Stay Forever (8 page)

Chapter II

“Well, what a play of events. I wonder who these bandits are and why they are attacking the village.” Queen Elisabeth turned to her two sons and husband.

“Well, whatever their intention they must be stopped.”

“Ines, do you feel you can handle this?”

“Of course father, I will not let you or the villagers down.”

“
That is my boy.” The King smiled.

Prince Marco seethed with fury, looking jealously at his younger brother.

“Marco, I presume as usual, you have no interest?”

Marco responded quickly.

“If that is your opinion of me father, there is little I can do.”

“Right, there it is then.  The matter is settled.  Ines, I leave it in your hands.”

Ines bowed before his mother and father, and quickly left to the drawing room, to gather the troops and prepare for the oncoming battle.

A little while later, as Ines was drawing out the battle plans, Marco entered the room.

“I won’t let you down father.  Not you or the troops.” Marco mimicked Ines in a high-pitched voice.

Ines did his best to ignore him.  Marco made a sucking sound.

“That is what you sound like, sucking Mummy and Daddy’s bottom all the time.”

“Listen Marco, if you have no interest in helping to solve these genuine concerns and issues facing the country that is not my problem.  Now please leave me, I do not have time for this now.  There is a battle about to commence.  I would gladly appreciate your support, but if all you are going to do is be mean to me then please leave.”

“I’m gone brother.  I’ll be having a great time having a party while you engage in your battle with a bunch of losers.  If ever you feel like having a bit of fun instead of being so serious all the time, do let me know.” Marco stormed out of the room as Ines shook his head.

Ines tried not to let his brother hurt him.  He set about focusing on the battle.  In truth Ines was an exceptionally kind and compassionate person.  He cared about people and animals immensely.   He was always protecting and rescuing birds, he was careful never to kill any creature, and he hated the idea of any living thing ever being hurt. 

It was his heart that drove him in to battle that evening, not, as Marco suggested, his desire to please Mummy or Daddy, or steal Marco’s future throne from him.  For that was the real issue at stake.  The family and the people believed that Ines would make a better King, yet Marco, being the eldest, was next in line to the throne.

The truth of the matter was that Ines did not hunger for power the way Marco did, however he did care about people.

Ines was lonely, he did not spend much time with others, yet he would busy himself learning, reading or drawing.  He tried as best he could to live his life well.

Chapter III

Prince Marco lay on the red velvet colored sofa in his palace quarters, being fed grapes by his favorite courtesan, Annabelle.  Around him troubadours played their instruments, and women lay half naked, dancing, reading poetry and massaging Marco, as he smiled and titillated them.  Red wine and whisky flowed freely.  For Marco, life was just one long party, and he could not understand why anyone would choose to live any differently.  Marco was a dashing prince, with dark dancing eyes, chiseled features and a strong physique.  His younger brother Ines too was incredibly good looking, yet with more delicate angelic features, however the two boys could not have been more different.

“Oh Annabelle!  It exasperates me so!  You should have heard him.”

He made the sucking sound.

“Yes Mummy, yes Daddy….”

He imitated his younger brother.  “It is like he has no soul, no personality of his own.  He only exists to do what Mummy and Daddy tell him.  He never puts a foot wrong.  It drives me crazy!  Making me look like the wild card all the time.”

“You are a wild card.” Annabelle, with her hair softly flowing over her large breasts said provocatively.

Marco looked at her flirtatiously with a cheeky smile.

“True.  But that doesn’t mean he has to be so goody two shoes, all the time, and I mean all the time.  If only there was some way I could get him to trip up, do something, anything.  That throne is rightfully mine, and I can tell you I know that they are plotting to take it away from me, and that is not fair.  I have to show them that Ines is just as capable of making mistakes as anybody else.”

Annabelle sat thinking.

“Why don’t we get him to fall in love?” she said, seriously.

“You must be joking.  That boy doesn’t have a male bone in his body.  What do you mean anyway.  With who?”

Chapter IV

Annabelle smiled at the Prince seductively.

“Come on you!” exclaimed the Prince.

“I can see the workings of that devious mind and I want to know what is going on in there!  As your Majesty the Prince, I command you to tell me!” Marco said playfully.

He laid his head in her lap, ready to be seduced by one of her cunning ideas.

“You see Marco, we have a girl working at the brothel.  She is new, and very innocent.  I haven’t mentioned her to you, because I know your powers of corruption.  Anyway, believe it or not, though she is a prostitute, she is still a virgin.”

“A virgin!!!” exclaimed Marco, jumping up, intrigued and excited.

“Calm down Marco, do try not to be such a typical man.  Yes, a virgin.”

“But how can she work as a prostitute and remain a virgin?  It makes no sense!  None whatsoever!”

“Well, she performs, you know, different acts for our clients, massage, pampering, hand-jobs, blow-jobs, that kind of thing.  She actually does very well.  Clients seem to find it…intriguing.”

“It certainly is intriguing.” Marco replied as he played with a locket of Annabelle’s hair and looked deep into her eyes.

Annabelle continued.

“The poor girl has delusions of finding true love, and she is saving herself for marriage.  I mean, who she thinks is going to marry her is beyond me.  She has no family, no wealth of her own. IF it were not for us at the brothel providing accommodation for her she would be in the streets.  Though she lives in a dream world.  She is convinced she will find her prince charming and marry.  It is sad really, but also quite funny.   Poor Beatrice”

“So, this Beatrice, is she really as beautiful as you say?  Maybe I should try her.  See if I can take the chaste maiden.”

A twinge of jealousy flickered across Annabelle’s face, though she did not let Marco see.

“Really Marco, I thought for once you may have been serious about hatching a plan.  I give up.”

“No! No, wait.  I am serious.  I despise my little brother and cannot wait to see him fall.  My darling Annabelle, I think you may even be on to something.  Oh how I love you.”

Annabelle smiled as he settled back into her lap.  She seductively popped another grape into his mouth.

“There is a good boy.” She whispered provocatively.

Miles away Ines was on the battlefield, struggling with the bandits.  They were a vicious and violent bunch, and the villagers were terrified.  Ines was strong brave and heroic, and a capable warrior.

The shy reserved boy took on a totally different persona when on the battlefield, and the villagers looked on with admiration at their wonderful Prince Ines. 

Yet the leader of the bandits to was a man of immense strength, and he did not appreciate this Prince coming and foiling his plans.  He planned to take him down.  With a determined look in his eyes the leader of the bandits brandished his spear and charged, directly towards Ines.

Chapter V

The following morning the Royal Family was breakfasting together in the Royal Dining Hall.  The usual austere silence reigned.  All were present except for one. Prince Ines, who had still not returned from battle.

“Oh my darling boy, I am concerned for him.” The Queen said, her tone of voice reflecting her fear.

“Have no fear my dear, the boy has a good head on his shoulders.  He will make the right decisions and know what to do.  We must have faith in him.  He has never failed us yet.”

“Yes, let’s hope no one chops that good head off his shoulders in the middle of battle.”  Marco said playfully.

“Marco!” his mother said sharply.

“Come on Mother, I am only repeating your concern.  It seems like all that ever happens around here is praise of Ines or concerns for his safety.  I mean come on, haven’t we got a country to run, lives to lead, parties to have, balls, engagements, you know, that kind of thing.”

“Yes Marco, we do have a country to run” The King said sternly, frowning before he continued. “And that is exactly what Ines is doing by going into battle to help protect the villagers from the bandits…”

Just then the dining doors burst open, and the palace guards announced.

“His Highness, Prince Ines.”

“My dear boy!”  Queen Elisabeth rose from the table to go and hug her youngest child.

The King smiled proudly.

“Son!  I knew you would return.  What news do you have of the battle?”

“The bandits have been banished and the villagers are safe.  No crops were burnt, so they will be able to survive the winter.”

Ines headed to the table with scrolls in his hand, and proceeded to explain to his father what had happened and how the bandits had been defeated.

Marco rose from the table, muttering under his breath.  The rest of the family ignored him.  He headed to his palace quarters.

As he lay on his bed, he went over Annabelle’s plan in his head.  He had to do something to wipe that smirk off his brother’s face, and to get his parents to see what a weak idiot Ines really was.

Chapter VI

That evening Annabelle and Beatrice arrived alone at Prince Marco’s quarters.  Marco was quite taken aback when he saw the girl.  She really was absolutely stunning.  And there was purity about her, almost an ethereal quality.   If his brother Ines didn’t find her attractive then he really did not believe he was a man at all.

“Marco” Annabelle leant forward, kissing him lightly on the cheek. 

Marco greeted her, signaling his approval with his eyes. 

‘This is Beatrice.”  Annabelle introduced the young girl to the Prince.

With his natural charm, Marco took Beatrice’s hand and kissed it lightly.

“My lady” he bowed.  Beatrice blushed and averted her eyes.  Marco was stunned at her natural shy charm.  He never felt intimidated by anyone, and yet here this young girl had him speechless.  They headed inside, Beatrice following Marco and Annabelle.

Together they sat around the table on the velvet colored chairs.  The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Marco rubbed his hands together.

“Right.  We may as well get straight to it.”

“Of course Marco.” Annabelle smiled sincerely. Marco continued.

“Now, Beatrice, Annabelle has informed me of your somewhat, um…um unique situation, though has confirmed that you do offer some, um…particular, um…special services…” His voice trailed off, he was getting nervous.  He continued.

“Now this is certainly a unique situation.  Of utmost importance from both of you is your absolute discretion.  This matter cannot be discussed with anyone outside of this table; it is one of utmost top secrecy.  Is that understood?”

Both Annabelle and Beatrice nodded solemnly.

“Right.”  Marco continued, gaining in confidence now he had asserted his authority.  “Now the issue at hand is to make my brother Ines fall in love with you.  He has never fallen in love before, and it seems that nothing will deter him from being a goody-two-shoes that does no wrong and fills his days with boring palace affairs.  Now, anybody knows that once a man is in love, he will do anything for that woman and she can lead him anywhere.  That woman is to be you Beatrice.  You are to become the woman who will lead him anywhere.  Once he is putty in your hands, then we will decide where it is you will be leading him to, and that is the part I am really looking forward to.  At no point may my brother come to understand of this ploy.  He must remain totally innocent till the end.  Is this understood?”

Again, the girls nodded solemnly.

“Right, we have a plan.  I shall not interfere in your techniques and ways, for this you understand, this matter of making a man fall in love Beatrice, is your expertise and not mine.”

Beatrice nodded, not smiling, yet still with a somewhat disarming sense of confidence.  Again, Marco found himself taken aback by her.  What was that? 

He shook his head, confused. 

“That is all, you may leave.” Marco gestured to the door.   “I will send the date and time for your next visit on horseback to your quarters.  Thank you Beatrice.”

The girls rose from the table.

“Annabelle, no wait, you stay.”  Annabelle looked relieved and smiled at the Prince.  She nodded to Beatrice to continue on without her.

As Beatrice closed the door behind her, Marco turned to Annabelle.

“You are right my darling, she really is quite something.”

Annabelle walked over to him, placing his head in her bosom.

“I am always right my darling.”

Marco snuggled his head into her breasts.

“Oh God how I love this woman.”