Henbane Coronation

Political event

While Fenthild has always been ruled by the royal line, there has been one or another heir apparent that has risen to the crown by bloody ways. One such occasion is now known as the Henbane Coronation.

The ruling king had ruled fairly and was well-loved by his people. As the years went by and his queen passed away, the king lost his will to rule. After ruling for so long, he wanted to rest, and withdraw from the world of politics and ruling. So the king was old, and it was known, that sooner or later, he would name his heir. He had been blessed with children, and he had six sons, each as valiant as the next. So when it was time for the ruling king to choose his Prince Heir, the heir apparent, he couldn't choose between his sons. All of them were noble and honorable, stalwart and true, and none among them admitted lust for the throne.   The king couldn't find a flaw from any of them, but neither did any of them stand above the rest. So the king was hesitant to name his heir.   While the princes all said that they didn't want to rule, each of them hid their desire for power inside their hearts. As the king deliberated, the princes took arms. Their brotherly bonds were set aside, as they all undermined each other and tried to rise higher in their father's eyes. Some of the princes got caught, others were schemed against. And all of the fighting was done in secret, kept hidden from the king's eyes.   Eventually, one of the princes was esteemed higher than his brothers by the king, for doing some extraordinary feat that set him above the rest. The king organized a huge feast, during which he would announce the Prince Heir. All of the defeated princes were to be there, to celebrate their brother and in their minds, to admit their defeat. Tragically, as the princes ate at the feast after the announcement, they all fell sick. The feast had been poisoned by black henbane. Three of the princes died that night. The Prince Heir fell sick but survived the night, as well as two other princes. Although three of the princes had survived the poisoning initially, after four days the Prince Heir passed away. Only two of the princes survived, their lives hanging by a thread.   The king was distraught. Four of his beloved sons dead by poison, two remaining sons ill. It was uncertain if the two remaining princes would live, even as healers worked through night and day to heal them. But no matter what the king did, there were no leads to who had organized the poisoning.   The two princes survived, barely. The king, grieving, had no other choice than to appoint one of them as the Prince Heir. After the king had announced his heir apparent, he withdrew from court and spend his final days in solitude. After his coronation, the new king immediately gifted his brother with lands and treasure, as well as naming him as a highest duke.   No one ever found out, who had been behind the poisoning.