Beneath the Veneer Intro

At first glance, probably second or third glance as well, the King was a king that everyone could easily love. He was powerful, charismatic, and just. All the people of the kingdom of Kanto looked up to him, wished their sons to be just as brave and wonderful as he, and their daughters to marry a man like him. He was admired for how he constantly put down the criminals who threatened his people. To them, he valiantly fought against conniving conspirators, bands of rogues, thief clans, and malevolent rebellions. In fact, one could go their entire life only a walking distance from his palace and never cast a doubt that he was a brilliant, honest man.

In short, he was a king that they were proud to loyally serve.

But to me, always and forever, he was a twisted, evil man. And nothing would dissuade me from hating him. Nothing.

He was gilded with honor, but underneath that surface, that veneered layer of gold, was a dark lust for power and a ravenous greed. He wore a mask to fool the populace, hiding his truly ugly intentions. Behind the backs of his loyal people, he sowed lies, tended havoc, and harvested corruption. I was one of the few who saw his foul form beneath the golden luster. I saw his real face.

I am not interested in the reasons for why he began this all in the first place. Perhaps it was paranoia of the idea that, without his underhanded schemes and deeds, he would not gain the love and approval of his people. Perhaps he harbored the fear that someone would come to usurp him.

Perhaps.

But probably not.

No, he wanted to simply banish any chance of him having to relinquish his enormous power to anyone. Overriding greed, not fear, was his driving force. It's what drove him to expand his reach to the edges of Kanto and to the Sevii Island chain to the south. It's what drove him into dark, conceited corruption.

Away from the watchful eyes of the loyal and honorable Elite Council, he accumulated alliances with thieves, low-lives, and murderous scum, creating a band of them, loyal to only him and his promise for power. He paid them in secret to steal, plunder, pillage, and terrorize all of Kanto. Then, hearing the pleas for help, he would sweep in, cloaked in false grandeur, and would seem to heroically defeat them with ease. Praises and offerings would be given to the King, and he would be lifted higher and higher on his pedestal. And peace would reign again.

Then, after some time passed, the cycle would start anew.

His guild of merciless thieves, who called themselves the Rocket Clan, would all the while be continuously taking from the people and giving the spoils to him. Jewels, money, even Monsters. They flooded in constantly to add to his hoard and increase his power further. Only his cunning and cowardice match his greed.

I loathe him with every fiber of my being.

I need escape.

But it is not as if I can merely go wherever I please, not with him and his scum for followers watching me, waiting for me to eagerly follow in his grime-coated footsteps.

It is not easy being King Giovanni's only son and heir.