At seven o'clock in the evening, the carriage reached the main entrance to Versailles. Its facade was brightly lit with an orange glow that gave in an ethereal sensation to those who have seen it.
It was the last week of November, and the cold had settled in for good. Napoleon II stepped down first, then offered his arm to Elisabeth. She took it without hesitation. Together they crossed the threshold.
The moment the doors opened, warmth met them.
Not the heavy heat of braziers or crowded hearths, but an even, quiet warmth that filled the hall without smoke or smell. Warm air rose gently through concealed grilles set into the marble floor, fed by a centralized steam heating system that ran beneath the palace like a second circulatory network. The chill vanished within seconds.
Elisabeth exhaled softly.
"I almost forgot that it is the fall season in France whenever I enter this palace," Elisabeth commented, still fascinated by the heating system of Versailles.
