WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU…

I was a curious child. 

In the way that made me a sort of rarity amongst the other—much younger—nobility, an oddball. But also ‘curious’ in the truest sense of the word. 

“Why do we sit in the palace having tea, while the people in the lower quarter struggle for their next meal, father? It’s terribly sad, is it not?”

From an early age I asked such questions in my pursuit of knowledge. To better understand the kingdom I would one day lead as its king, and to change our technologically advanced society for the better. I was bright, well-meaning, albeit a tad idealistic for my own good. 

“That’s just the way things have always been, my son. We are dutifully ordained by the gods themselves.” My father would say that to me. “In the upper quarter, Elysium, as Rense’s Laws dictate. There will always be haves and have-nots… It would be best if you accept that reality.”  

Elysium…

Of course, I could not simply do that with my own convictions nagging at the back of my mind. My parents themselves weren’t at all receptive to my child-like idealism, and treated my curiosity as an afterthought at best. 

“Disturbing the natural order will only anger the gods. Can you not simply enjoy your toys like the other children?” My mother would garnish my father’s lectures with some of her own. “Keep yourself entertained how you wish, but do not bring yourself down to their level.” 

‘Their’, she says… What makes us different enough to ‘other’ them? Is it our position here in the sky that makes our rule infallible? 

I would dwell on that thought after each back-and-forth with my parents. Lawrence Castle—along with the rest of the upper quarter—was quite literally a city amongst the clouds. 

The von Taxiarchos family, formerly of their own neighboring kingdom before they faced willful annexation by ours, were brilliant inventors. We provided them with military strength and fertile land, and they developed technology capable of powering our ascent into the heavens. However … not every person could enjoy such luxuries. 

And so—at the behest of my parents—I left behind my curiosity of those that had been othered, and spent resources on worldly things to keep me entertained. Not just the electronic devices that were so popular with the youth either. Friends, casual romantic interests, they were similarly used and discarded like tools in my collection.

Meanwhile, I was brought up with the jaded practices of the nobility, becoming more like them as the days turned into years. It was nauseating, what I had become. Even more so that I had grown so used to using others for my own amusement, numb to the consequences of my own actions. 

Something finally clicked in my head when I was sent on a visit to the lower quarter during my military training. I was a young man of twenty years at the time. The objective given to us by our commanding officer: to quell an uprising of starving farmers at the old von Taxiarchos border. The fight was over in mere hours, but to see the looks on the faces of the people as their lands were seized, their spirits broken… It made me consider riding by train into the wilds without ever looking back. 

Something has to give. 

Of that I was sure, but I was all-but-ready to give up on my grand aspirations. For what could one man do to change the very fabric of our society, to throw Rense’s Laws back in the very face of the gods that impose them on us? 

That was, until that day many years later in my travels in the lower quarter when I, Prince Elyon Lawrence, discovered her. My newest toy, and the key to my plan to turn this monarchy on its head. 

Gia Blütenzweig. She was unassuming and, at the same time, the perfect jolt this kingdom needed to start putting my vision into effect. 

My actual betrothed—and co-conspirator—Micaela von Taxiarchos' worries were not unfounded, however. Whether Gia would survive the upcoming ordeal—or be discarded to the waste like all my other muses—would be determined by how she handled what I had prepared to test her mettle in the short term... 

👑

A particular girl walked down one of the many corridors in Lawrence Castle, her clammy hands held tight to her chest. Anxiety and relief washed over her in contradictory waves, glad that she had not yet been thrown out of the castle. That girl—of course—was me, Gia, the commoner. Lacking any official title, that’s what the staff took to calling me as I stumbled around.

“That certainly could have gone better…” I muttered to myself, remembering the aftermath of what had transpired the evening prior.

~

“No son of mine is going to court a woman he found baking bread in the countryside!” King Bernard shouted indignantly. “Take her back to the lower quarter where you found her, this instant.” 

“I cannot, Father.” Prince Lawrence shrugged, looking just a bit exasperated. “Can’t you see? Your son has returned, and he has found true joy. Will you not simply be happy for me? You too, Mother.” 

“Not as I live and breathe!” The King stormed out of the room as Queen Clair gave chase to try and calm him down. 

~ 

As much as the King’s words stung, what mystified me most was the strange expression painted on Elyon’s face as he endured his rebuke. Something akin to a smirk, I expected him to be more distraught at the fact that our love would not be so easily accepted by his parents.

“I mean… Who could blame them for having doubts?” I stopped in my tracks, listening to the sound of my final step echo in the corridor. “If not for that day the Prince strolled into our family bakery, I’d never have stepped foot in Elysium, let alone Lawrence Castle.” 

So what should I do…  I’m so far out of my element that I could start bawling at any moment. 

“What if he picked me on a whim…” 

I had always dreamed of living out some sort of fairytale outside the dregs of the lower quarter, but I hadn’t expected it to actually happen. It was all so very perplexing. 

“Hey lady, do you make a habit of talking to yourself like a crazy person? You’re pretty far from the servant’s hall, and why are your eyes all puffy?” 

My trance was broken by an adorable young girl with blonde curly hair and some sort of lab coat that was much-too-big for her small figure. She looked me up and down like I was a strange aberration, hurling question after question in my direction. 

“Actually, I’m here with Prince Lawrence. Y-you see, he’s my…” 

“Ah! Yeah, I don’t really care.” The girl waved me off as I attempted to explain.

Eh? 

“B-but, you just asked me—“ 

“Anyways, are you well versed in filter subassemblies of security drones and the like? ” The girl asked. “I could use an assistant to help me change the anti-backlash gears on the band-pass filter to fix my drone’s communicative function, and recalibrate its flight patterns back in my lab. So, you game?” 

“Band… Wah—?“ 

“Great! I’ll take that as a resounding ‘yes ma’am!’.” The girl—with a vocabulary exceeding her years—locked arms with me, pulling me along by brute force. “You’ll be doing the von Taxiarchos family a huge solid by helping their brightest young inventor.” 

“von Taxiarchos? You mean you’re—!” I sputtered. 

“No need to get all excited on my account. My stinky sister, Micaela, is all anybody talks about.” The girl lamented. “If you ask me, her only talent is scheming and being lucky enough to have had her betrothal to Prince Lawrence gift-wrapped for her on account of being the oldest daughter in our clan.” 

Wait, information overload! Prince Lawrence is already… betrothed!? And to, t-to—

“I never asked, because I didn’t care, but what’s your name?” The girl asked. “Bet it’s Nelly… Nervous Nelly!” 

“It is not!” Redness filled my cheeks. “My name… is Gia. Gia Blütenzweig.” 

The girl’s eyes suddenly widened as if she were surprised by something, but then a smirk crept across her face. 

“I see…” The girl said, continuing to lead me along. 

I had neither the gumption, nor the self-respect, to tell her I had little interest in being someone’s lab assistant. However, I was concerned with something far more trivial at that moment. A common courtesy that my aunt had instilled in me from a young age. 

“Normally when you ask for someone’s name…” I muttered. “It’s only right to give yours in return.” 

“Heh, I guess you’re right. Quite formal, aren’t you?”  She chuckled. “Fiona von Taxiarchos is the name, but you can call me Finn.”

“It’s a pleasure.” I smiled.

“I’ve been wondering to myself what made the Prince look so much like his old self.” Finn muttered just loud enough for me to hear. “Just don’t let my sister break you…” 

“What was that?” I didn’t know if I heard her right. 

“It’s nothing. It’s just down these steps into the research wing. Let’s go, shall we?” Finn said.

👑 

While my plan was slowly coming to fruition, I, Elyon, sat in the main courtyard, enjoying the sunshine under an umbrella. Beside me was a cold refreshment, and a friend of mine who was also taking a moment of reprieve from her own whirlwind of responsibilities.

I sighed contentedly, in no rush to get up and disturb the moment of peace we had in such short supply. 

“You’re certainly nonchalant, Elyon. Considering what you’re about to put the woman you claim to love through,” Micaela said. 

“Whatever do you mean?” I decided to play coy. 

“You know exactly what.” Micaela scoffed. “You know how my sister goes through lab assistants like you through hair products. Tipping her off about a potential helper, and providing the exact description of your lover… That’s pretty devious, even for you. That girl will never survive.” 

“Oh, please.” I smiled. “This is just a preliminary test of her constitution. If she cannot survive one measly playdate with your darling sister, being how she is, Gia will never prove to be capable enough for her purpose. Far tougher matters await, but you’re already aware of that.” 

“I still don’t know what this proves, exactly, but you’re the so-called ‘mastermind’ behind this little operation of ours.” Micaela sighed. “Just don’t forget what you’ve promised me after all this is done.” 

“Yes, yes. Freedom to pursue your research, was it?” I said. “You von Taxiarchos women certainly don’t change with the passing of time.” 

“And your pompousness will never meet its equal for as long as you live, my lord.” Micaela smiled sweetly, venom sprinkled in for good measure. 

“And don’t you forget it.”