Casus Belli Ch. 07: Accepting Fate

Cassandra shrugged again, "Well, that's their problem then..."

The General nodded, "Most officers are nobles," he said next, "are you proposing we let the lower ranks handle this?"

Now it was Cassandra's turn to chuckle, "Aren't the sergeants running your army anyway, General?" Marecomb just grinned. "We put the army's current commander in command of it," she said. "Kiran isn't a noble, he came up through the ranks, through the Royal Guard ranks to be exact, he's the right man for the job."

"If he's still alive," Marecomb returned, "the only thing we know is that he led a successful breakout at Roha, and then moved towards Nadrac apparently. We haven't heard anything from him since..."

"Yes," Cassandra said, "that's why we'll instruct Major Coburn in his absence."

"Bromodin's Royal Guards Commander, that's a good choice," Marecomb said.

"Yes," she replied, "He's very capable, and I trust him with my life." She shifted her eyes to Burgon Goban, "And I trust you with informing the Nigawan people through your network, Sir Goban," she said, "to keep them out of trouble for the time being, and to channel all emerging resistance in the right direction. General Kiran will provide the instructors to build a resistance army, but your organization will have to provide the people needed for it, and the information they need to strike at the right time, so you'll have to make some changes to your organization too."

Goban nodded, "I have some work to do then..."

She nodded again, and then she addressed her councilor for foreign affairs, "Burgon Magwick, you'll have to do some reorganizing too. I want for you to set up a new noble-less management structure too, and instruct it to keep providing the internal affairs people and the army people, with information. I expect trouble with our southern neighbors, trouble that might offer Nigawa an opportunity to rid itself of the coming orcish occupation." The Burgon just nodded, and she looked around the table next, taking in the other councilors. "Regarding the rest of you, your work is done here," she said, "So you go home, and enjoy your last days of freedom with your families."

The councilors all made a slight bow towards her, and then Sir Jordan spoke up, "And what are you going to do, your highness? Is there anything we can do for you before... well... you know..."

Cassandra smiled, "I have, with the help of my maidens, come to the conclusion that there probably has been a miscommunication between Bashuk and our delegation." Both Marecomb and Goban frowned. "You see," Cassandra continued, "we think Bashuk thought the delegation wanted to negotiate a special arrangement for me, and that he only meant to say that he wasn't willing to make any exceptions, that I would be treated just like any other noble."

Both men were clearly thinking hard, and then both of them nodded, "You're right," Marecomb said, sounding relieved "that might be the case. Even better, now I think about it, that probably is the case. That's a relief..."

Cassandra locked eyes with him, and rose an eyebrow, "Does this please you General? That your Kangess is going to end up as a whore in an orcish army brothel?"

Marecomb blushed, "No! That's not what I meant!"

The young Kangess chuckled, "I'm just pulling your leg General..."

Marecomb relaxed, and she looked at Sir Jordan again, "To get back to your question; what I'm going to do is my job. I'm going to prepare Bromodin for receiving all the nobles, the first of whom I expect will be arriving in a day or two." She blushed, "I'm also going to prepare for the surrender ceremony, and for what will follow afterwards, as best I can." Sir Jordan's mouth opened, and then it closed again. Cassandra chuckled, "Wise decision Sir..." She looked around the table, "Let's not beat around the bush gentlemen; I'm going to get raped, and then I'm going to get turned into a whore, and so will your daughters, if you have any."

The gathered men all looked ill at ease, "It can't be changed, so you better prepare them for it," she continued gently, "don't let it come as a surprise to them, during the surrender ceremony." Panicked looks by concerned fathers resulted. "Just tell them what to expect," she added, "so they can at least mentally prepare for it. And most importantly; be there for them while you still can."

To her relief the men all nodded their understanding, and then the most senior of them, Burgon Magwick, spoke up. "I think I speak for every one of us, your highness," he said, "when I say working for you, and with you, has been a privilege." He smiled softly, "I'm sure your father would have been proud of you."

That afternoon she had another meeting, with just Marecomb, the Burgons Magwick and Goban, and Major Coburn. She made sure everyone was on the same page, and discussed how the different parts of the resistance movement they were planning would be interacting with each other, a subject on which Magwick and Goban had most to offer. Magwick's department, foreign affairs, operated intelligence assets abroad, and Goban's department, internal security, was well versed in contra espionage, so both had ample experience with cloak and dagger games. Once they had worked everything out, and before parting their ways, she apologized to her three fellow nobles for keeping them from returning to their families.

Marecomb was the one who reacted first, "We're only doing our duty your highness, just like you are."

"Yes," Sir Goban agreed with him, " and it's, hopefully, for our own families' benefit too." He was right of course.

"Shall we plan a follow up meeting in two days' time?" Sir Magwick suggested next. Everyone agreed that would be enough time to set all the needed elements of the plan in motion, and they scheduled the meeting at eleven in the morning.

Moiga and Denora joined her when she left the conference rooms by their anteroom. She had made them wait for her in the anteroom that morning too, because she knew they felt awkward in the company of the soon to be enslaved nobles. This time though, it was also to protect them: what they didn't know they would have no need to lie about. Back in the living room she had tea, with all her maidens, during which Syldan asked her if she was going to avoid training by planning an afternoon meeting the next day too. The twinkling in the girl's amber eyes told Cassandra she was pulling her leg.

"No," the young Kangess answered, "I'm not going to avoid training, but I was wondering if I shouldn't change krujac training for brothel training. Work a little on those leg and hip muscles, and maybe give those glutes a good workout too..." They all froze, their eyes wide, and then Leavy's eyes narrowed, and she started to laugh. Cassandra joined in, and then so did the rest. Once they had all calmed down again she looked at the faces surrounding her, "Fun aside, has any of you any idea what I can expect, the obvious aside of course." Her maidens all looked at each other, and then they shook their heads one by one, except for Leavy.

"The 'obvious aside' being that you're going to get fucked a lot I presume?" the platinum blonde asked. Cassandra blushed, and Leavy smiled apologetically. "I have no experience with brothels," she continued, "but I have 'experience' with whores, as the wagoner's inns, the ones in towns and cities, usually had plenty of them. There are two kinds of whores; the ones working for the establishment, and the ones that don't. Both just mingle with the guests, and try to seduce a man to pay for having sex with them. If they succeed, a girl working for the inn will then take her customer up to her room, which is often located in the attic."

"The other girls, the ones not working for the inn, need to be more inventive. They can try to persuade their catch to pay for a room in addition to paying them for their services of course, and they can also use a private booth, if available. Another option is taking their customer outside with them, and servicing them in the stables, a nearby alley, or any other convenient place. Those latter options aren't very popular with their customers though. Some of these 'working girls' aren't actually whores you see, they are in the business of luring a man outside, where he's then robbed by one or more accomplices of the girl, and sometimes even ends up dead."

"What a dirty trick!" Syldan exclaimed.

Leavy nodded, "Yeah, I once witnessed such a girl being brought inside, after her dirty trick blew up in her face. Apparently the two men working with her hadn't been able to overwhelm the intended victim. Once it became clear what had happened, and what was still going to happen, my father proposed for us to go to our room upstairs. I decided to stay though, because I wanted to witness justice being served. Her intended victim stripped her in the common room, and then he had his way with her on a nearby table, as did the majority of the other customers. By the time we went to bed, two hours later, her semen dripping holes, plural, weren't even closing anymore. I went to sleep to the faint thumping rhythm the table they had her on produced. But I digress..."

"An acquaintance of my father, a wagoner also, once told me that in brothels it was much the same as in the inns. The main difference being that the girls all work for the establishment, and that they wear more revealing outfits. They mingle with the customers, like they do in the inns, and then take their 'catches' with them to their room." Leavy shrugged, "I don't think that's the way it's going to be in an orcish army brothel though, because those aren't going to be brothels in the true sense of the word. Like I mentioned before, in an orcish army brothel there will be many more warriors to please than girls to please them."

"So I don't think there will be any mingling and taking warriors up to rooms. I think this brothel will be nothing but a large room, where the girls are simply lined up on their backs, or on all fours, and where a great many warriors then line up to await their turn, no doubt enjoying the show." Cassandra's eyes had widened again, and Leavy swallowed. "I'm sorry," the platinum blonde said, "but that's what I think is awaiting you."

It made sense of course, and while it would be very humiliating, to be used like that, it would be rather impersonal at the same time, which she regarded a plus. "Well," she said, "I'll be just another hole among a large number of such holes then. It'll at least offer some anonymity, and detachment." Cassandra looked at the faces surrounding her, and met nothing but eyes shyly avoiding hers. She cleared her throat, "It could have been worse I guess, any tips on how to best handle such an onslaught?"

"As I said before, be submissive," Denora said after a short silence, "don't invite roughness by resisting. Also, be relaxed, and wet." Her senior maiden swallowed, "When they are going to take you in the ass, ask them nicely to use plenty of lube, and if there isn't any available, ask them to go deep inside your pussy first. Did I mention you should make sure you're wet?"

Cassandra whimpered softly, "Only Brando gets me wet..."

"That's a problem then," Denora reacted.

"It also isn't true," Vala chimed in.

Surprised Cassandra locked eyes with her, to find Vala's deep green orbs staring right back at her, "Remember Leavy's naughty tale?" the redhead said softly.

She did, and then she felt her whole face starting to glow.

""Ho ho," Denora chuckled, it seems we other girls have been left out of something..."

"You didn't think of Brando when you came then, now did you?" Vala said softly.

Cassandra put her hands in front of her glowing face, "Please! It was only a fantasy. This is embarrassing..."

Denora had been sitting maybe a foot away, and now she moved up to her and hugged her. "We better start working on those fantasies of yours then," her senior maiden said softly. The young Kangess leaned into her, and Denora tenderly caressed her back, "You should accept that your old life is over, milady" Cassandra whimpered softly. "All those girls in Nigawa's inns and brothels, who earn a living by pleasuring men, most of them didn't choose that life freely either," her senior maiden continued.

The young Kangess looked up at her, "They are being forced? I didn't..."

Denora shushed her, "That's not what I meant, what I meant is that life didn't offer them another choice, just like life isn't offering you another choice right now. The reason I tell you this is because you need to understand that most of those girls aren't really unhappy. They accepted the cards life dealt them, and just tried to make the best of it. That's what you will have to do also, accept it, and try to make the best of it."

Cassandra knew Denora was right, but that didn't make it any easier. "That's easy for you to say." It just slipped out without thinking.

She felt Denora stiffen. "No, it actually wasn't," her senior maiden said, sounding hurt. She wanted to take it back, but before she could she felt Denora relax again, and then her senior maiden hugged her even closer. "I know you didn't mean it that way," she said in a soft voice, and Cassandra sunk into her loving embrace."

They had a nice dinner that evening; wild boar stew with mushrooms, carrots, and mashed potatoes, accompanied by a nice glass of red wine. While they were eating Cassandra realized that this was something else she would soon be saying goodbye to. She stopped eating, and looked around the table, "I guess slave food isn't going to be anything like this, isn't it?"

Moiga chuckled, "Commoners food, in most cases, isn't anything like this... Eldran is a very talented cook, and she uses only the best ingredients." She smiled softly, "You're not the only privileged one in this room, so are we, and from the first day we became your maidens." She looked down at her half empty plate, "I'm going to miss this too. Not that I want to insinuate our loss will be as huge as yours, because it doesn't even come close, but still." The pretty brunette swallowed, and her eyes became moist, "What am I rambling... there's only one thing I'll really miss, and that's you, and the other maidens too of course."

The girls all nodded their agreement. "It might turn out not as bad as that," Cassandra said softly, "going by what Marecomb said the orcs are planning to keep on the female staff. So you might not have to leave Bromodin, you might all be able to stay here, together."

Moiga looked back at her, and then tears started to flow down her cheeks, "Without you there won't be any 'together' anymore." Polly and Syldan were sitting next to Moiga, and both leaned in and hugged the softly crying maiden.

"We don't know what's going to happen," Denora said, "the orcs might be planning to take over the female staff, to run Bromodin, but we are maidens, we have no part in running the keep. It's no use getting all worked up on what might or might not happen. Only time will tell."

Moiga sniffled, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to spoil this excellent meal, please forgive me."

Cassandra produced a forgiving smile, "If Polly and Syldan weren't hugging you already, I would..."

"Coming back to the question," Leavy said, "I don't think they'll starve you. Considering the circumstances, whores being in short supply, I think they'll take good care of their property. They probably won't feed you fine food, but I'm pretty sure they'll feed you good food." She then gave her this loving look, "I'm going to miss this too, and I'm not talking about the food here. I'm going to miss us, and most importantly, you. These last couple of years of my life have been terrific, and it was you that gave me that life. I'm forever in your debt, please never forget that."

Silence resulted, as all six maidens looked at her doe-eyed, expressing that they all felt the same on the matter. Cassandra blushed, "You're all forgetting you gave back in spades. I can't even imagine these last years without you lot, especially these last months. My life went to pieces, and you pulled me through all of it, you're still pulling me through all of it. There is no debt between us..." She put her spoon to work again, "Don't let your food get cold, it's much too delicious for that..."

The smiles returned on the faces surrounding her, and they finished their meal without further interruption. Afterwards they gathered on the couches, where Denora and Polly served beer and wine again, and soon Mundea's many sentient races became the topic of conversation. As Nigawa, like neighboring Loras and Mercandon, had a purely human population, contact with other races was as good as non-existent. As such, Denora, Syldan, Polly, and Moiga, were surprised to learn Leavy had once seen both a dwarf and an elf, and the latter two were also surprised to learn that Vala had actually seen goblins up close.

It was known that goblins, and bugbears also, lived in the Leviathans. They seldom left the mountains though, as they were heavily persecuted outside them, for good reasons. Now there were orcs in Nigawa, but only Cassandra had seen them up close. Moiga and Polly had seen them too, but only from a little distance away. "How big and ugly were they exactly, the orcs you met at Bragstone?" Denora asked her.

Cassandra shrugged, "Orcs come in different size classes apparently... I met their leader, two of his chieftains, and the males of his personal guard. The guards were much bigger than men, about seven feet or so, and weighing at least three hundred pounds by the looks of them. The chieftains were half a head taller, around seven feet two, and weighing some fifty pounds more I think. Their leader, Bashuk, was half a head taller still, seven feet six easily, and I wouldn't be surprised if he weighed in at over four hundred pounds. They weren't just taller than men you see, they were broader built also, and very muscular."

"Going by what the castle's commander, the gods have mercy on his soul, told me at the time, the regular orc soldiers are smaller than these guards were, but not much. Say six feet six, and built like oxen, just like the rest of them. Regarding their looks; the ones I met all wore leather armor, no helmets though. Their heads were in proportion with the rest of them, they had a broad nose, pointy ears, and small upward pointing tusks at the corners of their mouths. They all had long black hair, gathered in a single braid or pony tail, and they also all had tattoos in all kinds of strange patterns, on all visible skin, except for their faces."

Cassandra swallowed, "They weren't really ugly, they were more, well, animalistic, primal, it's difficult to describe. There was also the strange color of their skin of course; green with this brownish hue." She sighed, "I knew there existed half-orcs, but at the time I was asking myself what could drive a human female to have sex with such a beastly creature."

"Well," Leavy chimed in, "big and athletic, potentially equipped with a huge cock, and probably a high level of alpha-maleness, what shall I say..." The other girls, Cassandra included, looked back at her with disgust, and Leavy blushed fiercely. "Okay..., maybe not then."

The young Kangess was first to react, "No, you're right, this is probably what drives those females to have sex with orcs."

"Who says they do so voluntarily?" Polly asked, "and who says the orc part is always the male?"

A short silence fell. "Yikes...," Moiga reacted, "Aren't orc females big and ugly too? What man would..."

Vala laughed, "Any man whose balls itch enough, that's 'what man' will fuck a big and ugly orc female, some alcohol might help too..."

"So maybe an orc cock doesn't fit in a human pussy after all..." Cassandra said, with fear reemerging in her voice.