Chapter 2: Emerald and the Prince’s Betrayal

“Have you never seen a naked woman chained to the mast of a ship before?” I shout to the sailors as the warm summer rain washes across the deck of the two masted sailing ship.

My moment of defiance causes a ripple of laughter before the bosun orders his men back to work. I’m left to my shameful thoughts and my undeniable arousal. How did the daughter of a king end up in this situation?

For over forty years there has been peace between Tessal and our neighbours. The local merchants grew fat and rich from trading with the many ships visiting our harbour. Our army grew fat and lazy from having to do nothing. And our nobles simply grew fat. Then things suddenly changed. An upstart warlord violently seized power in a nearby kingdom and promptly crowned himself king. Then he set about expanding his new realm. Our tiny kingdom was one of several coveted by the self appointed King Mathias. We were unprepared for the war which followed. Fortunately there were ancient treaties with our neighbours to provide for mutual defence. Since our neighbours were also threatened by Mathias, those treaties were honoured. My father lead his pitiful troops into battle alongside his allies.

The war was mercifully short and not particularly bloody. I don’t think anybody really won. King Mathias won a small piece of territory from a neighbouring kingdom, but his army was heavily outnumbered and so his ambitions were curtailed ... at least for the time being. At sea it was another matter. Mathias’s pirate friends blockaded our harbour causing much pain to the local merchants’ wallets. A peaceful solution was quickly sought.

Our biggest loss was the death of my father. Not on the battlefield, but in the tavern afterwards where it is said that during the ‘victory’ celebrations he became so drunk that he took it into his head to give a demonstration of leaping onto his horse from the tavern’s upstairs window. His stunt might have worked had he remembered to include a horse in the performance.

My elder half-brother, Ethelred, is now king. His first task was to remind me and my 20 year old brother, Francis, that our only value to his kingship are as instruments to secure alliances and peace. It was a cruel thing to say while we were still grieving for our father. However, I’ve known for years that one day I would be married to some foreign prince to secure an alliance through marriage.

The peace treaty between King Mathias, Ethelred, and the pirate sea-lord seems to satisfy my brother’s desire to use Francis and I as the instruments he spoke about. More than likely, he simply wants us out of the way, and the peace treaty provides him with a golden opportunity to be rid of us.

“King Mathias and I have reached an understanding which should ensure peace between us for the foreseeable future,” announces Ethelred to Francis and me. “He and his pirate sea-lord will be arriving tomorrow to receive what I promised them as our part of the bargain.”

“What have you promised them?” asks Francis, never being the quickest thinker in our family.

“Why, you and your sister,” laughs Ethelred. “The pair of you will be leaving here tomorrow. I suggest you go and make your preparations.”

I ponder my fate. What sort of man is this King Mathias? And the pirate? The rumours about Mathias are dire, but my father told me that rumours started during wartime are rarely accurate. Nevertheless, I feel a twinge of nerves at the prospect of being alone with a man who was our enemy only a few weeks ago. If what I’ve heard about the two of them is correct then he and his pirate friend represent the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the human race.

The next morning Francis and I are summoned to the Great Hall. Ethelred is sat on his throne surrounded by many of our city’s prominent citizens, and an array of guards trying to look fearsome. Apparently King Mathias and his pirate have arrived, and they are waiting in the ante-chamber to be admitted into Ethelred’s presence. Ethelred tries, and fails, to exert some authority by having his guests wait longer than necessary. Finally Mathias and the pirate are summoned to the Great Hall and greeted with a fanfare of trumpets. Francis and I are made to wait on one side of the throne while Ethelred makes a pompous speech of welcome to his visitors. Mathias responds by belching and scratching his balls.

I go weak at the knees at the sight of King Mathias. The rumours about him must surely be false. He is a man in his late-twenties, so he must be about five years older than me. His bare chest and arms ripple with muscles, and his tiny leather kilt doesn’t leave much to the imagination. He has the looks of a classic barbarian warrior. A good looking one at that. He has left his weapons outside, although his leather belt holds sheaths for an array of weapons. Fully armed he would be a one man army.

“Where’s the fuck toy you promised me?” says Mathias in an accent that grates on my ears.

“Here,” replies Ethelred pointing in the direction of Francis and me.

“Looks a bit scrawny, but I suppose it’ll have to do.”

“I am not scrawny,” I shout out, angry at being referred to as a fuck toy.

“Silence, woman,” snaps Ethelred.

“Ha, ha, ha!” laughs Mathias. “Does this green eyed beauty think she’s the one you promised me? What a joke! Sorry, darling, but you are the wrong gender for my tastes. Now this young man here might show some promise once we build up his muscles.”

“And what do you intend to do with my brother?” enquires Ethelred.

“You mean apart from make good use of his arse,” laughs Mathias, “The oarsman in my personal galley are all former kings and nobles of my vassal states. When I don’t require him to please my cock, your brother will spend the rest of his miserable life chained to an oar. He’ll be in good company though. The former king of my land is already used to his new life. Ha, ha ha!”

“I never agreed to be your vassal,” replies Ethelred, belatedly realising that he’s perhaps gone too far in agreeing to hand over Francis.

“Oh but you will be if you value your life,” sneers Mathias. “Pay the tribute I demand each year and you can keep your little kingdom. Otherwise, you can join your brother.”

“You can’t do this, Ethelred!” cries Francis as two guards force him towards Mathias. “I’m your brother.”

Unfortunately, as king, Ethelred has the authority to do anything he likes with his subjects. And for whatever reason, he’s chosen to buy his kingdom’s existence for a while longer by sacrificing his brother. I become genuinely fearful what whatever Ethelred has planned for me.

“We are done for now, Ethel,” says Mathias, deliberately misspeaking his name. “I’ll leave you to settle your debt with the captain here.” Mathias marches Francis out of the room to the shocked mutterings of the gathered crowd.