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Astera woke to the feeling of a hot tongue lapping over her breast. Lips sucked at her skin, biting and teasing her nipples to aching points. She let out a breathy moan. A low growl filled the air, and then she felt rough fingertips sliding down her abdomen. The tickle of claws against her hip. Her eyes shot open.
She was laying under a heap of furs and blankets. She attempted to sit up, but Soarruk was half laying on top of her, her legs trapped beneath his thighs. She could feel his erection pressing against her stomach.
His voice was husky with sleep, "good morning wife."
His teeth felt exquisite nibbling on her cheek. His lips brushed over hers before trapping her in a kiss. She laid there stunned for a moment, until she felt the press of his cock at her centre. That was enough to jolt her out of whatever stupor she was under.
She lifted her hands against his chest. He was hot all over. Pushing against him was like shoving against a solid wall. His hips angled forward, the head of his cock teasing her folds. She gasped and his tongue invaded her mouth.
This kiss felt different than last night. There was no feral urgency to his movements. The orc king overwhelmed her in powerful languid strokes. Her hands tightened against his chest until her nails were biting into his skin. She tried to fight against his hold, but it was impossible. One of his lower arms reached under her knee, hooking her leg up so he could thrust forward-
Soarruk let out a snarl against her mouth. He pulled away from her as if it were physically painful. He sat up, turning away from her to stare at the tent entrance. Astera blinked, struggling to piece together what was happening until she peeked over his shoulder.
Another orc stood in the doorway. She had been so distracted she had not heard him enter. She scrambled backwards, yanking the blankets over her body. She wiped the back of her hand over her mouth. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get rid of the taste of him.
The orc greeted Soarruk in his strange language, and the rest of the conversation was lost to her. Their words seemed to meld together.
She wanted to be angry with him, but she was too tired. Soarruk's hand came up in the furs, gripping her thigh tightly. He was still talking, his naked body in plain view. His claws softly caressed her leg. The movement sent a shiver up her spine. She squeezed her legs closed, trying to ignore the feeling it elicited inside her. Finally, the orc left, the tent entrance falling closed after him.
Soarruk reached down to capture her lips in a punishing kiss. When he pulled away, she was gasping for air.
"I must oversee the travel preparations. I'll send for you before we leave," he said. He got out of bed and began to dress.
Astera watched him. She gripped the bedding uncertainly. "When are...
we
... leaving?" She asked. The words nearly stuck in her throat. It was still hard to accept that she had to leave with the orcs. It was hard to accept she was married now to their king.
He stretched his arms upwards, rolling his head left to right. He loosened his shoulders, as if trying to relieve some unseen ball of tension. "As soon as possible." He slipped out of the tent without another word.
Astera shifted uncomfortably. She could feel a ghost of sensation over her skin where he had touched her last. She stood on wobbly legs, securing a blanket around her body. Her dress, or what remained of it was gone. Her body was aching and bruised, but nothing was broken. She took a deep steadying breath.
She had survived.
There was a loud commotion outside, what sounded like a woman yelling. It was all the warning she had before two orc women burst into the tent. She froze, and then sagged with relief when she realized she recognized them. The two women who had helped her prepare for her wedding. Behind them two hulking warriors dragged in a steaming tub. They deposited it on the floor and left.
The women bowed at the waist to her. One of them said, "We are here at King Volen's request. Would you like a bath, mistress?"
Astera felt herself prickle slightly.
Mistress
was more respect than they'd shown her last night, but not by much. Still something. She contemplated demanding they leave... but shrugged off the idea almost immediately. Despite her annoyance their presence was familiar and not totally unkind. Their words of instruction last night had helped some
. A welcome change to all the uncertainty.
Astera gave them a forced smile and bowed her head in response.
"Yes please," she answered honestly.
The bath water was too hot, but she didn't mind. As she climbed in the orc women added oils to the water. She sank into the steaming water with a groan. They scrubbed her skin until the blood and sweat and stickiness was gone. Dirt clouded the water around her. She didn't want to leave the tub even when the rose scent was gone.
One of the orc women braided her hair into a circlet around her head. Then they helped her out of the tub and into a layered silk dress. This one was not opaque spider-silk, thankfully, but shades of pale pink and red. It pooled around her feet, so she had to hike up the skirts to walk. She was beginning to suspect the dresses had been made for a much taller woman.
When she inquired about her own coffers, the women simply shrugged. Her own dresses and things she had packed away were likely being carted off from the palace directly. She found she didn't miss the corsets or heavy sinching on her own dresses very much.
Standing in the centre of the tent, clean and dressed in fine silk, she felt some of her confidence returning. She squared her shoulders and turned to face the two women. They weren't responsible for their leaders' choices- she didn't have to hate them too.
"Thank you for your help," she told the two orc women. They bowed their heads in response.
She moved towards the tent exit. Two warriors were stationed outside. She hiked up her skirts once more and began making her way across the field. The first fingers of light were trailing over the horizon, dawn beginning to creep over the field. Most of the tents were cleared out. Donkeys pulled carts toward the main road. There was a line of carts almost a league long heading toward the main road. She spotted Soarruk in the distance talking with another orc overseeing the procession.
Across the field long dregs of knee-deep mud had been left in the wake of the large carts. It was slow, careful work moving across the field trying to avoid the muck. She was slightly out of breath by the time she made it to the large tent where she had been married. The two orc warriors trailed behind her. They were much more silent moving through the mud than she was.
"Wait here. I must see my father alone." She took a deep breath as she brushed into the tent.
Most of the tent had been cleared out. Her father sat on his throne, his advisors circling him. They sat on pillows, a tea service laid out before them. Astera did not wait for her father's acknowledgement. She walked across the room, brushing past the men to kneel at her father's feet.
"Emperor of Sarai, ruler of the four Light-Blessed kingdoms. How may I serve you?"
