[colour=gold][u][h1][centre]Empire of Violette[/centre][/h1][/u][/colour]
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/fRiTWvK.png[/img][/centre]
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[colour=gold][centre][h2][i]Le Patriote[/i][/h2][/centre][/colour]
[centre][i](Front Page)[/i][/centre]
[centre][h3][u]Imperial Parade Resounding Success![/u][/h3][/centre]

The sun shined proudly on newly crowned Empress Tsirine as she waved to adoring onlookers as the centrepiece of the Imperial Parade in Confluence. The procession began with the ceremonial swearing of allegiance of both General Hebert Féret and Admiral Lambertus Joubert, primary officers of the Gendarmerie and Marine respectively, to Her Majesty. With crowds coming from all over Violette and her empire, the streets of Confluence were packed, tens of thousands of smiling faces and purple flags celebrating Veletian nationhood in a grand display of patriotism. This year's parade was recorded to have been the largest since the inaugural parade of Emperor Frank XII, Her Majesty's illustrious grandfather, and much of the might of the Gendarmerie was put on display as armed and uniformed soldiers marched down the boulevards of the city of violets. A detachment of the garrisons of each of the empire's overseas sister-nations joined in the ceremonies as well, marching into formation with the parade at the point of the Golden Pavilion, with hundreds of Cotê d'Oriennes and Kikitomi proudly standing alongside their Veletian brothers-in-arms and singing the praises of our great empire.

The parade ended on the steps of the Pont d'Aspiration, leading over the River Jamais to the Île-de-Violette, namesake of the whole nation and birthplace of both the ancient kingdom of Violette and Her Majesty herself. Waving with a wide smile to the jubilant crowds, Empress Tsirine gave a speech extolling the virtues of the Veletians, describing her empire as the home of love and justice, birthplace of the proud. Against the backdrop of the Palais Violette behind her, Her Majesty picked up and proudly waved the Veletian flag, a ceremonial sailing vessel of the Marine passing beneath her as the crowds erupted in a chorus of patriotic anthems. As the ceremonies ended, and Empress Tsirine retired to the palace, all drinking establishments in Confluence offered half-price on all Veletian wines and liqueurs, in honour of the festivities. Many a votre santé was wished to the Empress and the nation, as the people of Confluence and her visitors drank and sang together long into the night. 

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[colour=gold][centre][h2][i]Le Patriote[/i][/h2][/centre][/colour]
[centre][i](Subsection 4, Page 17/23, Small Print)[/i][/centre]
[centre][h3][u]Governor Droulez Found Guilty[/u][/h3][/centre]

The former administrator of Veletian Settumu, Commander Droulez, has been found guilty of negligence unbecoming of an officer by a military tribunal in Sindao. The divisive 6-5 judgement in the prosecution's favour condemned Droulez for his lack of initiative in responding to the sex trafficking ring organized by his inferiors, but did not find evidence that Droulez himself was personally involved in either the conceptualization or actualization of the plot. Droulez was formally dismissed from his offices as both Governor of Veletian Settumu and Commander of the National Garrison, but in recognition of his decades of distinguished service prior to the so-called Droulez Affair, remained an officer of the Gendarmerie. Following his dismissal, however, Commander Droulez announced his early retirement from the armed service, and made known his plans to relocate from Sandao back to his family's estate in the outskirts of Confluence. Mr. Droulez will now serve as civilian liaison to the Académie Militaire de Confluence, training new officers in grand strategy and effective administration. Neither he nor anyone connected to the tribunal was available for comment.