The residence assigned to each Prince was less a manor and more a fortified settlement. Towering stone walls enclosed vast grounds, reinforced by battlements and watchtowers from which soldiers could monitor the surrounding territory.
Smaller cottages, barracks, supply buildings, and checkpoints filled the space between the outer walls and the main manor, housing the hundreds of soldiers and attendants who accompanied each Prince to the Imperial Capital.
Anyone attempting to reach the main building would have to pass through several layers of security, each manned by soldiers loyal to its owner.
The arrangements made the residences feel like independent military communities, and with seven Princes gathered within the capital, the Imperial Palace had effectively created seven fortresses inside its own territory.
