Page 44 of Wed to the Orc Captive

Rowena squeaked. The quiet orc’s shoulders hunched. “Never.”

“You can say I went mad with power and tried to copy you, that I’m not the man you called brother. Lay it on thick, let them say what they’ll say⁠—"

“I will not perjure myself to look like a worthy leader.”

“Then find something to say that's true. We’ve fought enough, you probably have real reasons to hate me⁠—"

“If they cut you from this people, they cut me with you. If they malign your name, the mud hits me.”

“You have too much to lose. You and Rowena, you are too much to lose. The Drashik need you⁠—"

“Then they’ll have to keep my brother.”

Vrathgar shook his head. “You cannot always fight without your blade, Khal.”

“And you cannot always treat yourself like…” He looked away.

“Like what?” That humorless scoff. “Like a bastard?”

The quiet one glared. “Like someone we can afford to lose.”

Silence hung.

“Enough of that,” Vrathgar rasped. “I’m not gone yet. I’m like a pox, hasn’t your mother said it? You can’t get rid of me easily.” He smiled, and it didn’t reach his eyes. “Your wife looks dead on her feet. Didn’t Zhana make a place for you? Rest. I’ll keep till morning.”

As they left, the quiet one clasped his shoulder, touched his forehead to his, and Rowena…she hugged him, briefly.

And now I was even more ridiculous, watching from behind a curtain, because who even was I, to any of them? I was a problem they wanted to get rid of but needed to keep. I was a bringer of danger, and some kind of future was hanging in the balance.

And now I’d have to pretend I’d heard none of this.

The tall one stayed seated.

Vrathgar was still lying back. “Aren’t you going to bed?” He addressed his friend. “Miss sleep and it’ll stunt your growth.”

“Ha.” His friend folded himself down onto the bench. “You know she's a wielder?”

Vrathgar hesitated. “Who knows?”

“Just Rowena, and Gnarlak, and Khal’s da. And us.”

“That’s good.”

The boy frowned. “So you knew? Did you find out what kind? That’s a dangerous choice⁠—"

“Should I remind you that I was kidnapped, little brother?”

“But if she has powers, do you know whether she’s like…”

“It was a sword at my neck or a woman willing to marry me, please tell me how much I should have rethought the danger in this.”

“I know, I know, it’s just…” He chewed on his lip. “Do you think she’s a spy?”

“No.” His answer was instant. Maybe that was good. “If that was the case, she’d have broken off when I went South, yeah? No.” His gaze was lost in the distance. “If she was, they’d be more monstrous than I thought they were, sending her in to the likes of me.”

“How’d she get you?” It sounded like half weak joke, half genuine worry. “She lose a raffle?”

“Piss off.” He flicked something at the taller one, who dodged, an exaggerated indignance that died down fast. The quiet took the house again, my eyes heavy and legs aching, the fire lapping at the coals.