Peony

## Emperor Peony

**(Image Gallery)**

Emperor Peony IX is the current ruler of Malkuth. He rules from the Imperial Palace in Grand Chokmah. He is the husband of Colonel Jim Curtiss-Malkuth, and father of Princess Kay Curtiss-Malkuth

## Biography

### Early Life

Peony was born in Grand Chokmah, the youngest son of Emperor Karl V. His mother was one of the emperor's lowest-ranking wives, and he had three older half-siblings ahead of him in line for the throne. Still, a prophecy said that Peony would one day be emperor of Malkuth. As such, his father sent him away to be hidden in the snowy town of Keterburg.

Nine-year-old Prince Peony led a lonely life in Keterburg, surrounded by no one but servants and staff. He was home-schooled, and unable to leave the house he'd been confined to. That is, until a young boy snuck past the guards in order to meet him. Peony was shocked to see him, but acted quickly, hiding the other boy from sight under the bed until the guards left his room. Once the coast was clear, the two talked through the night, and Peony was instantly fascinated with his new friend. The next morning, Jim asked Professor Nebilim to try to enroll the young prince in their local school. Her appeal was successful, and Peony soon began attending classes with Jim, Nephry and Saphir.

When Peony turned eighteen, his father's health had started to decline, and he was summoned back to Grand Chokmah. With all of Peony's siblings killed in the struggle for the throne, he was the only one left-- just as prophesized. When his father died, Peony took over as Emperor of Malkuth at age 19.

Peony and Jim continued to see each other through the former's early reign and the latter's military training, eventually moving in together at the palace (though their relationship existed solely off-the-record). Peony performed his duties well, and gained a reputation as a fair and kind leader, despite his casual attitude and laid-back personality. Through his rule, he was able to foster peace with neighboring countries Kimlasca and Tesseralia.

## Relationships

### Nephry Osborne

Nephry was one of Peony's first friends in Keterburg, as well as Jim's little sister. When Peony was young, he briefly had a crush on Nephry. (This quickly subsided as Peony realized he was in love with her brother-- not to mention Nephry is like. SO gay.)

### Jasper of Tesseralia

Young princes Peony and Jasper saw a lot of each other growing up; from parties to ceremonies, they formed a close friendship as a result of spending so much time together. They wrote letters back and forth, and Peony developed a crush on the other young prince. This quickly subsided, but the two remain friends to this day.

Jim has a particular dislike of Jasper.

## Trivia

* Peony has a fondness for rappigs, keeping several of them in the palace. Each rappig is named after someone he cares about.
* He has several hobbies, including sewing and painting. A lot of the clothes that Jim and Kay wear are made by Peony. He tends to include a harp motif in many of his outfits-- he's teased that it's intended as a way to stake his claim on Jim.
* Despite his easy-going appearance, Peony is a chronic worrier, especially when it comes to his family. He presents a strong front in public, but only shows his more vulnerable side in private.