Sweet Waters Throne

96 Chapter 9After the departure of Margery Boross who was supposed to be Gandalf’s queen per what Lady Aryan planned, now they were out of options. With Gandalf’s behavior and the rumors that swept across the kingdom that he was always inside brothels than his own chambers, Aryan knew she had to make a haste in finding his brother a suitable wife.

“She has to be a highborn and someone who we can benefit from” Aryan instructed the lords who had attended the small council. Lord Horpes Godwen of Claydall was also there, Lord Criston High Rise of Bellward and Tommy who was the new lord of King’s city. Tommy has been a different man ever since he was given King’s City, and his loyalty to his king was something he deeply cherished.

Apart from three lords of the big cities, there were other three lords of the islands across the Silent Sea and one lord from the villages beyond the Green Mountains. Aryan had requested for Prince Cregor Lamit to be amongst the council members but Cregor declined saying he had his own kingdom to rule. However, Aryan took it as a sign the prince wanted nothing to do with the Squires and their kingdom.

But finding a girl who would provide heirs to the king and at the same time protection and assurance to the kingdom wasn’t an easy task. Hence the lords agreed there should be a ball where the King himself will choose his own bride.

Lord Horpes Godwen insisted “We all know His Grace and his tastes, the last thing we need is to force him to wed a girl he doesn’t like. He should be the one to choose” Lady Aryan agreed with Lord Horpes advise and that’s because she knew her brother very well.

The next day announcement for the highborn daughters to attend a ball was spoken at from every corner of the realm. The so called “Flower of the season” was to be the Queen of Prophis and every girl wanted to be the one who would rule beside Gandalf, the Forgiving and Lord of Stonedance. Haniwa, the first daughter of the late Lord Aubrel placed herself amongst the challengers.

When Horpes Godwen came back to Claydall, Haniwa made a proposal to the Lord since they were living in the same city to attend the ball. When Horpes Godwen took the city and crowned himself Lord of Claydall, he faced opposition from Gandalf himself who had another person on his mind as the new lord of Claydall.

Besides, the servants of the castle complained how Horpes has been so harsh to them and to the widow of Lord Aubrel and his daughters. In order to honor the friendship between himself and Lord Aubrel, Gandalf ordered Horpes to move out of the Lord’s castle and leave the family alone. “Find another castle to rule from and leave this family alone. Lord Aubrel was my friend, I had nothing against him” and from there Haniwa developed some feelings for Gandalf even though she knew it wasn’t right.

The same feelings are what made her curious to see if she will be allowed to attend the ball. So it happens Lord Horpes wasn’t having it. He had his guards kick out Haniwa and sent her back to the castle, but Haniwa’s mother Lady Catherine assured her daughter than she didn’t need a permission to attend a ball. And hence by the next day Haniwa was inside a carriage making her way to Raven.

.....

So were other hundreds of noble daughters, more than a thousand nubile girls surrounded the palace of Raven during the appointment day. Some had crossed the sea from the Liberty Cities of Arkala, Penrith and Whitebridge. The news that Gandalf was looking for a wife has reached Katarina in her exile and she has mixed feelings about the act, but she was a Dowager with sons to look after hence she acted like she had no idea who the King was.

Lord Balon who was in Whitebridge looking for Princess Sansa, sent a letter to his mother in Nemphis. He ordered ten men to escort Lady Laila, the heir of Nemphis to Raven where a ball was being held, King Gandalf is choosing a bride, he mentioned it to his mother.

By morning Lady Laila was inside a carriage, she was so excited like every other girl who had dreams of being “The One” and that’s made the job so hard for Lady Aryan. Gandalf however was so excited to be in the presence of so much girls who craved for him and what he had to offer.

Prophis had successful queens in its era, many were remembered for their charity works and helping the poor. Their taste in fashion, faith and just overall standing next to the King.

“I want a short wife, gods forbid if I have to lift my toes so I can kiss my wife” said Gandalf when he visited his sister’s chambers one morning, just a day before the ball.

“The ball is tomorrow brother and the girls are ready, you shall have plenty of short girls I’m sure” replied Aryan with a smile. She was in a towel with long sleeve shirt, her hairs were wet indicating she just came out of bath, and Olivia was still on bed overlooking the two siblings. Then Aryan pulled out a chair and sat close to her twin. “Are you nervous?”

Gandalf chuckled softly “Nervous? Of a twat?”

“That’s not what I meant, of marriage”

“Hell yes I am, does this mean I can’t fuck around?”

“No” A very serious look on Aryan’s face made Gandalf feel like he was a child being scolded by his father. “You will respect yourself and honor her before the gods. These people who cheer for you in brothels, sing songs for you, wait for you in the streets to try and catch a glimpse of you. They will all turn back on you if you prove to be a man who disrespects his wife”

Gandalf denied his sister’s speech “Kings are like gods, they can have a queen but they are free to fuck whores and father bastards”

“Do you want to be father of bastards, or a great King?”

“Why can’t I be both?”

“Because you have to choose one, it’s either greatness or...”Lady Aryan paused for a moment. Olivia chipped in and intervened “Or a King who doesn’t rule for a long time. Kings who visit brothels and wine sinks tend to have their lives grabbed from them. They will poison you, Your Grace” she said softly.

“Not only will they poison you, but they will make sure to embarrass you. Get a wife and rule!” Those were Lady Aryan’s words to her brother. Then she stood up and got dressed, when she was ready Gandalf escorted her to the council chambers and this was the first meeting Gandalf ever attended.

The next day, first two hundred girls were invited to the ball and every maiden was lovelier than the next. This cohort brought out two girls who Gandalf chose and they were told to remain at the capital while the rest sent home. Then another two hundred girls the next day and in the span of five days all thousand girls had attended the ball, charmed the king and danced their way to his heart.

However, only ten were picked as King’s choice. They were told to remain in the palace until further notice of the king, Haniwa Aubrel Tully was amongst the ten girls who charmed the King and now she was waiting for the final result.

“What if I were to take two wives” Gandalf asked his lords inside the council chamber.

A very shocked High Septon who anointed the boy king objected against the act. “We Prophisians worship our gods truthfully and it is forbidden for a man to wed his sister, taking another wife while the first one still lives rather than having two wives at the same time” he said.

“Forgive me High Septon but I have never seen a kingdom which doesn’t care about your gods and faith such as Prophis. Have you visited the streets at night, High Septon?”

The High Septon shook his head “No” and that’s when Gandalf narrated to him of the horrors that go down at night in Raven, “This isn’t King’s City, High Septon. This is a new world and I shall take two wives because I want to, tomorrow I shall have my men take you back to King’s City where it’s freezing and certainly where you belong”

It was stunning that Lady Aryan; Hand of the King didn’t object her brother’s decisions as she always does. This day she was quiet and even when the lords looked at her to say something, she ignored them and supported her brother in the quest to take two wives.

The main support claim was “We are Squires, our father had two wives and his father before him took two wives as well. We are not Prophisians and I guess that’s what these people need, to be reminded of their rather peculiar new King” and the lords of small council were left in dilemma of the Squires intentions for the kingdom.

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