[fic] The Fortune of War
Title: The Fortune of War
Author: tiger_azul
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia
Characters/Pairing: France (England mentioned)
Rating: PG13
Genre: Angst/General
Word Count: 296
Notes: for hetalia_contest, Prompt 017:Twenty-one (drabble)
Warnings: Darkness and battle-gore
Disclaimer: Hidekaz Himaruya is the owner of APH.
Summary: France suffered a terrible blow at the Battle of Trafalgar. Yet, despite the shame of surrender, he will not admit defeat.
For the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar next week.
The Fortune of War
It was the 21st day of October 1805. Or, according to the French Republican Calendar, it was 29 Vendémiaire in the Revolutionary Year XIV.
Either way, it was not a day France was likely to forget.
It was not supposed to end this way. France had outnumbered that damned England in men, ships and artillery. Yet the Bucentaure was crippled, a shambles of shattered metal and timber. Her decks were scarlet-wet, despite the sand they had been covered with to prevent men slipping on the blood that they knew would be spilled.
France was no stranger to battle, but he would never grow used to it. The unremitting roar and recoil of the cannons, the suffocating clouds of black smoke and infernal flame all around, the crashing of sails and masts, the ear-scalding screams. Within seconds of each deafening cannon blast, men became corpses or mutilated monsters with shredded limbs. There was no glory in war, he thought, surveying the broken bodies strewn about the ship like grisly confetti. There was only death.
Admiral Villeneuve, a tall, thin man with calm eyes, looked away as the captain lowered the flag in surrender.
“God has punished me,” he told France, “in sparing me from the slaughter. I should have perished alongside my men.”
France said nothing as he watched what remained of the precious Imperial eagle being cast into the waves to save it from the debasement of becoming a mere trophy in enemy hands.
It was the 21st day of October 1805.
France would not forget this searing pain, this humiliation.
As the British boarding party arrived, he vowed that he would make England realise that he may have won Trafalgar, but he had by no means won the war.
Not while his Empereur still breathed.
Notes
The title comes from the French expression ‘fortune de la guerre’, which was apparently said by Captain Magendie of France’s flagship, the Bucentaure, as they surrendered at the Battle of Trafalgar (it was the third time in his career that he had been captured by the Royal Navy).
The Imperial eagle standard was presented by Napoleon himself and fiercely defended by troops as a symbol of the Emperor and their unit. It was greatly prized as battle trophy by Napoleon’s enemies.
Oh, and I also wrote a companion piece to this from England’s POV aboard the HMS Victory. I preferred this one! :)
EDIT:Yay! I came second in the contest! Thanks to everyone who voted :D
Author: tiger_azul
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia
Characters/Pairing: France (England mentioned)
Rating: PG13
Genre: Angst/General
Word Count: 296
Notes: for hetalia_contest, Prompt 017:Twenty-one (drabble)
Warnings: Darkness and battle-gore
Disclaimer: Hidekaz Himaruya is the owner of APH.
Summary: France suffered a terrible blow at the Battle of Trafalgar. Yet, despite the shame of surrender, he will not admit defeat.
For the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar next week.
The Fortune of War
It was the 21st day of October 1805. Or, according to the French Republican Calendar, it was 29 Vendémiaire in the Revolutionary Year XIV.
Either way, it was not a day France was likely to forget.
It was not supposed to end this way. France had outnumbered that damned England in men, ships and artillery. Yet the Bucentaure was crippled, a shambles of shattered metal and timber. Her decks were scarlet-wet, despite the sand they had been covered with to prevent men slipping on the blood that they knew would be spilled.
France was no stranger to battle, but he would never grow used to it. The unremitting roar and recoil of the cannons, the suffocating clouds of black smoke and infernal flame all around, the crashing of sails and masts, the ear-scalding screams. Within seconds of each deafening cannon blast, men became corpses or mutilated monsters with shredded limbs. There was no glory in war, he thought, surveying the broken bodies strewn about the ship like grisly confetti. There was only death.
Admiral Villeneuve, a tall, thin man with calm eyes, looked away as the captain lowered the flag in surrender.
“God has punished me,” he told France, “in sparing me from the slaughter. I should have perished alongside my men.”
France said nothing as he watched what remained of the precious Imperial eagle being cast into the waves to save it from the debasement of becoming a mere trophy in enemy hands.
It was the 21st day of October 1805.
France would not forget this searing pain, this humiliation.
As the British boarding party arrived, he vowed that he would make England realise that he may have won Trafalgar, but he had by no means won the war.
Not while his Empereur still breathed.
Notes
The title comes from the French expression ‘fortune de la guerre’, which was apparently said by Captain Magendie of France’s flagship, the Bucentaure, as they surrendered at the Battle of Trafalgar (it was the third time in his career that he had been captured by the Royal Navy).
The Imperial eagle standard was presented by Napoleon himself and fiercely defended by troops as a symbol of the Emperor and their unit. It was greatly prized as battle trophy by Napoleon’s enemies.
Oh, and I also wrote a companion piece to this from England’s POV aboard the HMS Victory. I preferred this one! :)
EDIT:Yay! I came second in the contest! Thanks to everyone who voted :D