Atreyu Maximilian Octavius

Atreyu Maximilian Octavius
Who's Who of Nouvelle Alexandrie
Full Name	Atreyu Maximilian Octavius Ayreon-Kalirion ibn al-Majeed al-Osman bin Sathrati of Waffel-Paine
Titles & Offices	Marquess of Anun (1741 AN-present) Prince of Shireroth
Birth Date	12.I.1695 AN (57 AN years)
Birth Place	Raynor's Keep, Shirekeep, Shireroth
Parents	Prince Rubin Princess Lyudmila
Children	Liam (b. 1747 AN; illegitimate, adopted) Luke (b. 1747 AN; illegitimate, adopted)
Family	Ayreon-Kalirion
Alma Mater	Imperial Academy of Shirekeep
Military Service	Imperial Forces
Military Rank	Tribune
Political Affiliation	Kalirionist Club (Shireroth) Non-affiliated (Nouvelle Alexandrie)
Organizations	Order of the Holy Lakes House of Carrillo Association
Known For	Former heir apparent to Shireroth; exile in Nouvelle Alexandrie
Religion	Cedrism
Languages	Istvanistani Praeta Elw Audente
Awards & Honors	Knight of the Holy Lakes
Residence	Cárdenas, FCD
National Origin	Shireroth
Citizenship(s)	Shireroth  Nouvelle Alexandrie (1752 AN)

Atreyu Maximilian Octavius Ayreon-Kalirion ibn al-Majeed al-Osman bin Sathrati of Waffel-Paine (born 12.I.1695 AN, Raynor's Keep) is a Shirerithian prince of the Ayreon-Kalirion dynasty who emigrated to Nouvelle Alexandrie in 1752 AN. He is the eldest son of the late Prince Rubin and Princess Lyudmila of Shireroth. Prior to the fall of Kaiseress Salome in 1740 AN, Atreyu stood as heir apparent to the Golden Mango Throne. A subsequent reinterpretation of succession rules following the Mango Anarchy relegated him to eleventh place in the order of succession by 1749 AN.

The revelation in 1749 AN of his paternity of twin sons born to a sex worker, combined with evidence of neglect toward the children, precipitated a scandal that destroyed his reputation at the Shirerithian court. The children were made wards of Kaiser Ayreon V and subsequently adopted by Atreyu's younger brother Valdemar al-Aziz in 1750 AN. Facing continued ostracism and limited prospects in Shireroth, Atreyu accepted an invitation from Queen Mother Abigail of Nouvelle Alexandrie, a distant kinswoman through their shared descent from Kaiseress Noor, to reside at the New Alexandrian court. He departed Shireroth in early 1752 AN and arrived in Nouvelle Alexandrie that same year.

Early life and family

Atreyu was born on 12.I.1695 AN at Raynor's Keep in Shirekeep, the eldest child of Prince Rubin and Princess Lyudmila. His father was a son of Kaiser Ayreon IV and Isidora IV Octavius-Teleni, placing Atreyu in direct descent from Kaiseress Noor through his paternal line. His mother came from the Maksimilianov-Shvinnskiy family, a distinguished Shirerithian house of the minor nobility.

Two younger siblings followed: Valdemar al-Aziz in 1697 AN and Farzana Casimira in 1701 AN. The three children were raised primarily at Raynor's Keep, educated according to the standards expected of the imperial household. Atreyu received instruction in languages, history, military science, and the courtly arts. He completed his formal education at the Imperial Academy of Shirekeep, where he distinguished himself in classical studies and horsemanship but showed little interest in politics or administration.

The death of his father Prince Rubin during a Shirerithian military operation left Atreyu, at a young age, as the senior male of his immediate family line. Under the succession rules then in force, and with Kaiseress Salome having stripped his uncle Prince Kir from the line of succession, Atreyu found himself positioned as heir apparent to the Golden Mango Throne. This status, however, proved temporary.

The Mango Anarchy

The outbreak of the Shiro-Benacian War in 1733 AN and the subsequent period of revolutionary turmoil known as the Mango Anarchy fundamentally altered Atreyu's position and prospects. When Kaiseress Salome authorized the Bad Neighbour II nuclear strike that ignited the war, the resulting political upheaval set in motion events that would strip Atreyu of his place in the succession.

Position during the crisis

During the initial stages of the conflict, Atreyu held a nominal position in the Imperial Forces with the rank of Tribune, though he saw no combat. When Steward Louis Thuylemans placed the Kaiseress under house arrest following the nuclear exchange of late 1733 AN, Atreyu remained at Raynor's Keep, neither actively supporting the coup nor opposing it. His passivity during this period would later be characterized by both critics and defenders as either prudent restraint or cowardly indecision, depending on perspective.

The relocation of the Shirerithian government to Novi Nigrad in 1734 AN left Atreyu among those who remained in Shirekeep. He was present in the capital during the Great Fear and Prison Massacres of 1737, though accounts differ regarding his activities. Some sources suggest he sheltered several minor nobles at his residence during the worst of the violence; others indicate he simply remained behind closed doors. The Revolutionary Committee of Shirekeep under Erasmo Laegel took no direct action against him, perhaps recognizing that persecuting a potential heir apparent might provoke unwanted complications.

Loss of succession rights

The Lichwood Conclave of 1740, convened by the state-run Cedrist religion, formally addressed the succession question. The conclave determined that Kaiseress Salome had effectively abdicated through her prolonged absence from the Imperial Republic. More significantly for Atreyu, the subsequent ruling by Arbiter Cassian Caspar Chrysostom on 20.V.1740 AN found that Salome's earlier removal of Prince Kir from the succession had been legally nullified when she later recognized his marriage and offspring as legitimate.

This ruling transformed the order of succession. Prince Yukio, eldest son of the late Prince Kir, was placed first in line, followed by his siblings. Atreyu dropped from heir apparent to ninth place. The subsequent proclamation of Yukio as Kaiser Ayreon V on 8.VI.1740 AN confirmed this new arrangement.

Atreyu publicly accepted the ruling without protest, issuing a brief statement acknowledging the authority of the Imperial Judex and pledging loyalty to the new Kaiser. Whatever private resentment he may have harbored, he made no recorded attempt to challenge the decision or organize opposition.

Marquess of Anun

In 1741 AN, following the conclusion of the Shiro-Benacian War with the Treaty of Lorsdam, Kaiser Ayreon V granted Atreyu the title Marquess of Anun. The grant carried with it a modest estate and income, providing Atreyu with a measure of financial independence and a defined role within the reconstituted nobility. The title represented both recognition of his status as a senior prince of the blood and a subtle indication that his political ambitions should remain limited.

Atreyu took up residence at Anun and largely withdrew from court politics during the early 1740s. He attended major state functions when required but maintained a low profile, focusing on the administration of his estate and pursuing private interests. Visitors to Anun during this period described a household marked by comfortable but not extravagant living, with the Marquess occupying himself with hunting, reading, and maintaining correspondence with relatives across Micras.

The post-war years saw Shireroth undergo significant changes. The Treaty of Lorsdam had ended the war but left the empire exhausted. Shireroth's departure from the Raspur Pact in the aftermath of the conflict altered its international position, ending long-standing alliances and creating new diplomatic realities. For Atreyu, these changes meant that his family connections to Nouvelle Alexandrie through Queen Mother Abigail Ayreon-Kalirion now crossed the boundary between former allies rather than linking two partners within the same alliance system.

Personal life and scandal

The Yedi affair

In 1747 AN, a young sex worker named Laura Yedi gave birth to twin boys, Liam and Luke, in Shirekeep. The identity of the father was not publicly known at the time of the birth. It would later emerge that Atreyu had been aware of both the affair and the existence of the children from an early stage, though he took no public responsibility for them and provided minimal financial support.

The twins remained with their mother in increasingly difficult circumstances. Laura Yedi, lacking resources and support, struggled to provide for her children while Atreyu maintained his distance. By 1749 AN, the children's living conditions had deteriorated significantly.

Public revelation

The scandal broke publicly in 1749 AN when the identity of the twins' father was revealed, reportedly through the investigation of a disgruntled former servant of the Anun household. The revelation that a prince of the blood had fathered illegitimate children was not, in itself, unprecedented or necessarily ruinous. What destroyed Atreyu's reputation was the subsequent discovery of the conditions in which the children had been living.

When Kaiser Ayreon V ordered an investigation into the welfare of Liam and Luke, authorities discovered the twins living in circumstances that demanded immediate intervention. The children were removed from their mother's care and made wards of the Kaiser. The findings of the investigation were not made fully public, but sufficient details emerged to confirm that Atreyu had known of his children's existence for years without taking adequate steps to ensure their wellbeing.

The scandal dominated Shirerithian court gossip for months. Atreyu issued no public statement and withdrew almost entirely from society. His position in the order of succession, already diminished, dropped further to eleventh place as various legal and genealogical clarifications continued to refine the line of descent.

Adoption and aftermath

In 1750 AN, Atreyu's younger brother Valdemar al-Aziz and his husband Noor Ad-Din ibn Salah Ad-Din Al-Lusirni formally adopted Liam and Luke. The adoption regularized the children's status within the extended family and provided them with a stable household. Under Shirerithian law, the children were considered illegitimate and were not princes of Shireroth prior to adoption; their incorporation into Valdemar's household effectively severed their legal connection to Atreyu while ensuring their future care.

The adoption, while resolving the immediate question of the children's welfare, did nothing to rehabilitate Atreyu's standing. He remained persona non grata at court, tolerated but not welcomed. Former associates distanced themselves. Invitations to social functions ceased. The Marquess of Anun became, in effect, an exile within his own country.

Emigration to Nouvelle Alexandrie

Connection to the New Alexandrian royal family

Among those who maintained contact with Atreyu during his disgrace was Abigail Ayreon-Kalirion, the Queen Mother of Nouvelle Alexandrie. Queen Mother Abigail, herself a descendant of Kaiseress Noor through her own branch of the Ayreon-Kalirion dynasty, shared a distant kinship with the disgraced prince. Her position as mother of the reigning King Sinchi Roca II and grandmother to the future Queen Sayari gave her significant influence within the House of Inti-Carrillo.

The correspondence between Queen Mother Abigail and Prince Atreyu during 1750 AN and 1751 AN has not been made public, but subsequent events suggest she advocated on his behalf within the New Alexandrian royal household. Nouvelle Alexandrie, having absorbed significant numbers of Shirerithian emigres during the Mango Anarchy period, had established precedents for receiving displaced members of the Shirerithian nobility. The existing emigre communities, particularly in Lausanne and Punta Santiago, provided a social infrastructure that could accommodate additional arrivals.

Invitation and departure

By late 1751 AN, Atreyu's position in Shireroth had become untenable. He retained his title and estate but faced perpetual social exclusion. His prospects for marriage within Shirerithian society had been destroyed by the scandal. His presence was an embarrassment to the court and a reminder of matters the imperial family preferred to forget.

In early 1752 AN, Queen Mother Abigail extended a formal invitation for Atreyu to reside as a guest of the Royal Household of Nouvelle Alexandrie. The invitation was authorized by King Sinchi Roca II, who recognized both the family obligation and the potential value of maintaining connections to family following Shireroth's departure from the Raspur Pact.

Atreyu accepted the invitation and departed Shireroth in II.1752 AN. He traveled by chartered vessel via Hurmu, where he briefly availed himself of his privileges as a Knight of the Holy Lakes, before continuing to Nouvelle Alexandrie. He arrived at the Port of Punta Santiago in IV.1752 AN and was conveyed to Cárdenas, where he was received by representatives of the Royal Household.

Initial reception

Atreyu's arrival in Nouvelle Alexandrie was handled with discretion. The Palace of Carranza issued a brief statement acknowledging that "His Imperial Highness Prince Atreyu Ayreon-Kalirion, a kinsman of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, has arrived in the Federation as a guest of the Royal Household." No public ceremony marked his arrival, and press coverage was minimal.

He was initially housed at a minor royal residence outside Cárdenas, away from the public eye. His status was defined as that of a private guest rather than an official exile or political refugee. This formulation avoided the diplomatic complications that might arise from formally sheltering a disgraced prince of a foreign power while still providing him with the protection and support of the New Alexandrian crown.

Style and titles

Atreyu is entitled to the style of Imperial Highness. His Shirerithian titles are Prince of Shireroth, Progeny of the Once-Living God, Knight of the Holy Lakes, and Scion of the King of Kings. Since 1741 AN, he holds the title Marquess of Anun, though the practical significance of this title while residing abroad is limited.

Upon his arrival in Nouvelle Alexandrie, he was recognized by the Royal Household as "His Imperial Highness Prince Atreyu Ayreon-Kalirion," acknowledging his birth rank while avoiding any formal grant of New Alexandrian titles.

See also

• Mango Anarchy
• Shirerithian emigration to Nouvelle Alexandrie
• Order of succession to the Kaisership
• House of Inti-Carrillo
• Ayreon-Kalirion
• Monarchy of Nouvelle Alexandrie