of Boney and his spawn and much British blood and treasury will be spent in getting rid of this one as well, in that I have no doubt.

Wellington: Hmmm. Perhaps we can work with this young fellow though. Who says we have to save the sorry jackasses of Austria, Louis Philippe, etcetera. Conquest on the scale of what his father did is impossible nowadays and anyway as long as trade with Europe remains free and open, who could care less who is ruler. Of course, I say all this not knowing what the man’s design is. I better go make sure my uniform still fits. Excuse me.

Palmerston: Well, we shall wait and see before we deliver any type of ultimatum or any such thing.

Paris

Louis Philippe: *puts down a letter from Guizot* It appears I shall have a grand guest soon. This should be very interesting... *smiles*

Franz I, Emperor of Austria, thrice defeated by Napoleon, and grandfather of the Duke of Reichstadt


Metternich and Palmerston


Louis Philippe, king of the French since 1830

[coz1]

Another excellent update. This is becoming very exciting. Love the way you jumped from place to place, especially the scene in Vienna. Great stuff.

[Elias Tarfarius]

Chapter Four – The Eaglet and The Sly Devil

“If you wish to be success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.” – Napoleon I on the nature of politics

It was the first of June when we finally arrived at Paris. Fortune alone had made sure that we were not discovered during the tediously long journey from Marseilles. Now we had arrived in a city of the world; it even put the hustle and bustle of Vienna and Milan to shame. The Duke had an air of extreme confidence and joy about him. Several times he had wanted to get out and present himself to the people, knowing how much they longed for such an advent, but Guizot talked him out of it and the coach drove on toward the Tuileries. There we would meet the king of the French for the first time and be informed, perhaps as to exactly what was expected of the Duke. Once there, we quickly changed into the best clothes we had, the Duke into his dress white brigadier uniform and I into a red silk dress that had an amazingly low cut front and was rather… shall we say opaque, and went there after into the king’s study.

The Tuileries

Louis Philippe: Welcome, my fine guest Napoleon Francois Bonaparte… or do you prefer Duke of Reichstadt. Ah, I see the first thing I must do for you is get you a new uniform as that one you are were will never do. If you walked out into the street with that on, you would be ripped limb from limb even if you were the son of God. *heavy chuckle*

The Duke: That will be fine and you may call me Francois as I have most likely lost my title and all else in Austria that I have.

Louis Philippe: Oh, but I can fix that as well. We will just make a new title for you with estates and all. That will pass the National Assembly with an almost unanimous vote and voila.

The Duke: That is extremely generous of you but what do you want in return?

Louis Philippe: Yes, you would be the kind of man who gets straight to the matter and does not, how you say, beat bushes…

Guizot: *whispers in Louis’ ear* That’s “beat around the bush”, your majesty.

Louis Philippe: Ah, whatever. As you must already know, the goal of my rule has been to bring France back to La Glorie and political stability has been a key in this. We looked to your father’s governance as an example, since it was only the untimely turning of wars which brought its fall. That government had a great balance between liberty and order, yes?

The Duke: Indeed, but why do you need me to help you with this program?

Louis Philippe: Because of your blood to blunt. The name Bonaparte is right in the collective mind of the French nation and now that you are back, the people shall believe that anything is possible.

The Duke: Have you thought of the consequences of bring me here? War may break out over this act.

Louis Philippe: I have left all of that in the capable hands of Mr. Guizot. He shall have all the plaudits for the success of this operation as well as any blame for wars and the like.

Guizot: *gulps* That brings another matter to mind, your majesty. Shall we tell the people officially that Bonaparte is here or should we wait?

Louis Philippe: Oh why the hell not! The damned newspapers know already I bet; those damned papers.

Lucretcia: What is wrong with “those damned papers”? Freedom of the press is a right that any secure and open government should support and praise.

Louis Philippe: *gasps upon first seeing Lucretcia* Ah….um…. Mademoiselle, it is a matter of balance. There is much not fit to print that floats about calling itself news these days.

Lucretcia: Is it not always the people’s place to decide what is newsworthy and what is true?

The Duke and Louis Philippe: NO!

Lucretcia: *sighs* Oh well. *shakes head*

Louis Philippe: *walks over to Lucretcia and puts his hand on her shoulder* Ummm… there, there fair Mademoiselle, you made a very good argument but it is only a fact that such things cannot be in our age. We must talk more about this together sometime… indeed we must… indeed.

Guizot: First, there is the dinner in a few minutes with the ministers, generals, and headmen from the Assembly. Afterward there will be dancing follow by all us gentlemen meeting here to discuss the issues facing the nation. This will be Bonaparte’s first chance to present his views and we all will welcome it.

Lucretcia: What will we ladies be doing?

Guizot: All of you will go with the Queen into her parlor to chat about marriage, lace making, new dresses, how cute we men are, and all that sort of thing.

Lucretcia: Trapped in the wrong damn body, by God! *heavy sigh*

Louis Philippe: I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement, Mademoiselle…

[TreizeV]

Its only the 1830s....perhaps its interesting to note that the duke of Wellington is still alive rematch anyone?

In any case, excellent writing Elias! Keep up the good work!

[Elias Tarfarius]

Chapter Five – The Eaglet’s First Flight

There you have personal rights, universal and equal for all, from which stem equality in civil order and in moral order. But will political rights be of this order? It is through tradition, through heredity that families, peoples, and history subsist; without tradition, without heredity you would have nothing of that. It is through the personal activity of families, peoples, and individuals that produces the perfectibility of the human race. Suppress it, and you will cause the human race to fall to the rank of the animals. I say that aristocracy is the condition of modern societies, a necessary consequence of the nature of modern democracy. – speech from October of 1831 made by Francois Guizot

For the stability of the Government, the people should have a considerable voice in the elections. – Napoleon I on politics

That evening, Louis Philippe did not let us down in the quality of the dinner and dancing… especially the dancing. Francesco and I could have danced all night but we were soon to be whisked away, I to the parlor of the Queen for useless female banter, and Francesco… that is the Duke… went to smoke cigars and talk on the issues of the day with the big wigs in the King’s study. I will not bore you with what went on in the Queen’s parlor but I will tell you what the Duke told me later about his first flight into politics.

Louis Philippe: Who would have thought this gathering ever possible? *heavy laugh* Only with the July Revolution is this possible!

All in the room except Bonaparte: Here, here!!!

Guizot: Dear sir, why do you not toast with the rest of us?

Bonaparte: Because I am not one for empty toasts.

Everyone: *gasps*

Louis Philippe: Explain yourself remembering that you are a guest in my house.

Bonaparte: And you should remember that it was your agents that brought me here! I am just saying that there must be more behind a revolution than mere words which is all, I fear, this one has. A revolution, in order to last, must be supported by three things, the people as symbolized by their vote, the military as shown by their devotion to any cause they are set to, and the economy as shown by the faith of businessmen and investors in their nation’s future.

An industrialist: Are you saying we ought to bring back universal suffrage?

Bonaparte: Approximately.

Many in the room: *grumbles "He wants to turn us into America..."*

Bonaparte: But that populous must have the truth at their finger tips on Election Day so the solution to that is for the state to censor the press.

Many in the room: *ahs in approval*

Louis Philippe: Hmmm… perhaps you have something there. Maybe we have been too hard line on not allowing universal suffrage. Passing it in the National Assembly certainly would take the wind of the sails of the likes of your cousin, Louis Napoleon.

Bonaparte: I was hoping my very presence in the country had done that.

Minister of War: You mentioned the support of the military and sending it places with no gripes for the troops at all. Do you have anywhere in mind, good sir?

Bonaparte: Finishing the Algerian adventure…

Louis Philippe: *grunts disapprovingly*

Bonaparte: … or rather “Colonial Expedition” would be high on my list along with an decisive intervention in the Low Countries dispute.

Everyone: *gasps*

Bonaparte: That’s not shocking. It’s all a matter of maneuvering around the British behemoth.

Louis Philippe: Truly you are a thinking man and worthy of more than anything I can give you! Tomorrow, the National Assembly will give you a new title with estates and income, most likely in Alsace. Gentlemen, a toast to our new Bonaparte, Duc du Alsace!

Everyone: Here, Here!!!

[coz1]

Continued excellence, Elias Tarfarius! A shame Lucretia cannot join in, as she seems just as capable as some of the King's men.

[SecondReich]

This is great so far!

However, if Napoleon II doesn't avenge his father I will be angered.

Keep going.

[_Arcadian_]

Once there, we quickly changed into the best clothes we had, the Duke into his dress white brigadier uniform and I into a red silk dress that had an amazingly low cut front and was rather… shall we say opaque, and went there after into the king’s study.

Oh dear! What a prostitute! lol

This extremely good so far. I daresay one of my favourites! I really like French AARs, especially ones with Napoleonic revival schemes. I'll have to put this one up with my faves. I just hope that Grandpapa won't be too angry with his petit Louis when they're at war.

[Rajj]

This is a really cool aar.

[Rajj]

Why are you so keen for an alliance with spain?
WHy not sattelite them first? But a bonarpart on there throne and then be there friend.

Could you please not use that really small writing, it hurts my eyes.

[Elias Tarfarius]

One Bonaparte already was ruined by Spain, I dont see why another should be. As the "partnershiip" between Napoleon II and Louis Philippe illustrates, the Bourbons and Bonapartes can work to together if they choose. France and Spain as a bloc were the only thing that provided balance in 18th century against Brit hegemony. I plan to bring this status back in the 19th century, eventhough Spain is a bit more weak now.

Btw, what small print are you refering to?

[Rajj]

The first ever paragraph in the AAR for example. The small print i am reffering ot is the narrators speak. Maybe its just that my eyes are not as good as yours, but it does casue them to strain.

otherwise a very good aar.

[Rajj]

Originally Posted by Elias Tarfarius

One Bonaparte already was ruined by Spain, I dont see why another should be. As the "partnershiip" between Napoleon II and Louis Philippe illustrates, the Bourbons and Bonapartes can work to together if they choose. France and Spain as a bloc were the only thing that provided balance in 18th century against Brit hegemony. I plan to bring this status back in the 19th century, eventhough Spain is a bit more weak now.

Indeed, but wouldnt it be good if instead of annexing lots of places, annex small amounts of territory form everyone and replce all the mager monarchies with a bonarpart. just an idea, it is of course entirely down to you, being that its your AAR and not mine.