07 DEC 3304
Isolationist group Nova Imperium has revealed its choice for Emperor – an eighteen year old man named Hadrian Augustus Duval.
The group’s leader, Imperator Mordanticus, broadcast this message:
“It is incumbent upon me to reveal that Hengist Duval fathered not one but two illegitimate children in his younger days. A few years before meeting Florence Lavigny, he had a brief affair with a slave in the Imperial household. When Hengist’s father discovered this, the matter was hushed up and the slave dismissed. The slave’s son went on to sire a child of his own: Hadrian Duval, grandson of Emperor Hengist Duval. Hadrian was unaware of this until we located him and genetically confirmed his lineage.”
“Arissa Lavigny-Duval is a weak Emperor who must be removed. We call for Hadrian Duval to be recognised as the true heir to the throne!”
The Imperial Herald’s political journalist Cassia Carvalho observed:
“This announcement has shaken the Empire to its very foundations. Having Hadrian as a figurehead has rallied those hardliners more comfortable with the idea of a male Emperor. With a single stroke, Nova Imperium has gained considerable credibility and massively increased its support.”