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Playtime was over, one of the archers released an arrow out of nowhere and out of sight. The arrow hit Samwell’s neck and he fell off his horse, blood started to come out of his mouth as he struggled to keep it in. Aryan as usual, she dismounted her horse quickly and pretended to be so shocked. Then she drew her sword and pointed it to Lord Leoric.

While shouting, “You are not an honorable man! What have you done?” and she did this so the fifty thousand sailors and pirates can be convinced that she had nothing to do with that.

“I don’t bow to honors my lady, I kill and take what’s mine. If you want war, come dusk and you haven’t surrendered yet, my Killers will sent all your men to their graves. Or you could save them, join our movement against the King and we can take the capital. It’s your choice Lady Aryan, choose” said Leoric, then he turned with his horse and walked back inside his city’s gates, his Killers accompanied him.

The men were shocked by the sudden death of Samwell Marshall, it’s as if they thought he was immortal. Maybe the way he was acting and carried himself, many men thought he’d never die and hence his demise cause many men to lose morale of fighting. They were now scared to face the mighty Lord of Mines and his enormous city even though they were large in number, many of them weren’t sell swords of knights.

Half and a quarter of the men in Samwell Marshall’s army didn’t know to swing a sword. They were good with their nets, but not swords. If the war was to be fought on the sea, they maybe they could win but not on an open battle.

Hence Aryan used their fear and inexperience to lure them into joining Lord Leoric. “Think about it, he commands the greatest army in Maldonia and the fearless. If we join him, Artemis won’t stand a chance. We have to take the throne for our leader, His Grace, Samwell Marshall” Aryan ended her speech with a bang and all of the men saluted her.

Well, one thing about Aryan is she never fails to craft out a winning speech. If you remember well, back in the previous pages, during the Battle of Stonedance. Aryan gave a tremendous speech to her men, an army of twenty thousand knights which she led to victory in Stonedance, she was that good.

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If she won hearts of warriors and knights back then, convincing sailors and pirates was nothing to her, it was like a walk in the garden.

Hence came sundown and Lord Leoric had an addition of fifty thousand men to his city. He sent them where he kept his army, far away from the main square and ordered his Killers to train the sailors and pirates. Day and night they trained in the cold, those who will survive would be added to the army which was set to take the capital at any time. Those who fail will be added to Lord Leoric’s fleet where his skills as sailor would be useful.

A feast was thrown in the name of lady Aryan, the lady of Stonedance and as Leoric preferred to call her, “Queen of Prophis” because claimed Aryan never lost the kingdom, she just gave it to a boy to look it out for her as she ventures across the world. “I think if you were to want Prophis back, you can have it in a minute. You are still it’s queen” he insisted during the feast. The feast was attended by thirty lords and ten ladies from several kingdoms and cities outside Maldonia.

Leoric didn’t invite them because of Aryan, these nobles have been roaming in the streets of the Mines for weeks. Leoric invited them because he needed strong allies and friends if he were to go after Artemis, he knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he was sure he can do it. Now Aryan brought him fifty thousand men, his confidence was on the roof. But still, not enough.

At least Leoric was smart enough to know the many men he brings together, the more men will burn if he takes them to war. So, he needed something else.

“Recently Lady Aryan informed me about the death of Artemis’s dragon in Old City. Her men killed the beast… and we are yet to find out how. But ─ I have a theory, and that theory involves crossing the Freezing Sea and find these Dragon Hunters” said Lord Leoric addressing his guests, he was the one standing at the moment because he demanded attention.

Aryan intervened, “As we speak, the true heir to Sweet Waters throne, Lord Aprophil Arteides is crossing the Freezing Sea. When he’s done, he will sail here and tell us what he finds” she said.

One of the richest ladies at the table quipped in, “What’s in the Freezing Sea?” she asked, clearly she was lost in the conversation.

“We are hoping the Dragon Hunters would explain how to kill a dragon. Once Aprophil comes back, we shall discuss this in depth. However, we cannot fight unless we know how to kill the beasts, otherwise my lords and ladies… we will all turn to ashes” Then Lord Leoric sat down quietly. He was in his yellow silk robe, his long braids glowed because of the scented oils and as usual, he was adorned with gold from head to toe.

If there is anything Lord Leoric liked so much would be his newly found companion Lysene of Arboil, and his gold collection.

‘”Is it possible, to kill a dragon?” Another Lord asked, eager to know.

“Yes, my lord. Dragons can be killed” replied Aryan. “But that’s not what brought me here, I need for all of you to swear loyalty to Aprophil as the true heir to the throne. I would hate for us to fight, and at the end when the war is worn, argue about who should sit the throne” Aryan stood up and now she was the one demanding attention from Lord Leoric himself and his friends.

Leoric didn’t expect this, but he sure gave Aryan her respect for being so confident and daring. He loved women who challenged him, and maybe the reason why he found his wife to be so dull was because she never challenged him. Princess Aeryn never spoke against Leoric, she literary worshipped him and somehow this was a turn off to him.

Maybe that’s the reason he turned to whores, at least the whores challenged him and made him feel alive.

Leoric intervened Aryan’s request, “I believe the contender needs to be here, he needs to promise us that he will heed to our needs and maybe from there we can decide” he said and everyone in the room agreed with him.

There were distinct chattering in the hall, but one particular voice of another lord stood out. “I can’t risk my men for nothing! He needs to promise me that he will anoint me as Lord of Greentown if we win the rebellion” he said.

The cups were banged on the table, “Hear, hear” they said in unison. Aryan had no other choice but to accept that until Aprophil comes, the lords weren’t fighting for anyone. How many days will Aprophil linger in the Freezing Sea, that she didn’t know, although she prayed it won’t last much.

Two days passed and she was having the best moment of her life in the Mines, the city was so fun unlike what other people painted it to be. The night parties never ended and the taverns and wine sinks were always full of people. At the market square, there was a play every night and Aryan didn’t miss. Yet, she still felt a void in her heart ─ Olivia wasn’t with her.

It’s been three months ever since she last saw her, the day she sailed to Lydia to take on her revenge against Cregan Lawsend. She promised her that she was done with wars after Lydia, however, Cregan told her that it was actually Artemis who ordered Gandalf’s death and how can she rest when Artemis was alive.

Aryan knew if she were to tell Olivia early on, then she would freak out and grow anxious. Then she might ask, “What about your promise to me, that you will never fight again?” and this is what Aryan didn’t need at the moment, she needed to focus on the upcoming war.