"~What?~ What? Did the Sullili finally attacked us~?" a young lady cheerfully asked the servant she first saw right after stepping out of her study to investigate the commotion.

"Forgive me your highness, I also have no idea. The court was hastily summoned into the throne room and us servants are rushing to wait on their needs. I do apoligize your highness, I didn't mean to disturb you." the servant answered while bowing. The young lady, 1st princess of Disidia, Rafaela di Disidia just nods at the bowing servant urging her to go back to whatever she was doing. 

("~hmm..I wonder what happened then? Throne room huh?") she thought to herself as she steer towards the throne room but soon halted as she saw her magic tutor appeared from the corridor.

" Miralia!"  she called her tutor only to be scolded. 

"Oh your highness, what's wrong? A princess shouldn't be shouting like that. I'll make sure to give a word to Alice, she doesn't seem to educate the princess properly to conduct herself."

Internally wincing at mentioning Alice, she fixed her posed and asked, "I just want to ask what is this ruckus about. Then I saw you, a court mage, surely you could tell me what's goin on?"

"That your highness, I know." 

Miralia seeing the 10 seasons old princess poised, she let her behaviour slide. 

"Just this morning, a report came from Beria that the western gates of the high city has opened. Upon recieving this, the king immediately summoned his court. I am actually on my way to the throne room."

"High City? What about them opening their gates? We do that here as soon as the sun sets isn't?" as the princess inquired further, they resume walking to the throne room.

"Didn't sir Harriz already taught you about the high city? The high city should be first topic about foreign history. Your highness, did you happen to sleep again during sir Harriz's class?"

"I know about the high city! They are wealthy and strong. Their walls are gold, gems for gates and their silver knights guarding the city are strong."

"I see your highness, apologies. I thought you slept at his class like how you slept during mine." young Rafaela averted her sight away from Miralia. " But well, even if your highness was thought about the high city, you weren't thought about the possible consequences should the high city decides to step outside."

"Yes, Harriz also said, the high city never engaged in talks. They kept to themselves and no succesful engagement with outsiders was ever recorded. But possible consequences? Conquest? Harriz said they army is only about 3000 knights, this is to few to occupy even a city and defending their own"

Miralia smiled at the young lady, at least she could grasped the gist of it but still far off. 

" Did sir Harriz also told you how strong their silver knight is?" 

The princess shook her head and gasp "Could they actually swallow Disidia!?". 

Miralia gave a soft sigh, "Can't be helped then. I'll tell you what I know about them and how they repeatedly reshaped Lorencia."

"There are no records that describes their origin. They say that Gods resides in it. Some, Demons that entice people to come to them and never to return. Walls made of towering gold and Gems that adorned their gates. Men and beast alike lusts it's endless wealth, but none had succeded. 

The high city outlived it's neighbors. It witnessed the many rise and falls of kingdoms and empires. And most of was caused by the high city itself. Many of the most glorious people was lay wasted by it's might. 

First was, Gareth The Wyrm King. His hoard voraciously swallowed  their neighbors in the north. With his mighty army Iron Wyverns, they went unstoppable. Then they turn their greed to the high city. He, along with his entire Iron Wyverns Army flew to the high city. Survivors said, they were swatted from the sky like pests attracted on a food. This was also the reason why the Iron Wyverns had gone to near extinct. 

Next was Velicia, The Foul. Velicia usurped her mother's crown and declares herself the Queen Of Lattica. Her title was earned from her usage of forbidden magic that was still unknown by that time. She raises the dead soldiers of her enemies and sent them conquer their own homeland. Naturally, the Holy Capital by that time was a force to reckon with was quick to renounce her and gave her the title "The Foul" and vows to obliterate her in the name of Goddess Imina. Unbeknowst to them Velicia herself came knocking on their doors. Her fury spelt their doom. She razed the Holy Capital into the ground, plundered it and not even bothered to occupy. She left them rotting on their own. Her power grew the more enemies she slay. This power intoxicated her. Believing in her invincibilty, she set off to claim the high city bringing with her the dead army and some useful slaves. Reaching the walls, she commanded her legion to form the stairs and preapres for her procession. Their Queen arrives. But her tale stopped there, no more news of Velicia's conquest. With her vanity, people were sure she would flaunt the feat of defeating the high city. Years passed and curious people begun to investigate only to find her burnt jewel crown beneath the walls with her rotting army. 

Then came Mercudio, a powerful Archmage. He declared himself as the Mage king of the newly established Magedom of Alihafra. He built many institutions solely to research magic. He desires to fully understand magic. For this, he wished to live forever. 

But faith have her own cards to play. His research to immortality magic bears no fruit. He is already 132 seasons old and time remains instoppable. He dreaded his own death. 

Then he remembers the undying high city. He envied it. It angers him. "Why was it eternally beatiful, why wont it crumbles? That must be it! They hold the secret for immortatilty that is why they are guard it with absolute jelousy!" were his thoughts as he went mad. 

The following days, Alihafra's people was in uproar. The Mage king is missing and days continues to expire without the news of their king. 

His court knew of his desires. They knew of his fixation towards immortality. And they knew he going mad. They recieved a rumor that someone claims that their king riding a flying beast flew into the direction of the high city. They do not know whether their king really went to the high city or not, but that is the least of their concern. 

The king left without an heir. And true to their concerns, Alihafra descended into civil war. The victorious family inherited the throne and later ban any research towards immortality magic and had Mercudio's research towards it be destroyed. Until now, Mercudio's dissappearance remains a mystery.

Then the last one your highness happened last 213 seasons ago and I am sure you knew of this. With the death of Emperor Raul at his failed campaign to the high city, the then unified Lorencia splitted. After a series of war, the continent finally settled with our own Disidia's birth 87 seasons ago. Also during Raul's siege they met a new entity that exceeded the silver knights, the golden knights. They say that it was a golden knight that killed Raul."

"...."

"Can our own Disidia stand against them, We are their closest neighbor?" asked by the now worried princess.

Miralia smiled at her princess finally caught up "Honestly your highness, I do not know. 1 of their silver knight equals to 100 normal knights and 100 normal knights is as strong as 60 regular soldiers. Our own Disidia only have 5000 knights not to mention the regular army that will be nothing but meatshields, the high city would only need around 100 of their silver ones to contain Disidia with still enough strength to proceed to the next kingdom."

"Then why won't we employ more knight? Our allies as well?"

"Princess, producing knights is not easy. You will need to throw resources for their growth and training both for martial arts and magic. Their upkeep is also high and 5000 is our current limit. And our allies fares worse, their combined knights only amounted to barely half of our own. That is why Disidia must thread carefully. We might be in a deep crisis far worst than the continental war."

Miralia and the princess stopped before the throne room's door. Seeing the princess silence, Miralia excused herself. 

"Well then your highness, I must go inside. Thank you for accompanying me. I'd love to bring you inside but I'm sure the shouting of senile old men will not ammuse you. Besides, the court rules will not allow the still young princess inside unless summoned."

The princess watched as Miralia enters the room catching a glimpse of the heated ruckus inside. 

"Right. That would definitely not ammuse me." She turns her back and went to her chambers. She is tired.