A deep, crushing grief settles over the kingdom as the news is proclaimed: the monarch has died. Generations hold each other close, eyes welling with tears as heads are bowed and silences observed. For seventy years the monarch had been a stalwart, constant presence in the kingdom and beyond—now they are gone. In a time of political and economic turbulence the people come together to mourn their loss and set aside their disagreements—for now. A pall has been cast over this day, yet hope springs eternal, for the monarch's dynasty is strong and kind. A great oak falls, yet in its place rises a verdant forest.
