Sweet Waters Throne

85 Chapter 8It so turned out Aryan was right and indeed Artemis was so shocked when he heard about Gandalf being crowned King of Prophis when Lord Balrus sent a raven for him on the way. He expected it but it’s the reception Gandalf got from Prophisians that completely stunned him.

With this he leaned onto Aurora for console when they made camp under the stars during the night with just few hours to reaching Old City. They were inside a tent which was the biggest of all his escorts and guarded by five of Artemis’s kingsguard knights “These people... how can they cheer up for Gandalf after he just beheaded their King” asked Artemis laying his head on Aurora’s thighs.

Aurora stroked his hairs softly “Many Prophisians never liked the Taelins, especially after a tyrant rule of Castellan’s father. They hated the father and so did they hate his son”

“Castellan was nothing like his father”

“You’ve never met him husband, how could you know?”

“I just...” Artemis stuttered for a second, he used this time to take a breather. “If we take Old City, will this be the reason for the war you speak about?”

“Old City is yours my king, by rights and by power. If a rebellious Lord betrays you and joined with your enemies you are ought to punish him, that will also include House Iron Falcon”

This was true, however Artemis grew reluctant “If I were to choose a new lord in Iron Falcon and replace Lord Finnian, this alone will start a war inside the kingdom because I never replaced my uncle’s sons with a new lord and he was also a traitor. The last thing I need is to fight with the blacksmiths of Maldonia, they own half the iron in the kingdom”

“When did you become so wise, husband” A smile escaped Aurora’s lips.

.....

Artemis sat on the soft mat and looked at Aurora, there was still a spark of love between the two and promise for a better future. Aurora’s eyes were worn out from the travels and they grew soft and she looked like she was about to sleep.

“When will you leave?” asked Artemis.

“My grandmother said we have to leave in a moon turn” she replied calmly still keeping the eye contact with Artemis.

“I would miss you terribly. How will I survive without you?”

Aurora brought Artemis’s face closer to hers and then she kissed his lips “I won’t be long, I promise”

“Four moons seem like a long time. By the time you get back to the capital your belly will be swollen, and it won’t take long till you go into your labors. What will I tell the people of Maldonia about their queen’s whereabouts?”

“Don’t tell them anything, it’ll pass by like a bad wind”

Artemis grunted softly “No, it’ll drag horribly” he seemed to not agree with Aurora.

After spending their days and nights together, the distance seemed like a cruel factor to both Artemis and Aurora. Apart from being married couples, they were very much friends and it was the friendship which solidified their bond in such a way even one night apart felt like a heavy burden they had to endure, and now four moons seemed like a lot.

“I’ll have my dragon egg by the time I come back, and it’ll hatch once I give birth. With that, I’m afraid the journey is important my love”

“I know, I... I understand the reason for it. It’s the loneliness I won’t be able to endure”

“Let’s not speak of my departure anymore, come and talk to him” Aurora raised her hand and placed Artemis’s head on her stomach.

Even though she wasn’t even on a moon turn and she wasn’t even showing, Aurora could feel her son’s movement through her magic powers and with that she passed on to Artemis who suddenly fell asleep by the sounds of his son inside a belly.

When Artemis fell asleep, Aurora took his cloak and walked outside the tent. It may have been quiet and dull inside their royal tent, but the servants and the men were having a blast under the open stars. They played games while surrounding fires in groups, for a caravan of two thousand men they did occupy a significant amount of space.

A servant brought Aurora a glass of wine and she asked if the queen was feeling cold, Aurora simply replied with a no and she kept on looking around while slowly sipping her glass of wine. By dawn they will be inside the gates of Old City, a huge city full of ancient gold and historical buildings.

They usually call themselves the forgotten ones but Old City was the only house which attempted to overthrow the Arteides’s on the throne – a record of five rebellions and large number of lions. What Aurora was seeking at the time, was the secrets of Gandalf and his birth place seemed like a good place to start.

Henceforth, at first light when they rode inside the gates of Old City and being led to the castle which once belonged to Lord Gandalf and his sister, Aurora whispered to Artemis so no one can hear. “I need one of Gandalf’s personal things or his twin’s, I may be able to get to him” and right there Artemis ordered the chambers of Lord Gandalf to be rid of his things.

And by order of the king, the things were to be brought to him unchecked. The city was in it’s usual state and the good folks were going about on their daily activities. Most of the people of Old City liked to trade with other big cities, and grew their crops hence most of them were farmers and lived in an outer part of the city.

The ones who remained put in the square markets all either traded their silks, oils and golds or they owned brothels and restaurants. It wasn’t as luxurious as Blackmount, Raven or King’s City for that matter but it was a huge city with a huge army. However, only five thousand men remained in Old City after Gandalf took all of them to Prophis.

Artemis demanded to see the lords of the castle, and they were presented to him by lunch in the council chamber. Lord Affrey Trill of House Trill seemed to be the favorite amongst the lords and he received many votes as the next lord of Old City.

“What do you do for living my lord?” Aurora asked Lord Affrey who by all counts was almost in his late sixties and tired. However, later on Artemis admitted he chose him not to rule Old City but for his sons to take the seat after him.

“I... I am a merchant Your Grace. My sons trade in silk, satins, palms and...”

Artemis interrupted him “How many sons do you have?” he asked out of curiosity.

“Six, Your Grace”

“Perfect, that’ll do” said Artemis but not even Lord Afrrey himself understood why the king said that. He needed his sons and not him because he looked like he wouldn’t last a moon turn without being in his grave. “That’s it my lords, by dawn we shall have a new lord of Old City”

Suddenly, Artemi’s lord commander of the Kingsguard Sir Dante Lucan barged inside. “The Lady of Old City is here Your Grace, and she’s demanding an audience” he said.

“Lady Aryan?”

“Yes, Your Grace”

With that both Artemis and Aurora stood up and walked together to where Lady Aryan was, they seemed to be so eager in seeing her after all the accolades and rumors they’ve heard. Most of the rumors were Lady Aryan’s features and most important her masculinity and victory in the Battle of Stonedance. Songs were sang later on how she didn’t lose not even one lion in the battlefield compared to her brother who lost all his lions, and how she walked away from Stonedance without not so much even a single wound.

Artemis has never laid eyes on Lady Aryan even the first time he visited Old City alone, and he seemed more curious. In the dining halls of the castle is where Lady Aryan was waiting for them, she was accompanied with five hundred knights under her command but only three were allowed by her side to stand as guards.

Just like they expected Lady Aryan wasn’t dressed in lady’s clothes but rather all black from a black trouser, black long sleeve shirt and an armor on top of her clothes accompanied with a golden cloak with a lion sign at the back. This was the same cloak she wore to her brother’s coronation.

Even with her back turned, Artemis knew it was her. Hence he cleared his throat and called out “Lady Aryan”. Aryan took her moment before she turned back and faced the king, and right there Artemis’s jaw nearly fell down to the floor. The resemblance to her brother Lord Gandalf was something he never expected, it was like looking at Gandalf but with tits, long hairs and without beards.

“Your Grace” said Aryan and then she curtsied before Artemis softly, after all she was still a Maldonian.