Sweet Waters Throne

228 Chapter 22This was new to Aeryn and that’s because she never really looked at Dante in such way. He was the same age as her brother, and since he was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguards and Artemis’s sworn protector meant he goes whatever Artemis is going. Hence most of the time Aeryn saw Dante when she was visiting her brother whether in his chambers or in the throne room, she never paid attention to Dante, not ever.

After all who pays attention to a glorified bodyguard? Maybe the local girls who lived in fantasy of what it means to serve the King. Few of them did grant Dante a chance, maybe a night or two and all this time Dante was forced to explain about the main palace to these girls, the Sweet Waters throne and if it’s true the waters were sweet, the King and his dragons and many things.

But for a princess who knew all there to know about her own brother, well let’s keep it like she wouldn’t be so impressed in getting to know Sir Dante Lucan.

Dante noticed that he made the princess blush with his looks and hence he quickly shrugged off and asked, “How’s... your son, Jeremiah?” even though it was the last thing he wanted to know.

“He is good, naughty and we barely sleep these days. But all boys are like that... naughty” replied Princess Aeryn without looking at Dante, she was focused on where she was walking forward.

“And your husband?”

“Probably fucking his third whore of the day by now. I hear he likes to call them by numbers, new whore after every two hour of the day. I fear he may run out of courtesans if he doesn’t slow down”

The way Princess Aeryn replied clearly showed that she was tired of her husband’s adultery. Or maybe she was used to it that it didn’t seem to bother her anymore. This stunned Dante and he was ready to ask more questions but sadly they had arrived at the king’s chambers.

“I’ll take it from here Lord Commander” Aeryn said to Dante, her eyes fixed at him as if she was telling him to go off and mind his business.

.....

Sir Dante Lucan bowed softly and then he walked away, Aeryn looked at him disappearing between the corridors of the castle.

Without knocking, Aeryn barged inside Artemis’s chambers. It was noon and the sun was shining outside, although it was still so cold and the winter was getting harsher as the days increased. However the chamber was dark and the curtains were still shut.

Artemis was fully naked sleeping on the bed, his fair ass was up and he seemed to be in his own world. Aeryn thought he must have been so tired to not even notice someone sneaking on his chambers, what if it was an assassin, he would be dead by now.

The first thing Aeryn did was to go after the curtains and lift them up. She also opened the windows and let the light get inside the room. Suddenly the room was lightened up and everything was clearly seen.

“Brother, wake up!” she said while fixing some of the things inside the room.

The sunlight rays hit Artemis’s eyes and he was forced to wake up, although he preferred to be left alone to sleep. He started to complain with his eyes closed, “Who is it...?” he asked with a sleepy voice.

“It’s me, wake up”

The voice was familiar and Artemis knew it was his sister, but what was she doing here? He quickly shrugged himself off the sleep and rushed to cover himself with the sheets.

“What are you — Aeryn?” Artemis was awestruck, his eyes widened with amazement. It’s been so long since the last time he saw his sister, and she has changed so much.

“You seem so calm for a man who is about to be overthrown by his own people. Do you know what’s happening in the streets, and in the whole realm?”

“Of course I know” he replied arrogantly. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with your glorified husband?”

“Don’t be glib, I was worried about you”

“Well that’s a first, coming from you”

Aeryn ignored her brother’s arrogant way of trying to sound like he cared. She went on to sit on a chair and exhale, she was rather tired after such a long journey.

“Why are you dressed like a servant?” asked Artemis.

“If I were to dress myself in silks and satins and my crown, I wouldn’t be alive now. The good folks are killing any royal member, or anyone close to the King. You knew that didn’t you?”

“Of course, they nearly murdered Lord Akirbus, my master of coins” Artemis stood up still wrapped in white sheets from waist down, but he left his chest on display.

He walked towards his chamber bathroom and washed his face, then he came back and sat on the bed. His eyes fixed at Aeryn.

“Are you alright?” he asked his sister. This was a very emotional question for Aeryn and instead of replying, she started to cry.

“I... I am not, dear brother. I should have listened to you, I should have —” Aeryn tried to talk but she found herself unable to continue, the tears overwhelmed her.

Artemis neither consoled her nor moved closer to her. He stayed right there on bed looking at Aeryn, he wasn’t sad for her at all because this was something he warned her more than a year a go but his sister never listened. He even flew to the Mines to take her with him, but she still refused. Everyone knew Leoric wasn’t a good choice for her, but she seemed so taken by him that she didn’t listen to anyone. Now that things escalated, she was inside his chambers crying about the same man everyone warned him about.

“I miss my late husband sometimes, Petrus was a good man to me and I shouldn’t have done what I did to him” Aeryn wept.

“You do know that Leoric killed him, right? Aurora saw it in her visions, everything that happened. He drove a knife through his heart, and he did that in order to have you, to get closer to you and do this...” Artemis pointed at his sister’s falling tears. “This is what he wanted, to make you cry dear sister”

Then there was a silent moment between these two siblings. Not silent as such because Aeryn was crying, and Artemis could see the agony in his sister’s face.

“Was it your idea or his, to name Jeremiah as second in line to the throne?” asked Artemis.

“It was his”

“I knew it, and you stood there while he praised his son as the King of Maldonia, passing my own son. What did he plan to do? Did you two plan to murder my son and place your son on the throne?” he asked, this time with a serious face and he didn’t seem to be so taken by Aeryn’s tears.

“No, brother I would never harm my nephew. Not for any reason at all...”

“But he would, and he still wants to” Artemis then stood up and walked towards the window.

There was nothing to see outside apart from a bay and a shore, Aurora’s Hill was built up close to the bay and every time Artemis would hear the sea waves crushing on the walls of the castle. He was somber, not so like him. The death of his dragon traumatized him and he was certain the only way he will ever be happy would be when he rides again.

“I have to leave... I need to ride a dragon today, to clear my head” he turned back and looked at Aeryn. “Do you want to come with me?”

Aeryn’s eyes widened with amazement, “On a dragon’s back?” she gasped.

“Yes, perhaps it’s time you get to feel how good it is flying above the skies. It’s an experience of a lifetime, come on...” Artemis proceeded to his wardrobe and pulled out a black pant made of silk, and a brown shirt made of satin. Then he threw a black pant to his sister and a yellow shirt, he wanted her to wear his clothes today.

He then walked to his chamber bathroom and when he came back, he was fully dressed. Aeryn also embraced the chamber bathroom to change and when she came outside, she complained, “I look like Lady Aryan, the weak version of her” and this made Artemis laugh. Aeryn wasn’t used to trousers and shirts, she was the most feminine woman anyone could ever meet, and all she wore were dresses and maybe sometimes skirts.

Both Artemis and Aeryn visited the dragons cave, they walked arm in arm while making old jokes. Sir Dante Lucan saw them along the hall and he was mesmerized by the siblings and how they finally fixed their problems.

Torgo was summoned to bring out the purple dragon, Artemis flew the she-dragon once when he and Aurora were flying the new dragons and hence the dragon was used to Artemis, his touch was not a strange touch to her and she seemed so calm when Artemis climbed her.