Sweet Waters Throne

165 Chapter 16It was during the golden hour, the sun turned to orange as it bid farewell to the skies after it shone for the whole day. Artodo’s black wings stretched across the orange clouds and from a far the dragon looked like a crow. But as it neared the grounds of Aurora’s Hill, the true form of Artodo was clearly seen and Aurora stood alongside Torgo, Visenya, Lord Angun and Lord Balrus as they waited anxiously for Artemis to land.

The news of “Wrath of Artodo” battle hadn’t spread yet since the ruinous just happened this morning and by dusk Artemis was already in Blackmount. The small gathering was just for everyone to know what really happened in Raven, and for Aurora to know if Artemis did exactly what she instructed him to do.

The Earth shook when Artodo landed just near the dragons’ cave. There was a huge smile on Artemis’s lips as he looked upon his small circle of people he trusted, “We won” he announced with a grin and then he dismounted his dragon and patted Artodo’s back “Big boy here was awesome in every way, you should have seen him in the battlefield. It was as if he was born to do it”

Visenya couldn’t help herself and praised Artemis “You have done us all great Your Grace. Alienor Morrow would be proud” she said

“Welcome back my love, I was worried about you” Aurora opened her arms and kissed Artemis’s lips, she smiled and then blushed. “Your hairs are messy…” she touched his pale silver hairs.

“I haven’t slept either, but it’s all done now. I burned Lawsend’s City to ashes and with it so many golden cloaks burned alongside it” Artemis then paused and turned to look at Lord Balrus, and his Hand Lord Angun. These were people who he trusted with his life and he knew he was safe.

Aurora quipped but she was unsure of what to say “Did you make sure to turn the bodies ─” then she paused. If there was something that Aurora didn’t want to be was the bad guy, she wanted to be the one who acts good and encourages good deeds and burning bodies to ashes and turning them black wasn’t a good act.

Artemis nodded “None of them will notice the bodies burned were Aryan’s, just like you said… we will claim that we supported the Queen” he said.

Visenya again was stunned by these two, she couldn’t help herself “And since you burned the city, Prophisians will think you drove Cregan out of Prophis. They will thank you for that” then she turned to Lord Balrus “This seems like your idea, isn’t it?” she asked him.

.....

There was a smile on Lord Balrus’s lips although he refused to take the appreciation for it, Artemis added “Only the Master of Spies can pull out such clever strategy. We thank you Lord Balrus”

“There is no need to thank me Your Grace, I was only doing my job” Lord Balrus lowered his head before Artemis just to make it even more interesting.

Lord Angun complained “I need to be informed of these things Your Grace, I am your Lord Hand after all. Learning this from Lord Balrus makes me feel like Lord Balon and an outsider while I served as Hand to your late father for ten years”

“You are right my lord, do forgive me. I shall make sure to inform you next time” Just like that Artemis won Lord Angun’s heart all over again and then five of them walked inside the castle together. Artemis was the only one narrating his experience riding a dragon to war and watching as his dragon burned his enemies.

Artemis described the experience as the most powerful thing he’s ever done and nerve wrecking at the same time but entertaining. “There’s no greater feeling than riding a dragon and have him breathing out his flames. It’s like I could feel the hotness of Artodo’s flames in my pants, I nearly shit myself” Aurora busted out laughing and she was joined by Visenya.

The stories of the battle were set to last throughout the night, but Artemis was so exhausted and he retired to his chambers early.

Princess Aeryn and Lord Leoric spent the whole day spying and asking servants and washerwomen the purpose of the visit of Taelins. Came dusk and they knew exactly why Princess Thelma and Prince Ambrose visited the capital, and also why they were denied.

Whoever blurted out the secrets to them was a servant inside Aurora’s Hill, and she may have been eavesdropping to the conversations which were supposed to be private. Or maybe it was a guard who was bribed by Lord Leoric to say out what was really going on, and maybe he was offered a whole bag of gold as his reward.

How Lord Leoric and Princess Aeryn got the information didn’t matter, but what mattered was what they chose to do with the information. “The Taelins are desperate for an army. This is our moment Aeryn, we offer them our men to take back their kingdom and we benefit from having strong allies at court and possibly an enemy of your brother who will be ready to join the fight against the dragons” said Lord Leoric when he was on bed with his wife, the princess and their son Jeremiah between them.

“I agree Lord Husband, but which side will we support?” asked Aeryn seemingly meaning will they support the true heir to the Silver Throne ─ Amabel Taelin or his Usurper uncle, Prince Ambrose Taelin.

Lord Leoric groaned “Urgh! They are all Taelins, does it matter?”

“Yes it does, if we are to support Prince Ambrose then that will make us traitors to the crown. My brother will disown me for supporting them, unless if we do it discreetly until we succeed”

“Mh-hm, and what if we support Amabel Taelin?” asked Lord Leoric and this night he seemed to be taking it all and he listened more than he talked.

“Amabel is young, untrained and he knows nothing about ruling or paying favors. The only thing he’s good at is hiding underneath his mother’s skirts, do we want that as a King of Prophis? I say no, he will not support us when we need him the most” Princess Aeryn’s eyes seemed to be all over the room even though the room was dark and only lighten up by an oil lamp.

There hadn’t yet reached a conclusion as to who they should support, Lord Leoric advised they should wait until tomorrow to conclude such crucial matters hence they slept peaceful that night.

The morning after, news of the ruinous of Lawsend’s City had arrived in the capital. Lord Leoric learned it from his slaves who heard about it in the Market Square. Leoric decided to pay the market square a visit himself so that he is sure of what’s going on, and it’s like the conversations in the gathering places were about the number of burned fleshes which were left out in the open by either Artemis or Aurora ─ no one was sure who exactly conducted the act.

Leoric was sure because he saw the black dragon, as black as soot and he knew only Artemis rode the black dragon. But why would he burn a whole city? Better yet, why was he being spoken as a hero in Prophis? All these questions he felt as if only Princess Aeryn had answers to them, but she was in the palace and he was roaming around the Market Square like a mad man with a letter on his right hand.

The letter was written for Prince Ambrose Taelin and it was sealed with Lord Leoric’s seal after they agreed who they will support, he was supposed to meet his secret rider in the crowd but it’s been an hour and the rider was nowhere to be seen. That was until Leoric felt a tap on his shoulder, and there he saw his rider dressed in a white tunic with black sandals.

“Master Leoric, did I keep you waiting?” asked the rider. He was as black as an ebony and his skin glowed in the sun with the scented oils he applied to his hairs.

It was so clear that Lord Leoric was pissed off “I have waited for an hour; I am your master I shouldn’t be waiting that long for you” he blurted it out.

“Do pardon me master, I was caught up in the crowd and all this insane news about a city in Raven being completely turned to ashes by a dragon”

“Are you telling me that you kept me waiting because you were listening to gossip?”

The rider knew that he pissed off his master, and for that he apologized. Leoric wasn’t having it, he tossed the letter to him and started to speak out demands. “This needs to reach Prince Ambrose Taelin in Whitebridge without failing, do you hear me?”

“I won’t fail you master”

“You better, now run along before Lord Balrus’s rodents smell you” said Lord Leoric and even though the rider didn’t know who Lord Balrus was, he still walked away and didn’t look back.