Nefarious (A Completed Steamy First Book To A Series)

Réamhrá (Prologue)

Annalise runs through the fields of A stór as her lady in waiting chases after her to stop. Annalise has been left in her charge which is no easy task when Daniel visits. They giggled as they ran faster than the woman's tired feet could move.

Annalise, a young and adorable fifteen-year-old has the hand of her future promised prince Daniel of Lámhach as he led her into the nearby forest. Their arrangement has been decided since birth but their families alliance has allowed them to know one another and neither dread the day they wed.

Two years her elder, he must be patient as he has studies and preparares for the duties that lay ahead of him. Their marriage is already planned for her 21st birthday.
Nearly six years to wait, which is not traditional but demanded by her father, they have no problem establishing a beautiful friendship for the moment. Someday, she will be his wife and him her husband, but in the meantime letters and the gathering of the leaders of two peaceful countries must due for their time spent together.

"Anna! Daniel!" The woman yells out just as Daniel comes to a stop and picks her a flower.

"This, represents my friendship to you, sweet Annalise." He tucks it behind her ear. "A promise to what is to come in our future." He bowed to the young princess and his future queen.

Anna swoons over her young prince. Never for a moment has she criticized her parent's decision for her future. Daniel will someday be king just as Anna's brother Colum will be king of her own home country.

Young Anna curtsied to her future king. "I pledge my loyalty to you, my lord." She smiled up at him.

Young Daniel, driven by his young and almost uncontrollable desires places one tiny kiss on her cheek but takes in her lavender scent before backing away. "I should return you home before Miss Fitzgibbons tars and feathers us both." He took her hand and together they ran toward the castle she calls her home.

The letters she receives are never sinful but kind and innocent. She sees him every half year but dreams of him in between. Year's go by and their kinship grows as does their love for one another. During this time her friendship with Miss Fitzgibbons also grows. Year's ago she caught the woman dancing to the moon, as a druid priestess, Anna hides her friends secret. She has learned from her, although she has never abandoned her true faith in God.

Their mothers have been planning their exchange of vows for many years and as the time draws closer the tension to the south with King Charles grows. If war comes, Annalise will have to say goodbye and wait out the fate of her new husband. He will be sent to the front lines just as any Prince to help lead his fathers army.

King Charles is ruthless and has desired to rule over the two peaceful countries for many years but his young son will be the one to order his Army into war, as his father died only days before the planned attack. The young King cannot stop what was coming but his desire to show the world his power would never hinder him even if he thought it was possible to stop the war.

His mother taught him kindness, she was thrown into the arms of his father as a young woman. Her hatred for the man cost her life as she herself devised plans to rid the world of the cruel ruler but failed.

Cruálacht will be attacking all three countries soon and his father worked for alliances but neither country would stand beside the cruel king.

King Charles II, Liam as he is known by those closest to him is a handsome young man with the pick of young princesses all over the world but he has no desire to marry. He does not desire the companionship of a woman as no woman can be trusted, as his father taught him. His stepmother is a cruel woman that desires power just as much as her husband. Only they have different ideas of power.

Her own son was born seven years after the young King and it is him she sees as the fit King, not her husband's unfortunate firstborn son. A plot of any means to remove him from the throne will due but not until he wins over the two peaceful countries he greatly desires.

Daniel is quite the opposite of Charles, he dresses for nuptials to his sweet Annalise with a smile on his face. This is the day he waited for his entire life. He is handsome, intelligent and has proven himself quite the soldier. His loyalty to both his father's rule and Annalise are relentless and he would lay his life down for both. He has grown into an honorable man that is capable of loving this woman in ways she can only imagine. At least that's what young Annalise believes.

Over the last few months, she has been living in his family home and they have grown closer, even tempting to make love to her before their wedding day but they both kept their word to God and save their bodies and souls for their wedding night.

Their marriage will not be legitimate until they consummate their marriage. Losing one's virginity is awkward enough but it is to be proven in front of the priest and physician makes it feel nearly impossible. He reminds himself after tonight he can have her to himself and together they will learn the magic of intimacy.

Most princes have not kept their virtue intact but that was inevitable for Daniel as his heart is with one special princess his entire life and he could never betray her loyalty.

Liam, on the other hand, seeks solace in the arms of women, always searching for that comfort he lost when his mother took her own life. This is one act that could never be forgiven as he knows his father drove her to the mortal sin. He left the dark castle days ago and prepares for war in his tent just hours before the celebration of marriage takes place.

He is about to carryout his father's last orders, only this will be the last orders he will ever carry through.

Do you think Liam will be a better king than his father?