Page 27 of The Orc's Promised Bride

“I barely know him. He’s still a stranger to me in many ways. We haven’t… our marriage remains unconsummated. We agreed to wait until after the Bride Trials are complete.”

The admission hung in the air between them, and she noticed the slight tremor in Jessamin’s hands as she reached for the teapot again.

“He’s so… controlled. Reserved.” Jessamin’s voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “Sometimes he looks at me as if he is burning up inside, but then the mask comes down and he’s formal and distant again.”

“Perhaps he’s trying not to pressure you.”

“He’s not. He’s never made me feel uncomfortable, he’s just… distant. As if he’s protecting himself as well as me. I find myself drawn to him, to his strength and determination. The way he cares for his people. But…”

“But?” she prompted gently.

“What if he remains this distant after the Trials? After we…” The other woman blushed. “I understand my duty to both our kingdoms. I’ve accepted it. But the thought of a lifetime with someone who holds himself apart…”

She thought about Lothar waiting outside the door. Unlike Ulric’s careful distance from Jessamin, Lothar had been there for her from the moment they met - caring for her injuries, teaching her his language, making her laugh even when she felt lost. The only space between them was what she demanded, driven by her own fears.

Her heart ached for the other woman, recognizing the loneliness in her posture. She’d never felt that way with Lothar - even in her worst moments, he’d been a steady, warm presence.

She cleared her throat.

“Do you think the gods are really involved in all of this? In bringing people together?”

“My father is both priest and king. Since I was small, he taught me that the gods walk amongst us, guiding our paths.” She gave a small half-shrug. “I was raised to see their hand in everything.”

The certainty in Jessamin’s voice made her wonder about her own arrival. She hadn’t prayed for guidance, hadn’t even believed in divine intervention. Yet here she was, drawn to this world, to Lothar. Perhaps there was more to it than chance.

She stared into her teacup, watching the amber liquid swirl as she thought about what Jessamin had said. The thought of gods meddling in her life seemed impossible, but there was a serenity, a peace to this place that seemed… otherworldly.

“You and Lothar are welcome to stay,” Jessamin said, breaking the contemplative silence. “This temple belongs to Freja. If she has a message for you, you’re most likely to receive it here.”

The thought of staying, of having time to understand her place in this world, filled her with relief. But before she could respond, Jessamin continued.

“However, we’ll need to pretend that you and Lothar are already mated. Some of the Brides here are quite… determined to secure a mate, and you saw how the guards reacted. I’d rather avoid any unnecessary complications.”

Heat crept up her cheeks at the thought. The idea of pretending to be Lothar’s mate was unexpectedly appealing. She couldn’t help remembering the way it felt to curl up next to him at night - and the way he kissed her. She thought of how naturally she’d gravitated toward him, how safe she felt in his presence.

“Would that be acceptable?” Jessamin asked, misinterpreting her silence for hesitation.

She nodded, trying to ignore the flutter of anticipation in her stomach.

“Yes, I think that would work.” She hesitated, then gave Jessamin a curious look. “You said all the women here are brides - does that mean they have husbands waiting for them?”

“Lothar did not explain?”

“No.”

Jessamin sighed and stared down at her teacup.

“The orcs are cursed. They agreed to a spell many years ago that allowed them to become more powerful in battle. What no one knew was that the side effect of that curse - they have fewer children each year and those children are rarely female.”

“He did tell me that much,” she said, remembering their discussion about his brothers.

“As part of the marriage contract, I brought one hundred women with me - they are the Brides. The orcs are competing in the Bride Trials for a chance to woo one of them.”

“They’re prizes?” she asked, horrified, and Jessamin quickly shook her head.

“Not like that. They may choose who to marry, or not to marry at all. The contest is simply to provide… access to them.”

The idea still bothered her but when she remembered all those longing eyes at the market, she thought she understood why it had been set up that way.

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