Uneasy Lies The Head

     It was the late 1200’s and Edwyn ruled Wales as Prince of Wales, at the time an independent country. Edwyn was 25 years old, 6’1”, 168 lbs with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He had only been the ruling prince for three years, following the death of his father, Llywelyn. He had been married to an ambitious young princess, Isabella of France, daughter of the French king and sister to three future Kings of France. The marriage had been arranged. There was no love between the prince and princess. Edwyn kept his own bedchambers in Dolbadarn Castle, his ancestral home, where a frequent guest was his Lord Chancellor, Dafydd. Dafydd was also 25 years old, 6’2” and 200 lbs with blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Unknown to Princess Isabella or anyone else in the principality, Dafydd was much more than Lord Chancellor. He was Prince Edwyn’s lover.

     The equally ambitious King Edward I, meanwhile, ruled England. He had long desired to add Wales to his kingdom. He felt that, even with the language difference, both Wales and Scotland should be under his rule, as they were all part of the same island. He chose to focus on Wales for two reasons. First, it was smaller, and the ruling prince was relatively new to the throne and thus potentially weaker. Second, he wished to give his heir, the future Edward II, a title. Once he conquered Wales, Edward I would be free to name his son as Prince of Wales.

     King Edward I had signed a peace treaty with Prince Llywelyn, before that prince had passed away. Part of the treaty required the Welsh to send tribute annually to the English court in London. The tribute was now due, and Edward awaited its delivery. One month went by, then two. Edward began to wonder what had happened.

     Meanwhile, in the prince’s private bedchambers in Dolbadarn Castle, Prince Edwyn and Dafydd, the Lord Chancellor, were deep in conversation. Well, truth be told, Edwyn was deep inside the Lord Chancellor. Once they had completed their nightly session of lovemaking, Prince Edwyn got up and got dressed.

     “So, my Lord Chancellor, have you sent the annual tribute to that leech in London who calls himself a king?”

     “No, Your Highness.”

     “Why not, Dafydd? Does not the treaty we signed require the tribute to be paid?”

     “I do not think so, Your Highness!”

     “Edward will not be pleased. Why do you think we do not have to pay the tribute?”

     “Your Highness, the treaty was signed by your late father, Prince Llywelyn, and King Edward. However, when your father died, Edward did not have you sign a new treaty. It is my belief that the terms of the treaty expired with your fathers death.”

     “Dafydd, you sly fox. No wonder I made you Lord Chancellor. You are the wisest man in my principality!”

     “Pardon me, Your Highness, but I believe that you made me Lord Chancellor for my other talents.”

     “HAHA! How true, not only are you the wisest man in my principality, you’re the sexiest, too! But Edward will have a fit when the tribute does not come. It may mean war!”

     “That is very true, Your Highness. But your late father beat back Edward when Edward last declared war on us. We shall do the same and more. We shall drive Edward back to the gates of London!”

     “Well spoken, Dafydd! Send a message to Edward at once, telling him that Wales no longer recognizes the treaty, since I never signed it! Then send word to our troops to guard all of the borders with England.”

     “It will be done at once, Your Highness!”

     The following day, the head of the Privy Council entered the chambers of His Majesty, King Edward I of England. “Your Majesty, I have just received a message from that young upstart, Edwyn of Wales!”

     “He’s probably sending me a note apologizing for being late with the tribute. Read it to me, Councilor.”

     “ ‘To Edward I, King of England, from his brother prince Edwyn, Prince of Wales. This is to inform you that as I did not sign the peace treaty between my father and you, I now declare such treaty null and void, and will no longer fulfill any of its terms!’ “

     “What does he mean, he won’t fulfill any of the terms of the treaty?”

     “It means, Your Majesty, that he will not send the tribute. Now we know why it has failed to arrive.”

     “What’s this about him not signing the treaty? His father signed it!”

     “Yes, but Edwyn is arguing that when his father died, we should have had him sign as the new prince.”

     “I have had enough of that family, first the father and now the son! Tell General Windsor that he is to leave at once for Wales, and bring this rebellious prince to heel! And this time, there will be no peace treaty. I will add Wales to my kingdom!”

     “It shall be done as you command, Sire!” And so, later that night, General Windsor and his troops headed for the Welsh border to attack and subdue Wales. For the nest six months, the battle raged furiously, but the Welsh successfully beat back every attack that General Windsor attempted.

     One evening, Princess Isabella was in her chambers, talking with her lady-in-waiting, Evelyn.

     “Evelyn, this war wages on and on with no end in sight. Meanwhile, my position, and that of my husband, will not be secure until we produce an heir.”

     “That is true, Your Highness. Have you and His Highness tried to produce an heir?”

     “No, we have had separate bedrooms since we came to power. Our marriage is one of convenience, and has never been consummated.”

     “Your Highness, this cannot continue. You must go to your husband, and insist that he fulfill his marital duties.”

      “Evelyn, I think that he’s afraid if I give him an heir, that I would try to take away his crown and give it to our son.”

     “Your Highness, you must go to him NOW, and if he brings up such an objection, point out to him that if he does not produce an heir, that the Royal House shall die with him, and then Edward would surely take over Wales!”

     “I shall go at once, Evelyn! And when my son takes the throne, you shall be Lady Chancellor during his regency.”

     “Your Highness is too kind!” With that, Princess Isabella went from her bedchamber to that of her husband. A member of the castle guard stopped her outside the door.

     “Your Highness, the prince is asleep and not to be disturbed.”

     “Young man, I am Isabella, Princess of Wales and wife of the prince. You WILL step aside! I command it!”

     The guardsman thought about the consequences of continuing to defy the princess. He had heard how cruel she could be when angered.

    “Very well, Your Highness. I shall stand aside.”

     Isabella entered the prince’s bedchamber, and stopped. There on the royal bed, lay her husband, Edwyn and the Lord Chancellor, Dafydd, both of them totally naked and asleep in each other’s arms.

     The guardsman looked at the princess and said, “I did try to stop you from entering, Your Highness.”

     “What is the meaning of this? Why is the Lord Chancellor in bed with my husband?”

     “Your Highness, I think that you know the answer to your question. They are lovers.”

     “This is an outrage! Listen well, guardsman! It is my royal command that you tell no one about my coming here, or what I’ve seen under pain of death!”

     “But, Your Highness, I must tell His Highness! It is my sworn duty!”

     “Guardsman, if I get word that you told anyone, especially my husband or his so-called lover, I will have you hung from the royal scaffold before the sun has set! And I understand you have a young wife and two small sons. What will happen to them?”

     “What do you mean, Your Highness?”

     “Just this, guardsman. Tell anyone about what transpired tonight, and you shall hang, and your lands and property will be forfeit to me. Your widow and sons will be turned out homeless into the Welsh highlands!”

     “Very well, Your Highness! I shall do as you command!”

     “Very wise, young man. I think one day soon you will make a fine general!”

     The guardsman blushed and said, “Thank you, Your Highness!” Isabella then left him and returned in a rage to her chambers. Evelyn immediately sensed the change in demeanor in her mistress.

     “Your Highness, what is wrong?”

     “Oh, Evelyn! You are to tell no one what I’m about to tell you. Prince Edwyn is gay!”

     “Gay? But that is impossible, Your Highness!”

     “Evelyn, I have seen it with my own eyes! Oh, what am I to do?”

     “That is simple, Your Highness. Have his lover secretly arrested and executed.”

     “I wish it were that simple, Evelyn!”

     “But why wouldn’t it be, Your Highness?”

     “Evelyn, the prince’s lover is none other than Dafydd, Lord Chancellor!”

     “WHAT?”

     “It’s true. Now what am I to do? I cannot live with this humiliation!”

     “You have but one choice, Your Highness. You must trade one Prince of Wales for another!”

     “Now you are talking in riddles, Evelyn. How can I do that?’

     “You must betray your husband to Edward.”

     “I would be hated throughout the land! And what would that gain me? I’d lose my title as Princess of Wales!”

     “No, you wouldn’t. Not if you struck a bargain with Edward to marry his son, Edward. Once Edward overthrows your husband, he’ll install his own son as Prince of Wales. You will still be Her Highness, Isabella, Princess of Wales!”

     “Evelyn, even if I could strike such a bargain, how would I gain Edward’s ear? Any message from me would be intercepted!”

     “I shall carry your message.”

     “How would your reach Edward? And if you do, how will our offer help him overthrow my husband? He’s failed miserably for six months!”

     “Your Highness, you were not here during the late war between Edward and Edwyn’s father, were you?”

     “No, I came after the war had ended.”

     “Well, I was here! Do you know how the old prince held out until Edward had to sue for peace? There is a tunnel under this castle. It only extends two miles, but the border with England is only one mile away. Edwyn’s father sent saboteurs through that tunnel. They would come up behind enemy lines, and wreak havoc. The tunnel is still there, my late husband told me about it. In fact, the entry is directly under your bedchamber. The prince figured correctly that no one would suspect the bedchamber of a princess!”

     “But surely, His Highness knows of this tunnel.”

     “No! According to my late husband, Edwyn’s father didn’t trust his son, and he never told him. Now, Your Highness, write that letter. I shall leave as soon as you have completed it.”

     “But even if we succeed, how will Edward overthrow my husband?”

     “Your Highness, once I have gained Edward’s agreement, I shall wait with him. I will have him send a small contingent of his best troops back through the tunnel, and into the castle itself. The castle will fall almost immediately. Remember, your husband has sent his best troops to the border, leaving only a few scattered guards here at the castle.”

     “Evelyn, you’re going to make a fine Lady Chancellor! And I’ve heard about Edward the prince. He’s very weak, the opposite of his father. Now let me write that letter!”

     The princess wrote the letter, and after Evelyn showed her where the entry was hidden, she sent Evelyn on her traitorous mission. It took her about two hours to traverse the tunnel. The tunnel ended in some woods in the English countryside. She soon was spotted by some troops, and sent to General Windsor.

     “My men tell me you claim to be Lady-in-waiting to Princess Isabella, wife of Prince Edwyn. Now tell me why Edwyn would send his wife’s Lady-in-waiting to spy upon my men?”

     “General, I am not a spy, nor was I sent by Edwyn. I have a letter from my mistress that is only to be delivered to and opened by His Majesty, Edward I, King of the English!”

     “Show me the letter!”

     “I am sorry, general, but I have orders from my mistress that I may only give this letter to Kind Edward!”

     “I could force you under pain of torture to surrender the letter, but as it happens, the king is in camp. Captain, escort the lady to His Majesty’s presence.”

     With that, the captain of the guard and some of his men escorted Evelyn to King Edward’s tent. Once they explained who their prisoner was, and what she had told the general, she was escorted into King Edward’s presence. After she had curtsied to him, he addressed her.

     “My captain tells me that you claim to have a letter for me written by your mistress, the Princess Isabella of Wales. Is this true?”

     “Yes, Your Majesty!”

     “Give me the letter!” Evelyn then gave him the letter. In it, she offered to betray her husband in exchange for two favors. First, she wanted both her husband and his Lord Chancellor executed for High Treason, and second, she wished to marry King Edward’s son, the Crown Prince.

     “Well, the first favor, I am only too happy to grant. I already planned to execute them once I captured them. But why would she wish to marry my son?”

     “Your Majesty, once you capture the rebellious state of Wales, you will need to install a new ruler over it. Your son would be an ideal candidate to be the new Prince of Wales. It would continue the charade of Welsh independence by giving it a ruling prince, and unlike other principalities, the reigning prince would always be the current English Crown Prince. And by having Isabella as the Princess, it would give a layer of continuity to the old Welsh royal family. And surely, Her Royal Highness has shown her loyalty to her Sovereign and King!”

     “Well spoken, my lady! But even if I agreed to this, how is your mistress to carry out her end of the bargain, and betray her husband?”

     “Send General Windsor and a dozen of his most seasoned troops. I will show them the entrance to the tunnel I used to get here. It ends in my mistress’ bedchamber. Edwyn has foolishly sent all his troops to the border. There are only a few guards at the castle, the dregs of his army. The castle will fall immediately. And once the castle has fallen, and Edwyn and Dafydd are captured, the army will scatter in disarray.”

     “It is an excellent plan, but how do I know I’m not sending my best men into a trap?”

     “Your Majesty, I shall stay here as your prisoner until the castle falls. Should it be a trap, my life will be forfeit.”

     “You have a bargain, my lady. Let us hope that neither of us regrets it! Captain, you are to escort the lady back to General Windsor. Once she has shown them the entrance to the tunnel, you shall bring her back to camp, to be held as a prisoner of war!”

     “Very good, Your Majesty! It will be done!” And then the captain took Evelyn back to General Windsor. Once she explained the king’s orders, he quickly gathered a dozen of his men and they all headed into the woods. On the way, Evelyn told the general that she had one more thing that he needed to be aware of.

    “What is that, my lady?”

     “Prince Edwyn has a personal guard stationed outside his door. He is fanatically loyal to Edwyn. You may have to kill him to take Edwyn and Dafydd captive.”

     “Do not worry, my lady. He will die this night!”  Evelyn then showed the tunnel to the general, and told him to tap the door at the other end of the tunnel three times to signal her mistress of their arrival. She was then taken back to camp under guard of the Captain and his men.

     Isabella paced nervously back and forth in her chambers, wondering if her plan had succeeded or been a dismal failure. This continued for over four hours since she had sent Evelyn on the mission. But just as the fifth hour began, she heard three strong taps on the tunnel door. She quickly raised the door, and there before her were the English general and a dozen other soldiers.

     “Oh, thank God you have come!”

     “Your Highness, you will direct me and my men to where your husband and his Lord Chancellor are currently located!”

     “With pleasure, General! Go down the hallway leading from my chambers, and take the next hall on your left. At the end of that hall are my husband’s chambers. Be careful, the guard outside his door is fiercely loyal to him!”

     “Fear not, Your Highness. My men are the best troops in His Majesty’s army! Are there any other guards between the two chambers?”

    “Just the one outside my door!”

    “I’m afraid he shall have to die too. Two of my top men are going to hide behind the door. Once they’re hidden, kindly ask the guard to enter. Tell him you need him!”

     “Guard, come here, quickly!”

     The guard came charging through the door to see why his mistress was in distress, but as soon as he entered, two swords ran him through. As his intestines spilled out, he quietly collapsed to the floor and died. The princess had secreted herself in her closet, and so did not see the guard’s gruesome death.

     Once they were sure the guard was dead, the general ordered his body stripped. He had noticed that one of his men was of a similar build and stature. He ordered his man to put on the dead man’s uniform. Now the general and his men headed down the hall to the chamber of the rebel prince. They saw the hapless guard that had dared question the princess. The general ordered his soldier to approach the guard alone and lure him away from the door.

     The soldier moved alone down the hall. “Hey, I need you to come with me. Someone’s attacked the princess. I came to get reinforcements!”

     At first, the guard was puzzled. The other guard had an English accent, but was dressed in the garb of the Prince’s men. After a few seconds hesitation, he decided to go with the other guard to the Princess’ chamber.

     As he ran toward the other guard, he asked, “Who attacked her? How did he get into the castle?”

     Then he noticed the guard’s uniform was stained in blood and had several cuts on it. “Hey, what happened to you?”

     The fake guard stepped aside and said, “You ask too many questions, my friend.” Then he took his dagger, and slit the guard’s throat from ear to ear. He caught the body as it fell, to prevent it from alerting others.

     Now the general and all his men stormed Prince Edwyn’s chambers, prepared to fight if necessary. Edwyn and Dafydd heard the sound of the door breaking, and jumped out of bed, but both were totally naked with their weapons hidden in a closet well out of their reach. Both men were quickly subdued and bound. They were then paraded naked out of the bedchamber and down the hall. Once the other guards saw that their prince had been captured, they rapidly surrendered to General Windsor and his troops.

     General Windsor and his men then took their prisoners to the throne room, where Edwyn was startled to see Princess Isabella seated on his throne!

     “Isabella, what is the meaning of this?”

     Edwyn was struck across the face by the general. Isabella then demanded, “You will address me as Her Royal Highness, Princess Isabella of Wales, prisoner!”

     “But I am your husband!” This cost Edwyn another blow from the general.

     “Our marriage was never consummated, and furthermore, any marriage vows that we exchanged were grossly violated when you had sex with that man! Were you not captured in bed together?” She then pointed to Dafydd.

     At this, both Edwyn and Dafydd hung their heads. They knew that they could expect nothing from the enraged princess.

     General Windsor then asked, “Your Highness, have you signed the terms of surrender, and sent a copy to your troops in the field?”

     As Edwyn and Dafydd looked on in shock, she answered, “Yes, general, it has been done. As there is no longer a Prince of Wales, there is no longer a Wales to fight for. You will not be impeded as you return to London with your prisoners.”

     Edwyn looked at his wife and asked, “Prisoners?”

     The general then said, “I have the arrest warrants here, Your Highness. One is for the arrest of Edwyn, formerly known as Prince of Wales, and the other is for Dafydd, formerly Lord Chancellor of Wales. Both are charged with High Treason against His Royal Majesty, Edward I, King of England and their sovereign. They are to be taken to London and jailed in the Tower of London to await whatever mercy His Majesty deigns to grant them.”

     Edwyn could stand no more. “I AM His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales! And your king is no sovereign over me! You will treat me with respect!”

      General Windsor then replied, “I am tired of this young pup’s constant yapping! Edward I is indeed your sovereign, which is why you were supposed to pay him yearly tribute! Guards, gag both of these men. I wish to hear no more from either of them until they are taken to the torturers in the tower to confess their crimes!” The guards then cut down some tapestries in the throne room, and cut these into strips, which they used to gag the prisoners. The remaining pieces of tapestry were wound about their bodies, to cover their nakedness.

      The general then turned to the princess, “Your Highness, I hereby grant you through my authority as the agent of His Royal Majesty, Edward I, King of England, the title of Regent of Wales, which you shall retain until my men have come from England and taken control of the castle. At that time, you are to relinquish control of Wales to General Smith, my most trusted aide. You will then come at once to London, there to be reunited with your Lady-in-waiting Evelyn, and to swear your total allegiance and fealty to His Majesty.”

     “It will be done as you have said! Please assure His Majesty that his most loyal servant, Isabella of Wales, will do as he has commanded.”

     “Then I and my prisoners shall take our leave. Until we meet again in London, Your

Highness. Men, let’s take these prisoners home!” And with that, the General and his men left the castle and began the long march back to London. The prisoners had been locked in a cage for the trip.

    The return trip to London went uneventfully. The Welsh troops in the field immediately surrendered to the English foe as soon as the communication of surrender reached them. They were allowed to return to their barracks once they had sworn allegiance to the English king. Some of the troops returning from the front passed the contingent taking their former prince to London and hung their heads in shame at the totality of their defeat!

     London was in a festive mood as General Windsor and his troops entered the city with their two captives caged. Both young men were dirty and grimy from the ride across the dusty English countryside. Their clothing, which consisted of the draperies from the castle used to hide their nakedness, was in tatters. As soon as they entered the city, they were pelted with all sorts of rotten fruits and vegetables, which only added to their pathetic appearance. General Windsor had given orders that his men were not to attempt to protect the prisoners in any way from the English wrath. The prisoners were taken over Tower Bridge to the Tower of London, that dreaded dungeon where so many enemies of the English crown were tortured and executed. Once inside, they were taken to the dungeons, where they were turned over to the head Royal Torturer. General Windsor gave him orders that he was to hold the men there, but not to begin any attempts at getting them to confess their crimes until His Majesty, King Edward I, had come and personally spoken to them. The Royal Torturer ordered his assistants to strip both men of their rags. Then he had Edwyn seated and bound on a metal chair, with embers as yet unlit under the chair. Dafydd was laid out facedown on a table, with his wrists and ankles bound to each corner of the table. Dafydd was positioned on the table so that he faced Edwyn. Thus arrayed, they awaited the pleasure of their royal host.

     After leaving the dungeon, General Windsor went to the throne room to report to his sovereign, Edward I. “Your Majesty, Wales has been taken, and is now a royal province. Its former prince and lord chancellor are now prisoners in your dungeons and await the king’s mercy. Princess Isabella of France, wife of the former prince, is now acting as regent and has proclaimed her allegiance to her lord, Edward I of England. She will relinquish control over Wales to whomever Your Majesty names to succeed her.”

     “Well done, my lord General Windsor! I hereby proclaim that my son, Edward, will henceforth be Edward, Prince of Wales. I further decree that he shall retain such title until such time that he succeed to the English throne, and that from hereon, the title of Prince of Wales shall be born by the Crown Prince to the crown of England. Send my son to Wales to claim his throne, and have Princess Isabella’s lady-in-waiting, Evelyn, accompany him there. Once they arrive, and the princess relinquishes control of Wales to my son, she and Evelyn are to return to London as my guest. And now, please accompany me to the dungeon as I greet my new guests!”

     General Windsor and his aides accompanied Kind Edward I to the dungeons, so that he could meet those men who had dared to defy him. “Your Majesty, the young man seated on the chair of torment is Edwyn, former Prince of Wales. The charges against him are Treason for refusing to pay lawful tribute as agreed to by treaty, and for rising up in open rebellion against his sovereign and lord, Edward I of England! He is also charged with adultery for having open sexual relations with Dafydd, former Lord Chancellor of Wales while he was still legally married to his wife, Her Highness Princess Isabella of France. Dafydd, the young man on the table, faces the same charges as Edwyn.”

     “Edwyn, my brother prince, these are serious charges indeed that my lord General Windsor has leveled against you and your friend. Confess and throw yourself at my mercy, and it will go easier for you.”

     “Confess to what? First, you and my late unlamented father signed the treaty to which you refer. I did not sign it; therefore I am not bound by it. And Wales is an independent country! I owe no other man on this earth my allegiance; therefore I cannot have committed treason. Further, your forces attacked Wales. My men merely defended their country from foreign aggression. And finally, whatever relationship exists or did exist between me, my wife and my Lord Chancellor is a private matter between us, and not a crime for which Dafydd or I should be punished. As to your “mercy”, what mercy would you show me? Would you return me to my rightful throne?”

     General Windsor became incensed at the way the prince was addressing the King. He slapped him across the face and said, “You insolent young pup! The only thing His Majesty needs to hear from you is whether you are guilty or innocent of the charges against you! How do you plead? And I advise you that you would be wise to beg the King’s mercy and forgiveness!”

     “This King of yours will grant me neither. For the record, I plead not guilty to the Treason charges, as only a subject of the King could be guilty of treason, and I am NOT his subject. As to the Adultery charges, I refuse to enter a plea as those are a personal, not a State matter!”

      The King then walked around the table so that he faced Dafydd. “Your prince is very foolish. His fate is sealed. But there is still time for you to save your young life. Beg my mercy and forgiveness, and provide testimony against Edwyn concerning his heinous crimes, and I will show you great mercy!”

     “I have sworn my life to defend my Prince, Edwyn of Wales. I have failed in that duty, but I will not betray him to you! I plead exactly as His Highness has already pled.”

    At this, Edward I flew into a rage! “Very well! You are two foolish, hardheaded young men! Royal Torturer, I order you to persuade these traitors to confess their guilt! Do what must be done, but I want their confessions by tomorrow!”

     “I shall do as you command!” With that, Edward I, General Windsor and their aides left the dungeons to return to their own quarters.

     “You heard His Majesty! These traitors are to confess their crimes tonight! First, light the embers under the chair. Do not worry, “Your Highness”, you will not burn quickly, just a very slow cooking of your flesh. For the first hour or so, you may even stand the pain easily. But that chair will heat up! You will either confess or die where you sit! As to your young friend here, I hereby order 60 lashes across his body. The lashes are to be given one a minute for the next hour. At any point that one of you is ready to confess your guilt, that person’s punishment shall immediately cease. Torturers, begin!”

     The torturers then lit the fire under Prince Edwyn’s chair. At first, the prince didn’t suffer any pain, as the embers were too far from the chair to adequately heat it. But gradually, the fire grew, and with it the chair got hotter and hotter. Then, a strong, burly man of 6’5” and weighing in excess of 300 pounds stood behind Dafydd with a whip in his hands. Without warning, he reached back, and then swung his arm and the whip flew forward where it landed across Dafydd’s unprotected back leaving a large red welt! Dafydd screamed in agony, but Edwyn encouraged him to be strong. This scenario played itself out for an hour, with Edwyn’s chair getting hotter and hotter, while Dafydd’s arms, legs, back and ass were relentlessly assaulted by the torturer wielding the whip. Despite all of this, neither man would confess their guilt. The Royal Torturer was trying to decide what to do next, when one of his assistants reminded him of the adultery charge, and that it was adultery by homosexual activity. His eyes immediately brightened.

     “Keep the fire going under the prince. We will try another form of persuasion on his young lover!”

     He then walked between the two young men, and showed them a metal device with a screw at one end, and an apparatus at the other end shaped like a piece of fruit. “Do you recognize this?” he asked, as their eyes widened in dreadful recognition. “It is used on men accused of having homosexual relations. I am going to insert it into Dafydd’s ass. I doubt that I will have trouble inserting it, as I’m sure his ass has been previously loosened through illicit sex. It will not come out until I have my confessions!”

    Both Edwyn and Dafydd put up a brave front, but both knew that the pear was a torture which few men if any had failed to succumb to. The Royal Torturer approached the sore, welt-covered body, and slowly began inserting the pear into Dafydd’s ass. As it entered, Dafydd did not cry out. Other than being noticeably cold, it didn’t feel much different than having Edwyn’s cock inside him. Once it was all the way in, however, the Royal Torturer began turning the screw and opening the pear.

    “No, NO!!!! Take it out! It’s going to rip me apart! Please!!!! Anything!!! Edwyn, help me!!”

     “It will not come out until both of you confess to the crimes that you have committed!” The Royal Torturer gave the screw yet another turn, causing Dafydd’s asshole to rip open even further, much further than it had ever been stretched during sex with Prince Edwyn. He screamed and pleaded even more for the torture to end.

     Edwyn could no longer stand seeing his lover suffer so much. Also, the chair was now hot enough to begin to burn his delicate areas in contact with the chair.

     “Stop the torture! We will confess! We are guilty!”

     “Edwyn has spoken, but what of Dafydd?”

     “I will not confess to your false charges unless my Prince Edwyn orders me to. I will die first!”

     “Dafydd, my love, it is over. I can’t watch you being hurt for me. Confess, my lover!”

     “Very well! I, Dafydd, also confess my guilt!”

     You must both state what you are confessing to. We will stop both tortures for you to write out your statements. But I warn you, any failure on your part, and the tortures will be repeated and be a thousand times worse than the ones I have already subjected you to.”

     He then ordered them unbound, and brought to a table, where they both had to sign their confessions, which had been written out for them.

     “I, Edwyn, former Prince of Wales, hereby plead guilty to treason against His Majesty, Edward I, King of England and my lord and sovereign. I failed to pay a tribute due to him under a treaty between England and Wales, and then I rose in open rebellion against him.

     I also plead guilty to adultery for having illicit, homosexual relations with my Lord Chancellor, Dafydd, in direct violation of my marriage vows and God’s law. I beg His Majesty’s forgiveness and ask for his mercy.

     This confession is made of my own free will and volition, and not under any duress.

Signed,

Edwyn, Prince of Wales “

Dafydd’s form was identical except for the switching of his and Edwyn’s names. Once the forms were signed, the prisoners were locked in separate cells in the Tower for the night.

     The following morning, General Windsor and his aides retrieved the prisoners, and brought them before the King along with their signed confessions.

     “Very good work, General. I see that the Royal Torturer has persuaded these criminals to confess their crimes. I hereby accept your pleas of guilty. Have you anything to say before sentence is passed upon you?”

     Edwyn spoke up and said, “Your Majesty, you have your confessions, and you now control Wales. I beg you for mercy. Let Dafydd and I go free. Exile us to mainland Europe, there to remain under pain of death if we ever return to the British Isles. I give you my word that we will never return.”

     “Edwyn, your offer is tempting, but your word is valueless as already shown by your failure to pay the tribute as promised. Also, alive, you especially would be a constant threat to me. Therefore, here is your sentence. Edwyn, former Prince of Wales, you are to be taken from the Tower a week from today to the place of execution, and there you are to be put to death by beheading. Your head shall be placed on a pike and displayed at the Tower of London as a warning to others, and your body be placed in a gibbet, taken back to Wales, and hung from the tower of Dolbadarn Castle until both have rotted away! However, the day before your own execution, you shall be forced to observe the execution of your Lord Chancellor, Dafydd.”

     “Dafydd, former Lord Chancellor of Wales, here is your sentence. You are to be taken from the Tower in six days to the place of execution, and there you are to be put to death. First, you shall be dragged behind a horse from the tower to the site of execution. Once there, you will be hung by the neck from a sturdy oak tree. You shall be cut down while you still live. Next, your naked body shall be bound to a large wooden platform with a large fire burning nearby. Once bound and after the Royal Executioner has revived you from your hanging, he shall open your stomach, remove your intestines, and after showing them to you, shall throw them in the fire to be destroyed. Next, since one of your crimes involved sexual relations, he shall grab your cock and your balls, slice them off, and after showing them to you he will throw them into the fire to be consumed. Finally, he shall behead you, and following that, shall cut what remains of your body into quarters. Your head shall be placed on a pike and join that of your fellow criminal at the Tower of London, while the other parts of your body will be placed in gibbets at the four corners of Wales. May God have mercy on your souls! Guards, return the prisoners to their cells!”

     Both men were taken kicking and screaming back to their cells, there to await their dreaded fates. For the next six days, they were given adequate food and drink to keep them alive, but were kept apart from each other. Meanwhile, Princess Isabella and her Lady-In-Waiting Evelyn, had arrived from Wales, and were greeted with much pomp and ceremony by Kind Edward I and his court. Both had accepted the King’s gracious invitation to join him in the Royal Box during the executions.

     Following several days of preparation, Dafydd’s date with the executioner had finally arrived. At 11 am, he was rousted from his cell naked and had his hands bound behind his back. The guards then led him to Prince Edwyn’s cell, where the prince, although allowed to dress, likewise had his hands bound and was forced to join the procession. Dafydd had his arms rebound in front of him with a rope tying them to the rear of the horse-drawn wagon before him. Unable to keep his balance, he was dragged from the tower to the execution site facedown in the dirt.

     Prince Edwyn was bound to a pole facing the execution grounds, and had his head bound so that he could not turn away from the horrible sight he was soon to witness. Guards were stationed to his right and left who were ordered to strike him violently should he attempt to close his eyes.

     Dafydd was led under a tree where a noose already awaited him. The Royal Executioner then read the Death Warrant:

     “Whereas Dafydd, formerly Lord Chancellor of Wales, has pled guilty to two counts of High Treason against His Majesty, Edward I, King of England and Wales

     And whereas Dafydd, formerly Lord Chancellor of Wales, has pled guilty to adultery by engaging in homosexual acts with a married man, one Edwyn, former Prince of Wales

     Therefore, it is ordered by His Majesty, Edward I, King of England and Wales that Dafydd shall this day suffer the punishment of execution by being hanged, drawn and quartered. Signed, Edward I By the Grace of God King of England and Wales!”

     Once he had finished reading, the Royal Executioner stood Dafydd on the rear of a cart. He then took the noose, and placed it around Dafydd’s neck. Dafydd noticed immediately that the noose was already tight around his neck. The Royal Executioner then ordered the cart forward causing Dafydd to fall off of it and begin to hang. However, the noose had been given no drop at all, so instead of dying of a quickly broken neck, Dafydd began to slowly strangle. The Royal Executioner kept very close watch on the condemned prisoner, and after about 30 seconds, ordered that he be cut down.

     Edwyn had been forced to watch this, and he was heartbroken when he saw Dafydd being cut down. “Damn! Why couldn’t he have died on the noose? I don’t want to see him suffer on that horrible platform. At least he wouldn’t have felt them cutting him open. I can’t watch anymore!”

    He shut his eyes against the scene, but immediately the guard to his left struck him full in the belly, knocking the wind out of him, and forcing his eyes back open! “You are ordered to watch!”

     Now Dafydd was laid out upon the platform. His arms and legs were bound to the four corners of the platform. The Royal Executioner waited about five minutes for Dafydd to come around. Finally, Dafydd coughed, opened his eyes, and said, “Where am I?”

     “You are at the next stage of your execution, Traitor! See! The fire awaits you!”

     Dafydd looked and saw a roaring fire off to the side of the platform. “NO! God, NO! Help me!”

     Edwyn was in tears. He so wanted to help his lover, but knew that he was powerless to do so. He yelled out, “Be strong, Dafydd!” hoping against hope that he heard him.

     The Royal Executioner ignored Dafydd’s screams, and walked up to him. He took a knife, and sliced effortlessly through Dafydd’s smooth stomach. As Dafydd continued to scream, the Royal Executioner reached in and removed Dafydd’s intestines. As he removed his hands, he showed Dafydd the steaming, snakelike, ugly grey mass. Then he threw them into the fire where they immediately began burning.

     Dafydd went into shock, and Edwyn began crying hysterically. He had been hoping against hope that Edward I would have a change of heart, and release them after giving them a scare, but the removal of Dafydd’s intestines meant that there would be no reprieve. Dafydd would die now for sure, there was no way for him to survive without his intestines.

     Dafydd was moaning, and the Royal Executioner knew he had to move swiftly. He violently grabbed Dafydd’s 9” cock and egg sized balls in his hands. He took the knife once more, placed it against the root of the cock, and sliced both cock and balls off in one stroke. He showed them to Dafydd, who was now only semi-conscious. Meanwhile, an assistant cauterized the wounds with a red-hot iron, which stopped the bleeding, but caused fresh pain to Dafydd. As he writhed on the table, he couldn’t stop crying. Edwyn was also sobbing uncontrollably as the cock and balls he had sucked on so lovingly like his mothers own tit was banished to the fire and consumption.

     Now, after all of these torments, it was finally time for Dafydd to die. The Royal Executioner reached into a pile of straw and removed a large axe. As Edwyn watched transfixed, the Royal Executioner raised the axe high above his head, and then swiftly brought it down on Dafydd’s neck, severing his young head at one blow! The head rolled into the straw as gouts of life-giving blood shot out in spurts from Dafydd’s stump. The Royal Executioner reached down, grabbed Dafydd’s head by its blonde hair, held it high, and said, “Thus die all traitors to our Royal Majesty Edward I!” The crowd roared in delight!

    Edwyn was crying and shaking. He knew that in 24 hours, it would be his own head being raised high.

     The Royal Executioner then gave the head to an assistant, who immediately put it on a pike, and carried it out to the entrance to the Tower. There, he placed the pike in a hole already prepared, there to remain as a warning to the King’s enemies until it finally rotted away!

     Meanwhile, the Royal Executioner had one more job to do. He divided the remainder of Dafydd’s corpse into four quarters. Once that was done, each part was placed into a gibbet. Royal troops then took the gibbets to the four corners of Wales, hanging them there as a further warning to any future Welsh nationalists. They would remain there until they rotted away, or were eaten by ravens and other animals.

     Edwyn was taken back to his cell, where he fell on his bed and cried himself to sleep on what he knew would be his last night alive on earth.

     Early the next morning, Edwyn awoke, resigned to his fate. At about 11am, the guards entered his cell. He was dressed in his prison garb. They immediately stripped him naked, and then they bound his hands behind his back. He was then placed into a cart, and rode in it to the execution grounds. Along the way, he was pelted with overripe fruit and vegetables, while the crowd hurled insults. “Use your scepter to protect yourself, Your Highness!” “Where is your crown now? Doesn’t matter, in a few minutes you won’t have a head to put it on.” As they entered the execution grounds, Edwyn looked up at the Royal box, and there beside King Edward I and Crown Prince Edward, he saw his own wife, Princess Isabella and her Lady-In- Waiting, Evelyn. He knew now how he had been betrayed!

     He was then marched up the steps to the execution platform. There was a large straw-covered area with a block situated in the middle of it. Again, the Royal Executioner read the death sentence.

     “Edwyn, former Prince of Wales, hear your sentence.

     Whereas, you have pled guilty to two counts of High Treason against His Royal Majesty, Edward I, King of England and Wales,

     And whereas, you have pled guilty to adultery against your own marriage vows by homosexual relations with another man, specifically the late Dafydd, former Lord Chancellor of Wales,

     Therefore it is ordered that on this date you be taken to the place of execution and there you shall be put to death by beheading. Signed, His Majesty, Edward I, King of England and Wales.”

     The Royal Executioner then approached the condemned prince for the customary payment in gold coin to ensure a clean strike with the axe and to receive the condemned prisoner’s forgiveness for carrying out the sentence. Once this was done, he ordered the prince to kneel before the block, and place his neck in the opening. The prince complied, and unseen by him, the Royal Executioner removed the axe from its hiding place in the straw. He then raised his axe on high, as the Royal Drummers began a drumroll. He gently lowered it until it barely touched the prince’s neck, then he raised it again, and as the drumroll reached its crescendo, he swiftly brought down the axe, easily separating the prince’s head from his body. The blade of the axe was buried several inches into the wood of the block. As the crowd cheered, the Royal Executioner then lifted the prince’s head by its dirty blonde locks, and said,  “Thus perish all traitors to our King!” Edwyn’s head then joined Dafydd’s on a pike outside the entrance to the tower, and his body was placed in a gibbet and taken back to Wales to be hung outside Dolbadarn Castle, his ancestral home. It would remain there until it had either rotted away or been consumed by ravens and other animals. The crowds dispersed in celebration, but not before King Edward I announced that the now widowed Princess Isabella had graciously accented to wed the Crown Prince, Edward, later to be King Edward II. It was a union that the future king would live to regret.