He was the lastborn. Lacking the constitution of his siblings. Thrust into an intense competition for the throne.
Eight Imperial siblings, each unique, each a monster genius, each has carved themselves with immense authority and influence.
It was an intense competition, one that had not been seen from the beginning of the Empire's history.
And he is just joining.
Seth stood before flowers as he admired them. They swayed under the wind as their petals wide open under the scorching sun.
"You are above and beyond their scorn. May the throne blaze through you, Ninth Prince of Realmere!"
Seth glanced to his side, a knight kneeling behind him, holding a royal scroll.
He sighed; it was time.
Time for him to join the race, he was late. 20 years late.
He extended his hand and collected the scroll. It unfolded and he read through it.
A gold made into ink and as he read the content, the gold faded into his eyes, converting the eyes into solid real gold.
The iris and pupil had gone, leaving only a ball of gold as the eyes, making him blind but expanding his intuition.
From this distance, he could feel the king and his eight imperial siblings who were forced to attend his ceremony.
Seth let the scroll fall down empty, but the knight caught it in time as he swiftly stood and followed the young prince.
Prince Seth was the silent type most of the time but could be extroverted if he wanted to.
He was also elusive and unpredictable. His mood swings were erratic. At one moment, he was outgoing, but the next moment, he was reclusive.
His servants had understood him by now; they interacted with him as his mood dictated.
"Who do you think has the best chance to be on the throne?"
Prince Seth suddenly asked.
"May the throne blaze through you."
The knight saluted before he explained,
"All Imperial siblings are outstanding in their own right. I believe the Third Princess has a considerable following among the nobles.
"The Sixth Prince has carved himself in the hearts of commoners.
"But the First Prince has a considerable lead. He owns the merchants, the general army. Even villages and cities at the outskirts of the empire chant his name beyond anyone."
The knight became silent before he added.
"However, destiny is a fickle thing. We will never know truly who will sit as the next ruler of the empire!"
This was an honest intake, which is apparent to see.
Seth himself knew this.
"If I want the throne, what do you suggest I do?"
Seth asked again. They are getting closer to the palace door.
The knight resisted the urge to sigh. "My Prince, you will need personal power, then display it as a challenge to all your siblings
"You will need the backing of the nobles, and the commoners. Make them understand you are a worthy candidate.
"The most important aspect you need is wealth. You need not rely on the empire's money to do your campaign. In other words, be independent."
"That is a lot of work to do!"
Seth was in the palace and approached the royal throne room.
"True, my Prince."
"That's not enough," Seth casually said. "All that you have listed are mundane things that all my siblings did. And it will take years or even decades to achieve some of them. I need something specific."
They came before a golden door. His eyes glowed and it slid open.
Seth in his long black robe, weaved with golden thread, made him dignified and majestic.
His face filled with youthful vigour attracted the gazes of the Kings, Dukes, and the Imperial Princes.
No one announced him as he walked directly toward the one with the least title and influence.
Duchess Miriam Zaki.
He stood before her and her head bowed while saying, "You are above and beyond their scorn. May the throne blaze through you, Ninth Prince of Realmere!"
"I give you the blessing of the throne, Duchess Miriam Zaki!" he muttered as he walked ahead to the next Duke.
Duke Malazkar Steelzar.
"You are above and beyond their scorn. May the throne blaze through you, Ninth Prince of Realmere!"
"I give you the blessing of the throne, Duke Malazkar Steelzar!"
They were standing haphazardly, but Seth pinpointed them based on the power and value the empire placed on them.
Each one he stood before trembled; the golden eyes he wore were heavy to all.
If they looked for prolonged periods, their eyes would go blind, and if they were weak, their brain might liquefy.
What made the current Imperial Crowning different was that all the Imperial Siblings are eligible to the throne which was unlike the previous Emperor.
The previous emperor only had four children among thirteen who could withstand the terrifying nature of the gold.
If Seth failed to endure this ceremony, he would automatically lose the right to vie for the throne.
Seth finished with the five Dukes and reached the Kings.
He placed his hand on his chest, but they greeted him with their hand on their chest
"You are above and beyond their scorn. May the throne blaze through you, Ninth Prince of Realmere!"
"I give you the blessing of the emperor!"
As kings, they naturally had a throne, but they were not emperors, so they represented the emperor in blessings.
He finished with them and met with his siblings.
He was the youngest; he greeted them first.
"We stand in greatness. We strive for greatness. We rival to grow. But we stand united," Seth said, eyes on the Eighth Princess.
"Welcome to the fold, little bro. But you are late. Just choose one of us to support!"
The Eighth Princess commented.
"The throne knows its heir!" Seth said with a smile as he went to the next Prince until he reached the first one.
Before he said anything, the First Prince ruffled his hair. "Welcome, baby bro. How have you been?"
Seth became stiff with a blush and he walked away without the greetings.
None of his siblings took him seriously. Well, it was a given. Even the Eighth Prince was twenty-three years old now. There were 9 years between them.
The Emperor stood regal, in majestic royal attire glowing with holy golden light. His stern gaze fixed on his youngest child.
Seth didn't approach until he braced him, and he stepped forward. A pressure descended on him.
The solid gold eyes trembled and melted, going deeper into his brain.
A sharp pain assaulted his skull, and he became dizzy, but he kept getting closer.
This was a precarious situation. If he didn't get close enough, he would lose his eyes completely and might incur brain damage or worse, die.
His steps increased; the pressure was not deterring him at all.
Seth fell to his knees before the majestic figure.
"You took away my love, little one!"
The Emperor spoke with a reverberating voice, and the Princes braced themselves as dizziness almost claimed them.
Seth's chest twisted, his eyes watered and he almost scowled.
His birth came with complications and his mother died the minute he was born.
"It's alright. I am rather happy seeing you passed the gold trial." The emperor casually said
Seth's eyes had become clear; the gold now ran through his blood circulation.
"May the throne blaze through you is a strong phrase." The Throne Guardian said, an old man who appeared beside the throne, "Prove it to us. That it can blaze through you!"
Seth moved fast and touched the golden throne and he vanished to the last and final trial.
***
In a vast ruined hall, Seth stood unarmed. His eyes scanning, searching for enemies, and for anything unusual.
This was usually the easiest trial but also the most dangerous because it involved real combat.
Seth walked inside the ruin, his steps slow, making the least sound while his ears were ready to perk up at any slightest movement.
Then it came, a very faint slithering. He focused on it and also quickly listened for other sounds, but there were none.
The slithering was getting closer to him.
Seth had no intention to fight. Physicality was his weakness, and as the lastborn, he must not make a fool of himself.
He looked down at his feet and a silent pulse left his head, reaching his feet.
Seth became strained due to using his ability for the first time.
What he did erased the sound from his footsteps as he walked ahead.
From behind the pillar came a serpent, large enough to swallow a baby.
Seth was inside the ruin, eyes darting around fast, taking in the images of the murals, the nature of the walls, the arrangements of the pillars, trying to see anything he could relate to from his knowledge.
He needs a weapon or anything to control for him to face the serpent.
Seth stopped walking. The sound of the slithering had stopped. His heart pounds before he increases his pace into a vast chamber.
Steel ceiling, broken throne at the centre, and fourteen steel chairs around the throne.
'A very old palace. Probably from 1,200 years ago,' Seth thought before he looked back. Wind is flowing from the entrance.
Nothing to be used as a weapon so he ran behind the throne and peeked. The serpent was slithering in the air.
'A psychic beast!'
Seth became gloomy.