Maybe Lady Frax’mo helped him. She knew about my aptitude scores. I’m sure the people at the auction made sure the buyers knew everything, even the size of the clothes they wrapped us up in before they sold us. I’m also sure she’s the one who sent the tail I had to wear last night.
The dresses are clearly made for humans, based on the way they’re cut, but the designs are unusual to me. I assume they must be orcish styles. They are made out of rich, heavy materials in various shades. Some are simple, almost modest, with high necklines and long sleeves. Others are more daring, with bare shoulders or backs, cut in ways that would have been scandalous in Troona.
“The stitching is immaculate,” I say out loud, seeing precise seams that look like they were done by machine, or maybe orc craftsmanship is just that much better.
Next to the dresses are tunics and blouses in softer fabrics. These feel like silk, similar to the dress I wore when I was auctioned. Hanging below the tunics and blouses are pants and skirts in various styles. Some are fitted, made of stretchy material that looks like it would move with me. Others are loose and flowing, meant to brush my ankles when I walk.
On the shelves, I find nightgowns. At least that’s what I assume they are. They’re soft and look extremely delicate, most crafted from silk or lace. There’s at least twenty of them, possibly more, all neatly folded and organized by color.
“I won’t have to sleep naked every night at the foot of his bed,” I remark to myself.
I go through a few of the drawers and find undergarments. Dozens of bras. More pairs of panties than I can count, some designed for comfort, and some that look like they’re designed to show more than they hide. I blush a little when I look at a few pairs of them, because they’re so sheer, they won’t hide anything at all.
“Did King Lix’tuk pick these out, or…” I ponder, holding up a pair of black lace panties that resemble thethongsI’ve read about. “Maybe he just asked for an assortment.”
I keep looking through the shelves and drawers, finding more clothes. There’s a row of shoes that takes up an entire wall, double stacked on low shelves. I could spend all day in here and still have things to try on.
But I don’t have to try everything on right now.
I just have to find something to wear.
CHAPTER 15
Lix’tuk
I’m sitting on my throne, her scent still lingering on my fingers.
Why do I like it so fucking much?
Humans are appealing to orcs. That’s no secret. When the first few human settlements popped up in Uzrirgard, we found them to be rather fascinating. Found our attraction to them evenmorefascinating. Some traditional orcs thought the unions were a slight to the Twelve Gods, but their offspring became mighty orc warriors and gorgeous orc brides. Our scientists said they were indistinguishable from orcs born to two orc parents, so most considered that to be a sign. A sign that humans and orcs could co-exist.
But humans are a plague on this world. Their true nature eventually reared its ugly head. Even now, two hundred years after The Great War ended, humans are still cruel and dishonest. Maybe some of that cruelty infected me like the virus that nearly drove us to extinction. I wasn’t always so cold and callous.
Softness became a luxury I couldn’t afford. I had to make decisions no orc king would ever want to make. Those that tried to destroy us became the key to our survival through the Reparations. But we’re long past that. Long past needing humans to breed.
I’ve allowed myself to become weak. That’s the only explanation. Weakness and grog are a dangerous combination. I’ve turned into a drunken old fool. I can manage my needs. I’ve done that for longer than most orcs have been alive. I didn’t need to let Clover squirm against me to get some relief. I just…likedit. I certainly didn’t need to shove a tail up her ass and prance her around on a leash. I guess I just like that, too.
“You fucking fool,” I mutter, adjusting my crown.
But even if I’m an old orc in my final days, I’m not dead. Not yet. Clover’s scent is intoxicating on my fingers. I swore I’d never let a human sour my bed. I don’t even want an orc beside me in bed, much less a fucking human.
“Damn it,” I growl, pulling my fingers away from my face. “I’ll tend to my needs tonight. Then my head won’t be so fucked up.”
It’s unusual for an orc not to take another bride after the grieving period is over. We’re driven by instincts, and breeding is one of them. We enjoy it as much as humans, possibly more. Right now, there are probably orgies going on in every one of our cities. Some are strictly for unmarried orcs; some are for married couples. There might even be a few human pets in the mix.
But that’s not what I need. And Clover certainly isn’t. I wanted to be left alone in my final days. Uzrirgard barely needs a king. After I’m gone, they’ll manage just fine without me. I don’t knowwhich Lord will be chosen to take my throne, but I’m sure they’ll find ruling Uzrirgard as mindless a task as I do.
“Almost time for lunch,” I sigh, rising from my throne.
Clover makes it hard to stay lonely and miserable. She’s still a little scared of me, and that’s certainly understandable since I made her romp around my room on a leash with a tail up her ass. But she’s dragging light through my fortress of isolation wherever she goes. Forcing me to think about things I’ve tried to forget. Forcing me to remember I was something else before I became unnecessary.
She’s not my pet. Not my gift. There’s no dehumanizing her because beinghumanisn’t to her detriment. She’s too vibrant for the darkness in their hearts.
I walk into the hallway, past the portraits of the orcs chosen to haunt these hallowed halls. Lords. Ladies. Generals. Those are the older portraits. The newer ones include scientists, engineers, and other notable figures who helped us adapt human technology to meet our needs. Then we surpassed it.
I stop in front of the painting of Lord Varfu. We grew up together and he was once my closest friend, before I fully understood how many friends I would lose along the way.
“You didn’t have a problem with humans, did you?” I sigh. “You even let one of your sons marry a human. But I wonder how you’d have felt if you’d lived long enough to see what they are truly capable of.”
