章 353: Pranking

July 24th, 1821, marked the close of the afternoon at five o'clock, as the royal convoy initiated its stately journey towards the Port of Calcutta. The thoroughfare was flanked by Indian locals, their heads lowered in a gesture of deference as the convoy made its passage, bearing the Imperial Prince and Princess of the French Empire. The nation held dominion over India, exerting influence through diplomatic channels, military might, and economic control.

Daphne, ever the embodiment of royal grace, extended gestures of acknowledgment to the locals, her hands waving in a show of interest. Her actions were calculated, a strategic performance aimed at cementing their position as sovereigns of India. Yet beneath this veneer of engagement lay a different reality; she considered it a necessity to keep them in a state of submission, to erase any lingering thoughts of self-governance.