IMPERIUM ; txtzy

CHAPTER 1: The Night Before

Footsteps along the burgundy floor echoed throughout the empty halls as his majesty, King Gilliard, made his way to his study room. It was a peaceful night like any other, with the moon's light shining through the transparent glasses of the windows. Holding a single lamp, the king decided to take a momentary detour to look outside.

King Gilliard was on the highest floor of the castle, where every Evighedenian king's study usually resides. It was quite a hassle at first to have to teleport to the room at the very top to take care of his paperwork, then to teleport back down to handle other matters but he soon got accustomed to it after almost 3 decades of being king.

Opening up the window, a strong cold breeze hit him causing his lamp's fire to go out. The king paid no mind to this though, and instead watched, grinning through his well-kept yet bushy beard. He was amused at the sight of his kingdom still buzzing busily even when it was already late in the night.

House lights were still on as children tried their best to wrap their gifts, mothers and daughters running to shops last minute to find a dress, jewelers finishing up ornaments, tailors touching up the last details of their dresses and suits, and knights making their rounds one last time around the whole kingdom making sure everything is secure and perfect for tomorrow.

On the top floor, he could see the entirety of his kingdom in all its glory. It was at times like these that he was glad to have a full view of his territory.

The residents weren't the only ones preparing. Him, the Queen, his adviser, the maids, knights, and everyone working in the castle had been awake since the crack of dawn making sure everything was perfect for tomorrow's event.

Tomorrow was one of Evigheden's most awaited days. It was the day the heir to the throne would be officially announced to everyone in the kingdom. And as per tradition, an exuberant banquet would be held inside the castle. All noble families were invited while the townspeople held their own celebration outside in the large open space in the central park of the kingdom.

His eldest son, Finnick, as he preferred to call him, was clearly the heir to the crown. There was no question about it, everyone living in Evigheden saw it coming as the young prince showed off tremendous potential since he was still a very young child. Hence, his son found it unnecessary to throw a big dance just to announce it to the people when everyone already expected him to be the next in line.

The proclamation was all for the sake of formalities, of course, as it was still required to let the townspeople and nobles know who was going to take over Evigheden. While the banquet was a trademark tradition that the royal family and kingdom were known for. Thousands of in-lines before Finnick had celebrated it and Gilliard was no exception. His eldest son was no fan of dances, but he will just have to deal with it for the sake of the tradition his ancestors have set up.

The king smiled. He was more than satisfied to leave the kingdom in the hands of someone like his eldest son. Finnick was articulate, excels in almost anything he does, learns extremely fast, and exudes authority even at the ripe age of 19. He was already as respected as his father in the whole kingdom. Gilliard knew his son would take excellent care of Evigheden.

After all, he had done his part in making sure Evigheden thrived and prospered. Like any other king, he too, made sacrifices to ensure that the kingdom would never fall. It didn't matter how many riches he had to lose, how many soldiers that had to die, or how much it pained his heart, he swore an oath to put his kingdom first before anything and that is what he shall do.

And thus, Gilliard can step down on the throne, feeling pleased that historians will write down his name as one of the most righteous and selfless kings in all of Evigheden's history. That is, of course, after he passes down the crown to Finnick's head.