[center][h1]Serene Empire of Tara[/h1][/center]

It was a rain soaked day that Prince Fredrick was crowned Emperor. The sudden death of Empress Lillana, even as Fredrick arrived nearly three weeks later had left its imprint. A newspaperman would later say in an editoral that even the skies wept for the passing of the Empire's great Queen. Yet for Emperor Fredrick, moreso than the rain, it remained the most nerve racking day of his life. 
Two squadrons of cavalry in all their shining heraldry marched down through the streets. Behind them came the car carrying the Prince and soon to be Emperor. He was followed by hundreds of soldiers, sailors, and marines. A band played and despite the atmosphere the people had come out in their thousands to if not cheer then stare curiously at their new ruler. To the populace, Fredrick was mostly an unknown figure. His exile to Settumu had ensured that he had been kept well out of the public eye. 

The Cathedral of Saint John towered above him. Angels and gargoyles acting as their own sort of grotesque honor guard stared down at him with hard marble eyes. For a moment, the stairs to the cathedral might have been a mountain, impossible to climb. The robes of state suddenly felt heavy and his chest seized. Gritting his teeth, the Prince mounted the stairs. An Imperial Guardsman flanked him at every step, the great doors of the cathedral swinging open to reveal a packed hall. Some of them old friends, some enemies, and all in love with the sheer spectacle that the crown represented. The Abbot waited, in his hands, the Crown of Tara....and on the dais... the throne that Fredrick would occupy as one of the world's most powerful monarchs.

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[u][b]P.M. Riddick Pushes for Military Reforms:[/b][/u]
Concerned by the crisis unfolding on the continent and the political turmoil in Violette, Prime Minister Riddick is expected to propose a budget increase of the army of four million pounds. The increased budget is expected to cover the costs of expanding Tara's pool of reservists from 137,000 to 200,000 men. With the active military expected to be expanded by an additional 50,000 soldiers. The bill is expected to be debated before Parliament and would be paid out of existing budget surpluses. The Prime Minister has stated his aims to keep the tax rate the same for 1901 for all brackets of income. 

[u][b]Rigour Conference: [/b][/u]
In an effort to set aside mounting tensions over the political realities of the colonization of Serranthia, Emperor Fredrick has called for an international conference. The Great Powers of the Continent are expected to be invited to the event and it will serve as the Emperor's first major foreign policy initiative. The Conference was spearheaded by Prime Minister Riddick and has received support from the Conservative base in Parliament.