Palace of Versailles, France
New Year's Eve, 1838
The palace felt different on the last evening of the year.
It was not loud. Versailles rarely allowed itself to become truly loud, even during celebration. The order of the palace remained. Guards stood at their posts, servants moved through corridors with practiced care, and lamps were lit one by one as winter darkness settled outside the windows.
But there was warmth in the air.
Not just from the fires.
From people.
From movement.
From expectation.
The year was ending.
And for once, Napoleon II allowed the thought to sit without immediately turning it into a list of reports, decisions, or plans.
Inside the family sitting room, the fire burned bright.
Elisabeth had chosen to keep the evening private. There would be formal greetings tomorrow, with ministers, officials, officers, and court members offering their respects for the new year. Tonight was not for them.
Tonight was for family.
