WI Napoléon II: Bourbon Hostage?

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: François Adrien Boieldieu - Angéla - Ma Fanchette est Charmante

*Paris* *April 1814* *night* *a solitary cavalryman gallops in along the road from Rambouillet* *we see the soldier dismounting in the forecourt of the Hôtel de Talleyrand on the Rue de Saint-Florentin*
*cut to dinner table where Talleyrand is entertaining Alexander I of Russia [among others]*
*a servant comes in and passes a message to the chamberlain* *the chamberlain nods and walks over to the table, where he passes the message on to Talleyrand*
Talleyrand: *listening to Alexander regaling the company with some story* *camera pans in on his face, we see the pupils of his eyes grow large*

*cut to Talleyrand in a room* *in front of a fireplace* *the cavalryman is standing in front of him, reporting* *Joseph Fouché, duc d'Otrante, is in the chair opposite*
Fouché: *outburst* you idiot, you have...what must we do with this news? do you have any idea how this will make us look?
Talleyrand: it only makes us look complicit if we cover it up, my dear Joseph.
Fouché, cavalryman: *look at him*
Talleyrand: *to cavalryman* you may go.
Fouché: you have finally lost your head, Charles.
Talleyrand: hardly...I plan to keep mine attached. And keep the king on the throne-
Fouché: this king?
Talleyrand: don't be absurd. Louis XV's regency had the Cellamare Conspiracy, not to mention the Pontcallec Conspiracy afterwards, Louis XIV had the Fronde, and then fifty years of turmoil as Catherine de Medicis was regent for first one son then another. *shakes head* no...a regency will not do. Still less with an empress regent who is about as politically capable as Marie de Medicis.
Fouché: she had Richelieu, Anne had Mazarin, Louis XV had Fleury...
Talleyrand: and I am too old to walk in those shoes, Joseph. *sets glass of cognac aside* but this is the king's choice. The Bonapartes are...scattered. The empress and her daughter, the queen of Holland, are at Évreux, the king of Spain is in Orléans, the grand duchess of Tuscany is at Montpellier, and the king of Westphalia is with the boy's mother at Rambouillet. There will be a dreadful squabble amongst them- *tiredly* and haven't we seen what disaster such sibling squabbles have wrought over the last decade?
Fouché: *says nothing*
Talleyrand: it's only with difficulty that I've convinced the Russians to drop their support for either Bernadotte or the duc d'Orléans. The Austrians will want this boy on the throne, nobody in France will tolerate what they will see as an Austrian puppet. I'm afraid the die has been cast, Fouché, and there remains little to do but wait for the king to arrive.
Fouché: *under breath to Talleyrand* assuming the king doesn't have him executed or murdered or- does the Man in the Iron Mask mean anything to you?
Talleyrand: the king is many things. But he is the only Bourbon who is not a complete idiot [1].

*title card reads 5 May 1814* *Louis XVIII is in his study at the Tuileries Palace, talking to Blacas*
Footman: His Serene Highness, the Comte de Talleyrand, Prince de Benevente, His Serene Highness, the Duc d'Otrante-
Louis XVIII: *quietly as he watches them enter* ah, Blacas...here we see Crime escorted on the arm of Vice.
Blacas: *looks at the fair-haired child accompanying them* your Majesty, I was thinking more of the child playing in a nest of vipers [2]
Louis XVIII: since both studied to be priests, I imagine they should be oddly familiar with the passage.
Little boy: *charges forward* *looks up at the king* that's my father's chair.
Louis XVIII: *looks at Talleyrand*
Talleyrand: then you may bow and kiss your grandfather's hand, sire.
Louis XVIII: *puts out a pudgy hand*
Little boy: *looks conflicted* *finally does so*
Louis XVIII: *motions to Blacas*
Blacas: *lifts the little boy up and places him on Louis XVIII's leg [3]*
Louis XVIII: we bid you welcome to our court, Monseigneur François. You may rest assured of our eternal and unchanging love. *kisses the boy on both cheeks*

*fade to black*

[1] You cannot imagine how stupid the Comte d'Artois is. All these Bourbons are idiots except Louis XVIII.- said by Talleyrand OTL. Although the usual quip about them attributed to him is "learned nothing, forgot nothing" (mistakenly, since that was actually by historian Jacques Godechot (1907-1989))
[2] Isaiah 11:8
[3] the Prince Regent likened fastening the Garter on Louis XVIII to "buckling it around the waist of a rather stout woman"

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: Jean Paul Égide Martini - De Profundis Clamavi, D Min [1]

May 1814

*courtyard of Les Tuileries* *we see "Monseigneur François" craning his neck up as watches the bronze horses of Saint Mark being removed from the top of the Arc du Triomphe de Caroussel [2] with his governess, Louise Charlotte de Montesquiou [3]
Monseigneur François [aka the King of Rome]: why are they doing that, Maman Quiou?
Maman Quiou: your grandfather has given the orders that the horses must be removed. To protect them.
François: protect them from what?
Quiou: the weather, Monseigneur. Copies will be made and put up.

*Salon Rose [4] of the Tuileries* *Louis XVIII is seated, talking to Madame Royal*
Footman: the most high and most powerful prince, His Royal Highness, Monsieur, Comte d'Artois. *few moments later* the most high and most powerful prince, his Serene Highness, Monseigneur le Duc d'Angoulême
Louis XVIII: *gives discreet eyeroll*
Artois: *bows and kisses his brother's hand* your Majesty. *kisses Madame Royal's hand* my most beloved daughter.
Louis XVIII: I trust there is a reason for your...rudeness, brother? *motions for them to close the doors*
Artois: I wish to know how long your Majesty wishes to continue this...farce.
Louis XVIII: what farce?
Artois: *gives him a look as though to say "you know what I'm talking about"*
Louis XVIII: you'll be relieved to hear that when we retire to Fontainebleau for the summer, the boy will not be accompanying us.
Angoulême: your Majesty wishes for him to remain in Paris, then?
Louis XVIII: he'll be sent to Rambouillet. To his mother.
Madame Royal: *vaguely disapproving* a mother whose misplacing of him led to this unfortunate scenario in the first place.
Louis XVIII: that may be, my dear. But she remains his mother.
Angoulême: then your Majesty intends to allow her to remain in France?
Louis XVIII: no. She will return to Vienna. She has already refused both mine and her father's suggestion that we seek an annulment of her marriage to Monsieur Bonaparte in order that she can remarry to your brother-
Madame Royal, Angoulême and Artois: *all look horrified at the idea*
Louis XVIII: *indifferently* it was the emperor who raised the idea. I could not refuse without risking insulting him. But it is decided that the boy will be sent to Rambouillet, and from there, he and his mother will journey to Parma [5].
Artois: *clearly irritable* your Majesty is a fool.
Louis XVIII: I have told you before, brother, I have no interest in the fortunes of our cousins in Spain- for they certainly had none in ours [6]
Artois: that is not what I speak of, your Majesty. You are willing to allow the boy to leave France?
Louis XVIII: you would have me keep him here?
Madame Royal, Angoulême and Artois: yes!
Louis XVIII: *to Madame Royal* so I should make him as your late brother? A flag for all who oppose me to wave around?
Madame Royal: *looks horrified - but not surprised - at the mention [7] of the verboten topic*
Louis XVIII: where would you suggest I keep him, brother? Vincennes? Perhaps I should allow Madame de Beauharnais [8] to take charge of his upbringing. Allow the Creole whore [9] to rear the child at Malmaison?
Angoulême: it would be safer than handing him to the Austrians, your Majesty.
Louis XVIII: to do that, I would be handing him to her protectress, the tsar. The emperor of Austria is at least...not siding with either the Orléans or Bernadotte.
Artois: that is hardly a reason to entrust him with a knife to put at our throats the minute we do something he doesn't like.
Louis XVIII: *exasperatedly* so what would you have me do with him then, brother? Perhaps- as the comte de La Bretèche suggests [10]- to have the boy disappeared like Richard the Third did to his nephews?
Artois: keep him close. Raise him here.
Louis XVIII: next you'll suggest that I give him to your pets, the Orléans, to raise
Madame Royal: *sensing the argument brewing* we'll raise him.
Louis XVIII, Artois: *both look at her in surprise*
Madame Royal: *half-sadly* perhaps this is why God decided that Louis and I cannot have children of our own...because He wishes for us to take in this child.
Louis XVIII: you are not serious, Madame, the-
Angoulême: it is time for us to do what your Majesty has always preached: unite- and forget [11]

*fade to black*

[1] out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. / Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications / if thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
[2] while commonly said that the horses were placed upon the more famous Arc du Triomphe de l'Etoile, that arch had to be completed by wood (much like the Elephant de la Bastille) for Napoléon's wedding to Marie Louise, and was only finished in 1836. The truth is that they were placed on the arch in the Louvre's Caroussel
[3] given that Charles X's minister, the duc de Dodeauville, is her brother-in-law and Vendée general, the duc d'Aumont is her cousin, she has the connections to "protect" her staying in place
[4] the Salon Rose- next door to what would later became the Audience Room of the Empress under Eugènie- was originally modelled along the lines of Antoinette's Salle Méridienne at Versailles. So I could definitely see Madame Royal feeling "comfortable" there.
[5] it had already been agreed in April 1814 that Marie Louise would become duchess of Parma
[6] this is OTL
[7] let's face it, she's known Louis XVIII isn't the "nicest" person since her marriage. He wrung every ounce of pity he could out of forcing her to write her memoirs of the time in the Temple
[8] Josephine died (suddenly) at the end of May 1814
[9] one of the terms used for her by the Restauration court
[10] the so-called "Jacobin Blanc"
[11] this was Louis XVIII's motto OTL

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: Rossini - Overture to Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghelterra [1]

*Portoferraio* *in a study* *Napoléon is eating when his secretary, Méneval arrives with the mail*
Napoléon: *mouth half full of chicken* what news have we from Europe, Méneval? *wipes fingers on napkin*
Méneval: it seems that her Majesty, the Empress, will not be joining you, sire.
Napoléon: will not? Or cannot?
Méneval: it seems that she has been...delayed at Aix-les-Bains...while travelling to join you [2]
Napoléon: she is taken ill? My son is ill?
Méneval: not that I am aware, sire. In fact, from the intelligence I have on him, he is quite well, sir- Simply that there were some...unforeseen circumstances that have rendered her unable to travel further.
Napoléon: but she will send my son on to join me? The kings of Europe cannot be so cruel, surely.
Méneval: if they show themselves to be such, sire, then it simply proves what all of Europe has known all along.
Napoléon: if Jérôme had just done what I'd told him, taken control of the situation and headed for Brittany instead of following her to Rambouillet like a spaniel [3], they should at least be out of the hands of the enemy.
Méneval: in regards to family business, sire...there are letters from both the Princess Borghese and the duchesse de Navarre.
Napoléon: what does Pauline want?
Méneval: *reading through letter* she wishes to be allowed to join you in your new kingdom, sire.
Napoléon: *frowns* so my sister and my wife are the only ones who care enough to share my life now that I am no longer powerful?
Méneval: *reading further* it seems that the king of Spain has retired to Switzerland. He believes it more prudent to "be discreet"-
Napoléon: *curses Joseph out* discretion...always discretion with him.
Méneval: *nods* the grand duchess of Tuscany is travelling to meet the empress at Aix, so perhaps it can be hoped that she too will join us?
Napoléon: *makes an unconvinced noise* send a response to Pauline that she may join us if she so wishes. Then send a letter to the rest of my siblings and call them all a bunch of disgusting cowards.
Méneval: *nods*
Napoléon: and Josephine?
Méneval: *opens other letter* she trusts that your Majesty is well. She herself has just recovered from a chill. She thanks your Majesty for what you have done for Eugène and Hortense [4]. *clearly summing up* further news of the family. The king of Holland is in Rome- with Lucien and your mother- and he is demanding that Hortense send their sons to him.
Napoléon: where are the boys now?
Méneval: with their mother in France.
Napoléon: *clearly pensive* in the letter to Louis, tone down the language...but tell him that his sons would be best to remain in France for now.
Méneval: sire?
Napoléon: to remove them will bring difficulties for both Josephine and Hortense. It will look like we do not trust them any more than they do not trust us.
Méneval: and we trust them?
Napoléon: not as far as I can spit. But I would rather have my nephews raised in France than by my dolt of a brother in Rome. No doubt that like Lucien, he is kissing the pope's arse already.
Méneval: does your Majesty wish me to put that in the letter?
Napoléon: no. Because to kiss the pope's arse is the same as to kiss nobody's arse [5]
Méneval: *nods* *returns to reading the letter* her Majesty, the duchesse would also like to request permission to join you...just as soon as she has recovered completely [6]
Napoléon: it sounds like a farce by Goldoni, Méneval. One master, two wives-
Méneval: do not forget that the Countess Walewska is also due shortly, sire
Napoléon: if Josephine is here, Marie [Louise] will not join me. Of that I can be sure. So for now, you may write to her Majesty and inform her that she is to remain in Paris- or at Évreux- whichever she prefers
Méneval: *nods* *reads further* ah...there is a post-script. Her Majesty wishes to tell you that unforeseen circumstances require her to remain at Malmaison.
Napoléon: unforeseen circumstances keeping my wife at Aix. Unforeseen circumstances causing Josephine to remain in Paris. Is all of my family just blind or is it simply because they are useless at planning.
Méneval: it concerns your son, sire.
Napoléon: my son? *confused* Josephine? You mean Eugène?
Méneval: I mean the king of Rome, sire
Napoléon: what does that have to do with Josephine's unexpected circumstance
Méneval: *hands over letter with "you better read this yourself" look*
Napoléon: *scanning through letter to post-script*
Josephine v/o: It is my sincerest regret to inform your Majesty that due to some confusion, the king of Rome's carriage was separated from his mother's on the road to Rambouillet. It was intercepted by the soldiers of the king of France and Navarre and the young king has been returned to Paris. At present, I am assured by Tsar Alexander, Prince Talleyrand, Maréchal Ney and others loyal to your Majesty, as to his continued good health while he remains at the Tuileries-
Napoléon: *his face blanching* under the tender care of her Royal Highness, the duchesse d'Angoulême

*fade to black*

[1] reference to the description given of Elizabeth I by Pope Sixtus V "see how well she governs...only mistress of half an island and yet she makes herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, by all". To anyone who points out that the overture is actually that to the more famous Barber of Seville, you're right (Barber was actually it's third recycling, having originally been written for Aureliano in Palmira (1813). Rossini's attempt to write a Tudor opera flopped- mostly due to its premiere audience being in Naples. With an opera based around a "bastard usurper" triumphing over Mary, Queen of Scots, ancestress of the Borbone line, one can kinda understand why it was the quadruple word score of "wrong plot, to the wrong crowd at the wrong time, by the wrong composer" (Rossini was a protege of Eugene de Beauharnais*). The overture (and more than a few numbers (including Rosina's famous "Una Voce poco Fa", originally written for Elizabeth) was hurriedly recycled in 1816 for Barber. Then again, given that the theatre impressario had Rossini "imprisoned" in an attic with several burly thugs and a bowl of pasta to force him to finish the score for Barber's premiere. One can excuse Rossini's recycling.
*he single-handedly engineered that the composer managed to draft dodge and avoid freezing to death in the retreat from Moscow.
[2] aka where she met Neipperg
[3] these were Napoléon's orders OTL. Not sure why he thought that arch-Catholic and arch-royalist Brittany that had given him so many problems down the years would be a good idea, but I can only assume he intended for her to go into exile? If so? Where? America? Britain?
[4] Napoléon tried- as best he could- at the Congress of Chatillon, to provide for Eugène and Hortense. Hortense was to receive an allowance and be left unbothered in France (Louis XVIII bestowed the duchy of Saint-Leu and an annual pension of 400 000 francs on her). For Eugène, he tried to insist that he be allowed to retain his position in Italy (at best) or be granted a sort of "retirement" to inherit Josephine's duchy of Navarre in France when she died. Both were categorically refused
[5] actually what he said OTL
[6] inspired by @Belisarius II 's unfinished TL

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: Carl Maria von Weber - Abu Hassan - Was nun zu machen? [1]

*exterior* *Palais de Fontainebleau* *Gardens of the Grand Parterre* *we see the little king of Rome romping happily with his cousins, the sons of Hortense de Beauharnais and the year-older duc de Chartres, as well as the duc de Berri's two daughters* *while running along one of the pathways, he trips and falls* *almost instantly Madame Royal, sitting on a bench next to her husband, is on her feet* *but before she can move, he pops up like a jack-in-the-box and excitedly waves his arm at her before returning to his play*
*we hear her sigh as she sits down again*

*from a window above, King Louis and the Austrian ambassador, Baron Vincent, watch this*
Louis XVIII: we trust you are satisfied to report back to his Majesty that his grandson is perfectly safe and happy.
Vincent: sire, that is not why I was sent and you are aware of it. No doubt Prince Talleyrand has already told you.
Louis: Prince Talleyrand has informed us. The Duc de Dalberg has informed us. *looks at both men who are standing to one side* And now the emperor has sent you to inform us, Baron Vincent. We are well aware of the facts on the ground.
Vincent: and your Majesty's answer?
Louis: remains as we sent them to tell the emperor. We are unsure of why he thought the matter necessary to send his own ambassador to ask me.
Vincent: your Majesty will not return the king of Rome.
Talleyrand: *subtly* your Excellency, to return the king of Rome is to imply that we have...somehow...absconded with him. Or to imply that his grandfather the emperor has some...prior claim to him.
Vincent: he has no wish to quibble on the matter, he simply wishes to ensure the health and well-being of his grandson.
Louis: and now that you have ascertained to the health and well-being of said grandson with your own eyes, we trust the matter is at an end. *sighs* we grow tired of this repetition. *offhandedly* we have never known such a small child to cause such consternation amongst the crowned heads of Europe.
Vincent: if his Majesty could be assured of his grandson being *pauses* brought to him and his daughter at Rambouillet, then he will of course, see this matter to its conclusion.
Louis: *clearly annoyed* is our word not sufficient to his Majesty?
Vincent: *clearly choosing his words carefully* the emperor would remind your Majesty that France has an...unfortunate history of late of what she does with royal children. First your Majesty's nephew, the late king. Then the previous ruler's behaviour with the duc d'Enghien. His Majesty fears that the French are...perhaps not the best custodians.
Dalberg: the same could be said of both the Russians and the English. The tsar murdered his father, but he is hailed as liberator of Europe. The English have murdered not only King Charles but also a King Richard and two Kings Edward. One of whom was entrusted into the everloving care of his loving uncle.
Vincent: but we are not talking of what either the Russians have done or the English, but of the emperor of Austria.
Louis: does the fact that he is emperor of Austria somehow signify that he is above such scruple? What guarantee have we- aside from his word- that he will not train up this child to be wielded against us. If our word that the child shall not be harmed is insufficient for him on this matter, then how can we possibly accept his that he will not do as we have just asked?
Vincent: his Majesty would never dream of doing such a thing
Louis: and we are sure that he spoke the same words to his son-in-law.
Vincent: I do not know what has passed between his Majesty and the usurper. I only know that he sincerely wishes for all that is best for his grandson-
Talleyrand: or?
Vincent: I beg your pardon?
Talleyrand: the manner in which you spoke, Excellency, suggested that there was a condition to what you said. That the emperor sincerely wishes for all that is best for his grandson or what?
Vincent: *sighs in defeat* or he will be obliged to declare war on France if the boy is not brought to him.
*for a few moments, there is silence in the room*
Louis: *makes a noise that sounds like a hiccup* *then another* *we realize that he is actually laughing*
Talleyrand and Dalberg: *start laughing as well*
Louis: *between laughs* he will declare war? On us. For the sake of his grandson?
Vincent: and he will rely on the support of England and Russia to do so, your Majesty.
Dalberg: *getting his laughter under control* Baron Vincent, I appreciate that you are a marshal of the Austrian army, but I would caution your master against making such threats.
Vincent: it is no threat, your Grace, his Majesty was deadly serious.
Talleyrand: *slightly more amiable tone* what my colleague means, Baron, is that it would not be difficult, in such a situation as you outline, for a few words in the right ears, to suggest that his Majesty's actions are not...after all...to obtain custody of his grandson...but instead, to place his grandson on the throne of France under the guardianship of his mother.
Louis: or even that his Majesty wishes to recall the usurper from Elba and enthrone him once more.
Vincent: *looks at them* *trying to see if they are bluffing*
Louis: we need not explain to your Excellency that such news will hardly be met with the approval of either the tsar or the English
Vincent: and they will know that such an assertion on behalf of the emperor is not only preposterous but also-
Louis: also what, Baron? His Majesty was in a position so weak that he sacrificed his eldest daughter to the usurper. That same daughter...misplaced...for want of a better term her son- my sister, the late Queen, was certainly no mastermind of strategy, and yet, even on the Flight to Varennes, in the chaos of she and my brother's arrest, they were never quite so remiss as misplacing so much as a knife and fork much less one of their children. The empress was not under such stress, or in such a state, she would've come to no harm- as my brother and sister did- and yet she failed to notice that there was one less carriage- that of her son- in her baggage train. That neither she nor Monsieur Jérôme noticed the missing carriage- being more concerned with their own belongings- is little short of a scandal! Would his Majesty prefer me to inform the courts of Europe as to how we came into possession of his grandson?
Vincent: *looks worried*
*dismisses Talleyrand and Dalberg so that he and Vincent are alone*
Louis: *suddenly calmer* now...your Excellency,,,if I may speak privately...I have certainly no wish for the boy to remain in Paris. If it were up to me...I would dispatch him to the loving arms of his grandfather and entrust him to do with him what he will. Send him to join his father on Elba or banish him to some mouldy castle in Transylvania...he will hear, naturally, no dispute of the matter from me. *heaves himself from the chair and walks over to the window * *beckons Vincent to his side* unfortunately...it is not up to me. *looks down at Madame Royal* it is her wish that he remain in France. She has vouched for him. Do you think she, the daughter of murdered parents, the sister of a murdered brother, will allow the boy to be separated from her.
Vincent: your Majesty could order it.
Louis: I can order a great many things, Baron *lumbers back to her chair* but to break with her over a trifle such as whether a child is raised here or in Vienna...will be to split my own family asunder. You may tell your master that if he doubts my word on the health and well-being of his grandson, he can surely trust hers. And if he wishes to face her resolve, ensure that you remind him of her stubborn refusal of the duke of Teschen when she was held as hostage- for want of a better term- in Vienna. And that is our final word on the matter.
*dismisses Vincent as he sits down again*

*fade to black*

[1] sorry, I couldn't resist the irony of the title

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: Ferdinand Ries - Overture to Schiller's Trauerspiel 'Don Carlos', op. 94

*exterior* *Chateau de Rambouillet [1]*
*Cut to interior* *Emperor Franz is sitting at a table with Baron Vincent and Klemens von Metternich* *the trio are clearly not discussing their respective hands of cards*
Franz: it seems that his Majesty the king of France has already succeeded in convincing the British that my interests in obtaining custody of my grandson is not because I wish to protect him from the vengeance of the Bourbons-
Metternich: if I may, your Majesty, the empress' [Marie Louise] stay at Plombières and her...lack of interest in her son's welfare is having a most unfortunate effect on attempts to persuade them that your efforts are little more than concern for your family's well-being.
Vincent: what would you have his Majesty do? His daughter is no longer his subject. If she refuses to return to Rambouillet or even corroborate his assertion that he is only interested in her son's welfare, what can he do?
Franz: things are not helped by my cousin, Madame Royal- or, as I suspect, King Louis - reminding all and sundry that both my father and I left she, her mother and brother at the mercy of the Revolutionary government.
Metternich: my agents in Vienna tell me that the queen of Naples [2] is increasingly viewing her granddaughter's disinterest as proof that it might be better for his Majesty, the king of Rome, to remain in her niece's custody.
Franz: *grumbling* only this was missing, my one time mother-in-law wading into the fray.
Vincent: in her Majesty's defence, her support may be a species of flattery of King Louis rather than a criticism of your Majesty.
Franz: what would she need to flatter that antediluvian swine for?
Metternich: from talks with the prince of Saxe-Coburg [3] and the Prussian envoy to Paris, it seems that while King Louis talks openly of his support for his cousins in Sicily to be restored to their throne in Naples, in private...as the English say...the matter may well be in his Pater Noster, but it is certainly not in his Credo- since there is talk of him dispatching envoys to the court of General Murat at Naples.
Franz: to what end?
Metternich: per the prince of Coburg, Prince Talleyrand is attempting to convince King Louis that it may be in his interests to, if not endorse Murat, that it may be useful for France to at least cultivate friendly relations with him.
Franz: *shocked* and the king has agreed to this? To parley with-
Metternich: the king has not expressed his will one way or another on the matter. Although given that his feelings towards the non-assistance provided to him and his by his Spanish cousins since the Revolution began are...well known. One can imagine that with a bargaining chip as powerful as your Majesty's grandson in his possession, the king may believe he can call Murat to heel far more easily than King Ferdinando.
Franz: and the British will accept this matter?
Vincent: I do not regard it as likely sire. They have already made their opinion on the matter clear.
Metternich: *nods* of course. And shall they be landing a force in Stockholm to dislodge Marshall Bernadotte as well?
Franz: the situations are hardly alike, Metternich.
Metternich: the situations are not that different either. In both cases, the rightful holder and his heir were deposed from the throne and banished into exile. A pet of the usurper was installed as either the heir to the throne or the occupant of the throne in their place. So long as Murat...co-operates with them- as Bernadotte has- the British can say what they like. They are as at the mercy of the winds and tides of events and economy as their ships are on the sea.
Franz: *sighs as the clock chimes the hour*
*a man is shown into the salon and makes his way to the table*
Franz: *studying his cards* what is it Monsieur Cipriani [4]?
Cipriani: I bring news from Paris, sire.
Franz: and what is that?
Cipriani: after having conferred with several of his Majesty's marshals and other members of his court...it seems that there is a species of consensus on the matter of the king of Rome.
Franz: is that so?
Cipriani: yes sire.
Franz: and what is that consensus?
Cipriani: *pauses* many of them share your Majesty's concerns for the king's well-being. There are even fears amongst their number that...once the smoke has cleared and King Louis is more secure on his throne...that the little king will be deemed...superfluous to requirements. That he will gradually be removed from public view and as his memory fades, meet the same fate as the duc d'Enghien.
Franz: a firing squad for a three-year-old seems excessive.
Cipriani: which is another concern. That one of the archroyalists will simply slip the child a sweet or a candied fruit laced with poison-
Metternich: good God man, you sound as if you are talking of the Borgias or the Medici not the Bourbons. Do any of them have the brains to carry out such a scheme?
Cipriani: many of the emperor's supporters would not be keen to put the temptation in the way.
Franz: *nods smugly* so we can be assured of their support in our efforts?
Cipriani: *winces like "that was the good news"* no, your Majesty.
Franz: but you just said-
Cipriani: as much as they fear that harm might come to the boy and as much as they do not feel comfortable with him being in- as one said- the shadow of the guillotine...most- including his uncles, the Kings of Spain and Westphalia- would prefer that he not be removed from France.
Franz: even if this was what his father wished [5]?
Cipriani: a decision many feel was ill-advised. They will- per one- not be comfortable with him in the king's hands, but they will not see him in the hands of a foreign government who might use him against France. In this, they and the king- if for different reasons- are of one mind.
Franz: *dismisses Cipriani*
Cipriani: *bows out of the room*
Franz: so then it seems, gentlemen, that we may have only one card left to play. *lays down a full house*

*fade to black*



[1] Emperor Franz had left France by the time of his daughter's departure to take the waters at Plombières. It's understandable that with his grandson (and far more valuable bargaining chip) in "enemy hands" that he's put off his departure some
[2] Maria Karoline of Austria, queen of Naples. OTL she likewise couldn't understand Marie Louise's aversion to Frankie as well. Since while Maria Karoline absolutely despised Napoléon, her great-grandson was a horse of decidedly a different colour
[3] yup, Leopold of Coburg. While he rode into Paris with the Russian army's Maria Feodorovna Cuirassiers in 1814, the guy had slept with Hortense de Beauharnais and Caroline Murat (and it was rumoured that Josephine was likewise a notch on his bedpost), so he'd definitely have "some" value as knowing people who would've heard what is being said in private
[4] Giovanni Battista/Jean Baptiste Cipriani Franceschi, a familiar of Napoléon's who sometimes served as a private envoy on his master's behalf
[5] Napoléon's plan was to send Marie Louise and Frankie to his father-in-law in the hopes of obtaining a species of clemency