1 Chapter One: The Princess And Exile

"Ha! Look at those disgusting miscreants! They're so pitiful it makes me want to both laugh and vomit at the same time."

These words were spoken from a woman in a carriage as it rode along the cobblestone road. The wheels rattled outside, but the inside was rather comfortable thanks to the luxury of having suspension installed. Of course, to afford such a luxury, one needed a lot of money, and this particular individual was certainly not lacking in that department.

"Miss, must you antagonize them?" an attendant riding with the woman sighed.

"Oh please. If they don't want to be antagonized as you so put it, perhaps they shouldn't go around looking so pathetic. Not that it matters anyway. With those horrid exteriors and violent tendencies, they don't even qualify as people. All they are are wild animals, so it only makes sense that they find their place on the edge of the road as beggars."

The attendant sighed once more, drawing the woman's attention. "And, might I remind you," she said in a stern voice. "You have only been my attendant for a few weeks. Do you believe yourself to be so important that you think you can speak to me however you wish?"

"N-No, miss," the attendant said uneasily.

"Then perhaps you should remember your place as well, lest you end up on the streets with the rest of those things."

The carriage rattling along was decorated in a gaudy gold and white color scheme, and the windows were practically shining from how clean they were. Hanging on either side were small banners with the crest of the royal family on them. The design was simple, with it being no more than a lion's head with a wreath around it and the color of its whole being gold. Though simple it was, that crest held great power in the kingdom known as Endrelta.

The inside of the carriage was just as lavish as the outside, with its plush white cushions for seats and plenty of legroom. Currently occupying the space was an attendant who had only been hired recently. In fact, she was the sixth one within the last year. Wearing a typical maid's uniform and doing her best to remain attentive, she waited in silence in case her employer needed anything.

The one currently employing her was none other than the royal family. They had brought her on, giving her many lessons and warnings about this and that, and then sent her on her way to serve the most fickle person in the entire kingdom.

Sitting across from her was Princess Elisia Felbrun, first princess to the throne of the Kingdom of Endrelta. From looks alone, she carried a dignified aura. Her long, wavy blonde hair was combed every day to look as lush as possible. Her green eyes shone like emeralds, as if trying to convey her riches in a glance to those she looked at. Her height was average, and her bust size wasn't much bigger than the typical 20-something woman her age either, and yet she seemed to use even both of those to her advantage. Every step she took made it look like she was taller than she was, and that her chest stuck out with more pride than should be possible. Truly, from just appearances, Princess Elisia captured what it meant to be a royal.

Unfortunately, no one could appreciate it. While her outside looks were so stunning it made everyone stop and stare, her personality was so vile that it made every citizen of the kingdom despise her. She looked down on anyone who wasn't a royal, even other nobles. She believed money meant power and was sure to flaunt her wealth every chance she got. She'd laugh in the faces of other peoples' failures. Most of all, she was overly sensitive, meaning that while she believed it was perfectly acceptable to demean and insult anyone she wished to, one wrong look at her would lead to her asking for the person to be arrested or worse. Once, Elisia had bumped into a child, and within seconds she had demanded that all of the nearby guards detain this child and force him into manual labor.

All of these things alone were enough to paint a terrible picture for one that was supposed to be a princess. However, that wasn't the worst of it. In particular, Princess Elisia was known for something. There was her condescending attitude and her over-reactions to the slightest of wrongs, but one thing stood above the rest: her discrimination against demi-humans and monster people.

The Kingdom of Endrelta was one of five countries that made up the main continent, and out of those five, it had been the last (by a wide margin) to allow demi-humans and monster people to integrate into their society. At first, it hadn't been so bad. Demi-humans could mostly pass for humans if they hid their ears, tails and other oddities. It almost seemed like the kingdom was on the path for species equality.

But, it didn't take long for relations to sour. For as much as people began to accept the demi-humans, there were just as many opposed. That opposition only grew louder when it came to monster people, individuals who looked much more like monsters than humans. The human citizens of Endrelta rioted in the streets, attacked nonhumans and even threatened the palace. So, in order to restore order (and the proper hierarchy in his mind), the current monarch, King Felbrun, went to work.

While on paper it said demi-humans and monster people would be welcomed into Endrelta's borders and treated fairly, the truth was that they were to be treated less than human. That was thanks to the king, who had used his network of spies and confidants to spread this unspoken understanding. Ever since then, the human citizens of Endrelta acted like people who weren't human simply weren't people at all.

The worst of them was Princess Elisia. She had taken all of her father's commentary on this issue to heart and had decided that these monster people and demi-humans were a scourge. She wanted to purge them, but she knew there was no way the surrounding countries would allow such a blatant disregard for another species. So instead, Elisia spent her years learning how to get what she wanted, believing that one day she'd be able to twist every lawmaker around her to her side and get all of those creatures exiled from the kingdom or executed.

Although, in her current position, she could do no such thing. She could get laws enacted with a bit of forcefulness, but she still needed entire sheets of parchment justifying why the law should exist in the first place. But, as she bided her time for the day she believed would come, she found another way to satisfy herself, if only a little.

Every now and then, Elisia would demand that the carriage take her through the slums, where the majority of the nonhumans lived. There, she would point and laugh at them, calling them all sorts of names and being sure that they understood they were less than human in the eyes of the kingdom. If she rode through the main streets and saw a demi-human selling fruits or the like, she'd stop and find something to cite them on, destroying their business and most likely their only source of income. To many of the demi-humans and monster people of this nation, calling Princess Elisia heartless was being too kind.

"Take me back to the palace now. I'm tired of this, and I don't want their rotting stench to fill my nose any longer," Elisia said sharply. Her attendant nodded, then turned around and slipped through the front curtain to give the driver his orders. "Honestly," Elisia sighed to herself. "Why do they even get to live?"

When the carriage arrived back at the palace, Elisia was helped out by her attendant. When she set her feet on the ground, Elisia glared at her. "I almost fell," she spat. "Huh?" the attendant let out. "Didn't you see?" Elisia said in a huff. "My feet hit the ground unevenly. I very well could've fallen flat on my face. Is that what you want to see me do?"

"O-Of course not, miss. But, I'm sure you're just exagg-"

Before the attendant could finish her sentence, Elisia slapped her. The sound her hand made as it hit the attendant's cheek echoed in the front courtyard. "Would you like to continue with what you were saying?" she said.

"N-No… miss," the attendant meekly replied. This marked the seventh time she had been slapped since being hired.

"Tch," Elisia clicked her tongue as she began walking away. "What a useless commoner. You might as well be one of those things out in the slums with how stupid you are."

After insulting her attendant, Elisia made her way inside the palace. "Now, let's see…" she murmured to herself. "Perhaps I should check on the progress of my new bill." This was something of a hobby for Elisia. She enjoyed coming up with new bills and laws for the kingdom. Of course, they did little to benefit the citizens. In fact, all of the bills Elisia came up with solely benefited either her or the royal family. While the paperwork necessary was a bit of a pain, it was always worth it in the end if Elisia got what she wanted.

This time, she had come up with quite the scheme. The logistics were a bit complicated, but that was by design. It needed to be complex so not even an educated commoner could see through it, and maybe not even nobles. Why did the princess's plan need to be so elaborate? The answer was simple. What she was doing was for no one except herself.

In essence, the law she was proposing was a new tax. It was called a "well-being" tax, which would tell the citizens to pay 10 percent of their current income directly to the treasury. This seemed like a ludicrous idea at first, considering how many taxes the citizens were already paying, but Elisia had planned for the potential backlash. The idea was that they'd pay the treasury, then the treasury would turn around and invest that money in all sorts of things that were beneficial for the citizens. That included anything from widely-used establishments such as bathhouses to a citizen who just needed a little bit of financial help. When Elisia had given that explanation to the lawmakers, it had only taken them a second to decide it was a wonderful idea.

But, what most of the lawmakers didn't know was that it was all a lie. Yes, the citizens would be paying the treasury, but the treasury would then be giving that money straight to Elisia. Then, she would take that money and use it to build her own new lavish personal wing to the palace, set with every amenity she could think of. The thought of such a haven filled her with bliss.

Entering the chambers of the lawmakers, Elisia paraded in and marched straight toward one man in particular. Each step she took clacked loudly along the marbled floor, drawing the attention of all the other lawmakers she passed by. "Look, it's the first princess," one of them murmured. "Is she here to make us pass something else?" another wondered.

Once Elisia arrived at the desk in the back, she stopped and put her hands on her hips. "Hello Aren," she said to the man sitting in front of her.

"H-Hello, Princess Elisia," the man named Aren said, his voice trembling. This was the man in charge of enacting law and order upon the kingdom. He held great power and sway, and none could match his knowledge of legal systems. However, despite his reputation and position, the man himself was something of a coward. His hunched-over posture and small spectacles helped to contribute to his small personality, along with a receding hairline due to the stress of having to deal with royalty on a near-daily basis.

"So, what can I do for you today?" Aren asked.

"I need you to pass that tax we discussed the other day," Elisia commanded.

"O-Oh… right. Well, as I told you then Princess Elisia, w-we can't really do that… it's practically robbery of the people. I-If they ever found out what the tax was really for… oh, the thought alone threatens to give me an ulcer…" Aren, being the one in charge and as smart as he was, was the only one who knew what Elisia was really doing.

"Hmph. Lowly as always Aren," Elisia scoffed.

In the Kingdom of Endrelta, there were two ways laws could be passed. The first was by

the king's orders. With the king being Elisia's father, one would think he would pass anything for his daughter, but despite his own poor reputation and alleged corruption, he still tried to keep his people from getting too riled up. When Elisia proposed her tax to him, he dismissed it easily, saying that it could potentially threaten the stability of the kingdom and his seat on the throne.

So, Elisia decided to take the second route to passing a law in her country. For the most part, this was usually how laws and taxes came to be in Endrelta, as a grouping of nine individuals debated on and either passed or denied proposed bills and laws. In charge of that group was Aren, and over the years he had found himself getting harassed more and more by Elisia as her demands grew bigger and bigger. At first, he had tried explaining that her proposals would need to be voted on, but Elisia had only continued demanding that Aren pass anything she came up with directly. He had tried to refuse, but it was no use. Lacking the will to resist her, Aren kept doing as he was told. Now, being as knowledgeable as he was, Aren knew her most recent idea was a bad one, and yet, here the first princess was, all but demanding he enact her tax.

After a moment of silence, Elisia spoke once more. "I refuse to accept this. You will get me my money Aren, or I swear I will have Father find a new Head of Legislation."

"B-But, Princess Elisia…" Aren meeked protested.

"Enough. Sign it now and have it posted by tonight!" Elisia shouted.

With his weak spine crumbling, Aren gave a small bow. "Very well…" Bringing up the paper that had the details written on it, Aren put pen to paper and signed it. Next was Elisia, who stamped it with the royal seal she carried. After that, Aren rose from his seat and placed it in the slot marked for immediate distribution.

"I can't guarantee everyone will know by tomorrow, but it shouldn't take more than a couple of days," Aren said.

"That will have to do I suppose," Elisia responded with a huff. Then she left the room, leaving Aren to slump back into his chair.

"I swear, she's going to be an absolute monster if she gets to rule this country…"

*****

Returning to her quarters, Elisia strode in and found her attendant waiting at her bedside. "Why are you here?" she asked harshly.

"W-Well, I wasn't sure where to find you, miss, so I thought I'd wait here for your return," the attendant explained.

"You should've looked for me, you fool," Elisia spat before taking a seat on her bed. "Then again, I guess it doesn't matter this time. The things I was talking about would've surely gone over your head."

"Were you doing something important, miss?" the attendant asked.

"Hah! Well, it's not like you'll understand, but yes, I was. I'm having a tax put on the stupid people of this kingdom so they can pay for my new wing of the palace!"

This new information caused the attendant's eyes to go wide. "W-What?" she stuttered.

"Oh, do you understand? It's marvelous, isn't it? They're all going to think the kingdom is doing something good for them, when in reality all they're doing is giving their money to me!"

"I...I see. That's quite the plan, miss," the attendant said.

"Indeed. Ah, but you better not tell anyone. Not even Father knows about this. Let word slip and I'll be sure to make you regret it," Elisia added.

"Of course, miss."

That night, the new "well-being" tax was implemented and announced to the citizens of Endrelta. Flyers were posted everywhere along the streets, and while people were confused, they accepted it. The tax was certainly high, sitting at 10% of their income per month, but if it would benefit them in the long run, then it would be worth it. That thought prevailed for the first couple of days.

*****

A week after her tax was given to the people, Elisia was slumbering peacefully in her bedroom. Her dreams were filled with mountains of gold as she dreamed of all the new luxuries she'd be able to afford. It was a dream that filled her with joy, but that joy was quickly stripped from her as her morning serenity was shattered by a pounding at her door.

"P-Princess! Princess Elisia, please get up! W-We have to go!" a voice pleaded from the other side.

"Mm?" Elisia let out, rising from her sleep. "Huh? Where's that stupid girl that's claiming to be my attendant?" she muttered. Elisia's attendant was nowhere to be found in the lavish room. "Honestly. She should be here in the morning to wake me. Does she not even understand that much?"

While Elisia went on to herself about her dissatisfaction, the pounding at her door continued. "P-Princess!" the voice kept calling.

With a loud huff, Elisia got out of her bed and walked briskly to the door before throwing it open. "What?! Who is it at this early hour making such a racket?!"

In front of her was Aren, looking more harried than ever. "F-Finally…" he said through heavy breaths.

"Aren? What are you doing here? Don't you know it's quite insulting to have the likes of you wake me from my rest?"

"I-I understand Princess Elisia, b-but we have bigger issues right now!"

"Issues? What issues?"

As the words left her mouth, a shattering sound rang out from the hall. "What was that?!" Elisia exclaimed.

"Oh dear… they must be getting closer," Aren commented.

"Who? Who's getting closer?! Answer me, you plebeian!" Elisia said in a panic, grabbing Aren by his collar. Surprisingly, the man's face appeared to be calm now, perhaps sinking into resignation.

"It's the mob," he replied plainly. "The citizens learned the true nature of your tax, and

they're furious."

"M-Mob?" Elisia repeated.

"Please Princess Elisia. We need to get out of here. Those people are beating at the gates right now, along with throwing all sorts of things at the palace. I'm sure the shattering we heard was a rock going through glass."

"So they're coming for me?" Elisia said with a glare.

"Not just you. They're after me too. Not only that…" Aren trailed off.

"What?" Elisia pressed.

Aren swallowed hard. "Earlier, my panic had little to do with the mob outside. Instead, it's because the king has ordered our capture. Both you and I, Princess Elisia."

At first, the man's words didn't register in Elisia's mind. "Father? You must be joking. I'm his daughter. He wouldn't have me arrested." Despite his unwillingness to indulge her every whim and desire, the king and Elisia did have a good father-daughter relationship, one that certainly fell into the realm of loving.

"There they are!" a guard suddenly shouted. Several of them appeared from around a corner as they ran toward Elisia and Aren.

"Ah, n-no! I'm innocent!" Aren pleaded.

"Shut up!" a guard said as he plowed the end of his staff into Aren's head, knocking him to the floor.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Elisia exclaimed.

"First Princess Elisia Felbrun," one of the guards began. "You are under arrest for suspicion of misappropriation of funds, unregulated legislation and treason."

"Treason?!" Elisia repeated shrilly. "I demand to see your orders!" Obeying, the guard handed a slip of parchment to Elisia. She unfurled it and stared intently at the words written. "Funds… legislation… treason… by order of your majesty, King Felbrun…" she muttered. Her hands trembled, causing the parchment to shake. "How did the people even find out? I only told Aren and…"

Looking all around for answers, it was then that Elisia noticed a small piece of parchment on the white vanity in her bedroom. Going over to it, she picked it up and opened it. The message was short and simple, only saying, "Enjoy your money, miss."

Reading the message, it was easy to tell that it had been written with a mocking tone. With only one other person available as an option for who knew about her plan, Elisia shook with rage. "My attendant… that filthy commoner! I'll have her head for this!"

But, before she could take any action, the guard that had been standing in front of her approached, looking on at the princess with what seemed like pity. "Please Princess Elisia. Just come with us. We don't want to hurt you."

"I… can't accept this…" she said quietly. "I refuse to-" Before she could finish her sentence, the guard stepped up and delivered a blow to her head, knocking her unconscious.

*****

The next time Elisia awoke, she found several elements to be unnerving. The first was that she was in the throne room. This room wasn't unusual for her to be in, but to suddenly go from her bedroom to somewhere else was odd. The next thing was the fact that she was on her knees. Lastly, to go with a throbbing headache, she could feel handcuffs chained around her wrists, keeping her arms behind her back. The yellow gown she had been wearing had been stripped from her, replaced by a plain white top and long brown skirt.

"Uhn… huh?" Elisia groaned as she came to.

"Good. You're awake," a voice boomed over her. Recognizing it, Elisia's eyes shot open as she looked up from the floor. Seated on the throne ahead of her was King Felbrun, her father.

"Father!" she cried. "What's going on? Why am I dressed this way? Why am I handcuffed?"

"Silence!" he shouted back. "Prisoners have no right to talk to the king so casually."

"Pris...oner?" Elisia repeated. "Me?"

"Yes, you," the king said sharply as he stood up. His height towered over his daughter as he approached her. His appearance only served to further enhance the intimidation factor he was going for. Short, black hair that was beginning to gray covered his head, and underneath was a black beard in similar colors, covering a stern and rough face. His build was muscular, showing prominently without his battle armor on. With a golden crown on his head, he looked every bit like one would expect of a king.

"Do you realize what you've done?" he asked rhetorically. "I told you not to do that tax of yours, but you ignored my orders and did it anyway. Now nearly all of Endrelta is sitting at my doorstep demanding an explanation, justice and retribution! Do you have any idea how bad this looks for both me and the kingdom?!"

"But Father, I was just-" Elisia tried to explain, but one of the guards standing next to her whacked her with a wooden rod.

"I have no reason to hear your excuses. The people are rioting. They're calling for their money back, which is going to cost us a fortune, and they're calling for someone to be held responsible. As king, it is my duty to rid the kingdom of those who try to take advantage of its citizens."

Elisia was stunned. "Take advantage? You're accusing me of taking advantage of people? What about you?! You're only even on that throne because of those same actions!"

"I do what's best for the people!"

"You only do what's best for yourself!"

SLAP!

The king's hand hung in place after streaking across his daughter's face. "You have no right to speak," he said. "The people demand justice, and I shall deliver it to them." Turning to someone behind Elisia, King Felbrun nodded. "First Princess Elisia Felbrun, by order of me, I sentence you to banishment."

"Father, please! I'm your daughter!" Elisia cried.

"It is precisely because you are my daughter that I am granting you this mercy instead of giving you an execution," the king said. "Now, to enforce your punishment, I, King Felbrun, command a branding spell."

"NO!" Elisia shrieked.

The branding spell was an old spell developed by rich nobles in another country long ago. Needing a way to keep their slaves in line, a noble continued experimenting with types of binding magic until he made the perfect spell.

Known as the branding spell, it binds the soul to the orders that are imbued with it. At first, it had only been used on slaves, but others later realized its potential as a tool to use on criminals as well. The branding spell began to spread throughout its country of origin and across borders. Over time, slavery declined, but the use of this spell didn't as countries classified it as a limited magic (restricting its use to the government) and continued using it on criminals.

In the current time, magic was mostly reserved for those of a higher status. They gave the excuse of their being able to use magic because of their blood, but there were many who doubted that. Regardless, their doubts didn't change the fact that it seemed the majority of people who could use magic were nobles and royalty. Often, if someone of lower status showed they could use magic, they were arrested and then executed.

Why exactly magic was scarce wasn't known. There were many theories, but the only concrete fact seemed to be that the amount of magic in the world was continuously dropping. Because of that, even the ones that could use magic used it sparingly. If someone did use something that required a large amount of magic, they were required to explain themselves at a World Council, which was a meeting of country leaders. Although, what was considered a "large amount" was often up for debate.

Spells that used a lot of magic were usually attack-based or defense-based. In contrast, there were two types of spells that used minimal magic. One was healing spells, as they used the injured person's own body as a source of power. The other spell was the branding spell. Thanks to its low cost, it continued to be in use, even through the times of dwindling magic energy.

And now, Princess Elisia was faced with that very spell.

"Father! Don't do this! I'm begging you!" she pleaded, but it was no use. King Felbrun ignored her as the person he had nodded to earlier, the kingdom's official chief mage, began to incant a spell.

"In the name of King Felbrun, ruler of Endrelta, I imbue this brand with magic to be placed upon Elisia Felbrun, first princess of Endrelta." In the mage's hand was a metal rod, and at the end was a sort of crest shaped object. But, instead of something fanciful, the design was crude, depicting a devil-like creature with a spear going through its heart. As the mage spoke the incantation, the iron crest heated up.

"Please pull down the part of her shirt covering her left shoulder," the mage instructed one guard, then told the other to hold her down.

"No! Please! STOP!" Elisia cried, but it was no use. The mage brought the iron down onto the princess's shoulder, eliciting a scream of pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!" she shrieked. "IT BURNS!"

Ignoring her cries, the mage continued. "My king, if you would give the order." At this, King Felbrun stepped forward as the branding iron remained attached to his daughter.

"Command one," he began. "You will be bound to the outskirts of the kingdom!"

"EIYAAAAA!" Elisia shrieked again. With each command given to the branding spell, it sent a new surge of heat into the iron. Constant skin contact was required for the spell to take full effect, creating a long and painful process for the one being branded.

"Command two," the king continued. "You will never invoke the Felbrun name again!" "AAAGGGHHH!!!" Elisia let out a new wave of searing pain shooting through her left shoulder.

"Command three," the king stated. "Upon addressing yourself as a princess of this nation, or upon when others address you as a princess, the brand shall give you a reminder of what you've lost!" At his command, the iron seared once more, dredging another wail of agony out of Elisia.

"Mm. I think that should cover it," the king said. "Very well," the mage said with a nod. "Then once again, in the name of King Felbrun, the binding of the soul is complete and the branding spell is finished." With that, he removed the iron from Elisia's body, revealing a bright, crimson-red mark on her body.

"She certainly doesn't look like a princess now," the mage commented.

With the source of the pain removed, Elisia collapsed to the floor, her tear-soaked face staining the carpet underneath her. "F-Father…" she moaned.

"Don't call me that," the king said. "I don't call a disgrace such as yourself a daughter. Now, get rid of this woman and send her to live with those other things."

"As you wish, my king," the mage said with a bow. On his orders, the two guards next to Elisia picked her up by her arms and proceeded to drag her to the carriages outside.

When they got there, they were greeted by a swarm of angry shouts and jeers. "So they're still at it," the mage remarked. Thousands upon thousands of people had gathered at the gates of the palace when they learned the truth of the new tax they had already started paying. Many of them were yelling insults about the royal family, specifically Elisia, as her name was on the new tax. It made them all wonder just how many times she had tricked them for her own gain.

While most were content with using their voices, a few others sought to use force, banging away at the gate in an effort to knock it down and throwing all sorts of things at the outside palace guards and windows high above. Currently, more palace guards were being dispatched to deal with the crowd, but it would be some time until they got it completely under control.

"Be sure to take the backroads," the mage instructed the driver. Behind him, the guards with him gagged Elisia, just in case she regained her senses enough to try and call for help. Then, they removed the handcuffs and switched them for rope, which they tied around her wrists and ankles. Once that was done, they tossed her into the back of the prisoner carriage, much like a sack of potatoes.

With their cargo on board, the two guards climbed in and shut the door behind them. The driver then took the reins, directing the horses toward the back exit of the palace. After they got there, the carriage left the palace grounds, its destination the outskirts of the kingdom.

End of Chapter One.