"Come on, Berthier, is that really bad news?" Napoleon's eyes sparkled with mischief, and a collective chuckle filled the room.
Berthier grinned, his laughter infectious. "You know, Your Excellency, it's all about the dramatic flair."
"We have bad news. We are at war with Spain—"
Talleyrand couldn't contain himself, and his laughter rang out, causing Berthier and Napoleon to look at him as if he was crazy.
"Okay, Talleyrand, that's too overly dramatic even for you," Napoleon said.
Talleyrand cleared his throat, finally regaining his composure. "My apologies, Your Excellency. Let's return to being serious for the moment. The Kingdom of Spain has bitten the bait."
"With that, our forces in the Caribbean have invaded Cuba, Florida, and the New Philippines. Cuba was the first to surrender, followed by Florida. General Leclerc captured New Philippines and is pushing westward, towards California," Berthier outlined.
