Charlotte comes to comfort him, while the others make plans

The young prince lay on the bed, the pillow held tightly over his head. It had to have been almost an hour at least since he'd learned the awful truth about his parents being left behind, an hour of lying like this, shutting out the world and sniffling into the sheets as if that would change anything. He knew just how pathetic he was being, his racing thoughts had told him that over and over again. A real prince would have taken that bad news in stride. Perhaps he'd be making plans to rescue the king and queen right now, or getting messages of support out to the loyalists and supporters he'd gathered over the years. It'd be just like a storybook, the brave and noble prince returning with an army of friends and companions to defeat his treacherous uncle and reclaim his birthright.

Marcus though, he wasn't a hero like that. He wasn't strong or brave or tough. The one time his father had tried to teach him to use a sword had been a frightening humiliation. He didn't have any supporters, no-one he could even ask for help. Shut up in the castle with his books, he'd never made any friends at court, never made any preparations at all for a time when his parents wouldn't be there to do all the hard work of ruling for him. There must be nobles he guessed who might still be loyal to his father, but...how was he to know who they were? And even if he did, he had no idea how to get a message to them, how to reach out without his uncle finding him. He didn't even know where he was right now. This little isolated farm out in the country could be anywhere at all!

Even then, maybe there was still something he could do. Persuade the Scarlet Lionesses to help him...or...something he just hadn't thought of. And yet, here he was, still lying on this bed, crying and hiding like he always did when things got tough. Doing nothing to help his parents or help himself. His heart clenched, a sickly tightness in his chest. He really was pathetic. These mercenaries should have just left him behind and saved someone actually important instead.

"My prince?" Charlotte's voice intruded, soft and hesitant. Marcus squeezed the pillow tighter around his head, hoping she'd leave. Instead, he heard her clothes shuffling as she stepped inside the room and over to the bed on which he lay.

"Go away." Marcus sniffled. She'd already seen him fall flat on his face, dressed up in girl's clothes, and generally being useless during the escape. Now just laying around sobbing like some frightened puppy while his kingdom fell apart. She must think he was the worst prince in the world.

"I don't think I should." The lady knight replied. Marcus shifted on the sheets, letting the pillow drop to one side. He turned his head, and saw her standing next to the bed. She'd taken off her armor, and now wore only a simple linen tunic instead. The short sleeves showed off her toned arms, the lines of corded muscle drawing his eye. The young prince felt his cheeks flush despite his misery, she looked just as strong as he'd imagined under that armor! "Juno and Tabby said you know about your parents." She said, a sympathetic look in her green eyes.

"Yes." Marcus nodded, quickly raising a hand to wipe away the tears still clinging to his lashes.

"I'm not proud of it." Charlotte sighed. She stepped closer, before turning and sitting down on the side of the bed. Marcus felt the mattress shift as she settled her weight just beside his laying body. His blush grew hotter, and he couldn't stop himself from remembering how strong her arm had felt across his chest as she'd held him on her horse in front of her. "Doesn't sit right with me either, but we only had one shot at getting you out. It was a close thing as it was."

"Then you should have left me behind, and rescued them instead." The young prince replied, his lip trembling.

"Not an option." Charlotte shook her head. "We were paid to save you. And your uncle's not a fool. He wanted both the king and queen captured almost as soon as he took the castle, to stop them rallying any support before he had the place locked down. We only managed to slip through the net and get to you because he had all his soldiers looking for them." Marcus glanced down miserably. Even his uncle, trying to seize the throne and knowing he was the heir, didn't even think of him as enough of a threat or danger to bother sending men to capture him. That was how pathetic everyone thought he was. "Hey, listen." The lady knight sighed. "I know you're upset about this, but...you've got to make the best of things. You're safe here, my prince. Me and my girls, I know we're just mercenaries, but we were paid to protect you, and we will." Marcus felt his heart quiver at her strong, reassuring voice. He wriggled up to sit awkwardly on the bed, suddenly conscious that he was still wearing this rather short dress, his soft legs pale and bare underneath, and her hand lay almost close enough to run along his smooth thigh.

"Why should I trust you?" Marcus stammered, trying to cover for his furious blushes. His dick twitched under the hem of the dress. How could he be getting turned on at a time like this? What was wrong with him?

"That's up to you." She shrugged her muscular shoulders. "I don't expect you to just believe me out of hand. Just know I'm not going to hurt you, so you don't have to be afraid of me, or the others. They're good people too." She smiled again, her green eyes holding his. Marcus knew he should still be suspicious, he didn't know anything about these people after all, but...somehow that kind look in her eyes made it very hard for him to mistrust her.

"Okay." The young prince nodded at last. He shifted awkwardly on the bed, trying to ignore the distracting stiffness between his legs. Worse, the way this stupid dress hang over his shift he could see a small, but obvious little bulge where his throbbing dick was tenting the fabric. What if she saw it? That'd be so embarrassing, him getting turned on like some sort of...dirty boy when she was just being nice to him!

"Oh look, Juno's spell is wearing off." Charlotte smiled suddenly. Marcus frowned in confusion, and then she reached her hand up towards his face. His blush burned red hot as she gently took a few strands of his hair in her fingers. The light blonde color was fading out, his hair returning to its usual silvery shade. "It's such a beautiful color, isn't it?" She murmured. "I remember when I saw you the first time, my prince, I thought you were an angel."

"Um...thank you." Marcus stammered, his cheeks so hot he was starting to feel dizzy. An angel? Did that mean...she liked him? She gently rubbed his hair through her fingers, as if testing the softness of it, a strange, simmering heat in her green eyes. Then, she seemed to pause, and hesitated. With a soft sigh, she let go and dropped her hand back to her side. Despite himself, the young prince felt a little stab of disappointment, though he wasn't even sure what he'd been hoping would happen.

"If you're ready to get out of bed, want to go out and see Tabby and Juno outside?" Charlotte suggested. "They're both quite worried about you." Worried? The young prince frowned in confusion. They were just mercenaries, he doubted they cared that much. Though Charlotte at least....had been very nice to him so far.

"Alright..." He nodded, deciding it was probably for the best. He quickly rubbed his eyes again, getting rid of the last few tears. It had been bad enough Charlotte seeing him sniffling and sobbing, he was pretty sure the other two would tease him about it or something!

Charlotte rose from the bed, and he had to tear his gaze from the tempting sight of her long, toned legs flexing under the hem of her tunic. Instead, the young prince quickly scrabbled up to join her, smoothing down the front of his own dress. He really hoped these mercenaries could find him some proper clothes sooner rather than later. Walking around dressed like a girl was a bit too embarrassing!

Marcus padded after Charlotte as she headed for the door of the cabin. He hung back a moment as she stepped outside, taking a deep breath in. Sure, he'd already humiliated himself in front of all these women several times, but...maybe he could at least act like a prince from now on. Straightening up, he stepped out of the door and after Charlotte, following the brave lady knight out into the cool morning air.

Juno and Tabby were both waiting near the wooden fence that surrounded the little cabin. The curvy older woman was perched on top of a tree stump, sitting there with a book open on her lap. The brunette meanwhile, leaned against a fence post. She had a bright red apple in her hand that she was tossing up into the air, then catching neatly as it fell. As Charlotte approached, they both glanced over at her.

"I see you got our young prince up and about again." Juno nodded, her sparkling green eyes flickering over to him. Marcus swallowed nervously, a little anxious over how she seemed able to put him off balance with just a glance. Was it because she was a witch?

"Told you she would." Tabby added, snatching the apple out of the air. She took a large bite, juices trickling down her chin as she chewed and swallowed. "Boy like that, he'll jump to the tune of any woman who so much as snaps her fingers at him." She continued, waving the apple in her hand. "Bet once she had him squirming under her he forgot about his tears pretty quick."

"It isn't like that!" Charlotte shook her head, blushing almost as red as Marcus was. "The prince was just upset, and...I talked to him, that's all. Nothing else."

"Shame." Tabby sighed. "Would have been pretty hot." Her dark eyes lit up, and flickered to the young prince. "So, he's still got his cherry then? Because come on, he's clearly a virgin." Marcus gasped in shock. Of course he was...he'd never done anything like that with a girl, but was it....really so obvious?

"Enough!" Charlotte barked. "Don't talk about such filthy things in front of him." Tabby just grinned back, but mercifully didn't say anything else. Marcus resisted the urge to hide behind the angry lady knight, knowing it would just make him look even easier to tease.

"So, what now?" Juno rose from the stump, folding the book under one arm. "We have the prince, and this is where the client requested we take him, right?"

"Yes." Charlotte nodded. "Everything done as she ordered. Now, we're supposed to wait here and keep him safe. She'll contact us later with further instructions." The two other women nodded.

"Just guard duty then." Tabby shrugged. "Guess it's not so bad being paid this well just for watching this old place, especially if the one we're guarding is so easy on the eyes. " She glanced at Marcus again and licked her lips. The young prince shivered, feeling her dark eyes move over his body and down to his bare legs. Once again he found himself wishing he was wearing proper boy's clothes instead of this short dress that everyone seemed to take of as invitation to tease him.

"Did the client have any other requests?" Juno asked. "For what should happen while we were protecting him?" Her lip curled slightly, and even if the question had sounded perfectly innocent, Marcus couldn't help but feel a strange shiver running down his spine as he suddenly imagined all the things that could maybe happen to him now he was alone with these three women. He blushed again, shaking his head hurriedly. Again...he mind was jumping to these dirty things, what was wrong with him?

"Not that I know of." Charlotte shook her head. "The orders were simple. Escort the prince to safety, take him to this house and keep him safe while he's here until further contact. Otherwise, she's left it up to our discretion." She straightened up, crossing her arms over her chest. "A simple enough job, let's not make it any more complicated than it has to be."

"Who is this client?" Marcus asked uncertainly, the first time it had even occurred to him to ask. The three women paused, their gazes darting back to him.

"I'm afraid she requested directly that her identity be kept from you. "Charlotte turned to him with a sympathetic smile, leaning over slightly to put herself closer to his height. "I'm sorry, my prince but we can't tell you." Marcus bit his lip, that wasn't good. Why couldn't he know who was paying these girls? After all, this mysterious person had organized everything, paid for these mercenaries to save him and take him here. It must be someone wealthy and important, and now he was relying on them for his safety. It was only his right to know exactly who had arranged everything.

"I could...order you to tell me." He continued. Charlotte paused, her brow furrowing. "I am still your prince, right?" Despite his best efforts to make that sound at least a little authoritative, his voice instead emerged as a high-pitched little stammer, and he blushed again afterwards as she just kept staring blankly down at him like he'd just said something stupid.

"He's got you there!" Tabby laughed loudly. "Going to let him boss you around, Charlotte?" Juno was giggling too, her hand raised to cover her mouth.

"Darling boy, it doesn't work that way." The older woman grinned. "We're mercenaries. Even our dear Charlotte, she works for whoever pays her. So unless you've got a few thousand gold coins stuffed down the front of that adorable dress, enough to outbid our client, none of us are going to follow your orders." Her smile widened, her perfect teeth gleaming. "Unless you ask nicely, like a good boy, maybe..."

"Apologies, prince." Charlotte sighed. She reached up to run a hand through her blonde hair. "She's right." At least she looked sympathetic, but Marcus felt himself slump forward, his stomach twisting into knots over how he'd managed to stupidly humiliate himself all over again. They all thought he was so weak, didn't they? Even these three mercenaries didn't respect him or his title in the slightest. Right now, he was just a way for them to make money, that was all. And no wonder, with how pathetic he'd been.

He stared at his feet, his hands clenched into tight fists and his shoulders tense. So, here he was, stuck on this farm in the middle of nowhere, with three strange women, all organized by a person he didn't even know, while his own castle and birthright were being stolen by his uncle. Worse still, he had absolutely no idea how to fix any of it, no mater how he wracked his brain. The only thing it felt like he could do was just...wait and see. Hide like the coward he was, protected by these mercenaries he knew he shouldn't even trust.