Sweet Waters Throne

81 Chapter 8The once friends had turned to foes in spilt second, now it was Gandalf who controlled the city and he had more men. One hundred and forty thousand strong, one hundred and twenty thousandof his men and the addition of twenty thousand who General Haul brought to the city, these men despised Castellan and they chose to stand with Gandalf.

Like they always say “An enemy of my enemy is my friend” and indeed these Prophisian men who still believed Taelins were usurpers were ready to side themselves with anyone who wanted the throne as long as it meant they will not support the Taelins.

Maybe Castellan had ignored the wounds that still lingered inside many hearts of Prophisians for quite some time. Mithandirs were cheated out of what was respectfully theirs, and good folks would never forget it. When Castellan stood before his own gates blooded and overly exhausted, he knew the end had come.

Gandalf sent terms to Castellan, he wanted him to bend a knee and acknowledge a Squire as the new ruler of Prophis since he won the rebellion. Castellan refused and he marched towards Gandalf and his men, he was on foot because he didn’t have the energy to even climb a horse. Yet still Castellan was as ambitious and in need to save his family, his men followed behind him with hope.

“Where is my wife and sons?” asked Castellan pointing his sword towards Gandalf.

Gandalf looked at his Lord Commander Tyriol “Show him” and the commander threw a bag full of four heads. This was a trick and Gandalf was well aware that Castellan will fall for it, the heads still had blood dripping outside the bag.

“Your wife, your two sons and your little brother... you my friend, are the last living Taelin” said Gandalf with a smile.

Castellan looked down at the bag thrown to him and he shed a tear, his anger boiled inside his body and he pinched his jaws. Mayhaps if His Grace would have opened the bag, then perhaps he would have yet still lived because he would have known that the heads weren’t of his family.

Or if Lady Aryan’s envoy had been faster then Castellan would have known his family had already fled the capital and crossed the Silent Sea, they were safe. But the tricks played by Gandalf got to Castellan and he reacted right there and so it was proved the battle was far from over, swords were exchanged at the city’s gates.

.....

Tyriol led Gandalf inside the city leaving his men to defend him, then he went back to the battle which wasn’t such a battle to speak of. Castellan’s men were exhausted, many had lost hope and they were just marching because of the order of the King. However, it all came to halt when Tyriol slit Castellan’s throat in front of his men in a single blow.

They all watched as Castellan struggled in the snow, he jumped from one soldier to another holding his throat and calling upon his wife. It was chronicled later that Castellan’s last words before he fell down and died were his wife’s name and that just proved how much the King loved his wife. For all he knew she was safe and so were his sons.

From there, the men who followed Castellan yielded their swords in defeat and acknowledge Gandalf as the new king. They were allowed inside the city’s gates and by the next day, Castellan’s head was on a pike for each of Gandalf’s foes to see for themselves. With the fall of the King, Lord Boross of Raven knew his own defeat was close hence he fled the city.

The news of Castellan’s death spread like wildfire and by dawn, Lord Balrus was delivering the news to the small council. Artemis sat quietly still shocked and stunned, his lords Lord Angun, Akirbus, Degon and his hand Lord Balon were in the same situation. The council chamber was in total morbid silence, what they feared the most had come true.

After some time Artemis gathered himself to ask “When did this happen?” and this question was meant for the Master of spies, Lord Balrus.

“Yesterday Your Grace, during the golden hour”

“His head is on a pike?”

“I believe so Your Grace”

Lord Angun sighed “That does sound like a Squire, those vengeful bastards always seek blood” he said sadly. “I hate Taelins but to kill a man’s family and then mount his head on a pike, it’s inhuman as it is”

“He is a mad man” Artemis gasped while stroking his hairs. “We were all in Old City, we all saw how he treated me. Like he was my equal, not to speak about his manly sister. All they brag about is their lions...”

“Only four are left now I believe” added Lord Balrus.

Lord Balon decided to speak what almost everyone inside the council was perhaps scared to say it loud “Now he will come for us, won’t he?” he asked.

“I will have my money on that” added Lord Akirbus.

The air seemed so hard to breath inside the room, the Battle of Stonedance was felt everywhere even by those who didn’t fight it. A whole month had passed and a record of dead bodies rotting in the heat of the desert didn’t decrease and nor were the effects easily casted aside. The worst may have been over but only Artemis and perhaps Lord Balrus were aware of the coming war and this will be way bigger than Stonedance.

Henceforth, Artemis decided to take first measures. “Lord Angun you will be the new lord of Old City, we shall all travel to Old City and talk to the good folks, I shall tell them of Gandalf’s betrayal and bestow the power upon you”

Well, this was the best day in Angun’s life, not even Lord Balrus saw it coming. He may have wanted the post of a hand but to be a lord of a rich and historical city such as Old City, this was beyond an honor.

Lord Angun stood up suddenly and bowed before Artemis “You honor me, Your Grace” he said grinning from ear to ear. “I...”

“You are a loyal friend Lord Angun, and I believe you will be the best lord of Old City than the Squires have been for centuries. Take your wife, and your sons and your daughters, we shall depart at first light” Artemis finished and walked outside the council chambers.

The four remained behind and so did Lord Balon, they poured a cup for their friend Lord Angun who was going to solidify his name and his legacy as the new lord of Old City. For centuries Old City belonged to the Squires, there have been rebellions after rebellions but never did once a King denounce their claim to their rich lands.

The post was great for Lord Angun but he turned it down later that night when he visited Artemis in his chambers. He said he was too old to rule such vibrant city and his place was inside the Palace and in the capital, Artemis understood him when he said a Lord of Old City should take the post as this will show the King hasn’t forgotten about them after all.

So henceforth, this was the spark of the flames that were about to take place even though not even Aurora knew when but she was sure it will happen. Artemis went straight to his queen for comfort after such sad news, and there he found her sitting on top of the bed reciting spells with her eyes closed.

A smile escaped through Artemis’s lips, he loved seeing Aurora doing what she loves and growing her powers day by day. Just yesterday she went with Visenya to the forests to speak to the trees, Seers needed to absorb the energy from the Earth in order to tell their predictions and make themselves strong.

Now she was reciting spells early in the morning, when she finished Aurora turned to Artemis and she smiled too.

“You are too amused; I wonder why”

“I love seeing you like this, in your own space and talking to your... dragons?” Artemis smiled and made small moved to the bed. Then he kissed Aurora in her lips softly with his right hand on Aurora’s stomach.

“It’s a son” Aurora confirmed it with a smile.

“You are certain?”

“Yes”

Suddenly Artemis seemed somber. He let go of Aurora’s stomach and looked away “I fear for him, and the burden that I’ll bestow upon him. We shall leave for Old City tomorrow, I am taking control of the city and all its trades and golds... if he even dares to come back, I shall crush him. And if he sends his men, I’ll return their heads to him”

“I take it Castellan is dead, and so is Lucian?”

“We haven’t heard of Lucian yet; the rodents all differ in their statements. Some say he fell on the port and some claim he made it and as we speak he’s sailing to the Liberty Cities, or back to his family in Doha. Castellan’s family was brought to sword... that’s how crazy Gandalf is”

“His wife and sons?” asked Aurora her eyes widened with amazement.

“He threw heads to him outside his city’s gates, that’s what made Castellan furious and anger is what killed him. For a man who is blinded by anger is doomed to fail, my father taught me that” Artemis looked at Aurora and there was a concern look on his face, he was worried about his family wellbeing.