Sweet Waters Throne

144 Chapter 14There was no way Artemis would be jealous of Lord Leoric, he was ten times richer than him, more handsome and he had the whole realm at his fingertips. Not to mention the dragons which Lord Akirbus made it clearly to Lord Leoric. “He has dragons, the king can never be jealous of the Lord of the Mines” and this came as a shade just like what Leoric thought.

“How many dragons does he have? Are they even his? How did he get them?” The series of questions started to pour out of Lord Leoric’s mouth, yet Lord Akirbus replied to none.

Lord Akirbus seemed so concerned on Princess Aeryn who seemed awfully quiet. It’s no unlike her — the Lord thought. Hence he came to a halt just outside the gates of Lord Leoric’s castle and paid attention to Princess Aeryn.

“Are you alright my princess?” asked Lord Leoric.

“She’s alright” There was an angry tone on Leoric’s voice. “Just answer my damn questions, where did he get the dragons?”

Lord Akirbus stood tall “I don’t have to answer anything to you. I owe you nothing, if you are so concerned about the dragons, why don’t you visit the capital and see them for yourself. And get burned in the process”

After the confrontation, Lord Leoric grew small that he became silent. Lord Akirbus walked away and he didn’t even get inside the castle, he just kept walking until he got lost in the middle of the crowd while Leoric was looking at him with pierced sharp eyes.

Suddenly, he turned to Princess Aeryn and smiled. “He bought it, didn’t he?”

Princess Aeryn smirked “It will be the first thing he will say to my brother. And Artemis will grow worry of me and summon me to the capital, I’ll go and from there we’ll see if our plan works”

.....

“I asked him how many dragons does the King have so he can report it that you never told me he has five of them. Mayhaps the King will think you are wise after all”

“Mmh! My poor brother... He has no clue what we are about to do” There was an evil smile on Aeryn’s lips, she changed so much ever since Lord Petrus’s death.

It was all a game to these two, they practiced this the moment Lord Akirbus showed on their city’s gates. There was nothing wrong with Princess Aeryn, she was as fit as a button but she pretended to be pale and sick.

Later on during the golden hour, the knights had rounded up twenty criminals in shackles, manacled at neck, wrist and ankles like slaves. They were to march from the Mines to the capital in the heat and open toes. Lord Akirbus joined his men and together they left the Mines that same day. This time Lord Akirbus didn’t say goodbye to Lord Leoric, he just left without a word.

But Lord Leoric was looking at him from above his castle. The sun was setting and he was having his usual hot tea, he smirked and felt like a winner after playing mind games on Lord Akirbus.

After Princess Thelma received the letter from Artemis, she has since then been preparing herself for the journey to Blackmount and hoped the letter she wrote to Prince Ambrose would have been safely delivered. Lord Lothar was against it, he thought Princess Thelma should wait for her brother.

“There’s no need to rush to Blackmount. It’s not like the war will happen tomorrow and Gandalf is dead” he said.

“Exactly! The usurper is dead and now his sister has been crowned Queen. If we don’t march to Prophis now, our people will forget about House Taelin” Princess Thelma insisted.

Then as they were arguing inside the council chamber of their Manor. A servant arrived carrying a letter, he said it was from Whitebridge — the Liberty City.

“Whitebridge!” Princess Thelma was shocked. She quickly grabbed the letter and opened it, Lord Lothar excused the servant.

“Is it Ambrose?” he asked.

No, apparently it wasn’t from Prince Ambrose. The letter was sent by Katarina Tully, the former Queen of Prophis and the letter was carefully sent by Aprophil who had connections all over the sea. Katarina spoke of her existence and that of her two sons — Amabel and Barkis. And also the last son of King Taelin, Frost Taelin who Thelma referred to her as half-brother because they didn’t share a womb.

Katarina wrote about why she had to hide in Whitebridge during all this time, she said how she escaped that night when the City was sacked but she didn’t mention Lady Aryan as her savior. Katarina omitted that part so as to avoid any unnecessary confusion, she knew how much sensitive Princess Thelma can be. She asked Princess Thelma to help them journey to Loni so Amabel can be reunited with his family as the true heir to the Silver throne.

That part where it was written “Amabel is the true heir to the Silver throne, we must put him to his seat as he was meant to be. For House Taelin, for stability of the realm and for your brother...” pierced through the Princess’s heart like a sharp arrow. She loved her nephew dearly and fondly, but she hated Castellan with all her heart.

Castellan was the reason for the fall of House Taelin. He wasn’t ready to be a King, the Princess knew that but he rushed to his seat when he slit their father’s throat and claimed the throne. He led the country to a war from which the Prophisians never recovered from and maybe that’s why they turned to Gandalf for peace — the same man who beheaded their King.

Lord Lothar saw how Princess Thelma’s face expression suddenly changed. He snatched the letter from her arms and read it silently. His eyes widened with amazement when he was done reading it.

“They are alive! All four of them? I thought —” he couldn’t even get the words out.

“I thought so too, four heads were thrown to my brother when he was outside the city’s gates. Everyone thought it was them...” The Princess had to sit down first because she felt like her head was spinning.

Lord Lothar went on to sit beside her. Now they shifted from the trip to Blackmount to talking about the most shocking news that none of them expected.

“We should help them get here safe” said Lord Lothar. “I’ll send a ship to Whitebridge with our men and we’ll retrieve them safely. Or I’ll go since they can’t trust anyone” he was eager to help.

“You will not do such a thing” Princess Thelma said with a straight face.

“What? Thelma these are our kins, your brother’s sons and my cousins. You want us to leave them there in a foreign land all alone?”

“Ambrose is the true heir to the Silver throne. He will be a better King than a thirteen year old” said Princess Thelma with arrogance.

Then she stood up and faced Lothar “Look me in the eyes and tell me Amabel will be a good King? He has his father’s instincts and sooner rather than later he will have his father’s ruthlessness and cruelty”

Lord Lothar disagreed “He is not his father! And Ambrose cannot be King as long as Amabel or Barkis lives. He will be a Usurper just like Gandalf” and now he screamed at the princess.

Their altercations and misunderstanding lasted for over five minutes. Princess Thelma puling North while Lord Lothar pulling South — none of them was ready to reconcile and settle the matter. When Princess Thelma knew she was losing the argument, and when Lord Lothar threatened to speak out about Amabel’s existence to his lords — that’s when she reached out for a knife on top of a table and without thinking, Princess Thelma stabbed Lord Lothar on his stomach.

They were all alone inside the council chamber of their Manor, and behind these doors no servant or guard was allowed. Princess Thelma knew she was safe since the doors were barred, and right there she stabbed Lothar again and this time he fell down.

The greedy for power and the yearning in putting a King she desired on the throne led Princess Thelma to murder her beloved husband who she loved dearly and shared a daughter with. Thelma wept as she watched Lord Lothar struggle to take his final breath, she even held his hand and said “Forgive me my love, I did it for the good of the realm” while she knew better she did it for her own good.

After Lord Lothar laid down cold and silent, Princess Thelma looked outside and it was already dark. Their Manor had five stories which were high, and a fall from such height would prove to be fatal and no man can make it. Henceforth, just like what his brother did when he murdered their father, Princess Thelma threw Lothar off the window and his head hit hard on a rock and brain was spattered all over the place.

Then it was quiet, she knew the servants will find him in the morning. Guilty crippled her for a moment and she couldn’t stop crying, the most handsome Lord ever known was gone, murdered by his own kin and wife.