The grand hall of the Imperial Court was eerily silent, save for the soft rustling of robes and the murmur of the assembled courtiers. Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting distorted, colorful shadows on the polished marble floor.
At the center of this austere chamber stood a solitary figure, head bowed and hands shackled—.
"Alexander Herald von Triesenberg," the judge read aloud, "you have been found guilty of conspiracy to murder Her Majesty, Queen Elizabetta von Triesenberg."
A collective gasp swept through the room, but Alexander remained unfazed. He knew the truth. He remembered the night vividly. The letter had come, bearing the Queen's seal, inviting him to a private meeting. The purpose was not stated, yet he came nonetheless.
But when he arrived at her chamber, he found the Queen's lifeless body on the bed, a knife protruding from her chest. At that moment, the royal guards burst into the room as if with great timing.
He was the only one there, the blood still fresh on his hands as he knelt beside her, trying to pull the knife out in a desperate attempt to save her.
Alexander had no time to explain. The guards seized him, their minds already made up by the damning scene before them. From that moment, his fate was sealed.
The judge's voice cut through his memories, bringing him back to the present.
"The evidence presented against you is overwhelming. Testimonies, documents, and your suspicious behavior have all led to this inescapable conclusion. You have betrayed your family, your empire, and your people."
Hearing those words from the judge, Alexander couldn't help but grimace. Family? Empire? People? He had never felt a part of any of those. The royal family had shunned him, the empire had treated him as an outcast, and the people had seen him only as a blemish on their beloved monarchy.
His gaze shifted to the side of the courtroom where his mother, Maria, stood with her head bowed, flanked by guards. She was not there as a witness but as a co-conspirator, dragged into this nightmare because of her unyielding love and loyalty to him. She was the only family he had ever known, the only person who had ever shown him genuine affection.
"But your crime is not solely your own. As a co-conspirator and to protect the dignity of the royal family, it has been decreed that your mother, Maria, shall bear the ultimate punishment. Therefore, Alexander Herald von Triesenberg, you are hereby sentenced to banishment from the Empire of Triesenberg. You shall be taken to the desolate Great Red Island, where you will live out the remainder of your days in isolation. As for your mother, she will be executed at dawn for her role in this treachery."
"Don't give me that crap!" Alexander yelled. "My mother has nothing to do with this!"
"Silence!" the judge commanded, banging his gavel. "You have already been found guilty. Any further outbursts will only solidify the court's decision."
Maria's tear-filled eyes met Alexander's, and she shook her head slightly, urging him to stop. But how could he stop when the Empire was going to kill the person who had taken care of him? She had nothing to do with any of this. She was only brought here to be punished for loving him.
Alexander's mind raced back to the beginning, to the circumstances of his birth. His mother, Maria, had been a maid in the royal household. The reigning king, Edward von Triesenberg, had seduced her one fateful night. It was an act of impulsive passion, but for Maria, it resulted in a lifelong burden. She bore the king's child, a secret she could not keep hidden.
When Alexander was born, the palace was rife with scandal. The king, unwilling to acknowledge his indiscretion, did nothing to protect Maria or their son. From the moment he took his first breath, Alexander was marked as an outcast. The courtiers whispered, the servants sneered, and his half-siblings openly mocked him. He was not a true prince in their eyes, but as a peasant who didn't know his place.
He also didn't enjoy the privileges of being a member of the royal family. He was denied an education and access to the tutors who shaped the minds of his siblings. While his half-brothers and sisters studied under the finest scholars, he was left to learn what little he could from his mother.
Now, those half-siblings were present in the court. There are five of them, the first prince, second prince, the first princess, the third prince, and the second princess. They all have a neutral expression on their face as if they are watching a formal event. But Alexander noticed a subtle smirk from the second prince, Prince Theodore.
Prince Theodore had always been the cruelest of them all. From childhood, he had taken every opportunity to torment Alexander, seeing him as a threat to the purity of their noble bloodline.
The guards moved to separate Alexander from his mother, roughly pulling him away. Maria's tear-filled eyes met his one last time.
"Be strong, my son," she whispered and added. "Remember, I love you."
Alexander struggled against his restraints as he tried reaching out to her.
"Mother, no! You can't do this!" he shouted with great desperation but his pleas fell on deaf ears as the guards dragged him out of the courtroom.
***
The next day, he found himself on the deck of a battleship. His eyes were lifeless as he was informed that his mother was executed by guillotine. The words pierced through him like a blade, shattering the last remnants of his spirit. He had lost his will to live.
The guards, indifferent to his anguish, roughly dragged him across the deck. The storm clouds above mirrored the turmoil within him, and he could barely muster the strength to stay on his feet.
As the ship sailed toward the desolate Great Red Island, the weather worsened. Dark clouds gathered, and the wind picked up.
The sea grew rougher, waves crashing against the battleship with increasing force. The crew scrambled to secure the vessel, but it soon became clear that they were no match for the ferocity of the storm.
The sky split open with a deafening crack of thunder, and torrential rain poured down in sheets. Lightning flashed, illuminating the terrified faces of the crew and guards. Alexander, chained and helpless, could do nothing but brace himself as the ship was tossed about like a toy in a bathtub.
"Hold on!" one of the guards shouted, but it was too late. A massive wave crashed over the deck, sweeping several men overboard and sending the ship into a perilous tilt. The vessel groaned under the strain, and Alexander felt himself being pulled by the powerful currents.
In the chaos, the ship's hull gave way, splitting open and allowing the sea to pour in. Alexander was thrown into the freezing waters, the shock of the cold nearly taking his breath away. He struggled against the chains that bound him, but the weight dragged him down, deeper into the dark depths.
As he sank, he thought of his mother, her serene face in the face of death. He closed his eyes, accepting what he believed to be his final moments.
But fate had other plans for him.
***
When Alexander opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the shore of a sandy beach. The sky above was clear, and the sun was warm on his skin. He coughed, spitting out seawater, and rolled onto his back, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
A soft chime caught his attention, and he looked up to see a glowing interface hovering before his eyes.
[Synchronizing Host]
[Country Creation System Activated]