The flames of a ten-year civil war that had scorched the Kingdom Terra has finally been

quenched by combined forces of Lord Richard Themis of the Dikaiosyni Region, and the Royal
Army of Terra. There is little time to rest as reconstruction and government reforms begin. The
once unbreakable bond between King Senex Regius-Fidelis and the commander of the Royal
Army, Master Tactician William Courage, has fallen into shambles over the birth of two royal
heirs, Prince Aspero Apregantius Regius-Fidelis and his twin sister, Princess Hope Regius-Fidelis.

M. T. Courage watches in horror as Queen Nova grooms the young Princess Hope for her future
role as queen of Terra and protector of House Fidelis. In the deepest form of betrayal, M.T.
Courage realizes that the Regius-Fidelis dynasty will continue to a sixth reign, something he
can't allow. Seizing on the olive branch offered by King Senex to train the young Prince Aspero,
M.T. Courage begins to train the Prince while planning to assassinate him, so that he might
prevent the continuation of the Regius-Fidelis Dynasty.

At the age 16, Prince Aspero has become a skilled swordsman under the teaching of the palace
blacksmiths. In addition to his physical training, Prince Aspero is instructed in tactical training
from M.T. Courage. Prince Aspero, a fiercely independent and proud child, begins to distance
himself from M.T. Courage as he suspects a growing hostility between them. Prince Aspero
begins to associate with the servants of the garden and spends time carrying for the rose
bushes.

The Prince's coming of age arrives and he is given formal command of a northern army in the
Eleos Region. Desiring to test the resolve of the Prince in battle, M.T. Courage purposefully uses
his office in the Senate, Administrator of War, to allow false documents to be captured along
the northern border. These documents provoke an invasion from the Kingdom of Calaed. Prince
Aspero is sent to meet this invasion at a place called Mercy's Valley.

Prince Aspero's victory belongs to him alone, as M.T. Courage refuses to provide any tactical
aid. He does note the Prince's bravery and courage to fight along the troops on the front rather
than lead from the rear.

During the aftermath of the battle Prince Aspero befriends Junior Marshal Arthur Green, a
military officer in the Senate. Junior Marshal Arthur Green mentions that he is investigating the
leakage of documents to the Kingdom of Calaed.
Following the completion of the Burials of the dead, Prince Aspero falls gravely ill. As his fever
worsens and the Terran doctors fail to breaking the fever, an Echonian named Stephanius
Supero intervenes and successfully nurses the Prince back to full health. In return for saving the
Prince’s life, Stephanius Supero, at age 22, becomes a personal doctor to the Prince. A high
honor for a half-elf/half-human.

Frustrated by his failure to kill the Prince, and the mounting pressure of Senatorial
investigations, M.T. Courage seeks a more radical approach assassinate the Prince. Relying on
his dwindling friendship with King Senex, M.T. Courage achieves permission to send Prince
Aspero and his army against the Echonian tribes (The race of half-elves/half-humans) that
inhabit the eastern border of the Amare Region. It is well known that a Terran Army can easily
defeat any force the Echonian tribes can field.

Using his authority as Administrator of War, M.T. Courage changes the marching routes. This
change puts the Prince's forces on a path toward the superior Lunar Elven forces. An Elven
Army can easily defeat a Terran Army in a standard fight--let alone in an ambush. To improve
his chances of success, M.T. Courage sends dispatches to the Elven General guarding the city
High Pines. Wanting to ensure the success of his plan, M.T. Courage adjusts the tactical analysis
of the marching orders to prevent Prince Aspero from establishing a van-guard.

The Prince remains unaware of M.T. Courage’s treachery until the eve of the final march. Prince
Aspero begins to review the plans he was given and compares them with the general marching
plans sent to his general staff. He notices a few differences between the marching routes
written on his orders and the marching routes written on the general staff orders. Realizing the
potential danger, Prince Aspero stays up to properly identify the army’s location.

Deciding to press forward, Prince Aspero placed a strong portion of his army as a van-guard.
The Elves, seeing the approach of the Terran Army, believes it is the main body, not the van-
guard. They ambush the van-guard; fortunately, the van-guard fights long enough for the Prince
to arrive on the scene and take charge. The early attack from the Elves left them exposed to the
main body of the Terran Army. The Elves put up significant resistance, but were broken by a
Paladin charge led by the Prince himself.

Both sides suffer heavy losses, but the Elves yield the field to the Prince. In the aftermath the
army recollects and begins the honor burials. After the battle, a captured Elven Priest is brought
before the Prince. In exchange for his freedom Ka Lunar, the Elven Priest, informs the Prince of
M.T. Courage’s betrayal.

Taking matter into his own hands, Prince Aspero seeks the aid of Stephanius Supero to poison
M.T. Courage. Prince Aspero then leaves the battlefield and sneaks into Terra. With the
assistance of the palace servants, Prince Aspero poisons M.T. Courage. The next morning when
Junior Marshal Arthur Green is preparing to arrest M.T. Courage, the body of M.T. is found. It is
accepted that he died in his sleep of natural causes.

Prince Aspero returns to Terra. He receives the news of his former mentor and first servant's
death. Prince Aspero leads the funeral rites; afterwards, he requests permission from his father
to retire to the Courage Estate to pay tribute to the family for M.T. Courage's services. The
request is granted; Prince Aspero leaves Terra.

Stephanius Supero requests permission from King Senex to return to Echonia in order to honor
his father, who has succumbed to old age. Reluctantly, King Senex allows the Echonian to leave.

Junior Marshal Arthur Green presents his explanation of the catastrophe miscommunication of
the marching orders of Prince Aspero’s army to the Senate. Junior Marshal Arthur Green
refrains from disgracing the name of M.T. Courage, and instead lays the fault on a miss-filing of
premature invasion plans. Junior Marshal Arthur takes note of the Senators that looked
relieved that no scandal was uncovered. Junior Marshal Arthur Green is promoted to Senior
Marshal and his former office is given to Alorius Themis, the only son of Lord Richard Themis.

While paying respects at the Courage Estate, Prince Aspero stumbles upon the writings of M.T.
Courage. Among these writings is the journal of Courage. This journal expresses M.T. Courage’s
concerns of the continuation of the Regius-Fidelis Dynasty, a dynasty built off incest; because of
these rational concerns, Prince Aspero begins to review his relationship with his sister, Princess
Hope.