Sweet Waters Throne

Leoric sat on the bed with three naked whores, he was wearing a brown silk trouser and left his chest on display. When Aryan arrived, he quickly excused the whores and reached out for his slippery and transparent yellow silk robe, then he put it on and faced Aryan.

In terms of height, they were the same. Leoric expected to see Aryan in men’s clothes and for her to have masculine mannerism but he sure didn’t expect her to be tall. Hence he expressed his shock “They told me all manners about you and failed to mention one thing” he said with a grin on his lips.

Aryan didn’t seem so excited to see the Lord of the Mines. First she looked around inside the room, it was the same room which she used to pick up Gandalf during the days when he would drink himself to sleep and just fucked whores. This room was private and expensive, whoever this man was must be rich. Then she knew it was Leoric Walsen when she saw his cloak hanging on the cupboard, there was a sigil at the back showing mines and golds.

Throughout her years of travelling and ruling, Aryan had come across hundreds if not thousands of sigils and banners. Some had really strange signs she used to laugh about it with her men, but she could never forget that sigil which represented the Mines in Maldonia. Leoric was black or a mixture blood as he was famously knowing, he was tall but not taller than her and he was obsessed with silk and satins, and his slaves which he met outside wore gold collars.

After she assured herself that was Lord Leoric Walsen, Aryan smirked softly and turned her eyes back to looking at Leoric “What did they forget to mention?” she asked in her cocky ways, she was clearly showing out that she was in control.

“That you are tall” replied Leoric.

Aryan didn’t smile, her face was hard and cold, she ignored the Lord and walked to the hall which was inside the brothel. During the night this hall is usually full of naked whores who dance seductively to please their buyers. Rush sometimes also takes lead and dance alongside her girls, Aryan once saw her and she liked it.

.....

But now it was empty and that’s because it was morning, Leoric followed Aryan behind holding a mug full of wine and two glasses. “Do you want some wine?” he asked.

“No, thank you” replied Aryan looking around, she was clearly looking out for Rush.

“Some food perhaps? We have plenty...”

“No, thank you”

Leoric stopped halfway and placed the mug and glasses on the table. “She’s not here, it was I who summoned you” said Leoric after seeing Aryan busy searching and he knew straight away that she was searching for Rush.

Lady Aryan stopped looking around and gave Leoric her undivided attention “Why did you summon me Lord Leoric Walsen from the Mines?” now these two bulls were looking at one another.

A smile escaped Leoric’s lips, like always he is full of smiles and chuckles even on matters that requires him being serious. “Was it my skin tone that gave way, or my accent? Do I sound like a Maldonian?”

“We are all Maldonians my lord”

“Are you? I thought you and your brother were Prophisians now”

“Quit fooling around Lord Leoric, you come here with your black cloak full of your house sigils and you expect me not to see. Or maybe you wanted me to see who you are, didn’t you?”

Leoric agreed to being beaten at his own game and offered Aryan a chair inside the hall, Aryan refused and claimed she had more pressing matters to deal with apart from sitting there and talk to him. But Leoric insisted “You would want to hear this my lady, please...” and somehow Aryan felt whatever matters she had, they can wait for an hour or two. Hence she pulled out a chair and sat opposite to Leoric ready to hear what he has to say.

After a minute of exhaling and organizing himself, Leoric finally spoke out “Artemis has dragons” and then waited to see Aryan’s reaction.

“That’s not news, didn’t you write to me and asked for Prophis to invade Maldonia?” said Aryan leaning on the table and trying to find her comfort state.

“Yes, I did. We cannot allow the dragons to prosper, they are five months now closing to six. I hear they are about to fly so soon and breathe flames on all of us, think about it my lady. If Artemis has five dragons, you and your brother will be the first one to be attacked”

“Why would he attack us?”

It was a good question, and maybe Leoric hadn’t prepared himself for such question because then he stuttered for a second. “Because... you betrayed him and announced an open rebellion before the Battle of Stonedance” he tried to speak, even though he knew that was a weak point.

“You have to do more than that” Aryan suddenly busted out laughing “I expected more from a man famous for fucking half of Maldonia. My brother and I used to hear stories from people who spoke of your glory in the Mines and your love for cunts, but now I see that’s all you have”

Leoric grew wroth because he felt like he wasn’t respected by Lady Aryan. He kept on insisting “This isn’t a joke! Dragons are not a joke” with his eyes wide.

“Have you seen them my lord, the dragons?” Aeryn stopped laughing and wore her serious look, now it was all business. “Rush told me you were denied entrance to Aurora’s Hill, forty of my spies were put to sword for spreading the word. You are here telling me about a war over a creature you haven’t seen”

“Dragons exist in Maldonia, and if we don’t take arms up against them right now when they are fragile and tiny. We may not be able to do so when they grow twelfth size of men, we will all be doomed”

The talk of dragons and doom bored Aryan, she told Leoric that she once had a meeting with Artemis in Old City. Aryan spoke of Artemis’s kind heart, his dedication to serve and he assured her that they don’t have to be enemies. “If they have dragons, well that’s them... we have lions. There is no way I will lead our men to war over fear of dragons, you are so rich aren’t you my lord? Buy yourself sellswords and attack Blackmount on your own. You won’t survive to see the next day” she finished and walked outside of the brothel.

At least Aryan was true to one thing, and that was if Leoric attacks Blackmount with sellswords then he won’t leave to see another day. Leoric himself knew that better and that’s why he was assembling an army to attack the capital and kill the dragons from where they are being hidden, but now he was denied an army and he felt lost and with no idea where to begin.

In Storm Town, the funeral was attended by almost every high born and noble house in the small city. Some of the good folks also attended their Lord’s funeral and grieved over his demise. Aeryn didn’t weep the day Petrus was finally laid down in the dirt, she criticized the Octavianus’s ways of burying their dead compared to their ways but she never said that out loud.

As a widow and now Lady of Storm Town, Princess Aeryn was burdened with the task of staying in the town and rule in her husband’s absence even though she didn’t want it. Lady Allysa clearly wanted all the power to be handled over to her, but Aeryn knew the only place she will be safe was the Mines with Leoric and not back to the capital where Aurora already knew of her plans.

But it had been two weeks since she last saw Leoric, and she had no clue where he was. She wanted to write a letter to him but then she wouldn’t know where to send it. That same time she received a letter from Artemis forbidding her affairs with Lord Leoric, and he warned her that what she did, telling Lord Leoric about his dragons was treason but he will forgive her if she returns to the capital and ask for forgiveness.