Orc Courage (Immortal Souls: Book 5)

Carwen knew Arabella hadn’t done anything wrong by ending things. Carwen had been the selfish one by expecting her to keep their relationship a secret indefinitely. Arabella had really been wise to end that early on rather than let it go of for years, causing them both pain when they inevitably had to call things off. She knew all of that but it still broke her heart to remember that awful moment.

She’d done her best to move on, of course. She’d taken a few other lovers and tried to build relationships with them but none were ever as fulfilling. It was impossible to explain what it was about Arabella that drew her in, but twenty years later and she still had to fight the urge to kiss her every time she visited Latiala.

They wrote letters to each other, friendly things usually. Arabella shared her concerns about the sorceress they’d been fighting to take down. According to her, Munya’s influence was widespread and they were always finding more people who had taken offers from her. Sometimes, it was out of greed for power or influence. Sometimes, it was for healing, either for themselves or someone they loved. Carwen often struggled to believe the things Arabella said Munya could do but she knew the elf wouldn’t make such a thing up.

She was glad Munya hadn’t shown interest in Klaxa, at least. The land around them was mostly desert so it likely wouldn’t serve a purpose to her. Carwen knew their premier was a good leader and cared more about taking care of their people than furthering his own station, so she was confident he wouldn’t be corrupted. While she was aware there could be a risk of him making a deal for more fertile land or something similar, he’d never shown an inclination for shortcuts. Klaxans knew life could be difficult but they were a strong people who wouldn’t let some sorceress manipulate them.

Of course, Carwen always wanted to improve things for her people. Her parents were senate members who served under the premier and that had given her the boost she needed to become an ambassador. She’d helped broker a trade agreement with Latiala that had benefitted both countries and that won her favor with the masses. However, it earned her some distrust, as well. Not everyone appreciated working with an elven country, given their history. Carwen knew it would take time to bridge those prejudices.

When she wasn’t working on official business, Carwen frequently travelled through Klaxa on her own, wearing plain clothes. This allowed her to see how people were living, even in the poorest sections. She could find where aid was needed or where unrest was stirring. Often those things went together, after all.

Her current visit was to a small city at the edge of the kingdom. Beyond it, a great desert stretched out, hot and foreboding. Few would dare try to cross it. The people of the city were often those that couldn’t find work elsewhere. Many lived in squalor. Carwen would visit it at least once a year to let the premier know the state of things. He could sometimes send resources to assist them. It kept the people alive long enough that those who could work might leave the place for somewhere better.

She walked down the street of the small marketplace and turned into an alley to head toward the apartment where she stayed. The owner of the building struggled to keep it full and was always happy to let Carwen rent a place for a few weeks. Carwen paid well and the owner was discreet.

Just as she was about to leave the alley, someone rounded the corner at full speed, running into her and stumbling back. They wore patched clothes and their head was wrapped so only their dark eyes were visible. Those eyes widened as they met Carwen’s and they hurried to stand, glancing back over their shoulder.

“Stop!” someone called. “Thief!”

The first person dodged past Carwen, grabbing a rope that dangled from the roof and scrambling up it. Carwen may have been able to stop them but she rarely interfered with anyone on these trips. It was best to keep a low profile and she never wanted to get involved without details. The alleged thief disappeared over the rooftop just before the person chasing them rounded the corner. He was large, even for an orc and glance around with a murderous scowl.

“Did you see where they went?” he demanded.

“I didn’t see anyone,” Carwen lied.

He grunted and took off down the alley to continue his search.

Carwen shrugged it off and continued on her way. She would look into the accuser later and determine what losses he had suffered. She could always get him compensation if needed. Apart from that, he would need to get the local guard to catch the thief. This was a matter for local courts, not a royal ambassador.

Amatus always enjoyed watching Eve, Honoko and Mayumi train together. On top of sword skills, they’d focused a lot on hand-to-hand combat. He knew each of them was proficient with knives. He couldn’t watch all of their training as Leilani taught them in secret. No one knew they worked for the spymaster, after all.

As far as most people were aware, Amatus had simply taken the girls in out of charity. Honoko and Mayumi lived together in an apartment in town. They did odd jobs for the palace to pay for it but often those jobs would be covers for Leilani’s missions. Amatus wasn’t permitted to know the details but all three had returned unharmed so far and that was all that really mattered to him.

It was good to see Eve growing close with them, as well. The three had become like sisters and were inseparable. While he hated for her to pull away from him, that was always going to be inevitable. At twenty years old, she was well and truly and adult. He could no longer pretend otherwise. She still made time for him whenever she was home and that was enough for Amatus.

Over the past four years, Latiala and their allies had quietly found and dismantled over a dozen operations Munya had set up. Chrysanthemum and Morganite helped wherever they could. Theo had turned out to be an impressive help. She’d spent decades tracking down people who’d been turned to parrots by Ambrose and had an impressive number of birds working for her, now. They made for good spies. While Ambrose himself hadn’t been seen, they still worked to find him while working against Munya. Each blow they struck gave him a little more hope, though his fear grew with her not making clear moves yet.

He tried not to think about that, though. He had more immediate concerns, after all. His aunt was coming for a visit along with her daughters. He dragged himself away from the training grounds to dress and greet her at the foyer of the palace. The rest of the royal family was already there when he arrived. Amara scowled and fiddled with her skirt, looking much neater than usual. He knew she’d rather hide out in her room and work on clothes, but she couldn’t get away with that while her mother was there.

Lady Celina entered the room and the queen mother smiled as she greeted her sister.

The pair had always been close. They’d both been considered as possible wives to the king, but Valeria had won out in the end. There was occasionally some debate about whether she was the right option. The appeal of their family had been the tendency to produce twins, after all. Celina had done that, but Valeria had taken time to produce her second child and he wasn’t considered worth the wait in the end. It was fortunate that no bad blood passed between the sisters, though.

“It’s been so long since I last saw you,” Celina told her sister before looking around at the others. “I’m sure you’re all busy today, but would it be possible for us to all catch up tonight? I’d love to sit and chat with my sister, her children and their children. Oh, and of course, my nephews’ lovely wives.”

Amatus was a bit surprised to be included and there was no way he would refuse. Celina had always been kinder to him than her sister was. He figured this was just another kindness on her part.

Eve was disappointed not to spend time with her friends in the evening but he pointed out that she could see them any time. Celina was only visiting for a short while. She begrudgingly agreed and they met her in a sitting room after dinner. When they walked in, he found a yellow candle had been lit. It made the room smell faintly of lavender.

“Isn’t it lovely?” Celina remarked. “It was a gift. Pressed flowers were used for its scent. I find it so relaxing.”

He couldn’t disagree and took a seat next to Eve on one of the sofas. Arabella sat on his other side. Cadeyrn took one of the large chairs and Kit joined their children on another sofa. Celina and Valeria each took a chair. The group made polite conversation for a while, the atmosphere in the room surprisingly relaxed.

At one point, Celina turned to Amatus and said, “You know, I don’t think I ever heard the story of how you met Eve’s mother.”

“It was on a slaver’s ship,” he replied. “She tended to my wounds after I’d been whipped.”

A hush fell over the room and his stomach dropped as he realized what he’s said. He hadn’t meant to say it. It wasn’t something he should have said.

Eve stared at him in horror. “You were whipped?”

“Oh, Amatus,” Kit said, “I’m so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago.” His face burned.

“I suppose it’s understandable you and the human became close,” Celina commented. “You must have wanted to show your appreciation after you got off that ship.”

“Yes,” he said, glad to be on a safe subject.

“Did you spend a lot of time together once you were back on the island?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “There was a lot going on with my engagement and everything.”

“Right.” She looked at Cadeyrn. “I suppose you spent more time with her.”

“Only because I wanted information.” Cadeyrn’s face pinched as soon as he spoke.

Something was wrong. Amatus sensed it but he couldn’t figure out what the problem was. He was sitting with his family and talking. They were safe. What was the problem?

“What kind of information?” Celina asked.

“I wanted to know what had happened to my brother,” Cadeyrn replied. “I knew he wouldn’t tell me anything so I asked her instead. She was helpful.”

Amatus stared at him with wide eyes. Had Cadeyrn been concerned about him? He found that hard to believe.

“I suppose you were upset to hear about it,” Celina commented. “Was Mida able to comfort you?”

“In a way.” He scowled, now, his body stiffening.

“In what way?” Kit’s tone was suspicious, now, clearly having picked up on something he hadn’t yet said.

“It’s not important, now,” Cadeyrn replied.

“Did you bed her?” Celina asked.

“Yes,” he answered then his face paled.

Something was very wrong. He was saying too much but Amatus found himself frozen in place.

Kit’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“Well, that’s a bit odd, isn’t it?” Celina looked at Amatus. “You had a child with a woman your brother bedded first?”

“No,” Amatus said before he could stop himself.

“No?” She turned to Cadeyrn once more. “Did you not bed her first? Surely, you wouldn’t have gone after him.”

“I didn’t.” His nostrils flared and he stared into the flame as if trying to hold himself back.

“Well, that makes it sound like Amatus never bedded her at all, but that can’t be, can it?” Celina looked at Eve. “He’s your father, right?”

“Yes.” Eve’s voice was soft and uncertain.

Celina turned to Cadeyrn once more. “Is that true?”

“No,” he said.

“No?” Kit demanded. “Who’s her father, then?”

A bead of sweat formed on the king’s forehead and he clutched the armrests of the chair.

“It should be a simple question,” Celina pressed. “Who is Eve’s father?”

There was a long silence before Cadeyrn lost his internal struggle and said, “I am.”

The room erupted into chaos then. There was shouting from Cadewyn and Eve, demanding explanations. Kit’s voice was softer but equally furious. Valeria tried to calm Kit and defended Cadeyrn as well as she could. Toma sat in apparent shock. Celina blew out her candle and stepped back, watching them with interest.

“Amatus?” Arabella laid a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his daze. “What is he saying?”

Amatus stood on shaky legs and walked over to Eve. “We should go. We can talk somewhere else.”

She stepped away from him. “Is it true?”

He swallowed deeply. “You are my daughter. That has always been true.”

“Is this true?” she demanded. “Is he my father?”

“Yes.” Amatus didn’t know why he’d said it, but the word tumbled out. He reached a hand out to her. “Please let me explain.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” She stormed out of the room and he stared after her, feeling as if his heart had been ripped from his chest.

Arabella took his arm. “Come on. We should get out of here.”

He allowed her to pull him away. As they left the room, his head gradually cleared and he stopped walking. “The candle.”

“Candle?” Arabella turned to face him.

“Yellow lavender...” It stirred a memory for him and the wind was knocked from his lungs. “She did this.”

Arabella gave his arm another tug. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs and you can explain everything.”

He followed her lead, too weak to do anything else.

Carwen had dinner in a tavern that night. It didn’t matter how small a city was, there would always be a tavern and that was the best way to learn about the people. Besides, she could contribute to the local economy a little bit by eating there. She sat in a corner table by herself, subtly watching those around her.

Suddenly, another orc took the seat across from her, offering Carwen a grin. Her black hair was cut short, unusual for an orc as their hair grew slowly, similar to elves. It took a great amount of resolve for an orc to decide their hair would be short as cutting it once meant they would need centuries to grow it out again. Her hair barely fell below her ears and wispy bangs framed her face. She grinned at Carwen as she took a seat.

“Can I help you?” Carwen asked.

“You look suspicious sitting alone. Thought I’d help.”

“I’m not in need of help,” Carwen replied. “I’m perfectly fine keeping my own company.”

The unfamiliar orc grabbed her glass and sniffed it. “Not even drinking alcohol. Who sits alone with just food and water?”

Carwen snatched the glass back. “I don’t know who you think you are-”

“Eirian,” she replied simply. “You got a name or should I just call you bestie?”

“Bestie?” Carwen raised an eyebrow.

“Because you’re going to be my new best friend,” she replied cheerfully.

Oh, so she was crazy. Great. “I’m not in the market for a new friend, but I do appreciate the offer. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to be left alone.”

“What were you in the market for?” Eirian asked. “I didn’t see you buy anything.”

Carwen paused at that. “Were you watching me?”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” she said. “Beautiful girl like you is hard to miss, though, especially since you’re clearly not from around here and rich girls don’t come to these parts much. I figured you must be looking for something you can’t get in your fancy city.”

“Rich girl?” Carwen tried to figure out how she’d given herself away. She wore cheap clothes and kept her head down to avoid attention. What could this girl have noticed?

“You carry yourself too prim and proper,” Eirian explained. “Gives you away. Besides, you got proper meat on your bones. I don’t expect you’ve been hungry a day in your life. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong.” Carwen could say that honestly. On Fyodor’s ship, she’d spent most days on the brink of starvation. It wasn’t something she liked to think about but this girl had brought it up.

“Yeah? Well, you smell too nice, too,” Eirian said without any concern. “No girls around here smell that sweet.”

Carwen mentally cursed. She continued to use her usual oil as it worked best on her skin but she realized it could have given her away. She told herself it didn’t matter, though. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. The precautions were just to keep her from standing out too much. Smelling like cinnamon wasn’t actually a problem. “Do you want something? If you’re looking for money, I don’t have much.”

“I don’t take charity.” Eirian sounded offended by the notion. “Besides, if anything, I owe you something.”

“Me? Why?”

Eirian raised her hands, covering her mouth and forehead so only her eyes were visible. Carwen realized she recognized those eyes and forced herself to maintain composure as she asked, “Did you actually rob the person chasing you?”

“No more than he’s been robbing his workers.” She dropped her hands. “You let me go without knowing what was happening.”

Carwen shrugged. “It was none of my business.”

“Terrible way to think,” Eirian commented. “I’ll allow it this time, though, since it all worked out.”

“How kind.” Carwen wasn’t sure what else she was supposed to say. “You don’t owe me anything, though. I just didn’t want to get involved.”

“Well, I’ll find a way to repay you, anyway.” The way she sat it sounded like a threat. “For now, though, I’ll leave you to your dinner. Have a nice night and I’ll see you again soon.”

Before Carwen could respond, she hopped up and disappeared out the tavern door, leaving the orc confused and worried about what was to come.