A very many years ago, there was a man. This man was prophesied to do many great things and, true to the words of the divine, he became a righteous lord. He ensured those below him had food and clothes, home and warmth. He was praised to the skies, said to be one whose heart was true, and he’d be a saviour of the realm.
Whether or not the people truly believed these words, the lord took them to heart. He expanded his territory, taking more people under his wing, they also praising him for his benevolent nature and fair mind.
When he was around thirty years ago age, he overthrew the tyrannical king after some years of unrest. The people of the realm cheered for their new king, worshipped him like a god. And all was good for several years.
When the king had ruled for nearly ten years, he heard there was unrest in the neighbouring country. Remembering the prophesies, he sent his two sons and half his army to quell the anger between the neighbouring king and his subjects. Only a year later, he was made king of that land as well, his son governing it as the Prince of Zü’ür.
His other son had moved north, bringing the army with him, with new soldiers to make up for who they had lost. It was to protect the land from those invading from the colder lands, wishing to take over their realm. Feeling worried, the King sent his eldest daughter to support her brother. She was the wife of a retired general who had been by the king’s side in the past, helping him take over the realm in the past.
Dressed in armour of bronze, she lead her warriors northeast and took the invaders by surprise. Together, they fought the battle side by side, blessed by the sun as they protected their father’s realm.
Unable to withstand this, the foreign king offered to marry prince to the daughter and a princess to son, but they both refused. Instead, both of them were brought to their father, one married to the youngest daughter, the other to be a hostage. The king was merciful, however, and let the foreign princess do as she wished, while the youngest daughter of his was titled the Princess of Karšt’ur.
Peace fell upon the realm once again.
Yet, only a few years later, the foreign princes’ father died, when his oldest brother, the second prince, killed their father and the first prince. The foreign prince pleaded that the king would let him go to help his people.
When the king said no, the foreign princess said: “I am but a weak princess and I cannot fight. But to keep my people from harm, I shall fight even my own kin, and I request that I am allowed to leave to protect them.”
Before even receiving approval, she had donned armour for the first time and stood by the city gate, refusing to go anywhere but out. Seeing her determination, the king sent with her his son and daughter, while the foreign prince had to remain by his wife’s side.
Leading the army with the king’s children, the foreign princess saved her people from the evil of her brother after three months of fierce fighting. It is said she herself delivered the sword that killed him, first blinding him as she told him that the blind need no eyes.
The princess returned to the capital with the king’s daughter, while the son remained to govern over the territory until things were settled.
The foreign prince wished to govern over the land, as king, but the foreign princess pledged subordinance, making the magnanimous king the one she followed. As this was the case, the foreign prince could no longer say anything. The Princess of Karšt’ur remained in the capital while a minister was sent to govern over their added territory.
Yet, in the midst of celebrating the freedom of the foreign people, the southern border met unrest. The foreign princess, who has pledged to follow the king, and the king’s son both wished to hurry there. The son was still far away, and the daughter had suffered injury. So with no one but military advisors and generals, the foreign princess left the capital to protect lands that were not hers.
This war was not short. It consisted of many extended battles. At this time, the deities also no longer showed their favour and the crops rotted at the roots and waters infested by evil. The realm was truly plagued by illness and famine for the first time since the king had taken his seat. The people who had once shared on their noble lord and generous king, now looked at him with contempt.
Unrest filled the lands and as his son reached the south, the western border was breached. In the east the Prince of Zü’ürdistance himself from his father and the people called him their king.
The king thought about how to save him realm and relieve it from evil. As he did, a young child asked him: “Were you not the hero of the realm, chose by the deities? Why are you still here?”
The king looked at this child for a long time, and thought his words wise. Seeing no choices were left, the king himself went west to defend the realm, bringing his oldest along with him, and sent the Princess of Karšt’ur to directly govern over the land of the north.
They say that these words of reminder if what made the sky smile upon the realm again and before long peace was once more.
The king’s second son was mad the Prince of Chen’ür and the foreign princess the Noble Lady of Nu’ur, while the oldest daughter became the Princess of Dulo’ar. The realm divided in five provinces, with the king standing above all.
It is true that divine prophesies are always true to their word, and what they say will always remain true. The king did great things, and he brought many from the clutches of evil, and joined many a land.
It is said to this day the child was rewarded for his courage with outstanding beauty and intellect, charisma and strength. However, it was never from the king who should have rewarded him, but the by the sun, sky, sea and soil. And so this boy took the place when he suddenly lost all his blessings and passed away in illness, and this young man, further blessed by the deities than his predecessor, expanded the realm, and brought peace and stability to it.
Very many generations later his descendant still sits on the throne, gazing upon the great land from above, as the Emperor Šerçian of Zualu Diar, still blessed by the deities watching over the realm…
Author’s Note
To all of U’il’s fans, hope you enjoy this story that isn’t actually about him.
This is set in a fictional empire in the first half of the 11th century and my first historical story I’m sharing on the site. Read more about it here.