Chapter 1: The Brink
The Kingdom of Regnum, one of the last three kingdoms of the Libirdine Imperium, which used to stretch across the continent, was now beset with turmoil abroad and within. The human kingdoms now stand alone against the coming darkness; the Elves have chosen neutrality; and humanity's oldest ally, the Dwarves, are locked in a three-way civil war for the crown. Bandits terrorize the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing their now war-torn or conquered kingdoms. An Empire that lasted a millennium was shattered in a mere 50 years when the last of the Dragons died. With nothing left to protect humanity but themselves, how could they possibly stand up to the green tide of the South or the butchers of the East? It was only a matter of time until the Principality of Lewen and the Lordship of Adelia fell, and then they would truly be The Last Kingdom.
***
"Well, that's not good."
The young man tossed the letter back onto his desk and collapsed onto his bed. He had read it dozens of times, trying to make sense of the warning, and was already mentally exhausted. He lazily looked around his room, his eyes not particularly staying on any one thing for very long.
It was the same opulent room he'd lived in for nearly 18 years, filled with various battle trophies and books covering several fields. His bed was big enough for half a dozen people to sleep soundly, although, truth be told, it was very rarely used for sleeping.
He turned his attention towards the ceiling, where a large mirror was fixed, much to his father's dismay. Looking back at him was a young man with shoulder-length golden hair and sapphire eyes, with a handsome face only slightly marred by a scar over his right eye.
He frowned at the one imperfection on his noble visage, but after some contemplation, he figured it added more character. Not to mention that taking the blow hurt his pride a lot more than it did his face; it was a very sobering reminder that he was, in fact, mortal.
The price he paid was well worth it, and he smiled as he remembered his playful companion. As time passed, he found himself awoken from his memories by a soft knocking sound followed by a sweet voice.
"Your Highness, can I come in?"
He stretched out and sighed as he shifted to the edge of the bed.
"You may enter."
The door opened, and a plump brown-haired beauty gingerly entered the room before gently closing the door behind her. She had a mature air and moved with surprising grace for one with such a gifted figure.
"I just got back from a meeting with my uncle... He said he would speak with the king about his decision at the next council meeting. He wants you to be prepared for the worst, though. You may have to leave at a moment's notice. I'm sorry we couldn't do more to help."
The young man's mood lifted a little at the intrusion of his personal maid; she was the niece of the royal advisor and nearly a decade older than him, but she was, without a doubt, a knockout beauty.
Her long brown hair was done up in a bun, making her look entirely professional when paired with her frilly and form-fitting maid dress, which could barely contain her ample bust and sizeable derriere. He was utterly entranced by her figure but soon snapped out of it when he felt her melancholic and warm, motherly gaze on him.
He stood up and gently embraced her as he gazed into her bright emerald eyes as he tried to soothe her fears.
"It's okay, Victoria; I knew something would happen sooner or later. My stepmother hadn't acted out in a while, so I was beginning to become paranoid. I don't know if she had a hand in this, but it's certainly suspicious. Why would someone like me be chosen to lead an expeditionary force before they even know what my blessings are?"
He looked thoughtful as he contemplated something before eventually deciding it was necessary. He gave Victoria an order while handing her several thick tomes filled with numerous bookmarks.
"Go to the cathedral and find Grace; relay what you know to her and give her these books. Some of the older texts I've studied mentioned ways for blessings to be refined or powered up but offered no explanation or instruction. If anyone were to have records of such a thing, it would be the church. I hate to dump even more work on her after she's done so much for me, but it's an emergency."
Hearing his orders, Victoria straightened up and regained her professional demeanor.
"As you command, your Highness."
Unable to give a proper curtsy while having her hands full, she settled for a polite bow before leaving him to his thoughts.
'Even the Queen Regent wouldn't be able to convince Father to do something so drastic... Something must have happened.'
While he would like to let his Fiancée know what's going on, he would likely throw her into a frenzy if he acted without having all the information. It was best to wait until he knew more about the situation and continued to make preparations.
***
*step* *step* *step*
Only the sound of footsteps could be heard in the dining hall; all eyes were on the third prince, who had just arrived fashionably late.
"Good evening, everyone. I hope I haven't kept you waiting long."
In a rather foul mood, he ignored the fact that he had made them wait for over half an hour and sat down next to his little sister, who, until recently, must have been crying her eyes out if the red puffiness around them was any indication.
Not overlooking his son's rudeness, the old man at the head of the table gruffly rebuked him.
"You're late, Alexander."
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UnlimitedDegen
UnlimitedDegen Thank you for giving the beginning of my novel a read, and I hope you will continue to follow the series as I release more chapters.
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