RAINBOW SNIPPETS ā Change of Plans ā May 29-30
Addison Albright
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From their description: āRainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fictionāa WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).ā Pretty cool, eh? Donāt forget to āLikeā my Facebook page and/or my Facebook profile while youāre over there checking out this fantastic group!
Efren, the crown prince of Zioneven, blinked himself awake and studied the soft curls of beautiful strawberry blond hair haloing the head of the young man slumbering in his arms. Seemed like Efren should have a headache if heād drunk enough spirits to forget bringing this one home to his bed.
But his head didnāt ache, so his personal servant, Dru, must have brought the man in after Efren had fallen asleep. Except, Dru had only ever brought him a gigolo upon request before this, never as a surprise.
He blinked again and shook the remaining cobwebs out of his head. Heād probably forgotten about an earlier solicitation heād made to Dru when he had drunk more spirts than he shouldāa habit he needed to break despite his desire to āforgetā about his upcoming wedding.
Odd that Efren hadnāt woken up, but his subconscious must have known he was safe. Likely heād come half-awake or worked the action into a now-forgotten dream. Obviously, heād done enough for Dru to feel safe leaving the man with him.
Heat swirled through Efrenās bloodstream as his gaze traveled the length of that lithe body. He wasnāt fooled by the lean physique; strength and a combination of agility and flexibility likely simmered in those beautifully toned limbs.
A lovely surprise to wake up to. He would have to give Dru a bonusā¦along with a caution to verify Efren was truly and fully awake before leaving a man in his bed. He drew in a lungful of berry-scented hair mixed with a clean, masculine scent.
āWake up, my lovely.ā Efren gently shook the manās shoulder and landed a light kiss to his forehead.
The manās eyes didnāt open, but the movement of his lids gave the impression of blinking without actually taking a peek, and his body stiffened. Perhaps he wasnāt a professional, and waking up in a strangerās bed, he would be scouring his memory, processing where he was and how heād come to be here.
Efren ran a finger along the manās jaw then tipped up his chin for a proper, although still light, kiss. āCome, my lovely. Letās make the most of this glorious morning, hmm?ā He pressed his arousal against the manās own to augment his words.
Stunning blue eyes that would beautifully reflect the Zioneven summer sky snapped open and stared in horror as if he were shackled in a Proye dungeon with Efren approaching, wielding instruments of torture.
Efren smiled reassuringly. Perhaps the young man had drunk more spirits than he was used to when heād allowed Dru to coax him to Efrenās bed and couldnāt remember how heād gotten here. But no, Dru would never bring him a man who was visibly drunk, so the man must be able to hold his liquor well even if it eventually affected his recall.
āYou are in friendly hands, my lovely. You are free to stay or go, whichever youād rather.ā Efren held his breath and cut off his desire to plead for the man to stay.
With wide, stricken eyes, the man pushed away and scrambled out of bed. Efren huffed a heavy sigh and ran a hand over his face. He hefted himself to a sitting position as the young man stumbled to where two sets of clothing lay folded across the backs of chairs.
What had Dru been thinking? Efren gave a mental shrug. This man must be one of those whose personality changed completely when heād been drinking to be so horrified upon realizing what heād agreed to while under the influence.
The man sifted through the garments as his breaths grew louder and quicker. His head swiveled as he searched Efrenās bedchamber. āWhere is my clothing?ā His voice wafted out from between quivering lips in a breathy whimper.
More beauty than brains, perhaps? āMy lovely, Iām sure they must be the smaller of those two sets.ā Efrenās tone was more sardonic than he would have liked, but it was too early in the morning to deal with this level of rejection before his first cup of tea.
But he picked them up anyway and quickly but jerkily stepped into the smaller set of leather leggings before slipping the tunic over his head. His brows came together as he peered down at himself as if perplexed by the perfect custom fit.
Efren snorted, stood, pulled the bell rope to summon Dru, then stepped into his own pair of leather leggings. He held his shoulders back although his inclination was to slump. He was weary of this disappointing scene.
āAs I said, my lovely, you are not a prisoner here. You need not panic so. I have plenty of enthusiastic partners available, and I feel no desire to force myself upon unwilling lovers whoāve changed their minds.ā Efren waved a hand toward the door. āNo doubt Dru knows to bring tea and toast for two in case youāre inclined to break your fast before rushing out, but you may leave now if youād rather. Dru will show you out if you donāt remember the way.ā Efrenās tone possibly conveyed his preference for the latter option, but basic civility and deeply ingrained diplomacy demanded he at least make a passing offer of refreshments.
The manās breath quickened further, and he spun before rushing to the window to throw open the heavy draperies. The sun was reflecting off Zionevenās majestic mountains to the northeast with the sun just clearing the horizon south of where the range tapered off.
Objectively a beautiful sight, but the young man recoiled with an alarm that had ratcheted up several notches. He wobbled as he whirled in place. āWhereā?ā He gulped. āWhoā?ā
A twinge of concern prickled Efrenās neck. The manās distress went beyond what one would expect from waking in a strangerās bed.
Far beyond. Heād reacted as if the scenery was completely unfamiliar.
The door swung open, and Dru and another servant whom Efren didnāt recognize entered bearing trays.
āErich! Thank goodness!ā The young man expelled a breath that also deflated some of the terror that had stiffened his slight frame.
āSir?ā Erich sedately placed his tray on a small table, and his brows raised in a manner that conveyed a calming, āHow may I be of service,ā rather than a reflection of the young manās panic.
āYes, thank goodness.ā Efren rolled his eyes and turned to Dru. āI appreciate the effort, Dru, but next time, please find a bed-warmer who isnāt so deep in his cups he wonāt remember how he came to be here.ā
Dru came to a full stop with his laden tray halfway down to another table. āSir?ā Druās brows, unlike Erichās, came together over widened eyes. In fact, Erichās countenance now mirrored Druās. They both stared at Efren with a concentration that brought Efrenās twinge of concern back to lifeā¦and amplified it.
Dru carefully laid the tray on the table and took a deep breath. āYou donāt know one another?ā
The worry in Druās eyes clearly conveyed that they should. They should each recognize the other.
Efrenās blood chilled as he and the mysterious young man both shook their heads. Surely it wasnātā¦noā¦it couldnāt be. That toxin was strictly outlawed, and nobody had dared use it in years.
Dru gulped and walked stiffly to the bell pull and yanked it three times, signaling an alarm.
āNo,ā Efren whispered as he sat heavily on the edge of the bed.
āIām sorry, sir.ā Druās eyes mirrored his words. āI fear youāve both been dosed with Forget-Me-Not.ā
Forget-Me-Not was banned in all four realms with a very stiff penalty to anyone caught using it. It had originally been developed in Sheburat, but the formula had been discovered and also used by the monarchies in Zioneven, Gagel, and Proye. It hadnāt taken long for each to conclude that they were better off if they all agreed to ban its use.
Forget-Me-Not wiped a couple moon cycles worth of memories from its victims, activating during the first sleep after dosing. Those memories were never regained.
This Weekās Snippet:
Change of Plans - Chapter 1 - Snippet 11
If a couple months had gone by since Efrenās last memoryāwhich had been mere weeks before his journey to Sheburat for his upcoming nuptialsāthen he should be married to Sheburatās Princess Marcela by now, sealing the final agreement of the two sovereigntiesā peace treaty.
Efren shivered and stared at his hands. Sure enough, a ring was missing from his pinky finger, replaced by a new, unfamiliar ring.
He frowned. He was married. His shoulders did slump now, although he couldnāt complain too much about remembering neither that tedious journey nor the ceremony heād been dreading. Dare he hope she was already with child so he no longer needed to force himself to go against his nature?
Blurb ~ Limerick ~ Haiku
I have a blurb now (still subject to further tweaking) š:
Once upon a time, two handsome young princes fell in love, faced down adversity, and lived happily-ever-afterā¦until one romantic evening, they unwittingly ate a confection laced with a mind-wiping toxin.
Crown Prince Efren of Zioneven blindsided Prince Marcelo of Sheburat when he used The Contingency Plan embedded in a peace treaty to marry the naĆÆve young prince. Now, Marcelo is shocked again when he awakens in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar land, in the arms of a stranger whoās taking such liberties!
Will that ignominious new beginning to their relationship doom their chances at rekindling their love? Or will Efrenās giddiness and the less formal surroundings of Zioneven propel them toward a more teasingly fun rapport?
Marcelo and Efren have forgotten more than their love. On their journey home to Zioneven, their Best-Laid Plans went awry when Marcelo was abducted. Now, neither remembers the unexpected strength of character and ingenuity Marcelo manifested to survive his harrowing ordeal, or Efrenās frantic search for his new husband.
Were Marcelo and Efren specifically targeted for the Forget-Me-Not poisoning, or were they the victims of a random assault? Is this new attack related to Marceloās abduction and his sisterās death? Will Marcelo revert to his old mild-mannered, unassuming self, or will he step up to prove heās the same brave man his new family claims he is amid the fresh danger swirling around them?
They fell in love once. But can they do it again? Forget-Me-Not, dear.
About the seriesā¦
Although I always try to write sequels so random readers wonāt be completely lost, this series will be best appreciated if all the stories are read in order. Look for Change of Plansprobably sometime in July (coming to JMS Books). In the meantimeā¦
In case you missed the beginning of Marcelo and Efrenās relationship, here are some handy links:
A sheltered prince. A sudden death. An unexpected choice. How will Prince Marcelo react to discovering heāsā¦ The Contingency Plan?
Originally intended as a stand-alone meet-cute novelette, The Contingency Plan introduces naĆÆve young Prince Marcelo of Sheburat and the slightly older but far worldlier Crown Prince Efren of Zioneven. This story is about Prince Marcelo coming to terms with a completely unexpected turn in his life when Prince Efren chooses to marry him rather than one of his younger sisters to complete the terms of an old treaty between their realmsā¦
A death that wasnāt what it seemed. A kidnapping that isnāt what it seems. Time is running out.
ā¦But the happily-ever-after sunset our happy newlyweds rode off into in book one hits a big snag in The Best-Laid Plans. Oh, theyāre still well on the road to being in love with one another, but they encounter danger on their journey to Zioneven, and Marcelo uncovers a brave and determined nature buried within himself as he fights to survive his harrowing ordeal.