Chapter 1 Ellor July 25th, 1852

Sat atop the red velvet throne, the King's head scarcely reaches the middle. He peers out into the long hallways of his new castle. Despite his echelon, Ellor has never pondered the amount of power he could hurl upon the land. And so the young king sits, and never stirs as his father rules the land that he holds no crown to. The howling of the peasants, or even the landowners, falls on deaf ears. He doesn't notice because his father has always spoken to him in a cordial manner, saying that he would take care of everything, and the people of Anima would forever be untroubled and at peace. The young king rests at this thought, closing his stare with a blink and enters a soft sleep that might've lasted 15 minutes, or a thousand.

Ellor's cushioned nap is broken by the sound of his classical literature and grammar tutor, his voice whistling through his long, thin nose. Professor Cronies is an uppity man who was raised partly in France, and everything about him is slim and tacky, including a selection of periwinkle suits and gold-encrusted canes. He always has something to say in every conversation, especially those he knows nothing about and doesn't belong in like those amongst what he calls, "His majesty's fundamentally ridiculous friends".

"Your majesty, you have been requested by your father in the library," Cronies commands, beckoning Ellor with an authority which he doesn't have. Ellor obeys, though puzzled at the thought of Lord Elken wanting to speak with him. His father always manages to steer clear of any conversations with his son other than quick small talk at breakfast and supper.

The library stands three stories tall, much taller than the other, still taller, rooms in the palace. It has deep red wallpaper with floral designs, except for one fuchsia wall that is gold plated. It's very likely that Professor Cronies decorated the place when it underwent renovation three years ago. In any case, the Professor leaves to go see his lover or read a book or something that he occupies his time with, leaving Ellor alone with his father.

"Morning, son." His father starts, his voice disembodied from his body in a way of speaking only he understands. He's sitting somewhere in the library but Ellor doesn't bother to look. His father's eyes make conversation with him so much more impossible.

"It's three o' clock, Lord Elken," Ellor replies, dusting off a book of animan history that is filled with stories made up by the priests and pillagers. Suddenly, he feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to see his father towering over him, lurching downward and still seeming like a giraffe in Ellor's eyes, even though the king has never seen one.

"And why do you think it is right, your majesty, to address your father in such an inconsiderate manner, you hurt my feelings son, correcting me so, your poor, sickly father."

"I'm sorry, father," Ellor concedes, avoiding Lord Elken's eyes.

His father pats him in the head, "Good boy," he says. He gestures for Ellor to come and lounge at the itchy burlap seats which sit at the foot of the ladder leading up to the third floor of the library.

"Your coronation is making its way closer, son. I need you to sign some papers, just to..get everything in line, it's really just a writing thing that the priests want us to do." His father persuades, pushing forward a stack of papers which are almost as blue as Mr. Cronies' suits.

Ellor files through them:

Regency

Regency

Regency

"Father, you do know that one of the strongest rulers in the world refused to sign things like these-" Ellor begins, but he is immediately interrupted by Lord Elken.

"Enough, Ellor! You are far too young to be making decisions to impact a country!"

"And not too young when I was nine and you sent me to war, father? Not too young for that, but too young to rule a country? Father, your mind escapes me so often." Ellor yells at his father, trying his best to keep his stance still, but surely failing. He marches out of the library shortly after, hearing no yelling from his father, no sounds at all.

The next morning, all of the library doors are locked, and Ellor's father is nowhere to be seen. Ellor goes about his day as established, attempting to forget about the fight he had with his father, the only one where he actually yelled back. At about noon, he sat outside, hoping to catch Professor Croniess' daughter who he befriended long ago. She usually wandered about the palace all day, reading and painting occasionally.

Marrianne's life was so different from Ellor's, she was able to run and play her whole life, without someone worrying that a splinter would penetrate her skin. She was given a true childhood not unlike the ones of peasant girls nearby. But Marrianne had seen the world as well, she had traveled to France, Italy, and Spain. And she always had lovely clothes that matched the ones that the ladies in fashion magazine's wore, despite her youth.

Ellor finds his friend sitting on a stone wall, kicking her feet into the hedges. Her hair is spun up into a bun and tied into a pink ribbon, which only she could get away with putting in red hair.

"Hello, Ms. Cronies. How is the day treating you?" Ellor says in the most polite way possible.

"Worse now that you've come here with your affichage prétentieux et vulgaire," Marrianne replies, turning to jump from the wall and race towards a large willow which towers above even the library of the palace. She's two years younger than Ellor, but much taller than him, and much more sprightly, as well.

Ellor, panting, stands below the tree where she so gracefully climbed, and Marrianne is laughing hysterically.

"Why on Earth would you have chased me? You knew it would do you no good and no intelligence, go back to your library, math boy, you clearly can't run." Marrianne teases, though Ellor knows she's just goating about, they've been good friends so long, he doesn't care about her teasing anymore.

"I can't." Ellor replies bluntly.

"What do you mean? Your royal highness can't go into every room he likes too?" Marrianne asks, but she doesn't wait for Ellor to answer before turning around and climbing from the tree the other way around.

"Are you mad, Maria?" Ellor calls, running after her and behind the palace walls into the courtyard.