Chapter 740: The Queen's Fight
Marie Antoinette suddenly wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and stood up.
"You're right. Joseph will take care of everything. Everything will be fine."
Then, she grabbed her husband's hand, her eyes filled with determination.
"But we can't just sit here and let him bear the burden alone. We must do whatever we can to help him!"
Louis XVI nodded earnestly.
"Yes. That's why I've been working late nights at the armory."
Marie froze for a moment.
"Even the King is working tirelessly for the war… Meanwhile, what have I done?"
Her mind raced—what could she do?
Maybe… donating some jewelry?
No, not enough.
A fundraising event! She could host a grand banquet to rally the Versailles nobility and raise funds for the army!
What else?
As she pondered, Prince Charles burst through the door.
The little boy, unaware of politics and war, greeted his parents and then grabbed Marie's hand.
"Mother, will Grand Duchess Alexandra visit Paris again? I asked Mr. Greuze, but he said she hasn't scheduled any more painting lessons…"
With few playmates in the palace, Charles had been lonely, and during his fencing practice today, he suddenly thought of Alexandra.
Hearing his words, Marie's eyes lit up.
"Alexandra? Of course!"
"How could I forget about her?"
She was Joseph's beloved princess.
"Joseph is busy managing the war. As his mother, I should take care of his wedding."
"This, too, is a great service to France!"
She immediately scooped Charles into her arms, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"You truly are my little angel!
"Yes, Alexandra will come to Paris, and she will stay for a long, long time.
"Russia was at war, which must have delayed her visit, but now that things have settled, I will send someone to bring her here."
Charles grinned with delight, hugging his mother tightly.
"That's wonderful! Sasha is coming back! Thank you, Mother!"
Once his tutor led him away, Marie turned to Louis XVI.
"Your Majesty, what do you think? Won't Joseph be absolutely thrilled when he returns victorious and finds his Sasha waiting for him?"
Louis smiled shyly.
"He will be even happier than if he won the war itself."
Desperate to contribute to her country, Marie wasted no time.
That very afternoon, she summoned Count Stroganov, Russia's ambassador to France, and proposed the idea of an official marriage arrangement.
The count promised to report this to St. Petersburg immediately and unofficially hinted that Tsar Catherine II would likely welcome the proposal.
Feeling a sense of accomplishment, Marie then threw herself into organizing the fundraising banquet—working tirelessly for the next three days.
A Grand Banquet in Versailles
That evening, Versailles' Hall of Mirrors was overflowing with nobility.
Paris' wealthiest and most influential figures had all gathered.
As the royal orchestra played, Minister of Agriculture Veniot stepped onto the northern wooden platform.
He raised his hand, signaling for silence.
Then, in a powerful voice, he declared:
"On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, I thank you all for attending tonight's banquet."
The entire hall turned toward Marie Antoinette and bowed in respect, before returning their attention to Veniot.
His expression hardened, his voice burning with anger:
"By now, you have all heard the news.
"Britain, along with their wicked allies, has shamelessly violated our trade agreements.
"Like common thieves, they seek to plunder our sugar industry,
"And now, they amass their armies to invade our homeland!"
These words were part of a carefully crafted propaganda campaign, written by France's best authors under Joseph's direction.
Across all of France, this would be the official message spread in preparation for war.
In the corners of the hall, dozens of journalists furiously took notes, recording every word.
Veniot, a renowned orator, continued with fiery passion:
"The barbaric, despicable British stole our colonies during the Seven Years' War!
"Through lies and ruthless competition, they ruined our industries!
"Because of them, France—the greatest power in Europe—fell into decline!
"Because of them, our people suffered hunger and misery!
"For thirty years, our country has endured humiliation!
"But by the grace of God, under the leadership of our noble King and our heroic Crown Prince, we have risen from despair!
"We have restored order and prosperity! The mighty France of old is returning!"
His voice grew even louder, filled with righteous fury.
"But our enemies—the vile British, the treacherous Austrians, and the savage Prussians—
"They fear our strength! They do not want us to stand tall again!
"So now, they conspire once more! They seek to plunge us back into ruin!
"They want another thirty years of suffering! Another thirty years of shame!
"And I ask you, noble citizens of France—
"WILL YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!"
The entire hall erupted.
Fury filled their hearts, and with red-hot anger, they shouted in unison:
"NEVER!"
Veniot nodded firmly.
"Because of you, France will NEVER FALL!"
Then, he launched into a powerful recounting of France's long-standing feuds with Britain and Austria.
The hatred ran deep—wars between these nations had raged for hundreds of years.
And as his speech reached its climax, Veniot turned to Marie Antoinette and bowed deeply.
"Tonight, Her Majesty has gathered us here—to stand together against these enemies of France!
"To defend our homeland!"
A thunderous roar of approval filled the Hall of Mirrors.
Marie stepped forward, her expression solemn yet resolute.
"Let us unite and offer our strength—
"So that all who dare stand against France will pay the price!"
At that moment, Countess de Berninac declared:
"Whoever donates the most tonight shall receive a royal invitation to dine with the King and Queen."
Immediately, a nobleman raised his hand and shouted:
"I pledge 5,000 francs!"
A mocking snort came from behind.
A wealthy factory owner straightened his collar and announced:
"I will donate 20,000 francs—to purchase cannons for the army."
Murmurs spread among the aristocrats.
One noble whispered angrily:
"We cannot let these low-born merchants outshine us!"
Moments later, he stood up proudly and declared:
"The Corbus family pledges 30,000 francs!"
And so, the bidding war had begun…
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