The Children of the Damned - SYOC

by Sora Kalopsia

When King Christian changes the laws of Illéa so that he can chose out of his five, illegitimate heirs who will proceed him after his death, no one knows who exactly will take over the country. Now, after the death of one of the most despised rulers Illéa has ever seen, the Chosen Heir inherits a country about to tear itself into pieces and a Selection, at once. SYOC CLOSED.

1. Wait For It

Chapter One - Wait for It

"I am the one thing in life I can control."

The death of a monarch is always one that it is met with some turbulence, no matter how many precautions are placed into effect to attempt to counteract the universe's plan. More often than not, however, rulers had transferred power over to their heir many years before the reaper came for their soul. This helped the country continue to prosper during the tragedy, or at least survive. Rebels or conspirators will always kindle some kind of a spark during such a time period, in an unusual show of grief. Normally, though, families with long lines and histories traced back to royalty have little trouble, if not emotionally, than economically retaining a balance over their provinces during a swap of power.

The death of King Christian, however, was not one that would or could ever be considered 'ordinary'. As the man lay coughing on his death bed, all of Illéa huddled around their television screens, eagerly awaiting what promised to be the most interesting transfer of power to be seen in the last hundred years.

So such was the state of the nation, the collective thoughts of all individuals focusing on the one pressing issue that would determine everything. There was so much to be gained or lost. The reign of King Christian had not been a pleasant one, marked with famine, war, and pestilence. The country had lost several key allies, Italy included, and the fighting both internally and externally had increased tenfold. Not a person wasted a breath on words of sadness for the King, or loss. No one would miss the ruler, who had been a particularly unpleasant person, even as monarchs went.

Despite being only fifty, the man lay on his death bed. The cause of the accelerated demise had not been released to presses, but most of the citizens thought that his reign of nearly thirty years had not been nearly short enough. He was one of the few monarchs that had not, even in poor health, chosen to relinquish power to one of his five children.

And it was the question of who was to be the heir that was the question on everyone's mind as they waited for the announcement that the King had left the world.

The dying monarch's reign had been plagued with misfortune and rife with misdeeds. His parents had been killed early in his life, leaving him King before he had even become an adult. His coronation had happened a month into his Selection, along with a rushed marriage to a girl from Allens, named Angelica Simmons. For a few months, the country was relatively prosperous. When a rebel attack stripped the palace and was responsible for the death of his new wife of three months, Christian became cruel and unreasonable. He was never remarried, but had numerous mistresses that he kept in the palace, who had birthed him his children and given him an heir.

The only question was who was the heir.

Traditionally, illegitimate children, or half-royals, were killed to assure the stability of the royal family. However, this law was only called into effect when there was a full heir. As the Queen Angelica had been killed before granting the kingdom an heir and Christian had never remarried, the King saw no reason to end the lives of the children. In fact, he worked to change the laws of Illéa that had stood for centuries.

If no true heir was birthed, the current monarch had the right to choose his or her successor among all the eligible parties.

This, of course, meant that even after King Christian departed this world, he had put into place an insurance policy of some sort.

Being able to choose who he handed the nation down to ensured that any child that did not agree with his or her father's policies would not have any power after his demise, whether they were the eldest or not. It allowed him to ensure that his line did not die out, and pass along the nation he had worked so hard to control was kept in his offspring's hand. In changing the law, he had effectively kept control even after his death. The palace was very heavily guarded and no one had seen how it was run. For all the country knew, one of the children could have been trained for this since the day of their birth.

And so, as the reporters informed the nation that the King had passed and that the reading of his will to his five children was happening as they spoke, citizens in each of the 35 provinces held their breath and awaited the name of their new monarch.

"I am inimitable. I am an original."

Despite the fact their father had died, none of the four Royal children who sat in one of the many palace meeting rooms shed tears for him. He had not been a kind father, much as he had not been a good king. Their minds were focused on one thing at the moment, and that was what the paper contained that the man who would read the King's will, Lord Blakely, had in his slightly trembling hands.

The four young adults chose to sit far apart from each other. All were only related to each other through their father, and being half-siblings, had never been extremely close. Each had done their best to convince their father to leave Illéa in their hands. After the law change, there had been hope for all of them, not just the eldest. Now was the moment they had waited for all their lives.

There were five Royal children in total, but only four that currently occupied the room. Weston was running late. This was not an uncommon occurrence, no matter how unappealing the trait was. In fact, Weston seemed to be in a constant state of perpetual lateness. Usually, his siblings chose to ignore the habit of their brother, but today was inexcusable.

"Doesn't he know how important this day is?" Princess Juliet spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. The most rebellious one in the room, she also happened to be the most vocal in her dislikes. Her voice was cold and biting, leaving none in doubt that she had aimed her words in an attempt to start an argument. Despite the fact that she was a year younger than Weston, her voice carried authority that no one could question. In disdain, she tossed a lock of dark hair behind her shoulder and glared around the room, challenging any of the rest to stand up for their sibling.

None of the other three had made any plans to defend their brother, although the youngest child in the room, Elyse, felt a twinge of guilt at that. At 14, she was not only the youngest but also the only one to share the same mother and father as one of her siblings. Weston, in fact. Though perhaps closer to him than with the other three, she couldn't help agreeing with Juliet that his lateness to this event was an offense that could not be overlooked.

Behind her, lounging on a couch easily, Prince Jasper gave an amused smile at his younger sister's harsh words. The only other male Royal, Weston was competition to him. However, there was no doubt in Jasper's mind that he should worry about his brother. While not fully confident that it would be him made the King, or that he even wanted the position, Weston had never been a threat. An annoyance, perhaps, but never taken seriously. His competition lay with Rosemary.

The oldest Royal child, Princess Rosemary, looked angelic despite the annoyance her other three siblings showed on their faces. With her blond curls and bright blue eyes, she looked more ready to be Queen than any of them. She was also the biggest threat to the others. Illéa had always been taken with Rosemary, who had looked innocently charming next to their horror of a father. With a dazzling smile and a voice like the purr of a kitten, the young woman had a way of making people believe anything she said.

The blonde used her talents now, radiating her beauty in the direction of Lord Blakely. "Sir," her voice was sweet and melodious. There was no great wonder why all of Illéa was under her spell. "Do you think we could start without my dear brother? We have all been waiting such a long time for the news... We'd make sure to pass it on to him, immediately, if it names him as the Heir." The tone of her voice as she spoke the last sentence made it painfully obvious that Rosemary didn't ever believe that would happen.

The old man tried to resist, but was eventually won over by the Princess's bright smile. "I suppose... As long as we tell Prince Weston as soon as he gets here... It would probably be alright."

Both Rose and Juliet smiled brightly at him, encouraging him as he started to unroll the scroll that would change their lives forever.

Lord Blakely cleared his throat and began to read the most important letter the four children would ever here.

"I, King Christian of Illéa, write my will to pass on my country onto one of my heirs." The advisor read. Jasper nearly groaned as the formalities were announced. Get to the point... He was growing extremely impatient.

Finally, after the monotonous preamble, the Lord finally arrived at the statement everyone, the children, the nobles, and all of Illéa, was waiting to here.

"The Heir to the Illéan throne will be..."

"I'm not falling behind or running late."

Not for the first time, Prince Weston cursed himself for not looking at the clock. This was the worst possible day for him to be running late. The announcement day...

As he ran down the never ending hallways of the palace, looking the sight with his formal sight and his tousled, brown hair sticking up in all directions. The butlers and maids he passed dropped into curtsies or bows immediately, but he could tell that they were laughing at him on the inside. If he'd had the time, Weston would have told them off. He was a Prince, and would not tolerate people mocking him.

Today, however, he had more important things on his mind. Today was the day that everything would change. His entire life, his sibling's lives... They had all been in preparation for this day.

Oh, this was not looking promising. Of all days to run late, Wes... He scored himself as he broke into a flat out sprint. Two more corridors.

As he bolted towards his future, thoughts of his past occupied his mind. Weston knew that he had little chance of being chosen as his father's Heir. He was not what came to mind when one though "Prince", although neither was his half-brother, in Weston's opinion. The boy knew full well that he was awkward and introverted, shy to talk to people and constantly hiding in a fantasy world among the hundreds of books he owned. Jasper had always been far more popular with the young women of Illéa, with his blonde hair and winning, easy smile. However, Weston had never met a person who went through girls as fast as his brother, and then discarded them as if they were sticks of gum.

Not who Weston would have chosen as King, but it wasn't his choice to make.

Rosemary had the best chance, that was for sure. Not only was she Illéa's favorite, but she had also been their father's pride and joy. She had always been able to get anything she wanted with her sweet smile and innocent charm. Weston knew, however, that her beauty was only skin deep. Under the surface, the Rose had the sharpest thorns of anyone he'd ever met. She was ruthless and cold, wanting only what was best for her. If she became Queen, Weston shuddered to think of what would happen to him and his other siblings. They might be locked away somewhere, to avoid producing heirs, or... Worse. He wasn't sure, and he hoped that he would never have to find out.

Juliet wouldn't necessarily be a bad Queen, but she was too headstrong for her own good. Weston knew that his sister's heart was in the right place, but she was often impatient and rash in her decision making, taking after their father. A civil war was already breaking out in the provinces after the disaster that had been his father's reign. If the brunette was placed into power, the war would only worsen.

In all honesty, Weston felt that his sister, his only full sister, would make the best Queen, despite the fact that she was only fourteen. Elyse was the calmest of all five of them, and had the best head on her shoulders. It was unfortunate, the age gap between her and the four other Royal children.

Finally reaching his destination, Weston had to shake his head to clear his thoughts. Attempting to catch his breath after running such a long distance, he adjusted his tie. His hand rested on the handle for just a moment, and that was enough for all his fears and doubts about his life after this meeting rushed back to him, full force.

This was it.

With a deep breath, the Prince pushed the large, wooden door inward and stepped into the room.

The mood that he felt was not the one he was expecting whatsoever. The temperature seemed to drop about thirty degrees as soon as he stepped over the threshold. He could feel his siblings' eyes boring into his.

He knew he'd been late, but this reaction seemed a little extreme.

Juliet was the first he saw, and her hazel eyes were mixed with anger and confusion. A similar expression was mirrored on Jasper's face. His brother stared in wonder at Weston, making the latter squirm slightly uncomfortably. He got it, already! He wouldn't be late again.

If looks could kill, Rose would have murdered everyone in the room at this point. Weston would have been her first target, and he couldn't even meet those blue eyes that stared so coldly, they seemed to drill holes in his skull. The normally innocent blond looked more like a serial killer than he'd ever seen her. Weston shuddered and looked for his youngest sister...

And found her beaming at him. Her normally calm, collected manner seemed was gone, instead a childlike jubilance had filled her. As he stood in the doorway, the young girl flashed a quick thumbs-up at her older brother.

This... Made him far more confused.

Addressing the room at large, his voice shaking a little as he did it, Weston spoke. "Uhh..." He apologized. "I'm sorry for my tardiness."

No one spoke. Everyone was staring at him with looks of awe. The Prince fought the urge to check a mirror, in case he had something in his teeth or something.

Finally, Lord Blakely seemed to snap out of his trance. Staring straight at the boy in the door, he bowed low and when he spoke, in was in a sort of hushed reverence.

"All hail his majesty, King Weston of Illéa."

Hello everyone! I'm so glad that I finally got a chance to finalize this plan, as I've been working and drawing up plans for this story for an extremely long time. For those of you who read my other story, "When I Fall", which has almost twenty chapters now, I started working on the draft of this chapter sometime around Chapter 8 then.

First off, I will NOT be discontinuing "When I Fall", for those of you who are fans of that. I still have every intention of finishing that story. This one has no relationship to that one, and in fact the two do not make any sense together. This story is going to be far less sad and much more angsty...

I guess I should tell you the reason I decided to post this now. Certain things have happened in my life... And well, I'm just not going to be quite as busy as I expected in other extracurricular activities. I figured that now would be as good a time as any to post this. I did promise my good friend Amanda, who was one of the first people I told I wanted to write another SYOC fanfiction, that I would wait until at least Chapter 20 on "When I Fall" to post this story, and so eight months after I got the idea, here we are!

Now, onto this story! This is definitely going to be a fun one. If it's not clear, the kids are all children of the King and his many mistresses, as his wife was killed only 3 months after they got married and before they had children, obviously. So, in order to keep a hold on the world and Illéa even after his death, King Christian changed the law of Illéa to let himself choose who he could hand the monarchy down to, as there was no true heir. Hence, Weston was chosen, much to the dissatisfaction of all his half-siblings (except Elyse).

There's going to be a lot of sabotage, sass, and plots by the three siblings who wanted the crown. You'll see more about their plots and why they're actually a threat in later chapters, but for now I'm going to get to the rules and everything of the SYOC! YAY!

As said in the summary, this is an SYOC story, though it's quite a small one. I'm taking 15 girls. Just 15. The rest I will fill in with throw away characters. With 15, I get to focus on all of them, and it's not an overwhelming number. I'm super eager to get this story out there, and I can't wait to get this show on the road. Please submit, and I'll love you all forever as long as you follow the rules below haha!

Rules for Submissions-

01. This is will not operate on a first come, first served basis. This story is extremely complex, perhaps even more so than my other story "When I Fall" (never thought I'd say that), and it's going to involve testing characters in extremely unique, challenging ways. Because of this, I am going to be extremely picky in which characters I'm choosing, especially as I have chosen to only take 15 in total. Included in this will be the fact that I will not reserve provinces or spots, but I will not be closing the spots or posting the list until the 13th. You have time, don't worry. If you need an extension for a few days, I cannot promise anything, but if you send me exactly the reason and/or some of the form, you will have a better chance of me being lenient. I'm sorry if I sound intense or uptight, I'm just extremely excited to get this story going on it.

02. The more detailed and realistic your character is, the better chance of being accepted they are. I would ALWAYS take too many details over not enough in a character. When I submit characters, my forms are generally 6-9 full PMs in length, and I've had at least two that have pushed to be more in the 12-13 message length. Please, please, PLEASE give me details, especially in the personality and appearance section. It makes it so much easier for me to write. Remember, no one is perfect! All girls must have logical faults and weaknesses.

03. I will not be accepting girls through review, only PM. I'm sorry guests, but I may need to get in touch with you about your characters, and reviews do not allow for nearly enough detail because of the limited character count.

04. Diversity! Illéa used to be the United States, which means that girls of all racial backgrounds exist. This doesn't just apply to race, however, and diversity in personality would be good. Not every girl is sweet and quiet, although some are. Girls can be mean, nice, free-spirited, reckless, quiet, loud, ect, ect. Writing 15 of basically the same character would be boring, not just to write but for you guys to read!

05. Please make sure you guys chose a celebrity face claim that both looks like the girl you imagine your character to be, but also is of similar age. If you want to look at my Pinterest board for face claims that have been taken, they will be available after the deadline for applications. I get that's super inconvenient and I'm sorry, but I will do my best to tell you if that face claim has been taken.

06. Please fill the form out completely, or your character will not be accepted or considered. It helps me so much, and I know it's long, but please! I really want to be as organized as I can with this story.

07. Pinterest boards for your girls are optional, but super helpful! You don't have to add me if you don't like (my user is Ultimate MaxmericaShiper like my other ff account), but feel free to. It just helps me not only be able to figure out your character more, but also see examples of her style, quotes you feel could be said or apply to her, and tons of other things. Again, though, it's optional, so no pressure.

08. Please title your form as it's said below! It helps me so much, just because it keeps everything organized. Also, PLEASE keep it in one PM set. Not one PM by any means, but when you send one part of the form, click on the "Outbox" and continue posting from the already sent message title. It makes it so much easier on me!

09. I know I'm being wayyyyy too picky about forms, but make sure that you delete the stuff in the parenthesis () before sending in the form, if possible!

The Royals/Important Characters (Please Read! Super useful for filling out forms)-

Minus the Prince who is having the Selection, Weston, the other siblings are listed in age order, from oldest to youngest. Because they have different mothers, a fair amount of them are extremely close in age.

King Christian (DECEASED): King Christian was not a good thing, and everyone was aware of this. He was given the position as ruler extremely early, after the sudden death of his parents. Rushing into a Selection, he was crowned King and married to Angelica only a month after the girl's names were drawn. He was an okay ruler until the death of his wife, when he became cutthroat and ruthless. He never remarried, even though there was no evidence that he truly loved Angelica, but had numerous mistresses and affairs, producing the five Royal children currently residing in the palace. He died of heart failure, and in his will named his middle child, Prince Weston, as the Heir.

Queen Angelica (DECEASED): Angelica was born a Three and worked in a library for most of her life up until being Selected at age 19. After only a month in the competition, she won the heart of the Prince (at that time) and became Queen. It was stressful for her, and she showed signs of being unhappy with her life even just a month after the marriage. Angelica was very soft spoken, however, so no one really noticed her unhappiness. She was killed by rebels three months after her marriage, when they ransacked the palace.

Prince Weston (20 1/2): Weston is the middle child, and shows a few of the traits that middle children often display. He is often overlooked, and no one expected him to become the King. In fact, he didn't either and was entirely unprepared for the announcement. Much more introverted and quiet than his brother and sisters, Weston would prefer to spend his days reading rather than actually have to be King. He is uncomfortable around most people, especially large crowds, but is incredibly sweet in an awkward way once you get to know him. Unlike his half-brother, he is fairly respectful of women, he just has no idea how to act around them.

Princess Rosemary (22): Rosemary looks like an angel, but has the heart of a demon. She's got all of Illéa wrapped around her little finger. Everyone loves her, and most would have rather seen the monarchy fall to her. Luckily, King Christian made a better choice. Rose is evil in the core, the beauty only skin deep. She is ruthless and will do anything she can to get power, something you would never expect from someone so innocent and adorable-looking.

Prince Jasper (21): Jasper's reputation with women supersedes him, though Illéa chooses to turn a blind eye to the faults of the handsome Prince. He has slept with the majority of young women at the palace, mostly maids, but has pretended to "woo" the hearts of several princesses of other nations before promptly breaking their hearts. Jasper goes through women like one might go through towels, and sees no problem to this behavior. His strategy to sabotage Weston will certainly be something to do with the 35 girls entering the palace.

Princess Juliet (19, almost 20): Juliet isn't nearly as scary as Rosemary, and her heart is in the right place. However, she is often headstrong and impatient, making rash decisions that tend to get her in trouble. She has the strongest ideas about how the monarchy should be run, but a tendency to not listen to other people's ideas. She wouldn't be a terrible Queen, but Illéa would not really like her as their ruler all that much. She tries to do what's right, however, and her believes are in the peoples' best interests.

Princess Elyse (14 1/2): Elyse is the only child to be fully related to another. She has the same mother and father as Weston does, meaning that she becomes the full Princess and Heir by default if her brother is killed or steps down. Elyse is by far the brightest of her siblings, despite being 6 years younger at least. She is very worldly of a girl of only 14, and never expected to be made Queen, even though it would be a good idea in all honesty. She is the most popular of the siblings, after Rosemary, and is the only friend Weston has in his siblings during the Selection.

Please title your form like so: Girl's Name, Age, Caste, Occupation - TC Selection Form (First Choice Pronvince)

Example: Echo Cassey Rolland, 16, Three, Unemployed - TC Selection Form (Atlin)

The Form-

Full Name:

Nickname (Optional):

Age (16-20):

Caste:

Financial Status:

Province (Top 3 choices just in case one is taken, feel free to explain why it matters/how it's affected her, if it does. Top choice will go in the subject headline as shown above):

Occupation (be creative! 4Love4Love4 has an amazing PowerPoint on the jobs in each caste, if you need inspiration):

Hair (color, texture, length, thickness, type):

Eyes (shape, color, lashes, eyebrows):

Skin (tone, texture, birthmarks, scars, etc…):

Body Shape:

Height/Weight:

General Appearance (Detail!):

Celebrity Face Claim:

Family (Name, age, personality, appearance, relationship w/character):

Friends (same as Family but social status too):

Personality (Detail, please, I'm begging!):

Background/History:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Fears:

Talents:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Romantic History:

Maids (Name and a little info please – Only 3):

Guard at Door (Same as Maid – but only one):

Reason for Entering:

Thoughts on Royal Family and how they treat them (Remember the general population of Illéa is not super happy with the monarchy, even if they are not openly rebels):

Thoughts/Treatment of King Christian (Deceased):

Thoughts/Treatment of the Late Queen Angelica (Deceased, not the mother of any of the Royal Children):

Thoughts/Treatment of Prince Weston (20 1/2, the one having the Selection):

Thoughts/Treatment of Princess Rosemary (22, most people's favorite on camera):

Thoughts/Treatment of Prince Jasper (21, the one most people forget):

Thoughts/Treatment of Princess Juliet (19, almost 20, the "rebellious" one kind of):

Thoughts/Treatment of Princess Elyse (14 1/2, the youngest by a considerable amount):

How they treat Maids/Guards/Staff:

How they treat fellow Selected:

First Date Ideas (creativity is always appreciated!):

Quotes:

Scene (Optional):

Things they take with them to the castle:

Favorite Color:

Favorite Food:

Favorite Animal:

Anything Else (literally, give me anything you'd like! Does she have her ears pierced? Any pets? Anything!):

Thanks to Hailey (morethanjustastory) and Star (XOStarbrightXO) who I stole this most of this form from, although I didn't ask first. Whoops! Love you both a ton!

All this information and more is posted on my bio, as well, where you can copy and paste things! Please consider submitting a character! I don't bite, I swear, and if you are unsure of my writing style and if it's something you like, I urge you to check out my other story to get a better example. I am by no means a great writer, but I do feel that I am getting better with each chapter. Granted, "When I Fall" has an extremely different mood than this one if going to have, but it's better than nothing.

Thank you all so much! Remember, if you liked it to follow, favorite, or drop a review! It really makes my day. Sorry to overload you with information in Chapter One, as well. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me! I don't bite and I love to meet people.

More information as to why Weston is rushing into a Selection and so on will be in the next chapter!

-Sora