I woke to sunlight pouring through tall arched windows, the beams catching on dust motes that danced in the air like golden sparks. The air was cool and fresh, tinged with the faint scent of the palace gardens.
For a moment, I didn't move. I lay staring at the gilded canopy overhead, feeling the phantom weight of leyla's arms still wrapped around me from the night before. The soldier in me was used to waking to the rattle of gunfire and the reek of oil and smoke. This was something else entirely.
leyla was gone, but her scent lingered in the sheets, jasmine, spice, and something warmer, something very human.
The system's chime shattered the quiet.
[Good morning, Player.][Tutorial Update: You are King Caelan Draven, 23 years old. Your dominion spans 17 provinces, 4 vassal kingdoms, and a harem of… 1.]
One.A harem of one.
[Your reign is newly established after the sudden death of your father, King Aldren Draven. Your hold on the throne is fragile. Key threats: Royal Family, Provincial Lords, Foreign Envoys.]
The words felt more like a threat than a status report.
[Primary Objective: Survive your first month as King.][Failure: Deposition or Assassination.]
Lovely.
The door creaked open. A boy of maybe fourteen entered in a plain robe of deep crimson, bowing low enough to brush the marble with his forehead."Majesty, the High Council awaits you in the Throne Hall of the Gilded Beasts."
The Throne Hall earned its name. The marble floor gleamed like water under the light, and carved stone beasts, lions, wyverns, and horned cats — stood in silent ranks along the walls, each gilded so their eyes caught and held the light.
At the far end sat the council seven figures robed in gold and velvet, their faces as guarded as fortress gates.
At their center sat High Queen Maerath, my father's chief wife. Not my mother, but every inch a monarch, her crown heavy with sapphires, her gaze sharp enough to draw blood.
"Our young King arrives," she said, her voice rich but cold.
From her right, Lord Regent Valric leaned back in his seat, the silver in his hair gleaming like a blade. He was broader than me, older by a decade, and radiated the smugness of a man who believed my throne should be his."We have urgent matters, Majesty," Valric said smoothly. "The treasury runs dry. The northern marches stir with rebellion. And…" His eyes swept over me with deliberate slowness. "Your harem is… underdeveloped."
The corners of several mouths twitched.
I didn't flinch. "Is that a matter for the council, or for my private chambers?"
Valric smiled as if I'd proven his point. "A King's strength is measured not only by his armies, but by the alliances forged in his bed. You have… one alliance."
The system chimed again, right on cue:
[Side Quest Available: Expand the Harem to at least 5 members within 30 days. Reward: +200 Prestige Points and 'Royal Virility' passive bonus.]
just thirty day? how the hell?
Maerath's cold gaze bored into mine. "Your father's harem numbered forty-seven by his third year on the throne. Perhaps you aim to set… a different precedent?"
Layla'swords from yesterday whispered in my head: You will have enemies, Majesty. She hadn't exaggerated.
I scanned their faces. Every one of them was here to measure me. Some to undermine me. Some to use me. None to protect me.
I met Valric's eyes, letting a slow smile curl my lips. "Then I suppose I'd better start recruiting."
Valric's smirk didn't waver. Maerath's expression didn't soften.
The system pinged again:
[Council Influence: High. Stability: 57%. Your next decisions will determine the direction of your reign.]
It was clear now, this wasn't my dominion yet. Not truly.But it would be. If I survived long enough to take it. and i will.