Orsus

T'was a forbidden romance which created whom I've become

 

 

She gazed upon the Orc's backside, not five feet from her as he faced towards the Yo'shura Mountains. The ever burning light from the three suns engulfed him in an aura of flames, resembling the dragons from the mountains in the west. His scaly skin was dark, nearly black from countless hours guarding the same door day after day which led to the chambers of the princess; the very same princess whose gaze was upon him now.

He was one of the four proud Scaleskin Orcs to guard the Royal Mages tower. Destined from birth to protect the Royals inside and outside of the castle from any harm with armor-like skin, the Scaleskins were a rare breed of Orc, only those privileged near any Mages.

The princess's smile was warm and sweet as she rested her hand upon his shoulder. Her eyes spoke sincerity and love. The guard's focus was onwards toward the Hogurin plains, where the Minotaur camped and the Fae danced on the lakes.

The Evergreen was settling in, melting away the last of the frost from days before. The suns beat down hotter that morning than the day previous, but he did not falter from his stare and post.

"Come now, Corgak. Hogurin cannot be so interesting, that you'd be ignoring your princess's presence," She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, trying to get his gaze. Her eyes were lost, searching his face, attempting to read the Orc's expression. "Is this about the letter?"

Corgak remained expressionless, ever staring out towards the horizon. His brow was furrowed, sweaty, eyes focused. He seemed to be made of stone, a statue that breathed, and blinked.

A breeze blew against his sweaty skin, blowing the small, black tuff of hair on his scalp. The war paint of his initiation had well faded away into grey lines on his scales. His tough, leather skin was worn away, bleached from the suns.

"As your princess, I demand you answer me," The princess gave Corgak a shove, but he didn't budge.

His eyes peeled away from the hills to gaze upon the furious Mage. A soft smile grew upon his lips as his wide hand patted her head as if she were a child. It mussed up her auburn hair, leaving the Mage to look angrier.

"Calm, Erana. I am sworn to my duty; for it is your life my duty to protect. What letter are you speaking of?" His eyes bore into hers gently.

Erana was hesitant to answer the question, afraid of hurting her guard once again, and getting the silent treatment as the weak previous. She bit her lip nervously, wind blowing her hair to the east.

Corgak remained silent, leaving his princess to her thoughts as his attention fell upon the horizon again. Shifting slowly, he resumed his position once more as life continued below the walls; inside the merchant district it remained ever lively.

"Flumine has requested that Bellum give my hand to their prince to unite the kingdoms. Father forbids me from refusing the offer. He wants to prevent a war, not start one." She stared out towards Yo'shura, taking a deep breath, "I need to hear your thoughts on this, Corgak."

The Orc's eyes fell upon the Mage once again as he met her gaze. Nothing was spoken. Silence rang loudly between the two.

"You know how I feel for you, princess, but my word can never be spoken. What feelings we have are forbidden. If we were ever to produce a childling, it would be burned before us, and we would follow soon after. We both cannot go through that pain. Your father has never steered the kingdom wrong. Abide by his word, princess. Marry the Flumine prince," As he spoke, his voice wavered and his eyes had fallen upon the blood stained, white flags that adorned the top of the castle walls.

Erana stared hard at her guard, hurt by his words, but not allowing the emotion to fall through upon her face. Biting her lip once more, she was hesitant to tell Corgak of much bigger news, but afraid of the way the Orc would react, prevented any words to escape her lips.

She fixed her crown, staring out at Yo'shura once more before bowing to Corgak. The Orc nodded his head, bowing to her in the same manner, though he sensed something was not right. His princess did not argue on the matter at hand as she did so every day. She was too quiet, something had to be wrong.

Though, he did not push the matter, he simply moved from one end of his post to the other, Erana quietly following behind. She gently held onto his armor, rubbing over it with her thumbs. Dirt and dust rubbed off the chainmail-like armor, turning the tips of her fingers black and she smiled warmly to herself.

"You seem cheerful, though you came to me troubled. There is something else on your mind, my princess. Do you wish to share?" Corgak fixed a loose brick on the corner of the wall.

"There is nothing to share, my guard. Tis a warm day out. Your armor looks worn and dirty. Come inside, and I shall wash it," Erana turned her back towards the guard as she headed to two, large red doors.

"Princess..." Corgak started to argue, but it fell on deaf ears as Erana entered into the kingdom, leaving one door opened enough for him to slip inside.

With a deep sigh, the Orc trailed inside, closing the door quietly as he looked around the dark room, eyes still adjusting from the bright outdoors of his post. He felt uneasy in the dark, felt exposed and vulnerable. Arms shaking slightly, palms groping the wall to find something as a weapon.

"Come now, Corgak. Must you always resort to violence?"

It was Erana's soft voice in the dark, putting him at ease as he stopped his search for a weapon, and started a search for the princess.

"Why are your quarters so dark, my princess? Is there not a candle nearby to light?" He scoured through the dark, tumbling over baskets of fruit in the far corner of the room.

Gentle hands touched his shoulder, pulling at one of the scales as they rubbed their palms against the rough surface. Corgak shivered involuntarily, turning around to be face to face with Erana.

The Mage smiled, pulling Corgak's armor up and over his head as she collected it into a basket, pulling off his pants and boots next and adding them with his armor. Next went the rest, as she undressed the Orc, paying no mind to his unsettling nerves whilst standing before her naked. 

"Does my naked presence not bother you, my princess?" He breathed deeply, watching Erana as she threw his clothes in, one by one, to a kettle over a fire.

"No, Corgak. For I have seen it enough to remember each detail, each line, each curve. Though you always seem so nervous whenever I wash your armor. Does my guard fear to be judged about his appearance from his princess?" Her eyes were warm as they fell upon Corgak.

A wish smile was upon the princess's face as she washed his armor and clothes, fingers rubbing into the leather-like clothing, nails scrubbing over the surface as she hummed, awaiting Corgak's answer, though she did not expect one.

Her guard remained quiet, and the silence with no reply kept the smile upon her face, the fire illuminating it in the dark room. The flames flickered and danced under the kettle, eating at the riverwood gathered either that morning. Some embers rested by Erana's feet, keeping the ground warm.

Corgak watched his armor be scrubbed and cleaned by the princess's hands, not by a servant, no. Erana would never let anyone wash his armor but her as she hummed a lullaby, the same one, each time she cleaned it. It always brought a smile to the Orc's face, though he stood behind her nude, scales incrusted with dust and dirt.

As Erana's humming came to an end, she spread his armor and clothing upon a drying rack, dangling them above the fire, high enough to dry and not burn. Her sweet eyes searched the guards face again, permanent smile plastered on her face as she caressed his face, thumbs rubbing gently at his jaw.

"I have a bath set for you, my guard. Come, let us bathe you," Though this time she did not wait, grasping his hand as she gently pulled him though the doorway to the Royal bathing room.

With a gentle shove, she coaxed the Orc to sit inside the large bath, the bath consuming nearly two thirds of the room, stretching out far enough to fit most of the Scaleskin Orcs inside all together.

"You spoil me, my princess." He tilted his head upright to meet Erana's gaze, face serious. Though he could not keep his mask of seriousness for long as the princess herself stripped down and joined him in the waters.

Corgak took in the beauty of the princess before him, gulping loudly as she pressed her chest against his. His hands shook slightly, though he had seen her form and beauty many times without the robes she wore every day. Still, he was never prepared to see it again on days she cleaned his armor and bathed him.

"Don't be so tense, Corgak. You have seen my body enough times to have it memorized, yet every time you do, you are tense and shaking. My beauty cannot be that captivating, my guard." Her eyes shone bright in the candle light of the bathing room.

Words escaped the Orc as he tried to find his breath, arms wound tightly around his princess's waist, her head on his shoulder as she made soft, cooing-like sounds, eyes closed. She breathed him in, enjoying the sweet bath water scent mingling with the scent of his sweat and dust.

Her hair clung to her body, long, auburn, reaching down just above to her waist. Her eyes hidden behind her eyelids as she beamed, radiating love while feeling safe in her guard's arms.

"Corgak, truly you do not mean as you say, I should marry that b*****d prince who has threatened to tear down the walls of my kingdom if I do not marry him. He would make a violent husband," She met his gaze, "Truly you do not wish your princess harmed."

Corgak's jaw tightened as he listened to her plea, sighing heavily, shoulders slumping as he brushed a stray hair from her eyes. The gesture caused Erana to smile warmly at her guard, kissing his scaly chest.

He let in a sharp intake, relaxing once again into the hot, sweet water of the bath, rubbing his large hands up and down her back as she scrubbed the Orc's black tuff of hair on his head. His eyes followed a bead of water trailing down her neck as it traveled south, moving over the curve of her shoulder, around the side of her breast, to her stomach, where it joined the rest of the water.

"Corgak, my guard. Where do your eyes wander when I talk?" Erana chuckled, turning the Orc's face a slight pink.

"I was observing a drop of water on your neck, my princess," He wouldn't meet her gaze, hand caressing her cheek as she scrubbed at his scales.

"Mmm, tis what you always say, Corgak," A chuckle again. Then her face fell as a serious tone entered her voice, "Corgak there is something important that has been on my mind."

Corgak interrupted her as their lips met, and he kissed her with love and affection for the Mage, holding the back of her head gently as they deepened the kiss. Moments passed as they only separated to breathe.

"Corgak please, listen, it is important," She caressed his face as he leaned in to kiss her again.

They kissed a second time, fire built behind it, scorching each other's lips as they wrestled in the bath, purring and smiling to one another as Erana cooed. Corgak held her close against his scaly skin, leaned back against the wall of the bath, staring into her eyes with a passion.

Holding the gaze, they exchanged small kisses, ones to lips, others to shoulders and jaws, both smiling as they held onto one another. Corgak felt his nervousness dissipate, and pride of belonging to the princess swelled over.

They touched foreheads, noses pressed softly against the other. Not only water, but sweat dripping off each other's skin into their bath.

Three little words shattered the sound of heavy breathing.

"Corgak, I'm pregnant."

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[Barbara Tennyson]

T'was a forbidden romance which created whom I've become --_It was_ is contracted as _'Twas_. There is no _T'was_.