Nicholas waved at the crowd as he went past on his horse. The victory celebrations were in full swing, Russia had paid a heavy price in this war, and this victory parade was a day before the funeral parade for all those lost.
Nicholas had hated the casualties, but the Chinese government had been overthrown. India was free, and Russia was not threatened by any neighbour. He was glad Serpent had been a success, and so were his people.
He had led from the front for a major part of the war, but eventually handed over control to Alexei, his son, who was becoming a great general.
Alexei himself had led Serpent, and now he was as adored by the public as his father. Russia had been to war twice, once against Rome-Gaul, once against China, and both times had been victorious, with the enemy governments collapsing.
And this blow had hit China hard, despite the fact that the war had almost destroyed Russia herself.
China would never recover, and now Russia could expand, and rebuild her shattered economy.
Nicholas had authorised the continued expansion of the Russian navy, soon it would be considered a medium ironclad one. Scandinavia was doing the same.
His army was being updated with the latest weapons produced from the Moscow Military Works and the Kiev Arms Company.
Russia was on the move, he thought to himself. And she had a major role to aid those oppressed, and to help every nation to be free.
It was going to be a glorious decade, he decided as he entered his Palace.