Sweet Waters Throne

251 Chapter 25Now let’s pause for a bit and go back from the very beginning, the day Amabel was smitten by a courtesan on his first visit to a brothel. Fatimah, the Dohan girl had successfully managed to steal Amabel’s heart from the very first day they met. If you remember correctly, Amabel took her to the palace the next day even though they weren’t intimate.

He urged the servants to prepare a chamber for her, close to his so he would be able to see her anytime he wanted. So, Amabel’s chambers were upstairs and he had a whole floor to himself ─ that’s how huge the palace was in Raven. His mother lived in a castle of her own which was right there inside the main palace, just a few miles away but Katarina chose to stay close to her sons and hence she only used her castle for some quiet moments but she was always in the main palace.

Amabel’s brother, Barkis was now five and he was as naughty as he could be, Katarina needed to look out for him closely, and of course Frost ─ the last son of King Taelin.

Hence that means there was no way Amabel could bring a woman into the palace without his mother knowing it, even though he tried so much to hide it from her in the first few days, a week later Katarina knew there was a girl living in the palace and she was wroth when she found out that Fatimah was a courtesan from Rush’s brothel.

“Is this the king you aspire to be, bringing whores to the palace?” Katarina went all out on her son this day, she left no crumbs.

Amabel stuttered, “She is… not a whore mother, she is just a sweet girl” he tried to explain himself.

“She is not a whore? Then what was she doing in Rush’s brothel? I doubt she was sewing things or washing dishes, have you gone insane?”

“Mother, I love her”

“Love?” Katarina scoffed, “What do you know about love boy? Do you think you are the first one to have a crush on a whore?” she asked with her temper high above the sky and she was clearly not listening to anything her son was trying to put before her. “I want her gone, do you understand me Amabel Taelin?”

.....

Well, Amabel was king and he had all the power to himself, but he also knew how his mother fought for him to get his throne. If it weren’t for her, they would still be living in Whitebridge and going on their daily life without having to worry about the throne, but she made sure he sat on that chair. Would it be wise for him to be disrespectful to her?

The answer was no, and Amabel loved his mother more than anything.

Hence he softly said, “She will go mother, I understand” with his head low and showing his respect towards his mother.

“Amabel… I don’t want you to make mistakes, Prophisians love you. You have to repay them by marrying a Prophisian woman, to unite our realm in peace and prosperity, not some whore you found in a brothel”

Katarina walked to her son and she forced him to sit because he was too tall for her to reach his face. Amabel sat on a chair and Katarina kissed his forehead, she even closed her eyes, that’s how much she loved her son.

“You can have her around the city but not inside the palace, I have made plans for you to wed Lord Howsley’s daughter from King’s City. But, if you don’t like her, we can go for another lord’s daughter and other nobles, whoever you marry, she must be a high born. Do you understand Amabel?”

Amabel nodded his head even though his face clearly showed that he was sad by his mother’s decisions to choose a bride for him. However, when he was assured that he can keep Fatimah in Raven, somehow his mood lightened up.

Later on, he asked about Fatimah to his guards and he was told she was in the Sept with Faith Crones and the High Septon. Fatimah was a Dohan, and in Doha they practiced a whole different religion to which they only believed in one God who was above and not like Prophisians who believed in many gods. While Dohans buried their dead in the dirt, Prophisians bury their dead in mummies and they usually adorn them with gold and expensive attires, they call it sending their dead with wealth to the afterlife.

Dohans believed good deeds and praying is what will make one go to the afterlife, while Prophisians believed the afterlife must be bought and the dead must be buried with gold and diamonds and precious stones.

Fatimah was confused by this, “I don’t understand, why would the dead need all the golds if they are dead?” she asked one of the Faith Crones who was dressed in all white just like other Crones, these women spent most of their time in the Sept.

“Because it’s the body that dies, not the soul. When they wake up in the land of the dead, they need the treasures in order to buy their way to the afterlife” replied the Crone, her voice sweet and low.

“What about the poor who can’t bury their dead with riches earned, what happens to them?”

“Once the dead make their way to the bridge, this is where they will be judged. Those who have golds will be allowed to pass, while those who are poor will be judged whether they were good or bad in their previous lives”

Fatimah was awestruck by this, “How come the wealthy ones aren’t judged?” she asked, eager to know everything about the religion of Prophisians and their way of life.

They were suddenly interrupted by Amabel’s presence, Sir Tyriol guarding him from behind looking like a tower. A smile escaped Fatimah, she had strong feelings towards Amabel in what looks like just a fortnight since he’d taken her to his palace. They had proceeded from holding hands to kissing, sometimes they would kiss for hours during the hour of the wolf but with their clothes on.

This is what made Amabel fall in love with Fatimah, everything was so slow and so good, he wanted forever with her and he showed it. But that was until he had a talk with his mother, and now he had a decision to make. He decided he was going to take Fatimah out of the palace, rent her a manse in the city and make her, his mistress.

For centuries kings have had mistresses even though they were married to their queens. Amabel knew this first hand through his grandfather, King Taelin had hundreds of concubines outside his marriage and fathered tens of bastards, some didn’t even know they were king’s bastards. Then he looked at the situation in Maldonia, King Luca Arteides had his own mistress who he loved for years even after he married Queen Haisa ─ Artemis’s mother.

The whole situation was confusing because apparently Luca married Jordy discreetly before he wed Haisa in the public eye, and that’s what made Aprophil the true heir to the throne because he was born inside a marriage. However, that’s not what Amabel wanted to do, he just wanted Fatimah to be his mistress while his mother seeks out a wife for him, a Queen of Prophis.

Amabel approached Fatimah and without expecting it, Fatimah pulled him for a kiss. It was deep and passionate, but it only lasted for a few seconds before Amabel broke it with a small chuckle. The Faith Crones curtsied before Amabel and went their way, they were embarrassed, anyone could tell.

“That was…” Amabel tried to find the words, then he lowered his eyes for a second and quickly rose them up to meet Fatimah’s. “That was magical” he said and went for another kiss again, this time it lasted for a minute.

After the kiss, Fatimah noticed the tension on Amabel’s body language.

“Are you alright?” she asked while touching his neck and fixing his shirt, Fatimah was so feminine and everything she does, felt so good to Amabel.

“Yes, I… would you come with me, to Blackmount?” he asked but unaware of how Fatimah will react.

“Blackmount?”

“Yes, its um… it’s a political visit. I had an invitation from king Artemis a week ago and I think it’s time I grace him with my presence”

“Where is Blackmount?” Fatimah asked, and that’s because she had never stepped foot outside of Raven let alone to another kingdom.

Amabel managed a smile, “It’s in Maldonia” he said and reached out for Fatimah’s hands. “This will be our chance to be alone, from everyone”

“You mean from your mother” Fatimah corrected him, she sighed softly and placed her hands on Amabel’s shoulders, in such a way they were close and since Amabel’s head was down, somehow their lips touched again.

“You don’t have to worry about my mother, she can be difficult but she means well for me” Amabel came to his mother’s defence.

Fatimah only settled with, “I know, so when are we leaving?” and asked that question with a smile and excitement. Amabel told her they had three days to get ready for the big journey, and she will travel with him inside his royal wheelhouse.