"I am...pleased to meet you too", Mildgyd said, surprised by the sudden encounter with the East Morelander representative. "Ah, an interesting present, thank you", she said while touching and carefully observing the book. "I hope you can give my words of gratitude to King David, personally, whom I hope I can meet one day. We may meet in the reception. If you don't mind, I have to leave now", she added, gently walking away without looking back.
Without hurry, but without relay, the guests were moved to the Varselgodt Palace. The palace was built in the 1850s as a Summer residence for the Juglander royal family, and from 1879 to 1900 it also served as official permanent residence of the Grand-Duke of Emrta. The palace was officially part of Amvkhar metropolitan area, although it was only connected with the largest city of the island through a road in a largely inhabited area, around the northern hills. The palace had undergone several renovations and reforms, the last one in 2015, after the palace had suffered a limited and serious damage when it was hit by two home-made rockets. However, it was almost impossible to realize that the palace had to rebuild nearby one third of the main building.
The palace was properly divided in the main building, a neo-Gothic castle, as well as two large pavilions on the back of the main buildings, traditionally used for accomodating extra guests and hostings balls and parties, respectively. On the right, there was a small forest, which was impossible to access from outside and several wide gardens on the right side of the complex, which was the only way to get into, through the path that connected the esplanada where the cars stopped. Nearby the left side of the complex, there was a small botanic garden, which had been built in the late 19th-century and had famously trees and plants from the four continents.
Along the nearest garden to the castle, it had been installed a large number of seats and tables, as well as a long canopy which offered protection from the sun. There were offered drinks and small pieces of food for the guests, if they wanted to give them a try while they waited for the hour of the dinner (even if the proper banquet would take place in the buildings, the guests were soon explained). Those guests who decided, of course, were offered accomodation in the castle if they decided to rest a bit before the dinner.
When the recently proclaimed Grand-Duchess arrived, most of the guests, both national and foreign, had already come and were comfortably in the waiting area. Mildgyd, however, instead to follow the main path, followed a secondary one that led to the botanic garden, until slowly ascended to a small hill that had a small dome held up by five marble columns. There, three women wearing light tunics were waiting. When Mildgyd arrived there, she respectully bowed to the three ladies and softly knelt in from of the woman in the center, the one who was wearing more distinct clothing. When Midgyld stood up, the woman hold her both hands, and after repeating some words, she, with the help of the other two women, put a colourful mantle with detailed embroidery.
"This is not part of the official ceremony", Waramund Brundtland explained to some of the foreign guests, "but it's part of what you may describe a both historical and family tradition. There is still some time before the dinner, so if you need anything you can tell so to me or any of my assistants. In any case, the Grand-Duchess will arrive in a few minutes".
Brundtland left this group, approaching another one in which the Rokkenjiman envoy was. "Mr. Groves, I hope you enjoyed the ceremony in Amvkhar as well as the present evening", he told him. "Let me introduce you to Secretary Grimwaldyna Nygaard. "Nice to meet you", Nygaard said, who was the only member of the National Council who had attended the ceremony in Amvkhar.
"Let me introduce me", Amalberaht Oppegard told Kyla Gregory, the East Moreland representative, only a few metres where the previous group were. "I am Governor Oppegard. I hope you enjoyed our official ceremony. It may not be the kind of ceremony enriched with long traditions, but one with symbolical value, at least that was our intention", he explained. Mrs. Gregory may recognize Oppegard from before, as the governor was in the first row of parliamentary seat, close enough when the East Morelander representative approached the Grand-Duchess.
"Is there anything you need?", meanwhile Mrs. Skolem simply asked the guests from Achkaerin.