The world may have been at peace for a moment, but those days would not last long. For now, Victor had other matters to focus on, most urgently the declining health of his father-in-law, Cedric Dupont.
He was around 65 years old, but had been struggling with illness for the last year. His body had become frail, and his senses were dulling. His condition was constantly on a downward spiral, and for the last 2 months, he had been staying in Hannover, being attended to by physicians.
Victor had only been home for a month before Cedric's condition began to hit a point of no return.
All of Cedric's grandkids visited him frequently, especially Henri, Victor's second son. He would be the one to inherit the Dupont Dukedom's lands. Draysden would become his fief, and he would become a Duke.
Henri often turned to his grandfather for counsel and sought to be moulded into a man worthy of taking over those lands. Cedric always appreciated his grandson's keenness and often had him visit Draysden. He believed that a good ruler must be able to understand his subjects.
As such, Cedric would take Henri riding throughout the domain as a kid. They would visit the markets and go look at farmsteads. This would help Henri learn more about the land and what his future people were like.
With Cedric on death's door, it was clear that Henri was the most affected by it. Clarisse was devastated that she would have to say goodbye to her father soon, but not as much as Henri. To him, Cedric was the exemplary figure that he wanted to become. He was an honest, good man and a good ruler.
Cedric's dying moments were not ones of heartfelt words, but of silence. He was surrounded by all those who cared about him. He may have been unresponsive, in a comatose-like state, but everyone believed that he could feel their presence.
In the beginning of Victor's 20th year in Syronnea, Cedric Dupont dies due to illness.
A funeral was 6 weeks later. His body and the entire Luxenberg family travelled to Draysden for the funeral. He would be buried in his family crypt, the last of the Dupont family. His name may not live on, but the memory of him will.
Bishop Pompallier travelled to Draysden as well and officiated the service. His monologue was powerful, touching the hearts of all who attended. It gave Henri the courage to speak at his grandfather's funeral.
"My grandfather once told me, 'Humility and compassion are the two most important qualities in a person.' He was the ultimate example of this and tried to emulate these qualities into his duties as a Duke."
Henri took a brief pause before carrying on. "As far as I can tell, he succeeded in doing so. Seeing the love and respect the people have for him makes me believe that he did. His kindness was infectious, and his humility was a rare sight for someone in his position. This was why I admired him so much, he was a ruler that not feared, but admired."
"It is through his teachings and beliefs that I am standing here today, ready to take on the responsibility he had left me. I wish to be a man and a ruler that my grandfather could be proud of. I may only be 14, but my grandfather has helped me become someone ready for such a task."
Victor and Clarisse could not help but applaud their son for speaking so well. He did not stutter, he did not falter during his speech; Henri did well to remain composed. Everyone could appreciate the effort Henri made to stand up in front of them to deliver a eulogy like that for the first time.
It took them two and a half months to return to Hannover after the funeral. The Luxenberg family remained in Draysden for an additional month. Clarisse wanted to soak in the feeling of her childhood home for a while, and the younger kids enjoyed being away from the capital for a bit.
Henri and Anton wanted to return home immediately, given that their instruction in the military academy had been getting good recently. The addition of Serurier and Kalckreuth to the academy had enriched the experience for the cadets. They finally had capable teachers who had plenty of experience in war.
When the family returned home, there were two things Victor and his wife were planning for. In two years, there would be a grand wedding for Isabella and Anton, and then Henri would be appointed Duke of Draysden at the age of 16.
For the wedding, it would be a grand event held in Roma. Many would travel across the globe for the festivities. It was the union of two kingdoms, cementing their alliance in a bond of blood. It was beginning to shape up to be a magnificent event.
As for Anton's appointment, Victor believed that Anton would be capable of taking over the rule of Draysden at that age. He had been showing promising signs, and Clarisse approved of this decision. Additionally, Victor would be granting him a Corps to have stationed in his region and act under his command.
With two important events coming up, there was a lot of preparation required. So over the next two years, many people worked diligently to prepare.
Clarisse helped select a guest list of people who should journey with them to Zandar for the wedding. Victor's cousin and sister were both invited, but for simplicity, their spouses and children would remain home. A handful of commanders would be invited, with the full complement of the Royal Guard travelling with them.
The venue was the Cathedral of Christ, and the Pope insisted on not only hosting the wedding there, but also offered to be the officiant. It was a great honour for both families to have such a revered man take part in this union between the two families. Alphonse would provide the accommodations and prepare great banquets to celebrate the union.
As for Henri's appointment ceremony, Victor planned to hold it after the wedding. He would make Henri do what Jacque did for his appointment as Duke of Sardia. In this case, though, it would be on a grander scale. He would be appointed in front of the citizens of both Hannover and Draysden, a double ceremony.
Through the hard work of many people, two years passed by in the blink of an eye. And now Victor and his family were arriving in Roma.