Tuileries Palace, Paris.
May 29th, 1836
The palace had grown quieter over the past two weeks.
It was not something that changed in a single day. It settled slowly, the way people lower their voices without being told. The corridors no longer carried the same movement. Conversations stopped when someone important passed, but now they stopped even before that. Everyone already understood.
Napoleon I was dying.
By the time Napoleon II arrived, that understanding had spread through every part of the palace.
This time, he did not come alone.
Elisabeth stepped out beside him, holding Anna carefully in her arms. The child shifted slightly, her small hands moving without purpose, unaware of where she was or why she had been brought here. Elsa stood close to Napoleon II, holding his hand tightly. She did not ask questions. She had seen enough in the past days to understand that something was wrong.
Napoleon II looked down at her for a moment.
