General Saint-Cyr's gaze locked onto Prince Dom Jo?o. His stern expression softened slightly as he assessed the young man before him.
"Prince Dom Jo?o," General Saint-Cyr said. "My name is Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr and this person here is Manuel Godoy. Why did it take so long for you to come out? Or anyone for that matter."
"That is because we are scared, General," Prince Dom Jo?o. "Your artillery has killed thousands of inhabitants."
"That could have been prevented if your mother had agreed to our terms. But no, they forced our hands."
Prince Dom Jo?o's eyes met the general's, a mixture of regret and defiance in his gaze. "We believed in our ability to defend our land, our people. And yes, that belief may have cost us dearly."
The air was thick with the unspoken weight of the casualties that could have been avoided, of the paths not taken.
"Anyways," General Saint-Cyr continued, his tone shifting to a more pragmatic note, "are you going to invite us in or not?"
Prince Dom Jo?o straightened his posture, a sense of responsibility guiding his actions. "Of course, General. Please, come inside."
With a nod of acknowledgment, General Saint-Cyr and Godoy followed Prince Dom Jo?o into the palace. The transition from the tension outside to the opulence within was striking. The grandeur of the palace was a stark contrast to the devastation the city had endured.
As they walked through the corridors, Prince Dom Jo?o explained, "The meeting room is just this way. We've made arrangements to ensure a secure and neutral space for our discussions."
The trio reached the meeting room, where a table dominated the space.
"Please, have a seat," Prince Dom Jo?o gestured to the vacant seats.
Saint-Cyr and Godoy reclaimed their composure after the tense walk through the corridors. They acknowledged the gesture with nods of gratitude and took their seats at the table.
Godoy looked around the room and noticed something was missing.
"Where is the Queen, is she not going to show herself to us?" Godoy asked.
"Unfortunately, no," Prince Dom Jo?o shook his head. "But she had granted me full authority to engage in a diplomatic discourse with you."
"By full authority you mean…you are representing the Kingdom of Portugal, correct?" Godoy asked.
Prince Dom Jo?o nodded firmly. "Yes, I am representing the Kingdom of Portugal in these negotiations. My mother, the Queen, trusts my judgment in this matter."
Godoy exchanged a knowing glance with General Saint-Cyr.
"So let me get this straight, your mother has rejected the terms we demand and now she is hiding because she can't take full responsibility for her decision?" Godoy's question held a hint of incredulity, his curiosity veering into bluntness.
Prince Dom Jo?o's eyes flared momentarily. "General Godoy, it's not a matter of shirking responsibility. My mother's absence here is not an attempt to avoid the consequences of her choices. It's a complex situation, and she believes that my involvement can lead to a resolution that benefits both our nations."
"Whatever, let's get this over with," Godoy said impatiently.
"Can I offer you some refreshments?" Prince Dom Jo?o said.
"As my partner has said, we have to get this over with. So no thank you."
"Okay," Prince Dom Jo?o sighed as he took his seat. "Now I assume that since we rejected your first list of demands, the second would be harsher?"
General Saint-Cyr shook his head. "No, the terms of surrender would remain the same. We don't want to punish the Kingdom of Portugal severely for her defiance. We simply want her to break ties with the British, who are France's mortal enemy."
"Wait…what?" Godoy was slightly shocked after hearing Saint-Cyr's words. He leaned to his side and whispered into Saint-Cyr's ears. "What are you talking about Saint-Cyr? Why are you not getting harsher with them? We have the upper hand here."
General Saint-Cyr leaned back slightly, his gaze steady on Prince Dom Jo?o. He understood Godoy's concern – they held the military advantage, and in many instances, this could be wielded to extract more favorable terms. But Saint-Cyr's approach was anchored in a larger strategy, one that sought stability and cooperation over further turmoil.
"You have heard my explanation Godoy, We simply want the Kingdom of Portugal to break away from the British. Don't be greedy as nothing would come good out of it."
Meanwhile, Prince Dom Jo?o had caught wind of the hushed conversation and the undertones of disagreement. It was clear that the French and Spanish generals had their own dynamics to navigate.
General Saint-Cyr shifted his focus back to the conversation at hand. "Apologies, Prince Dom Jo?o. So there you have it, our demands would remain the same."
Godoy suppressed a sigh, his skepticism still lingering.
"Allow me to summarize the terms once again, General. The Kingdom of Portugal is required to sever all ties with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In addition, all ports must be closed to British ships. An indemnity of 20 million francs is to be paid to France. Furthermore, the city of Oliven?a is to be ceded to the Kingdom of Spain, accompanied by an indemnity to be announced by Spain. Finally, Portugal is expected to join a defensive alliance with the Republic of France, which includes member-states such as the Kingdom of Prussia, the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Russian Empire. Have I mentioned them correctly?"
"Absolutely, Prince Dom Jo?o," General Saint-Cyr affirmed, his tone composed. "You've summarized the terms accurately."
"Okay, before we go forward with this negotiation, I want to know how much indemnity is the Kingdom of Spain asking?" Prince Dom Jo?o glanced at Godoy as he posed the question about the indemnity.
Manuel Godoy cleared his throat, his expression serious as he responded.
"Prince Dom Jo?o, on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, we propose an indemnity of 10 million francs" Godoy's voice held a note of finality.
"About the indemnity, of course, you don't have to pay it all at once, we will establish a reasonable payment plan over a period of time," General Saint-Cyr interjected smoothly, picking up where Godoy left off. "This could span over ten years, for example, to ease the financial burden on the Kingdom of Portugal."
Prince Dom Jo?o heaved a sigh of relief. "That was good to know, General Saint-Cyr. Very well, the Kingdom of Portugal will accept the terms of surrender. But in return, we want our troops, taken as prisoners of war, to be released immediately and unconditionally," Prince Dom Jo?o stated firmly, his eyes fixed on General Saint-Cyr.
General Saint-Cyr nodded in acknowledgment. "That we can do."
Manuel Godoy added, "With the terms settled and a common understanding reached, we can proceed to draft the formal agreement. This document will outline the specifics of the treaty and the agreed-upon terms. Once both parties are satisfied with the contents, we can move forward with its signing. Let's finish it today. "
"Very well," Prince Dom Jo?o agreed, and the trio began working diligently on drafting the formal agreement.
Three hours later, with the draft ready, they gathered around the table once again, this time with the finalized document placed before them. One by one, they signed the Treaty of Ribeira, ending the war between the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of France, and the Kingdom of Portugal.
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