Soiree at the Summer Palace

In honour of the liberation of Berrington that will be complete by Friday, Grand Duke Henry and Grand Duchess Sophie Clementine of Ravenburg-Morovia are hosting a soiree at their Summer Palace in the idyllic Ravenburger countryside near the sea on Saturday. Among the guests will be novelist Sir Henry MJ Tonks and wife Marissa Sedgeley, Lady Crawford; Count Berchtold and his family; Dieter and Nathalie Hochkatzenburg and the entire political class of Ravenburg-Morovia.

Invitations are also extended to the Duetarian heads of state and heads of government - it is expected that speeches will be given by many and varied personages of dignity, and a talk on The Future of Duetaria is being prepared by guest of honour Sir Jack Nicholson, formerly lord president in Luschia.

An eight course tasting lucnh will be served, with canapes and snacks available throughout the day, and at 18:30 there will be a viewing of Princess Elaina Maria's private art collection. It is estimated that upwards of seven hundred guests will be in attendance, and the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess eagerly await the presence of their fellow rulers.


The Grand Ducal Summer Palace, Ravenburg-Morovia


The Seaside Villa, on the southern most part of the Palatial Estate

TELEGRAM TO GRAND DUKE HENRY
FROM KING WAKE I MONARCH OF KARKELBANIA
DEAR FRIEND STOP I AND MY FAMILY ARE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS EVENT STOP WE HOWEVER WISH ASSURANCE THAT SECURITY WILL BE AT ITS UTMOST STOP I AM DYING TO HEAR THE GREAT SIR JACK AGAIN STOP WILL SEE YOU SOON STOP

TO: KING WAKE OF KARKELBANIA
FROM: GRAND DUCHESS SOPHIE CLEMENTINE OF RAVENBURG-MOROVIA

DEAR WAKE,

WE ARE PLEASED TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU SO SOON STOP YOU AND YOUR LOVELY WIFE, QUEEN GIULIA, WILL BE OUR PREMIER GUESTS STOP DO NOT WORRY, MY FRIEND, SECURITY WILL BE AT ITS MOST HEIGHTENED SINCE THE SCHLOVOWIAN WAR STOP

YOUR FRIEND STOP

SOPHIE

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Ravenburg-Morovia wish to receive the approbative responses of all dignitaries who will be attending the Soiree at our Summer Palace.

DEAR GRAND DUKE HENRY

I WOULD BE MOST PLEASED IF I WAS ALLOWED TO ATTEND THIS SOIREE STOP I HOPE OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT SOURED BY TH CURRENT AFFAIR IN THE COURTROOM STOP

SECRETARY-GENERAL CLIFF

Grand Duke Henry reads a telegram from Lady President Bonham Carter delivered to him in his opulent hotel room at the Imperial, Vienna.

DEAR HENRY STOP
I WISH TO ACCEPT YOUR INVITATION TO THE SOIREE STOP MY KING, QUEEN AND OTHER ROYALS LIKEWISE ACCEPT, AND WE WILL BE BRINGING OUR PRIZED EIGHTEEN-FOOT TALL SOUFFLE MADE BY MICHELIN CHEF REMUND GRAND-MARNIER DE LA BEARNAISE STOP WE LOOK FORWARD HUGELY TO THE EVENT STOP
YOUR FRIEND AND CONFIDANTE STOP
HBC

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Ravenburg-Morovia are delighted that their tenacious rival Secretary-General Cliff, the "attack dog of liberal constitutionalism", still wishes to attend their humble gathering. A Warm Welcome will be extended to him!

Dearest Grand Duke Henry,
In recognition of your apology to His Boronic Majesty, and the new relations between Ravenburg-Morovia and Greenoland and Nagadoches, His Boronic Majesty gladly accepts your invitation, at the cost of cancelling the folk festivals he would attend with his the Boronic First Lady. The only thing that Captain Boron, would request s assurances that his assured enemies Tom "the spud" Hookee and other members of the clan won't be there.

His Boronic Majesty thanks you accordingly.

The Right Honourable, H.B.M Captain Boron
and the council of the Super Elecrons.

P.S would a super-califrigalistic-conductor X be an acceptable gift.

Dear Captain,

Naturally, in light of the Greeno-Ravenburger and Nagadocho-Ravenburger friendships so recently cemented by apologies on both sides, we would be very happy to receive you and any guests that you and your First Lady wish to bring to our soiree. It is also a great pleasure of mine to announce that Tom Hookee was last seen in the company of Luschian Opposition Shadow PM Marchmain, who will probably not be attending.

Naturally, the renowned Super-Califrigalistic-Conductor X would be a much-treasured gift. Might we respond with a rare Vanadium Accelerator of Mendeelivium Particles?

We look forward to seeing you, dear sir,

Your friend,

Grand Duke Henry

Count Prittwitz-Berchtold opens a gold-embossed letter with his Sword of Damocles opener, casually sipping a chilled Jack Daniels. In the neighbouring room to his luxurious wood-pannelled study, Countess Carisa and the three Berchtold children; Maria Charlotte, Rupert and Frederick Corsinus are watching a DVD of The Awful Truth as recommended by 'Aunt' Gwynnie Paltrow. Prittwitz-Berchtold reads the below letter:

TO: THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, RAVENBURG-MOROVIA
FROM: THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, UPPER MOROVIA-CARINTHIA

Dear Otto,

The Government of Upper Morovia-Carinthia will naturally be attending the soiree; I am bringing my trademark caramel truffles, and all of the cabinet look forward eagerly to the event. The soiree promises to be spectacular, as does the guest list!

Claudia will, apparently, be showing off her latest purchases from the private Harrod's installed in the Hofstein (the executive budget is already running up $43,000 in clothes, I am told!), and Matthias asks specially that you seat him next to King Wake (his childhood hero, bless the political animal) and Amy Adams (allegedly, his biggest 'fan' - I have my suspicions). Congratulations, of course, to the Grand Duchess for pulling this magnificent party off - a miracle worker of networking, I believe!

Yours faithfully and in cordial acquaintance,

Richard G. F. Vogt
President of the Executive Council, Upper Morovia-Carinthia

Shall we bring gifts? If so I shall bring an ornatly decorated vase depicing how white beard was defeated by Hiro

Naturally, any gift would be welcome, Grand Nomad, and we shall certainly reciprocate.

The Sunday Soiree at the Summer Palace was a massive success, with nearly four thousand guests in attendance. Sumptuous foods and sophisticated conversations were in a delightful cornucopia as President Richard Berry and Vice President Edwina Siddons of Berrington were welcomed back into duetaria with open arms by statesmen and literati alike. Grand Nomad Lloyd and Secretary-General Cliff heatedly debated their candidacies for World Assembly Delegate whilst seated at the High Table, and a magnificent dance was held in the Grand Ballroom, irradiated by sunlight and glistering golden chandeliers, which was won narrowly by Grand Duke Henry and Grand Duchess Sophie Clementine, with King Clarkeos and Queen Olivina a close second.

Predictably the party spilled over into the luxurious seaside villa, the sprawling gardens and the ornate swimming pool, with guests relaxing in the idyllic grounds. A game of charades on grand scale finished off the evening, with Countess Carisa von Prittwitz-Berchtold and Lord Alejandro Lecanda of Moreno deserved winners. Many thanks must naturally be extended also to the transcendental guest speakers, Sir Jack Nicholson and Sir Henry MJ Tonks, whose enlightened lectures (The Future of Duetaria and Empire of Shadows: The Cinema of John Huston, respectively) will be a source of much debate and dicsussion for years to come.


Countess Carisa von Prittwitz-Berchtold, wife of the acting chancellor and cousin of the Grand Duke


Grand Duchess Sophie Clementine, "aristocratic elegance personified" according to Chancellor Mettenburg

what was all that random 'STOP'ing about in all of those posts a while back?

Those posts were telegrams, Grand Nomad.

okay

SORRY IF LATE STOP REVOLUTIONS GENERALLY CAUSE MAJOR TRAFFIC JAMS STOP WILL BRING MARBLE BUSTS OF THE FINEST MEMBERS OF DUETARIA STOP LOOKING FOWARD TO PARTY STOP CONSUL CLARKEOS

it is a bit late clark... the party has ready been and gone...