Aiylo

Aiylohotep Heptja-Keprimet
Aiylohotep Heptja-Keprimet (limping prince of Kepri) also informally referred to as Aiylo. Was the first male pharaoh to ascend throne as a result of winning the Keprian Crisis Period. He is responsible for reshuffling the majority of the old structure of Keprimet, and centralizing the power to the monarch to an absolute state after centuries of weakened royal authority. His campaigning outside of the borders made him control the largest amount of land the Keprian dynasty has ever had control over at that point, making him rename the kingdom to Ipft-Keprimet (The Empire of Kepri).

Early life
Born in the 24th Year of Queen Pethja's reign, he was the youngest of three siblings. The eldest being Crown-Princess Yasa-Hemia born in the 17th Year and Prince Imhrek in the 19th Year. His early childhood was plagued with sickness, and demanding a constant care. At his birth, counselors to Queen Pethja advised her to get rid of Aiylo by killing him. However, Queen Pethja refused strongly for still debated reasons, when asked she is told to have simply cited "For he is born under the same star signs as Kepri". Fearing for repercussions, she put Aiylo under the personal protection of Monthutek. A large albino crocodile who have been in service as a captain of the royal guard since Queen Pethja's mothers rule. He would prove vital to Aiylo's upbringing as well as forming an almost parental bond with the prince.

Upon Aiylo's birth, he was weak and fragile unlike normal cubs when born. Being malnourished and prone to falling deathly ill, he needed constant care and protection unlike other peers of his age. The Queen had arranged for him to live a secluded life deep in the palace, where physicians, servants and a sortie of guards took care of the sick prince. All of this was overseen by Monthutek and court-physician Ghami; a foreigner of a nomadic clan that had settled in the southern lands of Keprimet only a decade earlier.

The young prince also had a limp in his left leg, making it hard for him to walk properly and having to either be carried around by Monthutek on his shoulders as Aiylo was incapable of walking for any longer distance without falling over. This combined with an already negative view due to his health rendered him obstructed from joining the Keprian high society, and would often make him ostracized during social events in the form of mocking, sometimes even openly by his peers. Even his own brother would often pick fights with Aiylo, and at one particular event, almost drown him. As Prince Imhrek pushed Prince Aiylo into a pool as the two were having a heated verbal argument. A servant discovered this and immediately rescued him from his demise, and as a consequence; Prince Imhrek was sent to a noble family to be trained and raised as a future Vice-Roy earlier than what was the norm. This proved to further put a divide between the two that would end with the two taking different sides during the Keprian intermediate period.

Unlike their brother, the Crown-Princess adored her youngest brother. To the point she could be found tending to the prince when he fell ill, or sleep beside Aiylo when fever-dreams haunted. As the Queen herself was mostly absent due to state affairs and a great campaign in the west. Aiylo came to think fondly of Yasa-Hemia as the two developed a deep bond, and later starting a relationship in secret.

Combining his position as the youngest, being a male (only female would inherit the throne), and being very sick. He was never expected to become anything, less alone surviving to adulthood.

9th to 16th year
When Aiylo reached his ninth year of age, great progress in his health had happened. He did not fall ill as often as he used to, and the severity of each passing seemed to become much more managable for him with each season, to everyones surprise. Court-physician Ghami wrote the following in a journal to the queen, evaluating his strength and mental capacity;

"O divine mistress, Ruler of the rivers, sacred is thy name. You youngest son, Prince Aiylo sacred is his name, have advanced in his health. The great gods sacred is their names have been favorable to the treatment. I, your majesty, scared by thy name, humble servant have procured with great effort. His vitality is strengthening each sunrise, and his spirit is in the best of shape. Prince Aiylo, sacred be his name, should be considered the ability to be put on education that your majesty, sacred be thy name, decide would be the most fitting for him." - Court-Physician Ghami to Queen Pethja

On behalf of Queen Pethja, Monthutek would gather a small entourage of scholars. Due to concerns and ensuring a full recovery, Prince Aiylo was still omitted from stepping outside the palace unless closely guarded and followed by the Royal Guard. However this was regulated and the young prince was not allowed to go further beyond the district of the palace's servants households. So all of his education was taken place inside the inner courtyard of his residence.

Some of the subjects Aiylo was taught and excelled in were; mathematics, history, astronomy, reading and writing. He seemed to have a particular fondness for reading about his own kingdoms history as well as knowing about other foreign states. Even getting Ghami to teach him his own nomadic language as well as having Monthutek teach him the basic hissing and rumbling sounds of the crocodiles, making him able to communicate with his royal guard.

By his 12th year, Aiylo was reaching adulthood. His illness by this time had completly vanished and all that was left was the limp in his left leg, however the limp had also seemed to slowly heal as he was able to walk longer distances. It was also at this stage that he grew bored of being constantly locked inside the palace grounds. Therefore he started sneaking out whenever possible from the palace in the evening. Whether trough bribing, charming or cunning. He would succesfully get out and go on adventures trough the capital and get a first hand glimpse of the life of his mothers subjects.

One place in particular stood out, it was a small narrow path leading down an alleyway into a doorway into an old storage house. In there the commoners of Kepri would drink and bet on fighting games hosted. Where two sides would engage in combat with one another, usually by hand or wooden mock-ups of maces, swords or spears. The young prince was impressed by the fighters, who seemed to fear nothing and despite the sometimes brutal combat, always respect their opponents and would not lethally wound the other. It was also here that Aiylo discovered seceral court members coming to take their bets and even partake in the fights, a very special event here was organising fights between two individuals from the royal guard. Seeing an oppotunity, Aiylo would leverage this knowledge to have the royal guards allow him to slip by every night with them to the club, and sometimes further out in the city. He also helped them by persuading the Captain of the guard to not take fee's to turn a blind eye to his guardsmen sneaking out at night.