Sweet Waters Throne

Maggie seemed to be bothered by her sister’s behavior especially since they were the guests of the king. To be feted with sweet chickens, honeyed wines, pastries and not forgetting the royal treatment from the servants was something neither Maggie, the eldest daughter nor her mother Lady Allysa was ready to lose.

Lady Allysa personally called in Daella the first night they arrived and scolded her. She urged the girl to be just like her younger sister Ursula, the fifteen-year-old shy girl who barely talked unless spoken to. Ursula was the definition of a kind young girl fit to be the wife of a High born lord, all thanks to Lady Allysa. Maggie too was just like her sister, although she had that attitude like her mother.

While Daella was scolded for her naughtiness and disrespect, Artemis and Aeryn were left all alone inside the dining hall to further discuss their bond as siblings and why they felt like they needed to be apart. All things were said and done, Princess Aeryn prevented the marriage between her brother and Aurora but here they were – King and Queen of Maldonia.

Artemis hated Lord Petrus, but he was now his good brother and his sister was with child. Two years passed since the death of their father, King Arteides, things were never the same but they were ought to change. Perhaps there was a time when Princess Aeryn thought her brother was making some not so good decisions, but it wasn’t her place to criticize him or worse tell it to their uncle who was living in exile.

“I apologize” Aeryn was the first one to speak. “For everything I did to you, or to your Queen. Aurora is...” It took a moment for Aeryn to admit. But then she continued “She is a beautiful human being with a good soul”

“It took you long enough to realize that”

“But I have, and I apologize. I shouldn’t have judged her, it’s clear she is bringing out the best in you”

.....

Artemis sighed softly. Then he reached out for a mug full of honeyed wine and poured some for himself “Lady Burchad told me of your claims against Aurora, you called her a witch, didn’t you?” he asked sipping his wine.

“One of the many things I regret, Your Grace”

“Mmh. You shouldn’t, you are right. But she is not a witch rather a seer, she doesn’t practice dark magic but she sees the future. She is the descendent from House Morrow, the Dark Crawlers who ruled all the kingdoms thousands of years ago. Do you remember the bedtime stories father used to tell us about dragons?”

A very stunned Aeryn paid attention to what her brother was about to tell her. “Yes, I do. He said dragons used to rule Dark Town stretching to the Silent Sea and all the way to the Freezing Sea in Prophis. We always thought he was telling a fairytale”

“But it’s not, they did exist these rulers and Aurora is descended from them. I wanted you to hear it from me sister, she is the chosen one and we have -” Artemis paused for a moment.

Not every day does one get to hear about dragons, hence that’s why Artemis took his time in explaining the not so normal creatures and the possibility they may exist in the near future. The worst thing would be when the dragons hatch, and Aeryn has no idea. She could be saying a lot of things but as soon as she was aware of them, then a possible trouble could be avoided.

“We have five dragon eggs yet to hatch. If somehow, all of them hatch... then Aurora will have five dragons” at this point he made a stop and tried to look at Aeryn, possibly to see her reaction.

“Five dragons?”

“Yes”

“Breathing hot flames dragons?” Insisted Aeryn, it all sounded too good to be true.

“Yes. But you can’t tell anyone right now, nor can you start ranting around and calling her a witch. She isn’t a witch, her descendants weren’t witches, they just had powers to control dragons”

“She can control a dragon?”

“Not yet, until they hatch and fully grown. Dragons are obedience creatures; they do as their rider tell them and not otherwise” Those were Visenya’s words coming out of Artemis’s mouth.

It was a lot for Aeryn to digest, she rode all the way to Blackmount just because she wanted to see her brother and they could have that talk. But now she was further strained, confused and not knowing how to react or feel.

Later on Aurora led Aeryn to Aurora’s Hill, her castle made for her and there she showed Aeryn the eggs which have turned to stones. The stones were black as soot, hard as rocks and heavy as a cradle. It wasn’t so easy to convince a non-believer that the stones were actually dragon eggs.

Aurora tried to explain “We are warming them every day, it’s crucial for them to be close to a source of heat so they may hatch”

“For how long?” asked Aeryn.

Artemis intervened “Five moons, till Aurora gives birth”

“I... I don’t know what to say”

Artemis moved close to Aurora and placed his arm around her, then he faced his sister “You don ‘t have to say anything, we just wanted you to hear it from us first” and Aeryn said how grateful she was for the honesty and insisted that’s all she wanted, to belong in the family.

The next day it was sunshine and glory in the palace, two families finally united and this day the King joined everyone else in the dining hall and they ate, laughed, told jokes and drank more wine. The Storm Town’s girls were such an entertainment to Artemis, something which he didn’t expect but he grew rather fond of them.

He loved Maggie for her smile and fierce eyes, Daella for her sense of knowledge and seemingly had something to say in every topic, Ursula for her shyness and Tayla, the youngest one for her smile and cute laugh. Even one few times Artemis invited Lord Petrus for a walk in the garden, or a training session with Sir Dante Lucan – the Lord Commander of the Kingsguards.

Petrus and Artemis were of the same age hence they found a lot of things resonating with them, from what they found to be fun as young men such as racing horses to strolling down the streets of the capital with hooded robe of black velvet lined with blood – red silk. When they took the streets, no one could tell the king had passed through, and that’s how usually Artemis spends his time looking on his people.

Their friendship which was now bounded by blood was something of a fairytale, even Aeryn’s cold heart thawed upon seeing her brother making an effort into befriending Petrus as his good brother. All his life Artemis craved for a brother, someone who he can play with, train swords with, race horses with and do all sort of things.

But now he had found one in Petrus and every single day for the period of a moon turn, he was actually looking forward to spending time with Petrus. The bond between the brothers is what led the bond between Aurora and Aeryn to be strengthened too, they took comfort in the fact that both of them were pregnant for the first time.

Lady Allysa was like their matron helping them through the journey, and these two young women found a mother’s comfort in Lady Allysa’s arms. The palace was so warm and so entertaining when the Octavianuses visited the capital, even the servants loved them and the energy they brought to the total morbid palace.

During that month, Aurora acted as a matronage and took it into her hands to find suitable husbands for Maggie and Ursula who were so excited to get wed, it was Daella who didn’t want to find a husband nor did she ask Her Grace to find her the perfect match.

Lords from respectable Houses in Maldonia were invited to the capital when the ravens flew, and Aurora made sure to remind them to bring their sons. “Unwed sons” she wrote in her letters. From the sea land in Sea Tone, Lord Hofun brought his two sons Mathew Hofun and Yunu Hofun, his first born son Aegon Hofun was already wed.

From Old City, Lord Affrey Trill brought his three grandsons since all his sons were married, he told the Queen “It will be my honor for me to fulfil the wish of the Queen’s match, whoever it will be my grandsons will be honored to have the ladies as their wives” and Aurora was so delighted.