Triumph Chapter 5

Author’s Note:  The next few chapters might be slightly delayed due to the holiday season.  I’ll try to have them out on time though.  Also, thanks to Davie Jones for all the editing!

“Come on Your Highness, we’re almost there.”  Melora implored Garrett as they skirted along the edge of the mountains.  The putative clutched the elfin woman’s hand tightly as he clung nervously to the cliff face.  He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here, and the only reason they had gotten him this far was thanks to Melora.

For some reason Garrett responded well to her, and was only all too eager to do as she asked.  Jeanette has him well trained, Drauken mused, he’s eager to respond to anything a woman tells him to do.  Which worked well enough for Drauken: he didn’t want to have to spend the entire trip making sure that Garett wasn’t making a run for it.

They had been traveling along the side of the Lyskean Mountains ever since they crossed over into Heste.  Belkor’s army was camped in the Duchy of Braden, and he had his scouts out patrolling everywhere.  If they were going to make it past them and through the lines to reach Amelie’s army, they were going to have to take these less travelled paths.

The wind howled, and Drauken pressed himself firmly against the side of the mountain.  While the drop had enough of a slope that he probably wouldn’t die if he fell, he’d still likely break a leg, lose weeks if not months of travel time, and run a much higher chance of being discovered by Hesten scouts. 

It was much too late in the year to be trying to make this crossing, which was why Belkor didn’t have it guarded.  Between the wind and the ice, an army would find it impossible to travel along.  They just needed to hug the mountain until they crossed the Warne River and then it should be clear all the way to Dromstadt and Amelie.  Then he could get a better handle on what the ultimate intentions were of his allies, and try to steer them in a direction they could all live with.

Thankfully, after they passed the next bend the ledge opened up into a much wider slope, allowing them to move three abreast.  He turned and gave Melora a toothy smile, “You said you were looking forward to getting out of the city.  Is it everything you wanted?”

“The smell is better, and so is the view.”  She answered, returning his smile.

She was right about both.  The view overlooking Heste was spectacular, if only it wasn’t so cold.  It would have been idyllic in the early summer.  “I’m glad at least one of us is enjoying it anyway.  I thought the Elfin quarter wasn’t so bad these days, though.”

Melora shrugged.  “It is getting better to be sure, but it isn’t like the merchant’s quarter.”

Drauken didn’t say anything for a moment, as he didn’t want to say the wrong thing.  He liked his assistant, but was still aware of the gulf that separated them socially.  Things were better for them now than in the first days of their migration from the Elfish Isles, but they hadn’t caught up yet.  “Well, at least you’ve managed to move up into the merchant’s quarter.  In time I’m sure more of your people will.”

“How did you come to work for the Guilds, Ms Melora?”  Garrett asked suddenly.

“My father is a junior mason,” she replied, surprised at his interest. “since he couldn’t teach me his trade, he had me educated and used his connections to find a position for me.”

“Your father is a human?”  Garrett asked in surprise.

“Yes.  The offspring of elfs and humans appear entirely elfish, just like the offspring of orcs and humans appear as orcs.  That’s what’s driving the expansion of the elfish quarter; the mixing of human and elf blood mixed with ours has led to the largest population boom in elfish history.”

“Shh,” Drauken interrupted, “quiet, do you hear that?”

All was still for a moment, but then laughter broke through the howling wind.  The three travelers crouched down and crept forward to the next bend in the path.  Two soldiers were seated around a fire not too far away.

“Are those Belkor’s men?  What are they doing here?”  Drauken asked.

“They wear the livery of the Duchy of Braden,” Melora replied.  “He probably remembered his mother’s history with these mountains.”

“His mother?”  Drauken racked his brain trying to remember who the Duke of Braden’s mother was.  “The Duchess of Haverset, right?  Susannah?  The Queen’s friend?”

“That’s right, Master.”  Melora smiled at him.  “During the Second Hesten War, she was rescued from captivity by Zentaran partisans and lived in these mountains for a time.  She must have passed on the experience to her son, who knew the danger they posed and sent soldiers to guard them.”

“How assiduous of her.”  Can’t anything be easy? Now I’m going to have to deal with these soldiers. 

“What are we going to do?”  Garrett asked.

“Alright, alright.  I’ll go forward; they’ll be less suspicious of an orc.  Hopefully I can get the drop on them, and take them out before they know what’s happened.”

“Are you sure?”  Melora asked, a worried expression on her face.  “There’s two of them, Master, and you’re a merchant, not a soldier.”

“I know, but it will have to be enough.  We can’t go back and we can’t go around them  we have to go through them.”  Drauken impulsively leaned forward and kissed the elf woman on the lips.  “It will be alright, trust me.”  He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

The orc took a deep breath, wrapped his cloak tightly around himself, and then stepped around the bend and began approaching the orcs.  “Good day my friends, do you mind if I share your fire?”

The soldiers jumped to their feet and grabbed their spears.  “Halt and state your business!”

Drauken continued to walk forward with his arms up.  “I’m on business for the Queen, heading north passed the river.  I just want to share your fire for a moment while I eat.”

“What business?  Where’re your orders?”

“Right here.”  Drauken reached into his cloak and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword.  When he got close enough to the soldiers he drew it out and with a quick, vicious strike slashed it through the neck of the nearest one.

He spun around and chopped it at the second one, but the soldier jumped back out of the way.  Before he could close the distance and press the attack, the other soldier brought his spear up to keep him at bay.  Damn!  Drauken did not want to get dragged into a fight, not when the soldier had armor and he didn’t.  He jabbed forward with his the sword again, but the soldier easily parried it and countered with a thrust of his own.

The tip of the blade shot past his face, narrowly missing him as he jerked to the side.  As the soldier yanked it back, he swung it inward and cut the side of Drauken’s face with the blade.  The merchant grunted in pain and swung his sword again, but couldn’t get inside of the soldier’s guard.

They circled each other, feinting and jabbing: Drauken trying to close in while the soldier tried to keep him at bay.  Drauken’s arms began to tire; he just wasn’t used to the exertion needed for sustained combat.  As his sword started to dip, the soldier pressed the advantage and began to attack more persistently.

Rather than going for a decisive killing blow, the soldier went for quick, shallow jabs and cuts, poking and slicing all over Drauken’s body.  The merchant moved back, trying to create space and stay out of range, but the soldier stayed on him.  As the spear darted forward for a deep thrust, Drauken brought his sword up to chop at the soldier’s head as he spun away.  Unfortunately, his untrained feet got tangled and he fell to the ground.  It’s not supposed to be like this!  “Don’t!” he cried impotently as the soldier prepared  to impale him with the spear.

To his surprise, the soldier paused.  A moment later the orc lurched forward and stumbled as Melora pulled a spear out of his back.  She quickly stabbed him again, right in the back of the skull.  Blood burst from his mouth as the soldier collapsed onto the ground.  Drauken watched in disbelief as blood seeped down his back from underneath the armor.

“Master!”  Melora cried as she threw down the spear and rushed to his side.  “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine, just a few scratches.  I’ll live,” He exhaled sharply,  “Thanks to you.”  Melora beamed a bright smile at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  He held her close a moment, before releasing her slender body.  “Not too close, I don’t want to ruin your dress.  Though you’ve at least earned a new one when we get back to Ruar.  Go and get Garrett, let’s warm ourselves by the fire a moment and eat, but then we have to get going.”

“Yes Master, Drauken.”  Melora hesitated another moment, and then gave him another kiss.  “Go get yourself warm.  Let me take care of everything!”

****

The warmth of the tent washed over Henry as the guard pulled back the flap and he stepped inside.  It felt good to get out of the cold.  Winter was setting in, and though they hadn’t had the first snow fall yet, it was only a matter of time.  Phillipe and the Catabrian, Black Pete, rose to greet him as he entered.

“Welcome, Your Highness.  I trust the inspection of the siege works went well?”  Phillippe asked.

“Well enough.  The siege towers are almost finished, as are the catapults.  Your engineers are doing fine work.”  Henry was satisfied with their progress.  They would be able to storm the city in a week, or at most, a fortnight.  If they wanted to, that is.  For now, Henry was content to besiege the city.

“Good!  As soon as they’re finished we should take the damn city and be done with it!”  Black Pete exclaimed.

 “Patience, my friend.  If the weather worsens, then we’ll assault Dromstadt and secure better winter quarters for the army.  For now, let them weaken with hunger.  Time is our ally, not theirs.” 

“I agree.”  Phillipe added.  “The hungrier they get, the more desperate they’ll become.  They’ll start launching more sorties, to try and break through our lines or destroy our supplies.”

“Well, I hope they do!  All this sitting around is getting boring!  I want to fight and kill these damn orcs!”

“You’ll get your chance.”  Henry assured him.  “Your people fought well in your quest for justice and vengeance on the orcs.  Now, here you are, before the very gates of Dromstadt.”  Henry paused for a moment.  That wasn’t the right thing to say.  “Our people have long been enemies, but those days are over.  The orcs are the enemies of all men, as they showed you.  We’re together in this fight, and the alliance between our people will last even after this war is over.”

Black Pete didn’t say anything for a long time.  Finally, he pulled a flask out and took a long drink before nodding his head in agreement.  “Aye, for my part, aye.  I’ve seen enough violence to last the rest of my life, and the lives of my children.  When the orcs are finished I intend to put away my sword.”

“I’ll drink to that!”  Phillipe said as he lifted a mug.  “To peace, security, and eternal friendship!”

“Here here!”  Henry agreed.

“Your Highness!”  Daniels called out as he entered the tent.  He held the flap open for an exquisitely dressed dark haired woman.  “Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present Sylvia Ousten, Queen of Heste and Duchess of Swetford.”

Sylvia smiled at Henry as she took off her wolf pelt cloak and handed it to Daniels.  “Husband!  How good it is to see you again.  It’s been too long.”  Sylvia crossed the tent and clasped Henry’s hands.

Henry smiled and leaned down to kiss her on the lips.  “Sylvia!  Welcome!  This is a surprise.  I hadn’t expected to see you here!”

“Yes, well, I had little choice in the matter.  The Queen’s Shadows were all over Swetford.  Half the Lords who might have been loyalists are dead, or imprisoned.”  Sylvia sighed.

“That’s unfortunate.”  Henry said evenly.  “How did you escape?”

“They expected me to go either west into Heste, or south in Ruar.  Instead I went southwest into Crovoth.  I still have some friends there, and they got me onto a ship which brought me here.”  Sylvia looked over to Black Pete and Phillippe.  “Forgive me for interrupting, gentlemen.”

“Not at all, Your Highness, it is a pleasure to meet you.  The King has told us so much about you.  I am Sir Phillipe Renard, Commander of the Thestan forces.”  Phillipe bowed, and then gestured to the Catabrian.  “This is Black Pete, Commander of the Catabrian Tribes.”

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”  Black Pete said gruffly.

“I’m absolutely charmed.”  Sylvia smiled at them both before turning back to Henry.  “Crovoth is still on board, as are Fullorm and Testin.  They stand ready as soon as Queen Amelie’s contact in Ruar gives the words.”

Henry frowned at that.  “They weren’t amenable to taking the signal from us?  I dislike having to rely on the Queen’s contact.”  Henry looked to Philippe.  “No offense intended, Sir, I would just prefer to have more control over it and not have to rely on a Zentaran.”

“You’ll be doing that in any event, Your Highness.  The Zentarans want a Zentaran leader, to present a more unified front in our alliance.  You can’t blame them for that.”  Philippe replied.

The deep warning cry of the camp horns interrupted them.  It blasted out three times, and outside the tent the whole camp went into a flurry of activity.  “Three blasts, that means they’re sortieing from the city.  It looks like you’ll get your chance sooner than expected, Black Pete.  To your men, to arms!”

Henry gave Sylvia another kiss before taking his sword from Daniels and rushing out of the tent.  All but the four soldiers guarding his tent were streaming towards the castle.  “Daniels, go and get the rest of the guards and send them along as soon as you can!”  Then he turned towards the guards.  “You two stay here and guard the Queen, you two, follow me!”

Once Daniels nodded his understanding and ran off, Henry watched the throng heading towards the castle with the two guards.  Black Pete and Phillipe ran off to either flank to lead their own men.    Finally, he turned towards his guards.  “They have to know anyone leaving from the main gate will be cut down.  It has to be a diversion!  They’ll be heading for either the siege towers or the supplies.”  He hesitated a moment longer.  “The supplies.  This way!”

They began running horizontally through the crowd as they made their way to the supply wagons.  It was difficult at first, but once his guards started shouting “Make way for the King!” the crowds started to part for them.

When they reached the supply wagon the soldiers watching it were being hard pressed by a party of sopping wet orc soldiers.  They must have snuck out of the castle and swam through the moat to hit the wagons by surprise.  Fortunately, the orcs had left their armor behind when taking their swim.

“For Heste!  For humans!”

“Death to the orcs!”

“Death to the pigs!”

Their cries ran out as they charged to join the fight.  The nearest orc turned at the sound, and shouted a warning to his comrades.  He then turned back and lunged to meet Henry.  When the King raised his sword, the orc parried it and continued moving, bowling him over and sending them both to the ground. 

Henry released his sword and reached up to grab the orc by the tusk.  He yanked down on his head as he slammed his mailed fist across the orc’s jaw.  He felt the orc’s lower teeth give way, but he slammed him across the jaw again for good measure.  As the orc grunted in pain he pulled on the orc’s head and rolled him off.

The orc tried to raise his sword, but Henry threw his weight down on the orc’s arm and pinned it down.  The orc swung his other hand around and slammed it into Henry’s back where his armor had ridden up in the tussle.  Henry groaned in pain as the massive fist smashed his kidney.

The King wrapped his fingers around the orc’s neck and squeezed, then lifted his head up and smashed it into the ground.  He managed to slam it into the ground again before the orc grabbed onto Henry’s arms.

The orc’s grey biceps bulged as he squeezed and tried to rip the King’s arms off his neck.  Henry felt his grip buckle, but he continued to squeeze with everything he had until he saw the orc’s eyes bulge outward.  As the battle raged around him, Henry knew that he didn’t have time to choke the orc out to ensure he was dead.

As soon as the orc appeared to lose consciousness Henry quickly grabbed the dagger from his belt and shoved it up beneath the orc’s jaw and into his head.  The blade sunk home with a slick, squelching ‘thunk.’  He twisted the knife and then yanked it free and jump to his feet.  Henry was just in time, as an orc had been charging towards him in order to save his comrade.

The charging orc raised his axe, forcing Henry to dive out of the way to avoid the blow.  There was no way he was going to meet an orc with a war axe armed only with a dagger!  The orc slammed his axe into the dead orc, splattering blood in a wide arc.  Henry dove for his sword as the orc rounded on him, but before he could raise his blade to defend himself, a bloodied sword point burst through the orc’s stomach.

The orc staggered forward, and then fell to the ground to reveal one of Henry’s guards, panting for breath.  “Try to save some for us, Your Highness, it is our job after all.”

Henry grinned and jumped to his feet again, sword in hand this time.  “Heh, I suppose I have to remember that I’m a King with an army now, not an exiled pirate prince.”  Henry laughed darted forward into the fight again, this time keeping in formation with his guards.  More soldiers were coming up behind them as well, and soon they had the remaining orcs completely surrounded..

The orcs began to fight with even greater desperation as it was only a matter of time before they were all cut down.  Two of them pressed close together and attacked the guard standing beside Henry.  The King shifted focus, attacking one of them to relieve the pressure when suddenly both ducked for a third orc, who swung a great sword over their heads, decapitating the guard.  The blade followed through, aimed directly at Henry.  The King’s eyes widened in shock as he instinctively leaned forward.  He slammed into the orc warrior to his right, spinning him towards the blade.  The great sword sunk into the orc’s face, the force of the impact snapping the warrior’s neck.

Henry lost his balance and pivoted, and in doing so slashed his sword, severing the spine of the orc with the great sword.  He caught himself and regained his balance, and then raised his sword and drove it down into the back of the orc who ducked, puncturing his lung and killing him.  As the other warrior stood up, Henry drew his dagger and slammed it into his eye.

A stillness fell on the battlefield, and then his men gave a great cheer for their King’s prowess.  Well, what they thought was his prowess instead of a mixture of blind luck and instinct.  Instead of disabusing them, he let them go on cheering.  It gives them confidence, and it never hurts for a King to be seen as superhuman.  After the last orcs were dead, Henry led his guards over to the gates of the city, but the orcs making the diversionary attack had already fallen.

He found Phillipe and Black Pete, who both made it through the battle.  Black Pete in particular seemed in better spirits.

“Well, that was a bracing good time.”  Henry laughed.  “Did you get your fill, Black Pete?”

“Aye, a nice way to break up the dullness of a siege.  I was almost disappointed there were so few!”

“I’m happy to kill them a score at a time.”  Phillipe said.  “The more we whittle their numbers now, the less we’ll have to worry about when we take the city.  If they want to send out raiding parties to get slaughtered by our superior numbers, I encourage them to!”

“As long as they all die in the end!”  Black Pete spat bitterly.

“I agree.  The orcs have infested my city for far too long as it is.”  Henry agreed.  “But their time will come; we mustn’t get so focused on this one objective that we forget the rest of them.  We still have to defeat Belkor and his army, then seize the rest of Heste, and finally Zentara itself.”

“Husband!  I’m so relieved you’re well.”  Sylvia gave Henry a chiding smile as she met him back at the tent.  “You shouldn’t run off to fight every minor skirmish, you’re too important for that.”  She gently kissed his cheeks.   “But never mind that, we have the most astonishing guests!”

“Oh?  Guests all the way out here?  Whoever could they be?”

Her voice took a more serious tone. “Come and see.”  Sylvia led them back into the tent.  “Your cousin has come to visit us.”  She said carefully as she gestured to Garrett.

“Garrett?  Is that truly you?”  Henry looked at his cousin in shock.  The years in captivity had not been kind to him.  “What did that mad Queen do to you?”

“You shouldn’t talk about her like that!” Garrett hissed at Henry.  “Her Highness is a great woman!  She only wants the best for the Western Kingdoms!  That’s why she sent me here to put a stop to this rebellion!”

“Is that so?  How do you plan to do that?”  Henry replied as his face darkened.

“By reminding your soldiers that you are not their King.  I abdicated the throne in favor of Belkor, and he is their rightful lord!”

“Hah!  And you expect to just march out there and tell them so?”

“Forgive him, Your Highness,” Melora cut in, “that is what I had to tell him to get him here peacefully.”

“Who are you, then?” Henry asked.

“I am an assistant to Amelie’s contact in Ruar.  Queen Jeanette was planning on sending Garrett to Belkor’s army to use as a symbol, but my Master spirited him away first and brought him here.”

“What?”  Garret said, looking confused.  “What do you mean?”

“Shh, don’t worry about that cousin.”  Henry said soothingly as he pulled Garrett close into an embrace.  Before anyone else saw what was happening he drew his dagger and thrust it up under the broken man’s sternum.

Garrett gurgled and then cried out as Henry twisted the blade.  As his eyes went dim, Henry passed him over to Daniels.  “Get him out of here.”

Melora gasped at the sight of Garrett’s bloody body being hauled away from the tent.  Her lip trembled, but her tears were held back as she steadied herself.

“Was that really necessary, husband?”  Sylvia asked.

“You saw him: he was a broken, wreck of a man.  It was a mercy, truth be told.  There can only be one King of Heste, and that thing wasn’t fit to be him.”  Henry wiped his dagger clean and returned it to its sheathe.  “Now, did your Master have anything else for us, girl?”

“Yes, Your Highness.  He actually traveled here with us.”

“Then where is he?”  Henry snapped impatiently.

“Waiting outside camp, Your Highness.” Melora replied.

“Why?”

“Because he’s an orc, Your Highness,” Phillipe said, “apparently he’s wise enough not to come traipsing through our army.”

“An orc!  All this time, we’ve been placing our trust in a damn orc?”

“You can’t deny his information has been accurate.  I assure you, Queen Amelie had him thoroughly vetted.  He’s reliable. Not only would I stake my life on it, but I have.”  Phillipe insisted.

“Very well.”  Henry finally conceded.  “Gather an escort and bring him here. We’ll see what he has to say.”  Henry looked to Daniels just as he returned to the tent.  “Take a squadron of cavalry and prepare to move out.  Reliable men only; men who can be discreet.”  He turned back to Melora.  “This better not be a trick, but if it is, I assure you we’ll be ready.”

****

Darkness had already set over the camp when the sentries woke Henry from his slumber to tell him that the cavalry had returned with a prisoner.  He quickly slipped from his cot and told the sentry to awaken the Queen as well.  Henry had placed her in a separate tent when she returned from camp.  If none of his men were allowed to have their wives along with them and enjoy their conjugal benefits, neither would he.

His squire quickly helped him dress, and then he made his way to the war tent.  A cloaked figure and the elfin girl, Melora, were already waiting for him under heavy guard.  A moment later he was joined by Phillipe and Black Pete, and finally by Sylvia.  When everyone was present, he dismissed his guards from the tent.

“So, you’re Amelie’s contact in Zentara?”  Henry said somewhat harshly. But after a look from Sylvia, he softened his tone.  “Thank you for your assistance in the war so far, it is well appreciated and has saved many lives.”

“It was my duty to do so, Your Highness.”  Drauken replied as he pulled off his hood and removed his cloak.  “Forgive me, but shouldn’t we wait for Queen Amelie?”

Henry smiled wryly at that.  “Amelie is not here at the moment.  She was called away on urgent business.”

When Drauken looked like he wanted to inquire as to what that business was, Phillipe cut in.  “I am here though.  Sir Phillipe Renard, Her Highness’ second in command.  I have been fully empowered to speak for her, I assure you.”

Black Pete said nothing but just glowered from the back of the tent.  Sylvia gave Drauken a welcoming smile though.  “It must have been exhausting journey from Zentara to here, especially in this weather and with the war going on.  Do you need any refreshments or a chance to rest before we begin?”

Drauken returned Sylvia’s smile.  “No, Madame, thank you for asking but I have been resting all day in anticipation of this meeting.”  Melora leaned over to whisper in his ear.  “Forgive me, Your Highness, I was not aware that I was speaking with the Queen of Heste.  I meant no disrespect.”

“None taken, sir.  I know it isn’t easy to be thrust into a position without knowing everyone you’ll be dealing with.”

“That’s all very nice, but before we go any further I’d like to know who you are, and why you’re helping us.”  Henry asked.

“I haven’t told them any personal details, nor has Amelie.  It is your decision how much you want to reveal.”  Phillipe assured him, hoping that he wasn’t going to be forced into a confrontation with Henry over it.  Amelie had been resolute on protecting their source’s identity, even if she didn’t anticipate that he would be visiting their camp.

Drauken considered it for a moment, but decided that honesty was the best policy.  The people here might betray him, but if they really wanted him dead they could do it here and now, and that was all the more likely if he wasn’t open with them.  “My name is Drauken, I am the Master of the Caravan Traders Guild in Ruar.  As for why I’m helping you?  It’s simple.  This war is madness.  Blind, naked ambition on the Queen’s behalf that will ruin trade and make everyone poorer.”  This is actually a good segue into what I really want to talk about.  “If we’re going to rebuild a stable, peaceful society after the war, we all need to work together.  Human, elf, and orc.”

“We had that until Queen Jeanette made an alliance with your people.  All the violence and bloodshed that’s afflicted our Kingdoms in the last forty years is the result of your people.”  Henry replied.

Now let’s hope Melora’s tutoring has paid off.  “That is not entirely true, Your Highness.  Your uncle, King Connor, made the decision to invade Zentara, which is what actually started the wars that followed.”

“Only because she broke the betrothal her father made so that she could spread her legs for you orcs.”  Henry countered.

“Regardless of what may have happened in the past, the economies of both Zentara and Heste are inextricably tied with orcs, and by extension, so are those of Thesta and Sandora.  If I may speak plainly, so far you’ve driven out every orc you could find in the north, and slaughtered every orc you’ve captured.  Is it your intention to drive every orc out of the Western Kingdoms?”

“Damn right it is!”  Black Pete exclaimed.  “We’ve gotten along just fine without your kind.  Go back to the March where you belong!”

Phillipe looked conflicted, but ultimately he agreed with Black Pete.  “The integration of orcs with human society has failed.  There are simply too many of you, and you’re too violent.  If the orcs aren’t removed from society, even should we win this war we’ll be fighting it again in a generation.”

“I’m proof that not all orcs are violent.  There are many orc merchants and herders that make the Kingdoms better for everyone!”  Drauken insisted.

“There will still be a place for them,” Henry said finally, “and for you.  The caravans will continue to run through the March, and for that we’ll need you and people like you.”  The King leaned forward with a dark expression on his face.  “Don’t worry about the rest of them, they’re not your concern.  You’ll still be needed, as will the people you choose.  You’ll still be making a profit, and that should be enough.”

Henry’s words sat heavy on the council for a moment before Sylvia broke the silence.  “It is still too early to be arranging things after the war in any event.  We need to secure victory first.  What news do you have for the capital?  Do you know anything about Belkor’s intentions?  Or Grotok’s?”

Drauken hesitated to tell them anything, especially as he wasn’t sure how he wanted to handle this new turn of events.  In the end though, he realized that his life was still very much in their hands and he needed to continue to cooperate at least until he got out of this camp.  “Belkor you don’t have to worry about.  He’s not going to move his army before Spring.  As for Grotok, that is more concerning.  I assume you’ve heard about the fortresses in the pass?”

“Some kind of earthquake destroyed them, we heard.”

“It was no earthquake, it was Augras, the Queen’s grandson.  He’s returned from the southern continent with a small army of beasts and a strong magic.  I know, I know, it sounds insane, but it is the truth.  He created a second harvest in Zentara, and promised a third.  He’s ended the food shortage and promised to deal with the stalemate in the Pass.  Then, shortly after arriving, the castles were destroyed.”

“By the Abyss, if that’s true it isn’t good.  How are we to fight against someone who can cast down castles with magic?”  Phillipe asked.

“With guile and strategy.”  Henry said quickly.  It wouldn’t do to let this affect morale before they even saw it firsthand.  “The word we received is that there was too much damage in the Pass to move an army through.”

“That may be so, I don’t know.  But given enough time, which they now have, they’ll find a way through it.  You need to move faster to conquer all of Heste to take the pressure off Thesta and to box both armies in Zentara.”

“We could storm the city, but we’d take heavy losses doing so, and it would still be winter besides.  We won’t be able to drive Belkor out before Spring either, and that’s assuming they’ve surrendered.”  Phillipe said.

Henry thought for a moment.  “Either way, they’ve taken our fortresses, so we need to answer in kind.  Daniels!”  He shouted, and a moment later Daniels came rushing in.  “We need to provoke the garrison in Dromstadt to making a stupid mistake.”  The King gave him a pointed look.  “Any suggestions?”

A smug, slimy grin spread across his face.  “I have a few ideas.”

****

Jasmara shuddered as she felt the eyes of thousands of people devouring her scantily clad flesh.  It was bad enough that thousands from the enemy army were surrounding her, watching her, but thousands more were lining the walls of Dromstadt and looking down at her shame.  Daniels had dressed her in leather straps that crossed her breasts and pelvis.  Each strap was tightly constricted by buckles, but even still her curves were barely held in place.

Most of her tits were naked, with only her nipples and areolas covered.  Her labia were likewise concealed, but not the outer edges of her pubic mound.  There was nothing to cover her shame, not even her hands as they firmly gripped the hilt of the wooden practice sword that Daniels had handed her.

It seemed as if she’d be fighting for their amusement today, but given the way he ‘armored’ her, she didn’t think that was all the entertainment he had planned.  Well, they won’t get the chance, she swore, they shouldn’t have put a sword in my hand, even if it’s made out of wood.

A makeshift arena had been constructed, with siege towers posted at each corner and the gaps between them lined with soldiers.  A cheer went up as the first combatant entered the ring.  Jasmara dropped down low, but in doing so caused the strap covering her backside to ride up between her ass cheeks.  The crowd behind her hooted in appreciation at the view, but she shut it from her mind and focused on her opponent.

Of course he’s fully armored, she thought, there’s no way these cowards would face me in fair combat!

The man approached her looking cocky, so Jasmara resolved to knock the smug expression off his face.  As he got closer, she sprung forward, feinting to the left and then slamming the sword into his shoulder.  He grunted in pain, but unfortunately the armor absorbed most of the blow.  He quickly countered, and she had to bring up her sword to parry the blow.  The impact of their swords slamming together sent a shockwave down her arm, but she was pleased to see that the force surprised him as well.

She quickly took advantage and chopped down, smashing the sword against his forearm.  He yelped in pain, and struck out with his other hand, cracking her across the face.  Jasmara snarled back at him, “Is that the best you’ve got?” 

He swung at her again, which she blocked, and then the pair started to trade blows, whacking the wooden blades against one another repeatedly as they tried to beat down their opponent.  The human managed to slip past her guard and slammed his sword into her chest, shattering one of the buckles over her breasts and causing the strap to fall down. 

When she twisted out of the way, her tit slipped out from the strap and bounced freely.  The crowd laughed as she became exposed but she fought down the embarrassment to focus on the fight.  As the man came forward again she moved to meet him.  Her hand whipped out and grabbed the soldier’s wooden sword and, before the soldier could even react, she brought her own blade down onto the side of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground, unconscious.

This time the cheers came from the city as they celebrated her victory.  Before she could join them though, another soldier came out to face her.  She was already breathing heavily, making her tit thrust out each time she inhaled.  She didn’t even have time to try and fix her armor before she was under attack again.

The man pressed her hard, smashing the buckle over her left hip and then leaving a welt on her thigh.  She repaid the favor by smashing his hand and hopefully breaking a few bones.  As he stumbled back holding his hand to his chest protectively she pressed the advantage, charging forward and bowling him over.  Once he was prone, Jasmara stomped on his injured hand and began raining blows down upon him.

A strong thump on her backside knocked her forward and ended her assault.  Another soldier had entered the ring and struck her from behind!  The crowd lining the city walls booed at the unfair ambush, but it did little to help Jasmara.  Her ass stung from the wicked blow, and her arms were starting to tire as she fended off his assault.

Another blow ruptured the other buckle on her chest, and when the straps fell off completely revealing both her breasts she realized that it wasn’t an accident at all.  Of course they’re designed to fail, you idiot, this is part of the ‘entertainment!’. 

Growling with rage, she swung back ferociously at him.  But her attacks were slower now, and he continued to parry them away while lashing back with his own attacks.  “Agh!”  Jasmara cried out in pain as the wooden sword swatted her breast, leaving an angry red welt.  Her nipple throbbed, and she fatefully paused from the sudden shock of pain.

The man hit her thigh again, causing her whole leg to ache.  When she twisted away, he hit the buckle at the small of her back, causing the strap wrapping underneath her from the front to fall open and hang from her like a loincloth.  As she twisted and dodged his attacks, she could only burn in shame as she heard the jeering crowd.

“I can see her puss!”

“Keep her moving Jack!  Strip her down completely!”

“Stop fighting you bitch you know you want it!”

She clutched the straps with one hand to keep them from falling off her completely as she parried away the soldier’s attacks with the other.  Exhaustion was really starting to set in, and she could barely keep him at bay as he attacked.  She had to give ground, and was forced back as the soldier advanced.

In the blink of an eye, Jasmara found herself staring up at the sky after the human with the broken hand tripped her from behind.  Before she could recover the sword was kicked out of her hand, and more men ran forward.  Strong hands and probing fingers grabbed her from all over, lifting her up and holding her still no matter how hard she fought.

A table was brought forward, and they roughly forced the orc woman’s back down on top of it so her head hung off the edge.  They forced her thighs apart, and tied her ankles to the legs of the table before doing the same with her arms.  The straps were then ripped away, leaving her panting and naked on the table.

“Make a lane, make a lane, we want our guests from the city to see!”  Daniels called out, and a moment later the crowd at her feet backed away enough so the citizens of Dromstadt lining the city wall had a good view of her naked body on display.

“You’re going to pay for this!  Don’t think I won’t get my revenge on each and every one of you!”

“No need to keep playing that game, Princess.  We all know you’re going to enjoy this.  You always do.”  Daniels sneered at her, before nodding for the men to begin.

The orcs on the wall screamed in rage as they saw their princess get ravished by a gang of humans.  Jasmara took heart in that, that even in her debasement she still had people on her side.  She only hoped that they couldn’t see in detail what was about to happen.

The soldier who had finally defeated her had won the honor to go first.  By the time the princess was secured to the table he was already hard and ready to go.  The man stepped between her legs, but to her horror instead of lining the head of his cock up with her slit he aimed lower.  He spit into his hand and spread her cheeks apart, and then pressed the tip of his cock against her puckered anus.

“Get ready for it sweetheart, I’m gonna claim that ass I was promised.”

Jasmara bucked and squirmed, but she was tied too tightly to the table.  The soldier’s fingers gripped her tighter and pulled her back down onto his prick.  “Nnng! Stop!  Ah!”  Her cries rang out as her backside was roughly invaded.  Her anal tract wrapped tightly around the dick, squeezing it firmly as she instinctively tensed around it.

“Heh, riding it already?  Well, don’t let me stop you, I like a woman with a little fight in her!”  The soldier began to move his hips, thrusting hard into her as he yanked her back.  His hips collided against her over and over as he pummeled her ass.  The man started to roll his hips, grinding his hard cock against her hot inner walls as he plundered her backside.

Before she could cry out again two thumbs were jammed inside her mouth, prying her jaw apart.  They were joined a moment later by a hard cock.  A second soldier slid his shaft into her mouth, and then right down her throat.  The two men began moving together, both pushing inside her at the same time, pushing as deeply as they could.

The cries from the wall got louder as they spit roasted the princess.  Both cocks slammed into her, rubbing her insides back and forth as the two men used her for their pleasure.  Jasmara tried to fight back the tears welling in her eyes, but the brutal fucking of her throat made that impossible.  No!  I don’t want them to think I’m crying!

She tried to close her teeth around the cock, but the fingers jacking her mouth open prevented her from doing any damage.

“Don’t even try it slut, or I’ll knock all your teeth out.  Don’t think I won’t!”  The man snarled as he slammed his hips forward, banging her head against the table and jamming his cock all the way down her throat.  Her coughing and choking made it constrict around the shaft, and the wet tightness of it made the dick pulse.  “Heh, that’s not so bad actually.  Do it again!”

The other soldier continued to fuck her ass, moving his hips faster and harder with each thrust.

“Hey, what’s it like to fuck a princess?” Someone in the crowd called out.

“I thought it might be something special, but this one ain’t no different than a regular whore.” He replied as he looked down at Jasmara with a cruel grin.  His dick speared into her again and again, plunging deep inside her backside as he pushed his hips all the way to her ass cheeks.

“’Cause she’s an orc!” 

“Or a slut like her mother!”

“Heh, I think I’ll wait for my turn and make my own decision!”

Abyss, how many of them are planning to fuck me? She wondered.  Shapes began to move in the corner of her eyes, and as she looked around she saw more men gathering near, their cocks already standing stiffly at attention.

The men began to stroke them as they stood over the princess, taking in the sight of her naked body being ravished from both ends.  Their fists slid up and down their hard shafts, gradually moving faster as the men surrounded her body.  The stench of their unwashed cocks wafted through her flared nostrils as she struggled for breath.  The cock in her throat ensured she would inhale that scent with each labored breath.

Jasmara’s ass burned as the cock inside it reached a fevered pitch.  Each clap of the man’s hips against her ass made her jerk and clench, squeezing the shaft rewardingly in spite of herself.  The impact made her tits jiggle, at least until one of the men jerking off reached down to squeeze it.  Seeing one man do it, another quickly joined in and grabbed the other.  Now both her breasts were being kneaded, and her nipples pinched and plucked as they jerked off over her.

Suddenly the cock inside her began to twitch, and a moment later hot cum gushed forth into her bowels.  Rope after rope of sticky seed soaked into the lining of her anal cavity as the soldier finished himself off inside her.  “That wasn’t half-bad.  I’d definitely fuck your ass again, Your Highess.”  He snickered.  “And look on the bright side, at least next time it’ll be nice and wet for us, eh?”

The soldier pulled his cock out, leaving her ass raw and sore with only the man’s cum to balm her wounds.  He was quickly replaced though, and a moment later another soldier was pushing between her thighs.  Mercifully, this one went for her cunt instead, pushing his dick deep into her snatch.  He wasted little time though, and was soon humping her frantically as he pushed in and out.

“Nnng!”  At least he’s done, she thought, but how many more after him?  Her mouth was also feeling sore as the cock continued to pump in and out of her throat.  Spittle leaked out of the corners of her mouth as she was roughly abused.  Finally the man pulled his cock out and joined the others in stroking it furiously.  When he came, he aimed his slick cock right at her eye, and the first blast shot directly into it.  She cried out in pain and instinctively shut her eyes, squishing the cum further between her eyelid and eyeball.

Doing so did manage to block the second blast, and the man had to settle for sealing her eye shut by coating it with a layer of his jizz.  He continued to stroke his cock, shooting the rest of the load of her face, making sure to decorate her lips and nose with his foul seed.  He was joined a moment later by his comrades, who jerked their cocks all over her exposed body.  Cum rained down on her, splattering on her stomach, her hips, and her tits.

“Hey watch where you’re shooting!” The man fucking her exclaimed.  “Not all of us are done!”

The men laughed and stepped back, putting their dicks back in their pants. 

“Second squad, you’re up!” Daniels called out, and a moment later another group of men stepped forward to surround her.

The men rushed forward, pushing and jostling one another as they competed to be first.  The soldier who won slid his cock into her waiting mouth, stuffing her throat with man meat once again.  The rest settled for jerking their cocks around her, though this time they congregated by her lower half, eager to be the one to replace the man now fucking her.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” said the man between her thighs, “she’s starting to warm up and get wet!  She’ll be sucking our dicks willingly before we know it!”

The men laughed at that as Jasmara burned in shame.  Her humiliation was all the worse because she knew loyal orcs were watching from the city.  Thousands of people were seeing her shame, and she knew that it would be recorded in history and recalled regularly for at least the rest of everyone present’s lives. 

At least no one is grabbing my tits anymore.  Of course, that was because they were now covered in cum.  Her eyes were still stuck shut, and she wished she could wipe them clean but her hands were still bound to the table.  She was stuck there, chained and blinded, unable to even see who was using her body.  She could only hear their cruel words and jeers, as well as the howls of anger coming from the distance.

Bastards!  How can they do this to an enemy?  Don’t they have any honor?  But even as her mind protested, her body was responding to the parade of cocks presenting themselves to her.  Jasmara’s pussy was starting to get sloppy with her juices as her arousal begin to climb.  I won’t cum, I won’t.  I won’t give them the satisfaction!

While she pushed the pleasure from her mind, the man inside her had no such compunction.  He groaned and let himself go, shooting his hot cum right against the entrance to her womb.  His cock twitched and jerked, rubbing against her sensitive inner walls as he sprayed her pussy with his virile seed.  “Ah that’s it!  I think I just made a royal bastard, boys!”

“Not if my swimmers get there first!”  Shouted a burly soldier, who pushed him aside and quickly inserted his own dick. Over an hour passed, as squad after squad, dick after dick shot their loads over her body.  After the first five squads were done, Daniels had her table brought closer to the city, so all could see what they did, before starting all over again.

Around the time the eighth squad was finishing, a mighty groan erupted from the city as the gates opened up and a horde of angry orcs spilled forth.

“This is what we were waiting for boys!  Move! Move!  Attack!”  The arena groaned as the siege towers pushed apart and began rolling towards the city walls.

“No!”  Jasmara cried as the cock slid from her mouth by a frantic soldier.  “Go back!”  She cried to the orcs.  “It’s a trap!  Go back!”

****

Jasmara curled up in her cage, head hung in despair.  The sound of the human army sacking the city filled the night.  The orcs in Dromstadt had foolishly opened the gates of the city to try and rescue her, and now the city was lost.  She wept for the women and children she heard screaming in the darkness.  The humans had killed all the prisoners after the battle, but she hadn’t really believed they would do the same to the women and children in the city.  Of course, she hadn’t really believed the city would fall, either.  Where in the Abyss was Belkor?  It can’t be taking this long to regroup the army!

Now she wasn’t sure what would happen.  With all the north consolidated, Henry was free to march south and find a battleground of his choosing rather than being stuck outside the city.  At least with Winter setting in it will slow him down.  Jasmara sighed.  Not that it helps me.

“Your Highness.”  A soft feminine voice whispered in the darkness.

Jasmara looked up in surprise as a pretty elf maiden slipped from the shadows.  “Hello?  Who are you?”

“My name is Melora.  We have to be quick.  Help is coming, but you have to be ready.  It may take a fortnight, but help is coming.  You have to stay strong, and be ready.  Can you do that?”

“Yes!  I can!  But who is coming?  How will I know?”  Jasmara asked, hope springing forth inside her again.

“You’ll know.  Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”  Melora reached through the bars and squeezed her hand.  “I promise.”