Inbu's Heart

By Chloe Gilholy

Pressured by his father's demands to find a wife, Prince Inbu holds a tournament like no other to find the woman of his dreams. Thinking nobody will be willing to swim in milk or dance with pigs. He's proven wrong when three hundred women from all over the continent sign up. Among the brave bachelorettes is Mei, a farmer's daughter, who wants to prove that peasants can make a difference. How far will Mei go to win Prince Inbu's heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chloe Gilholy
• Release date: Feb 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393720928

Chloe Gilholy

Chloe Gilholy is a healthcare worker from Oxfordshire. She published her first poem when she was eight and she hasn't stopped since. 

Book preview

Samba’s Prologue

I HAVE TRAVELLED FAR and wide, but nothing compares to my hometown of Bulbabutt. Pride overwhelms me when I close my eyes and think of this country. I wrote a book about my experiences as a resident of this country and a biography of Prince Inbu. There are still many enigmas in my friend, Inbu, so I hope to put the record straight.

Within five years, this country has changed from being the butt joke to being the continent’s centre. And it was all thanks to a farmer’s daughter and a bad boy, who just happened to be the heir to the throne.

The Kingdom of Pantalon was one of 69 kingdoms of The Very Breast Empire. Unlike its neighbours that enjoyed electricity and magic, it followed a more medieval market. Following the yellow-bricked road led to the royal palace in Bulbabutt City, the kingdom’s bustling capital.

Hate’s a strong word, but Prince Inbu despised his father.

King Baboon, famous for his big mouth and epic lay-ins, was also renowned for his peculiar food taste. He adored the local delicacies of dog pies, fried slugs with plenty of spinach. His love for dog meat meant countries refused to do trade deals. The Government had no choice but to rely on the black markets to get by.

Prince Inbu was a shameless rebel that went on to become the bane of his father’s existence. As heir to the throne, he was expected to marry a nice girl. And also get some sons out of her. He had no time for outdated and sexist traditions, so he decided to do what every other guy his age did. He drank every weekend when he didn’t have any classes or royal duties. It did not seem to matter what Prince Inbu did; his face would always meet his father’s fist.

In time, Prince Inbu learned more about his father’s cane than his own father. The rod was used to put him in his place. There was a time when he was desperate to please his dad, but it would always be wrong no matter what he did. So, the Prince gave up and decided to be his own person. If he had to have a million bruises and scars, so be it. He knew he would have felt even worse if he suppressed his true self.

My boy, you must be stronger! King Baboon told him every day. You must study harder. It would be best if you become a war master, with a beautiful wife and strong sons. This is your destiny. You must sacrifice your pleasures and become a servant of this country!

Nothing he said made any sense to Prince Inbu. He didn’t want war; it had already caused enough suffering. Despite being a successful monarch, King Baboon’s personal life was deemed a failure. His first wife died of food poisoning, and his second wife turned out to be a man. Technology was illegal after that.

Whilst he loved all his grandchildren, he was sad that his son hadn’t settled down yet. This was the leading cause of many arguments and fights between The King and The Prince. Every day he would tell his son to find a wife, and the answer was always no.

King Baboon passed a law making it illegal to say anything negative about him or the royal family. Prince Inbu was the only one who stood up to him, and King Baboon’s punishment was to humiliate him in public by beating him up. Prince Inbu got off lightly; King Baboon jailed at least a hundred critics a week. He once imprisoned an entire newspaper company because one wrote in the local gossip panel that he put on weight.

King Baboon was a self-proclaimed man of tradition. He scalded his son’s lack of marital status in public, despite being only nineteen. He married off his daughters to