It is easy to see 2010 as a year of chaos and disruption, as indeed in many ways it was, but to consider it in a wholly negative light would be to overlook the changes it brought about that laid the foundations for the modern Empire of Austenasia. The accession of a new Emperor and the resultant civil war saw a massive increase in local interest in Austenasia, and the eventual creation of the two nations of Orly, whereas the subsequent rivalry between Esmond and Declan resulted in both Rushymia and the Midgets falling under the power of the Austenasian Throne.
Most notably of all, the Year of the Three Emperors was a year which saw the powers and role of the Emperor change from those exercised by Terry I to the more recognisable function played by the Monarch today. Wars, ideological development, and a proactive role in foreign and domestic affairs rapidly changed the way in which the Emperor’s role within Austenasia was perceived, and led to the Throne taking a position far more similar to the one it currently holds.
If Esmond had brought his own preconceptions of the office to his role as Emperor, so did Declan, an ideologically committed monarchist and an enthusiastic proponent of absolutism. There was no longer any question of Esmond being an exception. From henceforth, the Emperor of Austenasia would be the country’s proactive, executive leader, and in September 2011 the Constitution was amended to allow that to be the case legally as well as practically. The Prime Minister sank into an increasingly advisory and at times near-ceremonial position, until it was restored to an active role by Joseph Kennedy in 2015.
Esmond III initially reacted with fury to the appointment of Declan I as co-Monarch, announcing in a Skype group full of foreign diplomats his seizure of power as a “Premier” of a dictatorial new government. This declaration was met with pity rather than alarm, however, and he was soon persuaded to withdraw it by Crown Prince Jonathan and Lord William.
Despite his initial reaction, Esmond soon came to accept Declan’s new position, and even rekindled their friendship, which had never been completely spoilt on a purely personal level. As a sign of hope for the coming year – optimistic, but sadly disappointed – Jonathan appointed the two Emperors as the first Austenasian Consuls, to hold the office together during 2011 as a symbol of co-operation.
Upon the return to school on January 5th, things would heat up once more. 2011 would see coup attempts, the near arrest of Jonathan, Esmond’s final removal from power, and a new Austenasian Constitution, with Declan I holding unchallenged sovereignty over all the Carshalton Nations by the end of the year. For now, though, there was no more that could be done. Esmond had lost, and Declan had won.
Although 2011 certainly saw drama and disruption, there was nothing on the scale of 2010. The New Year rather saw a new order of things consolidated; a new order that had already taken hold upon Declan’s ascension to the Throne. The remainder of 2010, a little under two weeks, saw apprehension at what the New Year would bring. For the most part, though, it was a time of calm, with everyone glad for a rest at the end of such dramatic events. The Year of the Three Emperors finally came to an end.