O.M. Lindquist

King Harold’s family came into power in London three generations before he took the throne, winning the throne from King George I in a duel. While the country slowly fell into economic struggles as the Humphries family struggled to truly rule, Harold grew up in London avoiding his princely duties and pretending to be a normal teenager (despite being unemployed). There he encountered Amos Scarlett, a scrawny little teenager working two jobs and smuggling opium around the city. The two became fast friends and Amos showed Harold the true side of the city the Humphries family was ignoring.

There, Harold vowed to elect Amos an advisor to help him alleviate the poverty and the overworked middle class as soon as he was crowned king.

 

Two years pass and Harold has slipped into an opium addiction as Amos continued his work with a small merchant gang and slowly worked his way to running it by the time he turned twenty. Amos has married his childhood best friend, Helene, and they rule the underground syndicate together. Harold is crowned with Amos by his side and as soon as the festivities are over with, the two work tirelessly to alleviate the problems plaguing their city and country as a whole.

 

The size of the military is greatly decreased, and the money goes back to supporting the villages and cities within England that were struggling. The military became simply the royal guard, about a dozen warships to protect their island, about 200 soldiers to protect their land borders, and three dozen chartered pirate ships to help protect their trade routes. Amos handles everything: The Scarlet Sword (his crime syndicate), the military, trade, alliances, and the economy. The kingdom of England hadn’t prospered like this in a century. 

 

King Harold forged an alliance with the Mughal Empire through securing a marriage with a minor Lady by the name of Advika. The two of them almost shared a love for each other – as much as you can with an arranged marriage, at least.

 

They tried for two years to bear an heir to the throne, especially as Harold’s opium addiction worsened and worsened, but Queen Advika and King Harold were unlikely to have children of their own. They sought to adopt to secure a male heir. In a deal with a wealthy Egyptian merchant, the royal family adopted two sons: Ari, the eldest, and Nadheer, the youngest. The king and queen later changed their names to those with a more English feel. Ari was renamed Ivan and Nadheer became Morgan. Despite their origins, they were welcomed by the royal family and the country of England. A few years after, Queen Advika gave birth to their oldest daughter, Patience. Over the next three years she would have two more: Georgia and Lyra. 

 

Princess Patience was soon treated as if she was guaranteed the kingdom with the demise of her parents and the other four kids were pushed into the background.

 

Ivan grew close to Lyra and they often swapped places. Lyra always had more of a fondness for military training and athletics than Ivan and Ivan had more of an interest in music and dance.

 

Morgan and Georgia kept to the shadows, each staying under the radar to be able to indulge in their own unacceptable pleasures.