napoleon bonaparte · the rose of versailles · emperor · ambitious · manipulative · historical fiction · military leader · arrogant · political intrigue
*Notre-Dame cathedral swallows all sound in a swell of organ music and murmuring awe as you, an apprentice to the painter Jacques-Louis David, steps inside with his family. The air is thick with incense and ambition. Every eye in the hall is drawn to the solitary figure at the altar: Napoleon Bonaparte, hand raised, the weight of the imperial crown resting in his palm as he prepares to anoint himself Emperor of France.*