Orc Dominion: Zentara Ch. 09

Jeanette blushed at the memory of the times he had loaned her out to his companions. "Only so long as they don't risk impregnating me; you want your son to sit on the throne, do you not?"

"That is right. You are fortunate that your son was born with the green skin. It makes his father almost impossible to know. Such a child would make no threat to my future sons."

"You really do believe that our children will sit on the throne? What do you think is going to happen if I do become pregnant again, and the Queen gives birth to a half-orc? Do you really think that the nobles and the commoners will accept it? Do you think that they will welcome an orc on the throne?"

Chief Turogg smiled mysteriously. "We shall see, Jeanette. Things may not unfold the way you think. These are times of change. If by our treaty I become a great lord of your Kingdom, would not your people look more favorably on orcs? If we bring you victory, and wealth, and prosperity, I think your people might have a different opinion of us."

Jeanette gave him a long, considering look. These did not sound like his words. She sensed the work of Sir Drake behind what he said. Is this what they were plotting? "You might be right in that, My Chief. It would take some work, but the people might come around. Is this one of the topics that came up during your conversation with Sir Drake?"

Chief Turogg grinned again at that. "We have talked about a great many things. He is a smart man. Perhaps not a strong warrior, but he has his uses. You do well to make use of him." Chief Turogg laughed again. "Did he not do a good job on your coronation? You enjoyed it immensely."

"I did at that, though that was due more to your presence than his efforts. Perhaps you two are a good team together?"

"I would not so much as call us a team, Jeanette." Chief Turogg answered quickly, and not, Jeanette thought, entirely convincingly.

"If you say so, My Chief. As you said, he is quite capable, so you might not do so poorly to work with him. In any event, it is probably time for me to rise. I need to see to Agmar, and to meet the ambassadors from Thesta and Sandora. They will doubtless have questions after my speech yesterday." Jeanette sat up in bed and stripped herself out of the white silk dress she wore while Chief Turogg watched. As she finished, he rose from the side of the bed and made his way toward the secret passage.

"As you say, Jeanette. Now is the time to get all in order. We have only a few more weeks until we must go to fight Heste. I do not doubt that you will convince them."

"You and Sir Drake take care of the negotiations between Zentara and your tribe. I shall take care of Thesta and Sandora. I will see you tonight?"

"Of course you will, Jeanette. Every night." Chief Turogg grinned and disappeared into the passage, leaving Jeanette to throw on her night clothes so she could go and feed Agmar, and then return in time for her servants to dress her.

When she was dressed, Jeanette sent for the Thestan and Sandoran ambassadors and waited for them in the royal receiving room. The two ambassadors arrived at the same time, looking eager to speak with her. They had been requesting an audience with her since the orcs first arrived in the city. She knew they were upset at the orc presence, but seemed mollified somewhat after her speech yesterday, and now genuinely curious as to her intentions.

"Good morning, gentlemen, and welcome." Jeanette rose from her table to smile at the pair as they bowed.

"Your Highness."

"After my speech yesterday at the coronation, you doubtless have questions on behalf of your masters. I can tell you this: For the past week I have been in negotiations with the orcs of the Angrian March. These negotiations are still ongoing, but we have reached some key agreements I will now share with you, trusting in your confidence not to divulge my secrets to anyone besides your masters. Is that understood?"

"Of course Your Highness." Both ambassadors agreed to keep the secret.

"Excellent. I have received a pledge from Chief Turogg that all attacks on your Kingdoms will stop. At this moment, his brother is travelling back to the tribe to relay that order." The ambassadors looked surprised at the news, but obviously were well pleased.

"This is wondrous news, Your Highness. The King of Thesta will be most gratified to hear of your efforts on his behalf."

"As will the King of Sandora, Your Highness. Both our peoples are in your debt."

"It pleases me to be able to render this service to your Kingdoms, who have treated Zentara so well in the past. But now gentlemen, let us move beyond the diplomatic platitudes and engage in earnest discussion. As you know, I have been entreating your masters for last few months to come to our aid in the face of aggression from Heste. Due to the attacks from the orc tribes, you've not been able to do so."

"And it pains my master to not be able to do so, Your Highness." The Thestan ambassador smiled congenially.

"I said this was time for such platitudes to end, Ambassador." The ambassador's smile dropped, and Jeanette continued. "I am not seeking your military aid against Heste. I have made a separate agreement with Chief Turogg for that. What I am seeking is your diplomatic aid. With the help of the orcs, I intend to conquer the Duchy of Braden and settle them there. This will keep them from future attacks against your territories, create a buffer between Zentara and Heste, and redirect the orc raids against them."

"That is a bold plan, Your Highness. But the orcs are raiders, not soldiers. What makes you think you'll be able to succeed?"

"We will have the element of surprise on our side. If we destroy their army in a surprise attack, we can occupy the Duchy. That is where we require your assistance. We need the threat of an invasion from your Kingdoms to dissuade them from creating new army and marching to retake Braden. Will your masters be open to such a plan?"

The two ambassadors looked at each other for a moment as they considered. "If King Connor disregards the threat and attacks anyway, what will you do?"

"Set Braden on fire, garrison whatever castles we can, then fall back to the Lyskean Pass and fortify it. I think we'll be able to hold it with the troops we have. We can then raid Heste at our leisure while they try and besiege our forces. I don't think King Connor will be able to keep a second levy in the field for so long a time.

"Just as long as it is clear, Your Highness, that we can make no guarantees of intervention if they call your bluff."

"I understand. Go and send word to your Masters and let me know the response." The two ambassadors bowed and exited the room.

The next six weeks went by quickly. Jeanette was not able to take part in the ongoing negotiations between Sir Drake and Chief Turogg, being too busy with the preparations of the campaign. She worried about what they were plotting together behind closed doors. Though she trusted Chief Turogg, she did not trust Sir Drake at all. The briefings he gave her on the progress were vague, though optimistic. He continued to say that all obstacles were being overcome, without giving any details on how.

The preparations for the campaign went well. Hundreds of horses had been gathered, from both the city and the countryside. In other areas, more horses had been collected to seat the cavalry when the orcs arrived. Thousands upon thousands of arrows had also been made and packed and loaded into wagons. Foodstuffs were gathered, weapons made and reinforcements levied, ready to assist the army already in the field.

Jeanette remained popular with the people following her coronation. The city adored her, and that feeling seemed to emanate throughout the country. The people were tired of Heste's bullying, and angry at the attacks. Zentara rallied behind Jeanette's preparations for war, with recruits and donations of gold came pouring in.

Despite her fears, no one seemed to mind the skimpy dress she wore at the ceremony, nor did she find that being a sex symbol lessened the respect they had for her as Queen. On the contrary, it seemed to have enhanced it. Jeanette seemed to have taken on an almost Goddess–like mantle, where she was more revered than ever by the common people of the city.

With the people seeming to have accepted the unusual coronation, and with the plans for the campaign progressing smoothly, Jeanette decided it was time to further test her popularity with the people, and begin socializing Chief Turogg with the city's residents. Jeanette sent Daniels to retrieve the Chief, and they left the castle to enter into the city accompanied by Daniels and Jeanette's bodyguards.

"It is strange to see so many, even the poorest of your people, living in houses. They must lie atop one another, but each man and woman has a roof over his head." Turogg looked around the city, part in wonder and part in dismay, it seemed.

"Oh? I guess I never really thought about what life is like out on the Marches. What is it like for you?"

"Only the powerful have huts to sleep in. Others sleep beneath the stars; or carts if they have them. It gets cold, so many sleep in big piles near the fire."

"That sounds dreadful, at least, to the ears of a princess." Jeanette laughed softly and looked at him a little more seriously. "I can see why you want to move your people out of there and into the greener lands. To build lives and homes for them, so you're not always on the move."

Turogg shrugged his wide shoulders. "It is what it is. But life changes and we command our own destinies. If I can build a better life for my people, then I will do so."

"Together, we can build a better life for both our peoples." Jeanette and Turogg walked together through the streets, the Queen smiling and waving at her subjects while Turogg remained dour and silent. "You need to learn to smile, Chief Turogg, if you want them to accept you. They expect orcs to be sullen, barbarous, and dangerous. By stalking silently at my side, you're fulfilling those expectations."

"What is there to smile about? Better for them to fear me. If I am thought to be dangerous, than our enemies will hesitate to challenge us."

"That is so, Chief Turogg. I am sure that works when you are raiding a village and looking for plunder. But if you are going to integrate into my Kingdom, than you need to have amicable relations with its people." Chief Turogg gave her a look, so she clarified, "Friendly relations, Chief."

Turogg's was about to respond when they were approached by an elf dressed rich clothing. "Your Highness! Your Highness! A moment of your time, please!"

Jeanette turned towards the elf as the as her bodyguards stepped closer, ready to react if the man posed a threat. "Good day to you, sir. How may I help you?" Jeanette studied the slender elf at her feet. She towered above him herself, and as Turogg stepped closer he dwarfed the elf completely.

The elf knelt down before Jeanette. "Your Highness, I am Trealic Lomor, a humble purveyor of fine silks from the Elven Isles. I've come to plead for your assistance, Your Highness. These news tariffs you've raised to fund your war are costly, ruinous even! I've come to plead for your understanding, and to beg Your Highness to lower them!"

Jeanette paused a moment and looked up at Turogg, whose face remained inscrutable, before turning back to the prostrate elf. "I am deeply sorry for the troubles that the tariff is causing you, sir, but my Kingdom is preparing for war. These temporary measures are necessary to fund our campaign. It won't last much longer, I assure you. You'll just have to be patient."

"Your Highness, it is not just me who is suffering. I speak on behalf of all the importers from my lands. The tariffs on the luxury goods we provide are crushing our business. As you know, we cannot bring our goods onto the main land anywhere other than your port city of Keld. If the merchants of Zentara cannot afford to buy our products, our whole economy will fall into disarray!" The slender elf looked up at Jeanette with sincere desperation, as Turogg sneered and scoffed at the pitiful display.

"I feel for the desperation of your people, good sir. I too am trapped in a desperate situation. But we've only increased the tariff a small percentage. As you know, the crown normally takes five percent of the value of the silks, gems, and fine crafts you sell in our lands. Due to the war footing, we've raised that percentage to eight percent. It is not a large increase, and it is one you can well afford I'm sure."

"We can indeed afford it, Your Highness, but your people cannot. With the price going up, less Zentarans are buying silk, and thus your merchants are buying less silk as well. We need the price to come down again, to allow business to flourish for all."

Jeanette pursed her lips thoughtfully, then glanced up at Turogg and considered that this might be a good opportunity to display her knowledge of economics, and the sorts of policies a ruler in the kingdoms needs to have. "Well said, sir, well said. I might be persuaded to lower the tariffs to their original price, but it is contingent on us coming to an arrangement. Come, stand up sir, there is no need to grovel."

The elf rose up from the ground with a grateful, hopeful smile. "Thank you Your Highness. Please, tell me what I can do to convince you to come to agreement with us." The elf's accent was much softer and more lyrical than Turogg's, though in a way she preferred the large orc's more direct and clipped manner of speech.

"I'll lower the tariff back down to five percent," Jeanette paused, and then smiled sweetly, "no, I'll do one better and lower it to three percent. Times are tough, and if we are to attract buyers we need to make them cost less than normal. However, in exchange, the elven importers must agree to sell the crown directly ten percent of your inventory at cost."

Turogg's brow furrowed as he tried to follow along with the conversation. The elven merchant's smile faltered as he heard Jeanette's proposal, obviously not excited at having to sell ten percent of the inventory at cost. "Your Highness, that is a most generous offer but-"

"But what, Mr. Lomor? Whether you sell your items at cost or for a profit, it will keep your brethren gainfully employed in your homeland, will it not? Are you not here to plea on their behalf?" Jeanette grinned predatorily as she trapped the merchant. "Besides, there is no need to be greedy. You won't take a loss on the goods you sell to the crown, and with the reduced tariff you'll make a greater profit on what you sell here, and you'll increase the volume of your sales so you'll still come out ahead," Jeanette looked at Turogg, directing the next bit to the large orc "and when the crown sells our goods at the regular price, we'll make more money than we would from the tariff. Everyone wins!"

Turogg looked at Jeanette mulishly, seeming to be having trouble following the string of her logic. "That is the business of merchants and traders, not a ruler."

"To be the ruler of a land like Zentara, Chief Turogg, you need to at least partly be one. We are a kingdom of tradesmen and merchants. We bring in goods from the Elvish Isles, refining them, and reselling them to Thesta, Sandora, and Heste." Jeanette smiled as she looked up at the large orc. "We even export to the Angrian Marches."

"That is what subordinates are for. To do these things that are beneath the ruler."

"That is a recipe for being fleeced by your subordinates. Besides, Chief Turogg, you do not want subordinates gaining more respect and influence among the merchants than you have. That is to cede more and more of your power, and will only result in trouble."

The look on Turogg's face told Jeanette that he was starting to realize that controlling a kingdom was much different than ruling a tribe. "If that happens, you kill the subordinates. The rest will not dare to try anything because they fear your strength and power."

"Those tactics won't work in a kingdom, Chief Turogg. If you act like that, you will be seen as a tyrant. The merchants have great wealth to buy soldiers, and the nobles are powerful, with most of the land and their own levies. If you act with impunity, you will soon find yourself deposed." Jeanette let that sink in a moment. "Is that how things are the Marches? The strong conquer the weak and rule with an iron hand?"

"It is. When I became Chieftain of my tribe, there were some two dozen tribes in the Marches. I defeated them one by one and made them submit, until all owed fealty to me. Then, then we began to strike at the human kingdoms as one tribe." Turogg grinned wickedly; shedding the veneer of civility he had been wearing and looking every bit the barbarous warlord that united the orc tribes. The sight sent a shiver down Jeanette's spine, reminding her of who she was dealing with, and the stakes of the game she was playing.

"Well, Chief Turogg, the united orc tribes will now work with Zentara to defeat our enemies, and build an even brighter future for both our peoples. Come, let me show you more of the city." Jeanette led Turogg onward, showing him more of the city, all the while thinking about the strength and dedication it took to forge unity among the tribes, and the vision it took to see a better future than nomadic living in the Marches.