Sweet Waters Throne

224 Chapter 22The pirate’s ego was wounded, he thought Aryan disrespected him and Samwell Marshall hence as stupid as he was, he drew his sword. Samwell didn’t stop him and neither did anyone sitting at that council chamber, the pirate went after Aryan in full force while screaming only to find himself falling on his face and hitting the floor hard.

Aryan used her small knife to hold him down and right there she slit his throat as his companions watched.

“I did warn him, didn’t I?” Aryan wiped her knife with a piece of cloth she found on top of the table, then she turned to the other men. “Anyone wants to die?” she asked them.

This time Samwell Marshall intervened, “Enough! You’ve already proved your point. Now sit!” he said to Aryan.

Aryan didn’t object, she sat down and exhaled softly. Samwell Marshall decided to hear her out and the ideas she had for him and the men, and Aryan didn’t waste time, she said what needed to be said. She advised Samwell against going after Horiss, it was a big city with a big army not to mention Hawk Aethelind was Artemis’s cousin.

At the end, the agreed to start with Gravestone, a slightly populated city but there were almost eighty thousand people living in that city and many of them were farmers, you take Gravestone and you have two cities, eight more to go. Also Aryan suggested they should take Dark Town too, this will cut ties between Aurora and her ancestral place. Aryan was well informed about Aurora’s ancestors and the origin of House Morrow and the dragons.

Then after they have three cities under their control, only seven will remain. All these seven cities were highly populated and had strong armies, they shall choose which one to start with by first sending a raven. “We shall give the lords a chance, to declare for the true king or with the tyrant false king” said Aryan to Samwell Marshall.

But she encountered a resistance, Samwell Marshall had grown greedy of the power and he wasn’t fighting for Aprophil anymore. He said he was fighting for Maldonians, to free them and at last sit on the Sweet Waters throne.

When Aprophil arrived in Sea Tone, he was expecting to be welcomed properly by Samwell Marshall and the men who he thought were fighting for him. Yet, the men had turned on him and declare to fight for Samwell Marshall. While the good folks of Sea Tone chanted Aprophil’s name on the streets and carried banners with Aprophil’s name, Samwell Marshall was fighting for himself.

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Aryan and Aprophil wouldn’t let Samwell Marshall continue any longer, he was a big man but as they always say, he had a small brain. He couldn’t think straight on what’s important and what’s not, and during a heated moment like that, he was supposed to support Aprophil not wanting the throne for himself.

“What will we do? This man is a psyche” said Aprophil to Aryan, he had no help or allies during that time, just him and Aryan.

“He is truly a psycho; he must go before he jeopardize our plans. I have an idea…” said Aryan. “It involves sending him to his death” she added while pacing around.

The idea sounded interesting, but yet Aprophil didn’t know how they will execute it. “How will we do that?” he asked.

“You need to write to your father… or whatever you call him, the Master of Spies and ask him about the Lord of the Mines and his status. Will he support us or not, if he will then we will have a strong ally. I shall advise Samwell to strike the Mines first, he’s never been there and I’ll tell him it’s full of slaves who will be ready to join our cause, he goes there with his army of sailors and pirates and he meets with Lord Leoric’s Killers, he won’t last a day”

“I have never met this Lord of the Mines; can he be trusted?”

“You have never met him but I can assure you that he knows you, and he will join us, I’m sure of it” said Aryan trying to ease the pressure which was frustrating her.

From where they stood, a rider approached them on a horseback, Aprophil noticed him because he usually carries message for Lord Balrus.

“James…” Aprophil walked to him, Aryan followed behind to know what’s going on.

James, the rider was dressed in rugs as he usually does to hide his identity. He was a quite man and during all those years Aprophil knew him, they exchanged less than fifty words. He usually brings the letter and disappear into the unknown.

When Aprophil approached him, James handed out the letter, “It’s from His Lordship, he is currently in Penrith” said James.

“Penrith?” Aryan intervened. “Why would he be in Penrith?”

“He was banished from the capital, by the order of the King”

Aprophil’s eyes widened with amazement, he couldn’t clearly grasp what James was saying. “Why was he banished?” he asked.

“I have no idea my lord, but the kingdom is unrest now. He told me to tell you that it’s time”

“Time?”

“Yes, my lord”

Both Aryan and Aprophil locked eyes at that very moment, they knew exactly what that meant. James as usual didn’t stay for long, he said his goodbyes and left.

Aprophil opened the letter quickly, then he placed it in such a way both he and Aryan can read it, at this moment he trusted Aryan fully without doubts. If she were to be his ally, he was ought not to hide things from her.

My dear boy

The time has come for you to stand against the dragon. I sacrificed everything I knew for you, but I know it’s worth it. Artodo died in Old City, cross the Freezing Sea and get the tears of the fire before going to war. The portion is lethal against dragons, one blow and the beast will fall to it’s knees.

I know your father must hate me now but I must do what I feel is right and you are the right king my boy. You will rule wise and well, it’s in your blood. Seek the portion now and come to me with it in Penrith, I shall lead you the way.

Those were Lord Balrus’s words to Aprophil, and he finally came to terms with the fact that he loved him more than Artemis and he was ready to protect him and guide him to take the throne. Aprophil closed the letter and turned to Aryan, “What do we do now?” he asked her.

“You go to Prophis and I’ll lead this fat man to his grave. Meet me in the Mines when you get it, we must leave at haste” she replied.

All this time Samwell Marshall had no clue as to what was being plotted behind his back, he was busy celebrating his new life as the lord of Sea Tone and the pleasures that came with being a Lord. Samwell spent his time in brothels were whores bathed him, pleased him to his satisfaction and called him king.

He loved being addressed as king, he felt as if he was king already and he could taste the throne. That’s how stupid he was, to imagine himself on the sweet waters throne, the most prestigious throne in the realm.

Aryan used this moment to arrange everything regarding attacking the Mines, with other men who Samwell Marshall trusted. These men swallowed Aryan’s poison and they completely trusted her and her plans, they believed attacking the Mines was in their best self-interest. Many of these men had never set foot in the city, they were good with their ships but with their heads.

Two days passed and it was only Aryan and Aprophil who were crafting out plans, when Samwell joined in, he preferred Aprophil to call him king. Aprophil assured him that he didn’t want the throne, “All I need is my people safe from my tyrant brother, I don’t care who will sit on the chair” he said to Samwell.

Hence Samwell thought he had Aprophil’s full support and he trusted him when he said he didn’t want the chair. The plan was for the army to march to the Mines, to convince the slaves to abandon the mines and join Samwell’s army to liberation with promises of good life and of course gold when Samwell takes the throne. While the army goes to the Mines, Aprophil will take a horse and ride to Prophis once again even though he still had anxieties meeting with Amabel after what happened between them.

“Will he grant me passage? What if he refuses?” Aprophil was anxious about this.

“You saved that boy Aprophil, he should be able to grant you that passage to cross the Freezing Sea and his men too. He would be dead if it wasn’t for you, and if he forgets, remind him” Aryan insisted.

The next day early in the morning, Samwell Marshall took off with his army of sailors and pirates, thirty thousand strong. Sea Tone was famously known for its fleet of ships, and these ships carried the men to the Mines.