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The Emperor’s Guardian

Chương 1: The Beginning

An emperor's life is a lonely one.

Surrounded only by servants and soldiers, his every move picked apart by the council and his people and his entire future decided from the day he was born.

Prince Aiden was only seven when he was told that he would be emperor one day, not even by his own mother or father but by a right hand servant who was tasked to record his daily activities and ensure that he was being properly groomed to succeed the throne.

He was to wake up before sunrise, bathe with the assistance of maidservants by the holy lake and dressed in intricate layers of silk and gold before his day even begins.

A taster was to have a bite of his majesty's meal before him in order to guarantee its safety and he was to eat by himself every morning with an audience of eunuchs who scribbled down his every move as though masticating his food had some kind of historical value.

Thereafter, Prince Aiden was to remain in his chamber and receive one on one tutoring for the rest of the day. His lessons ranged from writing, philosophy and history. He was also brought to the stables daily to observe the technique of horseback riding then the training yard to learn archery.

From the perspective of an outsider, this may well have been the ideal life. But if you were to step into his highness' shoes, you would discover that it was nothing more than a well decorated facade with empty halls that fostered isolation.

Only after a long day of earning his right to be his father's successor was the Prince permitted to see his parents. But instead of praise or words of comfort, he had to sit through a series of lectures and sermons that only championed his flaws and shortcomings.

After dinner and a short accompanied walk in the garden, the young majesty was to immediately retire to his bedchamber and obtain enough rest to start all over. It was a recurring cycle without a single unplanned occurrence. His so called life was dull and predictable.

It was to remain that way until he was old enough to be wed by which he was to adjust to a new set of rules and make necessary preparations to ascend to the throne. But although his future was to become the most powerful man in Sylphen, somehow, he longed for something more.