Bagan Royal Family. Absolute authority. Family affairs hidden deep within the Royal Palace...
Most of Bagan's citizens grew up learning these stories in history books.
Not all kings were dictators—some genuinely did good for the nation. But everything changed when King Magma Drey rose to power.
The only person in history to possess magma blood, he was gifted: talented, wise, and competent. Yet he chose violence and fear to rule. Over time, his ruthlessness became uncontrollable. The final snap came when the queen—his wife—vanished without a trace. That's what we were told, at least.
No one knew why the queen disappeared. Did she leave him? Was she kidnapped? Or did she take her own life just to escape him?
They had two children. The elder was Prince Kaz, no one ever confirmed his blood type, though some claimed he could breathe fire. Yes—people lived for such nonsense.
We often saw him on the national news. Kind, clever, and beloved by the public. Honestly, I looked up to him. He was amazing at board games, especially chess—he earned the Expert title at only fifteen.
But fate never favored the kind prince. The love of his life vanished one night, and despite years of searching, she was never found. His efforts amounted to nothing. Eventually, he became an alcoholic and withdrew from the public eye.
People whispered of a "love curse" passed from father to son.
And just like that, the throne's hope shifted to the second child: Princess Caramelldansen. Despite her sweet name, she was a fierce woman—with one flaw.
Her blood.
At the time, none of us knew. Later, she was stripped of her title. Rumor had it the king refused to allow a woman to lead the nation.
The heir's position stayed empty for half a decade. Then came an announcement: the Royal Family had adopted a child. A boy. The Palace refused to give any details—until the Speaker of the Palace revealed he'd been born under the ruling star. The only reason the king accepted him.
Citizens finally had hope again. They believed someone born under the ruling star wouldn't grow up to be a tyrant. They praised him as "The Ruling Child."
But we were wrong.
Just a week after the adoption, the King made a shocking proclamation: Princess Caramelldansen would be the future Queen of Bagan.
From a discarded child to the heir. The Heir to the Throne. Future Queen—Princess Iron Caramelldansen.
Iron. It had been iron the whole time. Her blood type was iron. No wonder the King didn't approve of her—not at first. Even though iron blood was known as warrior's blood, it didn't seem fit for ruling after a predecessor with magma blood.
And now, in this moment, that mysterious princess stands right in front of me.
"Mind your language. You're in the presence of the heir," a woman who had been watching quietly finally speaks.
Wait—I know her. The Speaker of the Palace. The brain of the nation. The unique strategist: Miss Silver Ace.
Before I can even move, the last person in the room opens his mouth.
"This is not the palace, Miss Speaker. In the temple, the Guardian holds command."
"You're right, Vice-Captain," she replies calmly. "But that doesn't mean a peasant like her can disrespect the future Queen."
"Oh, fold that bullshit and shovel it into someone who cares. I'm only here for Lualing. Captain Blade asked me to protect his savior," the man's voice rises, echoing through the entire temple.
"Enough, Erik," Azalea steps in to stop the argument. "I'm not just handing Lualing over to her."
Then she turns to me. "You too, Bamba. You need to rest."
"Everyone leave," Azalea's clear voice leaves no room for argument.
And just like that, we leave the temple.