Log 7:
Date: July 6th, 2190 I.C.
Time: 09:23
Location: Royal Court
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The Hackney sped down the road past the iron gates until the massive triangular arrangement of buildings I've always looked at from the Outer Business District appeared before me. The faded two moons hovering high above the peaks across from the sun beaming down on them, giving the building a certain luster. I could crane my neck up, and I still couldn't see the tips of those buildings that seemed to pierce the sky. It was surreal, but this was the Royal Court.
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The Royal Court was the home to Royals, former Royals, the Imperium City Army, and major government buildings. It used to be just a marble palace in the past, but today, it's expanded so much that it has essentially become its own District.
You might also be wondering about what I mean by Former Royals.
Well, let me explain.
Unlike traditional monarchies, Imperium City's monarchy was a bit different. Instead of having a ruling family for pretty much eternity until some coup occurs, there is an election system where Parliament selects individuals to become Royals, Commoner or Noble. Class does not matter. However, this only applies to the Emperor.
Once the Emperor is elected, their term lasts fifteen years, and their immediate family members are granted Royal status. Once this term ends, the current Emperor will abdicate his position and cannot be re-elected afterward. Parliament will force them out if they refuse, and a new Emperor is selected for another fifteen years. Of course, the former Emperor and their family would be allowed to continue living in the Royal Court as a thank-you for their service as Former Royals and a fat pension.
While these perks sound good, becoming Emperor was no easy feat.
One had to be a citizen of Oriar. Second, the individual must have served in the Royal Guard and achieved the rank of Commander or in Parliament for at least ten years. Finally, the individual had to be at least 30 to qualify for the election. However, if one was a direct family member of a Former Emperor hence a Former Royal, they would automatically be eligible to run for the Emperor's position but only when they turn 25.
Then the election process is conducted over the course of a year once the selected candidates are chosen. Typically, there are anywhere around twenty to two hundred. Parliament secretly conducts most of this process to whittle down the number of candidates. However, insider information reveals that the selection is quite complex, but during the final two rounds of the election process, the people get to vote on who they want for Emperor. Here's the catch: we don't see their faces or real names. The public is only given a candidate number, campaign, and values. The reason is to protect the candidates from assassination attempts from rivals or their allies. Only select individuals in Parliament know the true identities of the candidates, and each member is bounded by a vow of secrecy that, if broken, would result in the member's death.
Once elections are over, the candidate inaugurated as the new Emperor is assigned a pseudonym to the public, which can be anything the Emperor likes as long as it's not ridiculous. From there, the candidate and his family are registered as Royals, and a long fifteen-year reign begins. However, unlike the Emperor, the other Royals that are a part of the Emperor's lineage are revealed to the public. This is because they act as proxies for the Emperor to the public, allowing Royalty to establish a closer connection with the people. Though in Noble's eyes, the other Royals are tools they can manipulate to get their Emperor's favor.
But wait! What if people attack the Emperor's Family? Isn't that concerning since they know who they are? Couldn't they figure out who the Emperor is based on that?
Not really, because intruders or potential assassins are always caught by the guards or decimated by the gate before they even make it to the Emperor. It's not like the Emperor and his family are weak, either. Even if the assailant managed to touch the Royal Family, they would most likely end up dead in a fight because the Members of the Royal Family are trained till they can be on par with at least a 6-Star Adventurer, which is a level not many Adventurers can attain in their lifetime. So the chances of a Royal getting assassinated were next to none, and it hasn't happened in the last two centuries.
On top of that, when individuals related to the Emperor enter the Royal Court, they are forced to change their last names to make it harder for enemies to figure out who the Emperor is. Furthermore, all other persons who are close to the Emperor but not their immediate family are also sworn to secrecy.
Since that was the case for myself and my family, I would have to be executed if I told anyone who wasn't authorized the Emperor's identity.
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The Hackney drove past another iron gate into a circular courtyard.
A marble fountain to my left surrounded by numerous exotic plants, was carved into the shape of two figures, a man and a woman. The man was clad in armor, a helmet covering his face making it hard to make out his features. His great sword, encrusted in gems, planted into the platform below him imposingly. Standing beside me was a much shorter female figure with flowing hair that seemed to be moving in the wind. She wore a long, flowing dress covered in plates of armor. A crown embedded with a gem-shaped around her forehead. In her armors hand, she wielded a long spear with a sharp diamond tip, the predecessor of the modern Gleafaver. A flag with the three shards of the Imperium City crest present was tied onto its body representing the three principles: Virtue, Determination, and Pride.
These two were famous Adventurers and the founders of Imperium City, Kalios, and Uruna.
Majestic, I would say as I gazed up at the sculpture mounted atop the fountain.
To my right stood the Imperial Palace, the first megastructure of its kind to be built in Imperium City, but its measly twenty floors paled in size compared to the steel behemoths behind it. Constructed from a rare white stone known as Peralia that could only be found south of Oriar, the Palace had been the home to generations of Royal families for millennia. Its staggered towers and blue-tiled domed roofs made it stand out from the other nearby buildings. Large glass windows decorated the sides, each with an iron balcony attached. Vines of harmless plants coiled around the iron bars giving it a natural and majestic feel, but the guards standing outside the grand double doors in their silver armor kind of ruined it. Nevertheless, it was truly a place rich in history.
The Hackney pulls up to the curb, the doors of it aligning perfectly with the stone pathway. Alan stepped out of the Hackney first before walking over to my side and opening the door as if I were a Noble lady being escorted by her knight. But chivalry's kinda dead, and it's really only used as a formality. Just the thought of that made me cringe slightly. I disembarked the Hackney, accepting Alan's warm hand, which was quite a stark contrast to his cold demeanor, and let my body follow his movements as he whisked my bottom off the exquisite seat of the Hackney.
"Thank you." I smiled, my feet touching the stone path while Alan closed the door behind me.
But there was no response from Alan. I turn around to find the Duke slowly shutting the door of a Hackney as if he were moving in slow motion. His face had turned a bright red. His composure was seriously breaking to the point where his face was twitching.
I let out a small laugh.
Alan was also really bad at taking praise.
Being the son of the former Duke of Lengeheim, receiving genuine praise was rare. Hence, anytime he got one for a casual act, his face would flush red from pure joy and embarrassment. It made me happy that he hadn't changed even after graduation.
In the midst of my thoughts, I felt a chill run down my spine. My senses screamed that something was hot on my tail. Instinctively, I quickly spin on my heel, but before I can complete my turn, I feel a rush of Ether brushes past my face.
A bright silver barrier Sigil with the three mountains representing the Lengeheim Duchy pops up inches from my face, deflecting the object that made contact with it back the way it came till gravity pulled it down to the ground a few feet away, where I could take a better glimpse at what had hit it.
It was a throwing knife with its edges dulled down for training purposes.
"Hey, look who it is?" A cocky voice came from the entrance of the Palace. "I never thought I'd see you back here, Ari."
I could recognize that voice from one end of Oriar to the other. I glance up to find a dark-skinned figure with a head full of spiky white hair leaning up against a marble pillar, twirling another similar throwing knife in his hands. The silver blade gleamed in the sunlight as the figure balanced the tip of the dulled blade on his fingertip. His light green eyes, the same shade as a Jackmansi, reflected into the blade's sleek body. His non-dominant hand shoved deep into his sage green jacket pocket worn over a v-neck black top paired with his ripped jeans tucked into his brown leather combat boots.
"Nice to see you too, Alice," I smirk, picking up the throwing knife that fell not too far in front of me, tossing it up in the air a few times before catching it by the handle perfectly each time.
"You still have the guts to call me that name, Ari."
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Third Prince Alistar Lorain.
If there was anything I'd say about him is that he's a royal pain, quite literally, too. However, he's always been like that since we were kids. Before his father became the Emperor, he moved frequently from town to town. After some time, his family settled down in Eloimale for a few years for him to complete primary school, and that's how I got to know him. At the time, we were neighbors who lived across the street. His father babysitted me on the weekends when my parents were busy and vice versa with Alistar. Over time, he essentially became my uncle or godfather, however, you want to say.
Upon graduating from primary school, we went our separate ways until reuniting in Imperium City Academy five years ago when his father had just been inaugurated as the new Emperor. Yet even when his status changed, his personality remained the same, giving him the reputation as the Mischievous Prince.
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"Why yes, I do, Your Highness." I snarked back, throwing the knife in his direction, which he easily caught.
"Not bad," He smirked, looking at the knife I threw at his face casually. "Your aim has gotten much better. Have you been practicing?"
I shrugged.
"Maybe."
In truth, though, I was.
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Alistar had always had a talent for wielding knives. If his father didn't become the Emperor, he would've perused the path of a contract Assassin for the Guild. Of course, we all know he was now a Prince and had to assist his father with Royal duties, mostly diplomacy. As much of a doofus as he is normally when it comes to negotiating, he has a way with words that makes him an unmatched force. People who lose to him always think it's because of his Royal education, but it has nothing to do with it.
He was just that talented.
No matter how hard I tried, these were two things I could never beat Alistar in. The only person who's ever been his match in either was Hailey Summers, the Vice Captain of Imperium City's Royal Guard.
Even though I no longer work out in the field, I initially practiced knife throwing to at least get a tie against Alistar, but with knives not being my forte, I can only dream of beating him. Instead, I just do it for stress relief, and the Guild has a free knife-throwing range for employees. If I were to estimate my knife skills, it would be on par with a 4-Star Adventurer just barely passing according to Imperium City Academy's Assassin graduation requirements.
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"Bull!" Alistar cackled. "You have been. I can tell. Anyhow, I heard my father summoned you."
"Yeah, it's been a while since I last saw him. How's he been?"
Alistar smiled.
"Good, same as always, that old man. He's still in a meeting with one of the Ministers. While you wait, do you mind a quick spar?"
"Sure." I laughed. " I've been dying to wield a proper weapon again."
"Follow me. I'll take you to the Training Field. The midday shift should be done with practice. Alan, you should come too."
"Understood, Your Highness." Alan bowed his head behind me as Alistar marched off in the distance to his own beat, folding his hands behind his head and whistling an impromptu tune.
"Welcome back to the Royal Court, Ari."
"It's my pleasure."