Sweet Waters Throne

113 Chapter 11Before walking away to join Olivia who was waiting, Aryan remained still and whispered to Gandalf. “Uncle Benjen is on his way here, I received his note last night. Did he write to you?”

That was a first and Gandalf was stunned by this news, of course their uncle didn’t write to him. Benjen always thought Gandalf was irresponsible and stupid, he liked Aryan more than him. When their father died, it was Benjen who raised them till they were of age.

Then when Gandalf was crowned by Luca Arteides, Artemis’ s father as the Lord of Old City, Benjen suddenly disappeared without a word. Both Aryan and Gandalf were fifteen during that time, and now they were approaching their twenty second name day and he somehow resurrected – seven years later.

“What does he want?” Gandalf blazed angrily.

“He will scold us that’s for sure, for losing our home. But we shall remind him you are a King now and he’s out to watch his mouth”

Gandalf sighed, then he slowly pulled up a chair and sat down. “Maybe I’ll take his tongue for it, to teach him a lesson”

“No, no, we won’t. We are not the last Squires brother; we don’t have to entertain him at all. Let’s welcome him and hear what he has to say, I shall visit you again when I’m out of the stables” Lady Aryan reached out for Gandalf’s forehead and kissed him, then she joined Olivia and they walked away.

Olivia seemed interested at how fast these twins have turned around their connection, last week they barely stood at the same place for more than five minutes then now Aryan was kissing her brother on his forehead. She teased Aryan at the compassion she was showing to her brother, they walked outside of the courtyard and onto the stables where Aryan seemed way too occupied with the lions.

The hour of the wolf and close to midnight, Rush arrived in Blackmount. She faced some inspections at the city’s gates where guards wanted to know if she was in a state visit or a casual one. The thirty knights accompanying her in two carriages rose the suspicion, Rush posed as a Lady from Whitebridge and she came to Blackmount for trade purposes.

.....

“I bring in silks and satins, and some foreign ale. That’s all...” she said in a flirt tone while making sure her dress slipped so the guard may see her soft red-brown skin.

The guard was consistent “May I check on the carriages?” he asked while his eyes were lowered to look at Rush’s open thigh, he was smitten it was wide clear.

“Will that be necessary?”

“I mean... its late and...” The stuttering is what defined his weakness. Rush took his arm by force and suddenly kissed his lips, then he shoved him out and winked at him.

The guard blushed and looked sideways as if scared whether someone was looking at him, then he opened the gates and allowed the caravan to pass through. He looked on as Rush entered inside the gates of Blackmount with a smile, he savored that kiss and longed for more, sure he will search for her the next day.

Rush wasn’t a stranger in Blackmount, she visited the capital once when Luca Arteides was still King and whored her way into the finest brothels, she made a fortune during that time and she was just fifteen. She was also present during Artemis’s coronation day, his name day and the royal wedding.

The person she was very close to was Lord Angun, who was now Hand of the King. She wrote to Angun prior her journey and asked him to prepare a manse for her to arrive in, she didn’t tell him what business brought her to the capital. Angun never asks Rush her business because he knew very well she was a courtesan – a rather expensive courtesan and if she’s in Blackmount, then it’s possible a high born Lord called her in.

A huge manse was prepared for Rush, there was a turquoise red door on the front, a rather scary grotesque at the top. Two guards were at the front guarding the manse by Lord Angun’s orders, they wore red armors with Maldonian sigil attached to their threads, a display of loyalty to the king.

The thirty knights who escorted Rush wore yellow golden cloaks and carried a Lion sigil, the Squire symbol but the people of Blackmount had no idea who Gandalf Squire was apart from a traitor and a Usurper. He betrayed his King and fought alongside Castellan Taelin, and then betrayed Castellan and took his head.

Only few people noticed the lions and grew suspicious, but also it was midnight and most of them were sleeping, and those who were still awake were whoring themselves in pleasure houses and were too drunk to pay attention.

Rush entered inside the manse and ordered the doors to be barred, the knights were shown to the stables where they rested their horses and quarters to sleep, there were ten quarters inside that manse and in each quarter, three knights laid rest but the beds were huge enough to fit all three of them.

Five chambers fully decorated with white fur sheets, air smelling of spices and scented flowers, huge walls and oil lanterns lit up to lighten the whole building. There was also a pool inside the manse, Rush reached out to taste the waters and they were so warm, she smiled softly and seemed relieved.

Her servants were to take the chambers, and they were ordered to stay close and attend to her needs. That night Rush slept till the next day afternoon because she was worn out from her journey. When she woke up, the servants prepared her breakfast; fried fish, breads, pastries, pigeon pie and a strong wine to wash it all down.

Her favorite servant was Uila, she was a red-skin just like her and a foreigner. She was shy, still a maiden and yet to know a man, Rush talked to her and advised her to keep her maidenhood for a man worthy of it and she shouldn’t be in a hurry to gift it to anyone.

During the evening, Rush told the knights they were allowed to roam free in the capital but only with normal attires and not the armors. “A Squire is an enemy of the crown; you may lose your heads here if you wear that golden cloak” she said to them.

Then she set on foot to grace the streets of Blackmount once again, it had been long since the royal wedding and the current news was the Queen had given birth to a son – Prince Jahery Arteides, Prince of Blackmount and heir to the Sweet Waters throne. But could there be more than the birth of the Prince, were there dragons in Blackmount?

This courtesan Aryan directed her to, Isabella was a well know courtesan and Rush knew her very well. It was her brothel she used to make herself a fortune, and Isabella was so close to Lord Balrus, Master of the spies.

If she approached Isabella about such matters of the crown, it was so vivid that the news will be all over the palace by the next day courtesy of rodents lurking in shadows eavesdropping to every conversation, it didn’t matter whether in the alleys or the bays.

Lucky for Rush, that very evening as she strolled down the streets, a palanquin passed through and it was carried by six strong men. Three on the front and three at the back, they wore red cloaks and looked so fine like wine. It was no secret these were Kingsguards, and Rush was sure the one who was inside the palanquin was either the King or the Queen.

The palanquin was taking a route from the main palace to Aurora’s Hill, and the good folks were forced to part and make way for the royals. Rush pretended to be a foreigner, and leaned on the locals. “Is that the King or the Queen?” she asked a washerwoman beside her.

“Both of them, the Queen spends more time in her castle than she did the main palace. At night they retire together to lay rest, what a beautiful couple. Long live King Artemis” said the woman with such passion in her voice, she really did love her King.

This was all it took for Rush to be suspicious, what was really going on inside the Queen’s palace? Could it be she was actually hiding dragons like what Aryan said, and if that was true then maybe she wanted to surprise everyone when she one day flies above the sky on dragon back.

Rush followed the trail slowly and when they reached almost five hundred meters from the castle, the good folks were forbidden to escort the royals. This is where it ended, and Rush knew something was going on. This begged a question, how does she earn herself a place inside the castle to investigate.

Maybe she could use Lord Balrus, but he will sniff it out of her the second she meets him, Balrus was good at sniffing people out and she didn’t want to fail Aryan. Hence she turned to her favorite servant, Uila for help.