Today Is The Day You Die [TEXT]

>Like signing that official document making your nephew your heir. Man, you hate paperwork.

Man, you hate your nephew. The snide little brat always shows you up at royal functions, always coming in during your grand speeches during which he carts in the severed head of a dragon or has solved the mysteries of the mysteriously vanished continent of Aldor, who it turns out did not sink as everyone thought it had - its inhabitants just decided they could do with a nice holiday from terrestrial affairs and set off on an interstellar vacation. They have since returned to the planet when your nephew cobbled together some sort of transceiver or radio or whatever it is. Point is, he outdoes you every time. So naturally because you have no direct heir yourself he is set to become king after you die.

like declaring war on the neighboring kingdom

Not a bad idea. It would certainly give you some press, but which one?

There's the Kingdom of Medas up to the north, famed for its quarries where some of the finest magic grade jewels in all the lands are mined and shipped out to the rest of the world. It's also the nation with the largest abundance of wizards for the very same reason. The Queen of Medas holds total control over the military and law of her country, so in the event of attack they will be quick to mobilize.

There is also the Kingdom of Minos to the south. It is most famed for its agricultural advances and the martial prowess of its mightiest warriors, the Legion Galavar. It is a widespread nation split into eight Duchies. Every few weeks the Eight Dukes of Minos will gather in the capital and will discuss the issues that have arisen since they last met. The king's power is limited to settling disputes and petitioning the Duchies for troops in the event the kingdom is attacked.

And finally to the east is the Desert Kingdom of Dijarba. Most trade routes cross through this country and it is the number one source of most spices, making it probably the most wealthy of the countries on the continent. Its also known that it has the most bandits and hidden stores of stolen treasures have surely been accumulated over the years. The government is heavily centralized but prone to infighting, and the Queen of this country is also stated to be the fairest in all the lands.

Of course you don't have the political clout to declare war and even if you did your neighbors would laugh it off as another publicity stunt. That does not mean you can't try.

Like sleeping. Five more royal minutes!

You think you will take five and then consider your plans of continental conquest some more and you're feeling a bit sluggish. Surely a Five minute nap wouldn't hurt?

When you wake up forty-five minutes later, you only have twenty-three hours left to live.

What will you do now?

>_