The Kingdom of Lies & Gems 1

June had arrived with almost clear skies and a sun fiercer than before. In the city of Artanges, the capital of Vierizen, one could notice that the commotion was bigger than it usually is.

Many voices filled the otherwise less-blaring streets in the market area, seemingly trying to gather the attention of passing-by people. The merchants of alcoholic beverages were exceptionally louder than usual, as well as more in number than other types of merchants.

Along with them, several people looked in a certain direction while talking close to each other like whispering something to one another. A man in white and expensive-looking clothes had grabbed the attention of everyone as he was walking down the market street with a scouting look on his face.

The merchants that took notice of him suddenly increased the volume in their voices, as well as made exuberant movements with their hands in an effort to catch the man’s attention.

“If it isn’t the prince of Avilla! Welcome to the most boisterous part of Artanges at this time! Can we assist you with anything, our graceful lord?”

Aaron von Avilla, the second-born son in the Avilla family who ruled Vierizen, had stopped his march at the last merchant’s shouts. He noticed a wide variety of liquor and especially red wine.

The smell of fresh grapes had entered his nostrils and taken control of his movements. Behind the merchant, Aaron noticed a medium-size tent filled with big sacks of violet, round grapes that looked very well nurtured.

“I love the smell of ripe fruits that were grown with good care. It is your lucky day, merchant, as I am looking for the best red wine I can find. I also notice that you’ve got a lot of that with you, which is important for me, as I look for liquor in large proportions as well. Could you possibly satisfy my tongue’s appetite with a small tasting sample to fulfill my demand?”, Aaron spoke in an arrogant yet polite manner to the merchant in front of him.

The other merchants nearby the one that Aaron was talking to, were glaring at him which made the merchant’s motions stiffer.

“Here, my lord.”, the merchant said as he offered Aaron a small bronze cup of his red wine, “I most certainly believe and wish that my hard-worked wine will please your exquisite tastes.”.

Aaron took a gentle sip from the bronze cup and his eyes immediately widened up forming a surprised look on his face. His skin tingled from the alcohol that was poured into his belly as the sweet fragrance of the red grapes filled his mouth.

“Your wishes have been granted, my fellow merchant. So what say you, shall we discuss the specifics of our transaction?”, Aaron said in a satisfied voice.

“Of course, my beloved prince! Given the current situation, red wine is typically priced at 200 arcs per barrel of 10 liters. I can give you a small discount on 180 arcs because of your highness.”

Aaron lifted his head as he put his hand underneath his chin slowly caressing it as if trying to think of how to answer the merchant’s offer.

“As you surely must know, grapes are at their blooming period and many wine merchants create their wine right about now. So, I believe that since the supply is currently at its highs, I would price these barrels at 150 arcs. Or should I taste another wine from a nearby merchant?”

“No, no my lord. Your presence and offer are enough for me to be grateful. How many barrels are you looking to buy?”

“I would like 10 of them.”, Aaron answered after a brief pause, “Since in Avilla castle, we are having a feast.”

Aaron took a stroll in the marketplace after he ordered some knights back where his carriage was stationed to gather the barrels and return them to the castle.

He stared at all the goods the booths had laid out to grab passing people’s attention. From the smells of freshly baked pies to jewelry of different shapes and colors, that Vierizen was so famous for, he couldn’t help but stop in many booths to evaluate and eventually praise the people’s work.

At the end of his road, he thought that it would be in his best interest to return to coordinate the knights in the preparation for the impending celebration. In Vierizen, they celebrated the country’s major family line birth on June 18th.

So, the Avilla family hosted a large banquet in their castle in which every citizen could take part. They gathered for that reason large supplies of food and beverages, for the people to feast upon, at the Avilla family’s expense.

That celebration allowed them to get closer to their citizens since it was a chance for them to simultaneously let some steam off and get inside the castle that usually grants no access to unauthorized individuals.

“Hmm…I get the feeling that this year’s Aegis Iory is going to be larger than ever. It seems that throughout the years it has become a major point for every citizen here in Artanges, so everyone is looking forward to it in advance.”

Aaron thought out loud while staring at the clear skies. He was waiting for the carriage to return to its former place to get him back to the castle together with the remaining barrels that were left out due to their heavy weight.

“We shouldn’t let them down…I suppose”, he murmured again in a faint voice.

“Master!”, a voice came from seemingly far away from Aaron’s current position and resumed as a man in armor closed in, “Lord Gabriel has inquired us to give you another task that wants immediate attention!”.

“Tsch. What is it this time? I believe I am far more valuable being at the castle’s coordination force rather than running errands outside of it.”, Aaron said in a slightly annoyed voice.

“M-master Aaron, our apologies, but it seems that we have run out of flour for the castle’s maids to create their delicious bread! Lord Gabriel asked us to gather some but insisted on you making the final call for quality purposes.”

Aaron lifted his body from the square-shaped rock he was taking a break on and proceeded toward the silver-armored knight while sighing.

“Alright. I will go right back to the marketplace, so just go put the barrels in the carriage as I go finish that business. I don’t want to waste any more time here so let’s do this both quickly.”

“Yes, my master!”

Aaron turned his back gracefully to the knight and went again inside the marketplace. The road wasn’t as rowdy as before, so it was easier to search around for such an item.

As he was looking around, Aaron was lost in thought about his brother.

“At least that stupid brother of mine Gabriel appreciates and trusts my abilities to sniff out the better stuff. I just hope this isn’t some petty excuse though to get in dad’s and mom’s eyes by coordinating the whole affair.”

The more he was spiraling down in his thoughts, the more rush he felt he needed to instill into his actions. After he noticed a stand with several farmer’s items, he went and bought a large bag of flour, making the woman merchant there extremely excited.

“Now I should call the knights to grab this bag too. Arghh, I’ve got no time to waste here.”, Aaron murmured again by himself as he quickly paced toward the carriage to inform the knights about the whereabouts of the bag of flour he had bought.

This is a side story featuring characters Vierizen Kingdom from my work-in-progress novel, "In The Ashes of Forgiveness", originally published on Medium.

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