Zahard's Princesses


 * "And for this reason, they are frequently referred to thus: 'Shoes displayed in the King's showcase'. Although very beautiful, nobody can take them out to wear."
 * - Androssi Zahard describing Zahard's Princesses

The Princesses (공주, gongjoo; 公主, gōngzhǔ) of Zahard (자하드; or "Jahad") are a sect of elite females chosen to serve Zahard, as the obligation for receiving his grand power. They are the "ultimate species" and a Princess is chosen every several hundred years. "They are an existence which, at times, serves as a sword to defend the authority of the King and at other times, is worshipped by the citizens of the Tower".

Being recognised as a Princess is an honourable and almost impossible achievement and there are many candidates vying for the position.

Apparently, some of the Floors were conquered by Princesses, likely on the behalf of Zahard when the King and the 10 Great Warriors were conquering the Tower. It is unknown if these Princesses were allowed to rule the Floors they had conquered.

Origin
As everyone in the Tower is like a son or daughter of Zahard, a Princess is likely a chosen daughter of Zahard and she calls the King "Father". However, there is not a single princess that actually has inherited Zahard's blood. All of them are selected from the 10 Great Families or elsewhere, making them "adopted children" and thus part of the Zahard Family. After selection, the Princesses are imbued with Zahard's power through a special procedure, but none of them ever receive his actual blood. In exchange for this adoption and power, it seems they "discard" their surnames to avoid being bound by their heredity (ancestry and inheritance).

The only exception is Anak Zahard, who is an indirect descendant of Zahard. However she is a 'fake' Princess born from the real Anak Zahard and a palace cook. As a result, she is thus considered "the shame of Zahard" and Ren from the RED has the mission to execute her.

The standards of being nominated as a Princess of Zahard include power, resourcefulness and appearance. But the most important factor evaluated is if the girl is capable of properly receiving his power. The most outstanding children are then granted Zahard's power through a special method, further enhancing their combat and other skills.

Informal and Formal Princesses
There are 2 types of ranks for a Princess: informal and formal. As they are all sisters, the term "unni" is used to address a sister who's more senior than her, in terms of rank and the amount of time they've served as a Princess.

An informal Princess is someone like Repellista Zahard who has not climbed the Tower or Androssi Zahard who is still climbing the Tower. However, even informal Princesses have received Zahard's power. All Princesses start off as Informal as even Eurasia Enne Zahard was an informal Princess while she was a Regular.

A Princess who has climbed the Tower and become a Ranker, might be chosen to become a formal Princess who is also called a "chosen Princess". Only a "chosen Princess" is eligible to receive a 13 Month Series, as she has proven her ability by climbing the Tower. This is apparently very rare as Yuri Zahard was the only informal Princess chosen to become a formal Princess in the last 500 years.

Both ranks command varying amounts of respect. Of course, the amount of respect a Princess commands also depends on her behaviour and conduct.

13 Month Series
The 13 Month Series is a symbolic series consisting of 12 sentient weapons and 1 Arms Inventory. It is bestowed by King Zahard to a chosen Princess. The chances of receiving a 13 Month Series are very slim and Ha Yuri Zahard was the only one out of all the chosen Princesses in the last 500 years, bestowed with one of the Series called the Black March.

Only a formal Princess can be chosen to receive a 13 Month Series, provided she accepts it. It is widely believed that only a formal Princess can ignite a 13 Month Series, though this has been disproven by the likes of Anak Zahard and Baam. Also, some of the 13 Month Series like the Black March might refuse to ignite, unless its owner meets a certain condition like 'a good-looking man'.

Note: The Rainbow Undecimber, an arms inventory, is the only exception from the 13 Month Series as the others are all weapons.

Associated Symbol
Both informal and formal Princesses are permitted to wear an object which displays Zahard's three-eyed symbol, signifying their status as a Zahard's Princess. A fake Princess like Anak Zahard has none. It is likely the symbolic item is presented to the Princess by the King himself. (They don't seem to wear it inside the palace.

Examples: Yuri Zahard's tie and Androssi Zahard's hair pin.

Rules governing the Princesses
The Princesses (informal and formal) are governed by a set of rules (there may be more):
 * 1) They must not have a relationship with a man.
 * 2) They must not marry.
 * 3) They may not have a child.
 * 4) They must not help an enemy of the Empire. (For example, an Irregular or possibly Anak Zahard.)

The first 3 rules are to prevent Zahard's power from being spread recklessly and being misused by others coveting the throne by using his child as a tool to seize power; they are definitely implemented to prevent wars of succession and even civil war. Punishment for breaking all these 4 rules is likely death, only if the RED reports to the King or if the King learns about it from another source.

Formal Princesses who've been chosen to receive a 13 Month Series are bound by an additional set of rules upon accepting it.

It's likely the Princess must wear the symbolic item outside of the Palace to indicate her status and authority.

Known Princesses
There have been a total of 28 confirmed Princesses, although 8 have gone missing.

Notes and Trivia

 * Fights between Princesses is never regarded as a problem, even when they kill each other.
 * Likely all the Princesses, including Androssi Zahard, live in a Palace of their own.
 * A Princess is likely entitled to a Guide of her own.

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