Chapter 111

111 Chapter 11Lord Petrus wondered all over Raven looking for his sister, while he could have just asked for Lady Aryan’s training school for girls. That thought came later on when he was worn out in the raining storm and spent the whole night shivering inside a not so fancy inn, the autumns in Raven were usually accompanied with heavy rainfalls and chilly evenings.

A beggar took him to the gates of the manse for five silver coins, and from there he was on his own. The gates were barred since it was still early in the morning, and hence Petrus had to stay there and wait. Luckily for him, Daella showed up dressed like a boy – a wool trouser and leather shirt, with a black cloak on. She held on to her sword tightened on her waist, she hadn’t known how to use it yet.

When Daella spotted her brother from a far, she made a drastic turn. Took a deep breath and sighed, she knew her mother would tell Petrus but she wasn’t expecting to see her brother right there. Even though Petrus was a good man, he was controlled by his mother’s expectations and demands.

When Daella took another turn to the gates of the manse, she didn’t see Petrus anymore. There was a shocking look on her face, then when she turned back again, a man lifted her off and it was her brother.

“Let me go...” Daella struggled.

“I’m taking you back home” screamed Petrus while dragging her sister like a tiny cat, thanks to the gods the streets were empty and it was just the two of them.

Daella finally freed herself from her brother and landed on her feet. They stared at each other, Daella angry and craving freedom at all costs, Petrus anxious and in need to do as his mother bids and that was to bring Daella back in line.

“I don’t want to go” said Daella.

This version of Petrus was new to Daella, his face was hard and cruel, eyes cold and dark. The news of Aurora giving birth to a son had not only destroyed Lady Allysa’s plans, but also Petrus’s who was looking forward to rise to power even though he never really showed it to Aeryn.

.....

Jahery meant no matter what Princess Aeryn gives birth to, the promise of Sweet Waters throne was now a dream. The princess herself had lost the title “Apparent heir to Sweet Waters throne” which she usually carried.

“You don’t get to choose” Petrus screamed at Daella. Then he carried her up high and tossed her inside a carriage he came with, and from there the dreams and hopes of being a trained soldier and become like Lady Aryan ended for Daella.

When Petrus delivered Daella to Green Town, that day Lady Allysa canned Daella for more than five minutes. Daella wept uncontrollably but she was unable to escape her mother’s wroth, and she was well disciplined so she may never escape again.

By next week, Daella was betrothed to a forty-four-year-old man with a big castle in Green Town. Lord Yasir was his name, and his origin was from Doha. Yasir had a big soft belly and small beards, he was tall in such a way Daella looked like a tiny little rodent to him. Even though he was rich, Yasir always smelled of ale and a stinking odor because he was unable to clean himself nor taking care of his body.

When Daella saw him, she hissed “I won’t marry a pig” she blazed, angrily.

Yasir was married once and his first wife gave him one son who sadly passed away when he drowned in Silent Sea, hence Lady Allysa was sure of Lord Yasir’s fertility and all she wanted was her daughter to give the lord a child so she may secure herself a place amongst his wealth.

Back in Blackmount, days were approaching for Princess Aeryn to go into labor, Visenya was there to help her out and so was Aurora. A month had passed since Prince Jahery was born, the hatching of the dragons, and the weddings of all daughters of Lady Allysa of Storm Town.

The labor was cruel to Aeryn, she went into twenty-four hours of agony where she grinned, screamed, cursed and prayed for it to stop. Even with the portion from Visenya, the pain seemed to overwhelm her and there was no sign of stopping.

Artemis remembered how their mother died of child birth and she was also complaining and crying the whole night hopping for the pain to stop. It was a “déjà vu” for him and he was in distress. This time he turned to Aurora “Will my sister die?” he asked her.

“My love...” Aurora tried to console him but there was no calming him down since he saw the agony inside his sister’s eyes. The screaming went on the whole night while the maesters were blinded as what to do in order to help the princess out.

“Just tell me, please...”

Aurora was holding Jahery in her arms as she tried to put him to sleep. She may have seen some things but she wasn’t ready to share them with Artemis, not everything was worth telling but now Artemis was being stubborn and vindictive into wanting to know what will happen.

“She will live” said Aurora. “That’s all I know”

“What about the child?”

There was a quiet moment, and that was enough for Artemis to know. He brushed his hairs and sighed softly. “If she loses this child, it will break her” he said.

“She will have others, I can’t see much of her, or us... but we can hope”

Artemis agreed “I have to be there for her. Father would want me to be her strength, she has no one” and indeed Princess Aeryn didn’t have anyone else since Lord Petrus was still in Green Town handling his sisters matters and trying to have a moment with his mother.

Although as soon as he received the letter which detailed Princess Aeryn’s situation, he hurried to be by her side. Artemis and Aeryn bonded so much during this period of grief and agony, Aeryn had a stillbirth on the hour of the wolf. She was surrounded by Aurora, Visenya, Artemis, Lord Balrus and her lady servant Misenda alongside ten midwives and five maesters.

There hasn’t been a day when Aeryn wept like that day, more than even when she lost her father. She held on to the dead child the whole night as if hoping that he may wake up, it was a boy as she prayed for. Artemis named him their father’s name and anointed him with oils so he may find peace in the afterlife.

The next day Petrus arrived early in the morning only to be welcomed with a stillborn son, he wept just a bit as he tried to stay strong for Aeryn even though he felt the loss to the very inch of his bones. By evening that same day, Prince Luca Arteides, second of his name was bind to a pyre and set on fire as per Maldonian traditions.

Aeryn wore a black wool dress with a black cloak, Petrus wore a black robe and black cloak too, also Artemis and Aurora were on black costumes to honor the dead. Lord Angun, Akirbus and Balrus were also present, so was Visenya and Misenda.

The good folks learned of Princess Aeryn’s unfortunate turn of event and they gathered in taverns and Sept to pray for Prince Luca, second of his name. There were also flowers and well-wishing notes left outside the main palace for the princess, but neither of that made Princess Aeryn better. She chose solitude in order to mourn her lost son.

The fog of somberness had engulfed the palace once more, Aurora retired back to Aurora’s Hill where she played with her son and her dragons who had grown a little bit now. There was a whole construction of Dragon cave going on inside the castle, stonemasons were hired to take up such task and it was Aurora who patrolled it when Artemis was busy consoling his sister and attending to the matters of the crown.

One day Visenya had taken Jahery while Aurora went for her bath, when she was done they stayed in the gardens while being served tea and pastries.

“She will blame you for her stillborn son” said Visenya. “You have seen that, haven’t you?”

Aurora took a moment to breath, then she sipped on her tea and replied “I don’t see much these days, I only see the flames and dying cities. Why would she blame me for her son’s death?”

“Because she is hateful and always wanted your space, the dragons will be brought out to this. I have this feeling, I just know it”

“I don’t see why she will blame me for this, her mother died of childbirth. Did she blame anyone?” asked Aurora.

“Yes, she blamed her father for it. I fear if Blackmount is safe for our dragons anymore, especially since they are still young. Perhaps I should take them to Dark Town, Lord Spider will look after them well until they are old enough”

This was well objected by Aurora, she told her grandmother that her dragons belonged to Aurora’s Hill and they will grow beside her. “They are my children, no mother wants to be far from her children” she said.