Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Chapter 1

Artemis waited for Lord Balon to find his speech, and when he did they continued to talk. It wasn’t nothing serious like what Lord Balon expected. Artemis may have chosen Lord Balon as his hand but he knew he couldn’t trust him, nor his wife. They talked about the weather, artists, music and when will Lord Balon move with his wife to their own castle which was just close to the palace of Maldonia. It’s tradition for hand of the king to live in his own space although it wasn’t as huge as the main palace, and it was more like a mansion than a castle.

It had five chambers, a kitchen place, a garden and servants who served the hand. They are usually twenty servants assigned for the hand of the king and they are paid by the master of coin, Lord Akirbus. One of the toughest title one can ever have is being “master of the coin” as this wasn’t just a title one can be given. It’s a title which is earned. The Masters of coins are trained far away East of Maldonia in the town called Andreia, and it takes half a year navigating the Silent Sea to get there.

Lord Akirbus was only seventeen when his father sent him to be master of coins in Andreia. Unlike his two big brothers Lord Akirbus wasn’t good with his sword although he dreamt every single night of being a soldier. His father served under Artemis’s grandfather when he was the king of Maldonia and he was a brave warrior. Akirbus however suffered an epidermic when he was ten and this made his muscles unresponsive for over five years, he dreamt of training but he couldn’t even lift a sword.

At seventeen his father decided to send him to Andreia to be master of the coins something which Lord Akirbus hated with all his heart and soul.

“I want to be a warrior father. I want to fight beside you. I don’t want to be a master of coin” he cried the day he was at the harbor with his father ready to be shipped. “I don’t want to leave Ma”

His father bent down to wipe his tears and then he hugged him. Lord Akirbus’s father wasn’t a man of words. He barely talks but his heart was big for his son and he loved him like how he loved all his sons. “I promise you my son. You will be a great man of Maldonia without needing to yield a sword. A Lord Akirbus and none of your brothers will ever reach your status. Do you trust me?” At that time a young Lord Akirbus was in tears. He didn’t even know what his father meant by him being a great man without having to yield a sword – even Kings have to yield swords to fight the enemies. But he was young to believe anything coming out of his father’s mouth.

Years later when he became a master of coins and graduated with distinction Akirbus served as the banker of Andreia for a decade. His two brothers died from fighting and his father was taken prisoner and also killed. Hence after he lost his father and his siblings, Akirbus made his way back to Maldonia seeking his mother who was the only family member alive. His father’s words proved to be true when he was amongst the circle of King Arteides Lords and now to King Artemis.

.....

The previous hand of the king was supposed to leave the palace and move back to his other houses since he was no longer in power. But that’s not what troubled Artemis’s head nor was he even thinking about that. Lord Balon could handle that all by himself it’s not like he needed his help.

Artemis suddenly stood up and everyone inside the ballroom who was sitting had to stand as a show of respect to the king. Princess Aeryn was the only one who refused to stand up, but Artemis didn’t seem to pay attention to her. He walked outside of the ballroom with ten guards escorting him and that was the end of the festivities because he never made it back.

The ball was great to everyone who attended it. The guests slept at four in the morning while they wished the drums could continue till daylight. There was different versions and each attendee had their own experience of the ball, some said it was the best and some thought the king was heavily distracted at the end he couldn’t even enjoy his own ball. The next morning it was the busiest day in the palace – the guests who came to attend the coronation were making their way back to their homes, of course that would exempt Lord Balon and princess Sansa.

While others were leaving or preparing to leave Maldonia, Lord Balon and Princess Sansa were having the best time of their lives. Both naked and on bed making love, Princess Sansa couldn’t care less if her moaning would he heard all over the kingdom and she was a screamer. When Lord Balon’s manhood thrusted deeper inside her she screamed as if it was her first time, her mannerisms and charisma is what led Lord Balon to her. Like what Lord Balon always says “I didn’t marry her for her cooking. Her talents lie elsewhere” and he meant every word.

Princess Sansa was a freak in the sheets. She knew how to milk her man off his seeds anytime she wanted them. Just five minutes in to the stroking and Lord Balon growled, trembled and released every bit of his seeds inside his manhood to his wife. Then he fell back on the other side of the bed trying to catch his breath.

Princess Sansa laid down with her legs raised. “Did you squeeze all of them?” she asked. Her tone controlling and she didn’t seem to care much about her own pleasure but her man’s.

“Yes I think so...” replied Lord Balon.

“You think so? I told you we need a son”

“And I am doing all that I can Sansa. Give me a break...” Lord Balon stood up naked and walked to the chamber pot which was inside their chambers.

He was tired of his wife constantly nagging him about his failure to give her a son. Princess Sansa wanted a son so bad and since she was just a twenty nine years old woman with fertile eggs, she never gave up her desire to have a son.

When they arrived in Maldonia, Princess Sansa met with a physician who owned a small shop in the capital. She was just strolling around the market when she saw the shop with a huge banner on top of it written “Natural herbs” and that’s when she walked inside. The owner of the shop was a middle aged woman whom she didn’t even get a name. This woman wore a long grey dress with a colorful scarf which she covered her head with. She was calm, collected and seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

The shop was full of customers all looking for a specific portion to treat their diseases and most of them were women. Princess Sansa being an outlander she looked like a lost sheep. The owner quickly noticed it and called her inside. “Get in, don’t be afraid” she urged her to get in.

“Is it... safe?” asked Princess Sansa. It was a stupid question and even herself thought so, she just smiled and walked inside slowly.

“Would you rather we stay here or you prefer a private audience?” The woman asked her.

It seemed suspicious to Princess Sansa but she was in need hence she paid for the private audience services with the physician and they walked inside her room. They talked for over an hour, and when she was about to leave, the woman gave Princess Sansa a portion to drink five minutes before she has sex with her husband. “In a month or so and you’ll have a son” she assured her.

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This is why Princess Sansa was pressuring her husband to give it all. Lord Balon came back to bed still naked and sat down. He had a frown look on his face, playing no games with his wife anymore.

“Why this sudden obsession with a son? I thought you loved our princesses?”

“I love them truly but we need a son Balon”

“I don’t need a son to prove my manhood. I treat my children as equal to having a son, Leila can inherit Nemphis and be the Lady of Nemphis she doesn’t need to be a man to inherit our fortunes” he said pinching his jaws showing clearly he wasn’t happy with his wife’s decision. “I love my daughters so much, at least I don’t have to worry whether they’ll be killed in a damn war someday. I had four brothers and they are all dead, I don’t even know how am I still alive till today but my sisters are well and alive. I treasure life more than any gold or wealth, so I’d rather be sonless but have my daughters who are alive and well looking after me” this time he turned his back on Princess Sansa and continued to sleep. A trouble in paradise.