A royal courier on horseback rode up to Nocturne Castle with a satchel strapped over him. He held himself with high regard in being an official mail carrier of Emporus, and that of RAM. He had traveled to many locations over the continent of Grandom, delivering time sensitive and important messages from the world government to influential establishments for several decades.

  He had seen many kingdoms, many castles, and countless buildings of exquisite design.

  But none of them met the courier with the same enchanting feeling of seeing Nocturne Castle for the first time. It was not the most impressive castle out there, but the setting and location of the stone fortress brought a specific beauty not found elsewhere. Its chiseled grooves and carved designs gave a home to pockets of snow, bringing white, frosty accented lines to the castle that none other could boast of.

  The courier had doubts about what lay at the end of the road into the Murok Mountains. A neatly paved road leading far into the isolated north felt more suspicious than promising, but he was relieved upon his arrival.

  "So its true, Nocturne Castle really exists.

  ...Beautiful. Stunning, even," the courier spoke to himself shortly before bringing his horse to the stables.

  As he guided his steed to the left of the castle, where all carts and those pulling them were processed, he met with a logistical worker who took the horse's straps in hand.

  "Business?" The servant asked of the royal courier.

  "I have a parcel to deliver to King Marin. Please direct me to the throne room," he responded with all the authority he could muster.

  The servant almost audibly chuckled. "Marin never sits on the throne. Head inside, the office is down the main hall and to the left. Ask for Helva." The response was very automated, as if he had given the similar instruction many times.

  What kind of king never sat on his own throne? The courier was quite disturbed to hear that Marin never took time to position himself in a royal manner.

  He watched as his personal horse was stabled and fed. Satisfied with the service, he headed into the castle, keeping in mind the stablehand's directions. With a tightly gripped leather bag, he paced the hall, taking in the midday bustle of the castle, and gazing upon the shops and taverns that lined the spacious hall on either side.

  Castle citizens of Marin's kingdom passed by him or lounged in corners, watching the courier go by. The castle was large, and this grand hallway of commerce represented the thriving population of a town within the walls of the kingdom.

  The man at last approached the end of the hallway, which emptied out into the grand entrance of the castle. He gazed up at the red hanging banners which were nailed to the oak rafters above. They were flawless, newly purchased, and expertly made. Each sight the courier took in while visiting Nocturne only impressed him more.

  Whoever was running this joint must have deep pockets.

  After enough of the sightseeing, the courier did take that left. It led to a stairway which brought him to the archway of the castle's main office. Inside, he spotted an older woman with hair of both gray and brown, and glasses over tired eyes.

  She was busy addressing paperwork, and reading out lines of orders to another man with silver hair and a trimmed beard.

  "Hello?" The courier tried after watching them for a few moments undisturbed.

  Both of them looked up.

  "Can I help you?" Loid asked.

  "I am a courier of Irongrip. I have a letter of express delivery for King Marin." He flipped open the leather satchel by his waist and pulled out a thick envelope that had been cushioned with padding inside the bag.

  Loid watched the letter leave its protected container. Even with the fancy blue wax seal, it seemed overkill to safeguard mail to that extent. But then he knew in that moment exactly why. This was none other than a declaration of the High Council's decision about the Nocturne Kingdom.

  Looking over at Helva, her face was just as anxious. She also knew what this was.

  "I'll get the King immediately," Loid informed the courier before taking off down the hall.

  Helva clasped her hands in excitement. Marin had been hounding her nearly every day asking about if the letter had arrived. Even with assuring him that he'd be the first to know, Marin wouldn't stop asking.

  "Are you aware of what the contents are inside that parcel?" Helva asked the courier.

  "No ma'am. They just give me what I need to deliver. I never bore myself with details about what I'm delivering. Not that they'd tell me even if I asked."

  All the work that Helva had submerged herself in earlier was all put on pause for this momentous occasion. Whatever documents in front of her that needed addressed were most definitely going to wait until later.

  After a few more minutes, Loid stormed back in with the masked King of Nocturne.

  "Hello! It's good to see you!" Marin immediately fired off with an extended hand.

  The courier didn't have much of a choice but to vigorously shake hands with the King. He was intrigued to see Marin donning no crown, wearing conservative clothing, and concealing his face and body entirely.

  "Hi there… You're King Marin of Nocturne?" He asked with doubt.

  "Indeed I am! I understand you have mail for me?"

  The courier looked to Helva, then to Loid, then back to the King's black mask.

  Well, it wasn't his job to determine anything. He had an authentication system already in place, and if Marin passed, that was good enough for him.

  "...I do." The courier then produced a small booklet and flipped it open. On one of the pages was an empty box beside a symbol.

  "Your seal for identification, please," he instructed while holding the booklet open in front of the king.

  Helva had already pulled out an ink pad.

  "Ah, yes of course. That's good you have a system in place for important mail such as this," Marin spoke as he pressed his ring into the black ink sponge.

  He then stamped his seal onto the empty box in the small book.

  The courier turned the booklet back to himself to study the seal, and compare it to the one he was given.

  They were indeed the exact same symbol. Marin was the valid wielder of the King's seal.

  "Alright, everything checks out," he declared as he closed the confirmation book. He then handed over the thick envelope to Marin specifically.

  It was as if Marin was holding gold for the first time. He held the envelope with both hands, eager to read the response.

  "Can we get you anything?" Loid then asked the royal courier. "May we put you up for the night?"

  "Accommodations are already provided to me. I thank you for the offer, but I will be fine," he responded. "It's a nice castle you have here, I will say that. Enjoy the rest of your day."

  With that, the courier nodded his head, and stepped out of the main office, ready to depart just as soon as he had arrived.

  Marin stood there, frozen in anticipation, grasping the letter. This was either going to be his approval, or the start of a long, drawn-out process. He had waited for this event for quite a while, and it was almost unbelievable that it was finally here. While he greatly wanted his home and citizens formally recognized, he prepared himself for a negative response.

  "...Well? Are you going to open it?" Loid finally asked.

  Marin shook himself out of a deep thought. "Hm? Oh! Yes, I'm sorry. Gather Harrel, let's reveal the answer in the back meeting room."

  Marin, Loid, Helva and Harrel met in the back of the office hall. In the center of the room was a long round table. This was the same meeting room that poker was played in frequently during the evenings after the office was closed for the day.

  Harrel closed the door behind him, and the four sat at the table. With Marin in the middle, he rested the envelope on the table and gave a preparation speech before cracking open the blue wax seal.

  "I know we're all excited right now, but let's head into this expecting a denial from RAM. That way, when we read about it, we're not let down too hard. But if it is a yes, then we can celebrate," Marin tried telling his staff.

  "At least if it is a no, we will understand the reason why," Helva added. "And we can work on the parts they have taken issue with."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "They may have denied us just because of the political tension that would rise from a new kingdom," Harrel spoke, throwing out a dreary hypothetical.

  Helva faced her husband with a look of annoyance. "At least we would know it was no shortcoming on our part."

  "Just open the damn thing already!" Loid bellowed out, wanting greatly to skip the formalities.

  "Alright, alright." Marin took a deep breath. He picked up the envelope, and slid his fingers under the fold. With some force, he lifted upward, and broke the wax seal.

  The tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

  Marin lifted the flap of the envelope, and grabbed the wad of folded papers inside. Everyone watched intently. He pulled them out, setting the envelope aside.

  Marin unfolded the mail and began reading the front page.

  Loid could hear the blood flowing in his ears.

  After a short moment that felt like an eternity, Marin dropped the papers onto the desk and grabbed his head as he lowered it.

  "WHAT?!" Loid demanded.

  "...We're a Kingdom."

  Loid shot up and did a cheer. Helva began clapping. Harrel sat back with a sly grin on his face, happy to see they got approved on their first attempt. The noise they made could be heard outside the private meeting room.

  "I can't believe it! Is it really true?" Loid added.

  "Entirely," Marin said after a moment to recover himself from the overwhelming relief he felt. "But, sit back down. There's more to read."

  After the four of them released their excitement and calmed down, Marin began again.

  "I'm going to read the letter to you all. Afterwards, we will go over the additional paperwork they sent us," Marin announced.

  With everyone in full attention again, Marin started reading out the formal message from RAM.

  "Dear Sullivan Marin of Nocturne Castle, the Revolution Against the Monarch wishes you well. The current ruling body of our governance has recently reviewed an application for recognizing Nocturne as a formal Kingdom. We have completed our study, and conclude that your establishment does meet all the requirements we have put in place."

  That last statement brought much validation to Helva. She had made great strides to ensure that Nocturne passed in all areas that RAM required, no matter how ridiculous or insignificant they seemed to her. She had worked hard with Loid to see that all facilities had been established properly. Every hoop and obstacle had been overcome. Every bit of paperwork filed.

  "As a result, the high council and agency have taken vote on your elevation during our latest convening. We are pleased to inform you that Nocturne has reached a majority in approval. You are now formally recognized as a sovereign Kingdom on the continent of Grandom. As a result, your governing body is now responsible for the population of your realm, including the law and order that would be instilled therein.

  Included with this letter are all the allocations that RAM has granted you, as well as all the requirements to uphold these privileges. Should you ever be found to fall short in the requirements as written in the Codex, we may convene in an effort to remove your status.

  Congratulations once again on the success of your endeavors. We wish the Nocturne Kingdom a prosperous future, and one that can bring glory to its citizens and to its parent governing body, RAM. We will be in contact again once our emissary arrives at your state.

  Long live RAM, long live Nocturne."

  With the final line of the letter read, Marin rested the paper on the table.

  "This is great news, Sullivan. I know all of us here made quite an effort to bring Nocturne into a recognizable Kingdom. To be so lucky as to get approval on the first voting, it must be a sign," Loid shared.

  "I too am shocked. I know I should be feeling relief, but the anxiety has not removed itself," Marin responded.

  "I can tell you why," Harrel said, pointing to the papers underneath the letter.

  Indeed, with the letter of approval was a thick wad of papers listing the requirements and guidelines the Kingdom would now need to follow in order to maintain their status. Harrel had a good idea what a lot of those would be, unfortunately.

  Marin moved the front letter, and began with the following page.

  "At least they were kind enough to start off with the rights we now have," Marin announced, studying the next page. "I'll read it all to you."

  The next hour was spent going over the papers RAM had sent them.

  They did indeed own the land beneath the castle now in almost every way. They were gifted a modest twenty mile radius to begin with, but it was described how the jurisdiction could be expanded with further inspections as the kingdom grew.

  Marin now had the power to build, zone, and alter the land around the castle in any way he deemed fit. He held the power to deny anyone use of the land as well, even to the point of banning them from setting foot.

  He could create and alter laws, hold people prisoner, and held the power of execution within his own realm – a privilege that was not to be taken lightly. Marin also had the ability to send a representative of his Kingdom to Emporus, where they could petition on behalf of Nocturne.

  One of the most important new perks was the backing they received. Attacking Nocturne was now a violation of RAM, and if stationed RAM soldiers were attacked, it was a federal offense. They were protected in an especially high manner whenever RAM ordered troops to barricade at the Kingdom, a tactic they made use of in anticipation of future conflicts.

  Marin and his staff were happy to hear of all the new perks and rights they were granted, but the fun time ended there. The next several pages were requirements that needed to be upheld, and many of them would end up costing them.

  The new tax rate was one of the biggest concerns.

  "We have a new tax system. We start at a flat rate of 1000 gold a month. Then there's a 12.5% on the kingdom's revenue, as well as an additional ten silver per citizen."

  "A THOUSAND GOLD!? We were only paying them 200 before!" Loid yelled with disbelief.

  "A thousand to start," Marin reiterated. "We have some 300 citizens, so that's just 30 more gold, not a huge deal. But then the revenue…" Marin looked to Harrel.

  Harrel was the kingdom's financial accountant. He knew every bit of information about the kingdom's gold spending. "We're currently making about 4,500. That's about another 500 gold added to the bill," he stated.

  Marin nodded. "That's fifteen hundred a month we'll be paying them. And it will be climbing over time."

  "Marin, we are NOT in a state to make those payments. The 4,500 we bring in is already not covering what we spend," Loid mentioned.

  Loid should have altered the statement. They were fully capable of making the payments, but it would just lead to a faster depletion of the vault. Marin knew this, and it was troubling him greatly.

  "Harrel, can you break down what we spend?" Marin requested after a moment of silence.

  "We spend 900 a month on food. Almost 1,300 on upkeep, and about 3,600 on wages. If you include the previous tax rate, the kingdom spent 6,000 gold a month. We've ran a deficit for quite a while," Harrel easily rattled off.

  "So we've been in the hole for 1,500 gold each month," Marin stated with dread.

  "It had been more than that, but the revenue has increased recently to a higher amount," Harrel added.

  "With the new tax rate, our deficit will double," Marin analyzed while drumming his fingers on the table in deep thought.

  It was quiet for a moment. Marin had a question on his mind he was loathe to ask, but it could be avoided no longer.

  "...How's the status of the vault?" He finally asked.

  Loid lowered his head.

  Marin then looked to Helva.

  She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "...About a fifth of the gold from it is gone."

  "A FIFTH?!" Marin yelled out, a sudden burst that was never seen from the well-tempered King.

  Loid was running his hand through his combed back hair. "That's… a harsh estimate. It's more like a sixth."

  Marin couldn't believe this.

  "I wanted to know when it was a TENTH! What do you mean a FIFTH?! Have you both seriously not communicated this with me?!"

  "We definitely had the mind to tell you," Loid tried.

  "Unbelievable! The fortune under the castle has depleted this much and I'm just now learning about it?! Anything else of dire nature that you'd like to tell me?" A furious Marin demanded.

  There was no response.

  "God, help me. I expected more from you two. What saddening news this is to hear about."

  "To be fair, Marin, you've avoided this as much as we have. I find it quite shocking that you haven't once looked in the vault yourself, and have entirely dodged any conversation on the Kingdom's finances!" Helva wisely retaliated. "We haven't brought the matter to your attention yet because we have dreaded your reaction!"

  Marin would've liked to argue the truth of Helva's words, but as he reflected on himself right now, this reaction was exactly what she was referencing.

  "That's… that's…" Marin deflated. He sighed in realization, and recollected himself. "Then that is my own fault."

  He stepped out of his chair, and turned away to face the wall.

  The tension in the room was thick, and no one was sure what to say at the moment. It stayed silent, but finally, Marin spoke again.

  "This is a bad situation we're in. I have cornered myself," he commented in defeat.

  Loid believed Marin was freaking out over the gold spent way more than he should be. He should know that a majority of the money went to restoring the castle in the first place, a cost that was worth years of the deficit they currently ran at. Marin seemed to be having a meltdown as if all that was left of the gold was a fifth, not just a fifth removed.

  It was becoming apparent that nothing bothered the King quite like learning that his gold was shrinking away. It looked to be a reaction on par with if someone died.

  "Listen, Sullivan," Loid began. "Most of that gold spent was for rebuilding Nocturne in the first place. You didn't think that would make a large dent?"

  Marin was silent. Loid just gazed at the back of his robes.

  "...You realize that what we take now is just a modicum of what we've spent before?" He added.

  "A modicum," Marin finally spoke. "A modicum that is doubling, and growing over time. And if ignored, will eventually run me out."

  "We've been trying to find new sources of income, my King," Harrel responded.

  Marin turned back around to face them. "We're not trying hard enough. I need you all to brainstorm new ways we can make money. I of course will spend my nights doing the same. We need to finally end the hemorrhaging of the vault. Something I've sworn to do, but still haven't."

  "We can always cut back on our own spending to assist that. We don't need to be eating steak every night. And we pay our citizens well, really well, despite offering food and housing for free," Loid offered.

  "Absolutely not. I won't lower my Kingdom's morale or put into question my ability to take care of you all," Marin responded.

  "None of us would ever think that, Marin," Helva interjected. "We have a standard of living here that's miles better than anything to be expected."

  "I appreciate that, Helva. But that would be a last resort. For now, we will begin paying the heightened tax rate while thinking of new ways to make the gold back."

  Marin checked the time. "...I think we've all had enough stress in this moment. Remember, we just became a Kingdom. Let's focus on that for now and celebrate our elevation. I will make an announcement at dinner tonight.

  I thank you all for your help, and I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. We will figure this out."

  The meeting was then adjourned.