SHANNON I

SHANNON I  

     "The gown looks comfortable with its embroidery and thread work, probably made up of the Pearlish silk and High Flora's velvet. Oh! But it hurts. The clothing will make scratches under my sleeve", Shannon thought finding it hard to hold Aerys's hand.

    They had been walking for hours, yet the garden was not likely to end. Breezes from the Queen's Bay were running throughout the unending garden carrying the scent of roses, lilac, lavender and many flowers that Shannon had been inspecting with Aerys. The boundaries were far away from the point they were standing on. The sun had begun to be sharp and its rays were burning Shannon's face.

       Shannon wanted some shade, but the big shaddy trees are on the other side of the garden and it would take a long enough time to reach their. The closest shady thing was the walls of Glass Palace. He wanted to go in. He looked at Aerys, she was delighted with the pleasant atmosphere. The songs of the birds and the waves, the flowers and even the plants without any flowers and the cool breezes, everything was pleasant, except the sun. Aerys caught Shannon's blue eyes and replied with a comforting smile that the burning lessened.

     "A sharp sun like this, is the greatest thing  that someone would ever wish in the North", Shannon broke the silence.

    He thought Aerys would be interested in the North and perhaps they would leave the garden and go somewhere else by the end of the conversation. Shannon was right, she asked in an excited tone, "Have you ever been to the North ?"

   "Yes, I have", said Shannon with a smile. "I was born in the North. Whenever a Nohara woman expects a child, she is sent to the North. My mother gave birth to me in Akita on a cold day". He remembered the walls of  the Snow Keep, the snow fields, his uncle Brynden, his grandparents. His memories were strong and cold.

   "Your sister ! Princess Hennah ! She must has been born in Akita as well. I've only read about your Kingdom in the books", Aerys's voice was calm. She sounded quite unhappy.

  "My mother is a southern Lady. She likes to stay warm. She couldn't keep up with the cold climate of Akita on her first time. So my sister was born in our Capital", Shannon's voice was soothing. He added, "She had been to Akita after so many years and I stayed back in the capital to keep my father's duties going on. They must have returned, I know it. My mother can not suffer from things that she doesn't like to suffer". He smiled thinking about his mother's stubbornness.

     Aerys and Shannon were standing at an edge of the garden, facing the sea. Their eyes were sticked on the endless blue waves. A ship was sailing in the ocean. "When I was a child, I used to play a game with my mother. We used to sit here and see the ships sailing. And then I would guess where it might be coming from or going to", said Aerys.

  "An interesting game, my Queen."

  "I'd be glad if you call me Aerys. No one calls me by my name, it's been so long. Only my late parents used to call me that", Aerys looked into Shannon's eyes while she said.

  Shannon looked behind the well-cloaked knights behind them and felt sorry for Aerys.  She didn't have a great privacy although she was very private as a person. Her voice suggested sorrow, she had lost her family at such a life-changing age. She was full of questions and no-one to ask. Shannon realized that the sunlight was not hurting him.

   "Your parents, do you miss them ?",asked Shannon after a moment of silence. He felt stupid to ask such a question.

   Aerys was lost watching the sea. "No", she replied. Shannon didn't understand why she said so. He was not sure if he should ask her about the cause.

   "They say we learn after losing. But in the recent times, I've never learnt anything special about my relationship with them. They were here and now they are not", Aerys said with an emotionless tone.

    Shannon realized the depth of her words. She was alone, she had been alone for years. She needed someone to talk to, her words proclaimed an invisible desperation. Poor she !

   Nene had been warning him, not to get trapped in the Glass Queen's false words and affection. On the contrary, Aerys and her words were true and pure. Shannon realized how beautiful she was. He started to forget why he was there, in his enemies' home. Aerys smiled and turned her face back at the sea.

   "Perhaps, I didn't have any strong connection with my parents. They say my father was angry when I was born. Not to be shocked, it was obvious a king wants an heir, a son. But the Gods decided to present him with a girl", Aerys scoffed a little while she said. "We would only meet on some festivals or maybe sometimes while having dinner. I never felt his existence as a father. But I have the blood of a Sunryder running through my heart, and I'm expected to be like him, apathetic, which I don't want to be".

     Shannon had heard stories of the Sunryders from his storyteller in childhood, about King Hoseyn Sunryder. Those stories had conveyed him that the King was heartless. He would throw men into sea alive from a tall tower. People had cursed him and he was not having any children with her outside lover, the Stranger Queen. Until one day, an adorable Princess was gifted to them after three still-born children. There was no stories about the Queen. Shannon asked hesitantly again, "Your mother ! We've never heard much of her. What was she like ?"

   Aerys tied her hands and felt the breeze touching her face. "My mother ! She was kind, beautiful and so loving that I never felt I needed a father. She was everything for me, my family. She was hated by the common people because she came here sailing across from somewhere far away and won my father's heart. My father broke his betrothal to Ser Bennyt's sister for her. Long story it is ! No one has ever hated the King and the Queen as much they have hated my parents".

     Shannon was out of words, he had never believed in such stories but he could neither deny the Glass Queen's words. He opened his mouth again even though he knew he would sound stupid, "It is hard to lose people we love. This world is full of hatred and one true person shows us how  beautiful a world of love could be. And one day they leave us, it hurts like hell. And all we are left with is the past. Memories of the past ! But past makes people strong".

      Aerys smiled which Shannon took as her disagreement, "Sometimes past makes us weak, weaker and then weakest". She eyed Shannon with a smirk. "Perhaps we could wander somewhere else before lunch", she added after a pause.

    Shannon held her hand and they returned to the castle. "I'm curious to know where we're going next", said Shannon with charm, "I believe it's not the Great Temple. I think it's the only place left to pay a visit".

    Shannon was not a true believer of Gods and he believed neither was Aerys. They had least of their interests in the Holy things. Aerys chuckled, "One should not meet the Grand Mistress if he wishes to spend a memorable day. She's too obsessed with, well, I don't know what to say of her. She's such an exception in people. She's too intelligent for people like us". Shannon found Aerys funny this time.

     Since the day, they had arrived, he had been seeing new colours of Aerys everyday. And the colours were inviting him to have a nice game with them. But she belonged to the House of their enemies. This thought that he was surrounded by his enemies, was stopping him to step forward for the colours. "Old people are always exceptional", he said remembering his grandparents.

     "Yes, not only the old people, every old thing is special and precious. We're going to meet the old things", Aerys said to make Shannon more curious.

    "I didn't understand. I thought you weren't  going to the temple", Shannon expressed his confusion.

    Aerys speed up her pace and said, "Walk with me, it must be a very secret business between us, even though I fear there are spies everywhere". Shannon followed her quietly, not understanding anything.

   Within a moment, they were in front of a large iron gate. It was older than Shannon could think it was. He had no notions of the mystery behind the door. He kept staring Aerys, it was entirely her business to deal with. Aerys turned to her guards, "Whenever there is a door on my way, it needs to be opened". Ser Desmond opened the big ancient door easily, he was old but his hands still had the strength of an excellent knight. Shannon didn't believe what he saw. He was blank for a moment. It was a large hall, filled with many creepy and weird looking idols, weapons, wearings and many more. Nothing seemed to be new. As Aerys had said before, everything was old and precious.

     Shannon stepped inside the door behind Aerys and the guardsmen followed them. Aerys said thinking about something, "I'd be very glad if you could perhaps leave both of us alone for some private business". Shannon hadn't thought that Aerys would  get rid of her Queensguard. Perhaps the matter was too serious to be told in their presence.

    "But, my Queen, We can't leave you alone with ...", Ser Desmond's suspicious eyes sticked on to Shannon's perplexed face.

   "I believe Prince Shannon is not a blood seeking monster, Ser. You've been with us for a long time and I'm certain you must have noticed it. So I command you to wait outside and don't let anyone in", said Aerys firmly. Ser Desmond didn't seem convinced. He tried to warn again, "Our duty is to protect you, my Queen".

    "Yes, but apparently I do not need your protection right now, I'm absolutely safe here. And your duty is to obey my commands, not to hover around me like bees", Aerys said for the last time. Ser Desmond gave a stern look at Shannon and left with the rest of the men. The door was closed behind Shannon's back.

     Desmond Arry might look like an old unusable man, yet he was well experienced in the art of bravery and could chop men off with his long sword in any terrible circumstances. Not only that, he had knocked men to the ground fiercely in every tourney he had participated during Hoseyn's time. Shannon was well aware about him and his efficient skills. His eye contact would be something that could strike fear in any heart.

   Shannon thought it was best to follow Aerys silently and do whatever she tells him to do. He was not afraid, but decency and patience would take him to success. He saw things not so carefully. He was giving one glance at the ancient things and then he was going wherever Aerys was taking him to. At one moment, she stopped in front of a box, which was not locked. It was not wooden. The metal was still shining even though it had been there for ages. Shannon wondered what could be inside it, whatever it would be, it had to be precious and unusual, because the box was suggesting so.

     Aerys took her hand forward to open it. Shannon stepped her, "Let me, please". He had to be nice and helpful. Besides he was curious enough to unleash the treasure hidden in the box. It was too easy to open. "Thank you, Shannon", Aerys said with a smile. There it was, the treasure ! Three stones of unusual size. Each had a different colour as well. The biggest one was midnight black with some silver dots on it. While the one with the colour of asparagus green and the smallest one was lava red, as it was a symbol of fire. Aerys stroke each one with great care, Shannon did not understand why so much care to these mere stones.

  "Stones ?", he asked.

  "These do look like stones. Nothing to fear, absolutely harmless and normal. But I'm afraid the things we see are not always what we think they are. The one who looks most harmless might be thinking to stab you  in your back and the one who is said to be the dangerous one might be the one who is the safest one for us", answered Aerys. She picked up the smallest one and handed it to Shannon. He was more confused after the Glass Queen's answer. He felt its touch and held it with a firm grip so that it could not fall from his hands. The surface was smooth and shiny.

    "Night, woods and fire, they represent. These were found in the east shore of our country, Blue Maritan, I believe. This box was the only gift from the Aquadors to House Sunryder, it's been decades. Nobody knows about these except the Royal Court", Aerys kept saying.

    "But why ?", Shannon exclaimed. He examined the stone more carefully, trying to figure out what was special.

  "If the people would have been informed about such a gift, they could have destroyed it somehow. After all, nobody would like to keep eggs of a horrible creature. Even though it's unknown and these eggs have not hatched yet, I still believe these are precious to gift you", Aerys looked at Shannon after saying.

   Shannon didn't understand why she was in a mood to gift her enemies such ancient things. "Pardon me, but I can't accept this", he said humbly.

   "Why not ? They are safe, the wise men have made sure of that. They are never going to hatch", Aerys tried to explain that it was not a trap.

   "They belong to your House. It was a gift, you should not hand it to us. Ser Bennyt will not be pleased with it", Shannon said.

    "Ser Bennyt is not the Queen. I'm giving you these as a souvenir of our friendship. If anyone would have any issues with it, he has to face me. They were found in your lands. They belong there", said Aerys calmly.

    'Our lands ?', Shannon thought. He was amazed at the way she wanted things to be done, the way she had nearly forgotten that his ancestors had slaughtered her family and had stolen their lands. Yet he found himself unable to deny them. 'What will I say to Miss Natalie ? Nene would surely get angry on his madness to accept such gift. Mason might be quite curious about these, but not happy. What will happen when I will take these to Alphaville ? How my mother will react to these ? Is it a mistake ?', he kept  pondering.

   Aerys put the eggs back and shut the box.  Shannon felt warmth when Aerys took her hand and said, "You have nothing to fear, Shannon. Things are going to change".

   A secret ! He decided he shouldn't tell anyone about these. He smiled, looking at Aerys and her magnificent grey eyes. She was not like her father.

   Perhaps things were going to change really.