LOCATION: Earth
Emperor Alexander leaned against the balcony overlooking the royal courtyard.
His guests were arriving; their gaudy dresses and suits sparkled in the light of the artificial sun above them. Tall knights wearing purple suits of armor stood in rows to frame the gardens growing roses, the sigil of the royal house.
Alexander's real hand tightened around the marble banister, his mechanical one hanging limply at his side.
It had been years since he was forced to undergo the cybernetic surgery, yet he had never grown used to the cold sensation of metal. It was a constant reminder of his failings in battle.
A reminder of what the Elves took from him.
'And now my empire is obsessed with tearing itself asunder rather than face the true enemy.'
His father had warned him of the growing divide among the churches, how civil war loomed, but Alexander had naively thought that was a problem for another time.
