Napoleon B. | Friends

98. In public, Bonaparte keeps his distance and strictly suppresses the violation of etiquette, but if someone else tries to hurt Jean, Napoleon will instantly destroy the offender. In private, subordination is completely disconnected. The Emperor reacts to Lanna's everyday uncouth and directness with hidden relief, as he is tired of fake flatterers. Napoleon responds to the harsh arguments and shouting in the office with external anger, but in fact he takes Jean's criticism on board, believing in his honesty. With drunken manifestations of hyper-protection and tenderness, Bonaparte feigns indignation and embarrassment, pushing away only for appearances, and in his heart he appreciates this sincerity. The most acute reaction - panic and icy poison - is caused by Lann's attempts to risk his life in battle, because the Emperor is terrified of losing the only person who loves him, and not his powerful title and crown.

96. Noticing that Lannes has completely lost his appetite from hospital food, Napoleon orders the cooks to prepare simple rural dishes of the South - the same ones that Jean loved as a child. Seeing the familiar stew on the table, Marshal finally eats every last crumb.

97. When Napoleon and Jean Lannes are at the same level — about 168–170 cm — their interaction looks as harmonious and natural as possible. There is no difference in height: they look at each other strictly eye to eye! In a formal setting, Bonaparte stretches out with an imperial bearing, and Lannes likes to relax at the table or stand a little soldier-like, slouching, which is why they constantly seem absolutely equal. With such a height, Napoleon does not need to reach out to pat a friend on the cheek, ruffle his hair or throw an overcoat over him, and it is ideal for the tired or drunken Jean to lean back and bury his forehead directly in Bonaparte's shoulder - his head lies exactly at the level of the imperial epaulette. Along the corridors of the Tuileries and hiking roads, they walk in one beat, without adjusting the length of the stride, and during disputes they find themselves nose to nose without any complex geometry. The same height once again emphasizes the main thing: behind the doors of the office there is no "high sovereign" and "little subject", but only two old, equal friends.

93. After a fierce battle, Lannes is exhausted from blood loss, and the nearest hospital is still an hour's journey away. Napoleon himself walks beside his stretcher, gripping his icy palm tightly and talking to him incessantly: "Do you hear me, Jeannot? Just try to switch off! I haven't read all the orders to you yet!" - keeping his friend conscious by willpower alone.

94. When Lannes is allowed to go out into the fresh air for the first time, Napoleon cancels all morning audiences to take a walk with him. Jean is still limping and getting tired quickly, so Bonaparte lends him his shoulder and sets a slow, measured pace, patiently making stops at each bench.

95. In the evening, when the wounds are especially aching from dampness, Napoleon personally wraps Jean in a heavy woolen blanket, sits him closer to the fireplace and moves the ottoman under his injured leg. Lunn tried to grumble that he was "not crystal", but in the end he calms down, warming himself by the fire.

90. When an enemy shell explodes next to them and the ground flies in all directions, Lannes reflexively knocks Napoleon down and covers him with his powerful body. Napoleon, floundering in the mud under the weight of the marshal, tries to get out with screams, but Lannes holds him in a stranglehold until the roar of the cannonade subsides.

91. Seeing how Lannes begins to fall asleep right on the snow during a halt from fatigue and cold, Napoleon runs up to him, shakes him by the shoulders and even gives a couple of light slaps in the face: "Do you hear me, Jeannot?! Don't you dare close your eyes! Get up and walk, it's an order!" - saving a friend from fatal freezing.

92. The cart with tents is lagging behind, wet snow is falling outside. Napoleon and Lannes settle down right by the dying fire, covered with one heavy imperial overcoat for two. Lannes grumbles all night that Bonaparte is "pulling the blanket over himself", and Napoleon laughs quietly, warming himself on the hot side of his marshal.

87. Over the years of friendship, they have developed their own language of views. At dull official receptions, Napoleon only needs to look longingly at Lannes once for him to make an "accidental" noise in the corner a minute later and distract the attention of all those present, giving Bonaparte a chance to quietly evaporate.

88. If Napoleon can't sleep and is tormented by doubts before a big battle, he comes to Lannes' tent. Napoleon is not looking for flattery – he needs an honest, chopped answer. Lunn, having listened to him, simply pats him on the shoulder: "The plan is normal. The soldiers are ready. Stop twisting your brains and sleep." And Napoleon is instantly released.

89. On an icy marching night, when supplies are three days behind, Napoleon finds the last stale biscuit in his pocket. Instead of eating it himself, he breaks it in half and hands it to Jean, shivering from the cold: "Chew, Jeannot. We still have to march all day tomorrow."

84. If the joke really touches Lanne's nerve (for example, about his illiteracy or simple origin), he does not yell, but just abruptly calms down and leaves. Napoleon, seeing this, immediately loses his peace. He finds Jean, brings him his favorite wine, and spends the evening proving that these "court rats" are not worth even Lanne's little finger.

85. If a joke still touches Jean to the core (for example, about his lack of education), he instantly becomes gloomy and quiet. Napoleon notices this change in his friend's face in a second. The tension in the office becomes palpable: the Emperor immediately finds an excuse to throw the offender out of the door, and he himself approaches Jean and says quietly: "Don't listen to this idiot, Jeannot. You are dearer than all of them combined."

86. If someone manages to seriously offend Lannes, Napoleon does not forget it. The very next day, the offender finds himself transferred to the farthest, dampest and most boring garrison on the edge of the Empire. To the question "For what?" Napoleon dryly answers: "For a lack of intelligence and respect for the marshals."

81. If one of the courtiers allows himself to look askance at Lannes or whisper behind his back in the presence of Bonaparte, Napoleon immediately rewards the culprit with such a heavy, icy look that his soul sinks into his heels. Napoleon does not allow anyone to show disrespect to the one who shed blood for him.

82. Noticing how groups of diplomats are laughing at Lannes' clumsiness in the ballroom, Napoleon defiantly interrupts the conversation with the Austrian ambassador, calls Lannes to him, hugs him by the shoulders and loudly says to the whole hall: "Gentlemen, meet the Duke de Montebello. A person thanks to whom all of you today have the opportunity to dance, and not to sit in captivity."

83. Napoleon can grumble about Lannes as much as he likes in private, but if someone else tries to complain to Bonaparte about the Marshal's "rudeness" or "ill-manners", the Emperor immediately interrupts the complainer: "Lannes is a soldier, not a majordomo. If he offended you, then you deserve it."

78. Watching Jean enthusiastically finish some fresh pie in the kitchen or take care of a good joke, Napoleon unexpectedly gets closer, ruffles Lanne's hair or gently pats her cheek. Lannes freezes with his mouth full, and Napoleon immediately looks away in embarrassment and clears his throat: "Cheek in cream, I say... Wipe it off."

79. When Lannes is brought a purebred puppy or a good horse as a gift, and he begins to sincerely mess with the animal, forgetting about the status of the Marshal, Napoleon watches it from the sidelines for a long time. He quietly orders the adjutants to cancel all meetings for the next hour: "Let him rejoice. He needs it."

80. For Napoleon, seeing a genuinely happy Lannes is a confirmation that there is at least something real left in this cruel, rotten world of politics and wars. Lannes was his "anchor", the man thanks to whom Napoleon remembered what it was like to simply enjoy life without calculation and profit.
    And at these moments, Bonaparte was ready to forgive Joan absolutely any impudence, simply for the fact that he remained himself.

75. In moments of extreme fatigue or doubt, when Bonaparte thinks that the whole world is against him, he simply comes to Lannes, silently sits down next to him by the fireplace and puts his head on Jean's shoulder. Without further ado, just to feel that there is someone nearby who will never betray.

76. Late at night, when they are alone for tea, Napoleon can suddenly stretch out his hand and ruffle Jean's hair in a brotherly way, grinning: "Oh, Jeannot... If everyone around me was half as honest as you, I wouldn't have to be emperor."

77. In happy seconds, something very warm and a little sad was spinning in the Emperor's head:
    "Look at him... A real child. He doesn't care about crowns, European thrones and golden overcoats. He is just happy. And damn, as long as this stubborn Gascon is smiling, this whole Empire is really worth something."
    For Napoleon, the sincere joy of Lannes is the main outlet and a reminder that among all this artificial court falsehood, he has at least one truly alive, devoted and close person.

72. At some stuffy reception, where the courtiers are weaving intrigues, Napoleon notices how hard this evening is for Lannes because of joint pain. Disregarding etiquette, the Emperor calls Jean, takes him by the arm and takes him away in front of the entire astonished court "for urgent negotiations", just to let his friend sit down and rest.

73. When generals or ministers try to criticize Lannes in front of Napoleon for rudeness and insubordination, Napoleon instantly freezes and cuts off in an icy tone: "Remember: Lannes can do what none of you can. One more word to him and you will go to the provinces."

74. Knowing how embarrassed Lannes is not to be able to express himself beautifully, Napoleon personally, by hand, rewrites an important document for him in simple and understandable words, so that Jean does not feel embarrassed in front of the headquarters. In the margins, Napoleon leaves a note: "Here, Jeannot. Don't listen to anyone, you're smarter than all of them."

69. Noticing that Lannes has dozed off right in the armchair by the fireplace, Napoleon tiptoes around his own study. If one of the adjutants tried to enter with a report, Bonaparte hissed at them like an enraged cat, made terrible eyes and drove everyone out into the corridor: "Get out! Don't you dare make any noise, Lann is asleep!"

70. Napoleon is embarrassed to just give things "out of friendship". Therefore, he threw gifts secretly. Lannes found on his desk either a rare blade from the best masters, or a chic sable overcoat with a short note in Bonaparte's clumsy handwriting: "So that he does not freeze like a fool. N."

71. When Jean fell asleep right at the table from fatigue, Napoleon himself, with his own hands, carefully took off his boots (which is generally unthinkable for the Emperor!), covered him with his greatcoat and quietly adjusted the pillow so that nothing pressed on Jean's old wounds.

66. Having poured himself another cup of cognac, Lannes sits right on the carpet, leans on the leg of the imperial table and begins to give out deep thoughts about existence: "Bonaparte... Here we are marshals, building an empire... And what's the point? Napoleon silently looks down at him, finishing his dinner, and thinks about how to get this body to bed.

67. Having poured out a ton of love, care and reproaches on Bonaparte, Lannes right in the middle of the phrase "... and in general you are the best, understood?!" just falls asleep standing, burying his forehead in Napoleon's shoulder. Napoleon sighs, gently strokes this stubborn giant on the head and whispers softly: "I appreciate you too, Jeannot. Now sleep."

68. Napoleon had a real habit — in moments of great sympathy and affection, he would pat people the ears or cheeks. If Jean did something really cool, Bonaparte ran up with shining eyes, grabbed Lannes by the ear and laughed: "Oh, you are my brave stubborn! My Gascon!" Lannes winced in pain, but smiled proudly.

63. In a cheerful hop, Lannes becomes incredibly generous. He begins to distribute his gold buttons, souvenirs and even his own watches to ordinary soldiers. Napoleon then has to send adjutants to take the Marshal's belongings back with ransom.

64. Lannes periodically passes out for a couple of minutes, but as soon as Napoleon tries to quietly take the glass from his hands, Jean abruptly opens one eye and declares in a bass voice: "I see everything! I just closed my eyes!" - after which he immediately plunges into a deep sleep again.

65. At one point, Lannes confuses Napoleon with his own marble bust standing in the corner. He shakes the hand of the marble Napoleon for a long time and heartily, complains about the hard life and asks "not to be so cold" while the real Bonaparte sits in an armchair and chokes with laughter.

60. Lunn's drunken philosophy unexpectedly goes into design. It seems to him that Napoleon's office is not arranged "according to feng shui" and is generally not suitable for great victories. He begins to move heavy oak cabinets and sofas alone. In the morning, Napoleon enters the office and cannot even find his desk.

61. Jean arranges competitions for draining cups right on the tables in the officers' mess. He incites even the most serious and cold-blooded generals to do this, and then sincerely and loudly laughs when the next "victim" passes out right on the bench.

62. Jean bursts into Napoleon's room, grabs his hands and tries to make Bonaparte dance Gascon folk dances with laughter. Napoleon tries to break free and swears, but Lannes cannot be knocked off the rhythm - he circles the Emperor around the office until both fall on the sofa with laughter.

57. Drunk Lannes incites Napoleon to "honest peasant arm wrestling" right on the map of Europe. When Napoleon, having strained, nevertheless overpowers him, Lannes pretends to succumb and proudly declares: "Well, it's not a shame for the Emperor to lose!"

58. Alcohol completely washes away all severity from Lann. He begins to hug Napoleon tightly and bearishly every ten minutes, repeating: "Bonaparte, you know that I love you, don't you? Honestly, you're such a fool sometimes, but the best!"

59. In the midst of the fun, Lannes wakes up with a halt of unprecedented tenderness. He grabs the usually untouchable Emperor under his arm, hugs him tightly so that his ribs crack, and repeats five times with emotion what a "great man" Napoleon is, while Napoleon tries not to suffocate from this marshal's love.

54. In the midst of the fun, Lannes, with the most serious and "wise" face, begins to explain to Napoleon the structure of the universe, actively gesturing with a glass: "Look, Bonaparte, the world is like this bun... Don't frolic, I'm pushing a deep thought!"

55. Having cheered up, Lannes remembers how slippery the parquet floors in the Tuileries are. He runs away in his huge boots and slides across the hall, bouncing at the finish line. Napoleon shouts to him "Ten out of ten!" and excitedly pours more wine on the winner.

56. When drunk, Lannes becomes incredibly kind and generous. He tries to give the adjutant on duty his gold watch, and Napoleon his own marshal's baton, declaring: "Take it, I don't regret anything for you, you are generally the best guy in all Europe!"

51. Pretty tipsy, Lannes gets tangled in his own dress coat, trying to take it off. As a result, he begins to sincerely swear with the sleeve that "ambushed him." Napoleon sits in an armchair, wiping his tears from laughter, and does not even try to help, enjoying the spectacle.

52. After drinking extra cognac, Lannes decides that the Emperor urgently needs to raise morale. He hugs Napoleon by the shoulders and loudly, falsely, but with insane excitement begins to sing old soldiers' songs. Napoleon winces at first, and then begins to sing along in a low voice.

53. Drunk Lunn finds some kind of mop or decorative sword in the office and begins to solemnly "initiate into the marshals" everything: chairs, a camp table, and even a frightened cat. Napoleon observes this with the air of a strict admissions committee and periodically gives "grades".

48. Napoleon sighs every time Lannes enters the room, and just in case, he pushes away all sharp, hot, and heavy objects. But despite all this clumsiness, Bonaparte is ready to endlessly heal his wounds, if only his "Jeannot" is nearby and safe.

49. When Jean, bandaged after another other person's mistake, sits in an armchair, Napoleon sits on the armrest, hugs him by the shoulders and says quietly: "As long as you are with me, I will not let anyone hurt you anymore. Even by accident."

50. Jean is terribly angry and embarrassed that because of other people's stupid mistakes, he lies all in bandages, ointments and bruises, and even with tears from pain in his eyes. Napoleon is well aware of this dull resentment: he quietly sits down on the edge of the bunk, puts his arm around Lannes' shoulders and calmly says: "Rest, Jeannot. You are not to blame for anything, and I will deal with those clumsy things myself."

45. In an attempt to enter Napoleon's office abruptly, Lannes slams his own fingers with the oak door so that they instantly turn blue. Napoleon immediately throws down the state papers, runs up, forcibly drags Lannes to a bucket of cold water and, squeezing his injured hand in his palms, gently grumbles that the Marshal cannot even be trusted with doorknobs.

46. Lannes knocks over a mug of freshly boiled decoction too abruptly, earning a decent burn with large blisters on his chest. Napoleon personally blows the dust particles off his skin, applies a cooling ointment and strictly forbids Jean to come close to hot drinks, promising from now on to give him only a spoon.

47. Returning from a winter reconnaissance without gloves and a normal scarf, Lunn runs to the tent with a bright red nose and fingers completely white from the cold. In horror, Napoleon tears off his warm fur mittens, begins to personally rub Jean's frozen ears and hands and warms them with his breath, scolding him for his complete lack of instinct for self-preservation.

42. In a fit of rage, Lann slams the heavy oak door of the office so foolishly that he pinches his hand to a dark purple color. He tries to keep his stony face, but tears from his eyes and clenched teeth give him away. Napoleon sighs, takes ice out of a bucket of wine, puts it on the bruise and mutters: "What has the door done to you, my grief?"

43. After each such domestic "feat", Lannes is most embarrassed not by the injuries themselves, but by how stupid he looks in the eyes of Bonaparte. He sits puffed up while Napoleon treats him with another scratch or burn, and mutters curses under his breath about "defective furniture" and "wrong parquet".

44. Lannes, in his favorite heavy boots, slips on the polished parquet floor and flies headlong through the entire thirty-meter flight of stairs of the Tuileries. Landing below, with his breath lost and tears from hellish pain in his bruised tailbone, he sees a pale Napoleon running to the noise. Bonaparte falls to his knees next to him, frantically feels his ribs and shouts in fear to the whole palace: "Larreya sula! Quickly! Jean, you stupid Gascon, where did you find enemy artillery here?!"

39. Napoleon uses the diminutive "Jeannot" only in the most sincere and vulnerable moments - when Lannes is wounded, sick or when they are sitting together by the fire. At such moments, all the imperial severity evaporates.

40. The Emperor's night cooks are no longer even surprised when at two o'clock in the morning the Marshal of France silently enters the kitchen in only house pants and boots. Lannes silently puts herself a plate full of baked poultry, taking a bottle of wine, and goes to Napoleon with the words: "If anything, the Emperor himself asked. And in general, you cook well."

41. In the dark, making his way to Bonaparte, Lannes slams his little finger into the heavy leg of the table with all his might. He writhes silently on the floor for a minute, and then begins to curse the furniture. Napoleon gets out of bed, lights a candle and pushes Jean a pouf: "Turn on the light next time, you are my disaster."

36. Lannes is the son of a simple peasant, so his written French is a real horror for philologists. He makes three mistakes in one word and is insanely embarrassed about it. When he has to write reports, he frowns, blushes, and tries to write so small that Napoleon does not make out his scribbles. And Bonaparte is quietly touched and rewrites everything for him.

37. If Napoleon begins to look at him warmly and intently (for example, with gratitude or sincere sympathy), Lannes is instantly embarrassed, does not know what to do with his hands, begins to cough and rudely waves: "Why are you staring, Bonaparte? Do I have soot on my nose?"

38. In battle, Lannes masterfully handles a horse and a sword, but in the cramped imperial drawing rooms with expensive porcelain and crystal, he feels like a bear. He is constantly afraid of breaking something, moves on tiptoe and looks so tense that you just want to soothe him on the shoulder.

33. At the most boring diplomatic reception, Lannes tries to "quietly" tell Napoleon in his ear that the diplomat opposite looks like a turkey. Because of the Marshal's commanding voice, the "whisper" is heard by the entire hall, including the diplomat himself. Napoleon has to cough, feign an attack and urgently take Lannes by the arm out of the hall.

34. Napoleon was brought a gourmet soup from his personal chef, but Bonaparte was so carried away with the map that the soup cooled down. Lunn comes in, sees this picture, silently takes the plate, drinks the soup right over the edge and retreats with a straight face. Napoleon only manages to say: "Hey! It was my lunch!" to which one hears from the corridor: "You forgot about it anyway!"

35. Napoleon sneaks into the imperial kitchen in the middle of the night to steal a piece of cold chicken fillet, and there in complete darkness runs into Lannes, who at that moment eats jam directly from the jar with a spoon. They stand in silence for a couple of seconds, after which they silently share their loot and disperse, pretending that nothing happened.

30. The cook has prepared a new exquisite cake for the Emperor. Lannes, who entered the office without knocking, saw a beautiful dish, without a moment's hesitation, devoured half of it and only later found out that it was a personal serving for the Austrian ambassador. Napoleon had to invent a fairy tale on the fly that "in France it is customary to share with marshals."

31. Getting ready for an urgent departure at night in the dark, Lannes mixed up his greatcoats and put on Napoleon's elegant overcoat, too small for him. He looked like an overgrown man in a child's coat. Napoleon, seeing this "spectacle", laughed so loudly that he woke up the entire General Staff.

32. Napoleon invited Lannes to a boring social reception so that "it would not be so sickening." Twenty minutes later, Lannes fell asleep standing upright, leaning against a pillar. When the foreign ambassador made a magnificent speech, Lannes snored loudly in his sleep, and Napoleon had to pretend with a stony face that it was "the enthusiastic sigh of the French army."

27. Lannes, tied to the bed with straps, yells at the entire headquarters, cursing the medical service, the empire and Bonaparte personally. Napoleon, standing outside the door, only chuckles: "Yelling loudly means that he is recovering. Let him sit for another hour."

28. When Lannu gets a little better, but he still can't get up, an hour-long post is set up at his door. Napoleon's order is strict: "Do not let the Marshal go, even if he declares war on you." Lannes spends all day throwing apples at the door, trying to confuse the poor soldiers.

29. Napoleon removes all restrictions and restraints only when Lannes, looking him straight in the eyes, gives his "word of honor" that he will not mount a horse for at least three more days. The word Lannes for Napoleon is more reliable than any belts and bolts.

24. To prevent the sick Lannes from escaping to the stables at night, Napoleon places sentries at the door of his room with a personal order: "Do not let anyone out. If the Marshal tries to break through, don't fight, but immediately run after me." Lannes walks around the room all night like a locked lion and pours curses through the door.

25. Knowing that Lannes will never drink bitter potions from Larrey, Napoleon personally mixes them into his favorite cognac or strong tea. When Lannes winces at the strange taste, Bonaparte says with the most innocent air that it is "a special variety of trophies."

26. Every morning before taking care of the affairs of the Empire, the first thing Napoleon does is visit Lannes. Without further ado, he simply puts his palm on his forehead, checking the temperature. If the forehead is cold, Napoleon leaves satisfied to rule France, and if he is hot, the entire staff knows that the Emperor will be in a terrible mood today.

21. To prevent Jean from running away to command the vanguard again with a high fever, Napoleon orders a double guard of loyal guardsmen to be posted at his tent. The instructions are simple: "Do not let the marshal outside, even if he promises to demote you all." Lannes swears for an hour through the fabric of the tent, and Napoleon behind the wall is only satisfied: if he yells, then he is recovering.

22. When Lannes is very ill from pain and he begins to grumble that "it would be better to finish him off on the field", Napoleon sits down on the edge of the bed, squeezes his shoulder tightly and says in a quiet, absolutely devoid of an imperial tone voice: "Don't even think, Jean. I'm not going to rule this empire alone without you." And this works better than any bandages and potions.

23. When Lannes has a high fever, but he still tries to pull on his boots and rushes to the command post, Napoleon has to abandon diplomacy. At his signal, the two tallest guardsmen simply put the Marshal back on his bunk and held him by the shoulders while Napoleon tied the blanket himself. Lannes promises to shoot everyone, and Bonaparte only sits quietly next to him and drinks tea.

18. If Lannes is in another camp or city, Napoleon floods the couriers with letters with one single question: "How is Jean?" Doctors report to the Emperor on the state of Lannes' health in more detail than on the state of the entire French army combined.

19. During his campaigns in the damp forests, Napoleon does not hesitate to give Lannes his own dry overcoat or blanket, ignoring Jean's own protests. "I don't need a hospital marshal, I need a healthy friend. So shut up and wrap up."

20. They can argue for hours about whether Jean needs to take another nasty medicine. Lannes proves that he is "stronger than any oak", and Napoleon argues that "oaks also dry out from stupidity". In the end, Napoleon wins, but Lannes will definitely take revenge on him by eating the entire imperial dessert.

15. When Lannes, suffering from a headache after another battle, tried to draw up a report on his corps, Napoleon simply took the documents from his hands. "Go to bed, Jean. I'll write these papers for you. Your soldiers will wait until tomorrow."

16. The servants are afraid to approach the enraged and sick Marshal, who throws pillows. Then Napoleon himself takes a tray of hot broth, enters the room, sits down on the edge of the bunk and sternly says: "Either you drink it yourself, or I will order the guards to hold your hands." Lannes has to give in.

17. Lannes hates to seem weak in front of anyone. The only person in front of whom he can allow himself to exhale, lean on his shoulder or admit that he does not have the strength to walk is Napoleon. Bonaparte cherishes this trust like the apple of his eye and will never allow anyone to see Lannes vulnerable.

12. On cold autumn evenings, Lanne's old wounds begin to ache like hell. He tries to be sternly silent and sit evenly at the council, but Napoleon notices Jean imperceptibly clenching his fists in pain. Napoleon interrupts the report of the generals without further ado, throws wood into the fireplace and pulls Lanne's chair closer to the fire, without demanding any explanation.

13. Noticing Lannes' fever and pallor, Napoleon does not listen to any excuses like "it's just a cold." He personally summoned his best physician, Dominic Larrey, and gave a direct order: "Tie him to the bed if necessary, but in three days he will be healthy." And Lannes only curses from under the blanket at the entire imperial retinue.

14. When Lannes has an Egyptian fever again, Napoleon throws off the image of the ruler. Late at night, when the staff falls asleep, Napoleon quietly enters his tent, changes the cold compress on his forehead and sits next to him until Jean finally falls into a peaceful sleep.

10. On the most difficult days, they know each other without words. It is enough for Napoleon just to look at Jean for him to understand which regiment to move where. It is a bond forged in dozens of battles, where everyone knows that the other will have their back, no matter what it takes.

11. Lunn is older "emotionally" in terms of everyday worldly wisdom. Lunn is a man from the land, simple, strong and stubborn.

Lannes looks at Napoleon with his brilliant but crazy plans and brain working to the point of wear and tear as a brilliant workaholic younger brother who needs to be constantly followed and checked: "Have you eaten? Did you sleep at all? Where are you getting under the bullets, idiot?"

Napoleon and others are a harsh ruler. But with Lunn, he can afford to be stubborn, capricious, argue until he is blue in the face and sometimes take out his annoyance.

He knows that Lannes is one of the few people on the planet whose love and loyalty do not depend on the imperial crown. Lannes loved and respected him even when Bonaparte was a thin, poor and useless Corsican.

There is an amazing sense of security in this couple: Lannes gives Napoleon what he has been deprived of all his life because of his status - the right to be not an ideal ruler, but just a person who can be taken care of by someone older and stronger.

7. Sometimes late at night they sit by the fire or by the fireplace in the headquarters and remember the times of the Italian campaign - when both were beggars, slept on the same straw and dreamed of a great future. At such moments, Napoleon allows himself to laugh as sincerely and loudly as he never laughs in public.

8. Lannes is the only person who can take Napoleon's personal weapon without permission, steal an expensive sword from his office, or impudently steal the best piece from his plate. To all Bonaparte's indignant looks, Lannes only grins: "What are you going to do to me? Will you fire me?"

9. If one of the court or foreign ambassadors tries to weave intrigues behind Napoleon's back, Lannes solves the issue quickly and harshly. He can catch up with the schemer in the corridor, press him against the wall by the chest and quietly say: "One more crooked glance in the direction of Bonaparte - and you will find out how I work without protocol."

4. After the hardest negotiations or heavy losses, Napoleon closes himself off from everyone. The only one who is allowed in without knocking is Lunn. Jean doesn't bother to ask questions. He just silently pours two glasses, sits down opposite, puts his feet on the next chair and sits quietly next to him while Napoleon recuperates in this silence.

5. Noticing that Napoleon is working to the point of exhaustion and has not eaten for more than a day, Lannes will not ask. He will simply take the pen from the hands of the Emperor, close the card in front of his nose and literally pull it out of the table by the collar with the words: "If you don't sing now, I myself will hand you over to your own cooks."

6. During the battle, Lannes always keeps Napoleon in sight. If Bonaparte gets too close to the front line, Lannes unceremoniously turns his horse by the reins and scrubs with his body: "Go back, Emperor! Your job is to think, mine is to get under the bullets."

1. In the midst of the most important meeting, where the ministers are afraid even to breathe in the presence of the Emperor, the door swings open at the blow of a boot. Lannes comes in with an apple in his hand, imposingly sits right on the edge of the table with cards and throws: "Hey, Napoleon, are you still swollen with your papers? Let's go have a snack, otherwise your generals will faint from fear." The ministers are shocked, and Bonaparte only sighs and lets everyone go.

2. At official receptions, Lunn clenches "Your Majesty" through clenched teeth, but as soon as the doors of his personal office close behind them, he immediately pulls off his stuffy tie and switches to "you". Napoleon never corrects him. For Napoleon, this is the only thread that connects him with his real self, and not with the title.

3. If Napoleon makes a mistake in planning, no one in the staff will dare to contradict him, except Lannes. Jean can come to him at two o'clock in the morning, throw the disposition plan on the table and say right to his face: "This is trash, not a maneuver! You will put us all there, Bonaparte!" They can yell at each other for hours until they find the perfect solution.