The people who were not able to come today could still clearly watch us straight from their homes through the enchanted water. It was the first time in the history that we used the water element for this.
Through the enchanted water that I’ve worked on for several months, my countrymen would not be able to miss a single detail in the ceremony. They could watch comfortably wherever they are as long as there was water beside them. Me and my trusted confidants made sure of that since there were plenty of Elders who wrote to me expressing their disappointment that they could not attend the royal ceremony in Eliran, the royal residence in Arameth.
And since those people could not be in Eliran for various reasons, I tried my best to bring Eliran right into their homes.
And now, the Armethians were all smiling at me. The fathers were carrying their kids on their shoulders. The kids also have tiny flags of Arameth in their hands while their mothers were waving at me.
I am the youngest King in the history of Arameth. In the past, there used to be an age requirement when it came to being a public official. In the past, the qualified prince had to be at least a hundred years old before he could run for the position. In the Armethian law, not because your father was the King would mean that you would become the next to inherit the throne. He needed to meet certain requirements first before he could be fit to run for the position.
But more than a year ago, the Council personally came to me and suggested that I run for the position because of all the things I’ve accomplished at seventy-five. And I did not refuse them. Because it was my goal. Or so I thought.
My own countrymen also pleaded the Council to disregard my age and allow me to become their King. The election ran smoothly. No one questioned me for winning. That’s why my family was incredibly happy. My hard work paid off. None of us died. My mother remained safe. And I ought to be happy, too. Yet, I didn’t feel anything, not even the slightest bit of fulfillment.
Instead, I feel drained.
I could not remember ever having a proper sleep even when I was a child. While kids my age were already sleeping comfortably, I remained awake. I was in the library to study about magic, current events, and about how to manage the kingdom and our businesses. I was home-schooled. And there were plenty of teachers who came to the Castle to teach me during day time. And when the night comes, my father would personally join me to make sure that I would not fall asleep during the lessons. I could not have even a moment to breathe.
I needed to try my damnest to stay awake and to fight the fatigue for my parents, especially for my mother. While the other kids were holding their toys, I was reading business proposals. I’ve never experienced being a child. I had to mature early. Every day, I had to wake up at dawn and was only able to sleep exactly three hours before the sun rises. Despite all that, I still lack the time to do other important things.
When I became an adult, while other guys started dating here and there, I was busy helping the King in building businesses that would benefit the ordinary citizens of Arameth. My business proposals came to fruition. The King and I had to work our asses off night and day to make those proposals come true. I needed to get close to the public and I needed to make my name known. All of our relatives were always on my side to do everything they could to help.
Because my family wanted me to be the next person to inherit the throne and to inherit our family secret. That was the only way I could protect myself, the Queen, and our other relatives.
But the burden of keeping that secret kept getting heavier for every year that passes. According to the recent survey, the Royal Castle was the first place in the Kingdom that people wanted to visit. It was everybody’s dream place.
I have never considered the largest castle in our kingdom as my home, though. For me, it was nothing but a luxurious prison.
Like the prisoners, everything about my life was scheduled. I had a schedule for eating, for taking a nap, for training my magical ability, studying, and for going out to meet the people who would be necessary in solidifying my position as the crown prince. Even my dating life had been scheduled.
Our family secret deprived me of my freedom. I didn’t even have the freedom to choose the woman I’m going to marry. My father had to be the one to pick the woman for me. And that was to make sure that I would not repeat his mistake, to make sure that I would not disappoint the Council, and to make sure that I could uphold our reputation.
Fortunately, I knew the princess whom the King chose for me. It was Princess Clavia, my childhood friend. I’ve loved her ever since we were kids. I was lucky enough that she felt the same way about me. Back then, we got to meet at least once a month whenever I’m allowed to leave the Castle to meet other royalties.
“You are the most qualified in all of the princes to become this realm’s king. As a matter of fact, as early as now, your people already consider you as their King, a King that is better than the previous ones. You are the crowd’s favorite. You were able to gain their complete trust. But after lying to your people and to your loyal subjects, tell me, Alexandros Sormont, can you still be called a good King?”