Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, they belong to themselves, and or their parent company.
Warnings: Sexual situations both consensual and not both heterosexual and homosexual. Torture, racism, sexism, masturbation, procrastination and xenophobia I think that about covers it for the heads up.
Ordinary World
"Are you troubled my liege?"
He didn't have to look to know that it was Brianna the member of the Royal Guard that was assigned to him, "Can't you call me Phillip?"
"I am not worthy to call you by your name," she explained patiently, "I am but a peasant, and a peasant born in the Outlands at that. I am not even worthy to look after you Prince Phillip."
"What was it like there?" he asked his protector finally looking away from the window at the woman standing the doorway it was late and she was still in full armor.
He knew she wanted to be taken seriously as member of the Guard, but her room was right next to his, and it was long after bedtime. Never in the history of his blood line had a crown prince had a female protector, but Brianna and her twin sister were well trained they were strong women of Outlander stock, sturdy yet so lovely both could handle a blade better than most men who'd been on the guard for years so it was only natural that they'd been assigned to watch after Phillip and his older brother John.
Phillip enjoyed the two pretty protectors, John found it particularly humiliating and ducked out on them at any opportunity to go out on his own. At least until he thought Nicole to be pretty good arm candy, and had her dress in fabulous gowns rather than her armor.
"I do not remember much, my sister and I were sent away for guard training, and my brother was sent to mind the fields," she smiled wistfully, "I just remember all that red clay and the lush of the fields. You should rest you've had a long day of travels."
He turned his gaze away from the young woman in the doorway to his own bed, "It takes me awhile to get to sleep. I thought that I might study, but then I realized my lessons were finished."
"You enjoyed your studies," she smiled, "maybe now that you're back with us in the palace you will find
something else that interests you."
Prince Phillip shook his head his black hair falling into his eyes, "There won't be any of that. John will get the throne, and I shall live my life in service to either Brock or The Tree. I don't believe in either. I shall never get to live my own life."
Brianna let herself fully into the room and shut the door, "I told you mustn't let anyone hear you say that! It's blasphemy! Your father would-"
"If he has me drug in the streets and stoned, then I won't have to spend my whole life in dedication to The Tree, or shackled to Brock" Phillip said, "What makes it different from any other tree and how did it come to be here?"
"You know that The Tree came from there," she pointed toward the window.
He wandered to the window gazing out, all he could see was the three gleaming balls of pale light hanging in the sky. He wondered which one did The Tree come from.
"Do you believe in it's power?" he asked her.
"I want to believe that there is something out there that is able to control things in this world," Brianna said, "but I think that's all I should say on the matter."
"The best thing about The Tree is the fruit," Phillip grinned.
"You ate from The Tree!" Brianna said even more scandalized than she'd been about him blaspheming the tree that he doubted either of them believed in.
"It's sweet! Better than anything we grow," he said, "there are these little seeds inside, I tried to plant them, Shawn caught me, he told me they wouldn't grow. That he had done the same thing."
"No one is ever supposed to eat from The Tree," Brianna said.
"I know," he said, "nothing happened."
"You should not have done that," she whispered, "it could have had a bad outcome."
"I know you don't like bad outcomes," he told her.
"I have worried for you since you left for your training," she said. "Nicole and I have been trying to look after your brother, his Highness has gotten into a bit of trouble while you were away."
"Brianna you know I love good gossip," he said sitting down on the edge of his bed, he missed the fluffy mattress it was a pleasant change from the little mattress that he'd slept on in Shawn's garden rectory that housed the tree and the other three students.
"You know I don't gossip, my liege," Brianna said just as a knock sounded at the door, she went to answer it and there stood her twin sister, she was out of her amour and wearing a long dressing gown her long hair was lose.
"Nicole!" Phillip said, "what a nice surprise. We were talking about gossip and you appear right on time."
"I would have been here sooner," Nicole said, "but your brother was fighting with the Prime Minister's adviser. I had to stay with him in case things went sour."
"Hunter of the house of Hemsley?" Brianna asked.
"Yes," Nicole said, "he's a grieving man, his ire comes quickly. A terrible set of circumstances has befallen him. His wife is dead his daughters were sent to a work camp. He has them back now, but it was still a horrible debacle they faced."
"I can't believe how much things have changed," Phillip said, "I'm gone a couple of years and the war is over, and Outlanders are gaining equality, and we have our first Prime Minister from the Outlands! I'm so excited for the changes to come! You two must tell me everything that's gone on since I've been away."
"Yes," Nicole said, "he's from one of the wealthiest families in the Outlands, he was married to Prime Minster McMahon's daughter before she was killed."
"So they did pick McMahon?" Phillip asked.
"There was no ballot cast," Brianna said, "had there been the people would have probably picked Shawn, he's well liked by both the people of the Keep, and the Outlanders. But it was decided by the council that someone of most noble of Outlander blood should be named Prime Minister, so that was of course McMahon. Some said had his daughter Stephanie lived she would have been chosen."
"What happened to McMahon's daughter, I was away at school and only vaguely heard this story," he said.
"Well it was during the riots," Nicole shared a look with her sister, "things were bad, Outlanders were protesting their treatment, it has been years after the liberation, my liege, but we are still treated miserably by some. It is an even sorrier lot to be a woman from the Outlands people think we are merely breeding stock or wet nurses. Stephanie was working at the community school teaching the poor children of the Outlands and the Keep when some of Prince John's soldiers who were not working under his orders decided to send a message to the rebels."
"Was it Batista and his men?" Phillip asked of the high ranking officer and one of his brother's friends.
"Yes," Nicole said, "they came to take the children to a work camp and shut the school down. Stephanie wouldn't allow it she tried to fight them. They beat her badly and some even…violated her. She was left to die of her injuries."
"What?" Phillip said, "What happened to that woman was reprehensible."
"The king is very kind to us but he'll never believe us," Brianna said, "we weren't there, and he can't take the world of the Outland children that were sent to the work camp."
"I'll just have to get David to confess," Phillip said, "so the guilty can be brought to justice and the ugliness of this matter will be over."
"They've closed the case," Brianna said, "it happened three months ago and prompted the end of the war, if we push it any further it'll only open closed wounds and end the truce. Things are getting better."
"Are they?" he demanded, "how do Batista's men treat you?"
Brianna looked away.
"They've never tried anything but they say things that make me wanna sleep in my armor and sometimes I do," Brianna said.
"I try not to be with them unless I'm with John. We look out for each other," Nicole explained.
"You're not developing feelings for him are you?" Brianna asked her sister.
Nicole blushed and turned her attention away from her sister.
"It's alright if you did," Phillip said, "I think the law should be nullified. It shouldn't matter if you're from the Outlands or you were born in the Keep, you should marry who you want if the other party is interested of course."
"I think he might have feelings for me," Nicole admitted blushingly, "but I don't know…I just feel like-"
"There's a whole world out there," Phillip interrupted, "beyond wars, beyond the Keep and the Outlands, there's so much more out there and you want to see it."
"Yes!" she said, "exactly, but I don't want to hurt his feelings, I know your family would never allow it. As he is already promised the hand of your cousin Lady Alexa."
"Just like I'm promised to Brock?" Phillip scoffed.
"Well, your mother didn't have any daughters," Brianna shrugged, "Things have been tense after the war they don't want Brock's family leading another rebellion."
"So I'm offered up to soothe the tensions?" Phillip said, "it's not happening, if I am to marry I shall do it for love. If John wants to marry you and you want him too Nicole I'll do what I can to make it happen."
"Thank you, your highness," Nicole said not quite meeting his eyes.
"I told you both to call me Phillip, you two have been with myself and John for the past nine years, I'd like to think we've formed a friendship, that you think of me not only as your prince and your charge."
"If anyone else were to overhear we would be punished severely," Nicole looked at Brianna.
Brianna nodded.
"I understand," Phillip said.
"We will let you get to bed, you've had a long day yesterday and tonight will be even longer," Brianna said.
"Ah, yes, the feast," Phillip scowled, "they want to introduce me to Brock. John is lucky he still has three years before Alexa becomes of age. It's not fair, John is the oldest he should marry first."
"The feasts are detestable!" Nicole said, "everyone gets so intoxicated and they all make the drunken grab for the nearest person once they've reached their limit."
"They're no picnic for me either," Phillip said, "how about we skip it and watch everyone from the tower?"
"Sounds like a plan to me," Nicole grinned, "it'll at the very least keep groping hands off me in the fabulous gown that John had commissioned for me."
"Where do you even keep your sword in those things?" Phillip asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Nicole winked.
He chuckled watching the sisters leave the room and him alone with his own thoughts. He didn't sleep any, his mother came barging into his room with a female servant hot on her heels with a breakfast tray for him.
"Don't tell me you've stayed up all night reading again my son," she said raising an arched eyebrow once she'd stopped in front her youngest.
"I can't sleep after a long trip," he said, "you know that mother."
"I'm sure it's all the excitement!" she said clapping her hands excitedly her nails were always exquisite condition long pointed claws that she had painted with various colors of dye, today the were a bright gold matching the drawings on her face, "you long to see the man you've been promised to."
"Mother, I don't know if longing is the word for what I'm feeling," he said.
"Why how are you feeling my dear," she said.
"I don't think I should marry," Phillip said with a pout.
"I know you want to find someone you love," she said taking a seat on his bed beside him before noticing her servant girl was bored.
"Thank you Eva Marie," she said, "you can set Phillip's breakfast on the table, and get to work pressing my gown for tonight."
Eva Marie dropped low to curtsey her flame red hair falling over her shoulder thankfully hiding her suntanned bosom that was spilling out of her maid's dress had she leaned any further over to curtsey one of those things would have surely flopped out. Phillip knew women from the Outlands sunned in the nude, he'd caught Nicole on the balcony on occasion and he'd caught John watching her.
"Shouldn't you have Eva make herself a new dress?" he asked, "Her bosom is threatening to erupt from that one."
"She's a stunning girl Phil," his mother replied, "don't you think so?"
He shrugged, "She has lovely skin. Thinking anymore about it would get her a public flogging and me a lecture from father, which I do not have time for."
Everyone around him had given into the desires of their bodies, but Phillip had never so much as brought himself pleasure. He'd always been so serious about his studies, and he'd thought he'd take over for Shawn after he became too old to be the Keeper of The Tree. Something he thought to be a lousy lot in life, but it was better than being at the beck and call of some strange man, forced to lie under him every night. He'd be a good Tree Keeper. He'd tend to the thing host the tours, an acceptable thing for the second royal son to do. But they were in times of war, and he hated to take on the role of daughter and marry to pacify the needs of the kingdom.
"Don't you ever think about those things my son?" she asked.
Phillip blushed, "I can't talk about this with you."
"Would you rather discuss with Shawn?" she asked.
"He's the Keeper of the Tree, it is up to him to remain chaste," Phillip said, "and up until this was sprung on me I had plans on doing the same!"
"No need to get into a huff my dear boy," she said patting him on the shoulder before sliding her hands into his hair, her touch was always calming like magic, her slender fingers gliding through his long hair effortlessly, "Shawn has such a lonely lot in life. I wouldn't have wanted his position for you. You deserve to be loved, held and taken care of, and Brock will do that above all else."
"I wanted to marry for love if I were going to marry," Phillip said.
"Tonight is the first night you'll see Brock you've got five weeks till the wedding, if you spend the appropriate time with Brock you may grow to love him," she said, "when I found out I was promised to your father, I was fifteen. I was a little afraid of him when we met. It doesn't happen overnight sometimes it takes years to love someone, but I grew to love your father. Eat your breakfast, and I'll send in the dresser with some clothes for you to look at for tonight. I'll even have him send dresses for Brianna. John is insisting on matching with Nicole."
"I think he's in love with her," Phillip blurted.
"That cannot be," his mother said, "even if it were she's from the Outlands, not to mention he's promised to dear Alexa."
"We want to marry for love mother," Phillip said.
"Love? You children toss the phrase around like you know what you're talking about," she said, "if you knew how much trouble love gets you into you would want no part of it."
She was off leaving his room in a huff.
A few minutes later the royal dresser to the princes, Stardust, let himself into the room. He was decked out in in his black and gold suit his face painted with Star designs.
"Prince Phillip," Stardust said dramatically, "I have some nice things for you to wear tonight."
He proceeded to drag his trunks in while Phillip decided that he was going to eat his breakfast and watch the eccentric stylist drug in his trunks filled with clothes. Stardust dressed the Princes, and his elder brother Goldust dressed the King.
"Which colors do you like best?" Stardust asked.
Phillip shrugged looking at the bright colors and luxury fabrics. He was used to the meager robes of Tree Keeper he'd never had much interest in fashion.
"You have the prettiest green eyes, I think I have just the fabric to show them off at maximum," Stardust said.
Phillip blushed and carried on eating his breakfast.
The door that adjoined his room with Brianna's opened revealing Brianna she was blushingly standing there in just a slip and her corset her hair was long, loose and wet as though she'd just bathed. It was the first time he'd seen her without her armor he realized how much slighter she was than her twin sister.
Her long brown hair was loose and wavy hanging down her back, he'd never known she was that stunning, he couldn't wait to get her all dressed up for the feast. There would be some of Prime Minster McMahon's foot soldiers there, he decided that he couldn't find love maybe Brianna could.
"Come in darling don't be shy," Stardust said, "you are the loveliest little thing."
Brianna ventured further into the room.
"Take a look at that rack of dresses," Stardust instructed, "see if you find something you like."
Stardust turned his attention then to Phillip who had finished his breakfast.
"I think grey would be a good color for you," Stardust asked, "but I need to know how do you feel about patterns. Your mother is fond of her lines, Prince John isn't much for patterns, and the King prefers the Insignia."
"I'll have the Insignia as well," he decided, "I want it down the sleeve, and I'd like you to dress Brianna in the style she picks but in the same color you've chose for me."
Stardust nodded looking through the racks and trunks of clothing.
"This is just the piece!" Stardust exclaimed the dramatic tremble present in his voice, he held up an ornate grey jacket with subtle accents of green just like the green of Phillips eyes, "I'll just have to add the Insignia on the sleeve! You can pair it with dark tights and you do have gray slippers, don't you my lord?"
"Yes," he said.
"Alright that's settled," Stardust turned to Brianna who was flipping through the racks of dresses.
"Anything you like I'll have it in the same grey in the workshop," he said.
"I like this one," she took down a soft yellow dress with high back and ruffled peplum at the waist it wasn't modest none of Stardust's designs were it would bare a lot of blossom and there was a split up to mid thigh.
"You can have it in that color as well, Brianna, you can wear it to the dinners and parties that come along with the wedding," Phillip said.
"Really," she touched the silk.
"I nearly forgot my dear prince, Goldy and I are working on something special for your upcoming wedding, something fabulous the likes of which the Keep or the Outlands has never seen," Stardust said.
Phillip rolled his eyes and shrugged into the jacket, it was quite nice he met his own reflection on the glass hanging by his wardrobe. He'd never thought of himself as handsome, he'd always been so skinny compared to John and he didn't look anything like the king, he'd taken his looks from his mother and some of her temperament as well. It wasn't an overall bad reflection, an angular face framed by long dark hair with a scruffy chin, he would have to shave to tonight before the feast. His green eyes that sparkled with curiosity and cunning. His more than once broken nose during his many scuffles growing up with John. He was tall and slender too slender for his own liking when compared to John.
Still frowning at his reflection he hadn't noticed that Brianna had slipped into her dress.
"What do you think?" Brianna asked, she was wearing the pale yellow gown.
He swallowed the neckline was a bit low and she had her hands tucked around her small breasts Stardust moved her hands after he huffed. It barely covered anything up top and the pert nipples were visible through the fabric.
Phillip blushed and concentrated on other parts of the dress, "I think it's nice, but don't you think it needs a few alterations so she'll be more comfortable?"
"The accidental peeks are half the fun, my Liege," Stardust giggled, "she has a beautiful body, and I suggest she show it off while she's still young and unattached."
"She's not comfortable showing herself off," Phillip said.
"Are you sure it's her that's uncomfortable or is it you, young prince?" Stardust asked, "Are afraid of how seeing her that way makes you feel?"
"No," Phillip said, "I worry that some of the members of the guards might be affected and try something with her. I just don't want that door opened."
"I'm sure she can handle herself," Stardust said, "but if you feel like that stick close to her."
"I'm not really comfortable," Brianna whispered, "if I could have just a little fabric here I'm sure it would be for the best."
"Are you sure you're from the Outlands dear?" Stardust asked, "Women of your race are notoriously fearless, brazen, sexual creatures. Have you ever sunned in the nude dear? A little sun on your precious flower will open up a whole world for you."
"No," Brianna said her blush and Phillip's both deepening.
"That's a horrible stereotype," Phillip chided the designer.
"I have this on good authority, I married a woman from the Outlands she was just like you until she got a little sun on her flower, now she can't keep her hands off me," Stardust smiled, "just a small suggestion, I will make the alterations to the dress."
"See that you do," Phillip said taking off the jacket and hanging it up, "may I have another in blue?"
"I'll see to it my lord," Stardust said with a wiry grin and a bow.
Phillip dared to look back at Brianna who was now staring at her reflection in the wardrobe mirror, she looked so stunning he wanted her to have a good night and not have to worry about Batista's men trying to grope her.
"I'm going to have a bath," Phillip said, "you know how to show yourself out when you're done don't you Dresser?"
"Yes, my liege," Stardust said simply.
Phillip walked into his adjoining suite to find his manservant, Justin Gabriel waiting half asleep. His family had been in service to the crown for many years.
"Gabriel will you draw my bath whilst I shave?" he asked the young servant who nodded quickly.
"Don't be silly master Phillip, I'll shave you," came Gabriel's good natured response.
He had grown accustomed to doing for himself while he'd been away studying how to Keep the Tree.
"I think I can manage," Phillip said, "thank you for your assistance."
"Have I done something to offend you, my prince?" Gabriel asked his eyes decidedly on the floor.
"No, I've grown accustomed to taking care of my own needs," he said.
Gabriel's cheeks reddened, "I thought maybe you'd been offended by me looking upon you."
"Why would that offend me?"
"Because I shouldn't," he softly.
"Oh, oh," Phillip said coming to the correct conclusion finally.
"I've made you uncomfortable," Gabriel said softly, "a lowly peasant gazing on the body of the prince."
"No, no," Phillip said blushingly, "I just…I don't…understand what you or anyone else for that matter see when they look at me like that."
"Have you not seen yourself?" Gabriel questioned, "you're beautiful."
Phillip's blush depended his heart was hammering, Gabriel was looking at him like he was beautiful it made his skin heat up and he was feeling things he'd never felt. Gabriel dutifully turned as he undressed removing his only article of clothing loose silk sleep pants before slipping into the tub of sweet scented water. He let out a soft sigh.
"Why don't you go into my bedroom and pick out something to wear to the feast before Stardust packs everything away? I'll get myself cleaned up and I'll let you shave me."
"Yes, my prince," Gabriel bowed and left the room.
Phillip was thankful for the privacy, he'd gotten himself worked up seeing himself momentarily through the manservant's eyes. He pushed down the little ache in his lower stomach right above his tumescent length. He was aroused, he'd found him in this state before, typically in the mornings and sometimes after he woke up from a particularly naughty dream. A couple of deep breaths usually got him under control, while other times he'd wake up to a wet bed a nice feeling of sated euphoria settling over him. He wondered if that feeling was the reason everyone gave in so easily to the desires of their bodies.
He ignored his feelings and cleaned up and found his length had gone back to it's normal state, while he was relaxing waiting for the return of Gabriel.
The door opened.
"Did you choose something to wear tonight?" Phillip posed this question with his eye closed enjoying the warm water.
Usually chatty, Gabriel hadn't uttered a word, after a few minutes Phillip turned to see who'd come in the bathroom.
"You are pretty," a large hulking blond man was standing in the doorway between his room and the bathing room.
"I am Phillip," he said quickly getting out of the bath and pulling a towel around his body, "I don't believe we have been introduced."
"That we have not," the man said carefully, "typically when my family goes and picks out a present for me I like to check it out before the party."
"Brock?" he asked.
"The one and only," he grinned lasciviously a wicked gleam in his blue eyes as they crawled over the length of Phillip's body.
"Why did you make your way into my chambers?" Phillip asked pulling the towel tighter against his body he didn't like the way this man was looking at him, it was so different from the worshiping reverent way that Gabriel had looked at him.
This was almost predatory, he looked like wanted to devour him. There was something desperately passionate in his gaze, it scared Phillip to know that was his intended.
"I had to see for myself," he said.
"See what?" Phillip asked.
"You," Brock leered a moment before he left the room.
"My apologies, my liege I went to find Brianna when this assailant barged into the room," Gabriel said out of breath, "who was that my lord?"
"My husband," Phillip sighed, "or he will be. I'm going to have to get used to saying that."
Many thanks to the amazing lamentomori without whom this story would have been collecting dust on my hard drive. From the second I told her of the idea, she's been nothing but supportive reading pages of text and providing her honest opinion. I thank you lady for the time spent on this one from reading unedited text to coaching and even correcting my shady grammar.