Sticking with continuing on from last week’s snippet from my wip, To Target the Heart.
For those of you catching up… Darshan and Hamish are a pair of thirty-something princes from two vastly different lands who have both never been in a relationship before.
Darshan is the spellster ambassador from the ginormous Udynea Empire sent to negotiate trade relations with Tirglas. Whereas Hamish is the third eldest child of the Tirglasian queen who has been kept on a tight leash by his mother.
The prior sentence was: Punishment he understood—being in Tirglas was his punishment—but it was what he’d done and with whom, not that the act had been with a man.
[Darshan] gnawed on the inside of his lip as a frustration-laced sigh whistled out his nose. Why—Gods, why?—couldn’t the man he found utterly irresistible have been someone who had not spent almost two-thirds of his adult life forced into celibacy by their wretched mother? Their damn queen, no less. With a head full of ancient scriptures and her intentions only on ensuring her brood filled the world with more of her clan. Disgusting.
I could walk away. That had been an option since he’d first kissed the man. Not that he’d been able to shake Hamish from his dreams no matter how hard he tried. Were a few nights of pleasure worth dragging Hamish into a worst situation than the man was already in?
He wished he had an objective enough stance on the matter to answer that truthfully.
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Having staved off the idea of marrying a woman for years, Prince Hamish finds himself forced to face its realities when he becomes the prize in a contest of arms. But one contestant promises a way out. Can they win against all the odds?
Aldrea Alien 
Ouch, poor man, what a dilemma…
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It is indeed a toughie.
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Yeah, and only Hamish can choose to override his programming. Great snippet, Aldrea.
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Definitely needs to be Hamish’s choice.
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It’s difficult to be objective when you’re so personally affected. Poor guys. ❤️
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Indeed.
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Great moral conflict for him to face.
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Thank you.
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Ooo that is a tough situation.
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It is, especially when he really wants to choose the option that’ll be in his favour.
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One hell of a tough dilemma!
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Yup!
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That’s quite the dilemma but I have a feeling passion will win out over reason (one can hope anyway!)
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It is and it could do.
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“I could walk away.” He might think he can, but somehow I don’t think that’s an option anymore, if it ever even was.
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It would be a short book if he did.
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Nice debate with himself but he’s not being honest about his true feelings (I don’t think) and Hamish gets a sayso too. Will be interesting to see what happens next. Great snippet!
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Hamish certainly gets his say.
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You do a good job of showing his emotions. Tough decision for him. I want to read more.
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Thank you. 😀
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Ugh–I hope it’s more than that. Just a few nights’ pleasure?
Great emotion in this snippet! 🙂
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Hard to hope for more when things are that uncertain.
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That’s quite the dilemma to be in but could he truly walk away? I’m curious to find out how this will turn out.
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Could he? Probably, but wouldn’t be happy about it.
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I bet it’s too late to walk away!
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A little.
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Love Darshan and really feel his pain in this tough decision… but surely the choice has to be Hamish’s at the end of the day – how would he feel if he’d opened himself up like this for the first time and then Darshan walked away? Poor guys -big decisions!
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Exactly so.
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So revealing and he’s so painfully honest with himself. But will he listen? Naw!
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Of course he won’t listen.
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That’s a difficult situation. Poor guys.
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Sure is.
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Well this queen sure sounds like a lovely woman! Not. I think the fact he’s arguing with himself over walking away or not, or if it’s worth it, means he’s probably already lost that battle.
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Just slightly. 😉
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