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Authors: Amalia Dillin
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guide anyone, nor even to guide myself.”
“You could marshal your own forces among the common people. Raise an army and take the throne for yourself. You have the strength and the bloodline.”
She snorted. “I am a woman , Bolthorn. Perhaps among the orcs a woman might rule with the right bloodline, but not among men. Not in Gunnar’s kingdom.”
“It will not be your father’s kingdom much longer, Princess. Why should it not become yours? Why should you not make it yours?”
She shivered, sitting back in a puddle of sunlight beneath the narrow window. In the full light, he could see her eyes at last, warm and dark and only half a shade lighter than her hair. Freshly turned earth, not umber, after all.
“Bad enough to have a part in the king’s death, I have no wish to kill my brothers too. And who would trust a queen so stained by the blood of her own family? I would be no better than him, then.”
He grunted. Making her queen lay too close to the interests of his people, and it was in her interest he wished to guide her, now. She had already promised enough for the orcs. For him.
“There are villages in the foothills,” he offered. “You could live among your people and they need not know who you are.”
“Lord Alviss’s estate is in the foothills.” She turned her face up to the window, staring at the narrow splash of blue sky. It was his first glimpse of the sky since he’d been taken hostage, for the day before he had been in no shape to appreciate it, half-addled by the whipping the king had given him. But all he could see now was the crease of her forehead and the pain in her eyes.
“If he is dead he cannot abuse you.”
She shook her head. “If suffering Lord Alviss is the price I must pay for freedom, so be it. It’s only…” She hugged her knees to her chest, the navy skirt spread around her like the petals of a flower. “I thought you meant to take me with you.”
“I have promised as much already.”
“To the mountains,” she clarified. “Where I would be free. Of all of this.”
“I would.” He had to tell her. Before her eyes lit with joy and he lost the will. Already, relief bloomed through her body, straightening her spine, parting her lips as she leaned forward.
His gaze caught upon them, remembering the feel of her kiss, the gentle touch of her hands. The image of her dressed in leathers rose into his mind. He clenched his jaw, forcing the thoughts away. He would not trap her in the mountains, unknowing.
“There is something you must know, first, Princess.”
Her mouth thinned, her lips pressed firm. Instead of widening with interest, her eyes narrowed with caution. She said nothing, merely waiting.
“Among my people, you would be free. It is a gift within my power to give, and I will see you so honored for the service you have done us. But once we reach the other side, I must close the passage to protect my people.” He watched her face closely, but the only sign of her thoughts was a small line forming between her eyebrows. He forced himself to go on. “If you were unhappy with—” me .
He swallowed the word before he frightened her. Before he had no choice but to face the truth of it himself. A week, he had known her. Perhaps a day more. A week, and every meeting between them, it grew harder to imagine a time when they might never see one another again. But it was only his own foolishness, after long months spent alone.
“If you were unhappy among my people, there would be no way for you to return.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Oh.” It was barely a breath, but he heard it, and how she filled such a small word with so much distress he did not know.
He opened his hand, palm up. “Perhaps—perhaps you could live among the elves, if you wished to leave—” me . That word again. Born of isolation and loneliness, nothing more. He closed his hand into a fist, redirecting his thoughts. “It will not be only the orcs who owe you a debt. The elves have
“You could marshal your own forces among the common people. Raise an army and take the throne for yourself. You have the strength and the bloodline.”
She snorted. “I am a woman , Bolthorn. Perhaps among the orcs a woman might rule with the right bloodline, but not among men. Not in Gunnar’s kingdom.”
“It will not be your father’s kingdom much longer, Princess. Why should it not become yours? Why should you not make it yours?”
She shivered, sitting back in a puddle of sunlight beneath the narrow window. In the full light, he could see her eyes at last, warm and dark and only half a shade lighter than her hair. Freshly turned earth, not umber, after all.
“Bad enough to have a part in the king’s death, I have no wish to kill my brothers too. And who would trust a queen so stained by the blood of her own family? I would be no better than him, then.”
He grunted. Making her queen lay too close to the interests of his people, and it was in her interest he wished to guide her, now. She had already promised enough for the orcs. For him.
“There are villages in the foothills,” he offered. “You could live among your people and they need not know who you are.”
“Lord Alviss’s estate is in the foothills.” She turned her face up to the window, staring at the narrow splash of blue sky. It was his first glimpse of the sky since he’d been taken hostage, for the day before he had been in no shape to appreciate it, half-addled by the whipping the king had given him. But all he could see now was the crease of her forehead and the pain in her eyes.
“If he is dead he cannot abuse you.”
She shook her head. “If suffering Lord Alviss is the price I must pay for freedom, so be it. It’s only…” She hugged her knees to her chest, the navy skirt spread around her like the petals of a flower. “I thought you meant to take me with you.”
“I have promised as much already.”
“To the mountains,” she clarified. “Where I would be free. Of all of this.”
“I would.” He had to tell her. Before her eyes lit with joy and he lost the will. Already, relief bloomed through her body, straightening her spine, parting her lips as she leaned forward.
His gaze caught upon them, remembering the feel of her kiss, the gentle touch of her hands. The image of her dressed in leathers rose into his mind. He clenched his jaw, forcing the thoughts away. He would not trap her in the mountains, unknowing.
“There is something you must know, first, Princess.”
Her mouth thinned, her lips pressed firm. Instead of widening with interest, her eyes narrowed with caution. She said nothing, merely waiting.
“Among my people, you would be free. It is a gift within my power to give, and I will see you so honored for the service you have done us. But once we reach the other side, I must close the passage to protect my people.” He watched her face closely, but the only sign of her thoughts was a small line forming between her eyebrows. He forced himself to go on. “If you were unhappy with—” me .
He swallowed the word before he frightened her. Before he had no choice but to face the truth of it himself. A week, he had known her. Perhaps a day more. A week, and every meeting between them, it grew harder to imagine a time when they might never see one another again. But it was only his own foolishness, after long months spent alone.
“If you were unhappy among my people, there would be no way for you to return.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Oh.” It was barely a breath, but he heard it, and how she filled such a small word with so much distress he did not know.
He opened his hand, palm up. “Perhaps—perhaps you could live among the elves, if you wished to leave—” me . That word again. Born of isolation and loneliness, nothing more. He closed his hand into a fist, redirecting his thoughts. “It will not be only the orcs who owe you a debt. The elves have
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