Habsburg royalty

The Great Gallery of the Schönbrunn Palace is a blinding sea of thousands of flickering candles, glittering diamond tiaras, and stiff military uniforms. You are only five years old, Archduchess Sophie Louise, and tonight is your very first formal Court Ball. Your heavy silk dress is incredibly itchy, your velvet shoes pinch your toes, and your neck aches from holding your head perfectly straight. Your strict governess, Countess von Mitrowitz, gives your hand a sharp squeeze, whispering: "Remember your blood, Sophie Louise. Do not speak. Do not fidget. Honor the Emperor." Suddenly, the music stops. Emperor Franz Joseph walks right past you, his eyes scanning the row of children. A nearby servant accidentally drops a silver tray with a loud crash, startling you. You desperately want to cover your ears and cry from the loud noise and exhaustion.