Seated on the throne, king Alexander of the Morverian empire had a serious expression on his face. His long silver hair was tied to a neat ponytail, and his amber colored eyes were devoid of any emotion.
The king wore a majestic attire, which consisted of a red trouser, a red doublet with golden embroidery designs, and a pristine white cape. His hands, cladded in white gloves, rested calmly on the throne's armrest.
King Alexander gave off an overwhelming presence, filled with strength and power. And as Zalfick stood before the king, he suddenly felt small and insignificant. He bowed slightly and said,
"Good morning father. You requested for my presence."
Looking at Zalfick, the king spoke in a deep, emotionless voice.
"Yes Zalfick, I did."
King Alexander stood up, and walked to the back of the throne. He was now facing the large painting of the Morverian empire's coat of arms.
He silently stared at the painting. And a few seconds later, he said,
"Zalfick, do you know the symbolic meaning of the Morverian coat of arms?"
From his new memories, Zalfick replied,
"Yes. The Morverian coat of arms is our family crest. Therefore it is the symbolic representation of the Morver family name."
The king was silent again. He turned and looked at Zalfick.
"...You're right. The Morverian coat of arms is indeed a symbolic representation of our family. But it has an even deeper meaning. A meaning that concerns not only the Morverian empire, but the entire land of Golkinberg." Said king Alexander.
The king then looked back, and pointed at the painting.
"The golden shield depicted in the coat of arms signifies our duty to protect and defend this continent along with its people. While the crowned lion represents our strength and ferociousness, which strikes fear into the hearts of our enemies."
King Alexander looked at Zalfick and said,
"The point I'm trying to make is simple. In order to defend our continent, as a royal prince of this empire, you need both strength and ferocity. Zalfick, on your seventeenth birthday tomorrow, you will be getting that strength through the supreme magic of the gods."
'He's probably talking about the magic awakening ceremony.' Zalfick thought.
"Now as you know, our family has always lived a life of servitude to the gods for many generations. We seek their magical blessings, and as such, during your magic awakening ceremony tomorrow, you will have to make a choice of servitude between the nine gods." Said King Alexander.
"Yes, father. I understand." Zalfick replied. However, on the contrary, he was really confused.
'Why can't I find anything about this magic awakening ceremony within the memories of the real prince? Could it be that this new memories are actually fragmented and incomplete?' Zalfick thoughtfully asked himself.
"Good. You may leave." The king said, as he sat back down on the throne.
Zalfick bowed slightly, before leaving the throne room.
'I need more information about this world.' He thought, as he began to walk towards the direction of the study room.
As Zalfick approached the study room, he saw Prince Harry Morver, who was now his elder brother.
King Alexander and queen Alicia had four children. Three sons and a daughter. Prince Harry was the first born, and eldest son of the Morver family.
He had a strong resemblance to the king. His silver hair matched perfectly with his amber eyes, which were protected by black rimmed glasses. And as Zalfick looked at the prince, he noticed a hint of shock in his eyes. However, that shock vanished as quickly as it came.
"Zalfick, how are you doing?" Prince Harry asked.
"I'm fine, thank you." Zalfick replied.
However, though his reply appeared casual, in truth it wasn't. You see, in the Morverian empire, there was a deep tension between the three sons of the king. And the reason for that tension was the battle for the title of crowned prince.
In the Morver royal family, any one of the king's children can decide to become king or queen. After all, the rulers of the empire were decided and elected because of their strengths and achievements, and not by inheritance. But to become king, one of them had to first become the crowned prince or princess.
However, in this case, princess Brina declared her lack of interest in the throne. So that left the title of crowned prince to the three brothers. And thus, they were having a deep silent battle for the throne.
Currently, prince Harry had the highest chance of earning the title of crowned prince. That was due to his powerful magic ability and his high rank as a commanding general of the king's army.
"Good. I'm sorry Zalfick. I wish I could stay and chat a little while longer, but I have important matters to attend to." Harry said, before he turned and walked away.
Zalfick watched, as prince Harry disappeared to the other side of the corridor, and thought,
'For a brief moment, he was shocked to see me… I wonder why?'
He banished that thought to the back of his mind for now, and continued on his way to the study room.
Soon, Zalfick reached the massive double doors of the study, opened it, and entered inside.
The study room was grand and quite refined with a sense of intellectual and timeless elegance. Sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow upon the mahogany bookshelves that line the walls. These bookshelves were neatly adorned with leather-bound tomes and ancient scrolls.
A large regal oak desk commanded attention at the room's center, bearing the weight of quills, inkwells, and an assortment of scholarly items. The polished marble floor reflected the flickering light of an ornate chandelier, which casted a dreamlike ambiance on the study room's opulent features. And at the far end, was a crackling fireplace, which was meant to impart a cozy allure during colder days.
As Zalfick looked around the study room, he sighed and said,
"Well, I guess it's time to hit the books."