Palace of Versailles. Evening. Same day.
The return to Versailles was quiet.
No escort rode ahead. No announcement was made at the gates. The automobile entered as it always did, passing through the courtyard without drawing attention. The palace had already settled into its evening rhythm.
Servants moved through the corridors with lowered voices. Lamps had been lit along the halls, casting a steady glow against the polished floors and high walls. The air carried that familiar stillness that came after a long day of work.
Napoleon II stepped out first.
Napoleon I followed, slower this time.
The day had taken more from him than he showed, but he did not speak of it. He moved with control, though the strain was there in the way he held himself.
They did not return to the main halls.
