Flowers, Swords and France

"Give it to my brother and His Majesty?" Fran was slightly surprised.

This request was indeed very abrupt, at least beyond her original psychological preparation.

In theory, it was a very private matter for her to give a portrait to His Majesty the Tsar, and it could even be said that she was receiving his favor, but if she took the portrait back and gave it to His Majesty the Emperor of France, it would not be a private matter, and it would inevitably carry political implications.

And this was obviously an intentional arrangement.

Since Louis Bonaparte ascended the throne, because he was Napoleon's nephew and because the surname Bonaparte was indeed not very presentable, the monarchs of European countries did not like to deal with the French emperor, and the court was full of contempt for him.

However, as Louis Bonaparte's position became increasingly stable, the British first changed their attitude, and under the leadership of Britain, European countries also began to voluntarily or unwillingly plan to change their ways and recognize this monarch who usurped national power.

However, up to now, the Russian Tsar still sticks to his original cold attitude and has always been unkind to the French Emperor, so the relationship between France and Russia has become very tense. No matter what the reason is, his behavior must have made Louis Bonaparte feel uneasy - as Napoleon's nephew, he originally disliked Russia a little, and now the Russian Tsar clearly looked down on him, which would of course make him even more angry.

However, if the Russian Tsar specially sent his portrait to the French Emperor, the situation would be very different. It may not directly change the relationship between the two countries, but at least it can express some goodwill of the Tsar and show the enthusiasm of the Tsar to restart the relationship between the two countries with France.

In other words, this is already a diplomatic move, and Fran herself has become one of the main participants in this diplomatic move between the two countries - although she never expected to get such an opportunity.

Perhaps seeing the sudden hesitation of the young woman in front of him, the Tsar stopped slightly and looked at her.

"What's wrong with you, Miss?"

"Your Majesty..." Fran finally calmed down, "I am very happy to serve you and use all my talents to draw your portrait, but as you can see, I am not an official of the empire and have no intention of participating in political and diplomatic affairs. If you want to give any gifts to our Emperor, I think... I think you'd better ask for help from our embassy staff in St. Petersburg."

The Tsar's face sank slightly. Obviously, he didn't like to be rejected, even if it was a polite and reserved rejection.

At this time, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander, who had been standing silently and observing the expressions, hurried out to explain his father's actions. "Miss Treville, I believe you have seen that there are some regrettable and unpleasant clouds between our two countries. These clouds have made the atmosphere between the two countries tense, and made other countries uneasy, and even made the majority of people live in danger... I have always believed that this cloud should be eliminated as soon as possible, otherwise it will cause us huge trouble sooner or later."

"So..." Fran finally understood something.

"So we want to dispel the clouds and work hard. His Majesty the Tsar wants to let the French know that he has no ill will towards France, and he also hopes that your emperor can join us in embarking on the path of friendship and harmony between the two countries." Crown Prince Alexander continued to explain to her, "But all this cannot be resolved through formal diplomatic channels at least for now. We must let your emperor understand our sincerity, but we must also understand your emperor's views. So at least for now, it is better to let the emperors of the two countries establish a private friendship than anything else-"

After talking eloquently, he repeated it again. "Private."

Through Crown Prince Alexander's explanation, Fran probably understood the intentions of the father and son.

There is no doubt that, as Crown Prince Alexander bluntly declared in front of Fran, His Majesty the Tsar and his crown prince both want to expand Russia's territory and sphere of influence, but they are also concerned about the resistance and opposition of European powers. They want to expand without encountering too fierce resistance. In this case, it is imperative to have good relations with European powers, and France is naturally an important part of it.

But the Tsar was unsure of France's attitude. He didn't want to be rejected by France when he took the initiative to communicate with France, so as to become a laughing stock of the world. He didn't like to leave the impression of flattering France in front of the world, so he chose to use this method to test it first. If it succeeds, it will be the best. If it fails, it will not damage his prestige.

Sending his portrait to Louis Bonaparte and Charles de Treville is really something! Do you think these two people will feel honored by this?

Even though she didn't understand diplomatic affairs very well, Fran still felt that the Russian Tsar was indeed a little too arrogant. He seemed to regard his move to improve relations with France as a charity to a group of inferior people.

You will regret this, Your Majesty. Fran couldn't help thinking in her heart.

Of course, she didn't dare to show this mentality, she just lowered her head silently.

"Then, you should be able to see the significance of your work, right? I ask you to use all your talents to complete this work for the sake of diplomatic relations between the two countries." Crown Prince Alexander smiled, then bowed slightly to Fran, "Okay, without further ado, please start as soon as possible."

At this time, the court attendants also brought all the painting tools, both the canvas and the paint were naturally very high-quality.

Fran followed the request of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and sat quietly in a position not too far away from His Majesty the Tsar. At this time, His Majesty the Tsar also sat behind the desk very considerately, raised his head and looked at Fran motionlessly, providing her with the most convenient angle.

Fran carefully opened the canvas, mixed the paint, and her eyes wandered between His Majesty the Tsar and the canvas to observe the distribution of light. At the same time, she was secretly making a draft in her mind.

In this way, the tall Tsar, wearing a military uniform and a mustache, stood arrogantly in a magnificent hall, as if the whole time had stopped. In this quiet atmosphere, Fran carefully used the brush to slowly sway on the canvas, trying to capture any inspiration.

Although she already knew that this was just a diplomatic and political move, and the Tsar and his son did not care whether her painting was good or not, Fran had her own pride in painting. She could not tolerate herself painting in a careless manner. Even for herself, she had to complete this work with the most serious attitude.

However, she did not want to portray His Majesty the Tsar as a wise and powerful monarch who could not be disobeyed, as the Tsar and his son expected. She wanted to show something else in the painting - even if there was no trace on the surface.

Soon, her painting began to take shape.

At the bottom of the painting, the luxurious hall is shown in great detail. The Tsar sitting on the throne is handsome and extraordinary in his military uniform. At the top of the painting, the ceiling of the hall is voided and mixed with the cloudy sky. In the upper left corner of the painting, Archangel Michael floats in the clouds with golden light, and the sword in his hand pierces forward, as if he wants to split the sky in one breath.

The luxurious hall and the sky are mixed together. His Majesty the Tsar sitting on the throne is extremely majestic, as if he created the world under the protection of angels and God. The visual impact of the picture is really impressive.

When she was painting, Crown Prince Alexander stood by at first so as not to disturb the lady, but soon he was attracted by the painting and slowly walked to the side of the canvas.

"How beautiful!" When the painting gradually took shape, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "You painted it very well!"

Compared with the previous polite compliments, his admiration this time was more sincere. Originally, although he had heard that Miss Treville was skilled in painting, he also knew that people in the upper class especially liked to admire those beautiful women and liked to exaggerate their talents and abilities, so he felt that Miss Treville's painting skills might not be worthy of the reputation.

The original text is in the six # 9 @book/bar!

But when he really saw her painting, he found that she was indeed skilled and talented. God knows how a woman like her would be willing to spend so much effort to hone her painting skills instead of spending time on leisure socializing.

"Thank you for your compliment." At this time, Fran also came out of her concentration on creation, and she smiled a little embarrassedly. "I... I am afraid that I can't meet your majesty's requirements."

At this time, His Majesty the Tsar also stood up from his seat, and then read the painting with an indifferent attitude, and his brows gradually relaxed. Obviously, he didn't expect the effect of this painting to be so good. It is lifelike and full of spirit, and it is also in line with the Tsar's desire for power.

"No, it is very beautiful, it is exactly the kind of painting I like." He interrupted Fran, "It's a pity that it can't be given as a gift to others. After all, it is full of...imagination and too aggressive."

"I'm sorry..." Fran felt a little embarrassed, "I forgot for a moment..."

"It doesn't matter, you can paint again, anyway, we originally planned to let you paint a few." His Majesty the Tsar smiled slightly. "And now, I am full of confidence in your skills and talent. I will keep this painting as my own collection. I believe that as long as you continue to paint, your work will never be unknown."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Seeing the father and son praising her so much, Fran was naturally very happy. "I am happy to serve you."

"Okay, let's stop here today. After all, I don't have much free time. The dinner will start soon, and I have to deal with all the official business before the dinner. Let's find time to continue painting tomorrow, and it's better to change the place." His Majesty the Tsar made a gesture, suggesting that Fran could leave first, "You should also go and rest. Anyway, you can stay here as a guest for the next few days. We will entertain you with the greatest enthusiasm."

Then, the court attendants came in immediately and began to pack up Fran's paintings and these painting tools.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Fran said goodbye to His Majesty the Tsar very tactfully.

Under the guidance of Crown Prince Alexander, Fran returned to the corridor of the palace. Along the way, Crown Prince Alexander kept praising Fran's painting skills. Even though she knew that the other party was complimenting her intentionally, Fran still felt very happy.

"Miss Treville, we are sorry to have delayed your precious time for a few days and made you spend so much time." Just as they came to a corner and were about to go down the stairs, Crown Prince Alexander suddenly took a box from a guard next to him and handed it to Fran. "So, in order to compensate for your efforts, this is your salary."

Fran took the small box in a daze and opened it casually.

At this moment, she was overwhelmed by the jewels. What she saw was one piece of jewelry and jewels after another, diamond-studded necklaces and rings, and gems of various colors. A box full of jewels was almost dazzling, and Fran could hardly take her eyes away.

"Oh my God!" She couldn't help but shout out. (~^~)