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.
