In Guards We Trust

  ***

  Any expectations that the display of unity by the European monarchies at the recent Montugan coronation would give the republican government in France pause for thought were soon dashed by two events. The first was that the French government sent Jason a missive indicating that France did not understand the recent coronation. France reserved unto itself the right to take time to consider whether or not it regarded the recent coronation as being in breach of the terms of the Treaty of Montuga. The missive went on to state that France would respond as soon as it had completed its investigation of the circumstances resulting in the coronation.

  Secondly, France invaded Spain to assist a republican uprising in the north of that country. Jason realised that the uncertain tone of the French letter was probably connected to the Spanish invasion. France undoubtedly first wished to secure a victory in Spain before it engaged its next target.

  Jason ordered the expansion of the royal guard to a thousand men during the months which followed. Two further ships were added to the navy making a total of fourteen warships. It became clear to him that Montuga’s resources were now stretched to their maximum. The kingdom could not afford to pay for any additional soldiers nor could it fund or supply any further ships without him raising additional taxes from his Montugan subjects. The options of raising the mooring fees at the harbour or of raising the taxes on goods passing through the Trade Centre were also not open to him. He feared that this would drive the traders to another port.

  Jason took personal charge of ensuring that the captains, officers, gunners and seamen on each of his ships were trained to royal navy standards. He requested the officers to ensure that all the drills, particularly the gunners’ drills were repeated with monotonous regularity on a daily basis. The standards for the royal guard were also raised. Daily drills were introduced to ensure that the guards operating the cannons raised the number of cannon shots per hour they fired. The musketeers were subjected to similar training regimens. It was not long before these efforts produced tangible results. Various nobles also sent their own local militia members to the training sessions held by the royal guards.

  Jason’s relationship with Renate was his greatest source of contentment. They drew closer as lovers and as friends. Despite the elapse of three years since their royal wedding, however, Renate had failed to conceive. The absence of an infant only provided the couple with an extra incentive, as if any was needed, to persist with their frequent bouts of love making. Unsurprisingly, however, Renate eventually became despondent and increasingly concerned about the situation. As Queen, she felt the weight of the kingdom’s expectations on her shoulders. Her concerns that she might be barren or that the king might be impotent ultimately turned out to be without substance. Jason had recently found his wife on her hands and knees one morning as she engaged in liquid banter with the commode. Before long all the other tell-tell signs of a new life started to show one by one.

  Jason followed the news of the French invasion of Spain with keen interest. For the first few months of their Spanish campaign it seemed that the French army and the Spanish republicans were unable to make any advances. The resistance from forces loyal to the Spanish king had been fierce and generally effective. Guerrilla tactics from Spanish loyalists succeeded in interfering with French lines of supply in many areas controlled by the French and the Spanish republicans. A stalemate, which persisted for several months, arose.

  French fortunes were, however changed when the French General, Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Spain. The French advanced into Madrid within one month of Napoleon’s assumption of command and the forces loyal to the Spanish king found themselves clinging to the south east of the country. Fortunately for the defenders, Napoleon was re-called to Paris and a new stalemate situation developed.

  Napoleon, however, added to his growing reputation by orchestrating a series of victories over the Austrian army, with whom France had once again become embroiled in a war. Whilst fighting the Austrians on one front, he also managed to launch simultaneous attacks on several of the Italian republics and he conquered them in turn without much ado. Jason found Napoleon’s ability to launch and manage campaigns on several fronts to be particularly disturbing. It meant that France would not necessarily wait for peace before launching any attack on Montuga. Jason could do little more than to ensure that Montuga complied with the treaty of Montuga. He was also careful to avoid any action which might be considered as hostile by France. Despite this, he felt that an attack by France at some point was probably inevitable. This view was shared by most Montugans.

  A number of attempts by Montugan republicans to re-create the energy of the original protest movement in Montuga in order to encourage Napoleon to invade failed due to the continuing disunity between the various groups. Napoleon’s invasion of the Italian republics did nothing to endear him to the Italian speaking Montugans. Most of the latter continued to believe that constitutional reform in Montuga was only likely to operate to the advantage of the republicans until the situation in France normalised and peace in Europe was restored.

  Shortly after Napoleon was elevated to the position of France’s First Consul, a letter arrived from Paris. Jason was invited to visit Paris for talks with Napoleon. The agenda included a discussion about Jason’s recent coronation in addition to other matters of mutual interest. Jason called a joint meeting of the Council of Six and the Chamber of Knights to discuss the invitation. Renate and Ruan also attended the meeting.

  ‘What am I to do about the invitation?’ Jason asked after everyone had had a chance to consider it.

  ‘It is written in the form of an invitation and not an order,’ Renate observed.

  ‘Your majesty, may I be permitted to suggest that Napoleon will consider an invitation from him to constitute an order no matter how magnanimous the language in which it is couched.’ The newly promoted General Petard nodded respectfully in Renate’s direction as he spoke. General Petard had become the new commander of the royal guard following the retirement of Duke Le Riche. ‘If your majesty accepts the invitation, we have the small matter of securing your safety on the way to Paris and back.’

  ‘That assumes of course that this is not a trap,’ Ruan intervened. ‘I do not like this at all. I am not in favour of it. I do not want our king arrested and executed in Paris.’

  ‘This could also be a trap to lure some of our ships and some of our royal guards away from Montuga in order to permit a surprise attack in your absence,’ the Marquis d’Artois pointed out. The Marquis had recently been appointed as the second in command of the Royal Guards. ‘Napoleon may have heard that Montuga is reasonably well defended and that he will have to launch an amphibious attack in order to invade. He will know that the Montugan navy has fourteen ships with sailors trained along royal navy lines. He knows that the French navy is presently not on a par with royal navy standards. He may have calculated that he would require about two French warships to our one to be certain of success. That is twenty eight-warships. I would estimate that the entire French fleet in the Mediterranean consists of no more than thirty five warships.’

  ‘I also considered that possibility,’ Jason mentioned. ‘If I were to travel to France, how many royal guards would it be acceptable for me to have accompanying me?’

  ‘Your majesty, you would be the first monarch to visit France since the revolution. There is no telling what might happen. You could be attacked in a riot in the streets of Paris. You could be attacked en route to Paris,’ the General explained. ‘I would imagine you would be entitled to be accompanied by three to five hundred armed royal guards on horseback. It is about four hundred and thirty two miles to Paris from Toulon. I estimate it would take about thirteen days to get there. I estimate we will require four or five ships to move the horses, the guards and everything they need to Toulon.’

  ‘It is going to be a massive undertaking however we do it,’ Jason said thoughtfully.

  ‘Your majesty, if I may,’ the Marquis
interjected. ‘Paris is too risky. I suggest Lyon in Southern France is a preferable venue. It is far closer to Montuga. I know the area well. If the meeting turns out to be a trap, my knowledge of the area may prove useful.’

  It was unanimously agreed that a formal reply suggesting Lyon as an alternative would be despatched. Napoleon was also advised that Jason would be arriving at Lyon with three hundred armed royal guards on horseback. If Lyon was considered an acceptable alternative venue by him, Napoleon was requested to provide a letter bearing his seal giving King Jason and his three hundred guards Napoleon’s personal guarantee, and that of the French government, that the King and his guards would have a safe passage, including the return passage, between both Toulon and Lyon and between the Devil’s Orifice and Lyon. This letter would also be required to contain suitable guarantees in respect of any Montugan warships which would be anchored at Toulon for the duration of the royal visit.

  Two and a half weeks later, the king and five hundred royal guards commenced a march along the trail up to the Devil’s Orifice. They moved in single file and each of the three hundred mounted guards led his own horse. The front of the column consisted of fifty advance guards marching on foot. Their task was to ensure that the mountain pass up ahead was free of any danger to the column. Some of the first fifty guards carried lanterns. The remaining one hundred and fifty guards bearing lanterns were spread out evenly between the three hundred mounted guards and their horses to ensure that they would have sufficient light. There was no place for such a large contingent of men and horses to stop anywhere in the pass. It was necessary for the column to complete the entire route in one twenty hour session. They entered the path from the Montugan side at two o’clock in the morning and they expected the last of the column to emerge from the pass into the narrow Nanoux valley in France at around ten o’clock the following evening.

  Jason had left nothing to chance. In addition to the fifty man advance guard, Jason also ensured that scouts had already traversed the full length of the pass and as well as the full extent of the Nanoux valley in France. A few scouts returned to the column to report whilst others continued on to ensure that no traps or unpleasant surprises awaited them in the Nanoux valley. In Montuga, Jason had taken every precaution to ensure that the entire fleet and the remaining troops, including the nobility’s militia, were on full alert for the full duration of his absence. Jason ensured too that three of the mounted guards had homing pigeons with them in order that messages could be sent back to Monte Vista harbour with instructions for the fleet to fetch them in Lyon if required. The fact that Jason had obtained approval from Napoleon for his use of either of the two suggested routes for his trip to Lyon had been done with the intention of making a surprise attack a little more difficult for Napoleon to plan.

  As a further precaution, the column left Montuga a day earlier than was strictly necessary. Jason wanted to ensure that he would be in Lyon a day before the date of the conference. This would hopefully be a day before Napoleon arrived. Even if Napoleon was already in Lyon when his column arrived, Jason’s arrival would still be a day earlier than Napoleon would be expecting. If they arrived to discover Napoleon’s forces indulging in anything suspicious, such as supervising the positioning of artillery batteries, Jason would be able to make plans for a hasty retreat. Ideally, such a retreat could be well underway before Napoleon even realised that Jason’s scouts had been in the area.

  ‘Where is the Marquis?’ Jason enquired of one of his officers. ‘He was supposed to be immediately in front of me in the column.’

  ‘He is probably behind us in the column, your majesty. I saw that he stopped to speak to a well-dressed gentleman before the column entered the pass,’ a Lieutenant responded. It was not long before the same officer pointed out that the Marquis had been spotted in the column behind them. He was slowly overhauling those in front of him in an apparent effort to catch up to Jason.

  ‘My apologies, your majesty.’ The effort to pass so many men and horses in the narrow pass had left the Marquis a little breathless. He paused to catch his breath. ‘I was detained at the foot of the pass by a Count from France who is well-known to me. He represents French royalists who are operating covertly in Lyon, Toulon, Marseilles and Avignon. He informs me that a royalist uprising in the South of France is apparently imminent.’

  ‘Are you suggesting that if we are attacked in France we would be able to rely on royalist assistance?’

  ‘That would depend, your majesty, upon the state of readiness of the royalists in the immediate area of the attack, and I imagine, the size of the force accompanying Napoleon.’

  ‘I trust the royalists are not proposing to attack Napoleon during my visit. That might create the impression that Montuga is behind the uprising or that we support it.’

  ‘The royalists are aware of your majesty’s visit to France. They do not intend to disrupt it. The uprising in Lyon and along our route will occur only after your majesty departs from France. However, if the visit does not go well, they might assist us.’

  ‘Is that what the Count came to tell you?’

  ‘Not entirely, your majesty. The royalists in Toulon are apparently ready to capture the French Mediterranean fleet. I am informed that the Royal Navy is on standby near Toulon. They are apparently considering an invasion of Toulon to assist the royalists.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Jason asked.

  ‘I don’t know why, your majesty, but it would seem to be true. Apparently, however, the British do have some pre-conditions? And this is where Montuga comes in.’

  ‘Do continue.’

  ‘The royal navy apparently requires that either the Montugan or the Spanish navy must join such an operation. This is why the Count came to speak to me. He needs an answer from you as to whether Montuga would be prepared to send its navy to join a royal naval invasion of Toulon.’

  ‘I take it that you told the Count that we can only make a decision of that nature after our meeting with Napoleon, and depending, of course, on the outcome of that meeting.’

  ‘Indeed, your majesty. That is precisely what I mentioned. The Count will convey our response to Lord Graveny who will ensure it reaches the royal navy.’

  ‘Good,’ Jason responded. ‘I am not willing to commit to a war with France unless we are placed in a position where we have no choice.’ They walked in silence for a while.

  ‘Surely a royalist uprising in France and the possibility of the royal navy eliminating the threat of the French Mediterranean fleet is welcome news to your majesty in any event,’ the Marquis said.

  ‘Of course it is. The French have been promoting and benefiting from republican uprisings in neighbouring territories. A royalist uprising in France would turn the tables on them. It would be precisely what was needed to keep France occupied and out of Montuga’s affairs. In addition, British involvement is also what the doctor ordered to counter General Bonaparte’s appetite for foreign military capers.’

  As they marched through the canyon during the night, they thought about these latest developments.

  ‘Do you think the British offer to assist the royalists is serious, your majesty?’ the Marquis inquired. ‘Up till now, Britain has seemed content to avoid conflict with republican France.’

  ‘Yes, but we both know that cannot last. Virtually the entire French Mediterranean fleet is based in Toulon. Toulon also has large naval storage facilities for ammunition, and other critical supplies. If the British were to knock out the French Mediterranean fleet it would probably destroy France’s capability for launching any serious naval attack on Britain for the next five or more years. It would leave the royal navy as the undisputed ruler of the waves for many years and it would probably prevent any French attack on Britain and on her colonies.’

  ‘Too good to resist then,’ the Marquis agreed.

  ‘You are a former French aristocrat. Do you think the royalists in France have a chance against the republicans?’

  ‘It is difficult
to say, your majesty. The republican government rules through a curious mixture of popular support and fear. There is little room for dissent or freedom of expression if you are, or are seen to be, counter-revolutionary.’

  ‘I realise that it is too much to hope for, but if the royalists in France were to carry the day, it could be the end of all of our problems. It would be far easier to resist any calls for constitutional monarchy in Montuga if the French monarchy is restored in France,’ Jason said.

  Throughout the night Jason and the Marquis received updates which passed along the column from man to man as it snaked through the mountain pass. All was well in front of them and the latest report from one of the scouting parties operating ahead of the column was also good. Jason’s section of the column reached the border post at the top of the path at around eleven thirty the next morning. Despite their fatigue, the column kept moving. Jason’s thoughts returned to Napoleon.

  ‘What do you think Napoleon wants?’ Jason asked the Marquis.

  ‘I do not know your majesty. That question perturbs me too.’

  ‘Of course, after your meeting with the Count it struck me that this meeting might not involve any demands from Napoleon. It may be that he realises he may require an ally. More particularly, he could be seeking an ally with an effective navy,’ Jason ventured.

  ‘I wondered about that too and dismissed it, your majesty. It is difficult to imagine Napoleon needing anyone. He has not needed anyone until now. On the other hand, the way your majesty presents it makes some sense. If Napoleon has received wind of British intentions at Toulon, he may feel he requires an ally with a fleet.’

  ‘I need to consider all the possibilities before I meet with Napoleon. I do not wish to be taken by surprise when he eventually reveals his agenda.’

  As he pondered on these things, it dawned on Jason that the real aim of France’s Spanish campaign may have been to gain control of the Spanish Fleet. But despite Napoleon’s spectacular advances through Spain and despite that he now controlled most of Spain, the Spanish fleet, for now, remained loyal to the Spanish king. Considered from this perspective, Napoleon’s Spanish campaign did not look all that glorious.

  The column began to emerge from the mountain path at around nine-thirty that evening. The advance guard of fifty infantry joined up with one of the scouting parties who had selected an ideal place for the exhausted men to camp. They had also prepared a few small fires for those who wished to make coffee or to warm up some food. Most of the men, however, were so fatigued that they settled for dry rations and water in order that they could set up their tents and drift off to sleep. It was another hour before the last members of the column arrived at the camp site in the Nanoux valley.