Royal Family

The Royal Family (王家, Ōke) of the Kingdom of Lugunica was the family at the top of the country’s hierarchy, ostensibly making them the leaders of Lugunica. Although the royal family has been around since the time of the nation’s founding, the family is on the verge of extinction, and as such, there is no patriarch or matriarch.

Information

The royal family is one of the most respected houses in the nation, known for being quite lenient and kind in their ruling, and they are well known for sharing some of the same characteristics throughout every generation: golden hair and crimson eyes, a telltale mark of the royal family.^[1] The majority of the royal family have been shown to bend the rules when necessary in order to help their people, with a previous king, Gionis Lugunica, having gone out of his way to help the Sword Demon Wilhelm Trias reclaim his position within the Royal Army and obtain the acceptance of his replacing the Sword Saint of the time, Theresia van Astrea, to allow her to retire and marry peacefully. As such, they have commanded a surprising level of loyalty and love from the populace.

This being said, however, the overall rule of the royal family has declined over time, with most internal politics being left to the country’s Council of Wise Men. In fact, it can even be said that the royal family’s only true duty is to continue existing so that the covenant with the Divine Dragon does not dissolve and so that peace can be maintained. Because of this, the royal family acts more as a figurehead family with only relative authority over the country. Of course, this is not to say that they are completely absent from national politics; the royal family are educated in politics and other such things required of the ruling family in their youth. In times of crisis, such as the Raid of Argyle Manor or the Subjugation of the Blight Dragon, the royal family can even easily assemble the forces required to combat threats that can threaten the nation.

Unfortunately, the royal family has faced hardships in the present day that have led to their downfall and possible extinction. Approximately 14 years prior to the arrival of Natsuki Subaru into the world, at the same time as the Great Conquest, Filore Lugunica, the daughter of King Randohal Lugunica’s younger brother Prince Ford Lugunica, was kidnapped from the royal family in an incident known in the present as the Royal Abduction Incident. Though the incident has been kept quiet to the populace, it has resulted in the young princess’s name becoming something of a taboo that is not to be spoken of. More than a decade later, the royal family faced an unprecedented crisis: the entire family had fallen ill and collapsed, one after the other. In time, starting with the prince Zabinel Lugunica, the entire family started to die off, until finally, both Randohal and the fourth prince Fourier Lugunica died on the same day. As such, the royal family is either nearly or entirely extinct, with the only possible known survivor being the lost princess Filore. At present, while it is unconfirmed, due to her carrying the physical traits of the royal family and being roughly the same age as what Filore would be, Felt is heavily suspected to be the missing princess.

Lion King

In times past, there were kings known as Lion Kings (獅子王, Shishiō) that were regarded as sage kings whose uncanny intuition and leadership guided Lugunica to prosperity in the distant past. It is because of this that, in the past, the royal family carried significantly more influence than compared to the present, and once upon a time, the country and the royal family both carried the symbol of the lion rather than the Dragon. As of yet, there is only one known Lion King to have been named, and his name has carried a heavy influence as both the last known Lion King and for his efforts leading to the present day Kingdom: Farsale Lugunica, the man responsible for the covenant with the Divine Dragon.

Although there has not been a Lion King since Farsale, there have been those who have been considered to have the traits that could signify them as potential Lion Kings.^[2] In particular, there have been two others that have been claimed to have this potential: Emerada Lugunica and Fourier Lugunica. In the case of Emerada, Miklotov McMahon has recognized her as having the qualities of being a Lion King, and she was apparently wise and capable. However, she was also unusually cruel and dark for a member of the royal family,^[3] and as such, despised to the point that others did not want to provide her a funeral.^[4] On the other hand, Fourier has openly exhibited intuition reminiscent of past Lion Kings, including seemingly being able to predict the future with surprising accuracy, such as when he had the feeling that the wheel of a carriage would soon break, or before the Raid of Argyle Manor, in which his bad feelings came true.^[5] He also displayed intelligence and wisdom beyond his years, to the point that Miklotov believed him to also have the potential to be a Lion King. However, due to the skepticism of Fourier’s tutor toward the concept and neglecting to inform the man of the prince’s intuition, Fourier’s standing as a potential Lion King was left up in the air, and as such, his eventual death became little more than a footnote compared to the death of his father.

Divine Dragon’s Covenant

During the era of the Witches of Sin, the last Lion King Farsale went on a journey with several other famous historical figures: the Sage, the Witch of Greed, the first Sword Saint, Hoshin of the Wilderness, and the Witch of Envy. Though it is unknown how these travels occurred, in time came the Great Calamity, in which Satella was corrupted by the Witch Factor of Envy and set to destroy half of the world. Although it is unknown specifically when it happened, either before or after the Great Calamity, Farsale, who had befriended the Divine Dragon Volcanica, made a covenant with it which claimed that so long as the royal family existed, Volcanica would protect the nation from outside threats. This covenant went on to shape the future of the nation and went a long way to prevent further skirmishes with Lugunica’s neighbor, Vollachia. Because of this, the symbol of the nation, the lion, was passed onto the House Karsten, the family of Dukes and extremely loyal retainers to the royal family, while the nation became known as the Dragon Kingdom, and it took up the Dragon as its symbol.

It is because of the peace and prosperity brought about by the insurance of the covenant, however, that the royal family began losing its overall influence in national politics. As the need for a Lion King, of which there had been no more since Farsale, had become unnecessary, the royal family, in time, came to be little more than a family meant solely for upholding the covenant. This overreliance on the Divine Dragon’s protection eventually came back to bite everyone involved. As the nation settled for peace without conflict, as the royal family became less and less relevant to maintaining the country, the country became weaker and weaker over the centuries, and eventually, the royal family fell ill. Because of the deaths of the royal family, the covenant seems to be on the verge of shattering, which has led to the current Royal Selection in order to maintain it.

While the covenant seems to be on the verge of breaking, however, Felt, who is suspected of being the missing princess Filore, seems to have a heavy sway on the Divine Dragon, so much so that she has been compared to Farsale, and as such, she may possibly be the only thing keeping the covenant and the royal family afloat. However, though she is merely suspected of being Filore and there is no way to confirm her heritage, this is merely speculation.

History

Within 1000 BA

• Numerous Lion Kings have been born and led the Kingdom of Lugunica to prosperity.

400 BA

• Farsale Lugunica, the last Lion King, set out on a journey with Flugel, Echidna, Reid Astrea, Alec Hoshin, and Satella.
• At some point, Farsale befriended Volcanica, and he made a covenant with it to protect the Kingdom.
• At some point, Farsale became the 35th King of Lugunica.

Approximately 50 BA

• Princess Emerada Lugunica died at a young age due to a mysterious disease. For unknown reasons, the news of her death was kept secret for many years after. For yet stranger reasons, she was refused a state funeral, the reason vaguely being that “the national sentiment was against it”.

40 BA

• Following the end of the Demi-Human War and Wilhelm’s intrusion on Theresia’s commemoration ceremony, Gionis spoke with Theresia regarding Wilhelm’s treatment and her retirement, and he allowed both his pardon and her retirement in exchange for the two’s marriage.
• Gionis bore witness to Wilhelm’s battle against the Zergev Squadron and Carol Remendis, and after Wilhelm’s victory and Theresia’s intrusion, he reinstated Wilhelm as the Captain of the Zergev Squadron.
• Gionis attends Wilhelm and Theresia’s marriage ceremony.

39-38 BA

• Gionis speaks to the imprisoned Valga Cromwell regarding Sphinx’s forbidden art and is given information on how it worked.
• During the Subjugation of the Blight Dragon, Gionis arrived at Picoutatte called upon Volcanica to end the incident.

After 38 BA

• At some point, Gionis was succeeded by his son, Randohal, who became the 41st King of Lugunica.

Between 20-11 BA

• Fourier met Crusch Karsten in the gardens of the royal castle. After meeting her and becoming infatuated with her, as well as giving her the courage to be herself, Fourier began practicing with the sword.

14 BA

• During the conflicts surrounding the Great Conquest, Ford Lugunica meets with Valga Cromwell, who at this point has been freed from captivity, and he entrusts an infant to him.
• Filore Lugunica, the infant daughter of Ford Lugunica was kidnapped by a perpetrator who snuck into the castle undetected. The princess was never recovered. Though a false allegation, Heinkel Astrea was suspected to be a perpetrator of the incident. The Royal Abduction Incident and even the existence of the child was not publicly known, but the kidnapping of the royal baby would have major consequences within the internal society of the Royal Guard. It is one of few events not recorded in the Dragon History Stone. However, a current Royal Selection candidate, Felt, who is known to have the signature features of the Lugunica family, is suspected to be Filore.

7 BA

• Zabinel Lugunica was set to be engaged to the granddaughter of Azah Febry, a member of the Council of Wise Men.

6 BA

• With assistance from Ferris, Fourier escaped from a political marriage with the daughter of a Gustekan archbishop, resulting in her marrying Misère instead.

3 BA

• Fourier battled Crusch in order to make her attend her own birthday party.
• During Crusch’s party, Fourier covers for Crusch after she goes to assist in the battle against the Great Rabbit, which is what allowed her to become known as the Valkyrie.

1 BA

• Fourier and the Royal Treatment Center recommend Ferris for the Royal Guard, leading to his inauguration.
• At an unknown point, the members of the royal family contract a disease.
• After hearing of troubles surrounding House Argyle, Crusch decides to handle the problem on her own and confers with Fourier about keeping it secret from Ferris.
• Fourier informs Ferris of Crusch’s intentions, and after learning of her going missing and the undead appearing around Biehn’s residence, Fourier takes Ferris and Julius Juukulius to the manor while Badak gathers reinforcements for the Raid of Argyle Manor.
• After Crusch was recovered and Argyle Manor burned down, Fourier collapsed to the disease, and soon after, the other members of the royal family fell ill.

1 Year-9 Months BA

• Starting with Zabinel Lugunica, the royal family begins to die off. Eventually, Fourier died in Crusch’s lap, and on the same day, Randohal died as well, making Fourier’s death a footnote in comparison. Their deaths became the trigger for the Royal Selection, which was set to determine the next monarch of the Kingdom in order to maintain the covenant with the Divine Dragon.

Members

• Farsale Lugunica
• Emerada Lugunica
• Gionis Lugunica
• Randohal Lugunica
• Ford Lugunica
• Zabinel Lugunica
• Fourier Lugunica
• Filore Lugunica

Trivia

• Although not members of the royal family, the Royal Selection candidates are considered the equivalent to Lugunica’s royalty during the Royal Selection, and the next monarch will be not just a member of the new royal family, but also a Dragon Maiden.
• Despite Emerada's supposed death, a Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, Capella Emerada Lugunica, seems to share her name. Likewise, though her true form is unknown due to her Authority of Lust, the form she most commonly transforms into bears an uncanny resemblance to a member of the royal family, having the characteristics of both golden hair and crimson eyes. She also seems to bear a similar vile personality that Emerada was said to have.

References

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