Forbidden Love in the Royal Family

Chapter 2

As the sun rose over the kingdom heralding the start of a new day, the castle’s outer drawbridge dropped allowing Prince Bryce to race out into the woods on horseback. Each time a hoof dug into the damp ground, it kicked up the earth beneath it, leaving a trail behind the galloping horse.

Youngest of the four Chamberlain brothers, Bryce was perhaps the most handsome and well-built. Leaning forward on his steed so that the hood of his cape would remain over his head, Bryce frequently woke early to go riding and visit the villagers. This ride, however, had a more specific purpose than socializing with common citizens.

As the landscape blurred on both sides of him, Bryce recalled a family holiday many years before when his father Zachary had gathered all his children in front of the fireplace in the great hall to tell them a story. His father always insisted that they sit before him by age, in order of their possible succession to the throne: Tobias, Lucas, Colton, Bryce, and Bryce’s twin sister Clara.

As the fire created shadows that danced across the faces of the five royal children, their resemblance to one another was obvious, especially among the four princes. Dark, wavy hair and strong facial contours were the hallmark of the Chamberlain family. Their deep, dark eyes remained fixated on their father whose animated way of telling stories kept everyone engrossed from start to finish.

As the four princes matured, their features remained similar. Their father insisted on hours of physical activity, including combat training with several of the king’s knights. Consequently, they grew into tall, beefy men who caused heads to turn wherever they went. Well aware of his sons’ attractive physical features, King Zachary adopted strict rules that guided their social interaction with others. He was overprotective of them and taught them to protect themselves against people whose motives for getting to know them might be less than honorable.

The king’s treatment of his daughter Clara was even stricter. No matter what her age, he always viewed her as his “little princess,” keeping her sheltered from the world around her, especially men.

Similarities among the five children only ran skin deep. Beyond that, they were individuals, each with their own values, goals, ambitions, and desires. As long as their father lived, he kept his family close to him, showing his children the affection that their mother Beatrice did not and insisting that they demonstrate the moral code of conduct he himself espoused.

As their father aged, he grew harder, more cruel. Life in and out of the castle changed quickly. Zachary’s once collaborative way of leading became more about singular authority and power. He used every possible opportunity to remind his family and his people that he was in charge, cutting off his children from the throne room as well as from having any influence on the future of the kingdom.

Zachary entertained several women behind Beatrice’s back; however, a much younger woman named Roslyn enchanted him most of all. Zachary dismissed Beatrice from the role of being his wife and forced himself upon Roslyn, whose father immediately agreed to the king’s demand for marriage.

Beatrice withdrew from everyone and everything, becoming more introverted and isolated than she had ever been before. She rarely left her chambers and would have become completely forgotten if not for the attention of her few attendants as well as the daily visits she received from her beloved son Bryce until the day she died.

Having passed through the eastern edge of the woods outside the castle, Bryce directed his horse north toward the end of the village. After traveling a short distance, they arrived in a clearing where a man stood in the midst of a small herd of sheep and goats.

Shirtless and rugged, Matthew Benton heard the approaching horse and turned around to face it. He watched as Bryce arrived and dismounted.

“I’m glad I found you,” Bryce said, tying his horse to a nearby tree. “We need to talk.”

“Always good to see you, Your Royal Highness,” Matthew replied, bowing and then returning his attention to his herd.

“Enough with the sarcasm,” Bryce commanded. “Do you know how much trouble you could be in? If my father finds out…”

Matthew lifted a bale of hay, causing the muscles in his chest and arms to bulge. “I suppose you’re here to proclaim that you’ll protect me from him?”

Bryce grabbed Matthew’s arm, causing him to drop the bale. “I’m serious. I care about you.”

Matthew pulled his arm from Bryce. “I can fend for myself, as you know.”

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?”

“As you can see, I’m in the middle of a project right now. I need to get this herd fed and housed, then fix the stables. I have a long day of work ahead of me. We can’t all sit around the palace all day.”

Wasting no time, Bryce removed his cape and threw it over the saddle on his horse. Then he removed his shirt, revealing his slightly hairy chest and sculpted arms.

“What are you doing?”

Bryce grabbed a pitchfork that lay on the ground nearby. “You just said there’s a lot of work to be done. Let’s get to it.”

Trying to prevent himself from smiling, Matthew rolled his eyes and lifted the bale he had previously dropped.

In his palace chambers, Prince Tobias, the eldest of the four Chamberlain princes, sat in a tub as his attendants bathed him. His head resting back on the edge of the tub, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of the warm water and his chamber maids massaging him.

When Roslyn, the king’s wife, entered the chamber, she immediately drew the attention of the servants from Tobias to herself. As everyone else shifted their attention to her, so did he.

“Leave us, please,” the queen told the attendants, who finished sponging Tobias before hurrying from the room and closing the large doors behind them.

Tobias stood up in the tub, allowing the water to run off his muscular body. Water drops caused small splashes as they fell into the tub from his fingertips and p***s. Without saying a word, his eyes invited her to step closer.

“Have you seen the king this morning?” she asked, scanning his naked body from top to bottom.

Tobias shook his head. “I have not.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” she said, reaching out and running her hands over his damp chest.

He stepped out of the tub and wrapped his strong arms around his father’s wife. Kissing her deeply, he pulled her close to him, dampening her garments with his wet body. He kissed her neck and shoulders, reaching around to the back of her dress to untie it.

Falling from her, the dress crumpled on the ground at her feet, leaving her wearing only an undergarment. He grabbed her breasts, fondling them until they emerged completely from the underwear. Burying his face between them, he kissed and caressed them as she ran her fingers through his thick hair.

Working herself free of what remained of her clothing, Roslyn wrapped her naked body around him until he finally lifted her from the ground. Kissing him deeply, she dug her fingers into his bulging arms as he carried her to his bed.