INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE SUN

With six out of the seven Little Suns gathered, the royalties began to chat with one another as they waited for the final one.

"Vivienne!" called Cedric to the crimson-haired Second Princess. "I heard your uncle made a great discovery in one of his mines recently."

"Why, yes, brother!" replied Vivienne. "He found this really beautiful gem in one of his oldest mines down south and it is rumored to be one of those legendary jewels. He plans to gift it to father on his birthday."

"Speaking of father's birthday, I heard the Najma Emirate are planning to prepare something special." said Chono. He turned to his dark-skinned sibling. "Is it true, Jasmine?"

"I didn't get to hear the details from my mother. But she did say that such arrangement was being made." replied the Third Princess. She turned to the blue-haired Third Prince. "By the way, I heard the eldest son of the Guardio family made a huge conquest in the Great Chasm frontier. Tell us about it, Josiah!"

"Ah! My cousin managed to kill this really huge monster that the Imperial Army had been hunting down for months. He intended to present the skull to father on his birthday banquet." told Josiah. He then turned to the long-haired Fourth Prince. "But killing a monster is nothing compared to what Chono's maternal grandfather did with the northern barbarians!"

"Please, brother! My grandfather simply came up with a pact with the Galtenger Tribes to supply the Empire with more ores they collected from the northern mountains." said Chono. He turned to the platinum-blonde-haired First Prince. "However, that act is pale in comparison to what the Vanitan family did to convince all the opposition nobles to support father's policy on the increased tax."

"My mother simply wanted to put father's mind at ease leading to his birthday." said Cedric. "So she urged her father and brother to talk to some people in regards of the tax policy."

The five royalties continued on talking about their maternal-side of family. They flaunted about the might and accomplishment their families possessed and done.

This conversation was intended as a statement of their power as the Little Suns of the Empire. The kind of people that backed their title as the heirs to the throne.

Aristo, of course, could not join in their act of power display. For he had no power whatsoever to show. All he could do was to listen how much weaker and insignificant he was compared to his siblings.

The five royalties kept conversing about themselves. Trying to establish, by implying, to one another that they were the rightful heir candidate to the throne.

It was definitely a wonder. Each five royalties had powerful families backing them up. Each with their own strength and weaknesses.

One would simply wonder who amongst the five would come out on top should they go head to head in the battle for the throne. Of course, such thought was also on the mind of Aristo's five siblings sitting with him at the round table.

Their conversation abruptly ended when an overwhelming aura flooded the meeting hall. The aura immediately caused the imperial army folks to be stiff like a statue while turning the six royalties in the room as well as their guardian knights and mages to be overcome with great uneasiness.

They all looked toward the door to see who was spreading this strong aura. It was then that the guardsman made an announcement to the new and final arrival.

"Presenting Her Highness the First Princess, Titania Arturian Doulosaima!"

The door swung open and entered an armored woman whose golden blonde hair was akin to the ray of the sun. Her entire existence was dignified and elegant. A commanding air ever-presently lingered around the woman.

From every pore of her being emanated this exact strong aura that was flooding the hall. The fact that her presence caused such pressuring atmosphere to the entire hall, even toward the six royalties, showed the immense superiority this woman had.

That phenomenal woman was, indeed, the First Princess, Titania Doulosaima.

Following behind Titania were two people. Unlike the others, Titania did not have a guardian knight with her. Judging from her intimidating-looking sword on her waist and formidable armor all over her body, one would think the princess needed not such protector.

Instead, Titania had two silver-haired men with her. They both were emanating with intense mana, even way more than the other mages in the hall.

Indeed, these two powerful mages were none other than Lucius and Desmond Edelweiss. Supporters of the First Princess and followers of Fortuna.

"Greetings, Your Highness." said General Vargas bowing her head.

"Forgive me for being late, general. I was preoccupied with private matters with my new aides as I was on my way here." said Titania with a polite smile. "Let's have tea later with my mother in order to make this up to you."

"No need, Your Highness. But I am honored for receiving an offer to share a table with someone as distinguished as you and Her Majesty the Empress."

The First Princess then turned her gaze to the six royalties who were sitting around the round table.

"I hope I didn't make you all wait long for me." said Titania to her siblings. "After all, how can I call myself your big sister if I couldn't set an example by arriving on time."

"Well, if you do feel bad for arriving late," said Cedric, the First Prince. He observed the overwhelming atmosphere inside the hall. "why don't you suppress that intense aura of yours? I believe some of the army officials are about to pass out."

Titania gasped and looked around in surprise, though her expression did not seem genuine.

"Oh, my apologies!" said the First Princess while retracting her aura back to herself and freeing the hall from the intense air. "Father said that an emperor must always present himself superior to others. Perhaps I still have a long way to go before I can truly follow his words and match up to him."

Titania then sat on the last empty chair around the table, not caring the fact that she just told everyone that she was imitating the habit of an emperor. If that was not a declaration of oneself that they should be the one to inherit the throne, then nothing is.

Even with her aura suppressed, Titania's presence was still overwhelming. So overwhelming to the point that her siblings could not help but remain agitated by her side. An indication of how much she excelled them from sheer power alone.

To make it worse, the two Edelweiss gentlemen accompanying the First Princess were exuding with intimidating mana. They caused the mages by the other royalties' side to be struck with great caution. Fearing the two silver-haired mages would devour them whole at any given time. 

Aristo felt like a weak toddler when he was in the presence of his five siblings. But he felt like an ant when he was in Titania's presence.

The Doomed Prince was then struck with a thought that stormed his head whenever he was seeing his brothers and sisters.

"(What is the point of me being here? Is there a reason for me to continue to persevere? Does my life have any value at all?)"