Chapter 156 - Leviticus' Birth [Special]

The kingdom of Atziluth is a country in Zweite, the second continent, which is centered in Matriarchy. The highest position being the Empress, princess, and then, noblewoman. The empress of Atziluth has no king, only prince consorts—male royals who are the concubines of a reigning female sovereign; in this case, Leviticus' mother, Empress Diana of Atziluth. 

And he, Prince Leviticus of Atziluth, is her only son.

Despite Empress Diana having a number of consorts, she only allowed herself to carry the child of a single man. He was the only person who was said to be the capturer of the queen's heart—a commoner that even the name was unknown to the inhabitants of the palace.

They said that when the queen was young and had ascended to the throne, HE was already there to support her. It wasn't uncommon for lady monarchs to keep a servant in their sides, but it was in this case. Servants were often possessing a noble lineage, but this one had nothing. He was a mere commoner whose name wasn't even spoken by anyone in the Atziluth palace. Rumors drifted around the air saying that this man had bewitched the young Diana using dark magic, but he was as feeble as can be.

He was actually unfit to be a 'servant' as he was, as claimed by the Empress herself, an advisor. The governors of the palace took the queen's words with a grain of salt, and referred to the man as servant instead. What would a commoner know? Nothing. He was a man that didn't seem to be that bright either, given his gloomy disposition.

Leviticus' dark-grey hair that was almost black was from that man. People said he probably was a Heilen, but he didn't display any magical abilities and he was so feeble and sickly. His dark-grey hair had shades of blue when the rays of the sun shine towards the strands—it was an odd trait to possess, even for a noble. So people just assumed that Diana was fascinated with the commoner man.

They expected that she would grow tired of him and cast him away afterwards. But that never came as Diana grew. She was his age, and so they grew together. The governors and governess weren't able to separate them given the fact that Diana held the highest authority among all of them. She was also cunning and sharp—it would be impossible to trick her.

But the governors never gave up and kept pushing the empress to have concubines.

"It would greatly improve your power, My Liege. Having prince consorts would strengthen your ties to different empires, and will widen the spectrum of your political power."

This was the truth, and not even Diana could deny this. She was also at the age where she could have an heir, so the people around her were urging her to have a prince consort or a noble concubine. Diana, after the pestering of the governors, finally gave in. 

The first consort was the 8th prince of Kabbalah, an unimportant rank for the country. Basically, they sold off their prince to have that peace treaty. Diana knew this very well. Everyone knew it.

The 8th prince wasn't intimate with Diana—he was cold and distant. But Diana, who took pity on him, tried to at least befriend the lonely prince. Soon their relationship improved. The prince was evidently in-love with her, but Diana's eyes were set to someone else.

The governors have failed again to separate the two.

It was a hard thing to do—and they expected nothing less when Diana finally began to show her affection to the commoner man. But they never gave up. The proposed multiple concubines to choose from. If one man cannot separate them, then maybe a considerable number would do. What are the odds? Diana was still a woman. An attractive man (or woman) will make her deviate her attention and leave her so-called 'advisor' for good.

Men and women consorts were brimming in the Atziluth palace and no one could deny that it had become quite an attraction for everyone now. Soon it became a guessing game who the empress would dine in tonight, go in the veranda by day, or take a stroll with. It became a notion that the empress' love was so precious that her affection would equate on how much you are valued.

This became a good news for the governors of the palace as it only increased their political ties to the people around the country of Atziluth. Leviticus remembers reading in one of their scrolls about the proposals of the princes even outside Zweite to his mother. 

It was the golden days of Diana's reign. Men, women, and everyone frolicked around her and desired her. She became the national treasure whose love became conquest for the men and gem for the women. They wanted the empress so badly that Diana herself got frazzled from all of the attention they were giving her.

This was the time that the governors finally sighed in relief. They were now successful in having Diana's attention shift to other things. The next move they needed to do was to get rid of her 'advisor' for good. But the governors were soft around Diana and cherished her like a daughter. They did not resort to violence and death. Instead, they warned him—they told him of the great responsibility Diana have as a queen and how he was unfit to even stand beside her.

And he, who was timid and had no presence, agreed with their terms and left the Atziluth palace for good.

But it did not end there, as Diana soon was found pregnant—pregnant with HIS child. She was carrying his seed in her w.o.m.b. No one could act as the child's father, considering no one laid a finger on Diana. Not even the first consort, the 8th prince of Kabbalah. 

After Leviticus was born, Diana changed. She gave her 'affection' to every consort, loving them all equally—

Leviticus had this story told to him several times by his aide, Josiah when he was the right age. Although Leviticus had been hearing these things from the start, back when he was just a child, it still felt different knowing the whole story.

His mother had a story that was worth listening for, if one would be searching for sorrow. 

"Mother really loved my father that much, so she gave her attention and love to all the people around her to ease the pain." The child Leviticus said to Josiah. "They loved mother too, so they accepted her pain and became her comfort."

"Prince Levi…"

That was how Leviticus had seen his mother. She didn't get pregnant with another child after Leviticus and focused on political matters instead. From time to time, the governors looked at Leviticus with guilt in their eyes. They were the one who cast the man away, after all.

But Leviticus didn't feel any remorse towards the governors—they only wanted the best for the empress. It isn't their fault. Besides, why would Levi even feel remorse over something that doesn't concern him? If anything, they would have to be guilty for, is that they were the driving force of his mother's inner sadness.

But it didn't matter for Leviticus. He was the only heir, but the country was Matriarchal, so he needed to find a suitable queen. There were lots of complications regarding his inheritance considering he was male. And if it weren't complicated enough, magic manifested inside his body as he was seen compatible with the elements.

"Prince Leviticus is qualified to be a mage," 

Leviticus' eyes shone—a mage. Something that doesn't bind him to Atziluth, into its complicated matters—yet still serving his people at the same time. When Leviticus heard these words he was ecstatic. This seemingly complicated matter opened the doors for him to take another path.

"Leviticus is going to be the ruler of this country. Why does he need to become a mage?"

Those words were from the empress, and it baffled her people greatly. 

"Did you find a fitting queen to wed him to, Empress Diana?"

"No. He will inherit the title on his own."

That cannot be right. Atziluth's thousand years' matriarchal monarchy would be broken into smithereens if Leviticus inherits the throne.

"The pertinent laws specifically states that only women from a royal lineage can inherit the throne, my queen. Perhaps we can seek help from one of your distant relatives, or have Prince Levi and a princess bear a female heir…"

"So much work. I will change to laws, then. I will have my son inherit the throne of Atziluth." The queen said with finality. "He can fool around as he always has and go to that magic school, sure. But when he graduates, I will have him inherit the title of king."

"Empress, please reconsider…!"

Knowing his mother, Leviticus knew that it was impossible to have her change her mind. Diana was stubborn, and Leviticus was, as well. But there was an air around Leviticus that Diana said he had inherited from his missing father.

"It's the same way you carried yourselves. I cannot explain it, but I'm glad you had it in you—that way, I will always have his warmth around me. Through you, my son, I can still move forward."

Leviticus took his mother's words at heart.

He will become a mage, but he will not escape his responsibilities either.

If his mother can change the laws,

Then so could he.