The streets of the city were swept clean. Beautiful tapestries of every color and design were hung from the windows of every thoroughfare. All the shops were closed, even the baker with the bread and the smithy with his nail. A grand parade would begin from the entrance to the Great Cathedral and wind its way down the Mesa, as the main street of Catapolis was called. The Mesa led directly to the Palace where King GarGar and Queen Pirouette held Court. Who would be allowed to march in the parade was a matter of hot debate from the lowest tavern to the richest mansion. The occasion of the King and Queen’s wedding anniversary was one of great celebration, especially as this marked twenty years of wedded bliss. It was an open secret that their love for each other had grown stronger over the years, not weaker. Shared joys and sorrows had tempered their passion from a raging flame to a steady burning ember. There’s was a love that balladeers would sing of for centuries to come. “GarGar! Pirouette!” How the people shouted with joy the names of their sovereigns. “Long live the King! Long live the Queen!”