Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 118: Reaction of Great Britain
In the month of June, day 13th, 1830.
The Empire of Britain, Kingdom of Prussia, Empire of Russia, and the Austrian Empire received the news that Napoleon II, Emperor of France, had invaded the Regency of Algiers.
In Buckingham Palace, Prime Minister Charles Grey walked through the chambers of the gilded palace towards the office of King George IV. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Inside the King’s private sitting room, the curtains were half drawn against the afternoon light. A fire burned low in the hearth despite the warmth of June.
King George IV sat in a wide upholstered chair near the window. His body filled most of it. His waistcoat strained at the buttons. Layers of fabric covered his frame, rich but heavy. His face was round and pale. His hands rested on the arms of the chair, thick fingers heavy with rings. Even at rest, he seemed tired.
A small table stood beside him, holding a decanter of brandy and two crystal glasses.
George IV looked up as Charles Grey entered.
"Ah, Grey," the King said, his voice slower than usual. "You look as though the French have marched into London."
Grey bowed slightly. "Your Majesty."
The King reached for the decanter with some effort and poured brandy into a glass.
"Sit," he said. "You look in need of a drink."
Grey remained standing.
"I must decline, Your Majesty."
George paused mid-motion, one eyebrow lifting.
"Decline?" he repeated.
"There is urgent news from the Mediterranean," Grey said. "It concerns France."
The King set the glass down untouched.
"What’s with France? Did they invade their neighbors?"
"Not their neighbors, they invaded a state across the Mediterranean Sea, the Regency of Algiers, Your Royal Highness," Grey reported.
"Algiers?" King William IV coughed repeatedly and tried to get a hold of himself.
The King was looking so frail that he could die at any moment. He is old too so there is that.
"Okay, what is that nation and why should we be concerned?"
Grey stepped closer to the table but remained standing.
"The Regency of Algiers, Your Majesty, is a North African state along the Barbary Coast. It has long tolerated piracy against European shipping."
The King adjusted himself in his chair, breathing heavier than before.
"Yes, yes," he muttered. "The corsairs. We dealt with them years ago."
"Yes, Your Majesty. But this time France has not merely sent a squadron. Napoleon II has landed an army."
"How large?"
"Reports suggest more than thirty thousand troops. A full fleet from Toulon. The city has already fallen."
George’s fingers tightened slightly on the armrest.
"Fallen?" he asked.
"Yes. The Dey has surrendered. The French flag now flies over the palace in Algiers."
The King stared at the carpet for a moment.
"And what does the boy intend to do with it?"
"We don’t exactly know but there is a possibility they are to be made a colony, Your Royal Highness."
The King let out a slow breath.
"A colony," he repeated. "So he is not satisfied with France alone."
"So France does want to expand again but not in the continental Europe, but in Africa. So long that it didn’t interfere with our national interest, we let them do their thing. We can’t just tell France that they can’t colonize a country when we ourselves are doing it."
"Yes, Your Royal Highness.. There is also another report."
"Out with it."
"The French seem to have a new weapon that they used during their expedition. According to our spies in the region who interviewed locals, they said that France possessed a weapon that could fire a musket at a greater distance with high accuracy and rate of fire. There is also this field cannon that could fire 15 to 30 rounds per minute and a machine gun that is astonishingly hard to believe to fire 500 to 600 rounds."
The King’s expression changed for the first time.
"Five hundred rounds?" he repeated slowly.
"That is what the reports state, Your Majesty."
George shifted in his chair, his breathing uneven again.
"And these are not rumors from frightened peasants?"
"Our sources include merchants and a naval observer who arrived in Malta last week. The descriptions are consistent."
Grey unfolded another sheet from his coat.
"The rifles are said to be bolt-operated. No need to ram powder after each shot. A magazine loaded beforehand. Five rounds before reloading."
"So you are saying that it is superior compared to our needle guns that we have just adopted years ago?" the King asked.
Grey held the King’s gaze.
"Yes, Your Majesty. In several respects."
George’s fingers tightened against the armrest.
"Our needle gun improved the rate of fire over traditional muskets," Grey continued. "But it remains delicate. The needle mechanism wears quickly. The cartridge seal is imperfect. Gas escapes. Accuracy suffers over distance."
The King clicked his tongue.
"Not only that, Your Royal Highness, it seems that they are building their navy as well. Reports from our agents in France that most shipyards are in full swing. And when I said most, I meant that all of the shipyards of France are mobilized. They are rearming Your Royal Highness."
"What could they possibly build in their navy? Like our steamships?"
"Well France has advanced the engineering of steam so there’s no doubt about it. I believe it is a reaction to counter our growing advanced warships."
"And what of our friends on the continent?"
"Austria is wary, the Prussians are nervous, and the Russians are still high in their glory. It’s always the neighbors that get frightened first. They think that in another five or ten years, France might invade them as a retaliation against humiliation after we pushed them back to the River Rhine."
"In that case, we have to maintain close contact with our friends on the continent. Make sure that we contain France. Also, I want French weapons to be examined and possibly reverse-engineered."
"We are working on that, Your Royal Highness."
"I may not be able to live long, but I don’t want a future where France conquers our island," the King said in a decisive tone.
"No, it is us who will invade France, not the other way around."
