It was all gone just as the stories had said. Completely wiped from the face of the world. A pair of golden eyes took in the barren earth where once had been the capital of Albar. Supposedly the city had been an impressive thing, a fortress city that had existed for centuries and weathered wars against the nations around it. It had never fallen to a siege. In a way, he supposed it wasn’t a siege that had taken it. 

Third Prince Virion Elsira had wished to see the site with his own eyes. It had been one of his first requests upon entering the conquered nation of Albar, now rendered the province of Lyssia. His province. Virion drank in the scar upon the world, the place Grand General Nalista had wiped away one of the symbols of human opposition in the world. Where their magic had put fear into the hearts of the surrounding nations. By order of his mother they had been crushed out of existence. 

“What a waste.” He finally spoke aloud. 

The eyes of his retainers turned upon him as he spoke, looking over the elven outpost being built nearby the patch that once held a city upon it. The Prince was a radiant example of the elven race. Calling him beautiful was almost an insult, the third prince of the Elsiran Empire was perfectly sculpted. His dark brown skin was flawless, supple and smooth to the touch. His lithe and feminine form stood at well over seven feet tall, not the tallest by any stretch but enough to cut an image. Long dark hair was pulled into a ponytail that was bound by a golden hair piece bearing an eagle wing design that was favored by Elsiran Royalty. A lovely cream toga was wrapped over a flawless gold and white tunic, golden sandals adorned with sapphires atop the toe straps upon his slender feet. 

He stepped down from the carriage that had brought him here, his retainers sputtering as he actually deigned to set foot upon ground without the finest carpets and roses to line his path. His personal guards fell in step around him, their armor bearing the proud eagle symbol of Elsira’s Royal Guards. He walked toward the outpost as one of his advisors hurried up behind him. 

“Y-your grace, please, you should allow us to announce your arrival to the soldiers here! This place is unfit for your radiance to shine upon it.” The woman stuttered out. 

“Her Grace, my most wise Mother, the Empress saw fit to appoint me Governor of Lyssia. I do not believe a Governor requires notice when visiting their holdings.” The prince remarked. 

His tone was perhaps a bit too sharp, his annoyance over the truth of the rumors bubbling to the surface for a moment. He did not blame the Grand General particularly. This had been by decree of the Empress. His annoyance was over the sheer waste of a whole city to make an unnecessary point. He had no doubt there were a few particular snakes on the Council that had been whispering in his Mother’s ear for that. It simply made his task more difficult, which he suspected was absolutely the point. 

He was seen before arriving at the outpost of course, it was hard to miss the twenty armed royal soldiers and his appearance after all. The guards at the front gate saluted with their swords, their arms quite stiff. He passed without comment and swept into the outpost. It had been set up to essentially maintain some military presence with the lack of a city, as well as to capture any of the humans that had fled the destruction of the city. 

The captain of the outpost, a rather tall brunette, rushed out from her command tent and fell to his feet on her knees. “Your grace! Please, forgive the state of things! If we had known you were coming we would have better cleaned up for your arrival.”

Virion drank in the inside of the outpost. There were barracks and tents sent up all around the place, very much a military style encampment. Some civilian presence was notable, mostly some merchants and slavers. His eyes lingered over one particular feature. A pen. It was a rather ramshackle affair and inside of it were dozens of rather dirty and ill fed humans. They were no doubt waiting for their ultimate fate. The fate of all humans under Elsira. Explained the slavers hanging around. 

“Consider this a surprise inspection. I’m touring Lyssia. Thus far it appears Nalista has done well in suppressing the Albar army and in placing the nation under the heel of the Empire.” He answered as he turned his attention to the captain at his feet. He gestured with dainty fingers impatiently for her to rise. 

The captain stood up and saluted. “Of course, your grace, the Grand General’s victory was absolute before she departed.” Her eyes trailed to the humans in the pen and she coughed. “Lieutenant, get those eyesores somewhere else where his grace isn’t offended by their presence.” She ordered one of her juniors. 

There were some panicked squawking from the humans as they were being harshly yelled at and herded out of the pen. “Move you worthless animals, someone go get one of the mages so we can get rid of this batch.” The Lieutenant started to bark. 

“Wait, stop! Please, by the gods, haven’t you monsters taken enough from us!?” 

The voice drew the golden eyes of the prince to its owner. The words had been spoken in elven. A dark haired young woman was standing in front of her fellows and holding her hands out to vainly protect them. She was very likely fresh into her adulthood. He forgot what age that was for humans, eighteen perhaps? Her clothes were matted and torn and dirty but once might have been quite fine. Her reward for her heroism of course was being put into the dirt with a backhand from the Lieutenant, his lips curling in a sneer. 

“Just for that outburst you get to go first.” He reached down and grabbed her by the wrist. 

“Hold a moment.” Virion said. 

His voice was level and calm, but it bore the royal edge of command he had been learning since the day he could walk and talk. Everyone froze in place. The prince walked toward the pen, ignoring the sputtering of disbelief from his advisors behind him. He gestured for the Lieutenant to step aside and instead looked levelly at the woman as she rubbed her hand over her now bruised jaw. 

“You speak elven well for a human.” He remarked. 

The woman turned a careful wary eye upon him, probably still dazed from the backhand. “My brother taught me when we were growing up.” 

His elegant dark brow lifted. “Oh? And who was this brother of yours?” 

She seemed to think carefully over that question so he clarified. “Little point in keeping secrets you know. Especially in your current situation.” 

The young woman frowned before drawing herself up. “Prince Rickard Albar III. I am Princess Selena Albar, Second Princess of the Albar Empire.” She said, her words bearing a proud tone to them. 

The princess of the Albar Empire. Quite possibly one of the last royals of the whole nation. In a pen with a number of other humans. What a strange twist of fate. Perhaps his visit hadn’t been just to see a blasted gaping hole on the world after all. He crossed his arms, his golden bracelets gleaming as they caught the light.  What a fortunate find really to be down here in the muck. 

“Princess Selena Albar. Pleased to meet you. I am Prince Virion Elsira, Third Prince of the Elsiran Empire and new Governor of Lyssia. What you know as Albar. What a strange place for a royal meeting truly.” He said before turning his gaze over to the Captain. 

“When she is reduced she is to be given to me. If any of your soldiers raise a hand against her let it be known they will be touching royal property.” 

“A-At once your grace! And the others?” She stuttered. 

A useless question. “I’ve no need of them, do as you like.” 

“Wait!” 

The prince stopped in his tracks and arched a brow at the outburst from the princess. She was staring at him, dark eyes glaring up into his golden eyes. His narrowed his ever so, a look that usually had anyone cowering at potentially finding his displeasure. She didn’t back down to her credit. Brave or stupid or possibly both. 

“Take these others as well.” She demanded. 

“Ho-how dare you make demands of his grace, you worthless-” 

An upraised hand from him stalled the tirade on his behalf. He did so hate it when people spoke for him. It made his teeth ache. Instead he walked back over to the pen and looked over the rest of the gathered collection of humanity. Dirty, ragged, very much looked common and without much of a useful bone in their bodies. The Princess would be useful due to her knowledge of Albar and its regions as well as the surrounding territory. These ones… he scraped dirt from his sandals that looked better to be honest. 

“You aren’t exactly in a position to make demands of me you know.” He remarked. 

She crossed her arms and positioned herself in front of the gaggle of humans. The prince’s lips quirked ever so at the stupid defiance. A smirk. “I could just have them tie you up you know and drag you to be reduced. I don’t exactly require consent and it's not like you could resist.” 

“And risk hurting me? I think you’d rather keep me unspoiled and unharmed. Besides, if you do that you get my willing cooperation. I’m not asking you to set them free, Prince Virion. I’m asking you to- to take them into your service. I don’t care what that would be as, just so long as they aren’t given to be crushed out of hand.” She said. “It requires no cost to you and has me concede to whatever you might wish. A fair thing, a wise ruler would know it to be for the best.” 

There was a moment of silence as Virion took in the measure of this one. A brain in there as well it seemed. He chuckled moments later. “Very well. I suppose I could use some more household humans, the servants get tired after being on their feet all day. Didn’t bring many humans from home either.” He said as he looked at the Captain. “Make it so.” 

With that Virion walked from the pen and allowed the guards to lead the humans away for their fate. To be reduced away to a miniscule size like all humans were. For his part he took heart in such a lucky find. He had almost been baffled to hear that almost all of the Albar royal family had been killed. Prince Rickard was currently Nalista’s pet. It left him with precious little to work with here. A nation that was essentially in utter tatters and ruins from the war. Moreso than most lands they normally seized. 

That was the point of course. He was sent here not so much to prove himself after all. He was sent here to fail. To fail and burn out. Well. Virion had no intentions of failing here far on the fringes of the Empire. He would use whatever he had to, do whatever he had to do, in order to claw success and triumph from this ruin. Lyssia would be the envy of all of Elsira, no matter what it took.