December 19th, the winter palace.

He leaned against the balcony railing, his countenance devoid of emotion. The soirée he had so graciously hosted commenced merely an hour prior, yet an air of ennui enveloped him. A profound solitude gnawed at his spirit, yet he resolutely refrained from mingling, for as royalty, he deemed such frivolities beneath him. Gazing down upon the revelers as they danced and exchanged pleasantries, a flicker of envy stirred within him, for while they basked in merriment, he stood here, an isolating figure of despondency.