THE TRASH PRINCE'S BLUEPRINTS

CHAPTER 17: THE CROWN PRINCE'S PERSPECTIVE

The Crown Prince, Prince Alaric Vaelen Blackmoor-Thaloria, is on the way to Hamilton Province, along with his entire entourage, which consisted of knights, lords bannermen, and ladies, with servants to see to their every need in every step of the way.

“ I believe someone is missing from our entourage, my lords and ladies. “

Prince Alaric jests to the lords bannermen, ladies and knights who sits inside the swift horse-drawn carriage together with him.

“ Shall I order the carriage to stop, and send out a search party of knights and trained huntsmen with bloodhounds, then, to find who is missing, Your Highness? “

Sir Rowan Blackmoor, the knight in charge of the household knights of House Blackmoor, and Prince Alaric’s fifth degree cousin, asks Prince Alaric.

“ There's no need to trouble yourself, Sir Rowan. It was meant as a jest, my lord. I believe that person is now in the Sunspire Citadel atop her dragon. She was never a patient girl. “

The lords bannermen, knights, and ladies laughs at Prince Alaric's witty reply, knowing full well that Prince Alaric meant it is Lady Lyraen Seafyre, of House Seafyre, a dragon-tamer who is no more than 19, yet fierce and bold, famed all over Thaloria for her beauty, sharp wit, and nerves of steel, and feared for her ancestry, since she is a direct descendant of the old dragonlords of the now vanished Dragonheart Imperium, located at the Smoking Churn Sea, where majority of the sailors who dare to enter the surrounding seas which stinks of brimstone and sorcery, are never heard of again, and only a few lives to tell the tale.

Meanwhile, Lady Lyraen Seafyre, of House Seafyre, has already landed her dragon in the keep of Sunspire Citadel, and is now lounging in the lush, verdant private gardens of House Hamilton inside the Sunspire Citadel, while drinking the famed grape wine of Hamilton Province, and eating some deep fried wheat bread with a side spread of dragonfruit preserves, accompanied by Sir Anthony Hamilton, the third cousin of Lady Philippa Hamilton, and the castellan of Sunspire Citadel in Lady Philippa’s absence.

“ I must say, your grape wine is fearsomely strong, but it is way too cold for my taste, Sir Anthony. “

“ Shall I call the servants to take it away and serve you hot mulled wine instead, Lady Lyraen? “

“ There’s no need to trouble yourself, my lord. I’ll make do with your… cold grape juice and your fancy bread with excellent preserves. “

“ It's good to know that dragons can also withstand the cold, my lady. “

“ They can, my lord. Your wine is excellent, but nothing still beats the high quality coffee of House Solara, even during a hot afternoon like this. Something hot and steaming to wake up your blood. “

“ House Hamilton doesn't make jokes about those who dwell near the desert, my lady. Centuries of blood and strife lie between House Hamilton and House Solara. “

“ Trivial fights, my lord. And it happened so long ago. You can forgive this once, and make a strategic alliance, surely? I sense another civil war ahead, with political instability looming over all of us like a storm. And if you didn't know, it was the forefathers of House Blackmoor who caused House Solara and House Hamilton to fight each other, whilst they quickly and quietly rebuild their influence, strength and wealth, after the Great Cataclysm which caused the downfall of Dragonheart Imperium, and the death of half a dozen mages all over Thaloria, and built the foundations of the Holy Church. “

“ Do you mean to say House Hamilton must turn enemies into allies, Lady Lyraen? “

“ Former enemy, my lord. House Hamilton lies athwart House Blackmoor, while House Solara is on the other end of the West. When the civil war comes, and they try to cross to the river lands to capture the riverlands, an alliance of House Storm, House Solara, and House Hamilton will surprise them with a pincer move. They’ll be forced to go on the defensive, with three enemies besetting them from all sides. “

“ House Blackmoor is a rich and powerful House with deep pockets, my lady. They will hire sellswords and sellsails. “

“ Aye, they will, my lord. But their vast numbers and hired swords will count for nothing if they have to deal with three enemies at once. “

“ A cornered lion is a dangerous lion, my lady. You know the lion is the sigil of House Blackmoor. “

“ All the more reason to defeat a cornered lion quickly with a swift, decisive and lethal strike, lest he escape. “

After a while, Sir Anthony Hamilton excuses himself, claiming he still has matters to attend to, matters related to the peace and stability of Hamilton Province.

A few minutes later, Lady Lyraen enters the main keep just in time to see Crown Prince Alaric disembark from the horse drawn carriage, along with his entourage of knights, ladies, and servants.

“ That explains why you took so long to come here, Your Highness. You brought an entire luggage train with you. You could have made do with two knights of the Royal Kingsguard, and one fast carriage. “

“ I’m the Crown Prince, Lady Lyraen. I have the right to bring an entourage of knights, ladies and lords bannermen with me. “

“ The right to show off, and give an alibi to the King on why you spend extravagantly on these… unnecessary luxuries you mean. “

Laughter erupts from the Crown Prince’s entourage at Lady Lyraen’s witty words.

“ In the game of crowns, it is sometimes prudent to come late, and test the reaction of your allies and foes. Attend me, Lady Lyraen. The journey is exhausting, and I need you. “

“ You need my claim to the lands and title of House Seafyre, you mean, Your Highness. Sure, lead the way. “

So the Lady Lyraen, and the Crown Prince along with his entire entourage enters the Feast Hall of Sunspire Citadel. The servants serve them strong and fruity chilled grape wine, high quality wheat bread with a side spread of blackberry preserves, spiced honey-glazed sausages drenched in gravy, spiced sunny side up, and vegetable preserves.

While the Crown Prince eats, drinks, and laughs along with the rest of his entourage, memories of his past comes back unbidden to him.

When he was still young, more than 6 or 7, many children of the highborn nobles who frequently came to the royal palace picked on him, and mocked him for being a “ bastard prince born out of wedlock. “ And to make things worse, ordinary mages from noble bloodlines, and wealthy commoner families who had money to protect themselves from the persecution of the Holy Church, also picked on him and played their cruel taunts and jokes on him every time they visited the royal castle in Thaloria. The castle servants were kind and considerate enough to him, but he could hear their murmurs, and sense the sniggers of their children behind his back. From then on, he rarely ever stayed in the royal palace if he could help it, and preferred to stay in the Shadowpeak Citadel. He spent his time growing up on learning how to be a traditionalist prince, and learned the arts of leadership and warfare under his mother, while the Holy Church trained him to become an elite Battle Mage under the watchful eyes of his uncle, Pope Aurelian Blackmoor. When he reached 18, he officially assumed the duties of the Crown Prince, and did it well, touring all over Thaloria, and he also helped cement the influence of the Holy Church in Thaloria by constantly reminding “ his subjects ” to be faithful to the preachings and commands of the Holy Church, and by denouncing the ordinary mages.

“ Your Highness? Is something amiss? “

Lady Lyraen notices the far off stare in the Crown Prince’s eyes, and brushes off a crumb of food between his mouth using her handkerchief.

“ Nothing’s amiss, really, my lady. It's just that I can't help reminiscing about my childhood, and how it molded me to be who I am now. “

“ We all reminisce from time to time, Your Highness. You still remember all those times nobility and commoners alike mocked you, yes? But it's no point crying over spilled milk, yes? It's better to face the present time, and prepare for the challenges of the future. “

“ I suppose you got a point, my lady. “

The Crown Prince beds Lady Lyraen Seafyre in his chambers at the Sunspire Citadel later that night, with Lyraen’s moans a music to his ears, as he keeps thrusting his hard and wet manhood deep inside of her, and Lady Lyraen’s young body slick with sweat, and flush visible on her face, with her firm, small breasts hard with pleasure.