Roderick and Gorlana Pt. 06

"Beleros?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes. There is also Lieutenant Yendell who has come to stand witness, as well as the Orc-maiden Darganya. If you recall they were the ones who had petitioned an audience last night."

Valessa opened her mouth in surprise as if to say something, then closed it, settling back down in her chair with a frown and frustrated sigh, finally responding, "Fine. They may enter. But, I WILL be insisting that Roderick and Gorlana each face me and offer their explanations. Not just their 'representatives', if that is what this is supposed to be," she said derisively.

"It was not the Duke or the Orcish Queen who decided this..." Navarin pivoted uncomfortably, "Again I will let them explain," he said, then turned around to the door behind him before being asked anything more.

The Sage entered, followed by Yendell and an uncharacteristically cautious Darganya, as Navarin excused himself quickly. They too stood somewhat more distantly than natural, and bowed in respect.

"Good morning your highness."

"Good morning, and please, I don't need any strict formalities, only a concise explanation of why my orders have been ignored and you stand before me instead of those I requested."

Beleros stepped forward lifting his chin in a professorly manner as he prepared to explain, "Roderick and Gorlana are... predisposed, your highness, and frankly simply unable to leave their quarters to see you."

Valessa scoffed, "What could they possibly..." she looked off and contorted her face in disgust, "How much time do they need? Can they truly not take... a break, from...?"

"They are Rutting, your highness," Yendell said frankly, when the other two hesitated.

"What? No that isn't possible, surely they're just... Well perhaps SHE claims to be, but for the Gods' sake can he not leave her side? Has she held him hostage?" she asked, eyes suddenly flashing with concerned fury, "Is she not letting him leave?"

"No Valessa," Darganya sighed in almost chastising frustration. "It is never like that. Believe me, they are both Rutting. They have been since yesterday morning."

"But that isn't possible. He's a human, not an orc..." Valessa's brow furrowed and she shook her head, as if her mind refused to stray from what it knew.

"He's..." Darganya's mouth opened and closed, but she seemed not to be able to say more. Both Yendell and Beleros studied her for a moment, realizing the war inside herself, trying to tell Valessa the truth that Orcish honour forbade her from speaking.

While they paused, Valessa continued, "Perhaps guards and other uneducated people are squawking such rumours to explain his abnormal behaviour, but professor surely you've been working to debunk such biologically impossible nonsense. I HAVE been meaning to ask you if you have any evidence or theories as to why he has done this, whether you think he might have been poisoned or given some dissociative herb or elixir to make him act so ridiculous. Otherwise I would presume it was a mental breakdown from the stress of the negotiations and the trauma of the fight..." she let out a long shaking breath, making herself stop rambling and watching their sympathetic faces with growing concern, turning to the Sage with eyes desperate for agreement, "Well?..."

Beleros finally cleared his throat and spoke again, "Your highness, Roderick... IS part orc."

Valessa spurted a scoff, "Please, professor, he's not... He can't be. He has no... He has no features, you can simply look at him!" she said, shifting in her chair and grasping the armrest tightly despite her dismissive tone.

"He is... one eighth orc your highness, from his paternal great-grandmother. I must confess I came upon this knowledge some time ago, and chose to keep it secret. He files what small tusks might grow out from his lower incisors, and his ears have been worked and folded in an ingenious way from a young age, and as for other-"

"He's NOT! He... He CAN'T be! I... We were engaged... I almost married him! We..." she grasped both the armrests of her chair and almost stood up then sat back down again, almost hyperventilating.

"He is, Valessa," Darganya said, with a somewhat sour pitying look, "Any of us with sharper noses can tell from his smell after long enough."

Valessa stared with a look of near horror then blurted out, "Did everyone know!?"

Yendell cleared his throat, "I for one can vouch that we in his army, even his closest confidants, had no idea until yesterday, your highness. Turns out orcs are even better at keepin' their mouths shut about things than we thought."

Valessa gave a brief scowl at his informal tone then looked back at Darganya.

The tall orcish chieftain lifted her chest in defiance, "It is taboo to speak openly of bloodlines, especially mixed ones, even among our own orcs, let alone to humans. Our honour c-"

"Your honour? YOUR honour? What of MY honour? You are not the only ones who get to use that word. If we had married, and if it had come to light after the fact... the scandal... the crisis... Oh Gods, Chasdon was actually fucking right..." her face fell into her hand.

Beleros cleared his throat, "So you see, your highness, the couple are undergoing a full Orcish Rutt, which if your education may recall, is a particularly unstoppable instinctive behaviour that will likely last at least several days. Thus, they are essentially physically incapable of coming here and talking in any meaningful way to you," the Sage explained.

"It's disgusting," Valessa muttered.

Darganya frowned, "It is not your human way, but it is an honoured and venerated event."

"I mean him... being part orc," Valessa chewed the word. "I almost married our royal line into orcish blood," she rasped in a whisper.

Darganya hacked an offended scoff and took a step forward before stopping herself but pinning her ears back and retorting, "And why would that be such a disgusting thought?"

Valessa straightened her back proudly with a frown, "Because this is Andralia! I am the Princess! This is not Orthalia!" she said, stomping her foot, and both women's eyes reddening with moisture as they stared at each other, "Nor is it even Fringeland," she said with a glance at Yendell, "This is Andrapolis. It would not stand."

"Even after everything..." Darganya said hoarsely, "Everything you've-... Everything that has changed, you could not bear the thought?"

Valessa met her eyes with defiance, trying to cover over an intense regret, "No. Even with... what we have experienced... It would be unthinkable. I am who I am. We are where we are," she rasped.

Darganya did not respond, but only stepped back and seemed to put all her strength into remaining still and stoic. Only her red moistened eyes giving her away.

Valessa turned to Beleros, "DAYS you say?" she asked sharply.

Beleros simply nodded.

"And there is no way it could be stopped or that we could intervene without causing a fight?"

"No!" Both men said quickly in unison, with fear on their faces. Darganya simply looked away, scoffing and shaking her head in frustrated dismissal.

The princess stood up, "Well. So be it. It is unreasonable to wait that long. Therefore decisions will simply have to be made without them. I will announce that we will reconvene talks tomorrow, with those Orthalians who are willing and able, on how to proceed further. A-..."

"You-..." Darganya interrupted suddenly stepping forward. "I thought you had become more than a sword-sister to me, yet you take shame more from his orcish blood than his choice of another as a better mate?!"

"I take no shame!" Valessa said, straightening her spine. "And, what do you mean better?"

"You are a-..." Darganya paused seeming to prepare the word, "A hypocrite!"

Valessa stepped forward and slapped the orc woman across the face.

There was a stunned silence. Darganya had not moved from the blow and the look on her face appeared more injured inside than out. She did not retaliate, or step away, she simply stood and stared Valessa down. The princess seemed shocked at herself only for a brief moment, before regaining her proud stubborn stance, clearing her throat, and stepping back to address them all.

"That is all then. You may return and await my word," then she called out, "Navarin!"

The steward came through the door, showing nothing on his face of whether he had heard the conversation.

"Inform the others that we will reconvene our negotiations, with or without Roderick and Gorlana, tomorrow, first thing in the morning, and the fate of the realm, and themselves, will be decided without them."

"Yes, your majesty."

Valessa nodded both at him and the others, "You are dismissed."

They turned around to the door, while Valessa walked the other way to the stone staircase leading up to her personal chambers. She did not look back. However, the second the door closed behind her and she knew that she was alone, her face contorted in a sudden change and a sob broke from her mouth.

Her pace quickened and her knees started to fail as deep remorse flowed through her and tears fell quickly down her cheeks. As her repressed feelings finally broke through, she collapsed on the sofa and buried her face in the pillow. Deep loud sobs welled through her and were eventually muffled into the cushion as her slim body shook.

Suddenly there was the sound of the door banging open. Heavy slow footsteps, with lighter and quicker ones behind.

Navarin's voice called out, "Your majesty! I tried to stop her and remind her of your dismissal but she-"

"Quiet!" Darganya spat back at him over her shoulder as she paced brazenly towards the princess.

Valessa wiped tears and spittle from her face, and stood up in confusion and embarrassment to face Darganya's tall looming anger.

Darganya lost some of her rage as she laid eyes on the princess' face, and hesitated as she reached her. After a moment though, she regained the hardness on her face and decided to follow through on what she had barged in to do.

She slapped Valessa across the face.

"Guards!" Navarin shouted.

The inner door shortly burst open with two guards readying their weapons. Darganya broke from her rigid stance and suddenly looked like she had accidentally kicked a wasps nest and stepped back.

Valessa broke from her stunned stare as well and shouted "No! Stop! Don't hurt her!"

"She attacked you, your highness!" Navarin blurted out incredulously.

"She returned my slap from earlier," Valessa said shakily, but trying to stand straighter and with authority, "Which she deserved, granted... though perhaps I did as well. And... she used far less force than I,...clearly showing more restraint, and kindness, than I," she said, gulping and intensifying her eyes on Darganya with a hidden apologetic look behind her tight-lipped stare.

Darganya sniffled, both at her own welling eyes, and breathing in the honesty of Valessa's stare.

"You may leave us. You too Navarin," Valessa said.

"But your highness!"

"I said you are dismissed!"

The men eyed her cautiously then finally nodded in resignation to each other and headed towards the door. Both the tall muscular green woman and the svelte pale one simply stood and stared at each other, chests rising and falling.

Just as Navarin was about to shut the door Valessa suddenly shot her gaze to him and said, "I wish to have a private conversation with my ally. Which means I demand distance from my door with no eavesdropping. And you will knock before entering again. Understood?"

"Yes your highness."

The door closed.

Darganya grasped Valessa's face in her large hands and kissed her. Valessa kissed her back deeply for a moment then struggled and with effort broke free.

She slapped Darganya in the face again.

The orc-woman gasped and growled as she touched her face, "You used your human claws that time!"

"Presumptuous bitch!" Valessa said as she sucked in quick breaths.

"You were all but commanding me! With your scent y-"

Valessa jumped forwards and kissed Darganya, sloppily outdoing her first attempt. She wrapped her thin arms around her neck and then hopped up to wrap her legs around her waist. Darganya held her ass in her hands and groaned, smiling.

She finally broke away and furrowed her brow, and Valessa bit her lip and rasped, "You will wait for your princess to kiss you first."

Darganya went wide-eyed but gazed in seeming wonder at the Princess' raised eyebrow and domineering stare, despite being held in the physical control of the green giantess. Their breasts bulged together as they stood in the center of her living room, the fire crackling in the otherwise silent room.

Darganya finally lifted one side of her mouth in a smile, "Just when I think you're truly made of ice, you show me just how wild you can be."

"I've barely shown you anything yet," Valessa purred, pulling Darganya's hair from behind her head and kissing her again, then gasping, "The bedroom's over there, to the left."

Darganya smiled and carried her dutifully to her chambers.

She was careful not to burst through the door hard enough to break it, as they made out with building passion. She lowered Valessa down to the bed, and the small woman unhooked her legs from her waist, and released her mouth as she fell and bounced softly off the deep mattress, her breasts splashing on her chest with hard nipples pushing through the light fabric.

Darganya let out a surprised grunt though as she tried to lower herself on her, and was met with Valessa's knee on her abs holding her back. The princess locked her arm to hold her face away from her as well, running her thumb along the orc woman's dark lips and edge of her tusk, but holding her away all the same. She looked up expectantly at Darganya, who frowned but then sighed.

The orc-chieftain relaxed her muscles, and softened her face as she loomed over the smaller woman, and finally said, "I'm sorry."

Valessa smiled beautifully at her correct response and all at once leg her arm and leg go, wrapping each around her green lover and kissing her with a wet, excited intensity.

She let her mouth go with a gasp and then held Darganya's sharply contoured face in her hands, saying, "I'm sorry too."

They kissed again and started to moan as their bodies entangled. Valessa gasped as Darganya slid her dress down, working it strongly off her torso and down her legs. The princess pulled at the leather ties of Darganya's shirt and pants, cutely grunting as she pulled the thick material off her chest and sunk her small hand into a heavy green breast.

"I'm sorry I cannot love you openly. That I cannot be known to love an orc, diluted blood or no; man or woman." She sucked on Darganya's neck and worked her nipple to a hardening point.

"Are you not all but queen?" Darganya groaned in frustration.

"I am, but none such are ever all-powerful. I would be fighting an altogether different war if I tried," she kissed her all over her face, hooked her foot over Darganya's lowering pants and eagerly reached between her thick legs "So I am sorry that I can only love you in secret. And not even exclusively."

Darganya furrowed her brow and her lip quivered in vulnerable surprise at her words and at the tickling of her fingers, then shook her head almost in denial, and huffed in both annoyance and lust as Valessa's deft hand worked itself into and around her pussy, saying, "Neither of us had promised this."

Valessa nibbled her ear and whispered, "I know. But I do want you to stay. To live here with me. To be my royal scent-reader. And, my lover in secret."

Darganya's mouth gaped open, whether more from the pleasure of Valessa working her hand inside her further, or from the magnitude of her request. She grasped Valessa's small firm ass and moaned, then lifted her hips easily with one hand and slid her clawed fingers along her labia and clit, making the Princess break from her affectionate enticing whispers, and moan roughly with her.

"Did you only just decide this?" Darganya asked, with troubled, but desiring eyes.

"Decide for certain? Yes," Valessa moaned, "But I have imagined it for... some time."

The orc-chieftain twisted her face in agonizing pleasure, but seemed to resist herself, and huffed in her ear, "But you will eventually marry another. A man, likely for political gain."

"Mmmm, yes I don't deny. And, I may even love him as well. But I will choose wisely, and make sure he respects and accepts you, if not in my bed, then at least in my court," Valessa explained with increasing breathlessness.

"I may eventually find a mate to Rutt with as well," Darganya added, "Rrrrh, even though your royal hands and mouth feel like all I want now. I cannot deny I will crave a man eventually too."

Valessa shook and let out a gasp, grabbing Darganya's shoulder for control as she continued to shove her hand in and around her sopping slit. "Yes. If you do I will respect it as well." She stared deep into Darganya's eyes, the two women moaning with increased helplessness as their hips shook. "So... will you stay? Will you accept my offer?"

Darganya gritted her teeth and a drip of drool began to escape her lips. She held Valessa's hips up above the mattress, and removed her fingers to tease the edges of her flesh. Valessa moaned and bucked upwards but whimpered at the resistance of Darganya's strong hands and the tickling tease of her claws.

The orc woman huffed through her nose and stared at Valessa with an intensely, "I can only be this for you... if our homelands are not at war."

Valessa's eyes read her serious gaze and returned it silently, her lips quivering and her chest taking large shaking breaths, "...but you will? You will stay and live here with me?"

Darganya's forehead pressed against hers, grunting and groaning and mashing her hips into Valessa's hand, holding the princess' spasming hips in tight control, "IF... our homelands are not at war."

Valessa screwed her eyes shut, and then started to nod ever so slightly, then more vigorously, opening her eyes and saying, "Alright. Yes. I will try at least. I will do what I can."

Darganya smiled a wide sharp-toothed smile and Valessa returned it in excitement. Their mouths kissed in an aggressive passion and both of their hips met their hands now with a harsh excitement. They moaned and shook, and pressed their bodies together. Valessa started to shriek and scratch at Darganya's shoulder, and began to cum on her fingers. Darganya inhaled deeply at her lust and ground herself into Valessa's straining hand, snarling flexing and then cumming shortly after as well. Their dark green and pale white contorting bodies gradually slowed into an affectionate rolling.

The two women eventually sunk deep into her mattress in satisfied exhaustion. They caressed each other wordlessly and giggled softly together, until finally Darganya sat up.

"Where are you going?" Valessa asked, and when Darganya hesitated in confusion she laughed and said, "The talks won't start until tomorrow morning."

Darganya smirked and asked, "Should I not go and try to speak with my sword-sisters in preparation?"

Valessa groaned, "Mmhph, no. Leave it for now at least. Your princess needs you more," she said, with an almost pouting command but hugging her preciously when she leaned back on to the bed.

Darganya chuckled, "Perhaps if I move in, I will be a bad influence on you, and prevent you from getting any work done?"

Valessa purred a laugh, "Perhaps..." then she looked off towards her dresser. "I have a task for you." she said with a smile, "On the far side of the dresser is a secret drawer. I have a select few specially crafted carvings, of some very convenient shapes... Fetch them for me." and when Darganya frowned, she smiled, "For us..."

Darganya smiled back in realization, and hopped off the bed eagerly.