Sweet Waters Throne

118 Chapter 11Even though it was hard to believe, Leoric thought about what Aeryn told him. “My son was sacrificed to make way for the unnatural creatures” those words rang like a bell inside Leoric’s ears, he didn’t tell Rush but with Rush’s suspicious and the words of a princess, he knew somehow it may be true.

“Do you think they may come after me? When they have dragons?” he asked.

“They will come after everyone, not to say the least the Squires. If the Queen has five dragons, Prophis will burn to ashes. I will lose the most important person in my life, and you... she will burn you too if you even refuse to share your wealth or give up your army. These dragons will set out a new rule, kingdoms will be shattered”

Leoric agreed, he was scared and not yet knowing what to say but he knew he had to act quick. “So, what do we do?” he asked. “Should I go inside the castle and see them for myself, Aurora won’t be suspicious of me”

“She will read your mind; I hear she’s good at that. You must not allow yourself to get close to her, or the King if we are to survive. I have no clue how we are going to get inside Aurora’s Hill, but we will figure it out. There’s a woman, Aurora’s grandmother, we can get to her”

Rush held Leoric’s left cheek softly, she seemed calm and collected, an opposite to him who was scared and anxious – close to having a panic attack. This was so unusual for the Lord of the Mines, he knew the power of dragons and the destructions it will bring.

The other person who was panicking and unrest was Princess Aeryn, she woke up to the cloudy sky and cold weather. Petrus was lying beside her, naked and exhausted. They tried to get intimate last night and he spilled his seeds inside her, she was already healed and she hoped the seeds to quicken soon so she may have another child.

Her thighs ached but it was a good ache, the Lord of Storm Town wasn’t so gentle last night and he made love fiercely. He dominated the princess as a sort of punishment for her acquaintance with the Lord of the Mines, Petrus was furious the way Leoric treated him and he took it upon the princess. But the Princess wasn’t a tiny soft woman either, Petrus mounted him as a stallion mounts a mare but the ride wasn’t easy.

Come dawn, he was exhausted and she was wide awake. Aeryn looked at Petrus as he slept peaceful, she surveyed his comely face, his wide eyelashes and thick eyebrows. His beards had grown tremendously over the past moon and she knew he needed a shave. “My soft weak husband, a penniless lord with no connection nor an army fit enough to help me take revenge for our son. Why did I have to choose you?” Aeryn thought out loud.

.....

It was then Princess Aeryn knew she made a grave mistake marrying Petrus Octavianous, Lord of Storm Town. She was conflicted and angry at Aurora for causing the stillbirth of her son even though Aurora had nothing to do with it, but she had the dragons and maybe the dragons required a blood sacrifice in order to exist.

Then there was Aprophil, a true born son of her late father, he was currently Lord of Freehall and Master of the Sea in Whitebridge, one of the most famous and wealthy city amongst the Liberty Cities. But Aeryn knew better, there will be a time when he will press his claim to the throne and who knows what will happen next.

This is what made her wake up and she climbed out of the bed. Servants came inside her chambers and they prepared her for the day, as usual her brother wasn’t in the main palace during that time of the day. He is usually with Aurora in Aurora’s Hill taking care of their son and playing with their dragons.

The thought of the dragons made Princess Aeryn want to puke, but instead she wept. “I hate those vile creatures, I hate them” she would say and weep for her son. Although last night the main palace was lit up with the celebrations and feasts, the morning afterwards wasn’t as grand as last night and the cloudy and cold weather forced many people to remain behind their closed doors.

However, not Lord Leoric who was inside the main palace lurking and eavesdropping. He knew the King wasn’t there, nor the Queen yet still he was present. Lord Balrus, Master of Spies was absent but he knew better not to trust the servants passing through because anyone could be Balrus’s rodent.

Lucky for the Lord of Mines, he came across Princess Aeryn when she embraced the corridors of the main palace. Leoric wore a white silk knee – length tunic, and a brown belt around his belly, a brooch on his left breast embroidered with a sigil of his house – a harmer and axe to symbolize the digging and hard work of slaves in the mines. He smelt so good today than yesterday, Princess Aeryn was smitten by him.

“Are you following me my princess?” he made a joke grinning from ear to ear, five slaves behind him whenever he made a step. He and Princess Aeryn hugged for a short while and then Leoric dismissed his slaves.

He went back to looking at Princess Aeryn with his sharp brown eyes “Do you like my tunic?” he chuckled softly.

“So rarely have I seen a lord in a tunic”

“Just like the gods, right?”

Princess Aeryn raised her left eyebrow, then she continued “Do you think of yourself as a god?” she asked him.

Leoric thought the question was ideal and stupid, but he didn’t show it to her. He reached out for Princess Aeryn’s hands and asked politely “How are you feeling? Did you sleep well last night?’ there was a kinder look on Princess Aeryn’s eyes, not even her husband was this kind to her.

“I... yes... I did”

The sudden stuttering of the princess brought joy to the Lord of the Mines who took it as sign of victory “Good, I thought about what you said last night” he added then he looked around the tall walls of the palace “I don’t trust these walls to hold our secrets, they are full of rodents and some say they can talk. Will you accompany me, my lady?” his eyes were genuine and calm, there was no way Aeryn could say no.

Henceforth, they walked outside the main gates of the palace where a palanquin awaited them. Ten slaves with gold collars stood firmly ready to carry their master and his guest. Princess Aeryn was the first one to get inside the palanquin, an honor Lord Leoric gifted her and she felt good to be needed and seen.

They rode across the streets of the capital and the good folks had to step aside and let the palanquin pass through. The palanquin was covered with red silks and showered with white perfume flowers, everything about it displayed enormous wealth, the good folks imagine the King was passing through. But those who were well informed knew very well it wasn’t the King because his palanquin wasn’t carried by slaves but his kingsguard, whoever this lord was must be wealth beyond compare.

Leoric took Aeryn to a discreet manse which later turned out to be a garden, it was still morning but the lack of sun and the heavy clouds made it look like it was night and inside the manse, the lanterns were still on and naked women were still pleasing men who bought them.

The sight of men mounting women, wine sinks and moaning pleasures, Aeryn was stunned “You brought me to a brothel?’ she asked furiously.

“Not a brothel my princess, it’s a garden” Leoric smiled.

“A garden has flowers and fruits, I only see naked women and men and wine. I know a brothel when I see one”

It turns out there was a secret pathway, the back door of the garden led to a bay and it was quiet and unoccupied. Not so many people knew of the bay, Leoric told Aeryn. “At first glance it’s a brothel, but when you dig deeper, you find more treasures. In here we can talk plainly and truthful without fear of being heard”

Two servants brought them chairs and they sat down looking at the strong winds of Silent Sea crushing onto the bay. The sea was rather cold that day, because of the weather. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Leoric decided to speak. “I know what happened to your son, and I know about the five dragons residing in Aurora’s Hill” he wasn’t sure how this will be greeted but it was worth a shot.

If the theory was untrue then Aeryn will deny or less act like she’s also shocked to hear that, but the opposite of it will only mean whatever Rush said, it was all true.