Tertius

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

 

The look of pure horror could not be wiped clean off the princess's face as she lay on the bed, tummy full and exposed to her future husband. Baron's face was not that of shock, but of disgust as he reached out and grabbed the princess by the hair, yanking it with a force that caused Erana to yelp.

Beads of sweat dripped down her neck as she fought with both her birthing pains, and the pains of Baron's abuse. Her bleeding lip trickled the scarlet lines down her chin as Baron yanked her head to the side, exposing the side of her neck as he pressed his nose to it and inhaled deeply.

Erana shuddered, full of repulsion as she pitifully pushed the prince away. The stone prince did not move nor budge, gently biting at her jaw as she winced in pain. His palm rose over her stomach, and upwards, making his way across her chest as he grinned. Fingers falling over her face like a trap, he picked her head up and brought it down against the brick walls, cracking her skull.

Her scream was gargled by the blood in her mouth as she glared at the prince, struggling to curse him. Her nails dug into his skin, burning him as she chanted in her head for magic to pull forth and help. But she was weak, frail, struggling to pull what magic lay in the walls of her room.

The loud slap of skin brought her attention towards the right wall as Corgak slapped the prince into a corner, towering over the Flumine with anger. His large palm wrapped around his neck, picking him a few feet above the ground as he squeezed.

"Corgak..." Erana managed, "No..."

Deaf by rage, Corgak did not hear the plea of his princess, squeezing harder at the prince's next, nearly snapping it in two. Baron's face was purple, struggling to breathe as he fought with the monstrous Orc. The world slowly started to grow dark as he slipped out of existence, face in horror as he attempted to reach for his blade.

In his raging moment, Corgak snapped the Flumine's arms, one at a time as he screamed, the high pitch cry shattering three glass vases in the far corner of the room. Still, he fell deaf to Erana's pleas.

Panting, Erana fought to find the strength to rise, but she could not, eyes fluttering open before closing completely. Large kicks to her stomach kept her conscious, kept her aware of an extra set of feet making its way in a rush down the hallway to her room.

Her heart beat wildly, as she opened her eyes to find Corgak standing tall over Baron's unrecognizable body, Corgak's hands and chest covered in his blood as he snarled at the corpse. Fresh tears came to Erana's eyes as she coughed, wining towards her guard as he was lost in blood lust.

His eyes were red, hungering for death as he approached the princess, hands grabbing her. They were surprisingly gentle as the color returned to his eyes, burying his face in his princess's chest, holding her in his arms. He relaxed, sitting on the bed.

He breathed her in, stroking her hair as she sighed in relief, trying her best to comfort her guard, trying to kiss him, missing his lips as she kissed each corner, swaying side to side. The pains of their child never let up as she clawed at his shoulders, biting into her lip more with each passing wave as it grew stronger, tossing her around on an endless sea of pain.

Corgak shared her pain as he kissed her neck, caressing her face as he held her hands, letting her dig her nails into his legs as he winced.

They were caught together as the King entered in the room. Behind him stood two Orcs, both servants, both armed with a broom and bucket. The three sets of eyes fell upon the room, observing, and then trailing towards Corgak and Erana as he held her and kissed her forehead.

"What in Jiro's great hells happened here?" The King recoiled at the sight of the dead prince on the floor, the sight hitting him like a bag of rocks to the chest. "Why is the Flumine prince dead?"

Corgak caressed Erana as he spoke, "The princess came down to her quarters to rest. Baron intruded, attacking her as she tried to fight him off. He hurt her, I protected her life-"

"Do you know what you have done?! Do you know what chaos will spring forth from the bellows of hell once Flumine hears about the death of his prince?!" There was a sharp slap as the King huffed, slapping the Orc once more.

Erana's eyes fluttered as she slipped through consciousness and fading into the dark abyss. Fingers weakly grasping onto her guard's arm as her head rolled back. The world was a dizzy mess, throwing her around in her head.

"What have you done to my daughter? She bares a child yet she has not been with any prince! Guards take this one away!" The King's anger boiled over as he shoved Erana aside, moving Corgak as he obeyed his King's orders, arising from the bed. The King could not dare look at his daughter, chaining one of her arms to the bed as he looked at his servants, "Bring me a torch. This abomination will die alongside its mother for treason."

Like a knife to the heart, Corgak gasped, fighting against his brothers as the other Scaleskin Orcs drove him from the room, taking both of their strength to hold him down as the King locked the door.

Shaking, the servants held onto the torches, looking at their master pleadingly as he yanked one free from their hands. They did not dare to watch the scene, covering their eyes as the King stood over Erana's bedside.

He stared at the frail, pale body of his daughter, his precious gem, the last memory of the wife he loved till the day she died. He could not feel remorse for the princess, the broken, useless woman that she had become, pregnant and birthing a child that did not belong in the world. She was a traitor, and every traitor needed to be punished.

With a deep breath he set the torch beside her on the bed, scorching the bed sheets and frying her backside as she clawed the bed, leaving holes. She gritted her teeth, looking at her father helplessly as she cried into the sheets.

It did not take long for the bed to catch aflame, burning like a bonfire as it consumed Erana, overpowering her screams as it ate her alive, leaving her to become ashes upon ashes on the floor. Erana's crown being the only remains left of her existence amongst the ashes.

The King wept over the loss of his daughter and wife, waving his hand towards the remains as the servants rushed to clean.

Amongst the mess there was a cry. A small, pitiful cry and two small arms reached out of the ashes. The servants were stunned, as was the King as he stood over the remnants of his daughter, to find a child.

She was tiny, wide hands reaching out towards the King as he stood dazed, in fascination and wonder. How had the child lived? It was a miracle the King disapproved of, drawing his sword as he raised it above the child.

"Your Lordship!" The servants cowered over the baby as one took it into it's arms. "It is a babe, your highness."

"It is an abomination, out of the way."

The servants did not budge.

"Your king commands, move."

"Your highness let us raise it. We will keep it underground, far away from the people. It will clean the passageways and dungeon floors. No one will know of its existence your majesty." The servants caressed the child, looking at the King, begging on their knees.

Tightening his jaw, the King looked away, turning his back upon the Orcs. He sighed heavily, staring outside as the Scaleskin Orcs hung their brother, Corgak having trouble to breathe.

"Very well, do with it as you wish. But if it comes outside and into the view of my people, I will end it where it stands." He made his way out to the courtyard, separating the waves of people as he neared the execution.

Shaking, the servants gathered the child in a sack, finishing their cleaning as they paid respect to the fallen princess and made their way underground. Upon the cold ground, they lay the child, caressing the baby as it cried.

The soft scales of its father were black as night, covering its shoulders, one day to become hard as stone. Its black hair in a small tuff on its head, face that of a human, with two pointed teeth which jutted out over the top lip from the bottom jaw. Its eyes blue, as the still lake by the kingdom side.

"It is beautiful, Ras'nif." The female Orc caressed the child, "What shall we call it?"

"What gender it be, Nazul?" Ras'nif set aside their broom and bags.

Nazul lifted the child up, examining it as it giggled and cooed, "Female."

The name for the child came to them without a second thought, honoring their mother's death as they appropriately named the child: Ash.