The Princess' smile
Seemed genuine enough
As she sat,
Dressed in her royal finery,
Before the King's
Noble Court,
But she struggled
To repress her shudders
As one acceptable suitor
After another
Respectfully kissed
Her soft, perfumed hand,
And raped her
With their eyes.
Her father had decreed
She must choose her husband
From amongst these men
Or he would choose
For her.
Her smile dimmed
Just a bit,
Not that any of
The lecherous fools
Could see,
Or care,
How unhappy
She really was;
For her heart
And her body
Already belonged to
The King's falconer,
And little did anyone know
That deep within her body
His child had begun
To grow.
They wanted to marry,
To flee the palace
And find sanctuary
Within a sympathetic abbey,
But her father kept
An eagle's eye
Upon his only child,
Now a young woman
Of incomparable beauty,
And great political value.
She dared not confess
Of her wifely love
As she knew her father
Would surely have
Her lover killed;
And so she fretted
Behind her
Well bred demeanor.
What would they do,
Or even,
What could be done
To restore her honor
In the face of
Public condemnation,
And still protect the man
She loved and desired
Above all others?
Inwardly she wept
At the unfairness
Of it all,
But the only hint
Of her despair
Was a slight wet glitter
In her cool blue eyes. 

c. 2016