Kaiserstein, the Imperial Castle/Palace, residence of the Kaiser himself, Karl I of the Vorindun.
So, now it is official. I am four and twenty years of age. Another year from now, and I will have lived a quarter of a century. I would personally prefer a smaller, more intimate birthday with the family, and that may come later, but today is a national holiday, a chance for all Vorindun, whatever their nationality, to unite in celebration of the common institution of the Crown and the man who holds it, namely me. I hope that this turns out well. I hear that fireworks are popping up in the cities of the Fatherland, no less, especially Flavium and Maximeum. And now, this party, the gala, even a ball....the last occasion to be a masque, no less. That should prove interesting, courtesy of Aunt Margret and my brother, who dreamed it up together. God alone knows what depravity they have in mind, but in a good cause, let their souls answer for it. This is it, my chance to prove myself capable of being a worthy head of state. God, give me the strength and stamina for this. It is not easy for a warrior-prince like me.
Thus did the formidable Karl Rudolf Gerd Otto von Handelhoff say to himself as he finished dressing up in his formal uniform, complete with epaulets, decorations, and his cavalry saber. He looked far more like a general than a monarch, in fact, and indeed many of these medals were earned the hard way, mainly at Lehman Beach against the Nickies and their allies. Others he gained during the recent civil wars into which the country had been plunged by the fall of the Second Republic. That war had finished off republican sentiment, even among Romans.
"The Republic is dead. Long live the Kaiser!" many a senator now openly stated, Romans included. The Kaiser, after all, had ended slavery and other infernal practices while republicans had merely debated abolition.
Once he was dressed in his usual smart manner, the pious Lutheran ruler of a state where more than a third of his subjects were avowed pagans entered the main hall, greeting senators, politicians, ministers, clergy, military brass, principal state secretaries, the Prefect of Maximeum, etc. alike.....and those were just fellow Vorindun.
Now, of course, he turned to face the foreign dignitaries, all gathered in the hall, where Minister-President Vidiges Odoacer and Foreign Minister Petronius Calvinus already moved among them and the waiters presented them with the first refreshments.
There were smoked herring, goat and blue cheese, sausages, and sliders, quail eggs, boiled eggs, deviled eggs, and caviar. There were saltine and Ritz crackers, rye bread, kolaches, Kaiser rolls (Karl's idea, coming from his often concealed sense of humor), sardines, fresh fruit and raw vegetables with sour cream and onion dip, pitas, falafel, soft pretzels with mustard, slices of salami, and a variety of nuts and mints. There were pickles, peppers, mushrooms, and olives. There were various salads, too, and avocadoes. There were crisps, too, with plenty of dips, as well as nachos with cheese. There were cheese sticks and calamari with marinara sauce as well.
If a guest wished to, he could fill up easily on the wide array of appetizers meant to appeal to all calibers and classes of foreign luminaries. Then again, he wouldn't wish to miss out on the grand supper itself, the roast boar and Cornish game hens, with baked potatoes and asparagus on the side. The game hens were mainly intended for those whose diets forbade pork, of course.
Naturally, there was a wide selection of beverages, from cocktails and straight up hard drinks to many wines, such as Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel, Merlot (much of it from California), Riesling, Burgundy, to champagne (and sparkling juices) to hard cider to every type of beer and malt liquor that could be imagined. There was milk, iced tea, fizzy water (especially chosen for the New Edomite delegates), and divers sodas and colas.
Finally, there were the desserts, ranging from the ice cream, cobblers, puddings, and pies, to the piece de resistance, the Kaiser's great birthday cake, large enough to feed a whole regiment, or so it seemed. It had twenty-four candles on the top layer and it was three layers high per section. There were six sections, each with four candles.
Of course, only the appetizers were obvious for now. That in itself should more than impress the guests.
There was also a musical performance scheduled...the great opera diva Ilse Buhrmann of Flavium. She would appear later for the entertainment of others, but she was also a guest and able to partake of the various delights.
Naturally, however, the Kaiser's chief role at this point was to let the Steward of the Palace announce him and introduce the various dignitaries who wished to confer with the new ruler of the country in person. The rest of the royal family had already appeared and begun to surround the Kaiser and family patriarch, ready to spread out when he gave his blessing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me the honor of presenting to you His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser of the Vorindun, Father of the Fatherland, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Head of State, King of the Germans and Goths, and Patrician of the Romans," the Steward, Dagobert Pepin, proclaimed to those gathered for this special festival.
This occasion would truly be wondrous and the guests of honor would see how hospitable the Vorindun truly are. The night was still young.
