Skip to main content

It's New Year's Eve in Krankenstadt Palace. . .

The New Year's Eve costume ball in full swing at Krankenstadt palace.


Back in the capital city of Krankenstadt after 10 days away at the country house of Aunt Irmgard to celebrate Christmas, Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II has organized a masquerade ball for New Year's Eve.  Or rather his man Hives has done so.  

 Already in full swing, the guest list read's like a who's who of Krankenstadt and Stollenian society.  While guests continue to arrive and wait to be announced, up in his chambers the Grand Duke struggles to fit into his fabled lobster costume.  But he has indulged rather a bit too much during the Christmas festival.

"I say, Hives!  Pull the laces tighter!  Pull the girdle laces tighter.  We're already an hour late, and I've simply got to fit into this costume."

"Sir, I'm afraid I'll have to call for your tailor Monsieur de Bobèche to make some last minute alterations."

"Oh, blast Hives," The Grand Duke despairs, "He is always a bit more familiar than I'd like and insists on taking my inseam dimensions."

As Irwin-Amadeus II and Hives continue their fraught discussion, crates of fireworks are meanwhile delivered and  unloaded in the palace gardens below to set off at midnight.  And Lady Solange de Badinage, who has contrived to be invited to stay in one wing of the palace during the New Year's celebrations, has vowed that January will be when she at last gets Irwin-Amadeus II to propose marriage to her.  Of course, it would help her cause if The Grand Duke was himself aware of those same plans.  

And is that?  Why, yes!  It is.  Over there.  The Prussian ambassador to Stollen, Herr Heinz von dem Salat is at the punch bowl.  In the guise of a pineapple of course.  He is already arranging to sit down at the card table in a side room across from Bishop Sivert Tiburtius for a game of Grobhäusern or Mariagenspiel.  Of course, the fact that both men are inveterate gamblers and cheats at cards complicates the picture somewhat.

Yes, the evening is shaping up as one of farcical intrigue.

-- Stokes

Comments

Whiskers said…
Well observed Sir.
Happy new year!

Popular posts from this blog

The Eventual Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment. . .

  The Anhalt-Zerbst regiment musters in the drill square to sort themselves into platoons and companies during the coming weeks  Fall maneuvers if you will. A large dose of real life the last few days with the start of classes next Monday, various preparatory meetings, and finishing up a few other things this week.  But, I managed to sort out 60 or so Minden Austrian infantry from the pile and get 'em stuck to temporary painting bases.  Must carefully drill out the hands of several NCOs for flagpoles and pole arms this weekend before the usual basecoat.   I'm thinking of mixing the usual white gesso with the usual light gray to kill two birds with one stone so to speak.  Applying both base- and undercoat in one fell swoop as my grandmother used to say. In the meantime, the recently finished squadron of Saxon cuirassiers has been placed carefully in one of the clear acrylic boxes on my shelves until I have the suitable flag to affix.   -- Sto...

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

And It's the End of September!!!

  Saxony's Ploetz Cuirassiers, an illustration lifted from the Kronoskaf website, which has thus far guided my spectacularly glacial painting of 30 28mm Eureka Saxon cuirassiers purchased all the way back in October 2016. A gray, cool Saturday here in Mid-Michigan with rain in the forecast. The Grand Duchess is away at a conference, so it's just "The Boys" here at home. The Young Master (almost 15) has retreated to his room for something or other following breakfast while I have stolen back down here to Zum Stollenkeller (masquerading as my office) with a second mug of coffee and both cats comfortably ensconced nearby. Enjoying the late morning and still in my pajamas! Not much planned for today beyond designing a couple of promotional flyers for workshops my department is presenting (small parties we will throw?) in October and November.  With maybe a bit of on the next podcast script. More important,  I am toying with the idea of returning for an hour or...