Page 22 of The Orc's Wife

“I’ll take the palace. But it’ll take two or three weeks, and their power might not be enough if your warriors don’t stand with us.”

“They are yours,” Durug said, hitting his chest with his fist. “You are the general.”

Urgan grimaced.

“They don’t know me. I’ve been away for too long. They only know my reputation, not the orc that I am. No, they are yours. And the Imp says I’ll be stripped of my title as soon as my warriors arrive. He wants my troops to witness my humiliation.”

Durug snorted at the derogatory title Urgan had given the Imperator.

“He’ll be disappointed.”

“I’ll have to meet them half-way,” Urgan said, his face set in a grim line. “I must join my troops along the way and prepare the attack. As soon as they enter the city, they must march on the palace. It’s the best bet. But I have a feeling the Imp is preparing something, too. We have two weeks to find out what it is and to prepare the best strategy.”

They were talking about the palace fortifications, battle strategy, the numbers Durug had at his disposal. The conversation calmed Urgan down and returned to him a sense of control. In that frame of mind, he broached the most important subject they still hadn’t discussed.

“Do you know the two traitors who attacked me?”

Durug nodded solemnly.

“They both came in six months ago. Birkar used to serve as a palace guard.” At Urgan’s sneer, Durug nodded. “At that time, it didn’t seem suspicious. And Gahn was just a youth intent on victory and adventure. A dreamer. He had stars in his eyes whenever someone mentioned you.”

“Why were two new recruits guarding the prison?” Urgan asked, keeping his fury out of his voice. Durug had made a mistake. But it wouldn’t do to antagonize his ally. He had to handle it calmly.

But Durug felt the weight of his blame. He saluted Urgan, acknowledging his authority.

“I take the blame, general. The prison stood empty. We hadn’t used it in a long time. Guarding it was a task given to new recruits who weren’t useful for much else. When my orcs brought in the prisoner, I hadn’t been there to assign new guards. I should have. I take the blame, general. It was a lapse of judgement.”

Yes, it had been. Bur Urgan knew he couldn’t expect too much of his faithful friend. Knowing the limitations of others was an important part of his job. While he was a great commander, Durug just wasn’t enough of a suspicious bastard.

But when he made mistakes, he learned from them. That was why Urgan now gave him a stern look.

“This mistake is your debt to me. You won’t make it twice, I know. But now, you must work doubly hard to earn back the trust you have lost.”

Durug saluted, his scarred face serious. He poured more mead in their cups.

“I hear your human mate is living with you in the palace,” he said after they had drunk. “If you wish, she could stay with us until your army arrives. Madral will protect her.”

But Urgan shook his head.

“She is my responsibility. I know your mate is a fierce fightress and can be relied on, but I must be the one to protect Una.”

They emptied their cups in silence. Urgan had eaten and calmed down, and now, he was ready for more work. He had his suspicions about who stood behind the rogue guards, but suspicions weren’t enough. He needed certainty.

“Find out if Birkar and Gahn acted on their own or if someone was controlling them. Be discreet and use only orcs you trust. In the meantime, I’ll talk to some orcs I haven’t seen in a while.”

He held back an angry snarl. The thought of leaving Una alone in their bed on their first night in the capital made him want to rip someone apart. Again. And ripping orcs to shreds wouldn’t do in his current situation. If he wanted Una safe, he needed to keep his emotions in check. He needed to be cunning, always one step ahead of his enemies.

He would talk to Grikh to set up contingency plans. The attack, which for now couldn’t be traced back to the Imperator, was much bolder than the ragghits in the Wilds. It meant the Imperator was losing his patience.

And Urgan wasn’t invincible, no matter what everyone else believed. He needed to make provisions to make sure Una would be protected and able to flee if something happened to him. He would also need to talk to Oriana before the late evening turned into the night. And then pay some nightly visits to his friends and contacts outside the army.

Many people owed him debts of gratitude. It was time Urgan started collecting.

Chapter 7

Una

Icouldn’t take my eyes off her. The orc princess was grinning wide, her fangs flashing as bright as the gold jewelry around her arms and the gemstones in her hair. She wasn’t carrying weapons, but it didn’t mean she was unarmed. Her fingers ending in sharp claws were twitching.

---