It was my absolute pleasure to share this excerpt as a reading for the British Fantasy Society. This was the first time they’ve had a reading from an interactive fiction novel!
Their Majesties’ Pleasure is an online text-based role playing game published by Heart’s Choice. If you were playing, there would be choices that let you decide which direction you want the story to go. I’ve gone ahead and edited this to highlight results of my choosing so it flows for the reading. This excerpt gives you a chance to meet Javier Reshan, the Rogue King of the Underground, who runs the city’s finest nighthouse and an army of assassins.
An Excerpt from Their Majesties' Pleasure:
You enter a cozy sitting room with a tall bookshelf, a low table, a long couch, and a single chair. A provocative painting of two waves shaped like lovers hangs on one wall, an elegant mirror on the other. An open doorway shows the bedroom beyond, decorated in ivory fabrics with accents of gold and lit with a rosy glow.
Javier goes to the couch and waits for you to take a seat before settling in beside you.
“Owning the Cabaret must be gratifying,” you say.
“It is,” agrees Javier. “The best part is being able to provide people with a place to be whoever they want to be. This is a house of play, but it’s also a sanctuary of discovery, where one doesn’t have to hide one’s desires. I find that when desires are allowed, and embraced, they’re less likely to become twisted into something that can cause harm. When we’re not held back, we can better be who we are.”
“I can see that.”
Javier taps his fingertips together. “To many of our patrons, the Cabaret is like a home. When they have problems, they have family here. Someone to talk to. Someone to help, if that’s what they need.”
“You look out for people.”
“I do what I can.”
“Are the other rumors true? Does the King of the Underground have an army big enough to rival the kingdom’s and assassins skilled enough to strike anywhere?”
“I do.” He leans back, broad shoulders angled, his tailored suit showing off his powerful frame as his lips curl in a roguish smile. “Out of curiosity, he asks, “how many knives are you carrying right now?”
You do a mental count. “Five.”
“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” he teases. The light catches on shards of amber in his dark eyes, intelligence shining through.
“Are you trying to disarm me?”
“Yes, but not to gain advantage.” With a casual flick of the wrist, he draws a blade from his sleeve. He places it on the dark wood of the table and looks at you from beneath lowered lids, pointing the sharp tip away. “I find one of the best ways to get to know another warrior is to see their weapons.”
His offer goes both ways. Provided he doesn’t hold back, you’ll know how the Rogue arms himself. One at a time, you lay your blades on the table. Each weapon you remove feels like a layer of clothing surrendered, infusing the moment with a sense of intimacy.
The shell knife comes first, shining in the soft light. Then your dagger, your sword, and the throwing knives.
Javier slides a blade out from beneath his other sleeve and places it beside the first. Next comes a dagger strapped above his ankle, and then a foursome of light, thin knives tucked in his jacket. When he takes another dagger from a hidden sheath at his side, you laugh.
“That’s all of them for tonight,” he says, setting the last one down with a faint metallic tone. “I wear dual swords when I fight. I feel a bit naked without a weapon. You?”
“I’m rarely without a blade.”
He grins. “I like that about you.”
“I’ve heard tales of your swords,” you say. “My commanding officer mentioned that your blades are named—and deadly accurate.”
The Rogue tips his head back. “Meet me at the corner of Vengeance and Vanquish, and I’ll sing you a song of freedom.”
“What’s that from?” You recognize the words, but can’t place them.
“Nenaria’s Lament. I made it into a marching chant. It got me through my first battle—and many more. When I won my freedom from the Crown’s army, I bought myself a pair of swords and named them Vengeance and Vanquish.”
“You didn’t enlist,” you guess.
“No. I was forced to fight. After five months of killing Cordava soldiers and watching my friends die, I swore that if I survived, I’d never serve the Crown again. And now, here I sit with a guard of the Keep.” He shakes his head. “We come from two different worlds, and yet I want to trust you.”
“Would you read me Nenaria’s Lament?” you ask.
With a subtle glow of satisfaction, he takes a thin book off a shelf and hands it to you. The title is embossed in a green leather cover. “That book has the full tale.”
You flip through the pages, finding the poem at the front.
“Seven hundred years ago,” says Javier with a storyteller’s cadence, “when Cameren Ga’vaan and his stolen army took the city of Threasha from the Fae, one of the soldiers—by the name of Kianu—ventured into the forest. He happened upon a revel, where he fell in love with a Fae warrior named Nenaria. Before the night was through, he had repented his slaughter and begged her forgiveness, pledging himself to her.
“A week later, he returned to his unit to send a letter to his family, informing them that he was staying in Urestai with Nenaria. But before he left the city, his commander read the letter and ordered him executed.
“When Nenaria found out, she rounded up three hundred Fae to infiltrate the city. Thus began the night of reckoning. In the morning, the only soldiers who survived were those who were aboard ships. They came back to a city of corpses, including that of the would-be king, Cameren Ga’vaan.”
You look up from the book to meet Javier’s gaze.
“This nighthouse,” he says, “is built on the foundations of a theater, the very same that Nenaria used when she gathered her army of Fae assassins. The roads that lead to this building are now named Fortune and Justice, but long ago, when the Fae made Threasha their home, the crossroads outside were named Vengeance and Vanquish.”
The story twists your heart. ”It’s forbidden lovers with a tragic end.”
The Rogue strokes the stubble on his face. “I like to focus on the fact that they found each other. That they turned from enemies to lovers. That even though Kianu had killed Nenaria’s kin, when he repented with love in his heart, she forgave him.”
“So it’s about redemption as much as loss?”
He nods. “Redemption, and the unstoppable power of love. The poem is more of a fight song than a lament, but I’ll recite it for you.”
He takes a breath…
Meet me at the crossroads of Vengeance and Vanquish,
I’ll sing you a song of freedom.
We will push to the top of every hill,
And conquer our way down.
Those who stand in the way will die.
Body and soul, slaughter will I,
For the chance to live, for the chance to give,
Hell to my enemy’s Crown.
But blood is blood, and the more I take,
The more I slice and spill,
An inescapable truth unfolds
In the thrill of every kill.
When we strip ourselves down, without titles or crowns,
No arrows or swords between,
My enemy becomes my friend,
Our acts of war obscene.
Meet me at the crossroads of Vengeance and Vanquish
To riot in the night.
We’ll sing on the rooftops ‘til the whole town wakes,
And give them one last fight.
“Death!” I cry, “Death! Come reap these fools who
Bow to the greed of a Crown.”
They murdered my love; they will pay with their lives.
Let us take them down, down.
The passion in his voice and the gravity of the poem gives you chills.
[End Excerpt]
Thank you for reading!
Their Majesties’ Pleasure is a choose-your-own-path interactive fiction novel. It’s marketed as erotic fantasy, but the choices in the game allow you to avoid all the spicy scenes if you want, so the heat level is entirely up to each player. There’s plenty of action and intrigue, and the game has been well received with over 1100 ratings with a 4.7/5 star average on the Heart’s Choice app.
Try it for free on Heart’s Choice!
The Characters: Romance Options (ROs)
Javier Reshan, ROGUE KING:
“Feel free to call me Majesty.” The Rogue King of the Underground deals in temptation and secrets. He’s sexy. Deadly. Sometimes poetic. Prince Julian has a crush on him. Unlike the crowned king, the Rogue has won loyalty by having people’s backs, sharing his illegally-amassed wealth, and arranging many an escape from the local prison. Dark brown eyes and hair. Tall. Brooding. Extremely protective of his city and the people who live there. Has a jagged scar on his shoulder, and another on his forearm. Wears twin swords named Vengeance and Vanquish.
Prince Julian Ga’vaan, PROVOCATIVE PRINCE:
Master swordsman, long-seeing strategist, heir and traitor to the Crown. He sides with the Underground army and the Rogue in most things. Delightful joker. Can talk his way out of most anything. Forest-green eyes, dark brown hair. Has a penchant for men, women, and adventure. Good with blades. Hopeless with a bow, having been ridiculed at a young age by an impatient teacher.
Princess Elissa Ga’vaan, REBELLIOUS PRINCESS:
Princess Lissa is ruthlessly confident. Loves to dance. Riotously fun. Sometimes, she acts as if she already sits on the throne. Other times, she gets as inebriated as she can, trying to forget who she’s destined to become. Green eyes, black hair. Obsessed with the Fae and Wilds.
Queen Edenia, FOREST QUEEN:
The darling of the Darkwood is the immortal child of a dryad and a star god. Values reciprocity and honesty. Stardust eyes, deliciously curvy body. Wears a crown of gilded leaves atop thick black hair. Talented potion maker. Consort to Prince Galen, but they maintain a respectful open relationship. Loves deeply. Destructive if provoked.
Crown Prince Galen Silven, IMMORTAL WARRIOR:
Prince Galen of the Silver Tree is a reluctant member of the Fae Court, which is divided into eleven territories. Pale gold hair, blue eyes that darken with passion. His parties are legendary. He’s flirtatious. Enchanting. If you treat him right, he’ll show you the time of your life. Master warrior. Was crowned king but abdicated to his brother, who still makes him wear the crown sometimes. Hates being called Majesty.
Player Character (PC)
Who do you want to be?
What’s your name?
- Rowan
- Naera
- Isabelle
- Devon
- Tristan
- Or something else…
Do you want to play as male, female, or nonbinary?
Are you from a merchant family, a fishing village, or did you grow up in the theater?
Will you stick to conversation options, choose sweet moments, or bring on the spice?
When it comes to battle, do you side with the kingdom? The Rogue? The Fae? Will you fight for what you believe in, even if it means committing treason?
What People Are Saying
Check out the forum on Choice of Games to read players’ comments on the game! Here are a few:
