The Sun blared proudly upon a floating country which was once known as Parinthia. The large waves which reflected the color of the clear blue sky rushed down towards the shoreline, slapping the dull, grey walls which shielded Parinthia's kingdom. Seagulls hooted as they fled swiftly high up in the air, going against the direction of the wind. Below all the seagulls and the clear, blue sky and not to mention, the great bright Sun, the town was bizzare and hectic as ever; an important event was occurring, and the entire town was involved. Up on the spacious balcony of the White Palace which overlooked the town's center square, stood several people who were none other than the country's royal family, a few palace guards and a priest who craddled a newborn baby in his arms, showering the people below them with words; words which made him appear to have been giving a speech. A long, long speech. The townsfolk cheered after a while, tossing flowers and pieces of confetti into the air out of joy. "Long live Prince Arthur!" cried everybody in unison. Joyful and lively music were played freely across the country, bringing each citizen onto their feet as they were unable to resist the temptation of dancing to the rhythm.

***

At the age of two, Prince Arthur was already swift on his feet, being able to stand, walk, run and even dance on his feet. By four, he was introduced to the art of literature by his private tutor, Sir Chamberlain of The Literal Institute of Parinthia. When he reached ten, he was practically writing poems of his own, dedicating them to the important people in his life such as his dearest mother, Her Majesty Queen Danica Ann Griffin, his most respected father, His Royal Highness King Alaric Darian Griffin, his cousin, the future Duke of Parinthia, and his favored commoners. Two years later, tragedy struck as the King fell fatally ill. His Majesty was restricted to his bed and only his bed, and his visitors count had been limited to four, of whom he chose his beloved wife, his precious son, his favored nephew and his most trusted advisor, Sir Edgar. Upon hearing about the dreadful news, the king's brother, the current Duke of Parinthia, had sworn to rule Parinthia and triumph over his own brother. He had always hated the king, reasoning that he was the older brother and deserved the throne just as much as his younger brother did. When the king finally passed on, he came up with a wicked idea in his wicked old mind; he had a plot to remove Prince Arthur from the line of kings and to place himself in the place of the young prince.

During the coronation of Prince Arthur, the dissatisfied Duke brought up an old issue regarding the requirements of becoming a king or a ruler - He who leads must be married and be blessed with children for he knows not of what might occur in the future. An argument erupted from the minor disruption, causing it to expand to the extent where the council lost and the Duke gained his kingship. On his son's birthday, the Duke was crowned in Parinthia's most grand cathedral and was blessed by the royal bishops. However, there was a catch to this event. The Queen, who had spent most of her days grieving on her husband's death, cleverly came up with an idea. She told her brother-in-law that she would approve of his coronation if, and only if, he agreed to sign a contract written, signed and made official by her. Initially, he disagreed. But after reconsidering her offer, and picturing himself on his late brother's throne, he finally said yes, though hesitantly. For many years prior to the incident, Parinthia was under the rule of King Albert James Griffin. To summarize how he did, the entire country was in jeopardy, unless he changed his extravagant and arrogant ways. At one time, he was in debt after losing while gambling. To settle his payments, he emptied the country's banks by force, ordering them to under his name. The Queen Dowager, who was faced with more problems as years passed, tried to settle the Parinthians down by repaying each and every penny they had lost, and by reassuring them that Prince Arthur would soon be crowned as King of Parinthia, that is, if he ever married a proper lady (but of course, she excluded this when she explained it to them.)

***

Several years had passed, and the entire country was facing a great deal of loss ever since the Duke was crowned. Prince Arthur was finally at the verge of stepping into adulthood whereas his cousin had already turned twenty three, and was married to a princess who originated from a neighboring country called Dalinion. According to most people, the marriage was the best thing that has ever occurred in approximately six years, which was after the late king's death. The marriage had brought the two counties into an alliance, thus empowering the country's defenses. As King Albert was aging, he had future plans of crowning his son as King when he died. This, of course, was impossible for his son was not the rightful heir to the throne, neither was King Albert himself. However, the only way to make this happen was to murder Prince Arthur, hence leaving them with no heir to the throne.

One cloudy day, His Majesty Prince Arthur (who was wandering around town in the clothes of a commoner) had been called upon by the Queen Dowager, who had requested to meet her son in the Garden of Venus, her very own personal garden which she planted herself ever since she married the late King Alaric. There, the two of them sat down by a large pond which was surrounded by the Queen Dowager's favorite flowers (lilies), looking very much alive. For a while, both members of the royal family sat still and in silence, each of them clearing their minds by focusing on the fish swimming inside the water instead. Not long after, the Queen Dowager rested her eyes upon her one and only son, and began to talk, "Dear boy, I have wonderful news to share with you." Although she mentioned that it was 'wonderful', Prince Arthur could've sworn that he didn't catch a smile on his mother's frail face. "What is it, mother?" he asked, somewhat hesitant for he knew not of what was coming for him. Well, she did say that it was 'wonderful', but would it seem wonderful to him? "Art," she began, softening her tone of voice as she pronounced his name, "Your birthday is in two months, and you are finally becoming an adult. Do you not think that it is time you overthrow your dreadful uncle and rule Parinthia with someone by your side to accompany you?" She offered him a small smile, but that didn't comfort him one bit. He knew it, she was going to arrange a marriage for him on his birthday. The worst part was only about to start: before he could even mutter a reply, she went, "I have found seven potential brides for you. You have exactly one month and three weeks to prepare yourself, to choose a lady, and to make a decision. I have arranged everything for you, so please, Art, just do it. For me, for yourself, and for your country."