Good morning, good afternoon or whatever time you will read this.
It might be one of my first english written fanfiction at all, so bear with my poor english.
I also might write it more french-sided, since I am a France rp'er and know way more about France than of Scotland.

Pairing: Scotland x France

Rating: T

Genre: Historical.
As I imagine how it all went down. I might miss events, but that's a minor loss in my opinion.

Disclaimer: France and Scotland belong to Europe, Francis Bonnefoy belongs to Himaruya and Alasdair Iain Angus McKirkland (Scotland, and I gave him this name) belongs to a user in pixiv.

_

In the years after the peace treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon had reached the peak of his power. And as we know it, every sun had its time to set.
Less and less would Bonaparte allow critique on his way of ruling, he became a despot. Talleyrand, who had disagreed over the expansions policy, was fired immediately. Censorship in the news became stronger. It evolved more and more into a new aristocracy and also old members of the Ancien Regime were invited to Napoleons court. Members of the Revolution who had equality in their mind looked with awe onto the Palais de Tuileries. Napoleon even thought about moving to Versailles, which was more suspicious.

In international politics, Napoleon planned on taking over Spain completely with putting Joseph Bonaparte as king. The people of Madrid but revolved against this and threw Joseph out of the city. The Spanish got support from the British since now they had the same enemy: France. Napoleon took the Spain affair into his own hands, but the cause was too expensive and therefore remained an unsolved problem in 1809.

Right after the return to Paris, the Austrian troops under Karl of Austria marched into Bavaria. In Germany then, the Austrian tried to gain forces to fight against Napoleon. Voices grew louder against the foreign Emperor, yet only under cover, growing until they would be ready to face the French.
Napoleon took this rebellious attempt serious and led his troops against the Austrian, to witness his first defeat near Aspern-Essling. But in the next battle, Napoleon won over Karl of Austria. Furthermore, Austria had to give Dalmatia, Central Croatia, Krain, Austrian Küstenland, Salzburg and the Innviertel to France. Just like Prussia earlier, it lost more than half of its territory and had to reduce its army. It had to agree onto the embargo that had been put on Great Britain. Further, a military bond was made between Austria and France.

Napoleon appeared more and more cold hearted and calculating. All his efforts moved over to his plan, to own the world and to make France the centre of everything.
The Emperor went so far that he divorced himself from Joséphine… as it had remained childless. As an Emperor he needed to give his legacy to someone. He included himself into his wedding policy and married the oldest daughter of the Austrian Emperor, Marie-Louise of Hapsburg. In 1811, Marie gave birth to Napoleon II..
Believing that Napoleon had created a new dynasty, he ordered feasts everywhere in the Realm that should become part in a Napoleonic calender.

Eventually it even went so far, that the French Emperor had plans on taking over Russia. Francis wanted to get this idea out of the head of the monarch… after all, Russia's limits were not known exactly, but even in the time of that age everyone knew that Russia was the largest land on earth and the Russians were fearful fighters. No one would dream of messing with Russia.
Tsar Alexander I. of Russia however, took the decision from the French hands. Out of economic reasons, he didn't want to stop the trade with Great Britain anymore.
The Emperor of France settled for a war against Russia in the first half of 1812.

The Rheinbund, Prussia and Austria was taken into duty to follow Napoleon into this war. Sweden with its new Crown prince and the former French General Bernadotte decided to take sides with Russia.
The Grande Armée of Napoleon was 675 000 men strong – the strongest army that Europe had ever seen!
With that, the tactic of Bonaparte was as usually, that he would lead a quick battle that would decide the whole war and end in a peace treaty.

But the Russians had something else in mind: They used their whole land, retreating as far as ever possible, soon wearing out the French. The method to nurture the troops with the food they found in villages and on the fields on their way through the lands had been shattered also. The Russians would burn their farmlands and take everything edible that they had. The French literally were on a journey on 'scorched earth' with smaller growing provisions.
In August 1812, when the French reached Smolensk, they were already shrunken to the size of 160 000 men (515 000 men died in only half a year).
Before Moskow the Russians stood against the French, as if to protect the Russian heart.
Napoleon won this battle, but the losses were immense with 80 000 Dead or wounded on each side.

With no further interferences, Napoleon took Moskow. The People of Moskow had left their city. It was practically a ghost city. An eerie silence hung over it.
"It has been too easy… Hm… If the old Fritz had been alive, we would have never gotten this far.", Napoleon said with deep respect for the old Prussian king who had passed away in 1786. "Something's in the air…"
„Oui, …it smells like something is burning.", Francis remarked.
Bonaparte, Francis and the higher ranked militaries were standing in some palace-like building. The common soldiers were partly standing outside and guarding, others were recovering in the houses surrounding the 'palace'.

"E-Emperor! The city… it is burning!", a french common soldier cried as he stumbled into the room.
"What?"
The leaders of the French army reacted quick and the troops left the city in a hurry – to watch it burn to the ground from afar.
Most Soldiers were suffering from starvation, diseases, snow and cold, despite it being summer.

The Russian Tsar refused any negotiations. The French were forced to leave Russia in October 1812 due to lack of provisions and sickness. It was so cold that they had to burn their flags. On their way back their Tross was repeatedly attacked by the Russian Cossacks.
In the battle at Beresina Napoleons Grande Armée was completely defeated. 45 000 French were left for the hard walk home.
"Monsieur… We will never make it back to the homeland.", Francis dared to say one evening. His concern was still to the fact that they had to walk through territory where the French were not really liked to be seen. "We still have to go through Prussia, the German Empire… and others perhaps. Belgium and Netherlands if we go too straight."
"Shut up. …We will eventually survive. Just believe in it.", Bonaparte hissed.

When they reached the Prussian Border, only 18 000 French were left. It was almost ridiculous. Not even their horses were left. The commander of the Prussian Relief Corps parted from the Grande Armée and sealed an armistice with the Russian Tsar on his own. In the meantime, Napoleon had continued his way to Paris to start a new army to attack Russia.

In Germany, the defeat of Napoleon led to an uprising, a national movement. Friedrich Wilhelm III. of Prussia was siding with Russia and called for freedom from the French. In the beginning only few German states followed.
After Napoleon managed to recruit a few, bad trained soldiers, he walked across Germany to try once again to claim Russia. The French Empire had tried to talk his Emperor out of this nonsense, now he was following them into their doom.
In the start, Bonaparte still showed his military knowledge and remained pretty calm. He won twice over the German troops and approached Prussia once again.
The reorganised Prussian troops were serious enemies to the French which why Bonaparte agreed to a truce.
This was also used to lure Austria to either Prussian or French side.

On the Peace congress in Praha, an ultimatum was brought upon Napoleon in which he was forced to dissolve the Rheinbund, to give up on the Grand Duchy Warszawa and to restore Prussia as it was in 1806. Bonaparte didn't want to do either of them, as it meant to give up on the supreme role that France was filling by that time.
As a result, Austria declared war to France. Prussia and Russia joined the cause. And also Sweden joined in after a short while. The combined troops of them rolled over Bonapartes Troops like nothing.
The final blow came in the battle near Leipzig (Germany). Bavaria had switched sides only a few days before, while Saxony went down along with Napoleon. The French retreated behind the Rhein.

The enemies of the French didn't rest for a long time. Immediately after Bonaparte had retreated, the Rheinbund dissolved by itself, trespassing against its creator. On the Spanish front, Wellington (British Commander) approached to the French border. And now even in France itself, voices against Napoleons regime grew louder. It was more like they just have endured Napoleon as long as he was winning.
The Recruitment of new soldiers became difficult as Bonaparte wasn't given any support anymore, the Emperor didn't have much to throw against the united forces of the Russian, Prussian, Austrian, German, Swedish and British. Only Bonaparte's military skills delayed a complete defeat, instead the first few rounds went in favour of the French, despite being outnumbered by far.

But Bonaparte could not fend off the enemies forever. And so, the massive hordes took over Paris in March 1814 after a battle that had went for their favour.
The Emperor of France lost any support from his army, other politicians and even his closest friends.
One month later, the Emperor was forced to abdicate. Napoleon wanted to put his son as the following Emperor, but the Senate declined. They requested him to abdicate without debate.
Bonaparte signed the contract, and was brought to the Isle Elba where he was banned and left only with the empty title of Emperor.
Francis Bonnefoy remained in Paris among the higher ups of the society.

While Napoleon remained in Elba, Louis XVIII., the younger brother of Louis XVI. was set up as the king of France. A time in which the 'Ancient Regime' was restored. If you might wonder, what happened to Louis XVII. …he died as a child of only 10 years due to sickness, but was remarked as the 17th Louis by Monarchists.
After only one year, a remarkable dissatisfaction was felt among the people of France. Would there be another revolution?
No, but Napoleon reappeared from Elba. With the help of a net of agents he exactly knew what was going on. The soldiers that had been told to keep him in Elba had switched to his side and as Louis XVIII. saw him, he fled from the Tuileries!
The constitution of the Emperor was liberalised, but the people were not overjoying because of Napoleons return.

Alarmed by the happenings in France, Austria, Russia, Great Britain and Prussia decided on the congress in Wien to interfer. Their alliance was renewed in March 1815.

In spite of all difficulties, Napoleon managed to bring up an army of 125 000 experiences soldiers. He left behind a provisionally government under Marshall Davout and marched against the alliance. Just like always, the Emperor decided to beat the enemies one after another.
And also in the beginning he succeeded in splitting up the british and the prussian troops. In June he beat the allied in the battle by Quatre-Bras and the Battle by Ligny.
In the same month he attacked the British army near the Belgian village named Waterloo…

Francis had heard that there were Scottish among the British soldiers – as infanterists and dragooners and some others. He still could tell their accents and their way of shouting and fighting from the ways of the English and others… it was a chance to see Alasdair. Only a small chance, but it made him euphoric. He had to see him! And perhaps even more was to do… If chance wanted it, he would be saving him from the French. Would Alasdair do the same for him? But even if the Scotsman didn't love him anymore. He would give his life for the one he had always loved dearly in his heart.

There was several individual farms and a forest near-by. Napoleon had strict plans where and when he would meet the British soldiers. The Scottish were – telling by their rank and function as Soldiers – in the secound line and beyond. Francis concentrated and always led his horse to the back rows, to Napoleons brother Jérôme who led the lower rank soldiers, also infanterists and others.
"Also in the back row, Monsieur?", Jérôme asked, blushing slightly. He had seen his nation always from afar until then, wondering about everything over this person. He had been not popular in his own family. And today he kind of regretted how everything had come. How he had been commanded around by his older brother. How he had been king over Westphalia though he had never been interested in such thing.
"Oui. …for today I will be, Jérôme.", Francis was nervous.
"D-do you think I will die today, Monsieur?"
"…I don't know who will die. I am no fortune-teller.", Francis' blue eyes darkened. He had always been to war. Always war. But death was one thing he didn't like to think too much about.

The battle started with a lot of delay. No one really listened to Napoleon anymore. The troops were in great disorder. After the start had fallen, the individual groups went into chaos. However, everyone found their opponent.
Francis thought that he would actually be able to tell where Alasdair was, if he was among the soldiers: there where the most people died. The Scotsman wasn't a murderer, but he was sure a serious enemy. Francis guessed that Alasdair would also be good on shooting weapons. He imagined the tall redhead being just like a savage Viking. One move of his hand and a million people would die, so mighty he would be.
Also, the blonde figured that it would be easier to find him, than the other way around.. there was not many redheads, but more blonde people around.
While trying to stay alive, his eyes scanned the Scottish troops for a face he could recognise.

There, at a lonely farm where the barn was burning he found him. The redhead had just fallen from his horse, as the poor animal had been hit by something – possibly a bullet.

Francis rode quickly over to the man and dragged him almost violently onto his horse.
"You are… heavy…Écosse."