Princes Marcelo and Efren as teenagers
Since Iāve got a book coming out tomorrow (š) Iām going to feature the characters from that story. The Plans Trilogy Box Set is a light fantasy story with a medieval-like setting.
Prince Marcelo of Sheburat
Marcelo is a rare royal son in the matriarchal society of Sheburat. He doesnāt even have a high school equivalent because royal sons in this realm finish their formal education earlier than the more highly valued royal daughters. At barely eighteen, Marcelo is technically still a teenager when the events in this trilogy (which span a total of less than two āmoon cyclesā) take place.
Though undereducated, Marcelo is a curious young man who often spends time in the castle library. Even so, he isnāt well-informed on politics in the four realms (or rather Sheburatās slant on them) when he is shocked to discover heās been selected under an eighteen-year-old treatyās contingency plan to marry the crown prince of Zioneven, Sheburatās former enemy.
Marceloās very first move (after recovering from his swoon) is to spend the afternoon in the library, so clearly he values knowledge. And heās intelligent enough to question what he reads about the people of Zioneven as it doesnāt align with his firsthand observations of them earlier that same day at the assembly where his upcoming marriage was announced. This prompts Marcelo to later gently quiz his personal servent as to what heās learned from Zionevenās servants about his husband-to-beās kingdom (and also moreā¦personal concerns š¬).
In a nutshell, before his marriage, Marcelo was fairly subdued, obedient, and solitary. No need to worry about him, though. Heāll have plenty of opportunity for personal growth during the course of the trilogy, and heāll fully embrace it!
Crown Prince Efren of Zioneven
In the trilogy, Efren is five years older than Marcelo. Heās a fair-minded, confident-appearing and somewhat cocky twenty-three. We can have some fun imagining him as a teenager.
I say āconfident-appearingā because in The Contingency Plan, he doesnāt hesitate to assert himself toward the matriarchal queen of Sheburat. But itās the best he can do to hold himself together when Marcelo is abducted in The Best-Laid Plans.
This gives us hints as to Efrenās life as a teen. Heās the crown prince of Zioneven. Heās got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He told Marcelo about the annual tour of Zioneven he takes with his father each year, and I can picture Efren as a teen doing his best to become the man he needs to be to one day replace his father as king of Zioneven.
Even in his young twenties, he has doubts about himself, though he does an admirable job of hiding that most of the time. As a less-mature teen, I picture the cocky side of his nature taking a larger role in covering up his insecurities.
In Change of Plans we see in the opening scene (and by comments from a couple family members later) that it is not entirely unusual for Efren to have overnight āguests.ā No doubt this custom began as a teen.
I can easily picture his father, the king, having a talk with young Efren about respect and boundaries. Efren is kind and fair-minded by nature, but certainly emulating and seeking his fatherās approval helped shape his character.
We know from the way Efren treats a terrified Marcelo when they awaken together after having had the last couple moon cycles erased from their memories overnight, which includes all memories of each other and their marriage, that Efren is the empathetic, caring young man he strived to become as a teen.
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Ellie Thomas – Read Around the Rainbow: Story Characters as Teenagers at High School
(Plans Trilogy ā Complete Box Set)
Blurb
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.
In this light fantasy world, four realms have settled into an uneasy peace. A surprise twist to a prearranged marriage agreement spawns this story of unexpected love, newfound courage, and heroic adventure. Join Princes Efren and Marcelo on their heart-warming journey as they sort through misleading twists and turns to defeat devious foes. Twice! Contains the stories:
The Contingency Plan: An untimely death throws a marriage arrangement, the final phase of a treaty, into disarray. Now the Crown Prince of Zioneven can make his own choice from among the princessās younger siblings. As a royal son in the matriarchal sovereignty of Sheburat, Prince Marcelo grew up knowing Royal sons never married. Never. Period. Except Prince Efren isnāt from Sheburat, and he has other plans.
The Best-Laid Plans: A death that wasnāt what it seemed … A kidnapping that isnāt what it seems … Time is running out. Enmeshed in political intrigue, death, and a kidnapping, will Prince Efren untangle the web of clues in time to save his naĆÆve young husband, or will Prince Marcelo dig deep to discover a previously untapped inner strength and determination to facilitate his own survival?
Change of Plans: Once upon a time, two handsome young princes fell in love, faced down adversity, and lived happily-ever-after… until one romantic evening, they unwittingly ate a confection laced with a mind-wiping toxin. Are their chances at rekindling their love doomed? Or will their ignominious new beginning propel them toward a more teasingly fun rapport?
Also contains three bonus scenes not included with the individual stories.
Links/Info
Box Set Links
Publisher | Kindle | Books2Read
Add it on…
BookBub | GoodReads | QueeRomance Ink | LimFic
Series Links
Books2Read | Amazon (3 Books in KU)
Info
Release Date: May 28, 2022 @ JMS Books, LLC
Length: Novel / 234 pages (PDF) / 73,459 words
Cost: $4.99
ISBN: 9781685501372
ASIN: B0B1BS5T2C
Heat Rating: 3 flames ā Moderate ā While physical details are described, they are not graphically depicted.

Excerpts
BOOK 1: THE CONTINGENCY PLAN
With everyone now in attendance, Queen Giselle stepped forward. āYour Royal Highness, Ladies and Lords, and people of Zioneven, please accept our warm welcome to Sheburat, and I hope youāll accept our sincere apology for the chaos in which you find us today.ā
Prince Efren inclined his head. āOf course, Your Majesty. On behalf of Zioneven, I offer our heartfelt condolences on the loss of your beloved daughter.ā
āThank you,ā Queen Giselle replied. āSadly, our loss yesterday affects more than simply causing us private pain.ā
āIndeed.ā Prince Efren kept his reply short, perhaps diplomatically leaving it to Queen Giselle to either further the conversation toward whether or not he was ready to choose his alternate, or to wait for a time when her grief would be less immediate.
His mother would put diplomacy first, Marcelo didnāt doubt that. The conversation may or may not happen today, but it would occur during this visit. Diplomacy always came ahead of personal concerns.
āAlthough disappointment caused by the cancellation of the wedding weād expected tomorrow is unavoidable,ā Queen Giselle said. āI hope youāll find a small comfort in knowing that you may now make your own choice of your future bride from among my younger daughters rather than the arrangement made on your behalf at the tender age of five.ā
Again, Prince Efren inclined his head. āSibling.ā
āIām sorry?ā
āSibling. The terms of the treaty specify I may choose an alternate from among Princess Marcelaās younger siblings. It didnāt restrict the choice to daughters.ā
Marcelo stiffened. What in the world could Prince Efren mean by that? Men didnāt marry men. At least, heād never heard of such a thing occurring in Sheburat. Marcelo wasnāt alone in his bewilderment. Everyone on his side of the room stilled. None of the faces opposite them exhibited confusion. Was that an acceptable option in Zionevenās culture?
It was only by mere minutes, but Marcelo did qualify as a younger sibling to Marcela.
For the first time in Marceloās recollection, his mother faltered. āDoā¦surelyā¦butā¦ā
Marcelo turned his head toward her, his wide eyes silently imploring her to voice an objection. Kemble may have recently grown complacent thinking herself in the clear, but sheād at least spent her life knowing she was the likely backup plan.
As a royal son in this matriarchal society, Marcelo had grown up knowing he would never marry. Never. Royal sons did not marry. Period.
Heād been perfectly happy with that knowledge because heād never experienced the attraction that men outside the royal family felt toward women. In fact, heād enjoyed knowing he would not have to merge his life with a womanās with the expectation of having to bed her.
His gaze flicked back and forth between Queen Giselle and Prince Efren before settling on the prince. Prince Efren had kept his eyes locked with the queenās, but as if sensing Marceloās scrutiny, his head turned to reflect Marceloās regard.
Marceloās heart thudded so vigorously in his chest, surely everyone in the room must hear it. His respiration quickened. That single word uttered by Prince Efren had shattered Marceloās understanding of everything he knew about the world and had expected in his life.
Queen Giselle remained frozen for a few more moments, her brows drawn together as she processed the unexpected direction of this discussion. She cast a brief, apologetic glance toward Marcelo, then lifted her shoulders in a barely visible shrug. āThe treaty does indeed use that word. Prince Efren, the choice is yours.ā
Marceloās stomach dropped as her words echoed through the silent hall even though heād known in his heart that sheād put Sheburat before her sonās individual concerns. So, he felt no personal betrayal. It was who is mother had to be.
Prince Efren continued to stare at Marcelo as he firmly stated, āI choose His Royal Highness, Prince Marcelo. The wedding will proceed tomorrow as planned.ā
Marcelo swayed as the blood drained from his face. How could this be? How did such a marriage work? Would he be expected toā
āMarcelo?ā Sukyās whispered tone voiced her concern. āAre you unwell?ā
She repeated the words, but from farther away. Or did her voice only seem distant? He wobbled as the people around him faded, and then, thankfully, this nightmare all went away.
Copyright 2018 Addison Albright
BOOK 2: THE BEST-LAID PLANS
Chapter 3: ā¦Oft Go Awry
Efren
Efren blinked rapidly as he came awake with a start. He stared into the darkness and mentally shook the cobwebs from his mind. What had awoken him? Marcelo lay softly breathing in his arms, as relaxed and peaceful as only the innocent can truly be.
Around him, the night was silent. Too silent? He strained to hear the patrols rustling through the grasses, or the faint trills of their signals to each other.
A breeze swirled through the branches of the trees in the distance, rippling the leaves. Crickets chirped, apparently unconcerned about whatever either was or wasnāt going on in the meadow.
And footsteps. Quiet, approaching footsteps. It must be time for the shift change. Thatās what had awoken him. Efren relaxed and nestled Marcelo tighter against him. One at a time, the guards would come in and wake their replacements.
ExceptāEfren tensed, then maneuvered his arm out from under Marceloās head and eased himself from under the blanketsāthe footsteps, furtively stopping and restarting, were approaching from multiple directions.
Efren shivered as goosebumps rose on his naked skin in the chilled night air and soundlessly slipped his broadsword and knife from their leather scabbard. He glanced at Marcelo, still sleeping, although less serenely with the sudden loss of the warm body next to him.
Guilt pinged his core as he shook off a strong desire to waken and forewarn Marcelo, but he pushed it down. Marcelo, completely untrained in warfare, would be safer in here. He seemed a heavy sleeper, likely incorporating outside noises into his dreams, unused to a need to be readily alert. He might even doze through the skirmish.
Or was that just wishful thinking? Because thereād be no hope that Marcelo could escape unseen, if it came to that.
Surely it would be better for such an innocent to be killed in his sleep, or with scarcely a brief moment of shock beforehand than to spend minutes quaking in terror, unable to defend himself.
Efren shook off his doubts and quickly pushed out the weighty flap, sword raised ready, and opened his mouth to yell an alert to awaken any of his warriors who hadnāt already sensed the looming danger, same as he had. But the breath he drew to strengthen his voice instead choked him.
Heād never before smelled these fumes, but the pungent, wet-dog odor had been described to him. The material of their tents was heavily treated to keep the toxin producing that odor from permeating the walls and closed flaps.
Icy apprehension slithered across Efrenās skin before settling in the pit of his gut. This was a completely unexpected development. The alchemists from the kingdom of Proye whoād developed this toxināand unfailingly guarded the recipeācalled it āKnockout.ā
As Efrenās sword arm dropped, followed swiftly by his eyes rolling back in his head and his body slumping in a boneless crumple, a corner of his brain recognized how fittingly it was named, and hoped that enough of it had entered the tent through the briefly opened flap that Marcelo would succumb before Proye agents executed whatever they had planned. Theyād been married for less than two days, and already heād failed his innocent, young husband.
Copyright 2019 Addison Albright
BOOK 3: CHANGE OF PLANS
Chapter 1: Forget-Me-Not
Efren, Present Day
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.
The man shook his head. āNot mine.ā
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 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.
āWhere are you from?ā Efren asked.
āWhere am I?ā the man countered.
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 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 halted 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 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 yanked the bell pull 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.
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?
Still, who was this young man with the beautiful strawberry blond curls who stood with his clenched fist holding the top of his tunic closed. āWhatā¦what is āForget-Me-Notā?ā
The question seemed rhetorical, because the intelligence heād written off too soon seeped out from behind those brightly shining eyes as the manās mind worked toward the answer. An inevitable conclusion considering their current state of confusion, despite the drugās name being a bit of a misnomer since forgetting was precisely what it accomplished.
With a gasp, Efren stared at the ring gleaming from the manās third finger as he continued to grip the fabric at his neck. This man was wearing the ring that used to adorn Efrenās smallest finger.
There was only one possible explanation for that.
Efren stood, straightened his back, and neutralized his features, hoping to appear unthreatening as he crossed the room and took the manās hands in his own.
āYou must be Prince Marcelo,ā Efren said. Apparently, Princess Marcela had died at some point during the month before the wedding, and the contingency plan had been put into place, allowing Efren to choose from amongst her younger siblings. Marcelo was a rare sonāMarcelaās twin, younger by mere minutesāborn to Sheburatās matriarchal royal family. Unlike his sisters, eighteen-year-old Marcelo had been kept deliberately naĆÆve and uninformed.
Efren ran his thumb over the ring on Marceloās finger and gestured to the ring adorning his own finger, which he expected Marcelo would recognize. āAnd I am Efren, the crown prince of Zioneven. It appears we are married.ā
The intense focus that had overtaken Marceloās eyes as Efren approached him faded, and his eyes rolled back in his head. Efrenās heart leapt, but he managed to inelegantly catch his husband before the manās now-limp body could drop to the floor.
After hefting Marcelo properly into his arms, Efren carried him to hisātheirābed and carefully laid him on the mattress as the sound of many sets of running feet filled the castleās corridors.
Efren trailed his fingers across Marceloās forehead and tenderly shifted wayward strands of hair that had fallen across his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat and murmured, āI hope youāll forgive me for that ignominious second beginning to our relationship. Surely I was more respectful first time around.ā
He sighed, and backed away, letting Dru explain as security personnel filed into the room.
Copyright 2021 Addison Albright

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What a fascinating concept…the “Read Around the Rainbow” “webring”. So how do I sign up for the others?
Thank you! Iāve asked Allyāwho runs the webringāif that site has some way to subscribe to just those posts, but I donāt imagine there is. The widget we each have on our blog sidebars and embedded within the posts should get you into it, though. ā¤ļø