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“I’ve always wondered, perhaps I should shift the capital to Green Town and rule beside Lord Grimwald. The city is full of greenery vegetables and fresh fruits, not to mention the air is magical and the streets smell of lilies and roses…” said Artemis passing around crowded streets of Blackmount, nothing was fresh and the air was thick.

Blackmount may have been the oldest city in Maldonia dating back to three hundred years ago, but it was yet to be constructed to match big cities like Green Town or Raven in Prophis. The roads were muddy and when the rain falls, they become impregnable and too slippery to walk upon.

When Artemis came to power, he constructed a few roads and built a Sept, and a whole new street just beside the Smoke Street. Yet, nothing seemed to please him.

“Lord Grimwald would sure like that Your Grace” said Lord Akirbus, but this was a sarcasm and he clearly didn’t mean it like that, and when he laughed, Artemis knew it was a joke.

Lord Angun intervened, “Lord Grimwald wouldn’t trade his gardens for a vibrant city like Blackmount. He can’t rule such a big city, only you can Your Grace” he said as they continued to stroll down the streets passing through alleys and jumping through few ponds of dirty mud collection.

“Thank you my Lord Hand, besides, my dragons can’t flourish in a place which rains throughout the year. We dragon riders need the heat…” said Artemis then he reached out to touch his silver hairs, his greatest addiction.

“May I ask where we are going Your Grace?” Sir Dante Lucan interrupted after he had been quite for some time.

.....

“No you may not Lord Commander” The answer was short, and it clearly told Sir Dante Lucan to keep quiet and follow the King.

The good folks bowed when passing alongside Artemis, they noticed him because of his shining silver hairs which dazzled on the sun. In the whole realm, only the King and Queen had silver hairs. Artemis had received an invitation by a man who claimed to know a huge secret of his father’s and he was ready to spill it out to him.

A note was sent yesterday when he was sleeping all alone in the main palace, Sir Dante Lucan who was guarding his door was the one who was sent to give the note to the King. It was sealed hence he didn’t read it, and that’s why he had no idea as to where they were going.

“He said I should pass through the Spice Street, and I’ll see a tavern” said Artemis, “I don’t see a tavern yet and this is Spice Street.”

Lord Akirbus intervened “I know a tavern around these areas Your Grace” he said and led the way. Now it was Artemis, Lord Angun and the Lord Commander who followed behind.

After two alleys and one crossroad, they finally arrived in a small building which Lord Akirbus notified it as a tavern. “This is it! We used to get drunk here with your father when he was just a prince.” Said Lord Akirbus while chuckling softly, the memories of his time with Luca Arteides charmed him.

Lord Angun turned to Artemis, “Are you sure this is the place Your Grace?” he asked.

“Is there any tavern in the Spice Street?”

“No, Your Grace” Lord Akirbus quipped in, “This is the only one”

Artemis sighed, “Then I guess this is our destination” he said and attempted to go inside the tavern, but Lord Angun stopped him by standing on his way. “What are you doing my Lord?” asked Artemis shocked by the interaction.

“I can’t allow you to step inside a tavern which I don’t know who runs it, nor do I know the man who sent you the note. It could be a lot of things Your Grace, allow me to be the first one” Lord Angun didn’t wait for Artemis to reply because he knew he will not accept it, he just took the first step inside the tavern while others waited.

The tavern was empty since it was during the day, but the owner of the tavern was there and he was a very old man with a chunk of grey long beards. He seemed to be in his late seventies or early eighties, while Lord Angun was sixty and two. He wore a brown robe made of wool and covered himself with a black cloak on top, even his hairs were grey and he had trouble walking.

“I was expecting the King, not His Hand” said the man trying to pull himself.

“He is outside, I had to look out for myself. Lord Dundrey, you are still alive!” Lord Angun’s eyes widened with amazement. “They said you died of plague, twenty years ago”

Lord Dundrey chuckled softly, but he seemed to be in so much pain trying to even laugh. Lord Angun had to help him sit down on a chair because he couldn’t help himself to it. “Those who said I died of plague are all moldering in their graves as we speak, to which I will soon join them”

“Are you alright Lord Dundrey?”

“Where… is the… King?”

“He’s outside”

“Call him in, I have to speak to him” said Lord Dundrey while exhaling softly. Even though he was old, but that wasn’t a reason for him to have shortness of breath and struggling to speak, for years Lord Dundrey had been sick and the disease is what made him weak.

Lord Angun opened the door of the tavern and signaled Artemis and others to go inside. Once they were inside the tavern, Lord Akiburs couldn’t believe what he saw. “Lord Dundrey? Is it really you or is it your ghost?” he was startled.

“They said I died in a plague, didn’t they?”

“Yes, they said your body was thrown alongside with the other victims. My spirits! It is really you…” Lord Akirbus went on to sit close to Lord Dundrey, as if he was examining him.

Lord Dundrey looked at Artemis and smiled, although his smile was hidden underneath his heavy grey beards.

“Um… good morrow” Artemis found himself saying this nervously because he didn’t know what to say.

“That face I could never forget; you look so much like your mother” said Lord Dundrey.

“I used to get so angry when someone would tell me that. I thought, as an heir to the throne I should resemble my father. Yet when I became an adult, I realized my mother was the strongest woman I ever known and I took pride in resembling her” said Artemis. “You sent me a note, why?” he asked straight away.

“I will tell you why, but if your knight steps outside. I can only trust these two, and you” Lord Dundrey meant what he said, and Sir Dante Lucan took no offence. He slowly walked outside of the tavern while holding his sword which was on his waist.

Then when only there were only four of them inside the tavern, Lord Dundrey started to spill out the secrets he knew he had vowed many years ago to keep it quiet. But he said he was dying and the man to whom he vowed that he won’t speak about it, was also dead. That man turned out to be Luca Arteides.

Lord Dundrey said he was the only witness to the wedding between King Luca Arteides and Jordy. He had clear memories as to where it took place which was up high the hills of Green Town surrounded by a beautiful garden. He recalled exactly what King Luca Arteides wore to this secret wedding, and what did Jordy wear too.

Then the vows Luca promised to Jordy, and the deep love they shared which was unlike no other. “All this happened before the birth of Aprophil Arteides” said Lord Dundrey. “Five months after the wedding, Jordy noticed she was with child and I had never seen Luca that happy before, he even asked me to be the son’s godfather when Jordy finally gave birth to a boy”

The tales hadn’t ended there, Lord Dundrey kept on narrating the journey of love and separation between Jordy and Luca when Artemis’s mother came in the picture. “Your mother had no idea about your father’s first wife, no one knew except me and the High Septon who now molders in his grave”