Sweet Waters Throne

97 Chapter 9The throne room in Raven was the largest of the halls in the palace, the silver throne was shifted from its ancient seat in King’s City to Raven. For the first time in over thousands of years a King ruled from Raven, a city full of wealthy men and women alike. The previous kings failed to take Raven no matter how much time they tried, but only Gandalf managed to do it.

With good diplomacy of Lady Aryan who frequently visited the wealthy lords of the city in their humongous buildings is what maintained the peace. “We shan’t interfere in your trades my lords, we are only asking for taxes and to be recognized” is what Lady Aryan told the five wealthy lords of Raven.

These lords’ names were lost in the chronicles of the Five gods of Raven written by a fallen fool, since Lord Boross died then they remained four while the fortunes and wealth of House Boross fell onto the Squires making them amongst the wealthy families’ in Raven. House Lawsend led the city by being the wealthiest ones atop the King, they controlled another two ports in the south of Raven and had one thousand fleet and a mine of diamonds.

It was so shocking to Lady Aryan when she was informed that House Lawsend under Lord Cregan Lawsend – a young man of age, just twenty-seven years old had not send a daughter to the ball. He became the Lord of his house after his father’s demise three years ago when he was twenty-four, long even before the Battle of Stonedance and the death of King Taelin.

Ever since Cregan Lawsend came to power he’s seen three success change of power in Prophis. When his father died, the King died the following day. Hence from there he was under Castellan’s rule and now a usurper who whored himself in brothels with perfumed flesh and appoints his sister as the Hand of the King.

Not only Cregan was tired of the endless shifting of successions and loyalties, he was also not interested in the throne or the royalty. He had everything possibly a man could ever need. A huge castle with a ranch, stables full of hundreds of horses, servants, their own army of about fifty thousand knights and anytime they could buy sellswords from across the sea when they needed to.

House Lawsend wasn’t just a house, some called it a city within a city. These people lived in luxurious house not even the King could ever compare, and one thing Lady Aryan managed to keep a secret was to tell her brother about House Lawsend because of his short sighted mind and she was successful in that matter because Cregan Lawsend neither attended the coronation nor did he even pay visit to the king.

Lady Aryan confined in Lord Howsley of House Blackgard, the second wealthiest house in Raven after the Lawsends, for more information about these Lawsends and their wealth when they took a walk in the gardens of the palace under the sunshine and waves of Silent Sea. “He has a wife doesn’t he?” she asked.

“Yes, with two sons and one daughter”

.....

“How old are his sons?”

“They are four, twins just like you and His Grace. The daughter is two years old”

“And... what about sisters?”

“The Lawsends have been blessed with five daughters, Cregan is the only male one in his family. Three sisters are his senior and two his juniors” replied Lord Howsley who amongst the four gods of Raven, he was the only who welcomed the Squires with open arms especially after they eliminated his rival Lord Boross. He brought his own daughter to the ball, too bad the King didn’t notice her but he didn’t seem to have a cold heart against it.

“I bet the rules of Prophis forbids an elder daughter from inheriting a House because of her sex”

“Yes my lady, I believe the rules here aren’t so different from Maldonia. But why the sudden interest in the Lawsends? You have Boross’s castle, his treasure and fortune, your brother is the King of all Prophis and you have four lions”

“It may surprise you my lord but the Lawsends haven’t paid any attention to us ever since we took the Kingdom”

“But that’s how they’ve been for centuries. They don’t associate themselves with the crown, they have gained their liberty from previous Kings as long as they pay their taxes. The Lawsends are not the people you want to trouble with my lady...” Lord Howsley advised and he showed it to Lady Aryan that he meant what he said.

Although Lady Aryan seemed so tempted in visiting House Lawsend, now with Lord Howsley revealing the way of life amongst the Lawsends she found herself even more intrigued and excited to see these Lawsends. Hence she forbade her brother from choosing a bride amongst those ten selected beautiful maidens, “Let’s visit the Lawsends first, then we’ll know”

Gandalf didn’t seem so interested “The Lawsends? I don’t know these people Aryan; it was your idea to throw a ball where I can choose a wife. I am finally going to choose my two brides and here you are...”

“Stop complaining like a little boy and get dressed” Aryan shouted at her brother. Out of all days, this day she wasn’t in the mood and Gandalf was aware. “We’ll go on lion’s back” and she finished.

Outside the palace and onto the stables, two lions were saddled up and prepared for a short journey to House Lawsend. From the main palace it was just a one-day ride, one thousand knights picked up by Aryan herself escorted them on their horses while these two twins rode their mighty huge black lions.

When they passed through the streets of Raven, the small folks surrounded them as they gasped at the sight of the Squires and their six feet lions. Crowds formed whenever they passed through and this was Aryan’s intentions to create a buzz even before they arrive in House Lawsend. Some of the folks mounted their horses and followed the King’s caravan.

It was all out of love and admiration for their new King, but the love proved to be fatal when toddlers were either pushed out of the way or being shoved aside by adults who were so eager to see the mighty lions and cared so little for the children. “I hear they can tear a man into bones” they said as they followed the caravan. It was so chaotic.

The day of sunshine and a little bit of rainfall marked two years ever since Artemis was anointed and crowned as the King of Maldonia. The four had been reduced to “three”, his first hand resigned, losing almost five thousand of his good folks and apart from those misfortunes as he called it. One particular thing happened and made him happy, Aurora’s pregnancy and when the vault was opened.

Aurora was in the palace with Artemis and other lords celebrating Artemis’s two years on a throne with music, a feast, lots of lemon cakes and pies. When they returned back to Aurora’s Hill that same night of the celebration for privacy, that’s when they saw the vault was opened.

Five dragon eggs were stored inside the vault, at first Artemis thought it’ll be just one egg but now they were five. Each egg was indeed engraved with Aurora’s name, they were black and clearly had turned to stones after centuries of being buried under the mud. Both of them were shocked, it was late at night hence they couldn’t wake Visenya up.

“They have your name...” Artemis used a torch to look upon the eggs clearly. “Here it is... Aurora” he showed Aurora one of the eggs. “Good heavens, they are so heavy”

“They are dragon eggs my love not chicken ones”

A very confused Artemis kept on looking at other eggs while keeping the torch up so he can see. “How did they know you? Didn’t these Morrows exist one thousand years ago?”

“They did, although gone to extinct now. My grandmother told me they had dreams of a seer who will return the age of dragons and they knew my name. I’m the chosen one...” Aurora said while inspecting her eggs.

Because they were buried for so many years, the eggs had turned to stone and as advised by her grandmother, the eggs must be put close to fire everyday so they get the warmth they need. “If they get the warm every day, the stone will soon melt and the eggs will hatch” Aurora instructed Artemis. Together they placed the eggs inside a cradle and put the cradle beside the fire.

That night was supposed to be for themselves and to celebrate, but instead they stayed up all night looking at eggs inside the cradle as if they will melt right then and there. Series of questions running through their heads, “The Second Age Of Dragons” as Aurora kept saying, what would that mean for Maldonians.

This new age will either cause destruction and bring down the realm, or save them from foes but each way Artemis knew he will have to support his wife and make sure no one comes after her. A very heavy task awaited the King of Maldonia.

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