April 28th, 1801. At the Palace of Versailles.
"Your Excellency, the Kingdom of Portugal has made its response," Talleyrand said as he walked over towards his desk and handed him a note.
Napoleon grabbed the note from Talleyrand's hand and read it.
"The Kingdom of Portugal has come to a decision to reject the ultimatum demanded by The Republic of French and the Kingdom of Spain. Your ultimatum is the very essence of power play, attempting to subdue a sovereign nation under the weight of your ambitions. It is with deep resolve that we affirm our commitment to maintaining our sovereignty and independence, and to uphold the alliances we have formed over time. We will not yield to threats that undermine the principles upon which our nation stands.