Page 3 of Claimed By the Orc Emperor

I sigh, pulling some of my hair over my shoulder as I twist the strands between my fingers. I’m always bombarded with memories of my mother when I’m doing my hair. We were as thick as thieves. I resembled her more than my older brother, which is why I think my mother and I had a deeper connection. My mother and I had the same sepia skin, the same almond-shaped, thick-lashed eyes, the same bow-shaped mouth and the same high cheekbones. It’s almost a shock sometimes, looking in the mirror every day, seeing her staring back at me. When I have my hair in twists, I’m reminded of how my mom looked with her locs freshly done.

Kai stops brushing my hair and tips my head back. “I know, Rainn. She’s all around you in that nature you love so much. She never leaves you.”

This is why Kai is my best friend. He knows me so well. He loved my mother just as much as I did and knows how hard I took it when she died. He’s been there for me through it all. Unlike my actual blood brother.

“Love you,” I whisper.

He kisses my forehead. “Love you back. Now hold your head down. I want to make sure my parts are straight.” I laugh and do what he says.

An hour later we’re done with my hair and we switch places. Kai hands me his paddle brush so I can get the tangles out of his long blond hair. By the time I’m done, he’s dozing off, his head drooping on my thigh. I hate to wake him, but if I’m going to get up early to hike, I have to get to bed.

I tap his shoulder gently so I don’t startle him. “Come on, Kai. We both have places to be in the morning.”

He yawns widely and stands, stretching his arms over his head. “Yeah, gotta be at work at seven.” He looks down at his watch. “It’s just after ten. Perfect. I can get my six hours.”

I just smile at Kai and don’t mention that it’ll be about eight hours of sleep. He’s so pretty that it doesn’t even matter that he’s terrible at math.

Kai saunters down the hall to his room, then stops and turns around. “If you fuck yourself with one of those huge dildos, please keep it down.”

My cheeks heat with embarrassment, but I keep my head up high.

I try to keep it quiet, but the orc dildo has a vibrating function. That’s one of the reasons it’s my favorite. Who could be quiet with that?

With a barked laugh, I skip to my room. “No promises.”

ChapterTwo

Axum

“Good, Your Grace,”Grukk breathes heavily as he parries my sword thrusts, sliding under my guard. The practice swords we are using may not cut, but they are heavy and will cause bruising. I know first hand. In this session alone, a strike along my back has been throbbing for about half an hour. “Nice thrust.”

I duck just as he swings at my head, the air whooshing over me and whipping through my hair.

Grukk chuckles and presses me with a complex series of movements until I fall on my backside. He presses the tip of his wooden sword to my throat with a wide grin on his face. His tusks flash in the light radiating from the sconces, white and sharp. “You did well today, Your Highness.”

I grunt and push the tip away. “Yes, but I did not best you.”

He tosses the sword away and holds his hand out to help me to my feet. “In your defense, sire, you have never bested me.”

That is an accurate statement. In the twenty years Grukk has been my weapons and war trainer, the student has failed to surpass the teacher. But I do not wish to best him. If ever I do, I would need to find another that is better and that would be an impossible task; Grukk is the best.

We meander over to the canteen and take several swigs of cold water. Training today has been hard, my muscles burning and begging for a reprieve from the harsh treatment. It would not be so bad if I did not have a meeting later that will sap even more of my energy.

“We have been at it for hours,” I say, checking the position of the sun in the sky. Just after dawn, I dragged myself from the comfort of my bed to meet Grukk here—it is closer to noon now.

Grukk nods, handing me a cloth to wipe my face. “Yes, but you have greatly improved. You were able to evade more than one of my blows. It has only taken you twenty years.”

Another grunt leaves my lips, though I smile as I wipe my face clean. “We shall not train on the morrow. I have court. My advisors have chastised me for not listening to the disputes of my subjects on a regular basis.”

A rumbling laugh leaves his throat as we leave the sparring room. “With all due respect, sire, you are the emperor. You can tell them to fuck themselves.”

“That’s an option,” I reply with humor.

We diverge when we reach the end of the hallway. I head up to my chambers so I can sit in my bathing pool to relax my muscles until it is time to meet my advisors.

Once I enter my chambers, I strip off my breeches and toss them into my soiled clothing piles for my staff to gather later. I step into my bathing room and wade into my pool, the cool water easing my sore and overheated muscles. I could heat the cold water with a simple spell, but the cold will do more for my aches and pains than warmer temperatures.

We have not had war in many years—though there have been minor skirmishes—but I like to keep in shape, just in case. Though most of my subjects have settled into my rule, there is always dissent somewhere. If that ever comes to pass, I’ll be ready.

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