Belvedere Palace, Vienna, Province of Austria
It was noon, almost evening. The setting sun marked a beautiful mirror image of itself on the reflecting pool near the southermost part of the palace. The insects, prominently butterflies and bees began retreating to their respective hiding places following the signal of the setting sun. This gave space for those noisy bugs of the night. However, the more important part of the garden was that it was perfectly maintained by professional keepers who made sure each plant looked perfect. The keepers were also in charge of maintaining in pristine condition the white roses that covered most of the garden. They were the favorites of the master of the house...Wilhelm Newmont.
Wilhelm took this entire scene and enjoyed it to it's fullest. He knew that this would be the only calm moment for the following evening as he would have guests. Very, very special and important guests. At the moment Wilhelm was simply wearing the inner long sleeved white formal shirt of and pants his ceremonial gown. Which included a coat made out of pristine Vicuña textile, a side cape and pants all made out of the same material. Every time he had to wear the uniform he was always engulfed by a strong sense of pride...and he also remembered his father. But he preferred to keep "that" out of his mind. There were more important things to worry about.
He then proceeded to walk away from the window that looked out into the gardens. As he exited the ballroom which was under preparation for the guests to arrive later in the evening, he spotted a large painting of his father hanging by one of the beautifully decorated walls. He was able to spot a servant and beckoned the young lady. "Have some of the grounds keepers remove that painting from there before the guests arrive tonight." Wilhelm said, sternly.
The young servant looked confused. You see, she had been with the Newmont family for a while. She had served with Edward 2 years before his death. She found it sad Edward's son would just take down his father's portrait like that. "Sir?" She responded confused.
"I want it removed as soon as possible. I'm the master of the house now." As he said this he continued on the direction he was going on before. Did he truly wanted to remove that painting? "No self doubt..." He said to himself as he walked back to his office in the Eastern Wing of the palace. As he sat down...his mind began to race. Was everything ready? Everything needed to be perfect. After all...the guests he had invited to his mansion were the leaders of the United Council of Nations. He needed to show the world famous House Newmont hospitality.
This "world-famous hospitality" was often accompanied by a personalized invitation, sealed with a Wax Seal with the family head's ring. This invitation was then hand delivered by courier. It was expensive, but much more trustworthy than by ordinary mail. Then the invitation was either accepted or rejected. If it was accepted the recipient would travel to the home of the respective Head of the House and the Head would personally welcome each and every one of his guests. Then as the night progressed, the guests were entertained by live music, traditionally performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, although other orchestras could be present. As a matter of fact other orchestras had played in the halls of the Belvedere palace, including: the London Symphony Orchestra (played in 1997 during a party between prominent government officials), and the Prague Symphony Orchestra (played in 2013 celebrating the 59th birthday of Edward III). And finally the party or meeting would end with dinner and a casual talk between the guests and host. And finally the departure ceremony, in where the head of the house made a "thank you" speech and said the final good-bye's to the guests before they departed.
Wilhelm sighed at the thought..."Tradition hmm? This is going to be a long night." He thought to himself.
Earlier in the week, multiple couriers had been dispatched to deliver the invitations to the leaders of the invited countries...well...every single member of the United Council of Nations was invited. The invitation, decorated with the crest of House Newmont, said the following:
Dear, [insert nations leader name here]
I, Wilhelm Newmont, Head of House Newmont and Emperor of the Confederacy of New Wondour would like to cordially invite you to a gran gala that will be held in my home, The Palace of Belvedere, Vienna. As you might have already figured out, there will be rules for this gathering in order to keep the gala organized and civil. First, formal attire is mandatory, this includes companions (and guards) that may come with you. Second, in regards to personal security. House Newmont will employ the services of the world-renowned Legionnaire Mercenaries for outside security. However, security inside the palace and during the gala will be handled by the Imperial Guard. But, if you wish to bring your own security force, the limit number is two. Also, you are allowed to bring up to 5 companions of your choosing. Third and final, I am willing to talk of any kind of diplomatic issue with you. After all, the main goal of this gala is to get to meet ourselves better. I hope to see you there,
Regards, Wilhelm Newmont