Page 100 of The Orc Queen

Her beautiful face finally turns to me and her soft smile is even more beautiful than it has ever been. I wouldn’t say something is different about her face but she looks…more. More beautiful, her aura is fuller and brighter. She looks happy.

“I can still do damage, orc,” she says.

I chuckle. “You doing damage is the reason we have two new-borns.”

She laughs loudly, startling Valeria who was getting sleepy. She starts crying and I pick her up.

“Shh, little one.” I try to calm my precious. Our eyes meet and she reaches with her tiny hand and when I give her my finger, she touches it. I take a seat on the other chair in the room. I play with her and she settles down. When I lift my eyes, Aria is staring at me in her chair.

I look back down at our daughter before I say, “You are looking at me like you want another set, Dove.”

“Ha!” she says. “In your orc dreams. I am never opening my legs for you again. I hope you enjoyed it.”

My eyes widen to her even though I know she is joking. At least I hope she is.

She gets up and exits the room.

Wait, is she serious?

I get up and follow her to the kitchen with Valeria.

She giggles when I come in the kitchen and takes a bowl of fruit from the cooler. The women have been coming in everyday to help around the dwelling and continue preparing our meals and helping with the babies when we need to bathe and eat.

Aria takes a seat and I stand leaning on the wall. Her face turns serious but she says nothing.

“What is on your mind?” I ask.

“I’m thinking about a lot of things. The challenge for now.” She pauses to look up at me.

“Are you worried about me or leaving the kids?”

“All of it. It’s three orcs, Igor. I believe in you. But there are more against us than those with us. Many still don’t see your vision. What if they still refuse you after you win?”

I take a moment to consider her words. I have had little time to think about the impending challenge. Her points are valid but I can’t explain how I know, I just do.

“The Gods are on our side, my Queen,” I say.

She sighs before she takes a piece of fruit to her mouth.

I try to calm Valeria who is now crying louder in my arms, probably hungry. Aria gets up.

“I know…I know, orc but…I just want everything to be over. I am tired of this…everything.” She says when she stands in front of me checking on our daughter who is squirming in my hands.

“Let me feed her.”

I give her to her and take the boy. I pull her chair and she sits. Then I take her food and feed her as she feeds our daughter.

“Do you wish me to postpone? Do you think it’s too soon?”

The challenge is in a week and I wish I didn’t have to do it either but postponing now will make me look weak. But I was hearing her and ultimately, I was going to listen to her counsel.

“No. Postponing won’t change much. We will still go.” She exhales. “Let’s just finish this, Igor, then our big adventure begins.” She smiles at me fondly and I rise and kiss her lips.

Valeria cries when I do and both me and Aria laugh.

While Gordian doesn’t care what I do, Valeria doesn’t want me kissing her mother. She will bare her tuskless, toothless gums at me.

My baby girl.

---