Page 19 of Valpar

The scent was theonly reason I had decided to go to the ball.

I had intended to stay away from the party from the start of this journey. I didn’t care to watch the dancing, the happy, smiling faces, and watch as all the other creatures gainedmates.

It wasn’t fair, and I hated the Moon Fairy.

She got our hopes up all those years ago, and for what? So we could fight in a war and receive nothing in return?

I snarled.

All these emotions swelled inside my body. I had no release, no tree, no mound of dirt or boulder to pound my fists in to or swing my blade at. We were staying on the palace grounds and had to keep thingsnice.

We must leave the area as we found it. We weren’t monsters, and we were still trying to prove that to the many creatures that still looked at us in worry.

Sugha was the one orc they fully trusted. He was the joyous one of us all, but, he was also the one who hadn’t lived the longest. He was the youngest of all of us. He wasn’t bitter, yet.

I came to the party tonight because of the scent that surrounded the palace grounds. It was near and then it was far. I could not find the beginnings of it, but I could always find the trail of where the scent had once been.

After a lot of thinking, which had caused much of my distress, I realized it reminded me of a tea that Queen Clara of the Cerulean Moon Kingdom had given the orcs long ago. It was to help with sleep after the war—chamomile.

I requested the servants to bring me the tea. Maybe my body craved sleep, and the herbs would make me less on edge, but I was disappointed. This scent I craved and had smelt on the queen earlier had a sweeter smell, one that made my mouth water.

And so, I searched the palace grounds for most of my day, encountering nothing until a gentle breeze carried it straight to my lungs.

Infuriating!

“Can you at least smile a bit?” Sugha whispered to me as we stood at the entrance to the ballroom.

The largest room in the palace lacked nothing for what the king and queen had put together. Its towering walls and ceilings were filled with hanging, shining rocks, each one crafted and dripping with crystals that shimmered in the soft glow of thehanging candles. Decorated cloth, depicting scenes of creatures that lived in Bergarian meeting their mates, scenes of the land, and other kingdom pictures filled the walls, adding to the welcoming atmosphere.

As guests entered, their eyes were immediately drawn to the opulent centerpiece, a massive golden fountain overflowing with cascades of fae wine. The room buzzed with excitement as fairies and fae, their petite wings fluttering, darted through the air, offering trays laden with fancy food- barely enough to fill my tongue - and beverages.

Everyone’s scents, along with the smell of food, was almost too much. I tried to block it out so I could smell only food and the scent I really craved, but I wasn’t a shifter. I didn’t have the skill set.

This was going to be a waste of time.

The room was alive with laughter, music and the clinking of glasses. I rolled my eyes. I scratched my backside, thefor-malwear itching my skin. Thepantswere too much, making me hot and my body leak fluid. I pulled on the string of the tunic and let my chest go bare. I did not mind feeling the air when a fairy flew by and gave me instant relief with a breeze.

“You shouldn’t do that. Everyone is dressed up. What if you meet your miresa?” Sugha scolded.

All the people in the room were dressed in their finest clothes. Females sparkled in short cloth, and males in clothing that covered most of their bodies. Some had shiny rocks hanging on their chests, and others had extra fabric hanging around their neck dripping behind them as they walked.

The orcs were the least dressed, but it was veryfor-malto us: White tunics with either black or brown pants. I’d rather have my shaft free than feel confined like this.

“Our miresas won’t show up, anyway, why should I care?” I hissed, harsher than I would have liked, at my brother’sexcitement. I pulled my tunic from the ties of my pants. I despised the fact that the tunic made my soft belly more noticeable when tucked into the pants.

Sugha made a disappointed face. “At least let me pull back your hair. You don’t even have a braid in it.”

My lip curled, and I turned away from him, stomping over to the food. He tricked me earlier. He told me there was fungus growing in my hair and, sneakily, tried to brush it to make me look ‘presentable’.

I stomped over to the food, away from the tribe. My chest rose and fell as I gazed at the enormous spread. The first time we came to one of these balls, it was nothing but finger food. Small sandwiches, fruits and vegetables, and flower salads drizzled with honey. We were all starving at the end. Later, we went out and killed deer on the king’s land, then roasted it on a spit to drown our woes and fill our bellies.

Now, we can fill our stomachs in here and watch everyone else get their miresas.

At least we won’t go hungry at this party.

The tribe was still mingling, sniffing and looking. They were looking for any sign, for a spark that a female or a male could be theirs, but they were coming up with nothing despite the large, crowded room.

Orcs are not meant to feel. We are meant to hit, kill and hunt. To feel is to be vulnerable. To let any of this feeling out, we are to hit, stomp and roar into the Wood to let out this—emotion.Unfortunately, since we are here in the palace, we cannot let out our frustrations, instead of hitting things, they resorted to drinking and hitting each other.

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