No Regrets - A Forbidden Love Story - 1. Forbidden

The coach swayed along the cobbled track, in time with the clop-clop-clop of the horses pulling it. It was a stately coach, with velvet lined padded walls, and leather bench seats. Potpourri sachets were strung onto the roof, to give the coach a pleasant scent of rose petals. Light streamed in through the two windows on the doors. The two occupants sat together, holding onto each other as they swayed with the coach. Everyone in the kingdom knew them. They were the sons of the Archduke.

“I love you, Edwin,” the older one said, as he leaned in and kissed his brother passionately on the lips. “Do you have any regrets?”

“I love you too, Owen,” Edwin smiled sadly at his brother. “I have no regrets at all.”

They sat in silence for what felt like ages but were just mere seconds.

“Did you see Father’s face when he caught us in bed?” Owen asked, with a hint of a smile.

“I did. I thought he would die of shock right there.”

Owen laughed, nodding his head. “Same here.” He looked at his brother Edwin, and his smile faltered. “Tell me… why did we do it?”

“Because we love each other.”

“Is that truly, how you felt?”

“Yes,” Edwin stated. He looked at his brother Owen and tilted his head. “Are you wishing things were different?” He paused and took his brother’s hand. “I love you, and I will to my dying breath. Would you have done things differently?”

“No, I have no regrets either. But part of me can’t help to think our father might be right. That I did something to cause this.”

Edwin balled his fist and hit Owen on the shoulder. “Knock that nonsense off.” His tone was harsh but truthful. “You’re a year older than me and we’re both over twenty winters now. You did not seduce me. When I was sixteen winters, you caught me with the stable boy and joined us, and I was happy with it. I had always wanted to be with you, and the stable boy looked like you a little. That is why I was with him. Then the two of us, we started exploring each other. You did not coerce me into this. This was all me.”

“I know,” Owen sighed, his eyes started to shed a few tears. “But how did Father find out?”

“It must have been the Seer or one of his spies.”

The coach continued along the path. Shadows blocked the sun for a moment as it passed by buildings, as it entered the town square.

“I can see that. He is a paranoid son of a bitch. However, he found us on our wedding night, a hundred miles from our home.”

“Well, we have been spending a lot of time together, and there is the engagement ring you gave me. He did spot it at breakfast a few weeks ago.”

“Damn. We should have been more careful.”

Edwin nodded and leaned into his brother-husband Owen, who held onto him. Owen softly kissed the top of his head, as he thought back to that first time four years ago.

Owen walked out to the stables to fetch his horse. It was early in the morning, and the sun wasn’t up yet. No one but the stable boy should be around. As he approached the stables, he thought he saw a candle in the loft area where the boy slept. “Should be easy, since he’s already up,” Owen thought. He walked into the stables, heard something in the storage closet, and went towards the sounds. There was a light coming through the slats on the door, and he heard the sounds of two people having sex. “Oh, so the boy has a playmate.” He looked through one of the gaps between the slats and was stunned by what he saw.

His brother Edwin was naked on his back, and the stable boy, who was a teenager the same age as his brother, had Edwin’s manhood in his hand and in his mouth. His brother softly moaned. He didn’t know why he didn’t stop, but next thing he knew he opened the door and stepped inside.

Both of the teens in front of him stopped in horror. “Don’t stop. Continue… please,” Owen said and watched as the Stable Boy went back to pleasuring his brother. Owen quickly undressed and stepped behind the teen, who was pleasuring his brother. “Do you mind, if I join? It’s been a while since I’ve been with a man,” Owen asked. With consent from both, Owen joined in. All three teens took turns with each other, and together.

Owen finally went for his morning ride two hours later.

They sat in silence, as the din grew around them. The ringing of the iron-shod horse's hooves on cobbled stones continued at a slow pace. The shadows crossed the windows as they slipped by more buildings. They approached the center of the Listarian Castle Main Courtyard. The coach came to a rest, and the door opened.

“Step out,” a guard said.

The two sons of the Archduke stepped out into the sun, slightly to the side of the center of the square. Guards lined a passage between the coach and the executioner’s platform, set high enough the crowd of people that numbered in the hundreds could watch.

The guard pushed the two married brothers but kept back a bit. A Magister stood upon the platform, and read a list of crimes. Using a magical device, his voice boomed out, “The accused, Duke Owen Listarian and Duke Edwin Listarian sons of Archduke Listarian are charged as follows. For unlawful sexual relations with the same sex. For the unlawful wedding of the same sex. For practicing a prohibited religion with the Cult of Alfersin. For not seeking permission of the Kingdom to wed. Finally, for disgracing their family name. Their guilt was evident, as they were found in the act of passion on their wedding night, two days past, in another part of the Kingdom.”

The brothers did not stop as they walked towards the platform. The crowd turned on them, spitting, throwing trash and feces upon them as they made their way to their deaths. As they approached the platform, Owen took Edwin’s hand in his as they took the stone stairs together.

One by one, the executioner took the lives of the brothers, starting with the older one. Both defiantly stated, “No Regrets,” when they were brought forward.