02-06-2022, 07:49 PM
Chancellor’s Manor, Geminus
February 6th, 2022, 10:12 AM
Inauguration Day
Chancellor William Lancaster stood behind his desk, staring down at the vacant workspace with a surreal form of relief. Never seen it this clean before, not even in photoshoots. Many of the books had been taken off of the bookshelves, and the mementoes and pictures had been taken off of the windowsill. Even the stash of caramels he had kept in his desk’s bottom drawer had not been spared. The moment was bittersweet, and although his departure had felt like a huge weight off of his shoulders, the melancholy feeling persisted.
He made one final lap around the room, attempting to commit all that he could to memory. The trim, each detail of the paintings, that little stain on the wall behind a bookshelf that some Chancellor before him had likely caused. Every detail made the room shine with significance, and he felt an odd sense of guilt about not having known about them before. He straightened the pens on the desk one final time, before heading to the door, taking one last look behind him. Goodbye.
The door shut behind him with a soft click.
—-
The halls of the manor’s Working Wing were unusually silent. Most of the staff had already said their goodbyes, finding other jobs in politics, the media, or government. The Grand Hall, the famous hall of portraits, had gained another painting on its walls. Chancellor Lancaster stared at the realistic portrait of him with a slight smile, admiring the artist’s talent. His face was permanently frozen in oil paint, giving the viewer an expression of content pensiveness. The Chancellor shook his head and continued walking, his smile growing a little bit.
Near the end of the hallway, a number of remaining staff had gathered, led by Ava Christiansen, the Chancellor’s loyal Chief of Staff. He gave Christiansen a large hug, before going down the lines of staff to thank them personally. His eyes filled with tears, but he kept smiling, unwilling to spend his last hours in office crying about his perceived “losses”. As he got to the end of the line, the Proviri took his husband’s hand, saying so many things without speaking a single word. Lancaster held his husband’s hand tightly, grateful(and desperate) for his support.
The pair slowly walked out of the working exit of the Manor, before entering the long motorcade that would take them to Liberty Square. The Chancellor tok one last look at the Manor that he had lived and worked in for six years, trying to maintain his composure. The wave of emotions hit him again as the manor faded out of view, and he grabbed Jake’s hand again, his presence bringing Lancaster a large sense of stability. He sighed and closed his eyes, embracing his last moments as Chancellor.
As the motorcade pulled up to the secure parking location outside Liberty Square, the Chancellor and Proviri made eye contact one last time before exiting the vehicle, quickly moving to where the crowds could see them. Leah Stendē and Lynn Morrin were waiting on the steps, accompanied by Justice Minister Lira Nērala and Stendē’s husband. They straightened their postures as they saw him approach the bottom of the steps, a sign of respect during Lancaster’s final moments as executive.
One by one, he climbed each marble step, the Proviri right behind him. As he reached the platform, he shook hands with Stendē and Morrin, nodding his congratulations. They all stood behind him as he took the podium, prepared to give the traditional farewell speech to the crowd of thousands gathered in the Square. He had no notes nor a written copy of his speech, but he had rehearsed it meticulously to himself the night before, as inspiration had struck late at night.
“My friends, it has certainly been an incredible six years. These opportunities, these challenges, have truly been incomparable to anything I’ve ever experienced. I have been struggling the past few days to think of a way to summarize my experiences while in office. To think of some buzzword or catchy phrase to summarize six years of both successes and failures. Now, I realize how pointless of a task that is."
"To attempt to simplify six years of complex political situations into ten seconds of speaking is virtually impossible without cutting out too many crucial details, rendering the activity pointless. But, as I looked over all we have accomplished the past few years, everything we've been through, I did notice one common link: You." He pointed out into the crowd. "Although you likely haven't agreed with everything we've done during my administration, your support, advice, and yes, even your criticism has helped us move forward."
"Now, as I look out at you all, I am reminded of both our mistakes and our successes, and I would like to ask forgiveness for my shortcomings and thank you for your support. You've chosen two brilliant leaders to succeed me, and for that, I could not be more happy. Now, I would like to present your Chancellor and Vice Chancellor, Leah Stendē and Lynn Morrin!"
He stepped back as the two women stepped forward, holding their hands up in victorious solidarity. Morrin stepped back again as Leah Stendē approached the podium with the Minister of Justice, holding her husband's hand while holding the other one up. Minister Nērala cleared her throat and began speaking into the microphone.
"Repeat after me: I, Leah Stendē, do truthfully swear to protect the Republic at all costs."
"I, Leah Stendē, do truthfully swear to protect the Republic at all costs."
"I swear to protect the spirit of Eirian democracy to the best of my ability, and to preserve the constitutional rights of the people while I hold office."
"I swear to protect the spirit of Eirian democracy to the best of my ability, and to preserve the constitutional rights of the people while I hold office."
"I swear that I will do these duties to the best of my ability, and I forswear any influences that would influence or inhibit my ability to do these duties."
"I swear that I will do these duties to the best of my ability, and I forswear any influences that would influence or inhibit my ability to do these duties."
"It is my honor to pronounce you, Leah Stendē, Chancellor of the Democratic Republic of Eiria!"
February 6th, 2022, 10:12 AM
Inauguration Day
Chancellor William Lancaster stood behind his desk, staring down at the vacant workspace with a surreal form of relief. Never seen it this clean before, not even in photoshoots. Many of the books had been taken off of the bookshelves, and the mementoes and pictures had been taken off of the windowsill. Even the stash of caramels he had kept in his desk’s bottom drawer had not been spared. The moment was bittersweet, and although his departure had felt like a huge weight off of his shoulders, the melancholy feeling persisted.
He made one final lap around the room, attempting to commit all that he could to memory. The trim, each detail of the paintings, that little stain on the wall behind a bookshelf that some Chancellor before him had likely caused. Every detail made the room shine with significance, and he felt an odd sense of guilt about not having known about them before. He straightened the pens on the desk one final time, before heading to the door, taking one last look behind him. Goodbye.
The door shut behind him with a soft click.
—-
The halls of the manor’s Working Wing were unusually silent. Most of the staff had already said their goodbyes, finding other jobs in politics, the media, or government. The Grand Hall, the famous hall of portraits, had gained another painting on its walls. Chancellor Lancaster stared at the realistic portrait of him with a slight smile, admiring the artist’s talent. His face was permanently frozen in oil paint, giving the viewer an expression of content pensiveness. The Chancellor shook his head and continued walking, his smile growing a little bit.
Near the end of the hallway, a number of remaining staff had gathered, led by Ava Christiansen, the Chancellor’s loyal Chief of Staff. He gave Christiansen a large hug, before going down the lines of staff to thank them personally. His eyes filled with tears, but he kept smiling, unwilling to spend his last hours in office crying about his perceived “losses”. As he got to the end of the line, the Proviri took his husband’s hand, saying so many things without speaking a single word. Lancaster held his husband’s hand tightly, grateful(and desperate) for his support.
The pair slowly walked out of the working exit of the Manor, before entering the long motorcade that would take them to Liberty Square. The Chancellor tok one last look at the Manor that he had lived and worked in for six years, trying to maintain his composure. The wave of emotions hit him again as the manor faded out of view, and he grabbed Jake’s hand again, his presence bringing Lancaster a large sense of stability. He sighed and closed his eyes, embracing his last moments as Chancellor.
As the motorcade pulled up to the secure parking location outside Liberty Square, the Chancellor and Proviri made eye contact one last time before exiting the vehicle, quickly moving to where the crowds could see them. Leah Stendē and Lynn Morrin were waiting on the steps, accompanied by Justice Minister Lira Nērala and Stendē’s husband. They straightened their postures as they saw him approach the bottom of the steps, a sign of respect during Lancaster’s final moments as executive.
One by one, he climbed each marble step, the Proviri right behind him. As he reached the platform, he shook hands with Stendē and Morrin, nodding his congratulations. They all stood behind him as he took the podium, prepared to give the traditional farewell speech to the crowd of thousands gathered in the Square. He had no notes nor a written copy of his speech, but he had rehearsed it meticulously to himself the night before, as inspiration had struck late at night.
“My friends, it has certainly been an incredible six years. These opportunities, these challenges, have truly been incomparable to anything I’ve ever experienced. I have been struggling the past few days to think of a way to summarize my experiences while in office. To think of some buzzword or catchy phrase to summarize six years of both successes and failures. Now, I realize how pointless of a task that is."
"To attempt to simplify six years of complex political situations into ten seconds of speaking is virtually impossible without cutting out too many crucial details, rendering the activity pointless. But, as I looked over all we have accomplished the past few years, everything we've been through, I did notice one common link: You." He pointed out into the crowd. "Although you likely haven't agreed with everything we've done during my administration, your support, advice, and yes, even your criticism has helped us move forward."
"Now, as I look out at you all, I am reminded of both our mistakes and our successes, and I would like to ask forgiveness for my shortcomings and thank you for your support. You've chosen two brilliant leaders to succeed me, and for that, I could not be more happy. Now, I would like to present your Chancellor and Vice Chancellor, Leah Stendē and Lynn Morrin!"
He stepped back as the two women stepped forward, holding their hands up in victorious solidarity. Morrin stepped back again as Leah Stendē approached the podium with the Minister of Justice, holding her husband's hand while holding the other one up. Minister Nērala cleared her throat and began speaking into the microphone.
"Repeat after me: I, Leah Stendē, do truthfully swear to protect the Republic at all costs."
"I, Leah Stendē, do truthfully swear to protect the Republic at all costs."
"I swear to protect the spirit of Eirian democracy to the best of my ability, and to preserve the constitutional rights of the people while I hold office."
"I swear to protect the spirit of Eirian democracy to the best of my ability, and to preserve the constitutional rights of the people while I hold office."
"I swear that I will do these duties to the best of my ability, and I forswear any influences that would influence or inhibit my ability to do these duties."
"I swear that I will do these duties to the best of my ability, and I forswear any influences that would influence or inhibit my ability to do these duties."
"It is my honor to pronounce you, Leah Stendē, Chancellor of the Democratic Republic of Eiria!"
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