Versailles, France
Spring 1848
Winter had finally faded from France.
The snow that once covered the gardens of Versailles had disappeared weeks ago, replaced by green grass, blooming flowers, and workers carefully restoring the palace grounds after months of cold weather. Fountains flowed again beneath the warm sunlight while servants moved across the courtyards carrying stacks of reports, sealed letters, and ledgers between different offices of the palace.
The war across the Atlantic was ending.
Everyone important already knew it.
The newspapers had not officially declared peace yet, and diplomats were still arguing over terms, borders, and compensation behind closed doors, but the world could already feel the fighting slowing down. Reports from North America arrived less frequently now. Massive battles no longer dominated every front page. Instead, discussions focused on negotiations, reconstruction, industrial contracts, and future trade.
