The palace was abuzz with servants moving to and fro, desperately racing about the halls to make sure that today’s festivities would go according to plan. It was rare that the palace would hold a ball, and even rarer that it would hold such an event for the reasons given today.
The announcement would be given in court today - Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, the royal princess, daughter of Emperor Emhyr, and heir to the throne - had officially returned. Emhyr would declare - in front of all the empire - that he would naming Cirilla as his official successor, and that she would officially be crowned Empress in four years time.
As noon came and went, the servants began to get nervous as the emperor took his throne, and Cirilla was nowhere to be found. An hour past, and the emperor began to look visibly irate, dealing with the normal day-to-day events of court, with no sign of his daughter. She had, of course, been told to arrive at noon sharp, dressed in the gown that the Emperor had picked out for her.
It was late in the afternoon when a servant finally approached him. She is here, he was informed at last. Finally, the officiate guards made their way into court, and the courtiers finally - at least - brought their interest with them. But as the great doors were flung open, and the royal crier announced the princesses arrival, there were gasps through the crowd, and Emhyr visibly grimaced.
If he wasn’t in court, he probably would have put his head into his hands. He fought the urge to roll his eyes as the crier stopped for a moment before finally forcing himself to continue: “I present Princess Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Queen of Cintra, Princess of Brugee and Duchess of Sodden, heiress to Inis Ard Skellig and Inis an Skellig, and suzeraine of Attre and Abb Yarra.”
Emhyr Var Emreis, emperor of Nilfgaard, the White flame that Dances on the Graves of his foes, could only stare silently and wonder whether this was merely just one more punishment for his many, many sins.
