The Prince's Wife, Part Ii

...In the capital a great feast was thrown to welcome Larren back from the frontier. Minstrels sang songs of his victories, while they ate venison and drank beer, the whole city thronged with good cheer. But Larren was subdued in the feasting hall, his betrothed sat across from him, haughty and tall. Her name was Berice, a princess of the south, quiet pretty but not the kindest around. Her tongue was sharp, her manner aloof, both in bed chambers and tournament grounds, Sse saw this marriage as a great step down. But Larren had a duty, and they were wed, and went, cold and distant, to the marital bed. Though the king praised this noble pairing, and so did his great heir, the crown prince, Larren found his wife a drain on his soul, and hard to bear, ever for short stints, of true affection, she showed not a hint. She took to his bed only at fertile times, to bear him an heir, with no love in her eyes. To make matters worse, by the first month’s end Great King Rael was beginning to flag. A fever set in, yellow came to his eyes, and his breath in great rasps did drag, Larren spent weeks by the bedside of his dad. When he passed on, Crown Prince Duhran rose, he made Larren chief general, the bane of his foes. Five months passed, and Larren’s misery grew, no accolades or awards could assuage the loneliness he felt, the true lack of love sometimes drove him quite close to rage, he began to look older than his age. His brother, the king, said,”Take a mistress,” Larren couldn’t say he’d already had the best… Then a new foe arose in the far west, encouraged by the death of King Rael. They besieged the citadel Larren had held, and committed crimes that were beyond the pale, rape and slavery were their grisly tales. Duhran sent Larren with all of the troops to smash the heathen invaders for good. Larren arrived, somewhat glad to be gone, back doing something he knew quite well. Gladder still was her to be free of his wife, Though to others this truth would not tell, not when battle raged at the citadel. Once on the scene her surveyed the siege, then lined up his troops, and charged to their relief… CONTINUES IN PART III