The King's Palace, one of the four exceptional palaces built in the centre of the capital. This place acts as a hub of sorts; all knowledge and information passes through here at some point. Its unwavering beauty is unmatched; it truly is a testament to what this kingdom has achieved.
And yet, even inside the beautifully carved out garden that connects to a courtyard and a river, agendas can be found. There is no such thing as loose lips inside a kingdom backed by gold and blood, and today is no different.
Despite his dwindling health, the King still finds energy to train on occasion. However, this session is cut short when he receives a message from an unknown source…
“YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THEY SLEPT TOGETHER AS WELL!? DOES SHE HOLD NO SHAME!?! WHAT IN THE LORD’S NAME HAPPENED TO MY SWEET AND INNOCENT DAUGHTER!?!
"Oomph…”
Feeling his heart begin to flutter and pound, the King is forced to leave the knight he was sparring with and return to his wife, having tea.
“Dearest husband, you’ve already overexerted yourself. Take some time off, and I’ll send someone over to fix the bed.”
The Queen worries for his safety, but knows any attempt to summon a physician will be met with strong resistance. Yet unknowingly, she has made things worse.
“THEY EVEN BROKE THE BED!?! THAT WAS AN ANTIQUE FROM MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER! Oomph… you can’t just tell me things like that!”
Again his heart continues to betray him, and the Queen can’t help but let out a chuckle while shaking her head.
“It’s all a ruse, my dearest. you should know by now anger clouds your judgment. If she wishes to use her allies as bait, then so be it.”
“But to go as far as she did… it’s distressing. Things would’ve been far easier to handle if that person held any importance or background.”
“Ahem…”
The Queen of Koenig is famously a person of low birth. Only through fear and suppression was the controversy surrounding her birth suppressed. The same sort of tactic may have to be applied.
“You know I never mean any disrespect, darling. It’s just that the higher classes are breathing down my neck for this. Combine that with the fact the Koenig bloodline cannot continue under these circumstances… this will lead to rebellion.”
And that’s the cause for concern, the kingdom’s future. The Crown Princess has never desired the throne, yet finds herself forced into the role. One son is too sickly to be considered, and the other too controversial to make an appearance... yet.
The Queen is unsurprisingly unfazed by all this though.
“She obviously knows this, dearest, and is planning accordingly. You gave her the power to act as she sees fit. Soon, the streets will be filled with the Koenig’s crimson red."
“Blood and suppression… my younger years were built on such ideals, look where that’s got us. A country with declining borders, scheming nobles that would sell us out for a pittance, and an economy based on an outdated trade.”
Back in his younger years, the King rocked the bloodiest head of hair; his enemies shook with fear as he stood on the battlefield looking like a devil from the deepest depths of hell. But his reputation was built on necessity rather than enjoyment.
Originally, when the King first took over, the kingdom was in dire financial problems and needed a way out. A solution was found based upon expansion, specifically to the east and the south. However, such methods were barbaric.
Crusades and slavery.
We start with the crusades into the southwestern jungle. Once a region housing thousands of elven tribes, the species is close to extinction now. Although the military arrived with the sole goal of subjugation, that plan quickly failed.
The thing about elves is that they are far more prideful and stubborn than any other creature known to man. You can imagine how the concept of serving another must sound to a species like that.
To the average citizen, the knights went on a holy crusade to rid the world of the pointy-eared vermin. To anyone informed, there isn’t a single tree inside the jungle a skeleton doesn’t hang from.
A handful of less stubborn elves were brought back, but most of the financial benefits from the trip involved elven jewellery and magical artefacts. However, the economy was still on the brink of collapse, so the next best solution involved the desert.
“There had to be another solution, right? Whatever punishment awaits me in the afterlife, I know it’ll never be enough for what’s happened.”
The beastkin tribals from the south welcomed the knights with hugs and open arms, only to be met with carriages filled with shackles and chains. They were brought back for one purpose: cheap manpower. The King himself was there hidden as a paladin. Any resistance to the plan, they were cut down immediately.
The attractive ones were brought back for the enquiring nobles, but the mountainous region of Koenig is still filled with labouring beastkin to this day. They exist to mine, and for tax purposes. The kingdom always takes a sizeable percentage when one is sold or exchanged.
For a time, the kingdom’s borders were even redrawn to go down as far as the Great Oasis. But that was forty years ago. Nowadays, the kingdom shrinks by the year, and that settlement isn’t even a puppet state anymore.
But those mountains have started to run dry on resources as well…
“Living with regret will change nothing, dearest. However, if you think our daughter will make the same mistakes… maybe we should separate for a while.”
“Why must you misinterpret everything I say!? I love our daughter far more than you! I just worry about her. There isn’t a great deal of difference between a leader who acts mad, compared to one who is insane…”
‘One foot forward, legs apart but no further than my shoulder-width. Posture straight, but not tense. Take a breath, hold it. Grab an arrow... draw the string... release!’
Whoosh! The arrow flies true, aimed to almost perfection at the target…
‘Gotcha! Would you look at that?’
Whack! Usually it takes a few warm-up shots, but I guess luck must be on my side today. Maybe someday I'll be able to hit the bullseye.
Persistence and repetition, archery makes for a decent way of fighting and to kill some time. Levelling this up to the next tier has been a side quest ever since I set foot into this world. I refuse to be killed without putting up some fight.
‘Let’s ready another… only six more hours until dinner.’
But self-improvement isn’t why I’m doing this today. You see, I’m bored.
The thing is, I don’t really have any duties. Unlike the Princess who has royal tasks to complete everyday, I've been given nothing to accomplish. I have a schedule, at least. If you can call it that.
As soon as the sun rises, the head maid Anna wakes me, dresses me to royal standards, then I’m to go about doing what I want until food is served. Unless something comes up, that’s my "schedule".
I was given a brief tour around the palace this morning, but this place really is devoid of entertainment and life. It feels like three-fourths of the rooms are unused, and anything useful is seconds away from the dining hall. I’ll never get lost in here.
My schedule is weird though; even something as cliché as etiquette training hasn’t been mentioned. It wouldn’t make any difference to my reputation as the uncivilised barbarian from the north. I just don't get how I'm allowed to be this lazy!
It’s as if all they want me to do is eat well, laze about, and look pretty! It's conflicting!
‘Focus Frost, life is never that easy. It’s the calm before the storm. This novel was never that simple.’
Today, I shoot stuff. Tomorrow, I read stuff. My usefulness will come, just you wait!
‘Shit… let’s hope no one saw that.’
Another arrow primed and ready to go, this one seems to defy the laws of physics and curve all the way into a pillar. With that pillar now chipped, maybe I shouldn’t be shooting here.
Seconds turn to minutes, minutes to hours, and before I know it, most of the target is covered in arrows. And yet, I’m still can't hit the bullseye...
“Guess who?”
‘Wha—’
Whack! Just as I'm ready to fire another arrow, a sneaky voice scares the life out of me. This has massive consequences on my aim…
‘Ouch ouch ouch! Why does that hurt so freaking much!?’
The arrow hits the floor, but scratching it or piercing anyone is the least of my concerns. Getting startled caused me to move my chest forward just as I was launching a shot. Considering a female's anatomy is different to a male’s... understand what I'm getting at? I don’t care that the Princess has come to say hello; this really hurts!
“Motherfu—”
Rubbing that breast the best I can while she just stands there grinning, it stings so much! This bitch might be evil.
With gritted teeth, I should probably say something.
“What can I do for you… Your Highness?”
“Heh, you can start calling me by name. We’re supposed to be equals in this partnership, right Frost? You do know my first name, right?”
Princess Ashia Koenig, everyone in the kingdom knows it. If circumstances were different, then I might consider it. But this woman just hurt me! Indirectly, but it still counts.
“I know of it. However, those who cause me pain don't deserve such affection. What brings you here anyway, Your Highness?”
Seething agony aside, I am interested in why she’s come to grace my sorrowful existence. She must want something.
“Heh, are you so sure I’m not here to enjoy my wife’s company? The day grows tiresome, and I’d like to spend it with someone pleasant.”
…
If the day comes when her flirting is legit, then I may respond differently. I’m fully within my rights to glare at her for now.
“Fine… fine. Both of us have been invited for tea. This unfortunately isn’t something we can turn down, so you’ll have to go and change first.”
“A formal invitation?”
“Somewhat, but the invitees wouldn’t care. There's someone else who will give me an earful if you meet them wearing clothes you've just trained in…”
[Conflict of Interests]
Spoiler
‘Why does this still sting!? I think I might've struck the tip of my breast.’
I’m conflicted. My chest still hurts, so when something hurts, you put pressure on it, correct? Yet I can't touch them.
If I do, I'll be flustered for the entire day. There are parts of Frost's mind I wish I didn't have. This is one of them.
‘Why must you be like this, Frost? Your brothel visits have corrupted me as well. You won't win this battle, I'm not letting you relapse...'
[collapse]