to stop up; to close up; to stand in the way; to obstruct; to occupy; to fill up
in a whisper; in a low voice; in undertones; in secret; stealthily
legendary; fabled; fabulous
person; character; one's character; one's personality; able person; talented person
actual existence; real existence; existing in real life
glittering; sparkling; glistening; twinkling
genuine article; real thing; real deal
easy; simple; there's no way that ...
preparation; arrangements; provision; getting ready; laying out (e.g. a meal)
spurious article; forgery; counterfeit; imitation; sham
to raise; to elevate; to move something (to a higher place); to put onto (e.g. a shelf); to increase (price, quality, status, etc.); to raise (a wage); to show someone (into a room)
with a twitch (e.g. an eyebrow); with a dip; with a bob; with a flutter
again; once more; a second time
to lend an ear; to hearken; to give an ear to; to listen carefully
unfortunately; regrettably
circumstances; conditions; situation; reasons; state of affairs
regarding ...; concerning ...; about ...; on ...; with respect to ...; in regard to ...
as one would expect; naturally; indeed; still; all the same; after all
vigilance; caution; alertness; precaution; being on guard
severe; strict; hard (to do); difficult; intense (e.g. cold); harsh (weather)
whereabouts; place; location; place where one belongs; where one fits in; place where one can be oneself
stronghold; inner citadel; base; headquarters
somewhere; in some respects; in some way
clearly; plainly; distinctly; to be clear; to be definite; to be certain
to examine; to look up; to investigate; to check up; to sense; to study
follow-up report; further news
and (also); both ... and; as well as
family; relatives; dependents; household
to keep step (with); to keep pace (with); to move in lockstep; to align (with another's thoughts or actions); to get on the same page
rather; better; instead; if anything
chance; opportunity; occasion
royal authority; regal power; authority of the king
strengthening; intensifying; reinforcement; reinforcement
to aim at (for, to do, to become); to try for; to have an eye on; to go toward; to head for
decentralization (of power); decentralisation
to correct; to rectify; to reform; to straighten (one's posture, collar, etc.); to adjust
centralized authoritarian rule; centralised authoritarian rule
to build up; to complete; to construct; to make up; to fabricate; to invent
aid; help; assistance; assistant; counselor; counsellor
prime minister; premier; chancellor
for generations; from generation to generation; generation after generation; through the ages
producing (people) in great numbers; appearing one after the other
to make light of; to ignore; to slight