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The Gilded Crown: The Rise Of The Bastard Prince

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The Gilded Crown: The Rise Of The Bastard Prince

Historylast updateLast Updated : 2026-01-16

By:  Tessy BenUpdated just now

Language: English
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ActionAdventurousMysteryWarriorRuthlessHero/HeroinKingdom BuildingRoyalWeak to Strong

Arthur Vance was a titan of modern industry—a ruthless corporate strategist who mastered the art of the hostile takeover. But when a betrayal ends his life in the 21st century, he wakes up in the body of Julian Valerius, the disgraced, "waste" illegitimate son of a dying Emperor. ​In a world governed by ancient steel and noble bloodlines, Julian is a man with a target on his back. His six half-brothers, each a powerful warlord or cunning politician, have already signed his death warrant to secure their path to the throne. He has no army, no wealth, and a reputation as a drunken fool. ​But he has a mind the medieval world isn't prepared for. ​Using his knowledge of modern economics, chemical engineering, and psychological warfare, Julian begins his ascent from the mud of the slums. ​He turns sour grain into Liquid Gold, a distilled spirit that corrupts the empire’s elite and funds his private shadow army. ​He recruits Elena Vance, a legendary but betrayed General, turning her into the sword that will carve his path to glory. ​He builds a network of "Rats"—the beggars and outcasts—creating the first global intelligence agency in history. ​As the Empire spirals into a bloody civil war, Julian doesn't just fight for survival; he executes a takeover. From the smoke of the slums to the gold of the high court, the "Waste Prince" will prove that in the face of modern logic, even the strongest crown is nothing more than gilded lead. ​Witness the birth of an Empire where gold speaks louder than swords, and a bastard's shadow looms over the world.

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Wine-Soaked Corpse

​The smell of stale ale and vomit was the first thing Julian felt. Or rather, the man who was Julian.

​In his previous life, he was Arthur Vance, a man who moved markets with a phone call and collapsed regimes with a whisper. He had died in a high-rise office in Manhattan, a silencer’s bullet through his temple. He expected darkness. He expected the void. ​He did not expect a splitting headache and the feeling of cold stone beneath his cheek.

​"Look at him," a sneering voice drifted from above. "The Emperor’s 'Little Mistake' can’t even hold his liquor. How fitting that he dies in his own filth."

​Arthur opened his eyes. His vision was a blurred mess of flickering torchlight and shadows. He wasn't in New York. He was in a drafty, damp hall that smelled of wet dogs and burning tallow.

​He tried to push himself up, but his arms felt like twigs. His hands were pale, thin, and trembling. This wasn't his body. This was the body of a boy—perhaps nineteen—dressed in silk rags that had seen better decades.

​"Finish it, Marek," another voice whispered, colder than the first. "The First Prince wants no loose ends before the bells toll for our Father's passing. A 'drunken fall' down the cellar stairs should suffice."

​Arthur’s mind, honed by years of corporate warfare, snapped into focus. Assassination. Succession. Disgraced lineage. He didn't know where he was, but he knew the script. He was the expendable pawn.

​A heavy boot slammed into his ribs. Arthur—now Julian—gasped, the pain searing and very, very real.

​"Get up, Your Highness," the man named Marek mocked, reaching down to grab Julian by his greasy hair. Marek was a mountain of a man, clad in boiled leather armor with a rusted crest of a lion on his chest. "Let's take a walk to the stairs."

​Julian felt his scalp burn as he was hauled upward. His feet dragged on the stone. He looked around the room. It was a cellar. Barrels of sour wine lined the walls. A single iron candle-holder sat on a small wooden table nearby.

​Think, Julian hissed to himself. He’s bigger, stronger, but he’s arrogant.

​"Please..." Julian rasped, his voice cracking. "I have... I have gold hidden. In the large cask."

​Marek paused, his eyes glinting with greed. "Gold? The 'Waste Prince' has gold? You spent your last copper on cheap whore-houses months ago."

​"My mother's... dowry," Julian choked out, pointing a trembling finger toward a massive oak barrel in the shadows. "Hidden in the false bottom. Take it. Just let me live."

​Marek looked at his partner by the door. The other guard shrugged. "Check it. If he's lying, I'll break his neck myself."

​Marek dropped Julian like a sack of grain. He stepped toward the barrel, his back turned for a split second.

​It was the only window Julian needed.

​In the modern world, Arthur Vance had studied Krav Maga not for sport, but for survival. He knew that the weak only win by being more vicious than the strong.

​Julian didn't go for the gold. He lunged for the heavy iron candle-holder. His new body was weak, but adrenaline is a powerful equalizer. He didn't stand up; he rolled, grabbing the iron base and swinging it with every ounce of his borrowed life.

​CRACK.

​The iron met Marek’s Achilles tendon. The giant let out a guttural scream as his leg gave way. As he tumbled, Julian didn't hesitate. He didn't wait for a fair fight. He drove the jagged, wax-covered point of the candle-holder into the soft flesh of Marek's throat.

​Blood, hot and metallic, sprayed across Julian’s face.

​The guard by the door gasped, reaching for his sword. "You—you dog!"

​Julian stood up, wiping the blood from his eyes with a silk sleeve. His heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird, but his gaze was ice-cold. He didn't look like a drunkard anymore. He looked like a predator.

​"One is dead," Julian said, his voice dropping an octave, carrying a weight of authority that shouldn't belong to a bastard prince. "If you run now, you might live to see the sunrise. If you stay, I'll make sure they never find your body in this cellar."

​The guard hesitated. He looked at Marek, twitching on the floor, then at the "Waste Prince" who stood amidst the shadows like a resurrected demon.

​Fear, sharp and sudden, took hold. The guard turned and bolted into the darkness of the upper hallway.

​Julian slumped against the wine barrel, his lungs burning. He looked at his blood-stained hands and let out a dry, jagged laugh.

​"The Valerius Empire," he whispered, memories of this new life finally beginning to flood his brain like an incoming tide. "Six brothers. One throne. And a kingdom rotting from the inside out."

.

​He straightened his tattered tunic, stepping over Marek’s corpse.

​"Well," Julian smirked, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "I always did enjoy a hostile takeover."

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    20 chapters
    Chapter 1: The Wine-Soaked Corpse
    ​The smell of stale ale and vomit was the first thing Julian felt. Or rather, the man who was Julian.​In his previous life, he was Arthur Vance, a man who moved markets with a phone call and collapsed regimes with a whisper. He had died in a high-rise office in Manhattan, a silencer’s bullet through his temple. He expected darkness. He expected the void. ​He did not expect a splitting headache and the feeling of cold stone beneath his cheek.​"Look at him," a sneering voice drifted from above. "The Emperor’s 'Little Mistake' can’t even hold his liquor. How fitting that he dies in his own filth."​Arthur opened his eyes. His vision was a blurred mess of flickering torchlight and shadows. He wasn't in New York. He was in a drafty, damp hall that smelled of wet dogs and burning tallow.​He tried to push himself up, but his arms felt like twigs. His hands were pale, thin, and trembling. This wasn't his body. This was the body of a boy—perhaps nineteen—dressed in silk rags that had seen b
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 2: The Price of Loyalty
    ​The cold night air bit through Julian’s thin tunic as he dragged Marek’s body toward the back of the cellar. His lungs burned, and his muscles screamed in protest, but he couldn't stop. In the world of politics, a corpse was an invitation; a missing person was merely a question.​He shoved the body into a ventilation shaft that led to the old, dried-up well. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it would buy him twenty-four hours.​"Now," Julian whispered, leaning against the damp wall to catch his breath. "The 'Waste Prince' has no money, no guards, and the First Prince is already sending cleaners. I need a shield."​He closed his eyes, digging into the hazy memories of the original Julian. Most were useless—blurry nights in taverns and the smell of cheap perfume—but one memory stood out. It was a face: scarred, stern, and filled with a silent, burning rage.​General Elena Vance.​No relation to his modern name, but she was a legend in Valerius. She had led the Southern Legion to thre
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 3: Liquid Gold
    The sun had not yet risen, but the air in the manor’s kitchens was thick with tension. Julian had managed to smuggle Elena into a hidden servant’s quarters—a cramped, dusty room behind the pantry that the original Julian had once used for trysts. Now, it served as a war room.​Elena sat on a wooden crate, sharpening a rusted kitchen knife with a whetstone. Even in her weakened state, her presence was suffocating. "You promised a miracle, Julian. But all I see is a man stealing copper pots and sacks of fermented grain from his own pantry."​Julian didn't look up. He was busy assembling a strange contraption: a large copper pot, a coiled lead pipe he’d scavenged from the plumbing, and a bucket of cold well water.​"In war, General, the most powerful weapon isn't the sword. It’s the supply chain," Julian said, tightening a seal with a strip of wet leather. "The Empire’s wine is weak. It’s watery, sour, and half of it turns to vinegar before it reaches the front lines." ​He lit a small fi
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 4: The Drunken Inferno
    ​The footsteps echoed in the corridor—rhythmic, heavy, and arrogant. ​Steward Harlen was a man who smelled of expensive cologne and cheap cruelty. He had served the First Prince for a decade, and his favorite pastime was making the "Waste Prince" crawl. He kicked open the door to Julian’s chambers, his silk handkerchief pressed to his nose.​"Your Highness," Harlen sneered, his eyes scanning the room. "The smell of wine in here is offensive even by your standards. Where is Marek? He was supposed to report to me an hour ago."​Julian didn't look up. He was slumped in a chair, a half-empty bottle in his hand. He looked pathetic—the very image of a royal failure. ​"Marek?" Julian slurred, his head lolling back. "The big one? He... he said he was thirsty. I told him there’s a whole barrel in the well. Or was it the cellar? I forget."​Harlen’s eyes narrowed. He looked at the four guards behind him. "Search the room. Tear the floorboards if you have to."​As the guards moved past Julian, o
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 5: The King of the Rat’s Nest (Expanded)
    ​The Rat’s Nest did not just look like a slum; it breathed like a dying beast. ​As Julian, Elena, and the boy Leo rode their horses through the crumbling stone archway that marked the edge of the capital's lower district, the air changed instantly. The scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the upper districts was replaced by the cloying, heavy stench of open sewers, rotting fish, and the sharp, metallic tang of unwashed bodies and desperation. This was the "gut" of the Valerius Empire—the place where everything the city consumed was eventually excreted.​Julian pulled his hood lower. In his previous life as Arthur Vance, he had visited the favelas of Brazil and the slums of Mumbai to negotiate land deals. He knew that beneath the filth lay the most potent political tool in existence: the rage of the ignored.​"Keep your hand on your hilt, General," Julian whispered, his voice barely audible over the squelch of his horse's hooves in the black mud. He didn't look like a prince anymo
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 6: The Merchant Queen’s Tithe
    ​The scent of "Liquid Gold" was a double-edged sword. It brought the coin Julian needed to feed Silas’s men and keep Elena in fresh whetstones, but in a city as predatory as the capital, a new scent in the air always attracted a bigger shark.​Seven days had passed since the fire at the manor. The warehouse in the Rat’s Nest was no longer a ruin; it was a humming, soot-stained factory. Julian had spent his last coppers on five more copper pots, and under his direction, Silas’s "rats" had become a disciplined assembly line. Some tended the fires, others monitored the cooling coils, and the children—the swiftest of the lot—scrubbed the clay jars clean in the river.​Julian sat at a makeshift desk—a door balanced on two barrels—mapping out the city’s trade routes. He was interrupted by the heavy thud of Elena’s boots. She didn't look like a prisoner anymore. She wore a suit of boiled leather scavenged from the slums, her amber eyes sharp with caution.​"We have a problem at the perimeter
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 7: The Ghost Legion
    ​The silver from Isabella Thorne’s first deposit arrived in heavy, unassuming iron-bound chests. It was the first time the warehouse in the Rat’s Nest had smelled of something other than charcoal and fermented mash—it now smelled of cold, hard currency.​Julian sat in the dim light of his "office," watching Elena inspect a crate of standard-issue imperial infantry swords. She handled them with a sneer, testing the balance before tossing a blade aside like a piece of refuse.​"Soft iron," she spat. "The First Prince’s smiths are skimming from the treasury. These would snap against a Northern shield in a heartbeat."​"Which is why we aren't buying from the imperial smiths," Julian said, not looking up from his ledger. He was calculating the "burn rate" of their current operation. "We are buying people, Elena. Not scrap metal. Are they here?"​Elena wiped her hands on a rag and nodded toward the heavy curtain that separated the office from the main distillery floor. "The ones who survive
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 8: The Harbor’s Shadow
    ​The docks of the Valerius Empire were a labyrinth of rotting wood, salt-crusted iron, and the perpetual fog that rolled off the Azure Sea. At midnight, the area was supposedly under the jurisdiction of the Harbor Watch, a group of guards notoriously famous for two things: their love of Isabella Thorne’s bribes and their habit of sleeping through anything quieter than a riot.​Julian stood on the roof of a dilapidated fish-packing house, his eyes fixed on the "Sea Wraith," a heavy merchant vessel currently unloading crates stamped with the Imperial Seal. Behind him, the Ghost Legion moved like smoke. Kaelen and his twenty veterans didn't make a sound; their armor had been blackened with soot, and their boots were wrapped in thick burlap to dampen the clatter of footsteps on the stone.​"Six guards on the gangplank," Kaelen whispered, his voice barely audible over the lapping of the waves. "Two more on the deck. They aren't Harbor Watch. Look at the way they hold their pikes—vertical,
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 9: The Alchemy of War
    ​The warehouse in the Rat’s Nest had been transformed. What was once a simple, illicit distillery had become a clandestine laboratory. The smell of fermented grain was now joined by the acrid, metallic tang of sulfur and the earthy scent of saltpeter.​Julian stood over a long stone table, his sleeves rolled up, exposing arms that were slowly gaining lean muscle from weeks of manual labor. In front of him lay the ten crates of black powder they had liberated from the docks. To Kaelen and the Ghost Legion, this was a substance used for palace fireworks or crude, unreliable siege mines. To Julian, it was the raw data of a revolution.​"The ratio is wrong," Julian muttered, staring at a small pile of the black dust.​Kaelen, who was sharpening a massive broadsword nearby, looked up. "Wrong? It’s the finest powder in the Empire, boy. The Alchemists’ Guild guards that formula with their lives."​"The Alchemists’ Guild is stuck in the dark ages," Julian countered, not looking up. "They use
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-10
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    Chapter 10: The Shadow King’s Coronation
    ​The smoke from the black powder hung over the Rat’s Nest like a funeral shroud. It was a heavy, acrid fog that refused to dissipate, clinging to the damp walls and the bodies of the fallen. For the first time in the history of the Valerius Empire, the elite Red Cloaks—the personal pride of the First Prince—had been routed. They hadn't been defeated in a glorious charge or a test of knightly skill; they had been dismantled by a "waste" prince using the laws of physics as a butcher’s cleaver.​Julian stood at the entrance of the warehouse, his face pale and streaked with soot. His ears were still ringing from the concussive force of the hand-cannons. In the modern world, Arthur Vance had seen the aftermath of corporate "slaughter"—layoffs, bankruptcies, and the cold destruction of lives through spreadsheets. But this was different. This was raw. This was the cost of his "hostile takeover" rendered in blood and iron.​"Count the casualties," Julian ordered, his voice sounding hollow eve
    last updateLast Updated : 2026-01-11
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