The moment when Napoleon II and Elisabeth left the room, Napoleon I looked at Armand and said.
"Please give us a moment."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Armand bowed his head before heading out of the room, leaving only Napoleon I and Marie Louise in the room.
"Well, it is to be expected," Napoleon I said, stopping near the fireplace, "that a young lady of her standing—especially one like Elisabeth—would already have an arrangement in place."
Marie Louise moved closer to him, folding her hands at her waist.
"She carries herself with care," she said. "Not fear. Not ambition. Care. Girls raised only to please do not speak the way she did."
Napoleon I nodded once.
"She didn't rush," he said. "Didn't grasp at opportunity. Didn't flinch when she could have."
He turned slightly, eyes narrowing in thought. "That tells me more than any pedigree."
Marie Louise smiled faintly.
