The sunlight lavished upon the earth, reflecting off the snow and emitting twinkling golden glows.
The ground blanketed with snow, the frozen Neva River, they all testified to the arrival of winter, pairing perfectly with St. Petersburg and its snowy landscape.
In the past, with such fine weather, Alexander III would have certainly taken his family out to bask in the winter sun.
At this moment, within the Gatchina Palace, the upper echelons of the Tsarist Government were gathered, deliberating the nation's forthcoming policies.
Foreign Minister Oscar Hemenes: "Last night, the French Ambassador revealed at the banquet that the French government is preparing to increase its support for us.
As long as our forces on the front capture Herat or the Wakhan Corridor, they will underwrite one billion francs of war bonds for us.
The intentions of the French are very clear, they want to use us to weaken the British. The Anglo-French Alliance is practically dead in name.
