Princess Kaylyn paced around her bedroom. Such pacing was done with anger attached to each step. Her father, the king, had ordered her confined to her bedroom until he had time to deal with her. It was as if she was still a child and could be punished for trying to do adult things. All she had done was to have a few drinks with his special reserved wine, party with the stable boys and somehow lose some of her clothes. She was of the opinion it wasn’t any biggie, but the queen and king acted as if she committed treason.

Kaylyn didn’t have a problem attracting men. With a nicely curved figure, a pretty face with full lips and long, curly raven-coloured hair, she was often the centre of attention at the castle balls and socials. However, despite her looks, she had trouble spending time with men. Would-be suiters had to received royal permission to visit her and only in the company of a chaperone. Her parents had determined she needed help in picking a proper husband, and more often than not, he did not meet their exacting standards. She sometimes wondered if she was going to end up like her older sister, engaged to a duke who possessed all their requirements. Unfortunately, the duke didn’t have what Kaylyn considered to be equally critical, namely taller than herself and having a handsome face.

The frustrations of not having a social engagement in weeks led her to resorting to quietly sneaking out in the middle of the night to enjoy partying with a few young men. The party was not as quiet as she thought, and suddenly, the royal guards were escorting her to her room.

She continued her irritated marching, which took several minutes to complete in the bedroom. Past the walk-in closet, past the washroom, past the room with the large soaker tub, past the fireplace, past the balcony, past the maid’s quarters and long steps around a bed that could sleep ten. Her boudoir wasn’t as large as her older sister’s and didn’t approach the size of the suite of her older brother, but still, she liked her cozy bedroom.

A knock on the door finally broke her sulking. She flung open the door, at least as well as any princess could fling open a four hundred-pound door, and stared at a man, wearing the regal red and gold of the royal guards.

“Well? What do you want?” She gave him an icy stare, letting the tall, handsome guard know he did not impress her. Although, truth to be told, she was.

“His Majesty will see you now.”

“Great. Let’s get this over with.”

She decided not to put up a fuss when the guard used his hand on her elbow to guide her down the long, wide hallway. She wondered if the guard really thought she was going to try to escape or that she didn’t know the way to the throne room. They went down the long hallway; in fact, it was long enough to develop small wind currents around the various doors and adjacent hallways. Down the stairs they went. The stairs were wide enough to accommodate ten soldiers walking abreast and, indeed, on occasion, that was the case. However, now the size of the stairs made Kaylyn feel rather small and increased her anxiety as they neared the final destination. When they reached the throne room, Kaylyn was compelled to stand at the entrance until another guard summoned her in. This one was older, not as tall, and she felt she had been downgraded in the guard department.

The throne room was imposing with high, decorated walls, a domed ceiling and a red carpet that ran down the centre up to the raised platform. There, in a pair of oversized chairs sat the king and queen, looking regal and very annoyed as Kaylyn entered the room. The guard continued to guide her down the red carpet, and with a hand on her shoulder, convinced her to kneel.

The king used his fist to pound the chair arm, scowling at her.

Kaylyn put on her best pouty face. “Sorry, Daddy.”

The guard gave a small cough.

“I mean sorry, Your Royal Highness.”

“What the blazes were you thinking? Partying with stable boys? Being seen undressed by half the royal servants?” He stood. The regal, fur-trimmed cloak framed his impressive bulk. With his height and full red beard, he was a king who impressed even other kings. “You need to learn that there are responsibilities associated as a member of the royal family.”

The queen spoke up in a soft voice that matched her body—gentle curves with a soft complexion. “In my day, royal daughters did not remove any clothing except in the privacy of their own bed chambers. Even the king didn’t see me naked until we were married for over a year.”

Thanks for sharing. “I said I was sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“That may well be. However, to help you remember your promise, you’re grounded until the Royal Spring Gala”

“That’s not for a week! I’ll die of old age by then.”

“I hardly think you’ll die of old age by the tender age of twenty-one. Guard, take her to her room where she shall remain until dinner.”