With adult scenes from the start, this medieval fantasy
presents a powerful love between a prince and his
bondsman.
Prince Tanish has been disappointing the primped ladies at
court since his presentation as a youth, though he doesn't
make public the fact of his love for Feyar. But at
twenty-
three, his ageing father tells him to choose a suitable
consort - male or female, but not one of the palace
servants.
A BOND OF THREE continues as a state visit of neighbouring
rulers is invited; there are eligible princesses and
Tanish
will need an heir. He can't bear to think of leaving his
lover who is also his guard. However, another land called
Kandor is preparing for war on Tanish's home of Teruna.
Maybe this will have to take priority over weddings.
Tanish
isn't prepared to find that a similarly eligible young
prince, Sorran, arrives in the royal retinue, and Sorran
has an eye for a handsome man. He's also got a gift for
seeing colourful auras around a person, in a land where
magic has been put to good use such as healing but is
fading fast.
The fantasy tale of course has roots in the custom of
using
royal offspring to secure alliances. But it's very
difficult to imagine two princes being allowed to wed,
when
a kingdom not secured by heirs will produce a civil war
over inheritance. I just had to accept that there must be
first cousins who could eventually produce a ruler, or
that
maybe a second marriage to a woman would be allowed in
this
world. Given these terms, I could get on with feeling the
angst and loneliness of the three young men who are
subject
to kingly whims. Sorran is sensibly determined not to
marry
anyone who loves someone else. Can they resolve the issue?
I had been hoping for a more developed fantasy, but there
isn't much world-building and all the action occurs in or
around the palace. K C Wells, has created a detail-laden
erotic story; she says
that reading a male romance opened her eyes to the notion
that these romances were incredibly hot. Certainly, taking
female issues out of the equation gives more space to
focus
on issues like servitude, status, royal command and the
nature of love in marriage. We also get to read about
well-
developed male bodies and gay threesomes. Plenty to keep
us interested in this fiery romance about A BOND OF THREE.
n the kingdom of Teruna, the red-cloaked Seruani teach
the
Terunans the art of love. Taken from their homes at
seventeen to be trained, they are shunned as outcasts by
society and considered the lowest of the low. So when
Prince
Tanish falls in love with the Seruan Feyar, the man who
took
his virginity and the only one to share his bed, he is
not
about to declare that love. No one can ever know, because
the consequences would be too painful to consider for
both
of them.
When the king of Vancor visits Teruna, he promises that
his
son, Prince Sorran, will marry Prince Tanish to solidify
the
alliance between the two kingdoms, with the proviso that
the
virginal Sorran is instructed in the art of pleasing his
husband-to-be. When Tanish’s father chooses Feyar to be
this
instructor, the lovers decide Prince Sorran must be
taught
that this is to be a marriage in name only….
A resentful prince, unwilling to share his lover.
A resentful Seruan, unwilling to share his prince.
And the shy prince whose very nature sparks changes in
the
lives of all those around them.
Teruna is about to change forever.
Excerpt
Chapter One
FEYAR STOOD naked by the window, looking down at the
quiet courtyard below. The evening sun was low in a sky
ablaze with red and gold. The fading sunlight glinted on
the breastplates of the royal warriors who guarded the
palace. Not that there was need of them. Teruna had been
a peaceful kingdom for many years, and the warriors were
there mainly because tradition dictated it so.
Unless the rumors are true, Feyar thought, his brow
creased. For months now there had been talk in the royal
city of unrest brewing in the kingdom of Kandor, many
days’ ride from Teruna’s capital. A new king had ascended
the throne, and Teruna’s people murmured that old grudges
long thought forgotten had resurfaced.
Feyar sighed heavily. Such rumors were not good. It was
well-known among Teruna’s inhabitants that King Feolin
was growing weaker. Rumblings of a threat to their
peaceful land could only serve to trouble the king’s
mind. And despite his present situation, Feyar wished his
monarch no ill.
How could I wish ill upon the father of the man I love,
my terushan?
“Come back to bed, my corishan.” Tanish’s voice was heavy
with sleep.
Feyar turned to gaze at the young man who lay on his back
beneath a single silken sheet. The smooth fabric clung to
his lean form, revealing every line and curve, including
the beginnings of an erection.
Feyar smiled to himself. When is he without one? It had
been so since that day seven years ago, when the young
prince had walked into the Seruanal for the first time.
All those present had lowered their gaze, as was the law,
but Feyar had peeked at the sixteen-year-old prince who
seemed devoid of nerves. And Prince Tanish had caught
him.
Their eyes had met for the briefest of moments, enough to
have Feyar’s cock fill at the sight of that short brown
hair, brown eyes, and lean body, already toned. The
prince’s smooth chest was bare. He’d worn a bronze-
colored robe, open to the waist, which had done little to
hide the prince’s similar state. And in that moment,
Feyar knew what no other in the palace had known: the
royal prince liked men.
Upon hearing of his imminent visit, the women had been
preening and primping for hours, all anxious to gain
favor in his eyes. Feyar had to work hard to suppress his
chuckle when he realized their preparations had been in
vain.
“Of course, if you do not wish to have me before we
sleep, that is your choice.”
Feyar shook himself mentally and looked across to the bed
once more. Tanish was sitting up, the sheet pooled around
his hips, his hand lazily stroking the increasingly rigid
length between his legs. He was grinning, all hint of
drowsiness gone.
Feyar gave a low growl and dove onto the bed, dragging
the sheet away from Tanish’s body until his lover was
nude, his chest rising and falling as his breathing
became ragged, pupils wide with desire. “Oh, I shall have
you.” Feyar pushed him back onto the bed and covered
Tanish’s body with his own.
Tanish gazed up at him, lips parted, eyes shining in the
candlelight. “Yes,” he whispered. He stroked Feyar’s soft
beard. “Come love me, my terushan.”
It was an order Feyar had no qualms about obeying.
As the light faded from the room, leaving only the
flickering of the candles, Feyar slid deep into his
lover’s body, relishing the strong thighs that wrapped
around him, Tanish pushing at his buttocks with his
heels, urging him deeper still as they kissed. Feyar
could feel Tanish’s steel-hard cock pressed between them,
rubbing against his abdomen. They groaned into each
other’s kiss as Feyar thrust faster, harder, his arms
tightening around Tanish’s body as he pushed him closer
to his release. And when it came, Feyar shuddered as he
filled Tanish, heart full of love and adoration.
Feyar dropped his head to Tanish’s shoulder to whisper
the words that lay on his heart. “Oh, how I love you, my
terushan.” Feyar held Tanish in his arms, kissing him
softly, the evidence of Tanish’s release warm on his
skin. He closed his eyes and listened as his lover’s
breathing grew more even, Feyar still buried deep inside
him. He knew it wouldn’t be long before Tanish fell into
a light sleep. Until he wanted his turn, of course. Feyar
smiled against Tanish’s neck. Thank the Maker they were
both happy to give and receive.
As far as Feyar was concerned, this was heaven.
He withdrew gently so as not to disturb Tanish and
reached for the soft cloth that lay on the stone floor
beneath the bed. He wiped himself clean of any residue
and then brushed the fabric over Tanish’s buttocks,
removing all trace of his seed. Once he’d dropped the
cloth onto the floor, Feyar curled around his prince,
wrapping his arm across Tanish’s chest, his hand splayed
over his lover’s heart. He sighed contentedly when Tanish
reached up to place his hand over Feyar’s.
His last thought before sleep claimed him was that life
didn’t get any better than this.
“YOU SENT for me, Your Majesty?” Tanish knelt on the fur
pelts that covered the stone floor of his father’s
private audience chamber. He bowed his head and fell
silent, waiting for his father’s attention.
The palace was quiet this morning. Tanish had risen with
the sun and wandered over to gaze out of the window at
the mountains of blue quartz in the distance, their snow-
topped peaks glowing in the warm light. The sky was pale
blue, not a single cloud to mar its vastness. He’d
glanced across his bed where Feyar lay sleeping, sheet
thrown back to reveal that glorious body, his pale,
creamy skin covered in a layer of black hair. Tanish
loved to run his fingers through it, tugging at it gently
as they lay together. He loved the way it clung to
Feyar’s body as they bathed together.
No servant had bathed Tanish since he’d reached manhood.
He’d seen to that, despite his father’s protestations
that a prince should not bathe himself. It was not
seemly. Tanish smiled inwardly. Little did his father
know that he shared his bath every night and every
morning. And that his bathmate was more than happy to
bathe him.
“Something pleases you.”
He looked up to find his father gazing at him, eyebrows
arched. “Your Majesty?” Tanish straightened his face.
King Feolin smiled. “Rise and come sit with me. Have you
eaten?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Tanish had shared fruit, yogurt, and
honey with Feyar before he’d disappeared back into the
Seruanal. Tanish’s heart sank as it always did when he
kissed Feyar in parting. The day would seem so long until
they could be together again in the safe haven of
Tanish’s chambers.
His father got to his feet and walked unsteadily to the
window that overlooked the city, his purple robe trailing
behind him. His long locks were gray, a curtain of hair
around his shoulders. “Such a beautiful morning,” he
murmured. Then he winced and clutched at his chest.
Tanish was at his side in an instant. “Father?” He put
his arm around his father and helped him to the wide
sill, its cold stone surface covered with thick cushions.
It was his father’s favorite place to sit and gaze at his
kingdom. Tanish sat beside him, heart beating fast as he
took in his father’s waxy complexion. “Is it bad this
morning?” He laid a hand tentatively on his father’s
knee.
The king snorted. “When is it not bad?” Then he sighed
and patted Tanish’s hand. “But if my battle wounds mean
that we achieved peace for Teruna, then they were worth
it.”
“Not if they bring you constant pain!” Tanish bit his
lip. He hadn’t meant disrespect, only concern.
King Feolin stared at him in surprise.
Tanish bowed his head. “Forgive me, Your Majesty,” he
murmured. “I had no right to speak in such a tone.”
His father placed two fingers under Tanish’s chin to lift
his face upward. “Tanish, my son. I took no offense. I
know you speak from your heart.”
Tanish gazed at his father, his stomach tight. “Have you
tried once more with the healers? Can nothing be done?”
Even as he asked, he knew what the answer would be.
The king sighed. “They have no skill. I know not what it
is that infects our kingdom, but there seems to be not
one single healer who has the power to help.”
Tanish knew his father spoke the truth. The healers of
Teruna were becoming a thing of the past. There was a
time when the people could go to a healer and be assured
of relief. These days that was no longer the case. Their
healing magic seemed to have deserted every last one of
them.
He grew aware of his father’s intense scrutiny. The king
regarded him in silence for a moment and then let out a
sigh that clutched at Tanish’s heart. “I should not have
waited so long to sire a child,” he said at last.
“Father?” Tanish didn’t know what to make of his father’s
words.
King Feolin smiled. “I was not much older than you when I
first went into battle.” He chuckled. “I was a
headstrong, obstinate youth who did not listen to advice.
But I had just become king when your grandfather died in
battle, and I had sworn to avenge him.” He rubbed his
chest. “At that age, one feels immortal. When I recovered
from my wounds, I felt as though I had cheated Death.” He
shook his head. “Little did I know, Death is a patient
one who bides his time.” He shivered. “This is why all
men live in fear of him, for they know not when he will
claim them.”
Tanish knew he spoke of the bits of metal still lodged in
his body, causing him almost constant pain. A broken
piece of a sword here, an arrowhead there that had proved
impossible to remove—a constant reminder of the price his
father had paid for peace.
His father regarded him fondly. “My biggest regret is
that I was already in my forties when you were
conceived.” He scowled. “I should have taken a wife long
before, but I had no need of one, in spite of my advisers
telling me so. All I sought were the pleasures of the
Seruanal.” He gave a slight shudder.
Tanish straightened. It was the first time his father had
mentioned the royal harem since he’d taken Tanish there
on his sixteenth birthday. It was difficult to think of
his father with a Seruan.
Perhaps all children feel thus when faced with the
knowledge that their parents had appetites similar to
their own. Tanish considered how often he and Feyar
enjoyed each other, and the thought brought heat to his
cheeks. He could not imagine his father having so
voracious an appetite.
Something in his father’s words piqued Tanish’s interest.
“How did you meet my mother?” Tanish had never known her.
She had died in childbirth.
A faraway look came into his father’s eyes. “I had gone
traveling throughout the kingdom. It was something your
grandfather used to do. He loved being among the people,
interacting with them. That was in the days before Kandor
decided to overthrow Teruna, of course. He had no thought
of Kandoran spies lurking everywhere. He simply went out
and mingled with his subjects, and they loved him all the
more for it. So, one year I decided to try it for
myself.”
He cleared his throat. Tanish got up and went across to
the table covered with parchments and poured a glass of
wine from the delicate glass carafe. He took the ruby
liquid to his father, who sipped it and then sighed.
“You are a good son.”
Tanish’s cheeks grew hot once more.
The king patted the cushions beside him, and Tanish
retook his seat. It was rare to find his father in such a
reflective mood, and Tanish loved to listen to the sound
of his voice, deep and rich.
“So there I was, traveling through Teruna with only a
bodyguard for company, when I stopped at an inn for some
food. There was a fracas out in the street and I went to
investigate. A female Seruan had collapsed and a crowd
had formed. No one would go near her, of course, but one
young woman stepped out of the crowd, knelt beside her,
and began to tend to her. There were shouts for her to
leave the Seruan alone, but she ignored them. She helped
the Seruan to her feet and made as if to bring her into
the inn. The innkeeper began blustering that this was not
right, until I told him to be silent.” His father’s eyes
gleamed. “He knew better than to argue with me.” He
grinned, and then his expression softened. “The young
woman made sure the Seruan was all right before bidding
her farewell. Well, by now, this angel of mercy had my
attention. And when she realized who I was, she almost
fainted.” He smiled fondly. “I brought her back to the
palace sitting in front of me on my horse, my arms around
her. As we rode along through the streets, the people
cheered as if I were bringing home a bride. And by the
time we reached the palace, I had made up my mind that I
would marry her.”
Tanish blinked rapidly. “You have never told me any of
this, Father.”
The king sighed. “I know. I have not spent much time with
you as you have grown, and that is something I bitterly
regret. When I lost your mother, it hit me hard. We had
not known that childbirth would strain her heart. And to
be truthful, each time I saw you, I was reminded of her.”
He gazed at Tanish fondly. “You have her dark skin, her
eyes. She was a beautiful creature. And I regret the time
I have wasted.”
Tanish bowed his head. “I am pleased that you are sharing
with me now.” It had been a lonely life growing up in the
palace, and it had only been in the last few years that
he had gotten to know his father a little better. “I too
regret that we have not been close. There were many times
when I was growing up that I longed to talk with you,
share with you my thoughts and dreams.”
The king smiled. “You are of an age now where we can
speak of adult matters.” He cleared his throat once more
before continuing. “That is why I wished to speak with
you today. You are twenty-three, Tanish. Is it not time
you thought about choosing a consort?”
Tanish stared at him in silence. “I… I do not
understand.”
His father’s brows knitted. “I do not wish you to make
the same mistakes I did. I know you share your bed every
night with a Seruan.” Tanish opened his mouth to speak,
but his father held up his hand. “Did you think I would
not be informed of this? I took you to the Seruanal so
that you could be instructed, to be ready for your future
consort. You were supposed to spend your time there
learning how to pleasure your partner, receiving
instruction from a variety of Seruani.”
“Which is what I did,” Tanish protested.
His father quirked his eyebrows. “You have only ever had
the one Seruan. Do not lie to me.” Tanish bowed his head,
cheeks on fire. The king patted his arm. “This is not
good, my son. Heaven forbid that you become emotionally
attached to him.” He lifted Tanish’s chin and peered
intently at him. “Tell me this is not so.”
Tanish kept his expression blank. “No, Father, it is not
so.” His stomach roiled at the lie.
The king nodded. “Good. It matters not to me whether you
choose a male or a female consort. I received instruction
from both when I was first taken there, and it was clear
to me very quickly that I leaned toward females. You
prefer males, and that is your choice.” He stared at
Tanish. “But having the same Seruan in your bed, night
after night….” He shook his head. “It is time to put away
your toy and find yourself a consort. Someone who could
ride through the streets at your side, to the sound of
the people cheering. You will be king one day.” He placed
his hand on Tanish’s shoulder. “And I want the people to
love you and whoever you choose to love.”
Tanish’s throat seized up. He swallowed hard as he tried
not to let his emotions show. “Are you forbidding me from
using the Seruanal?”
His father frowned. “No, my son. But it is all too easy
to become dependent. I know, I was the same for many
years. Just remember what they are.”
Tanish repressed the shudder that threatened to ripple
through him. He could not think of Feyar like that. To
Terunan society, a Seruan was the lowest of the low. The
law demanded each Seruan wear a distinctive deep red
cloak that declared them to be such. Tanish saw the way
people reacted in the streets when they saw the cloak.
They crossed to the other side, shunning the wearer.
Why must it be so? It was not the first time that thought
had crossed Tanish’s mind. He had often wondered how such
a law came to exist. The Seruani provided an essential
service, as far as he could see. Those who wanted sex
could simply choose a Seruan and pay them. Most of the
Great Houses of the kingdom had several Seruan in their
employ. They were people skilled in the art of
lovemaking. Why, then, were they viewed—and treated—so
harshly?
How can you be disgusted by someone who uses their body
to bring pleasure to others?
His father rose to his feet. “There are other matters
that we must discuss.”
Tanish was brought sharply into the moment. “Yes,
Father?”
“You have been training with the royal soldiers, I hear.”
Tanish nodded. He worked out with them each morning,
practicing his sword skills and riding with them on
patrols. The last few months had seen this bring changes
to his body. Tanish was not very tall, but his muscles
had filled out. What he liked most was the way the men
treated him, as one of their own. There was no pomp or
bowing and scraping, and he liked the way they used his
given name rather than his title. They were men, young
and old, who enjoyed camaraderie. Tanish had put up with
a lot of teasing when he’d first begun to work out with
them, but when he’d reacted with good humor, that had
been the end to it.
The king nodded also. “The head of the bodyguard regiment
has been keeping me informed of your progress. I wanted
to speak of this. If the rumors prove true, you may have
need of your skills one day.”
“You speak of Kandor, Father?” Tanish wasn’t deaf to what
was being whispered out in the city. There was talk of
Kandor rising up once more against Teruna.
“Yes, my son. And if such a day comes, you must be
prepared to lead our troops into battle.” He paused, his
gaze going once again to the city beyond the window, its
white stone walls gleaming in the sun. “But I have a plan
to deter our enemies.”
Tanish’s pulse raced, and he leaned closer. “Can you tell
me?”
The king smiled. “I will tell only you and Malin.”
Tanish’s heart almost burst with pride. The day was
proving to be one of firsts. His father had never seen
fit to share such knowledge with anyone except Malin, his
most trusted adviser. The man was older than the king’s
sixty-four years, and Tanish had always looked up to him.
Malin had shown Tanish much kindness throughout his
childhood and adolescence.
“Our nearest neighbor is the kingdom of Vancor. If our
two great kingdoms were to form an alliance, our strength
would be such that no one would dare threaten either of
us again. I have sent messengers to King Beron, inviting
him and Queen Vasha on a state visit.”
A royal visit. Tanish sat up at that. Such a thing had
never happened before. “When will you know if they have
accepted your invitation, Father?”
“Within a day or two,” the king replied. “I shall declare
a national holiday when they arrive. I want the people to
show them a fantastic welcome. And we shall have a royal
ball to celebrate their visit.” His eyes gleamed. “I hear
King Beron has a daughter of your age, perhaps a little
younger. Maybe she will accompany her parents.”
Tanish’s stomach roiled, and a sour taste filled his
mouth. “Is that why you have invited him?”
His father frowned. “No, I simply mention the daughter
because it just occurred to me.” His brow smoothed out.
“But if it should happen that this does come to pass, it
is worth considering.” He patted Tanish’s arm. “A consort
of royal blood, my son. One who can provide you with an
heir.” The king sagged against the window’s edge, as if
all energy had fled him. “And now you must leave me, my
son.”
Tanish rose slowly to his feet and bowed low before his
father. He turned and walked out of the audience chamber,
past the two guards standing outside the thick wooden
door. They nodded to him in greeting, and he acknowledged
them with a smile, but his thoughts were miles away.
He wants to marry me off—to a girl. And this was despite
his father’s claim that it didn’t matter if he chose a
male or a female for his consort.
Tanish walked slowly, with a heavy heart. His path took
him past the ornate metal door that led to the Seruanal,
where all the palace Seruani dwelt. He found it difficult
to breathe when the door opened and a figure emerged,
draped in the cashor, the robe which all Seruani had to
wear. The hood obscured the eyes of the wearer from
Tanish’s sight, but he didn’t need to see any more to
know it was Feyar beneath the robe. His senses were
enough: his skin tingled as it always did when Feyar was
near. Tanish had long become accustomed to his body’s
reaction and no longer questioned the phenomenon.
Feyar didn’t acknowledge him. He walked by on the other
side of the corridor, head bowed, hands clasped at his
belly. Tanish watched him disappear through the doorway
that led into the courtyard, his heart aching.
He could not have even raised a hand in greeting. That
would have been frowned upon, and someone would have
gotten word back to the king.
What kind of kingdom is this, he thought, where I cannot
greet the man I love? Worse than that—I can never tell a
soul that I love him.
To do so would result in a public lashing for Feyar,
followed by banishment from the kingdom. Tanish had no
clue as to what his father would do to him. As far as he
knew, no person of royal blood had ever broken that law.
Tanish would not do anything that would bring pain—and
worse—to Feyar.
He went to his chamber, shut the door, and flung himself
facedown onto his bed, rubbing his face in the silky fur
that covered it.
He wanted it to be night, so he could be once more in
Feyar’s strong arms.
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