hi there! i hope you're doing well 😊 i LOVE your Hotel California books, and i have a quick world building question, if that's alright 🙂
how did the Eight Kings ascend to the throne?
were they born into royal bloodlines, destined to be kings? or did they have to fight for the position, like in some sort of gladiator tournament? perhaps born as random nobodies, having to raise their reputations through acts and deeds (as well as fighting prowess)? or they went from zero to hero via Game of Thrones level political subterfuge and intrigue?
thanks so much, and happy spooky season! 🎃👻
First off, sorry for taking so long to answer this! I meant to respond earlier, just got caught up in things and felt this ask deserved my full attention once I had the time.
I'm so glad you asked!! I actually had this all thought out and I've sort of hinted at it in a few chapters, but never fully went into any details.
So, how I envision the 'royalty' aspect to work in this series is that bloodlines can play a role in things, but they're not the be all, end all. The Eight Kings fought their way to the top and earned the respect of many of the clans which is why they've been able to maintain power for so long.
Obviously, they'll still have those that oppose them, or want to take over the throne for themselves (I'm looking at you, Miyeon), but overall, all of their subjects recognize how powerful the Kings are, so they tend not to want to challenge that.
That being said, I always pictured Yunho as the one King that does have royal blood in his veins. His family probably ruled the longest in ancient times before it changed into a sort of roulette style of leadership. I've only really ever seen the first season of Game of Thrones, so I'm not too sure how that system works honestly. If it's similar, cool!
Hongjoong I always pictured as coming from a 'lower class' background, hence why he doesn't have any additional demonic features like horns or wings, or anything like that. I hinted at it in his special PG chapter, but he truly had to climb his way to the top from nothing.
All eight of them see their rankings more so as a job nowadays, rather than a position they're obligated to do. Of course, they all want to maintain power - there's not really any singular demon more powerful than the eight of them, especially together - ergo they're not going to give up their positions so easily. Being Kings has its perks, and since they've been ruling for so long now (upwards to 1000 years), they're not retiring or stepping down any time soon.
Of course, Yunho isn't the only one with a high familial status. Yeosang, Seonghwa, and San all have royalty in their bloodlines, and have all come from areas of privilege. Even Mingi, Jongho, and Wooyoung have some form of nobility in their families. Their power just depends partly on genetics, too. I.e. mutated genes.
All of them are powerful on their own. There's no doubt about that. Cunning, smart, and ruthless when they have to be. Having been in power for so long, though, they've learned quite a few ins and outs of the trade. It's why they're managed to stay in power for so long. Yet, all eight of them together...
Unmatched.
