It was snowing.
The beautiful Palais du Fontainebleau was covered with snow as the building glowed with warmth. It rarely snowed in Derita, even this far north. The last time it had snowed at Fontainebleau, the children had been so young. That had been in 2043 the King-Emperor remembered.
Christopher II of Derita the mighty King-Emperor, thought of the days when all his children had been so young. He smiled as he thought of that winter 13 years ago. His eldest son, Crown Prince André had been only eight and his wife had been plump with his youngest son, King Ferdinand II of Romania. The girls had been 7, 5 and 3. What great times those had been.
Now everything was so very different. Three of his children were already monarchs of their own nations, and two of them were married. His oldest daughter, Queen Anna Victoria was a mother and the King-Emperor a grandfather. How amazing was that. Little Nicki, his wife's precious grandson. It brought a smile to his face.
The one year old King Nicolas I of Denmark-Norway, as currently only the grandchild of the King-Emperor of Derta and Empress of Russlande was adored. However that would soon possibly change. The Queen of Finland was once again pregnant with child. It was delightful.
Christopher II stood up from his favorite chair in his office and looked to the great fine windows of the palace. He smiled at the long snow covered road that lead up to the massive palace. This party was to be lavish, it was to be perfect and needed to be. Deritains too such events like this very seriously, parties were often time were great choices and beautiful events in history happened.
The grand celebration was in honor of the end of the wars in the Iberian Peninsula, wars that the King-Emperor's son had fought in. Luckily the Crown Prince of Derita had gotten through the terrible ordeal without injury save a few brushes from being so close to combat. He knew he never should have allowed it, but André had convinced him, and things had almost spiraled out of control towards the end, but the Duc d'Angoulême had saved the day.
The King-Emperor walked away from the window and out into the hall. The Palais du Fontainebleau had not been the man residence of an Emperor of Derita since the reign of Emperor Allan the Great. King-Emperor Christopher II's grandfather, Almahn the Great has disliked the palace. And for decades the Imperial Family instead lived in ether Port Victoria or Grenelefe.
But when Crown Prince André had been born, born after so many long years of waiting, so many years of anxiety over the succession of the throne, Christopher II and Elizabeth both agreed that they needed a cozier family home. And Fontainebleau had been it. Now the King-Emperor spent eight months out of the year in the northern palace.
And the Palais du Fontainebleau itself had changed up Christopher II's guidance. New wings and buildings and gardens and canals and greenhouses and apartments had all been added. The palace had more than tripled in size since 2000, though the process hadn't started until 2036.
The hall was bright, covered in marble and lights, the darkness of outside beefing thrown to the outskirts of the estate as lights filled the atmosphere around them. He smiled as he walked along a balcony that looked down into the ballroom, the theme of the party had been Été de la Victoire, the period of time from 2017-2020 and again fro 2029-2031.
It was all lovely and warm, the nobles in their best dress, they were very much like the latest fashions, for the women their dresses were long and following, they wore heels or boots, gloves, and their hair loose and long, which was only now once again becoming popular. For the me it was various color suits, black, blue, gray as well as white and sliver. Many had gloves and sashes, and they mimicked the King-Emperor, growing small mustaches or light beards.
He saw both the old and the young nobles in attendance, no one in the Imperial Court would dare miss a party of the King-Emperor's. He threw the largest ad the best and the most important ones.
Christopher II trolled downstairs along the grand spiral staircase down to the ballroom and walked past several notable guests, such as Lady Henrietta Maria, a favorite of King Dowager Etienne who had wished for her to marry his son. He then past the aging Jonathan LeCastle, grandfather and great-grandfather of royals from Great Hyruke to Rhine-East Berlin to Genes. The 103 old former Prime Minister, whilst leaning heavily on to his cane smiled at the King-Emperor.
Next he strolled towards the front door of the ballroom passing nobles who over and over again and again bowed and curtsied to him. He waved it off as if it were nothing. He had ground use to such loyalty and regal nature long ago when he had been 12.
He remembered times that thousands had feared him, before he had become ruler, when no one dare speak in turn of him in fear. He had been a cruel and harsh Crown Prince. How very different of a ruler he had become. Now billions loved him, and no one dare speak in turn of him out of respect and admiration.
He loved that. The King-Emperor's majordomo stood tall in a flamboyant white and green uniform with grand feathers sprouting up from his hat, calling the names and titles of each guest who arrived. King-Emperor Christopher II stood firmly with his ceremonial cane that he didn't really need and was greeted with each new arriving guest.
