Welcome, brothers and sisters.
Today I have come before you not as your prince, but as a human being and a fellow Demacian, with a message that every person who cares for Demacia should hear.
Since the very beginning of our kingdom, we Demacians have been on a journey; a decades-long journey towards a better future, towards a strong and safe land of justice and values. The journey continues to this very day; we may have climbed the high cliff and found our land, formed our kingdom, but we have yet to secure a good and safe future for us all.
In today's journey, Demacia stands on the edge of the cliff we climbed, surrounded by enemies. It must proceed with great caution to not slip down the cliff as it fights its foes to become the safe and thriving kingdom we all wish it to be.
Recently, there have been many events that threaten the balance Demacia needs as it stands on the cliff's edge; from the prison break of Sylas, through the growing mage rebellion, to the firmer steps and actions that were taken in the effort of protecting us all from hostile magic.
Those events are potentially the most significant threat Demacia had ever faced. More than the swords of our enemies - we need to fear the swords of ourselves, and those events had bad consequences on us all.
We have lost the way.
Hollow definitions changed the way we treat and look at each other.
Fears and prejudice divided us.
In the name of Demacia and justice, we misjudged our own brothers and sisters and brought misery upon them.
Many people think that Demacia was built as a refuge from magic. Indeed, throughout Demacian history magic has been perceived as a destructive force, but that is a shallow explanation.
Demacia was built as a refuge from the destruction that people had caused. Those people may have wielded magic, but blaming magic for the damage done is like blaming a sword for the misdeeds of a raider.
People should not be persecuted for possessing powers, they should only be judged if they misuse them.
More than to be willing to judge by definitions, we need to be willing to use our conscience and be open-minded; while there is only one truth, there are many ways to approach it.
We must remember that we Demacians are all humans. We are all brothers and sisters, and we are all equal; whether we are skilled with spears or with spells. Our ancestors; mages and non-mages alike, have stood together and made the same sacrifice in their creation and protection of the Demacian dream.
Our very nature as Demacians cries out for brotherhood, it cries out for the goodness in us and the unity of us all - despite our differences. So before taking pride in being a good Demacian, first take actions in being a good human, for if we let minor differences take our values away, we are bound to fall down the high cliff we stand upon today along with our dreams and future, and the efforts and blood of our ancestors and families would go to waste.
There are those who thrive on our separation and despair. They are dangerous to Demacia, to the dream that our ancestors sacrificed themselves for, and to the chance that we will have for a better life - together.
You must not listen to them. Our only hope for the future is to be TOGETHER. Refuse the shallow definitions that you hear around you. Look into the hearts of your surrounding; they are your brothers and sisters, who will live next to you in peace and die next to you in war. Enough enemies await us outside our borders, and they don't care whether we use magic or not. If we allow separation within us we will lose before they would even siege our walls.
Each and every one of us - from youths to elders - shall then be careful in the actions that we take every day, for they directly define Demacia and the success of our journey.
I stand before you today to encourage you to despise extremism and embrace the middle ground.
A total answer is never a good one; our journey is in a complex situation, thus we need to choose a complex solution over a definite, single-sided one.
In the name of Demacia, in the name of all the good we have achieved and have yet to achieve, and in the name of all the misery of those who are dear to us, I call each and every one of you to stand united in our journey, to help regain our balance when we need it most.
Say no to separation; spread the unity of us all.
Say no to persecution; embrace fair trial.
Say no to blind judgment; spread true justice.
Say no to prejudice; embrace the common between us.
Say no to hatred; spread love and kindness.
Say no to ego and cheap tags; embrace your surroundings as they are.
We must all remember that our journey to Demacia is still not over. It is not the time to allow differences to get between us. We must unite and act from love to each other and to Demacia. We must abandon hate, violence, and thought that we are superior, or we become as bad as our enemies, and Demacia will be destroyed and scattered to a thousand pieces.
Our only way and hope to succeed is to stand together. Let's keep our weapons for our enemies and embrace each other with our hearts against the darkness that surrounds us. That is the true strength of Demacia, the reason it was created, and the reason we can stand here today.
Demacia's name and future start now, they start with you.
Let the forces of our nation empower you. Stand united. Demacia counts on you - now more than ever.