Sara watched, from one of many viewing points atop the palace, as a public procession moved through the packed streets of Palanti and towards her. Hundreds of soldiers, either atop horses or marching, made up the majority of the procession. Thousands of Valentians, likely from all across the Empire, cheered as the carriage with the new Emperor passed them by. 

She stood alone, leaning over the balcony with a glass of the Empire’s finest wine in her hand; the celebration, thus far, had hardly gone as she hoped, with most of her time occupied by various duties and familial chores rather than her taking part in its social atmosphere. In truth, though, the coronation was only beginning; while tired out, she hadn’t lost hope.

“Whoa, that’s amazing!” Elia exclaimed, walking up behind Sara and nearly making her drop her wine.

“Elia? Where have you been?”

Ignoring Sara entirely, she continued to look out over the procession, stepping forward and leaning over the balcony’s edge. “I’ve never seen so many people…”

“Erm, yes, it is quite a…”

“OH MY GODS!” Elia shouted, pointing down towards the crowds.

“Huh?!”

“Ehehehe, made you look.”

Sara crossed her arms and gave her younger sister a dirty look. “You can’t just play tricks like that, at such a time!”

Elia laughed once again, before sighing and resting her arms on the guard-rail, overlooking the still-orderly procession. “It’s just a joke, like always. Things nowadays are really quite nice, y’know… almost too peaceful, I think. It seems like… I dunno… something one of these days might just slip, and we’ll all be the ones falling down.”

Sara leaned over alongside her sister, smiling, wineglass still in-hand. “That’s not something we ought to be thinking on an occasion like this, but I must certainly hope you’re wrong.”

“Do you really, though?” Elia replied, looking to her sister, once again, on her right.

Sara was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“...nevermind. I just think, I don’t know…” Elia said, pouting and looking away once more. It was only then that Sara noticed a slight blush on her cheeks, alongside the faintest scent of champagne; she had never seen her sister near alcohol, nor had she seen her look so depressed in many years. “Even at big parties like this, everything just feels so… empty. Fake, maybe? I don’t know, something really feels wrong.” Elia continued.

Knowing Elia’s conduct would probably be poorly received at the galas as unladylike, Sara, somewhat dejectedly, began to realize this evening too would be occupied for quite some time. “How about we stay here for a moment? You don’t look too well. Here, let me get you some water…”

•  •  •

Another round of applause filled the vast, velvet-carpeted chamber, its many grand paintings, mounted on marble walls, seemingly staring back down upon the thousand or so noblemen and noblewomen standing below them. Towards the end of the hall, the newly crowned Emperor, Princep Rex Julias Augusta, stood in front of his throne atop an equally-impressive royal platform. Appearing in his late twenties or early thirties, with perfectly curly brown-black hair and a beard to match, his purple-and-white traditional royal robe contrasted with the colors of the chamber.

“I promise you all that! Truly, I do! Now, at the same time, I realize that many of us along the border regions to the north,” he said, gesturing towards some of the Yamato guests from the northeastern corners of the Empire, “have had to deal with the endless, increasing threats and problems caused by the mountain barbarians over the past several months. Well, to that, I say: no more! The program my father had in place - that is, to placate the violent, rootless raider-nomads that plague the inhospitable ranges to the north and east - was never going to fix the problem! No; while my father was an incredible manager of an Empire, he, I’ll admit, was never a visionary. I promise, no more! And not just to them, but to others who dare question the Empire’s blessed missions!”

More applause. Sara could hardly see him, only catching glimpses through the movement of shoulders and bodies in front of her, but nonetheless could hear his words; the speech, given privately to all of the Empire’s youngest generation of nobility, had thus far enlightened her on the reasons behind some of his more controversial decisions and plans.

“To do this, though - such miraculous changes will need equally radical preparation! As I mentioned earlier, in my speech to the greater public, I promised an absolute program: ‘Industry at All Costs’. And, yes, I promise you - the incredible benefits provided by the industrial revolutions seen in Palanti and the Schwazen foothills will spread across the entirety of our mighty Empire - I promise you! A new era of PROGRESS!”

Resounding applause, stronger than previously. 

•  •  •

“What did you think about, well, all of that?” Elia inquired of Sara, the two having returned to their quarters to turn in for the night; while celebrations continued in some portions of the Palace, neither felt the energy to go on, instead waiting as their servant-girls prepared hot baths.

“It was… well, quite motivating, to say the very least.” Sara mumbled out, hardly capable of the critical thinking needed to truly deconstruct the night’s speech anymore.

“Is he able to do all of that, though? I mean, you were around for the last two Emperors, right? And they could’ve done these exact things, and didn’t. Why is that?” Elia seemed stuck on something unspoken.

Sara yawned. “I really don’t… let’s discuss this in the morning instead, shall we?” she replied, rubbing her eye and walking back to see if her bath was ready.

Elia simply crossed her arms and looked out a window on the opposite side of the lushly-decorated living room; while others continued to party, she just couldn’t shake an ominous feeling.

Maybe it was nothing, though.

Maybe.