Chapter 1: Prologue
In a nation called Esteria, there was creek by the name ’Wailing Willows creek’ by the Western shores. The name of the creek came to, not because of the weeping willows that lined the creek but because of the wailings that happens often along the shores of the creek lined with willows.
The creek separated two towns, the Northern Wilshire and the Southern Wilshire. The Northern Wilshire was where the Sinclair family and their allies lived. The Southern Wilshire was the native of Brunton family and their allies.
The Sinclair family, previously surnamed Boswell, a noble family serving the Monarchy of Esteria and the Bruntons, who are aristocrats who looked after the Duchy of Oakley. The two families were separated not only by the creek but also by a feud that lasted for more than a century. A lot of blood was spilled on both sides because of the feuds.
The Boswells, characterised by their flaming red hair, conspired against the Throne a century back and rallied common people to form a democratic nation but their coup failed with the help of the Bruntons leading to the loss of nobility status of the Boswells. This only intensified the feud that was brewigg between the two families.
The monarchy later decided to leave the nation to be ruled by the people and Esteria became a Constitutional Monarchy.
The Boswells who held the title of ’traitors’ then changed their name to Sinclair and laid low for a while only to dominate the politics some decades after and in modern times, the Prime Minister and most members of the Parliament are either a Sinclair or their allies who are the Party of Liberty. They became the ruling members of the nation and the lawmakers.
The Bruntons on the other hand, expanded their wealth through generations and during the industrial revolution, invested well and currently owns one of the biggest conglomerate in the world - Northern Star Groups.
With the Bruntons owning most of the industries and mines in the nation, they controlled the economy of the nation, single-handedly.
With one family controlling the economy and the other the law, the feud never decreased. But for a government to succeed it needs money from taxes and for a business to flourish they needed the government’s help. And so both of them learnt to live side by side begrudgingly for their own success.
But internally both family wished for the entire eradication of the other family and conspired against each other secretly.
The Wailing Willow creek is always like an active volcano that might erupt anytime, even by a small disturbance.