Aurelian simply laughed for a second. "Yes. But that doesn't mean you know about it. Right?"
"Yes, I know about my own nation, you idiot. What do you take me for?"
I said, my voice tinged with frustration. He had just called me dumb in a roundabout way. I was simply not interested; that didn't mean I was unaware.
The Grand Dominion of Liliara was the nation I was born in. It had been formed 510 years ago when some of the most powerful royal families—families that had fought in wars from different nations—collectively came together and decided that they should end war.
They wanted to create a nation where there was no war and no fighting, a nation where everyone could live together peacefully and focus on improving themselves. The idea had seemed utterly unreal at the time, but humans were not brainless enough to fail to understand the meaning of "unreal."
So they began by forming an alliance. They combined small nations, and it started modestly. Soon other great nations joined as well, creating the first few main pillars of the Grand Dominion of Liliara. A nation that spanned 6.8 million square miles and contained more than a thousand royal families.
Before the concept of this nation had come into existence, the world had been nothing but wars—a hell crafted by humans themselves, where no one was safe. The kings of that era were accustomed to destroying village after village. Women were sold like animals, assaulted, reduced to mere bargaining chips for men. Forget about rights; they used to kill anyone who dared speak too highly. If a girl was born, it was considered a shame upon the family. Those warmongers even used innocent children in their battles.
I was glad it was over—at least for us. Outside the walls of the Grand Dominion of Liliara, the world remained exactly as it had been before; nothing had changed. Every now and then we heard tales of the outside world, and they were utterly terrifying.
"I'm really glad that I'm a citizen of the safest nation, but I don't treat it like a blessing," I paused. "I mean, it is a blessing, but... when it becomes toxic."
I paused again because I couldn't find the right words. Aurelian didn't interrupt me. He rested his chin on his arm, listening intently to every word.
"It kind of defeats the whole point of the nation, because the nation was built so humans could focus on evolution."
I said, breaking down my thoughts, struggling to keep my sentences coherent as I gestured with my hands. I turned toward Aurelian, excited to share this new thought.
"You know when people say things while you're trying to make a difference? Like, you should be grateful that you live in the safest nation ever, so stop complaining and follow the system."
I said, making it clear just how annoyed I felt toward the system. I waited for his response. Aurelian smiled—a quiet, knowing smile that told me he understood.
"Yes, I understand exactly what you're referring to." He added, "I agree with you."
I didn't know why, but speaking my mind so freely with him felt really good. I was still thinking about that when he laughed softly, as if he had caught something funny.
"Ohhh, a thought crossed my mind," he started. "I don't know if those three are eavesdropping on us or not, but they are clearly not expecting us to talk about the nation's history."
I laughed, covering my mouth and trying to control myself. It was good that he could make jokes while still remaining perfectly formal. Aurelian stopped mid-laugh and stared at me softly, his gaze dreamy.
"You know, I would love to hear your thoughts on law and the system, but you are just so... stunning and ladylike."
Aurelian said, his voice laced with raw desperation. The compliment caught me completely off guard. I looked away, trying to hide the fierce blush spreading across my cheeks.
"I might sound evil, but if you don't agree to be in a relationship, I might actually convince my parents for the marriage."
Excuse me—what did he just say?! I turned toward Aurelian and saw the desperate look on his face. Even if he was desperate, those were some terrible word choices.
"I'm sorry... I'm just so desperate for you. It even surprises me."
Aurelian looked away, perhaps regretting the words he had spoken. We sat in silence for a moment. Then my mind began to overthink everything.
In the Grand Dominion of Liliara, royals were divided into four tiers, zero to three. A tier revealed a great deal about a royal family—how wealthy they were, what role they played, what jobs they could obtain, and much more. I belonged to tier three. We were wealthy, but not as wealthy as those above us. We formed a minority and performed similar duties, such as watching over farms and ensuring the city remained clean, managing transport, and handling other small responsibilities.
Not that we actually farmed or cleaned or performed heavy labor—that work was left to the commoners. We simply guided and managed them, because they lacked the money to receive a proper education. That truth applied across all tiers. It was depressing for the commoners; we essentially used them as workers. That was exactly what I had meant when I spoke of there always being room for progress.
Mid-importance jobs fell to tier two—industrial work, construction, and other businesses. Then came tier one, where the roles affected the entire nation: lawyers, police, teachers, journalists, lawmakers, and so on. That was the tier to which Aurelian belonged.
So what did tier zero do? They controlled the military of the nation. Every secret of the Grand Dominion was known to them. They were very few in number and belonged to the families that had built the nation. Unlike tiers one through three, they physically carried out their duties, fighting beside their men whenever the nation faced danger.
They also served King Octavian Liliara and his family. The Liliara line was the most powerful family that had helped form the nation, and they remained the most powerful to this day—I hardly needed to state that.
We had never even seen royals from tier zero. They lived beside the king but rarely stayed there—work always took priority. They were the heroes who truly deserved appreciation.
Anyway, the tiers operated under one another within the system. This same system also bred heavy discrimination among the different tiers and commoners. Marriages between different tiers were very rare and could become highly controversial. Such unions could also elevate a lower family by moving them up a tier. If Cassia had married Aurelian, the Viremont family would have shifted to tier two, and Cassia herself would have become a tier-one royal. But that match had been canceled.
To the main point: the discrimination could turn truly disgusting. That was why Tamsin and I had been so stunned when we first learned that Aurelian was a tier-one royal. Which also begged the question—why? He would gain nothing from marrying me. Did that mean his feelings were genuine, or did he harbor alternate motives?