Throughout human history, sweeping upheavals driven by violence had always brought the most talented military leaders to center stage.
Napoleon had not come alone. Many uniformed soldiers followed behind him, naturally blending into this ball crowded with aristocrats. Some chatted with others, while some invited ladies to dance. At that moment, splendid uniforms were no different from evening dress; both were appropriate attire for formal occasions.
Anyone who looked at paintings from the old era would find that uniformed soldiers were generally in the background, playing roles such as guards.
Now, they had replaced painters, writers, and aristocrats as the center of attention. Before that, they might have been the sons of servants or fruit sellers. Unlike aristocrats, they did not care much about one another's origins. They preferred marriage alliances with bankers, and so the bankers who had set down their luggage at Laeken Castle had appeared as well.
Brussels actually also had a palace Louis XIV used when traveling. Although the Franco-Dutch War had turned after William III of Orange breached Amsterdam's sea dikes, Brussels had still been occupied by the French. The Sun King planned Brussels according to his own ideas, which was why it was also known as "Little Paris."
The La Monnaie Opera House, demolished in 1795, had been built upon an opera house renovated in 1700. In 1695, it had been blown up by the French along with many other buildings in Brussels. At the time, it had still been a mint, designed by a Venetian architect. The first opera performed there had been "Atys."
Georgiana had thought Bonaparte meant "Attila." He later explained that "Atys" was an opera written by Jean-Baptiste Lully, and that atys came from the initials of "art touch your soul," having nothing to do with any mythological or historical