A.D. 2170 - S.E.88
The year 2170 dawned beneath a shadow. A grave economic tempest struck the Republic of New Hope. Following the catastrophe, the Earth would forever be known as the "Black Subprime Crisis." In a single season, financial systems collapsed, great banks crumbled overnight, and the stock markets plunged without end. That wave of ruin swept across the galaxy and broke upon New Hope, leaving countless citizens bankrupt and despairing.
Even the House of Thors could not escape the deluge. Aelyzabeth's mother was forced to borrow immense sums to preserve the family's station and its mercantile ventures, yet the debts soon grew mountainous, beyond hope of easy repayment. The grandeur of their mansion diminished; gilded furnishings were sold to auction, and loyal servants of generations quietly departed to lessen the burden of expense.
Aelyzabeth at Twelve
In the year 2171, at the age of twelve, Aelyzabeth von Thors stood upon the threshold of youth with a mind sharpened far beyond her years. Nurtured by rigorous study and innate brilliance, she did not tremble before the storm of poverty. Rather, she sought the path by which her house might endure.
One night, in the dim hush of the family library—its shelves among the few treasures spared from sale—Aelyzabeth lit a solitary lamp. She turned to ancient treatises on eugenics and heredity, pondering with grave intensity: "If the house is to endure, its heir must be of the strongest blood."
She gazed into a great mirror: her skin was pale as snow, her hair curled and glimmering beneath the lamplight, her eyes brimming with intelligence. All these she deemed priceless traits, to be fused with a lineage of equal worth, to engender an heir surpassing the common mould of man.
At length, a name rose unbidden in her heart—Alexander, her own elder brother: handsome of form, sharp of intellect, admired by kin and kith alike. Should her blood mingle with his, she believed, the result would be a successor flawless, a scion destined to elevate House Thors beyond peril.
The Family's Outcry
When Aelyzabeth spoke these thoughts aloud at a private family council—her mother, Margaret, and several close kin gathered—an air of unease fell heavy upon the room.
Margaret thundered:"Will you drag our house into disgrace for the sake of this madness, Aelyzabeth? Marriage with one's own brother is an abomination no society shall ever accept!"
Her mother sought gentler words, pleading:"Child, you are far too young for such decisions. Do not let forbidden thoughts consume the promise of your future."
Yet Aelyzabeth returned their gazes with calm, unwavering eyes. No reproach could shake her resolve.
Alexander's Vow
The moment of turning came from Alexander himself. Long silent throughout the storm of words, he at last raised his head, met Aelyzabeth's gaze, and spoke with solemn weight:
"If this is truly your desire, Aelyzabeth… then I shall honor it. I swear before you now: when you come of age at eighteen, I shall take you as wife and as my heir."
The chamber fell silent, struck dumb. Aelyzabeth's mother nearly collapsed in shock, while Margaret's wrath rose so fiercely her face burned crimson. She declared she would strike Aelyzabeth from the inheritance if such defiance endured.
But Aelyzabeth only smiled faintly—a smile cold, unwavering, resolute.
The Path Foretold
Within her heart she knew: her future was already chosen. A path strewn with the thorns of politics, the scorn of society, and the betrayal of her own kin. Yet none of these weighed heavier than her vision of forging the "Perfect Bloodline"—a lineage to preserve the House of Thors unto eternity.
Thus ended Chapter A-V.