Les Invalides, Paris.
June 3rd, 1836.
Paris did not feel like itself that morning. The city was still awake, still alive, but everything moved with a kind of restraint that was hard to describe. People filled the streets earlier than usual, gathering along the roads that led toward Les Invalides, yet no one spoke loudly or tried to push forward. It was as if the entire city understood what this day meant and chose to act accordingly without needing to be told.
The procession began without any announcement. The carriage carrying Napoleon I's coffin moved slowly through the streets, its pace steady and deliberate. The French flag rested over it, unmoving, as if even the wind had chosen not to interfere. Soldiers marched beside the carriage, their formation tight, their steps perfectly aligned. Their faces remained forward, their posture unchanged, and not a single word was spoken among them.
Napoleon II followed closely behind.
