Five o'clock in the afternoon. Inside the Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors.
Napoleon and Ciela sat at their respective thrones, with Francis and Aveline standing on either side. Before them were the finest generals of the Republic of France, kneeling to their new Emperor.
Napoleon rose to his feet, grunting softly due to the weight of the coronation mantle pulling him. But nevertheless, he stood straight. In this part of post-coronation, is one of his important duties. That is, recognizing the gallantry of the generals that served during the revolution, the first and second wars of the coalition.
"I shall now start the bestowment of the rank of Marshal of the Empire. It is the highest honor in the French military, and those who will receive it have shown exceptional courage, leadership, and dedication to the Republic of France," Napoleon declared.
The generals, dressed in their finest uniforms, remained on their knees, yet their faces couldn't hide the excitement and the pride swelling within them. They had spent years in the crucible of war, and this moment marked the pinnacle of their military careers.
Napoleon's gaze moved from one general to another, as if measuring their worthiness for this prestigious honor. His eyes finally settled on Louis-Alexandre Berthier, General during the Revolutionary Wars and the first and second coalition, and the current Minister of War.
"Louis-Alexandre Berthier, rise," Napoleon commanded authoritatively.
Berthier, who had played a crucial role in Napoleon's rise to power and had served as a loyal ally throughout their campaigns, stood up. His face remained stoic, revealing little emotion, but his eyes shone with pride. He approached the Emperor and Empress with a brisk stride, bowing respectfully before them.
"Berthier, your complex staff system has been essential to our military successes. Your unwavering dedication to the welfare of our troops and the organization of our forces has been pivotal. For your contributions to the Republic and your service, I hereby bestow upon you the rank of Marshal of the Empire."
Ciela rose to her feet and carried a medal cushion. Resting on the medal cushion is the Marshal's Baton.
As Ciela arrived next to Napoleon, he grabbed the baton and handed it to Berthier.
Berthier accepted it with a deep sense of honor, his heart filled with both gratitude and a profound awareness of the responsibilities that came with this esteemed title.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I accept this honor with humility and with a solemn vow to continue serving our beloved France to the best of my abilities."
Napoleon and Ciela exchanged a brief, approving nod before they continued with the ceremony.
One by one, they recognized the other generals who had served France with distinction during the turbulent years of revolution and war. Each general received their Marshal's Baton.
Being a Marshal of the Empire is not just a recognition, it comes with benefits such as higher pay and privileges. Not only that, they get to wear an official uniform exclusively for Marshals, adorned with elaborate braids and unique regalia that set them apart as the highest-ranking officers in the French military.
The uniform is still being designed by Charles Percier, whom Napoleon commissioned.
The bestowment took an hour and the generals that he had bestowed the title of the Marshal of the Emperor were.
Joachim Murat, Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, André Masséna, Pierre Augereau, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Guillaume Brune, Jean-de-Dieu Soult, Jean Lannes, édouard Mortier, Michel Ney, Louis-Nicolas Davout, Louis Desaix, Charles Leclerc, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, Jean-Baptiste Bessières, Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, Jean Victor Marie Moreau, Jean-Baptiste Kléber, Fran?ois Etienne Christophe Kellermann, Fran?ois-Joseph Lefebvre, Catherine-Dominique de Pérignon, and Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier.
When Sérurier returned to where he stood, Napoleon began. "This concludes the bestowment of the rank of Marshal of the Empire."
Upon saying that, the generals who didn't receive the Marshal's Baton exchanged glances, confused and evidently disappointed.
"I know that some of you will be disappointed not to have received this honor today, but it doesn't mean you will never get it," Napoleon said.
"Serve the Empire with the same dedication and valor you have displayed thus far, and more opportunities will come your way, one of which will be bestowed with this esteemed title," Napoleon continued, addressing those who had not received the Marshal's Baton on this occasion.
The generals who had been left disappointed exchanged nods of understanding and determination.
"Now, for the next order of business, I shall start distributing the new standards which I call, the eagle standards."
With the disappointment of some generals addressed Napoleon proceeded with the distribution of the new standards, the Eagle Standards. These symbolic banners were a representation of France's military might and would serve as a rallying point for the troops on the battlefield. Each standard was adorned with the imperial eagle.
Napoleon, joined by Ciela, approached a table where the Eagle Standards were neatly arranged. He picked up one of the standards, its rich fabric unfurling with the imperial eagle displayed prominently. Ciela did the same, holding another standard in her hands.
Napoleon began the distribution, presenting each general with an Eagle Standard.
"These Eagle Standards represent the might and honor of our Empire. They shall lead our brave soldiers into battle, and under their watchful gaze, we shall achieve victory."
Distribution of the eagle standards took less time than the bestowment of the Marshal of the Empire. Once it was done, Napoleon addressed the people once again.
"With that concluded, I shall now extend my invitation to all of you for a feast later to celebrate this momentous occasion," Napoleon announced.
With the ceremony concluded the generals who weren't nominated to become Marshal of France convened in a private room.
"I can't believe Bessierres got nominated to be a Marshal," Marmont muttered, his disappointment evident in his voice. He had served faithfully alongside Napoleon, and this omission stung.
"If Bessières is a Marshal, then anyone can be," he added bitterly. "How about you Junot? How do you feel?"
"I'm disappointed," Junot simply replied. "I don't know what the criteria for promotion are."
"Well, let's just prove to Napoleon that omitting us is a mistake," Marmont replied with a determined glint in his eye. "We have campaigns ahead of us, battles to win, and opportunities to demonstrate our worth. The battlefield is where our fate will be decided."
***
Seven o'clock in the evening, Napoleon and Talleyrand walked down the hallway.
"Your Majesty, why aren't you removing that coronation mantle? Isn't it heavy?" Talleyrand asked, confused as to why he was still wearing it.
Napoleon chuckled lightly. "Well, it's good looking and I kind of like the way it feels. I might not want to remove it," he teased.
Talleyrand shook his head with a smile, understanding the Emperor's penchant for theatrics.
"So, Talleyrand, is he already in the room? The Duke of Zweibrücken?"
"He is waiting for us," Talleyrand confirmed.
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