Directioner Chronicles Book 1: The Five Princes

Meet the Lads

The kingdom of Dagnovir was a spectacle to behold. As Prince Liam peeked out of his carriage he could see the vibrant greens and reds of the orchards extending for miles to the east. And to the west, the city of Dagnovir, with its beautiful white bricks which shone brightly in the summer weather. But it was all superseded by the true jewel of the landscape, the capital palace, one of the most important man made wonders of the modern age. It was here that King Simon would hold the great X Factor tournament, a chance for Liam, first of his name, Prince of Wolverhampton to prove his quality. The Prince eagerly leaned out of his window and took in the scene, pausing briefly to smell the air. The journey from Wolverhampton took several days, and although he had brought a small militia of servants and guards to look after his every need, the boredom of seeing the snowy mountains day and night drained him.

"Can you see it Luke?" Liam said to his squire, "The tournament grounds are straight ahead!" Luke of house Hemmings was a squire to Prince Liam. A young, blonde haired boy from a noble family. He had been entrusted with caring for Prince Liam, and training himself to one day be appointed a knight to his kingdom. "My Prince, I shall see to it that the tournament grounds are fit for your arrival. Please wait here until I return."

As he left the carriage Liam heard the clank of Luke's armored boots hitting the ground, then swiftly walking towards the capital. The prince could barely contain his excitement, he was ready to be welcomed with open arms. Moments later, however, Luke returned.

"Your grace! Your camp spot has been seized by another faction! How shall we proceed?"

"What do you mean!? Who would have the audacity to claim my territory, I am the Lord's chosen!

"As a matter of fact, another Prince," Luke replied, "Prince Zayn Malik of Bradford."

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"But Paul! I don't want to be King!" Prince Niall of house Horan had been complaining to his chief adviser throughout his entire journey. Paul was busy going through some logistical notes, and for the 100th time that day he replied,

"Yer father has determined that ye are the Lord's chosen. Whether or not ye participate is not yer decision to make, you simply can't deny yer destiny."

"All I've ever wanted was to be happy. All I've done for the past 10 years is train for this moment, but now that it's here I've realized I've wasted all that time. I love to sing, and I love to perform!"

"And you love to eat. You might as well have caused this year's potato famine single handedly ye cunt!"

Niall grumbled something unintelligible. He was acting like a toddler, and Paul was at his breaking point.

"I have just about had it with yer impudence! Shut up before I shut ye up myself."

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Prince Harry of house Styles arrived in Dagnovir alone. He traveled light, extra armor, weapons, and provisions were packed onto his horse, as well as his family's crest shield, which he kept tied on his back. By the time he reached the tourney grounds it was around noon. Knights were already beginning to ready their weapons for a day of challenges. In one field two warriors were locked in a mock duel, while Lords and Ladies were busy casting their bets on the likely winner. The clash of steel and the roaring crowd put fond memories in Harry's mind about the castle tournaments which he used to attend with his father. Once he was of age, he even participated, however, those times were long gone.

His memory was then replaced by the fear he felt when the Mercenaries of the Eclipse tore through his castle gates, the cries of the people who were forced from their homes, and the cold winter air that tore at them on their escape into the mountains. Prince Harry of house Styles made a solemn vow that day to restore his homeland to its former glory, and the x factor tournament was his chance at redemption.

As he guided his horse through the maze of tents, blacksmith shops, and campfires, he noticed that small groups of men had started forming a crowd on the far side of the camp.

"What's going on out there?" the Prince asked to one of the soldiers.

"Oi, aven't you heard? Two of the princes are already at each other's throats."