Soundtrack:
Daniel Aubert, Overture to Fra Diavolo [1]
*interior* *Basilica of Santa Chiara* *we see Madame Louise processing slowly up the aisle in her very medieval inspired wedding dress* *her deep blue train is trimmed with ermine and adorned with the lilies of France* *she wears no jewellery* *only rose buds in her hair* *preceded by two flowergirls: Therese and Karoline*
*cut to various scenes of the ceremony* *Ferdinando putting the ring on the bride's finger* *Louise taking her vows* *them leaving the basilica*
*cuts to various faces in the audience* *Queen Dowager Maria Isabel* *the prince and princess of Salerno* *the triumphantly smiling Caroline de Berri on the arm of D. Miguel, King of Portugal* *the frowning French and worried British ambassadors* *finally, the bored-to-tears look on Frankie's face[2]*
*cut to wedding reception*
Frankie: *on the edge of the dance floor* *dancing with his younger daughter in his arms* *older daughter is just twirling around in imitation of the couples on the dance floor*
Luisa Carlota of Naples, duquesa de Cadiz: *disapprovingly* look at him...bringing his...bastards to the wedding.
French ambassador: he's a Napoléon, Madame. Still...we should hope that bastards will be
all he fathers. And may they all be daughters.
Luisa Carlota: you've heard what happened in Spain, naturally?
French ambassador: of course, Madame
Luisa Carlota: my poor sister...forced to such a humiliation!
French ambassador: it is most...obscene, Madame. Still, my king is optimistic that her stay in Paris will not be of long duration. She is, after all, the rightful regent of Spain...not that...poseur the comte de Montemolin. And the only reason he is regent is because his father is...indisposed.
Luisa Carlota: *looks at her second youngest son, Duarte [3] wandering over to the edge of the dance floor* rather they were both dead *watches in horror as he asks Therese to dance* excuse me, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur
French ambassador: *bows* Madame
Luisa Carlota: *puts hands on her son's shoulders to pull him away* Duarte, let's not bother Monsieur le Duc...hmm
Frankie: it's no bother at all, Madame. He was just telling me how he wants to be in the army when he grows up.
Luisa Carlota: *tightly* hopefully the one defeats the Carlistes sir
Frankie: *innocently* I had heard that the Carlistes were the ones who won. Or would you be suggesting that we have a rematch, Madame?
Luisa Carlota: *firmly* come along Duarte-
Duarte: but mama, I was just asking Mademoiselle Thérèse if she wants to dance.
Luisa Carlota: *ignoring the little girl's look like "yes please"* I'm sure she has no wish to dance, Duarte. Come along now
Frankie: it's just a dance, Madame. And perhaps your...energies would be...better spent...focusing on your daughter, which one is she again? The ginger over there? She seems...rather taken with my cousin, Monsieur Charles [Napoléon III] [4]
Luisa Carlota: *looks at her eldest daughter, Isabel, in horror* a facc 'ro cazz [5] *insistent*
now Duarte
Frankie: *to Duarte* why don't you and Thérèse dance, while your mother goes to deal with your sister *smiles at Luisa like "which is more important to you?"*
Luisa Carlota: *storms onto the dancefloor* *grabs her daughter by the arm* come, Belita
Belita: mama, I'm-
Luisa Carlota: not with him, you're not.
Monsieur Charles: Madame, I-
Luisa Carlota: shut up, Bonaparte. Now...the Prince de Piemonte [Vittorio Emanuele II] wishes to dance with you.[6]
Vittorio Emanuele: *does not look thrilled by this* *but he gets remembered as "Re Galantuomo" for a reason* I would hardly want to interrupt what I'm sure was a pleasant dance with Monsieur Charles-
Luisa Carlota: *in that mom tone of do it or you'll be sorry* I insist, your Royal Highness. *pushes Belita into VE's arms*
*neither looks happy as they dance off*
Luisa Carlota: *to Monsieur Charles* did you think that you would be good enough for my daughter?
Monsieur Charles: it was just a dance, Madame.
Luisa Carlota: you are not fit to clean her dancing shoes, Bonaparte, much less to dance with her. You are only here by my nephew's sufferance. He didn't even want to allow your cousin, much less an ordure like you-
Monsieur Charles: I wonder if that was because my cousin is here as the Austrian ambassador. Or because the new
regent of Spain put in a kind word for us...ordures?
Luisa Carlota: *starts replying*
Usher: His Royal Highness, the Prince of Capua! Signora Penelope Smyth!
*hall falls silent*
Luisa Carlota: *disgustedly* what are
they doing here?
Frankie: *leading Karoline by hand* *strolls casually over to Capua in the uniform of the Neapolitan army and the heavily pregnant Smyth* cousin.
Capua: *not sure what to do now* *swallows visibly*
Penelope: *dips a curtsey and kisses his hand* your Serene Highness.
Frankie: I'm so glad that you got my invitation. I was worried that it may have gotten lost.
Capua: we are honoured that your Serene Highness remembered us. *looks pointedly at his brother* It seems that others didn't.
Ferdinando II: *practically storming over* *Louise trying to hang onto his arm to prevent him from doing just that* you dare show your face here, the charlatan and his whore?
Frankie: *measured tones* your Majesty, there is no need for such language. There are children present *looks down at Karoline*
Ferdinando II: this is a family matter, not for your involvement, Highness
Frankie: *makes obsequious bow* of course, Majesty
Ferdinando II: you will leave Naples immediately, my brother is dead. Do you understand that?
Louise: Ferdinand.
Ferdinando II: *pulls his mouth* what?
Louise: make this my wedding present. Forgive your brother. Let us draw a line under what has gone before. He is young and foolish, as many who have lost their fathers too young invariably are. He looks to you for guidance, do not turn he and his wife away. Let us not welcome such an apple of discord into our home at our wedding by sending them away. *dips into deep curtsey - almost to the floor - that will later be immortalized by several artists* Your Majesty being the kindest of fathers and the most generous of sovereigns...I ask this as my greatest wish
Ferdinando II: *clearly unhappy at the corner his wife has painted him into* *muttering* even my wife conspires against me *to Capua* how fortunate for you that my wife cares more for you than I do at the moment. *extends his hand to be kissed*
Capua: *hesitates*
Louise: *from her curtsey* *glares up at Capua with a look like "kiss the ring you fool"*
Capua: *frantically* *grabs his brother's hand and kisses it* your Majesty...may I present my wife, Madame Penelope Smyth.
Ferdinando II: *loudly so everyone can hear* I believe, your Royal Highness means her Royal Highness, the
princessa di Capua.
Penelope: *surprised* *curtseys again* your Majesty is too kind.
Ferdinando II: you have the queen to thank for this *raises Louise to her feet*
Louise: *kisses Penelope's cheeks in the French fashion* sister.
Frankie: *raises his glass in toast* to his Majesty, the king of Sicily. The most gracious and most generous of sovereigns! And to his new wife, the Queen.
Hall: *repeats toast obediently*
[1] was originally going to go with Auber's
Mute of Portici or Verdi's
Sicilian Vespers, but found out Michele Pezza - who fought in the "resistance" (funded by Maria Karoline of Austria) in Naples during the Napoleonic Wars - was the inspiration behind not only Auber's Fra Diavolo, but also Dumas' work
The Last Cavalier and was one of the most performed French operas (despite the title) of the 19th century with French, German, Italian and even Russian versions. Plus, Mute of Portici is likely regarded as "too revolutionary" after the trouble it caused in Brussels in 1830
[2] not that he's one of those people who hates weddings or marriage, more just the sort of guy who'd get married in Las Vegas or the registry office rather than in a church, not because he isn't religious, but because (like his father) he finds the ritual boring (Napoléon was seen to yawn during his own coronation after he'd been enthroned while the priests were busy with the various non-coronation oath activities; same for his wedding to Marie Luise). That said, Frankie would probably - as with his grandma's funeral - plan this in such fine detail that he'd give most wedding planners nightmares
[3] Duarte of Cadiz (1826-1830), not sure what he died of OTL, but figure it was after the POD of 1826, and since the youngest children (Maria Cristina and Fernando) were both reportedly "simple", I've decided (for the sake of different names) to swap Duarte and Fernando's fate around.
[4] since three of Napoléon's mistresses and his wife were all red-heads, I don't think it's difficult to imagine him as having ginger-vitis
And considering he was also to known to be a charmer, I have no doubt that to Belita he's pretty enticing. After all, she eloped from a convent with a Polish count OTL who ran off and took her money, leaving her on the charity of Louise d'Orléans, Queen of the Belgians. Unfortunately, when Louise died, Belita was once more without means, finally dying in Paris in a hotel where she'd gone in to beg a glass of water
[5] to the face of the dick, Neapolitan swear
[6] this is Luisa Carlota OTL, although it wasn't at her nephew's wedding. Her daughter (Pepita, not Belita) was dancing with someone else and she made a scene and forced her daughter to dance with Vittorio Emanuele as well. Luisa Carlota was the ambitious pushy mom who believed her daughters were worthy of kings
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