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Chapter 997: Napoleon's Will to Survive

Anna and Clarice felt as though the little princess standing before them was a dangerous predator, ready to tear them apart at any moment. Alexandra was currently doing her best to channel the terrifying aura Catherine the Great projected whenever she signed a death warrant.

The two maids, who had grown accustomed to a tranquil life at the Palace of Versailles, had never encountered such raw intensity. They were struck dumb with fear, nodding their heads frantically in instinctive submission.

In reality, Alexandra had only just arrived and was still a child; she didn't truly possess such power. It wasn't as if she could go running to the Crown Prince to handle such trivial matters.

However, the two maids were so overwhelmed by her powerful presence that they didn't dare question her. They could only silently curse Véronique for setting them up and getting them entangled with such a formidable character.

Alexandra waved her hand to dismiss them, then coolly ordered the other maids to tidy the room and prepare her morning ablutions.

It wasn't until she lay in bed and the candles were extinguished that she finally let out a long breath of relief, the cold mask on her face dissolving into a look of helplessness.

She was a very bright girl. Having grown up by Catherine the Great's side, she knew exactly when the court required strength and when it called for a display of weakness.

Being a Crown Princess or a Queen was never an easy task, especially in a powerful nation like France.

Queen Maria Theresa, the wife of Louis XIV, had lived with the utmost caution since the day she arrived in France, yet she was still neglected by the King and bullied by his mistress, Madame de Maintenon. She was eventually nicknamed the Silent Queen.

Queen Marie Leszczyńska, the wife of Louis XV, was even more pitiable. Because of her low social standing, she was frequently dismissed by the King. Once he fell for Madame de Pompadour, she lived a life of total separation from her husband.

As for Queen Marie Antoinette, she seemed to enjoy quite a bit of glory, but that was primarily because Joseph acted as her pillar of support. In the history Alexandra knew, by this time, the Queen would have already lost her head.

Alexandra's thoughts then drifted to the Crown Prince.

He had actually allowed her to continue her Eastern Orthodox traditions when they were in private...

A happy smile bloomed on the young girl's face. 'The Prince is so good to me,' she thought warmly as she drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Joseph was jolted awake by a series of low, rhythmic roars.

He looked toward the door with bleary eyes, where Eman was already waiting. "What is that noise?"

The butler bowed slightly. "Your Highness, it is part of the dowry brought by the Crown Princess—several brown bears are howling. They are being moved to the gardens and happened to pass beneath your window."

Joseph frowned. He was about to tell Eman to have the trainers hurry up when he heard a heavy, trumpeting snort.

"Good heavens, what was that?"

"That would be a rhinoceros, Your Highness."

"Alexandra brought that too?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Why on earth does Russia have a rhinoceros?"

"The British gifted it to His Majesty the Tsar, Your Highness. It is said that several froze to death in Saint Petersburg, and this sole survivor was shipped here."

Joseph rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Why send these things? The animals currently in the Versailles gardens already cost over 8,000 francs a month to maintain. Now we've added two more species."

Indeed, the gardens of Versailles housed many exotic beasts, including lions, elephants, giraffes, and wildebeests. The palace employed more than thirty animal trainers just to manage them.

"It is not just two species, Your Highness," Eman added with a light cough. "In fact, the Crown Princess also brought Amur tigers and several Siberian wolves. As you know, many people believe you have a profound interest in wildlife."

Joseph let out a helpless sigh.

He had previously instructed his chefs not to cook expensive and unpalatable animals like peacocks or red deer. Somehow, this had been misinterpreted by the public as "The French Crown Prince loves wild animals."

Over the past six months, the various Italian states had also sent numerous leopards, ostriches, and gorillas, all purchased at high prices from Africa.

Combined with the Russian contribution, the gardens of Versailles had essentially been transformed into a zoo.

At that thought, Joseph's mind suddenly sparked with an idea.

Right! Instead of spending a fortune to maintain these animals, why not open a public zoo?

Not only could ticket sales offset the feeding costs, but it would also serve as a tourist attraction to boost Paris's profile. Furthermore, he could develop the surrounding area into residential districts and turn a profit through real estate.

He immediately rose to dress, telling Eman to summon the Paris Municipal Commissioner and Finance Minister Gaudin to discuss the matter.

Joseph then remembered that Alexandra had gifted him a sonnet yesterday and he had yet to provide a return gift. He decided he would give this zoo to her.

Given the girl's obsession with amusement parks, she would surely love a zoo.

He would call it the Crown Princess's Zoo, or perhaps simply the Sasha Zoo.

As for the operating income, a Russian princess would likely have no interest in such pocket change. Following royal tradition, those proceeds would be donated directly to charitable organizations.

...

The southern outskirts of Paris.

In front of a carriage surrounded by over a hundred cavalrymen, Berthier carefully examined the documents handed to him by the Military Police. After confirming everything was in order and signing his name, he returned the papers to Major Sévigné, who was in charge of the escort. "Do not stop along the way. You have the highest authority; no one is permitted to approach that carriage."

Normally, the transport of a prisoner would not require the Chief of the General Staff to appear in person. However, the man in the carriage held significant influence within the army, particularly within the Army of Italy.

This forced him to treat the escort with the utmost gravity.

"Understood, General!" Major Sévigné saluted him with his hat, but then hesitated. "General, General Bonaparte said he has something of vital importance to discuss with you. I shouldn't be passing on messages, but he insists this concerns the future of our nation's military..."

Berthier frowned slightly. After a moment of thought, he turned to the Military Police officer beside him. "Lieutenant Colonel Gardette, would you care to accompany me? You may include everything you see in your report."

"Very well, General. Though I must remind you, this is technically a breach of protocol."

Berthier bowed his head in thanks, and the two men walked toward the reinforced carriage in the middle of the road.

A Military Police officer opened the door, and Berthier immediately saw a somewhat thinner, brooding Napoleon inside.

"Please, come in," Napoleon said, waving him forward. "Rest assured, I will not make things difficult for you."

Berthier and Gardette boarded and sat across from him. "You realize I will likely be reprimanded by the Crown Prince for this," Berthier noted.

"No, His Highness will certainly not blame you," Napoleon replied, pulling several sheets of paper from his pocket and spreading them out on the small wooden table. "I have just finished compiling these, based on my experiences fighting in Italy."

"These will significantly increase the army's combat effectiveness. Please deliver them to the Crown Prince. Tell him... tell him I hope this can go some small way toward atoning for my mistakes."