Looking For Caring Love (Napoleon Bonaparte x Reader)

15. Strong People

The Emperor of the French sits down next to a table full of food, specifically chicken.
Before he starts digging his face into the plate, he notices you still standing up straight, so he gets up quickly and, before the soldiers could assist you sitting down, he gently grabs your hand and pulls the chair towards him; he gives a cold look to the soldiers just so they notice that you only need his personal assistance.
After you sit down, he gently pushes your chair closer to the table; then, he grabs his own chair, puts it next to yours, and finally sits down.
The only hungry person in this area is him. Most of the soldiers have already eaten and you, surprisingly, were not hungry.

An apple is the only thing that interests you on the table, so you grab it and you start eating it slowly.
Looking to your left, you see Bonaparte admiring the food and trying to choose what he should eat.
It seems like everything is tempting him but he discreetly looks down at his figure and looks up again; he was judging himself.
This was interesting since most people who have the money to eat what they want wouldn't normally care about fitness. Bonaparte himself used his horse, Blanc, more than he walked too.
Why would he not eat what he wants?

This question has a simple answer and yet you couldn't place it.
It appears that he doesn't want to become heavier because of you; almost as if he's afraid of you leaving him if you stop finding him handsome.
And a handsome man, in his mind, was an intelligent and somehow fit man.
This wasn't necessarily true to you but since you couldn't figure out what his brilliant mind was thinking, your mouth stays shut.

???: "Mange juste le poulet!" (Just eat the chicken!)
A Marshal comes into the scene and yells this at the Emperor.

At first, you thought that this wasn't going to end well; a Marshal yelling like that to the Emperor? Perhaps he's suicidal.
Bonaparte, however, didn't seem angry at all; almost like he was already waiting for this man to say those words.

Napoleon: "Très bien, je vais manger le poulet." (Alright, I'll eat the chicken.)

Napoleon: "Mais d'abord vous présenter à elle." (But first introduce yourself to her.) Bonaparte looks at you.

???: "Bien sûr! Bon après-midi Y/N. Je-" (Of course! Good afternoon Y/N. I-) His sentence is interrupted by the Emperor himself.

Napoleon: "En anglais!" (In english!)

After clearing his throat with a short cough, he continues.
???: "Hello Y/N, I'm Marshal Jean Lannes. I'm sure you've heard of me."

Y/N: "Good afternoon mister. I haven't heard of you, no."

After saying this, you notice Lannes' expression quickly go from in a good mood to complete and utter surprise while looking at Bonaparte.
Napoleon notices this and starts smiling. Trying to contain his laughter while picking up the plate with chicken, he looks down at it and fixates his eyes on the food.

Lannes: "Tu ne peux pas être sérieux!" (You can't be serious!) He says while looking at Napoleon.

Now looking at you, he continues talking.
Lannes: "You mean he hasn't told you anything about me? The Duke of Montebello?"

Y/N: "He hasn't."

Lannes: "How could he-? I mean, what man in their right mind talks to me about you and yet doesn't inform you of a Marshal like me?"

Y/N: "That handsome man." You look and shake your head in the direction of Bonaparte.

Napoleon begins to eat the chicken quietly.
Lannes: "Very well. I suppose I'm not a good enough friend to be worth talking about."

Napoleon: "Non, non. I just have not had the opportunity." (No, no.)

Lannes: "Is that so?" He asks while laughing.

Napoleon: "Yes. I haven't talked about my family or friends. She just knows about me and Marshal Oudinot."

Lannes: "And you don't care to enlighten her about such topics?"

Napoleon: "Of course I do. I just haven't had the opportunity yet, like I said. You would be the first person I would talk about, do not worry."