Sweet Waters Throne

Although she didn’t say anything, Aurora quipped when the letter finished burning “Is that the solution?” she asked.

“No, it’s not. But now we have a reason to decline our support to Princess Thelma, I cannot support Prince Ambrose in taking the Silver throne while his nephews still live”

“Will you do that?”

“I will, for both our sakes and our son’s. If there is any chance that we can avoid this war, then we shall take it. I haven’t promised anything to Amabel so he doesn’t owe me anything, and my decline to support Ambrose will have greater reason to it. We shall be safe for the time being…” Artemis tucked himself inside linen sheets and pulled Aurora to his chest.

Aurora laid her head on Artemis’s bare chest softly, she could feel his heartbeat and he was scared. They went on to talk about the future of the realm, their dragons who were one-year-old now and fully grown. Both Vizoro and Artodo had grown tremendously over the past year, they weighed the same weight and both stood at twelve feet bigger than any human being.

Then Aurora said in the next year they will grow twice the size they were now, and especially Vizoro “She-dragons are destined to be bigger than males and can live up to five hundred years. If somehow I transition to the afterlife, Jahery can ride my dragon and his sons after him and their sons’ generation later on. When we are no longer here, our sires will ride our dragons and other dragons to come” she said with a sense of pride.

“Then we must made them sooner, Artodo and Vizoro if we need more dragons” Artemis suggested but Aurora had other words to say “Let’s fly the colorful ones first and make them accustomed to the sky, then we shall mate our dragons” and after that they slept peacefully as they waited for the next day so they can train the other three dragons who hadn’t taken the skies since they hatched.

.....

The three colorful dragons were all females and they had grown to just ten feet tall and weighed lesser than Artodo and Vizoro. This was expected of them since they were the latest to hatch, they will grow to be bigger when it comes the time but for now only Vizoro and Artodo roamed the skies as King and Queen respectively.

The sun completely refused to come out the morning Princess Thelma arrived at the harbors of Balckmount. Her ship docked last night and she refused to come out of it until the sun rises. She had packed clothes she borrowed from a washerwoman in Loni because she didn’t want to make a mess nor cause a mess before she meets the King.

However, her ship raised a Taelin sigil at the top ─ an orange fire with a sun on top of it, symbol of power beyond the sun and wealthy. Maybe if she wanted to be discreet she could have risen a Maldonian sigil but instead she was proud of the great house Taelin once was.

This made the rodents of Lord Balrus who were all over the harbor to notice it and even though the next morning Princess Thelma ordered her sails men to bring down the sigil, it was already too late and Lord Balrus was aware of the princess’s arrival. Thelma received a note from a merchant who was a Prophisian and it was from her brother, Prince Ambrose.

With a stunned look on her face Princess Thelma read the note and then she smiled “He got my letters” she seemed excited.

“Yes my princess and he will arrive at dusk today, it’s best you wait for him” The merchant then bowed softly and walked away, he felt as if he’s done his duty to his prince and princess.

Princess Thelma then had one more reason to stay in her ship, after all she didn’t even want to leave just yet. Lord Balrus forwarded this matter to the Hand of the King, Lord Angun and he made it clear “The war is ashore” he said with deep regrets.

“The princess?” Lord Angun quipped.

“Yes and she seems to be waiting for someone. My take is she is waiting for her brother, Prince Ambrose… we must go and get them discreetly as the King wanted”

Lord Angun who was standing outside his chambers in his loose brown shirt made of wool seemed to be rather occupied at the moment while it was just noon. The Hand’s castle has been rumored to be overly busy as ladies walked in and out as they pleased, Lord Angun’s wife took ill and sadly passed ten years ago. For a man of his age and status, he was ought to have a wife but instead he enjoyed the company of whores.

Lord Balrus knew there was a whore inside Lord Angun’s chambers but he wasn’t the one to judge. Hence he made it easy for his friend “I’ll take care of it Lord Hand, I just needed you to know since the King and Queen are out flying their dragons” said Lord Balrus with a grin.

“They went flying?”

“Yes, and they took the dashing colorful dragons today. Only gods know when they will be back”

Lord Balrus sighed softly and then excused himself leaving Lord Angun to his whores, he was never one to intervene on matters which proved to be not his business.

Just like what the merchant said to Princess Thelma, at dusk a new ship docked at the harbor and it carried a Taelin sigil just the same as the princess’s. Thelma instantly knew that will be her brother and she raced to it.

After clearing the ship off loads and wine which the prince brought for King Artemis, Prince Ambrose laid eyes on his sister and they hugged tightly with tears running down between their cheeks. They felt like they were the only Taelins alive, and Prince Ambrose wasn’t aware that his nephews lived.

“My deepest condolences sister, on the passing of your husband and our cousin. Lothar was a good man, I feel like I have lost a brother” there was a somber tone in Prince Ambrose’s voice. “I heard about his death when I was already on board, what really happened?”

Thelma sighed softly, she reached out for her brother’s hands which felt soft to the touch “I’ve put that grief behind me brother, but you should know the murderer came for me and not him. He saved me and for that I shall be in mourning of him forever” she made an act, Thelma was so good at lying that she made Ambrose actually believe her.

As they walked away from their sailors and servants who were busy checking on both of their ships, that’s when Princess Thelma and Prince Ambrose came face to face with Master of Spies and the Maldonian King without a crown. None of them knew who Lord Balrus was, during her short visit to Blackmount with her father, Princess Thelma may have stumbled upon Lord Balrus by mistake during the feast but she was never properly introduced.

Hence she just went with “The eunuch of the capital” and with that Lord Balrus seemed amused rather than disrespected.

“They also call me Master of the Spies. I’m glad you remember me princess, how long has it been?”

“So long that I barely remember the capital”

Then Prince Ambrose quipped “How did you know we are here?” he asked a very important question then he went on to look around as if to see were they trapped or this was just a coincidence.

“There’s no need to be fearful my prince. The King himself sent me to pick you up, it’s within my knowledge that you plan to enter the city discreetly… or is it not?”

“You are right Lord…” Princess Thelma paused to want to know who she was actually speaking to.

“Balrus, everyone calls me Lord Balrus”

Ambrose didn’t seem so amused by Lord Balrus’s charms. His only need was to see Artemis and not his spies or servants, but he knew better to obey. “Where is the King?” he asked coldly.

“He went flying with the Queen. He will see you tomorrow, for now follow me to your arranged chambers inside the palace”

Lord Balrus led Prince Ambrose and Princess Thelma to a royal wheelhouse which was standby waiting. Then they were taken straight to the palace from the harbor, and along the way somehow there was hope maybe Artemis truly wanted to help them.