Chapter 47

The kitchen wasn't a place to talk politics nor discreet matters. If there's one thing Aprophil and Jordy have learned over the years was that walls do have ears and they listen. Hence, they agreed to take their conversation elsewhere, to a place which was discreet and free from people who will eavesdrop on them. Aprophil led the way while his mother followed. They chose the council chamber, it was small and no one was allowed to even pass through its walls. When Aprophil was certain they were all alone, he started to speak;

"It was Lord Balrus." He said carefully not to upset his mother. 

"Balrus? What did he want?"

"Nothing much, he was just stopping by to see how we are doing."

Jordy wasn't easily convinced. "He never does that we both know it. Tell me the truth."

Aprophil knew there was no getting away from his mother's shadow, especially one who was so worried about her son like how his mother was.

"And these lemon cakes, why are you so obsessed with them?"

"I don't know; it must be the taste. A little bit of sugar and sour."

Jordy sighed. "Just like your father. He was obsessed with lemon cakes and so is your brother, King Artemis."

Aprophis felt a certain way when his mother called out Artemis, the king. They both knew he was the true heir to the throne, it felt like he was robbed of his inheritance. "Well, I guess it runs in the family."

"We are not a family, Aprophil. No one can know about what I just told you, and you promised me never to tell."

"Calm down mother," Aprophil sat on a chair. He placed his plate of lemon cakes on top of the table and crossed his legs looking at his mother while sipping the honeyed wine.

Jordy, like any other woman, she had what they called, "maternal instincts" especially when it comes to her son. She was overprotective and perhaps she was ought to notice that Aprophil was now a grown man and she has to stop treating him like a child.

"He came to notify me about the upcoming war."

"A war?"

"Between Maldonia and Prophis. He specified it to be a battle between two brothers. King Castellan Taelin and Prince Ambrose Taelin, both from Prophis. The prince wants to put Lucian Mithandir on the throne of Prophis and take out his brother."

This was way too much information for Jordy and she didn't want to stand for it. Hence, she sat down close to her son.

"Who's leading this war?" she asked.

"Artemis with no doubt."

"Did Lord Balrus declare that? Maldonia is huge with powerful houses, a house may declare a war with Prophis, but the realm wouldn't be at war."

"I am not aware of all that mother. Unlike you, I wasn't allowed at court..." Aprophil stood up and walked towards the window.

He uplifted the curtains and looked outside. The sight was just people roaming around the market buying stuffs and having their freedom. Perhaps Lord Balrus was wrong, there was something strange to be found in Liberty Cities. How can men just roam like that? With no leadership or whatsoever?

The arrival of the three great houses in Prophis made Castellan feel hopeful that he may win the war and take Maldonia. Perhaps this was the wakeup call he needed to unleash his power. They were his dreams, but one can never condemn a man for simply having a dream. "I can be King of the two kingdoms, ruling North and South. A terrible fate will await anyone who dares to challenge me." He said with hopes and morale for the upcoming war.

The person who stood beside him, Lord Aubrel didn't seem so convinced that the war was easy. After all, it was Maldonia they were talking about, not some small kingdom ruled by peasants and beggars.

"It's Maldonia we are talking about, Your Grace." Aubrel had to remind him.

"I am well aware, my lord."

"And I must assume you are also aware of its ten houses and hundreds of thousands of men loyal to the realm. Unlike you here, men are divided."

"Divided?" asked Castellan in shock.

"Ever since your father's death and I mustn't say this, but you are a brother to me. There have been discreet rebels inside the army." Lord Aubrel paused and looked sideways.

They were out hunting and of course escorted by guards and knights but he didn't want to be overheard by anyone. "Follow me," said Aubrel and raced his horse towards East. Castellan gave an order to his men to stay put till they come back, even the King's guards weren't allowed to follow them.

The horse's hooves grunted the ice with much force as Castellan raced to meet Aubrel. The land was frozen as usual, however the summer was approaching and the ice was now melting giving way to sand and Earth to take over. When they were alone, Aubrel spoke of a man called Haul. Haul was the general of the Prophisian army who Castellan trusted to be his close confidant and partner — however, he wasn't.

Haul was plotting a twist to slit Castellan's throat the same way Taelin slit Lucian Mithandir's brother. To Haul, this was an act of revenge, he wanted to avenge his king who was plotted and killed. Haul was a fifty-one-year-old middle age man and he was there when King Taelin destroyed House Mithandir once and for all. Haul has been spreading hateful words from one tavern to the next. From one battalion to the next, recruiting more and more men to follow along Lucian Mithandir and joined him wherever he is.

"Where's general Haul now?" asked Castellan whose face turned red because of anger.

"I'm afraid he's left the capital." Replied Aubrel.

"What?"

"This is why I didn't want to speak to you in front of your men. The realm is divided, Your Grace. Most people don't acknowledge you as their King, and this rumor of your brother's departure to join the Mithandirs... well let's say it doesn't look good on you."

"Ambrose is a cunt! He's as weak just like our sister."

"He maybe weak, Your Grace, but Haul has left the capital with fifty thousand men loyal to him."

Now that's where Castellan almost fell like he would faint. Things weren't going so well and it's been happening behind his back all this time. He felt betrayed and angry at Haul for what he did to him.

"When did he leave?"

"Your Grace?"

"I'm asking you, Lord Aubrel, when did he leave?"

"Two days' prior, Your Grace."

"Then if we gather our men now, we may meet him before he joins the Mithandir's army in House Horriss."

Aubrel thought this was madness, he didn't tell Castellan all that so he may go crazy. "This is madness, we will not reach Haul and even we did, what will we do?"

"Fight him. Take his head for treason," replied Castellan quickly without even thinking.

"You mean fight your own men?"

"They are not my men if they chose to abandon me!" Castellan screamed.

One thing that was constant to Castellan was his temper. He threw his sword onto a tree and mistakenly broke it. Then, he pushed the tree as if he wanted to cut it out using his hands. When he failed, he screamed again. Betrayal is always bad. However, it gets worse when you get betrayed just when you needed the help. Aubrel was there to help Castellan, no matter how difficult the situation was.

"There's still something we can do. Allies we can form with houses inside Maldonia. My men tell me King Artemis was in a misunderstanding meeting with Lord Gandalf of Old City." Aubrel pulled Castellan up and helped him to his horse. "Have you ever been to the Old City?"

"No." Castellan forced himself to speak.

"Old City is a powerful house with an army of two hundred thousand men, and Your Grace... they have lions too."

Castellan was shocked. "They do?" His question clearly showed how he never took his time to learn about houses in Maldonia or their heritage. The tale of lions in Old City, was as old as wet nurses and infants.

"I saw them myself when I last visited Lord Gandalf. Believe me, they will be expecting us. We must haste to them before Artemis reconcile with Lord Gandalf."

"This Old City, isn't it in Maldonia? How can we make an ally with a house inside Maldonian borders?" Those were series of questions from Castellan, Lord Aubrel had no time to answer them.

Aubrel always believed in the presence of gold, wealth or tits nothing was impossible. Besides, Lord Gandalf was a young man who can easily be manipulated. He had to remind Castellan that Lord Gandalf was only twenty-one, and all he did was whore himself and drink. An opportunity to greatness will be life changing to him.

Henceforth, the next day, discreetly and without creating a scene, Lord Aubrel fled Prophis and made his way to Maldonia — to House Old City. He didn't want to be escorted by his men for fear of drawing too much attention and alerting the enemy. Lord Aubrel was ready to help his kingdom, and by protecting it, it also meant he was protecting his sister too. Should the city fall, then the first person they'll go after will be his sister and her children.

Lord Aubrel has seen so many things when he went to fight wars beyond Prophis borders and wars terrified him. The losers always suffer the loss in a greater way more than one can imagine. Women are raped, infants slaughtered and so many horrible things. This war ahead of them seemed hard and perhaps they had already lost it before it even began, but there was a way. Aubrel wasn't a person who believed in giving up and surrender. He knows what happens to people who surrender, it would be a shame if a Mithandir sits on the throne of Prophis one more time. This meant even his five daughters would be murdered and his wife too. Hence, helping Castellan was personal for him.