Author's note: This story is set in a fantasy kingdom where STD's and unwanted pregnancies do not exist.
To meet Literotica's standards, the age of consent in the land of Orgiana is 18, but all other aspects of marriage and women's place in society are the same as they were in the rest of Europe during medieval times. Neither the author nor the characters he has written approve of those antiquated rules, but if you still find them offensive, you may want to skip this story.
In order to maintain the atmosphere of this story, I have written it in an old-fashioned style of English, and I have the characters speak in British dialects according to their social class, including a working-class character with a thick cockney accent. If you get headaches from reading Shakespeare or Victorian literature, you should probably skip this one. But because I have kept the language modern enough to be easily understood by the casual reader, scholars and purists of British literature made prior to the First World War should either skip this one or forgive the author for being an American amateur.
Lastly, all sexual activity described in this story is between consenting adults. Enjoy.
Once upon a time, in the land of Orgiana, there was a crisis afoot. The King had recently turned the ripe old age of fifty, and no one was sure how much longer he would live. Twenty-one years earlier, his wife the Queen had died in childbirth and left behind a daughter, Virginia. Although--like most royal betrothals--neither the King nor Queen had a say in who they would marry, they were happily in love with each other by the time their wedding was arranged. And when the Queen died, the King swore he would never love or marry another, despite the pressure for him to sire a male heir.
Instead, the King decreed that whomsoever should win his daughter's hand in marriage should be the next King of the realm. And for the past three years--ever since Princess Virginia's eighteenth birthday--one nobleman after another had vied for her hand, only to have her spurn him. At least, that is what most people knew. The truth of the matter was so scandalous that if it were ever brought to light, the entire established order would have been overthrown and the kingdom would have been susceptible to invasion by a foreign army, and the land swiftly conquered.
With the elderly King in ill health and his daughter approaching the limit of marriageable age, there was one nobleman determined to end this crisis once and for all. Duke Richard of Wilcox had gathered an army to storm the Royal Castle, depose the old King and marry Princess Virginia by force. The King had gotten word of the insurrection and entrusted the protection of his castle and Princess Virginia to his most trusted knight, Sir Robert, who had been the King's squire back when the King was a princely low-ranking officer in the cavalry. By the time Sir Robert had gained his knighthood, he and the King had become bosom companions.
Sir Robert, despite his advanced age of forty, was a fine figure of a man. Although he had a balding scalp and grey beard, his six-foot frame, handsome face, deep voice and well-muscled body made him the envy of many men and the romantic fantasy of women of all ages. In battle, none could match him. In his nearly two dozen years of knighthood, he had mastered deadly combat by ax, mace, sword, lance, bow as well as fists. And as he had a fine mind for military strategy, nobody was upset that the King had given him command of the Royal Army.
When it came to women, however, it was a different matter. Sir Robert, for all his accomplishments on the battlefield, was a painfully shy man, especially when it came to the fairer sex. He had trouble looking women in the eye and found it even more difficult talking to them. And he had a wretched habit of pining after women who did not return his affections or who were forbidden to him, such as one of the women in this story.
This is not to say Sir Robert was celibate. Like any soldier, he had known the bawdyhouses when he was younger. And as handsome and famous as he was, he had no shortage of attractive women who threw themselves at him, but they seldom meant anything to him. However, there were a few he had grown attached to, and this story also concerns one of them.
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Sir Robert had just returned to the castle from dinner at the nearby tavern when a scout ran to him with an urgent message. "Sir! I've just alighted from Duke Richard's camp! They have sent someone to kidnap the princess during tonight's entertainment and they mean to attack the castle before daybreak!"
"Then we must go to sleep early so that we ourselves are ready for the attack. In the meantime, I shall secure the princess myself."
Sir Robert ran to the Princess's bedchamber and urgently knocked on the door. "Your Highness! 'Tis I, Sir Robert!"
"Come in, good Sir Knight."
Sir Robert opened the door and found Princess Virginia still in her nightgown having her curly red hair brushed by her lady's maid, a dark-haired woman the same age as the Princess. Both women were strikingly beautiful, but Sir Robert's heart ached for the Princess alone. However, there was an emerald pendant that lay on her alabaster skin that proclaimed her Crown Princess and reminded him that she was forbidden to him.
"Your Highness! It is imperative that you leave this room immediately!"
"But good Sir Knight! As you see, Felicity has not finished with my hair. And then I am to entertain the Court with a harpsichord recital, where I shall also sing."
"Alas, Milady, there'll be none of that tonight. The Duke's men mean to kidnap you during tonight's entertainment and sack the castle in the morning. My men are retiring early tonight so we may not be taken by surprise, and you must do the same, only not in this room. Come with me please, for your own protection."
He led the princess back to his own chambers. Outside the door, he told her, "Inside, there's a bed that sleeps three men. Normally, I sleep there with two of my trusted lieutenants, but tonight, we shall sleep on the floor while you shall have the bed to yourself. Is that understood?"
"Will that not be most uncomfortable for you? Perhaps it would be better if I slept in a private room with a small bed and nobody knew I was there?"
"If 'twere Your Highness's modesty I was sworn to protect, I would agree. But 'tis your life I am concerned about, and I'll not leave you out of the presence of myself or my men ere this crisis has abated. Besides, we are soldiers and used to sleeping on hard ground. Now, please enter this room, and quickly! We have tarried too long outside the door and who knows but that the Duke's spies may have seen you already."
Sir Robert discreetly ushered the Princess into the room, followed and locked the door. To both their surprise, Sir Robert's lieutenants were not in the room. Instead, there was a nude woman lying on the bed with honey-blonde hair in soft waves tied up in a loose knot and deep blue eyes that looked upon Sir Robert with undisguised lust.
"'Allo, Bob! Fancy meetin' you 'ere."
"Meg!" Sir Robert hissed. "What are you doing here? Where are my men?"
Meg ignored what Sir Robert said and turned to look at the Princess. "Oooh! An' I see you brough' a frien'! Come 'ere..." Meg's gaze drifted to the emerald around the Princess's neck and her expression changed from lust to shock. She immediately covered herself up and averted her eyes. "Your 'ighness! I'm so sorry!"
The Princess turned to Sir Robert and said, "Good Sir Knight, do you know this woman?"
"Indeed, Milady. This is Meg, a serving wench at the tavern nearby. We have a relationship that is... not proper to be discussing with an innocent young lady such as Your Highness. Meg! I repeat: Where are my men? Why are you here? Are you in league with the Duke?"
"The Duke? Me? I ain't in league wif no one! I saw you an' your men in the tavern this evenin' an' I thought you'd like a little surprise to welcome ya back t' town. Your men know 'oo I am an' they know wha' we do togever, so they let me in."
"Meg, as you see, this is not a good time for this! We are on the eve of battle and must rest as the enemy is to attack us before dawn, and I've brought the princess here for her own protection. Please leave so that she may sleep on the bed!"
"She need not leave," said the Princess. "In fact, I would rather she stayed with us. Tell me, good woman. Since Sir Robert will not answer me directly, may I ask what the nature of your relationship is with him?"
"Beggin' your pardon, your 'ighness, but Bob's righ'. Wha' me an' Bob do togever ain't fittin' for a proper young lady such as y'self to 'ear. 'Specially wif you bein' a princess an' all."
"I may be but a young lady, but I am still a royal, and unless I am overridden by my father, my word is your command. That goes for both of you. Besides, as heir to the throne, I cannot afford to be an innocent regarding any matter. I shall repeat myself, and if I do not receive a direct answer, I shall be quite cross and both of you shall pay a penalty. Now answer me, woman. Is Sir Robert your true love? Will you marry him once he leaves military service?"
"'Eavens no, Your 'ighness." Meg stayed covered, but she did manage to look the Princess in the eye. "I'm two-and-thirty now and long past marriageable age. If I was gonna marry, it woulda been when I was a lass like y'self. But I promised meself I wouldn't marry no one unless I was in love wif 'em an' they was in love wif me back. Me an' Bob, we 'ave fun togever in bed an' we're great mates, but we ain't in love. 'E did offer to marry me once, but I tol' 'im no. Besides, 'e's tol' me 'e's in love wif someone else. Only 'e feels guilty abou' it on account of she's real 'ighborn an' she's young enough to be 'is own daughter an'... Oh!"
Meg stopped as she saw Sir Robert blushing and glaring daggers at her while the Princess looked up at Sir Robert with pity and affection. At that moment, Meg realized she had said too much.
"Good Sir Knight, why did you never tell me of these feelings?"
Now it was Sir Robert's turn to turn away from the Princess's gaze. "Because what she says is true. You are my best friend's daughter and far too young for me. And my best friend just happens to be the King and I cannot marry you as I am but a common soldier. And because the penalty for lying with a princess before her wedding day is death."
"Good Sir Knight, I believe you are mistaken about the law."
