NES2 VI - Last Semblance of Order.
- Thread starter das
- Start date
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
PM me. Cooperation isn't totally out of ze question...
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Doubledamn. My plans hath been trashed. Utterly.
Insane_Panda
Deity
Thlayli, we must speak!
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Ditto, methinks...
Insane_Panda
Deity
Also, I am assuming fashion to be in the Napoleonic period. Just because It looks better than the Rococo fashion of the 18th century, and we have the early 19th century technology.
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
are you kidding! ARE YOU KIDDING!
MjM said:Strength through Unity, Unity Through Strength
England will Prevail!
V for Vendetta! How could you Kentharu!Good Movie.
U got it wrong, is Strenght through Unity, Unity through Faith
wait, is napoleonic times, but we have railroads? so is more like 1870?
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
yea and if i didn't give into russian demands then what I WOULD BE DEAD because it wasn't only Russia stupid man, it was France, i don't give a crap about Russia it's France im worried about ok? good
@stalin it's an alt history remember
and so i changed it, so what? i like Unity Through Strength better
@stalin it's an alt history remember
and so i changed it, so what? i like Unity Through Strength better
From Iosef von Dunkelheit:
To Political leaders of Hungary, Prussia, Austria and Poland:
The union might not last, and we now find ourselfs in the beggining of the end.
I ask you to come to Krakow to discuss matters of great urgency regarding a complete makeover of the political system. I know that some of you regard my current victory and the victory of the Junker party as a scam and a coup. But if such was true, i wouldnt be trying to have you to share a piece of mind in rebuilding our nations. our Union.
Regards
(Das this is story-wise, ill post the real question in another story
)
To Political leaders of Hungary, Prussia, Austria and Poland:
The union might not last, and we now find ourselfs in the beggining of the end.
I ask you to come to Krakow to discuss matters of great urgency regarding a complete makeover of the political system. I know that some of you regard my current victory and the victory of the Junker party as a scam and a coup. But if such was true, i wouldnt be trying to have you to share a piece of mind in rebuilding our nations. our Union.
Regards
(Das this is story-wise, ill post the real question in another story
)
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Kentharu said:
OOC: Personally I'd say Russia is rather more of a threat to the Ottomans than France, strategically speaking its more than just counting up EP/t
Insane_Panda
Deity
Get on AIM! Rawr!
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
Yes strategically Russia is more a threat but i can defend him, not France, France's troops have to much bloody training
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Kentharu said:
4 EP and they're even, and he'll still have twice the number of troops as you...ah the poor Ottomans, its amazing they survivied so long in the OTL
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
poor Ottomans is right 
i should have looked before i leapt onto this crappy nation
i should have looked before i leapt onto this crappy nation
Insane_Panda
Deity
A RETURN TO PARIS
His Royal Highness, Julien-François I of the French
Julien-François was tired. For the better part of a year he had been travelling across the world, delivering speeches, trying to convince his citizens that all was well, that France, dear France, was strong, and needed them, if it wished to continue to provide them with all they had come accustomed to. The King, for one, believed it had worked with some degree of success. His speeches were well recieved, but he knew that in truth, all of his speeches would be well recieved. He was king, and the fact that no one wanted to offend him was inescapable. However, there was something about his speech in America. Something about his words on that cold, yet sunny spring day in Nouveau Amsterdam reached those people staring at him. Something moved them. Now there was only one speech left, one last proclamation. He was to convince the members of Parliament - the Senators and the Assemblymen, after having convinced the entirety of his nation, that all was well and that France was strong. It would be easy enough. Or so he thought, atleast.
The train steamed along through the countryside. Farmers could be seen toiling on the countless fields which dotted the countryside. They all looked up as the locomotive passed. However, they weren't looking at the train itself - they had all become acustomed to trains, being built as they were a few years back - what they were looking at was the gilded seal on the train. The royal seal. Some farmers laid down their tools and waved their hats towards the train, others simply bowed and went back to work. The King was touched. Such signs of respect weren't pretentious or laudatory, they were real. This was not the respect which you were borne into, which was instantly shoved upon you in the city, this was respect which you gained, this was the respect of the common people. The train continued to steam forward. Julien closed the shutters, looked at the portrait of Henri IV which was on the wall, and fell to sleep, eagerly awaiting his return home.
---
La Gare d'Orsay - Paris' Central Train Station
A few hours later, he was awokened.
"You're Majesty."
"Yes." He replied, rather groggily.
"Paris."
"Ah yes. Fetch my coat."
He regained his composure as the train attendent left for his coat. He was finally home. Outside the window, after pulling up the shutters, he could see the inside of the Gare d'Orsay, Paris' high-end railstation. Iron columns rose high up into the ceiling, which was itself a giant iron vault. A commotion was forming outside, as bourgeoisies in their frock coats and top-hats began to form a circle around the royal train, awaiting the emergence of their king. The giant clock at the end of the station struck three.
"Your coat, sir" Said the young attendant, handing the coat over.
It was a long overcoat, colored black with gold trimming and of the most superior cut. He wore black boots and white gloves with it, and in such an uniform, he looked fashionable, yet streamlined. It almost resembled a military uniform. An improvement from the days of his grandfather, Louis XIV - the days where men wore giant whigs and tights.
After brushing his coat, he walked through the hall of the train car, making his way towards the door. There he found two guards who opened the door for him, and as they opened it the cool air of the train station flushed in the train car, refreshing the King. Instantly he was reminded why he loved the city. The air was fresh, and cool. The people, dressed in their urbane, expensive outfits, suddenly quieted as he stepped out of the train, but then, a murmur of applause surfaced through them until it moved smoothly through them much like the legato playing of a piano.
Cheers of "Vive la Roi!" emanated from the crowd - a choir to the musical applause. Men waved their hats in the air and moved closer to the train, held at bay by a few gendarmes. In front of this crowd, were the leading members of the government. First amongst them was Ernest Daudet, President of the Royal Assembly and acting Prime Minister for the Kingdom of France. His eyes, as always, were darting around, constantly examining anyone and anything. Here was a short, stocky, stubborn, and arrogant man. Yet to the King he was arguably the best man in France. Daudet was reliable, forceful, and above all, pragmatic. It was he who was responsible for putting the king's more grandoise ideas back into their place.
"About time, you're Majesty." Daudet said, frowning, as he shook Julien's hand. Everyone was late to Ernest.
"Indeed. Now, where is the carriage? I am eager to get this thing done and over with."
Daudet gestured to the other side of the station, and the Gendarmes instantly made a path through the crowd.
"Oppurtunists, all of them," Daudet murmured as he lit a cigar "Bastards only care about getting a royal appointment or some sort of patronage."
The King, used to Daudet's pessimistic attitude, simply laughed, and both men stepped up into the carriage which was prepared for them.
Inside the carriage, Julien went back into a state of reflectiveness, taking a long gander out of the window into his city - Paris. He never cared much for Versailles. As a child he was often left alone in those huge, empty hallways. To him, Paris was his home, and he spent most of his time in the Palais des Tuileries, adjacent to the Louvre. He was considering making the Tuileries his permanent residence, and the permanent seat of the crown. It was much closer to the heat of things. He had not acted on that impulse yet, though.
Outside of his little carriage window, Paris seemed awe-inspiring to him. He had been here a thousand times, yet he had not really looked at it as he was looking now. It had not changed so drastically since he took power, but it had changed immensly since he was a child. With the introduction of steel and the power of steam, the city grew tenfold. It was a center of industry, a center of economics. Business prowled the streets, trains steamed through the Gare d'Orsay and into Les Halles, the central markets, bringing with it products from all corners of France. Paris was truly the world's foremost economic, industrial, and metropolitan center. However, Paris was not without her problems. Both outside and inside the city, slums creeped up from migrants flocking to this town of steel, looking for employment and wealth. The Burgeoisie, always fearful of the poor, now became paranoid of them, staying together in their small enclaves near the center of the city. Yet even though these problems were rising, to Julien-François, King of France, Paris was still the greatest city in the world, and soon it would be even greater.
For the King, ever looking towards the city, was planning a grand renovation of the city, a renovation which would lift the standards of living for thousands, and make the city and infinately cleaner, and more beautiful place. Already some of the slums and medieval quarters of the city were being cleared, replaced with new apartments in a neoclassical style, apartements which would serve as the new housing of Paris. Back in the Tuileries, architects, engineers, and artists all plotted alongside the king, formulating plans to make the world's grandest city even more grand.
Now though, more pressing concerns surfaced. The carriage had arrived at the Palais de Luxembourg, the house of the Senate ampitheatre. Here the King would deliver his speech, his final speech for the year, to a joint session of the Royal Assembly and the Royal Senate. Here was where their faith (or doubt) in France and her King would be forged. The carriage drew up to the Palace plaza, and attendents swarmed in its direction. The doors were opened by young boys dressed in opulent uniforms, and both the King and Daudent stepped out. Outside, members of both the Senate and the Royal Assembly were moving in the Palace, finding their seats for the speech. Daudet and Julien were then lead inside the palace, and into the grand lobby. Here, an orchestra was playing, adding a festive, yet dramatic, mood to the occasion.
Julien was instantly swarmed by dozens of ministers, each wanting to shake his hand and have a word. The King took his time to greet and shake their hands, yet was also in a hurry to begin his speech, so having exchanged the usual pleasantries, he began his walk into the backroom of the Senate ampitheatre itself, followed closley by Daudet, who would announce him to the crowd.
In the backroom of the Ampitheatre, the King prepared himself for what was undoubtebly the biggest speech of the year. Reviewing several phrases in his head, and adjusting his outfit, he nervously paced around the room, with Daudet too readying himself. Daudet however, was not nervous, and soon was called by an attendent to give his introduction. Daudet left the room, opening the massive chamber doors to the applause of the crowd.
Julien could hear his voice outside.
"Men of the Senate and the Royal Assembly, Representatives of all of France, today is a monumentous occasion. For a year your King has been traveling the Empire, giving speech after speech, recieving tour after tour. Now he has returned, to give one final speech, one final declaration on the state of our Kingdom."
"Therefore, I present to you, most noble gentlemen, Julien-François I, King of the Glorious French People!"
A huge applause reverberated throughout the building, drowning out any soud.
Nervously, his heart beating fiercely, Julien-François, ruler of France, stepped out into the Ampitheatre...
Le Palais de Luxembourg - A view from the Jardin de Luxembourg
TO BE CONTINUED.
Insane_Panda
Deity
The speech part of the story shall be posted later.
