Prince and Trader Series by R.G. Green

Prince and Trader: Book I For hundreds of years, the kingdom of Llarien has maintained a defense against the barbarians. Now, activity at the border draws attention from Kherin Rhylle, the less-favored younger son of the king. Kherin suspects a deeper purpose behind the attacks, but his father refuses to grant permission to travel to the border, despite Kherin's obligated tenure as a Defender... morePrince and Trader: Book I For hundreds of years, the kingdom of Llarien has maintained a defense against the barbarians. Now, activity at the border draws attention from Kherin Rhylle, the less-favored younger son of the king. Kherin suspects a deeper purpose behind the attacks, but his father refuses to grant permission to travel to the border, despite Kherin's obligated tenure as a Defender. Not even unprecedented deaths or the serious injury of Kherin’s brother, the crown prince, can change the king’s mind. Then Derek Resh, kingdom trader and Kherin’s closest friend, convinces the king to allow Kherin to travel with him, and an unexpected journey to the border proves the threat real—while an unexpected intimacy with Derek makes Kherin realize that his feelings go deeper than the friendship they have shared for most of his life. But even that turns devastating, as Derek won’t pursue anything more intimate when the king’s disapproval is certain. Grasping at straws, Kherin is caught between a danger he doesn't understand and the desire for a deeper relationship he can't have. And then there's the magic that threatens to return after being banished hundreds of years ago…. less

Passion has blossomed from the lifelong friendship between Kherin Rylle, the second prince of Llarien, and Derek Resh, a trader employed by the crown. But left on his own in the border city of Gravlorn, Kherin soon draws the anger of the Defenders and his own brother as charges of cowardice and treason are thrown at his feet. Meanwhile, the increasingly dangerous attacks of the northerners bring more than the threat of war to Llarien's border... morePassion has blossomed from the lifelong friendship between Kherin Rylle, the second prince of Llarien, and Derek Resh, a trader employed by the crown. But left on his own in the border city of Gravlorn, Kherin soon draws the anger of the Defenders and his own brother as charges of cowardice and treason are thrown at his feet. Meanwhile, the increasingly dangerous attacks of the northerners bring more than the threat of war to Llarien's border. Rumors of an ancient northern magic promise a danger far greater than war, and Kherin can't say the rumors aren't true. Only now he has to learn the truth on his own. Derek left Gravlorn in search of answers for the unexpected happenings at the border, and although Kherin is determined to keep what they found together, growing tensions, hidden jealousies, and unforeseen revelations about the northern lands threaten to take away everything he has worked to gain. As the border grows more dangerous, Kherin faces the reality that courage and honor may not be enough to end the northern threat, and love may not be enough for Derek and Kherin to find happiness. less