Chapter 1064: The Arrogant Aristocracy
These supplies were indeed a drop in the bucket for the deep-pocketed British.
However, Britain simultaneously had over thirty thousand troops fighting a war in Portugal.
Furthermore, their newly seized colony at the Cape of Good Hope was under constant harassment from the Boers. The East India Company had already poured over three hundred thousand pounds into bolstering defenses, while more than four thousand British soldiers were bogged down at the Cape.
On top of that, the British had gifted themselves a major headache by diving headfirst into the chaos of the Caribbean to stir up trouble.
Joseph was certain that Britain currently had no surplus strength to intervene in other theaters of war.
In that case, the plan he had been preparing for so long could finally be set in motion.
He threw on his coat in a few quick motions and told Eman, "Please have Mr. Berthier come to see me immediately."
By the time Joseph stepped out of the gates of Versailles, the Chief of the General Staff had already arrived in a hurry.
Joseph gestured toward the carriage. "We will talk on the way."
Nearby, Alexandra stood in a pale purple gown, topped with a lobster-style hat designed by Queen Mary herself. She watched with a hint of resentment as several ministers climbed into the Crown Prince's carriage, leaving her to turn and board the one following behind.
The convoy set off.
Joseph first had Talleyrand give Berthier a brief overview of the situation in various regions before continuing, "Last month, the Kabyle tribes retreated into Annaba.
"Next, we will provide assistance to the Berbers who identify with their Roman ancestry.
"The General Staff will deploy four thousand men from the Tunisian Legion to Annaba, and then...
"Meanwhile, dispatch twenty thousand soldiers from the Direct Legion to land at the Port of Bizerte. They are to bypass the eastern side of the Atlas Mountains..."
Berthier took notes rapidly, offering a few suggestions for improvement. By the time the convoy left the new district of Paris, the operational plan for North Africa was essentially finalized.
Lavalette added, "Your Highness, although the M'zab tribes in the northern desert have surrendered to Algiers, Kuloğlu has not established complete control there due to his haste in suppressing the Kabyle tribes."
Joseph nodded. "The Security Bureau can attempt to establish contact with the M'zab."
The sound of music from the Tuileries Palace drifted from afar as the Crown Prince's convoy slowly came to a halt. The Foreign Minister and the Chief of Staff stepped out of Joseph's carriage, bowing with hands over their chests to the approaching Crown Princess.
Alexandra nodded with a smile, then took Joseph's outstretched hand and climbed into what was originally her carriage.
"My apologies, some very important matters arose," Joseph said to her with a smile. "By the way, after Fashion Week concludes, I have a gift for you."
The girl's originally sullen expression vanished instantly. She blinked her large eyes in anticipation. "Really? What is it?"
"I remember you once saying that you liked the Eden Amusement Park in Paris best."
Alexandra was thirteen now; hearing this, she couldn't help but lower her head in embarrassment. "That was when I was a child. I haven't been there in a long time."
Joseph spoke seriously. "Amusement parks aren't just for children. You can go whenever you like. Don't worry about the opinions of those aristocrats."
Alexandra gave a sweet smile. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Her eyes suddenly lit up. "The gift you mentioned... is it a ticket to Eden Amusement Park?"
Joseph waved his hand with a chuckle. "You are a super VIP there. You don't need a ticket at all."
The Crown Princess tilted her head, her eyes brightening further. "Did you... build another amusement park?"
"Close, but not quite."
"Then what on earth is it?"
Joseph acted mysterious. "You will know once we get there."
The carriage stopped.
Eman pulled open the door, and another servant set out the small steps.
Alexandra linked her arm through Joseph's as they stepped down from the carriage.
The handsome, tall Crown Prince and the beautiful, lovely Crown Princess immediately became the center of everyone's attention.
The music surrounding them grew louder as a dozen children in formal attire scattered flower petals at their sides.
The nobles standing on both sides of the path bowed in succession.
Once Joseph and Alexandra had walked along the red carpet into the Tuileries Palace, those nobles immediately began whispering among themselves. "The Crown Princess is simply like a beautiful swan."
"That dress of hers is stunning! I'll bet this style becomes popular all over Paris very soon."
"Indeed. Look at her necklace. Good heavens, there must be at least a hundred gemstones."
"They say the Crown Princess's dowry was over two million francs, and she brought a dozen trunks of similar jewelry."
"I heard there is jewelry she designed for sale at Fashion Week."
"Is that so? Then I must take a look..."
However, many others watched Alexandra's departing figure with disdainful eyes. "Look at her, thinking she has caught up with Parisian trends. Hah!"
"No matter what she wears, she cannot rid herself of that Tatar aesthetic."
"Quite true. Did you know? Last time I heard her call a 'double bass' a 'double-bask'? Haha."
"Do you think she rinses her mouth with vodka before bed?"
"Haha, I suspect so."
"His Highness the Crown Prince must have lost his mind to marry a Tatar. This is practically a pollution of the Bourbon bloodline..."
It was not that they had a personal vendetta against Alexandra; for the most part, it was simply the ingrained, lofty arrogance of the French and their contempt for the 'barbarians' of Eastern Europe.
Of course, some acted out of jealousy and resentment that the Crown Prince had been snatched away by a 'crude Slavic woman.' In their minds, even a minor noble of the lowest rank was more deserving of the Crown Prince than a 'savage' princess.
Never mind Alexandra from Eastern Europe; years ago, even Queen Mary, who was born into the House of Habsburg, was looked down upon by these old French aristocrats.
Paris Fashion Week had been held seven times now. The entire process was long since mature, so Alexandra's first time delivering the opening speech in place of Queen Mary went off without a hitch.
With her elegance, beauty, and her ten-thousand-franc designer outfit, she made this year's Fashion Week even more lively than previous ones.
Shortly after one in the afternoon, Joseph quietly 'slipped away' with the Crown Princess.
Inside a somewhat ordinary Gem-V type carriage, Alexandra looked at the loose white gown she had just changed into and asked in confusion, "Your Highness, where are we going?"
Joseph, who had also changed into a simple black coat, smiled and replied, "The gift I am giving you requires simple clothing to match."
Alexandra grew even more curious. "Just tell me, what is it?"
From outside the carriage came the clinking and clanging of stone being chiseled, along with the shouts of craftsmen. "Careful! Tilt it more to the left!"
"Yes, thirteen millimeters, I am sure of it."
Alexandra pulled back the curtain to look out the window. She saw a massive stone base, nearly one and a half meters tall, standing by the roadside.
She turned back in surprise and asked Joseph, "Your Highness, is this the Arc de Triomphe?"
Comments