The world has always been full of wonderful untainted magic that gives life to all living things. It’s in everything you see: the birds, the rivers, even the sky. All of it is magic. Humans have learned to harness that magic in various forms, the most powerful of which being crests; powerful sigils on the hands that serve as gateways, allowing one to become one with the magic around them, and use that magic to perform marvelous feats that could have devastating consequences. We learned this the hard way when the thirst for power grew too much for lesser men to control and the first war began. It lasted 130 long years. One hundred thirty years spent draining the planet of its life, subjecting many living things to death. Until, one day, a man by the name of William Vermillion came forward with divine light and calmed the fighting. He used his mastery over magic to rally the most powerful men in the realm, bringing them together to create Avalon, a crown capable of capturing the magic and returning it to the planet, where it belonged.
The bloodshed ended, and balance was restored to the planet. People began to rebuild as one united front, and the greatest kingdom known to man was born, where William Vermillion reigned as the first Emperor in this kingdom of walls. A man, chosen by the gods, the King of Hope, the first Emperor of Alesis, the kingdom of walls, located inside its magical dome.
“Aster, Aster, ASTER!”
“AHHH, WHAT!? Oh, it’s you.”
“Yes, it’s me now get up. You overslept, again.”
A screaming prince. The ideal thing to wake up to.
“Mother said we could watch Charlotte’s ceremony today. We need to go or else we’ll be late. Get up and get dressed. You’re already slow enough as it is.
“ Well, good morning to you to Arthur, my favorite Prince of Punctuality?”
“Hahaha, so funny I’m dying of laughter now let’s go before we miss it.”
“Okay, okay. Just gimme a minute.”
“Sixty”
“Really”
“Fifty-nine”
“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME”
“You called me the prince of punctuality, so you really did this to yourself. Fifty-seven”
“GET OUT”
*sigh* Yay, a pushy prince. This is my life. I put on the same white button-down and dark green pants with a matching jacket. I prop up my jet black hair to look presentable, and I go out, not that I’m complaining though. Being in the palace is significantly better than being in the slums where I belong. I’m only here because my mother won a lottery allowing her to become the emperor’s Governess. Now I’m the prince’s oldest friend, his only friend in fact. I know I complain about him a lot but he’s not that bad when he’s not pulling me out of bed. Not bad at all.
“Asterrrrr, we need to go”
When I open the door I see Arthur is just standing there. I never realized how short he was
“Then let’s go, although I don’t know why you want to go in the first place,” I say teasingly.
“What do you mean you don’t know why I want to go in the first place? I never get to see my family's crest because it's only meant to be used for special occasions, and this is the one chance I’m gonna get.”
“I get that and all, but it’s still just a crest, and she’s not actually getting the crest until tonight at the coronation. This is just a formality to make sure her body is ready. It's not that special''
“I’m sorry, but did you just say that the passing of the crest of the Vermillion family, the ROYAL Vermillion family wasn’t special? It is literally holding the planet in balance. Do you know how many people have tried to kill my mother for that crest? It’s not just-”
“-shh”
“Did you just….Don’t shush me I’m right it-”
“The ceremony already started so if you don't shush I’ll miss it.”
“You didn’t even want to see it.”
“Well now I do so your gonna have to find a way to be a prince of silence.” I tease.
“And you need to find a way to be a respectful subject.” He pouts.
“But then I’d be so boring.”
We hear fanfare from the palace courtyard and immediately know to pay attention. The emperor is making her entrance.
“ALL RISE FOR HER ROYAL MAJESTY QUEEN HYACINTH VERMILLION EMPRESS OF ALESIS ”
I never really knew if it was the guard announcing her arrival or the ease with which she walked, but whenever the Emperor enters a space all attention is drawn to her. I don’t think it’s because she’s the Emperor though, no it couldn’t be that simple. She’s ethereal with her long, silky white hair and scarlet red eyes. She truly looks like someone chosen by God. That has to be it.
Charlotte and Arthur look nothing like her though. Charlotte has jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. She shares the emperor’s elegance, but not her sanctity. Arthur on the other hand, you wouldn’t even assume he was part of the royal family. He has mid-length hair that's a deep brown, and emerald green eyes. He’s inelegant and often brazen, frankly, I am better suited to be a royal than he is, I am missing one key thing though. They all have pale skin. It’s practically translucent. All of them, almost every person inside the dome has the palest skin.
“Aster?” Arthur says hesitantly.
When I turn to look at Arthur’s eyes I realize how easy it is to get lost in them. I guess I spaced out for too long. He only says my name like that when he thinks something is wrong.
“Yes Arthur”
“We can leave if you want… I know this isn’t your kind of thing-”
He’s right, it isn’t
“No, it’s not that. I’m just thinking about it all, how… immense your mother and sister can be.”
“How immense they can be?”
“I mean they have a very commanding presence. Anytime they are around people know to submit to them. It’s… I don’t know how to explain it, but it just makes me think. You probably don’t get it, being one of the royals and all. “
“No, I do. I’ve been “the child who hath no purpose” all my life. I think my mother talks to me once every other week to check in to make sure I’m not damaging the family name. Gotta ‘maintain those appearances’. They’d get rid of me if they could, but throwing away children isn’t perfect, and we all know that nobles have to be perfect.” Arthur chuckles.
He doesn’t always think like this, out loud, but when he does Arthur seems a bit more human. Deceivingly so.
We stand there silently. I don’t think either one of us is paying attention to the ceremony at this point.
“Arthur...I want to go to the fourth ring.”
“Why? Do you have something you want to buy?”
“No. Just don’t wanna be here.”
“Fine by me, let me change into less flashy clothes and I’ll meet you at the south gate?”
We always meet at the south gate. It was the easiest way to sneak in and out of the palace because there's no clear way down to the other rings from there, unless you know about the stairwell that’s inside the walls, and I don’t think the guards do. If they do then they surely don't care, because they’re never there. It’s almost too easy.
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