MEMOIRES DE GUERRE
"Toute ma vie, je me suis fait une certaine idée de la France."
"All of my life, I have had a certain idea of France."
- Julien-François I, King of the French
Military men stood and sat, huddled together around a giant mahogany table in the state room of the Tuileries palace. Smoke rose from their dozens of cigars, filling the room with their pungent smell. Maps covered the table, and throughout the room, a sense of general chaos was to be felt. At the end of the table, standing over a vast map of Europe, stood Julien-François. Little blue markers outlined the positions of the french armies, and arrows outlined with ink showed their movements. The King, dressed in ordinary military attire, ran his hands accross the map, directing the little markers, then recalling them, formulating vast campaigns within his mind. The war in Spain had most certaintly been won, yes, but where to next? - Europe, afterall, must be protected. He mused the question to himself for a moment, but suddenly, amidst the humdrum of the state room, the doors opened and closed with a loud noise. It was a messenger, his face red with exertion and his uniform wrinkled from wear. He held in his hand a telegram, and, waving it triumphantly in the air, he declared -
"C'est finit! The Spanish have surrendered!" And so it was over.
The generals, though they knew this was coming far before the official announcement, were overcome with an excitement, and began their cheers and embraces. This war, though a good war, though it was needed, was finally over, and now they would have peace.
However, at the end of the table, Julien-François was still looming, having merely caught the messenger at the corner of his eye before returning to his map. He knew there would be peace, and he could care less. His eyes swept over the map oncemore, fingers directing their blue markers to and fro. To him, it was not over.
---
Outside of the Tuileries palace, under the shadow of the state room balcony, stood a vast crowd, gathered here for what they knew was to be a momentous occasion. People of all classes, color, and creed shuffled together in the summer heat, jostling for the best view of the balcony. It was a wonderful spectacle, the crowd. In one instance, an ancient veteran, who had seen service in the German war, weeped as he stared in awe at the Balcony. In another, children danced around a flag, waving it triumphantly in the air as their parents looked on approvingly. Men, women, and children moved together in one mass, with one thought. Suddenly, the door opened, a Gendarme hoisting up the fleur de lys while throwing to the crowd a Spanish flag. It was victory. A roar was heard, and yet, after the Gendarme had left, retreating back indoors, it died down, and silence prevailed, eagerly awaiting the next arrival.
Nonetheless, they were quite excited. This war was not simply the King's war, it was France's war, and ever since the beginning, French patriotism had been on the rise. Rallies erupted throughout the kingdom, and effigies of Rodequiz I were burned. The people, rightly, did not doubt the power of France, rather, they praised it, invested in it with their hearts, and soon they would be told the profits of their investment.
And then, with a triumphant welcoming of cheers and screams, Julien-François, King of the French, stepped out onto the balcony, gesturing both arms upwards into the sky as if he were to recieve a blessing.
"Citizens of France! Today is a glorious day. It is your day, it is France's day! I have come upon the knowledge that those which have sought, for so long, to challange our position as the arbiter of Europe, are now defeated, surrendering in humilitiation. Your victory is a glorious one, and your sacrifice has borne many rewards. France, due to your support, is now today stronger than ever before, and continues her ascendency. You, the common man, with your blood, sweat, and toil have made our great Kingdom as it is today, and you, having worked so hard, deserve what is rightfully yours - and that is the right to prosperity, and the right to security.
However, though our victory is tremendous, it is not complete, for beyond Spain there are simply more nations seeking to take her place. France, as the protector of the European peoples and the values of civilization, must remain vigilant towards threats both within and without. We cannot simply relax our guard because one enemy is defeated, instead, we must be evermore watchful, evermore careful. France, with her wealth and her standing, resides atop an envied throne, and if we are to retain our position, we must carefully guard what we hold dear. War, though it is a terrible thing, is a sad neccessity in these troubled times. France, if she is to remain strong, must maintain her military. Yet now is not the time for such sad musings, now is the time to rejoice! We have defeated our enemies, and we have secured our wealth. Riches flow from all the corners of our vast domain, and you, the people, remain a proud and noble race. As Italians, Frenchmen, Catalonians, and Dutch, we must never loose sight of our common European heritage, and we must never loose sight of what has lead us to rule the world with such benevolent grace.
If we, the protectors of what is right in the world, are to maintain our strong watch, we must send the following message to those who would seek to usurp us - this, our war with Spain, is not the end, no, it is merely the beginning, for we, being the glorious Frenchmen and Europeans as we are, have not yet begun to fight!
C'est l'Europe, depuis l'Atlantique jusqu'à le Danube, c'est toute l'Europe, qui décidera du destin du monde! [1]
It is Europe, from the Atlantic to the Danube, it is all of Europe, who will decide the fate of the world! "
---
Some hours after the speech had ended, and after the crowds had left, Julien-François and Ernest Daudet were alone in the Stateroom. The room, once seemingly small with the presence of dozens of men, now seemed huge, the high ceiling windows and doors providing an ominous late-afternoon light.
"So, Daudet, is it done?" The King asked, not once lifting his gaze from those maps which still filled the table.
"
Oui. It is done." The prime minister answered, looking out the balcony door and onto the view of Paris. His hands were clapsed together, and he seemed to be nervous.
"Good. It is time that our enemies learn to reap what they sow, and it is time the world learns the true power of France."
The king left the room, yet Daudet stayed. The Prime minister crossed his arms, furrowed his brow, and to himself, spoke thusly -
"What has become of our King?"
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[1] - If you can tell me who this quote is from, you shall get francophile points. The original quote said the Urals instead of the Danube, but, for obvious reasons, I have taken the Urals out of this and adjusted it.