The name of this world I was reborn to was Lerra. It seemed almost the same as earth in geography and ecosystem as well as technology. Yes, there were planes, cars, cities, universities, scientists and everything that made civilization, yunno, civilization. They were similar to earth in education system, medicine, engineering, philosophy and even in some way culture. But this was not earth, no, I knew that much because of the languages spoken which I eventually did understand. I'd also never heard anyone mention continents like Asia, North or South America, Africa, Europe, etc. Instead there were 8 nations on the whole Terra. They were; Lornia, my home, The Principality of Darkos, The Coalition of Free States, The Federated States of Orenthia, The Naraki Empire, The Jafarate of Harkan, The Republic of Jessa and finally Varona. Each nation had their own government, history, peoples and way of life. The Jafarate of Harkan for example was an absolute theocratic monarchy with their "Jafars" or priest kings being both a political and religious leader to them as opposed the Orenthia which was a federal democracy. Our own kingdom of Lornia ran a constitutional monarchy whereby the constitution held that the monarchy was the seat of government in the country and every district head reported to the king. A new king could only be chosen when the old one died or was abdicated and then his oldest son and crown prince will be crowned the king and ruler over all of Lornia.
In my current life I was christened Cornelius Sol Valtorius. I was the 13th son and 15 child of Handel Sol Valtorius, the 63rd monarch of the Kingdom of Lornia. My father had 5 wives and my mother was the youngest of them. You see in Lornia, the king could take as many wives as he wanted, he was the only one permitted by law of the land to marry more than one wife so as to preserve his bloodline. My father was a very capricious man and used that law to his advantage. He loved women a lot and married most of his wives due to lust and not love. My mother however, his youngest and most beautiful wife he married due to love. He loved my mother dearly and when I was born, I was her first and only child and as I was a child of his old age he loved me so very much.
I grew up with my other 14 siblings, their mothers and my father in a grand palace, an ancient castle which had been renovated and remodelled severally over generations by our ancestors and predecessors. My father also put his own touches on the castle as he effectively modernized it. The castle was a grey giant that stood out like it was going to pierce the sunrise or sunset depending on which time of day you looked at it. It resembled what you'd think a medieval castle would look like but the mind-blowing part was when you were inside.
The castle's exterior had some medieval charm about it; with towering spires, grandiose architecture, and imposing stone walls. However, upon entering, you're enveloped in opulence and cutting-edge luxury.
The grand hall boasts a stunning glass ceiling, retractable to reveal the night sky. The walls are adorned with intricate smart glass panels that shift from transparent to opaque, displaying holographic art or providing privacy.
The throne room features a gleaming marble floor, now heated and cooled via advanced climate control. The throne itself is a masterpiece of ergonomic design, with the latest advancements in luxury and comfort.
The private quarters showcase lavish suites with biometrically secured doors, holographic entertainment systems, smart glass windows offering breathtaking views, and palace staff at beck and call for activities ranging from cleaning and personal shopping to wardrobe management
The castle's infrastructure was sublime with; Advanced water purification and recycling systems, geothermal energy harvesting, and state-of-the-art security and surveillance
The pièce de résistance is the castle's central hub, featuring an enormous, spherical, holographic display projecting real-time global information, virtual meeting spaces, and immersive entertainment experiences.
This majestic castle seamlessly blends ancient grandeur with modern innovations, and it was my everyday life as a prince of Lornia and as you might have already guessed, it was but one of the royal family's numerous villa around Lornia. All the other palaces were similar with equally awesome grandeur.
As a child I was pampered and well taken care of as a prince should be and for my age I was quite a quick learner and thought outside the box to solve problems, even at a young age. This attracted the praise of my teachers in school and of my father which majority of my stepbrother disliked me for. The younger ones especially.
From age 5, I attended "little school" which is what elementary school was called here in this world at home in the palace taught by the best teachers in Lornia for about 5 years where I learnt maths, Lorne (The Lornian language), foreign languages and a little bit of arts and sciences which like I said was kind of similar to that of earth. Life was simple and fun and quiet in the palace. At dinner my father the king would tell us about the great achievements of kings and heroes of Lornia in the past and I was usually intrigued. I enjoyed listening to how our ancestors took this land from it's former holders and made it ours with armies numbering hundreds of thousands.
At about age 10, I began attending Intermediate school. I wasn't to be homeschooled this time around, I was to attend a high brow academy which all my elder brothers and sisters had attended. It was prestigious and only royals, nobles or children with extremely rich and influential parents could enroll and even children of the leaders of other nations attended it too. This was where I would become the man I am today. This was where my knowledge, ambition and determination were born and where I was taught about leadership and power.