Upon a time, in the realm of Cutcap, there was a mighty king named Rulthrub who ruled nobly and long. After many years King Rulthrub felt himself getting old, and started to think about what would happen to his realm after he was gone. Now this king was blessed with two sons, which normally would be a happy thing for an aging monarch, but in this case it was a problem. For the younger son who had been born of his queen, Prince Pigeon, was weak-willed and indifferent. In contrast the elder son, Prince Lancer, was bold and self-assured, and though his mother was of House Rithmat, the noblest in Cutcap, still Prince Lancer had undeniably been born out of wedlock.