The way of royalty was different from the past. No longer was it known by its elegant colors, fine fabrics, and luxurious amenities. The royal status in 2091 was measured by power. The more power one held, the more royal they tended to be. Wealth was more important than any land someone owned. More money meant more power. More power meant more money. It was simply common sense. Everyone knew how it worked. They left it at that. They knew that true leaders were chosen by the size of their wallets. Not the size of their intelligence. Royal families bought their way into power by owning large corporations that ruled most of society. The more you owned, the more powerful and "royal" you were. The idea of choosing a leader based on their ideals was a thing of the past. Whoever bought the public's attention was who became the leader of their respective countries. Some men were so wealthy, they bought out entire governments. Of course, with the nature of men, they sought to rule it all alone. They congregated together, forming an elite group of "royalty", known to the world as the Peacemakers Union, or the PMU.
Some rulers within the PMU chose to lead their countries with golden hearts. Some chose to lead with an iron fist. They lead as they pleased, meeting to discuss matters within the union every so often. They agreed on most everything. They're peace seekers, after all.
"Kingdoms" that were a part of the PMU tended to be the choice societies around the world. Economies flourished within the boundaries of these lands. Everyone lived well-mannered lifestyles. Lower class individuals were almost non-existent. This was partially due to the fact that these kingdoms were small in populations. No man had ever had enough money to even attempt to buy out large superpowers. So, everyone within kingdom borders lived happily. Technology was advanced. Everything was electronic. The old-fashioned ways of living were gone. Computers ruled the inner workings of a person's life. Modern architecture was common. Sleek metal and stones were used on most buildings. Each landscape, however, had their own special difference. Some were more abstract-modern, while some stuck with a contemporary style. However, PMU countries blended together, politically, economically, and culturally.
The largest kingdom was the Kingdom of Briton, which was ruled by the Kirkland family. They exceeded in every way. Their economy was stable. Their people were the happiest. Even though their weather wasn't always fantastic. Rain was often pouring down onto the kingdom. Unpleasant, surely. But, Briton was the most luxurious kingdom to live in. No one worried about the weather. It was only a small disadvantage to life there.
The Kirkland family was a large family. James and Elizabeth Kirkland were the heads of the household. They had four sons, and one daughter. The eldest was Rory. Tall and handsome, and the heir to the family name. However, he was a failure to his family. He was cut from the family fortune after his lifestyle didn't compare to the Kirkland family name. Second eldest went by the name of Daniel. Quick and witty, but still quite the idiot. His trickery and jokes were all he was known for. He didn't want to rule anything. He just wanted the name. Third eldest was Alice, the only female. She was intelligent, and showed the qualities of a perfect leader. However, she was stubborn. Everything had to go her way, or it was wrong. The girl knew how to put people in their place. She was eventually given the title of heir. Her future was a bright one.
The 2nd youngest was Arthur. Arthur was the kindest, but grumpiest in the family. He had a sarcastic comment to everything and anything. He loved the rain, reading, and enjoyed embroidery. He was fascinated by history, especially stories of empires and pirates. He had a love for old-fashioned trinkets, collecting antiques from all over the world. He was bring, but he knew he was never going to be heir, since he was often hidden in the shadows of his elder sister's glory. Arthur didn't want the glory that his sister was given. He just wanted to live up to his expectations. Gain power, find a wife, have children, and so on. But, when it came to love, Arthur was a hopeless case. He never succeeded with women. They all knew he wasn't going to be heir. So they had no interest in him. It was a battle for him. He couldn't reach his expectations, but he knew he had to.
The Sovereign of Washington was the second largest country in the PMU. Washington was a step below Briton, but was still gorgeous. Everyone lived happily there. The atmosphere was relaxed and carefree, mostly coming from the leading family. The Jones family was small, for George and Nancy Jones only had 2 children of their own. Alfred, the eldest, was extraordinary. He was kind, handsome, a good leader, and was an all-around good guy. He enjoyed the relaxed lifestyle he carried. His days were spent socializing and networking. As the heir, he was taught that they way to lead a country was to learn what the people wanted. He talked to the citizens, listening to the comments and complaints. He put those into actions, beginning to change how his father ran things. Alfred was a leader with a heart of gold. Everyone knew he was going to succeed.
The youngest of the Jones family was Amelia. She was known for her beauty, even though she didn't think she was all that beautiful. She was nurturing, outgoing, friendly, bubbly, ambitious, and gentle. She knew how and when to have fun. She spent her days reading, playing on the computer, drawing, or relaxing outside and watching the world go by. Her father spoiled her growing up, but she came out of it with a gentle heart. Amelia was the face of the Jones family, even though the heir title was not going to be hers. Her smile was contagious, and most would say. Men flocked to her, but none of them really interested her. Her whole life was spent around people, so the normal man never caught her eye. She wanted to have her own family one day with a man she loved. However, she just couldn't find the right one to start it with.