Hofburg Palace, Preßburg
Saxony, Wiese - 4:30 pm
Preparations in the historical palace of the Saxon archdukes were being made for quite a while now. Hofburg had not only escaped damages from the attack on Augsburg, and thus was not in dire need of prestige repairs; it had also little to be jealous of from the Imperial palaces and the palaces of the Swabian Kings, too. Its long history included a peculiar custom: every Thießen royal from the Saxon branch of the family had been born here for what appeared to be centuries. And indeed, many had been raised here too.
In particular it was Friedrich Wilhelm's favourite palace. Although Nymphenburg, Belvedere and Schönbrunn were the more formal residences he was using, Hofburg was the place he called home. It was further away from the city than any of the other three was, too, and it felt like a place a hundred-year-old Emperor could retire at. But who was he kidding? Tradition forbade retirement no matter how much he tried to advertise his plan since the 1980s - for around 20 years now.
Today Hofburg was buzzing with activity. Imperial Guards were on heightened alert, and more were on duty too; and even a delegation of politicians form Augsburg, an almost unheard-of thing for this palace, were occupying the conference room. In a rare gesture, an effort of balancing internal pressure and lobby groups with foreign partnerships, Friedrich Wilhelm himself was planning to quietly attend the conference. If it could have been helped he would have avoided it - but this was about a world at war, and not even the Wieser Emperor was selfish enough to escape that.
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The conference room was large and full of 19th Century decorations and furniture. Decorated with expensive paintings and carvings, it had a very retro look; pretty much like the ceremonial uniforms of the Guard outside, with their feather-decorated hats and black-and-gold colours, or even the uniforms some of the government delegates were wearing in their capacity as former military officers. The Emperor was sitting in a small throne, away from the conference table, observing quietly.
The discussions were with an unusual, if important partner: a royal delegation from Great Engellex. It was true that Engellex had lost political favour in Wiese ever since its involvement in war with a great number of countries, as well as allying with two ultranationalist states that gave even the DNF goosebumps with their absurdity. But this does not mean Wiese did not possess financial or political interests in Engellex, or even aristocracy and royalty with blood ties to the royal family of the English nation.
The Imperial delegation was headed by the Imperial Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heinrich Maximilian Graf von und zu Babelfisch, in a political gesture that meant that the Chancery, and indeed the Emperor, were valuing today's talks and expected some results out of them. Sitting before their Engellexic partners, the Imperials nodded with a polite smile, and with a notable absence of small talk -a foreign concept in Wieser culture- they had the talks begin.
"Allow me once more to welcome you to Saxony on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor and His Excellence the Chancellor, gentlemen" spoke Babelfisch. In his early 60s, he was a junior of the Princely House of Babelfisch and brother of the current prince; his most notable feature were a monocle and a very thick hirsute and moustache that rivalled those of the (much older) Emperor himself. "May today's meeting serve the purpose of strengthening the friendship of our peoples, and solve our mutual practical problems."
Sitting in his elevated throne quietly, Friedrich Wilhelm merely observed and listened. After this meeting he would have to summon the Prince-Electors in yet another unofficial council, in order to secure some more opinions and advice. But until then, like an ancient statue, he observed quietly and with large immobility; as if he was playing on the rumours he were senile or catatonic due to his age.
Saxony, Wiese - 4:30 pm
Preparations in the historical palace of the Saxon archdukes were being made for quite a while now. Hofburg had not only escaped damages from the attack on Augsburg, and thus was not in dire need of prestige repairs; it had also little to be jealous of from the Imperial palaces and the palaces of the Swabian Kings, too. Its long history included a peculiar custom: every Thießen royal from the Saxon branch of the family had been born here for what appeared to be centuries. And indeed, many had been raised here too.
In particular it was Friedrich Wilhelm's favourite palace. Although Nymphenburg, Belvedere and Schönbrunn were the more formal residences he was using, Hofburg was the place he called home. It was further away from the city than any of the other three was, too, and it felt like a place a hundred-year-old Emperor could retire at. But who was he kidding? Tradition forbade retirement no matter how much he tried to advertise his plan since the 1980s - for around 20 years now.
Today Hofburg was buzzing with activity. Imperial Guards were on heightened alert, and more were on duty too; and even a delegation of politicians form Augsburg, an almost unheard-of thing for this palace, were occupying the conference room. In a rare gesture, an effort of balancing internal pressure and lobby groups with foreign partnerships, Friedrich Wilhelm himself was planning to quietly attend the conference. If it could have been helped he would have avoided it - but this was about a world at war, and not even the Wieser Emperor was selfish enough to escape that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The conference room was large and full of 19th Century decorations and furniture. Decorated with expensive paintings and carvings, it had a very retro look; pretty much like the ceremonial uniforms of the Guard outside, with their feather-decorated hats and black-and-gold colours, or even the uniforms some of the government delegates were wearing in their capacity as former military officers. The Emperor was sitting in a small throne, away from the conference table, observing quietly.
The discussions were with an unusual, if important partner: a royal delegation from Great Engellex. It was true that Engellex had lost political favour in Wiese ever since its involvement in war with a great number of countries, as well as allying with two ultranationalist states that gave even the DNF goosebumps with their absurdity. But this does not mean Wiese did not possess financial or political interests in Engellex, or even aristocracy and royalty with blood ties to the royal family of the English nation.
The Imperial delegation was headed by the Imperial Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heinrich Maximilian Graf von und zu Babelfisch, in a political gesture that meant that the Chancery, and indeed the Emperor, were valuing today's talks and expected some results out of them. Sitting before their Engellexic partners, the Imperials nodded with a polite smile, and with a notable absence of small talk -a foreign concept in Wieser culture- they had the talks begin.
"Allow me once more to welcome you to Saxony on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor and His Excellence the Chancellor, gentlemen" spoke Babelfisch. In his early 60s, he was a junior of the Princely House of Babelfisch and brother of the current prince; his most notable feature were a monocle and a very thick hirsute and moustache that rivalled those of the (much older) Emperor himself. "May today's meeting serve the purpose of strengthening the friendship of our peoples, and solve our mutual practical problems."
Sitting in his elevated throne quietly, Friedrich Wilhelm merely observed and listened. After this meeting he would have to summon the Prince-Electors in yet another unofficial council, in order to secure some more opinions and advice. But until then, like an ancient statue, he observed quietly and with large immobility; as if he was playing on the rumours he were senile or catatonic due to his age.