Sweet Waters Throne

“And?”

“Aren’t you worried that she might suspect something?”

Aryan sighed softly passing through the crowd “Do I look like I care? Anyways, they’ll all be dead come what may and we need to leave this city as soon as possible”

“Does your brother plan on...?” Olivia paused when she was pushed by three men pushing a cart full of boxes, Aryan gave her a hand and they continued.

After three minutes of walking and passing through the crowd, that’s when Aryan knew that indeed King’s City was highly populated and it came alive during the night. She thought mayhap Old City was at the top of luxuries and good time, but also King’s City couldn’t be left behind.

Aryan being a traveler, she has seen marvelous cities all her life. Blackmount, Old City her home, Arkala, Penrith, Whitebridge all big cities across the Silent Sea. Now she was in King’s City in Prophis for the very first time, cold as hell but so marvelous and everything brightened.

She wasn’t sure what other part of the realm looked like because Prophis was a huge kingdom with three huge houses. The lords of these houses owned lands, towns, rivers and they performed their duties to the king by ruling other folks far from the King’s City. The question of how big Prophis was remained a mystery to Lady Aryan.

.....

A mystery she didn’t want to solve nor put it on her head. When they arrived at the harbor, Aryan met with the man she was instructed to meet. His name was Lucerys, the Captain. She fixed her hoodie and held Olivia close to her as they followed Lucerys inside a tavern – that’s where he usually works. Lucerys was a huge man with big posture, heavily bearded one can barely see his mouth, he dyed his hair red to make himself look scarier.

However, Aryan didn’t seem intimated by him nor charmed. She was only there for tickets to the liberty cities.

The men inside the tavern were on their businesses which included drinking ale and playing with four naked courtesans who were paid to satisfy them.

“I apologize for the mess” said Lucerys his voice husky and thick.

“You work in a brothel?” asked Olivia.

“This is the safe place no one will be suspicious about what I do and who I meet. There is a war going on and the city is unrest”

“Is it?” asked Aryan leaning on the table, although she asked about whether the city was unrest deep down she didn’t give a damn about it. She took a small bag of gold and handed it to Lucerys.

Lucerys accepted it with a smile, he opened the small bag and looked what’s inside it. The gold shone right onto him and he smiled again. “A whole ship?” he asked.

“Yes, few servants I could use but that’s it. I want it to be as discreet as possible, like you just said these are war times”

“You shall have what you want my lady, at first light you should be at the harbor. To what city might I ask you will be sailing to?”

“Penrith, but first we must cross the Silent Sea and from there I shall wander around and search for the safe place. I may buy a castle with servants, I could use your help if you know someone” said Aryan. She was so full of confidence and she didn’t hesitate in showing off her dominance.

Lucerys placed the gold inside his huge black coat and then he led Lady Aryan and Olivia outside. He told Aryan there was more for him to tell her but he noticed there were spies of the king inside the tavern and he must leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow” he said his goodbyes and disappeared into the streets.

Lady Aryan and Olivia made their way back to the palace using the same discreet narrow pathways they once used. Once they were inside, a servant made sure to inform Lady Aryan that the Queen was looking for her.

Olivia was terrified “Do you think she’ll be wroth with us?”

“Does it matter? We are still leaving” replied Aryan. Then she handed her hoodie to Olivia and instructed her to go inside their chambers and not open the door for anyone.

Katarina sat quietly inside her chambers on a long couch with a good fire in front of her. The bed was at the center of the room and that’s where Barkis was sleeping peacefully, a small table was between two couches placed opposite one another. For some time that’s where she and her husband usually have drinks and talk about their days.

This particular day she was all alone, lost in her thoughts and she turned to the honeyed wine for comfort. Suddenly, her maiden servant knocked in. “Come in” she replied with her tone showing every sign of exhaustion.

“Lady Aryan of Old City here to see you, Your Grace”

“Oh, let her in” said Katarina trying to pull her dress over and fixing that small table on top of her. Then she stood up ready to talk with Aryan.

Aryan walked inside and the door was closed behind her. She was still in her men attires and she didn’t seem to be bothered by it nor attempt to pretend to be feminine in front of her mother-in-law. Both of them stood close to each other, Aryan over confident and Katarina losing all her confidence she had earlier. There was something which made her feel shy and small in the presence of her daughter-in-law.

With the husky thick voice Aryan asked “You summoned me, Your Grace?”

“Yes, I... where have you been?”

Aryan groaned softly “Do I have to ask for your permission for simply going outside?”

“You are married to my son, this is a -”

Aryan seemed not to care about what Katarina wanted to say. She walked straight to the couch and sat down softly, she exhaled and looked at Katarina who was shocked by everything that she was seeing.

“Aren’t you going to pour me some wine?” asked Aryan.

Katarina walked back to the couch and sat on the one opposite to Aryan. She raised the mug and poured some wine for Aryan, and then she poured another one for herself, all this time Katarina’s eyes were down and she was nervous. Aryan raised her glass and took a sip, then she moaned at the taste of it.

“Where’d you get it?” asked Aryan sitting comfortably on the couch. Nothing about her was feminine, even the way she sit or eat or drink. “You were saying?” and this even made Katarina more nervous because Aryan turned her full attention to her.

“You can’t wander around the streets... people have eyes”

“I don’t care. The wedding to your son was straight political, your husband got our army and our lions. You are not about to tell me where to go, who to fuck, or what to do”

“I am your -” Katarina attempted to speak but she found herself being cut off by Aryan.

“I’m leaving at first light with Olivia. We are going to the Liberty Cities...” said Aryan then she had another sip of the wine. When she placed the glass down, she looked at Katarina again. “If you are smart, you’ll come with us”

Katarina’s eyes widened with amazement “I am the queen of Prophis not some whore you can boss around” she screamed.

“You won’t be any more once the war is over and it doesn’t matter who wins. Your destiny is doomed, so is your husband’s. Have you been to the square market of late? Do you know what they say about you or your husband? Your husband fights the war outside the kingdom and he’s still unaware of the one going on inside the kingdom”

Aryan paused and then she stood up softly “Save yourself and your sons, they are not safe inside this very own castle. Don’t wait until it’s too late...” then she walked outside.

It was up to Katarina herself now to decide whether she believed Aryan or not. First thing she knew was she couldn’t stop Aryan from leaving the kingdom, that will stir up a war and Gandalf may pull up his forces even before the war commenced. Only Katarina knew how messed up the Squires were, and in specific Gandalf.

Perhaps she could write to her husband and tell him of Aryan’s indiscretions but then yet she wasn’t a Prophisian. Aryan didn’t have to answer to neither Castellan nor Katarina because she didn’t acknowledge them as her sovereigns. Either way, Katarina was doomed and she had to accept the reality even though she had no clue what that would mean to her son.