Sweet Waters Throne

57 Chapter 5Gandalf noticed how somber his sister looked, he abandoned his sword on top of the table and walked to her. No matter how much arrogant Gandalf may look, or like a man who doesn’t care but his higher calling and priority was his sister. When Aryan is sad, spoken badly to or even slightly judged by her appearance – those people never make it to tell more tales.

“What is sister?” asked Gandalf holding his sister’s shoulders. “I promise I will make it up to you. I know it’s hard being... this kind of a person who is not you. Imagine all this kingdom under our fingers, how father will be so proud of us”

“What will happen to Prince Amabel, the queen?”

“They will have to die”

“Argh” Aryan sighed softly “Why do we have to murder innocent people?”

“You sister, you will not have to do anything nor would I have you fight this war. After the wedding I can send you to the Liberty Cities with Olivia until it’s all done”

“Send me away? King Castellan will be suspicious of this”

“He wouldn’t be once he’s distracted by war, and as soon as we win this I will kill everyone before returning to the kingdom. The king, Lord Aubrel, and everyone loyal to him will die. I will create a new council of my own, and then I’ll send you back here”

Lady Aryan refused to agree with her brother. She insisted that she was a soldier, a warrior and she wouldn’t run from the battle.

.....

“This isn’t your battle sister; I beseech you to take my offer. Think about her...” Gandalf advised and walked away. He mentioned Olivia knowing Aryan would go over and below for her, including leaving Prophis just to save her.

The tournament commenced and it was one for the books. The last time a wedding tournament was held in the arena with all the citizens was when Castellan wed Katarina, and now it was his eight-year-old son Amabel with a way rather masculine Lady Aryan.

The stage reserved for VIPs included King Castellan, Queen Katarina, Prince Amabel the little groom as what Gandalf teased him, Gandalf himself, Lord Aubrel, Lady Aryan and Olivia who sat side by side and the lords of the great houses. The conversation which occupied the VIP stage was mainly about the wedding.

Castellan declared they’ve already won the war against Maldonia. Lord Aubrel reminded him that the crown wasn’t at war, and that Artemis hadn’t declared any war emergencies.

“Oh he’s scared, like a little bitch” Castellan commented. “He knows he can’t defeat Prophis, his soldiers are made for summer while mine are made to resist the cold, that makes them tough”

Gandalf decided to join up the conversation with a smile “I met him you reckon, the king Artemis and I have to admit he’s way too skinny I was afraid the wind may take him” and the whole stage erupted in laughter.

The slander about Artemis continued while the knights prepared to embrace the tournament stage. The usual fight involves two knights covered with their armors and holding spears which are also decorated usually by the sigils of their houses. A space then is created, think of it as a duel but only this one men are approaching each other with their horses.

Whoever takes the first blow and manages to throw his opponent off his horse, then he wins. No killing is involved and neither is it encouraged especially with the war coming, Castellan made it strictly clear no killings will be involved.

Queen Katarina couldn’t take her eyes off Lady Aryan and Olivia. She inspected their chemistry which was wide open for anyone to see, and they didn’t hide it. They made discreet jokes and laughed softly, held hands and even Aryan kissed Olivia’s cheeks without hiding and Olivia blushed.

That display of affection distraught Katarina and she intended to speak to her husband later on when they are alone. Something was off but she didn’t know what is it, and she clearly felt confused when Castellan and Gandalf seemed to be bonding a lot.

As the tournament went on, people cheered and booed the champions of their choosing. Gandalf was at the peak of his enjoyment and he became everyone’s favorite around the VIP stage, although he had his motives. Gandalf stood up time to time cheering up for a champion of his choosing, and he would go on to even award the ones he thought deserved the honor.

“I love tournaments! Don’t you, my king?” asked Gandalf in the midst of the celebration. Before Castellan could reply, he immediately intervened “My sister is good with her sword, did I tell you that?” he continued.

Now everyone looked at Aryan, and she even wondered what was her brother up to.

“I’m not sure if you have my lord, but I have no doubt about Lady Aryan’s skills with her sword” King Castellan replied with a smile.

“Would you like to see it?”

Now Aryan knew her brother was about to say something stupid, she called out to him “That won’t be necessary brother....”

“In fact I would have” Castellan made a decision and he seemed to be so amused with Gandalf’s energy and his sense of humor. “I bet she’ll make a fine queen and my son will be in good hands”

“Indeed he will be my king” Gandalf then turned to his sister and motioned for her to take the fighting stage with the last knight remaining. “Come on... show them” he whispered while smiling.

A frown look was on Lady Aryan’s face but she had no other option than to participate in the tournament. Hence, she took the back exit and walked to the center of the arena and the citizens of Prophis screamed even louder than before.

This was humiliating to Aryan at first as people chanted “Is that a woman?” while others leaned in to get a better look. A knight came to dress her and she was also given the face cover too and a spear decorated with Old City sigil, not forgetting a horse.

Olivia was interested in seeing her girlfriend taking the stage, this wasn’t the first time Aryan participated in a tournament of such kind. She was known as the champion of such tournaments in Old City, no one ever defeated her no matter how many rounds she had to go.

Lady Aryan mounted the horse and she was handed the spear by the assistant. When she was ready, she stood at one end of the line while her opponent was at the other, and they studied each other’s motions before attacking.

The intense was building up and Gandalf couldn’t sit properly and he was murmuring “Come on sister” underneath his breath. This was a show of strength that his house was strong even though his ancestors have lost five rebellions, and he depended on Aryan to deliver that so his enemies may speak of the show of strength.

When the siren was lifted off, these two soldiers went on a race both pointing the spears at each other. Aryan running from North to South, while her opponent running the opposite side and when the intervened – it only took one blow to the head for Aryan to threw her opponent off his horse.

“Yes...” Gandalf jumped high screaming and cheering for his sister. And with that the citizens of Prophis joined him and they all cheered for Aryan. The cheers grew even more louder when Aryan took off the face armor and everyone saw it that she was a woman, no one could believe it.

“I told you my king, I told you...” The excitement in Gandalf’s voice made everyone laugh.

“Yes you did my lord. What a show of strength, Lady Aryan is indeed something else” added Castellan.

Then Castellan stood up and awarded Lady Aryan with the winner’s trophy, and the cheers got even louder as the whole arena erupted. For the first time in Prophis, the tournament was won by a woman.

However, Katarina wasn’t so pleased with Lady Aryan’s nature nor was she convinced that she was the right choice for her first born son. Hence when everything settled down and everyone cooled off from the games, Katarina spoke with her husband about it.

Castellan was laying down looking at the ceiling without any piece of cloth but he covered his lower body with sheets leaving his bare chest while he was holding his younger son Barkis. Barkis seemed so comfortable on top of his father’s chest. “You must go to sleep...” said Castellan to his son “How come it’s so late and you aren’t tired?” but all Barkis could say were few childish words.

Katarina was preparing herself for bed. She just had her warm bath and she was looking for her lose and transparent silk night dress which she wears on usual occasions. Usually maids would help her dress up, but today she chose to dress herself because she had something to say to her husband which required them to be alone.