Orc Dominion: Rebellion

It stung every time the needle punctured her cheek and stabbed through her flesh. But since her face already felt like it was on fire, she barely noticed the little pinpricks. Cindy stared down at the ground blankly. How had it gone so wrong? They were going to march on Ruar and slaughter the orcs. There was nothing that could stop them. What went wrong? Where did the Whore Queen get all those soldiers from? Cindy was so lost in her own thoughts that she only barely heard the Duke of Haverset shouting at her.

"You stupid fool! I cannot believe what you've done! What possessed you to attack the Queen? What gave you the right to day that!" The Duke of Haverset quivered in rage, his face flushed a deep red. He was covered in dirt and sweat and blood. Several of the Queen's reinforcements had targeted him in the battle and he barely managed to fight his through them with his life.

"Don't blame the girl! She made the best of a bad situation. There is no turning back now that blood has been shed. They'll all be with us or be strung up for treason!" The Duke of Swetford seemed quite clean in comparison, having made his escape from the scene as soon as the fighting started. Still, Cindy was glad to have him speak up for her.

"The best of- are you jesting? It was a slaughter! Fifty of our best men are dead! Dozens more wounded! We never got to treat with the Queen, and now she'll flee back to Ruar, fortify the city and we'll never get her!"

Swetford shook his head and spit in disgust. "Treat with the Queen? You don't honestly believe that was ever going to happen, do you Frederick? King Connor will never let her keep her throne. There can be no peace with the Queen and there never will be. Besides, if there was no negotiation it's your fault! Instead of bringing our terms all you talked about was your daughter!"

"Susannah was the Queen's best friend and was betrayed-"

"No one cares about your daughter!" Swetford retorted.

"Why are we doing this if not for our daughters? I always knew you were in league with Heste, but I thought you cared enough about the people the Queen has betrayed to at least consider them in your machinations!" Frederick turned away, stomping towards the opening of the tent.

"Where do you think you're going? We cannot give up now, we're in too deep. We have to see this through to the end."

"To what end? The Queen's head on a pike? The banner of Heste flying over Ruar with you ruling as viceroy?"

Cindy looked up sharply, tearing the last few stitches in her face. "To the death of every orc in Zentara! We tried to kill the Queen, Your Grace. The Whore Queen might forgive you, but that bastard orc she calls husband won't! If Heste doesn't destroy him and his army utterly then he will kill us all when he returns! We have no choice but to do everything we can to see that Heste wins the war!"

"Exactly! Even she can see the truth of the matter, Frederick. We are in this to the end. If you want to rescue Susannah from the life the Queen gave her, and free your people from the misery that is coming now is the time!"

Frederick paused, and finally turned around. "What would you have us do then? We don't have the strength to take Ruar, not when they know we're coming."

"First we should call the rest of our levies. The plan of sneaking into Ruar with only our knights is gone. Between the two of us we can raise over twelve thousand men. With the Queen drawing first blood and siccing her orcs on untrained commoners, our men-at-arms and levies will rise for us. Then we'll have an army to fight the Queen with."

Frederick frowned as he thought it over. "Even with twelve thousand we won't be able to besiege Ruar. We don't have the ships needed to cut off the port, and storming the city would be a bloody business. Besides, it will take weeks, if not months to gather all our forces. We need men now!"

Cindy finally pushed away the surgeon stitching up her face. "Forget the Queen, and forget Ruar! The real enemy is the orcs! Let's march to the land the Whore Queen gave them and burn every last one of them out!"

Swetford looked at Cindy impatiently. "Slaughtering some orc whelps isn't going to win us a kingdom."

Frederick looked thoughtful. "It might draw Turogg's forces from the Lyskean Pass though. If we coordinated with Heste, we could draw away most of the army and give them an opportunity to invade Zentara. We may not be able to effectively take Ruar, but Connor could."

"I'm surprised at you Frederick. I thought you would balk at slaughtering civilians."

"It's part of war, Thomas. Besides, they're orcs, not Zentarans. If we want to limit the influence they have on the Kingdom then we need to put them in their place."

Cindy grinned nastily. "Six feet underground."

"We aren't going to kill them all. We kill those who resist, burn their houses, and seize their livestock. We drive them out and force Turogg to come to us."

Cindy was ready to protest that, but Swetford signaled for her to be quiet. "How many men will we need for it?"

Frederick walked to a table and unrolls a map of Zentara. "We won't be able to siege any of their castles with our current force. But we can burn their villages and sack their towns and unwalled cities. Meanwhile, we start raising our levies. All their leaders and fighting men marched with Turogg. There won't be anyone left to organize effective resistance against us. They will have to call Turogg back from the front to confront us."

"Will we be able to defeat him?"

Frederick shook his head. "Probably not. It depends on how many he brings with him, but probably not. When he marches we'll have to maneuver away and try to catch him between us and the Hesten army when it marches through."

"Well, burning the Boronian County will feed this lot anyway. It sounds like we have a plan."

Cindy was torn between conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she wanted to join in the slaughter of the orcs, but on the other, she desperately wanted revenge on the Whore Queen. "Wait, there's something more, something about the Queen."

"Yes? What is it?"

"She's a whore, she-"

"We don't have time for this!"

"No, listen to me! She's a whore, literally. In Ruar, before she was Queen, she was a whore in a cathouse called the Soiled Dove." Cindy looked at them both expectantly, and was disappointed when they didn't immediately exclaim in horror.

A look of distaste crossed Frederick's face. "I've known the Queen since she was a girl, and while she may have gone astray, I can assure you she's not, nor ever has been a prostitute."

"I know what I know! I worked there and saw her as plain as day. That's why I attacked her when I saw her! I was her friend, taught her everything I knew and then she went and became a whore for the orcs, a pig fucker!"

"Thomas, silence your girl, this is getting ridiculous."

Swetford squirmed uncomfortably as Cindy raved.

"It's not! I know it's her! Same face, same hair! Even the same name! Called herself Jeanette, just like the princess I said! She worked there for months, and then one day disappeared, just when, just when the old King and Queen died and the princess went into mourning! No wonder she up and vanished she was gone from the city!"

The Dukes both paused at that, before Frederick responded. "The Queen was grieving. She spent her mourning period at one of my estates with my daughter. There was nothing untoward about it."

"No? I remember that time, the city was all in excitement what with the new Queen returning. Short morning period though, wasn't it? Just a few months right? Not even a whole year, but just long enough for that little slut to pop out an orc brat I bet!"

"Really! That's outrageous!" But something caused Frederick to pause. He was beginning to recall those days as well, and remembered that one of the young servants had brought back a half-orc child with the Queen's party. He didn't think anything of it at the time, half-orcs were rare, but not unheard of in Shropfordshire. Usually it was girls who left their families in Sandora after finding out that they were pregnant after an orc raid.

"What is it Frederick? Do you know something?" There was a slight eagerness in Swetford's voice as he leaned in, hungry for some sign of the Queen's weakness.

"There was an orc child with the Queen's party when they returned to the city. One with green skin, he stood out. But really, he couldn't possibly be the Queen's..."

"That would be Agmar, wouldn't it? There's only one green-skinned orc in the castle. He is training to be a knight, or so my sources tell me. How fortunate that the Queen has taken such an interest in him, promoting some orc whelp to knightly status." Swetford grinned nastily as an idea took hold in his mind.

"See! I told you! It's all true! What kind of woman would marry an orc if she weren't already an orc whore? And you've seen the outfits she's got every noble lady in the city wearing! You can't tell me you've never seen her dressed up like that and not thought she looked like a right whore!"

Swetford chuckled gutturally. "She has a point there. It's the kind of thing that people will want to believe is true. It's just too perfect, especially with the Queen wearing those outfits and being married to an orc. I told you about the shows they perform. If we can substantiate the claim, it will go a long way to alienating her from her powerbase in Ruar. With a bit of luck, by the time our levies are raised there might be enough of a fifth column in the city to open the gates for us!"

"You may be right, but who are we going to send? You or I don't dare show our faces there."

"I'll go! I'm the one who knows her from there, I'm the one with stories to tell!"

Swetford looked at Cindy apprehensively. "No offense my dear, but you're...well, no one is going to take you seriously. You don't have the influence to do what needs to be done."

"Don't have the influence eh? Well, I may have been gone a long while, but I still know the names of all the big important customers from back then don't I? I can tell you by name which merchants the Whore Queen fucked before spreading her legs for the pigs! I can connect the dots for them; make them see her for what she truly is!"

"Merchants? If you could convince enough of them, it might win some of them to our side. They are her biggest supporters right now. Losing the guild would be quite the blow. What do you think Frederick?"

"I still cannot believe that it is true, and I don't think that she'll be successful in winning anyone important to our side. Still, it cannot hurt, so I don't see why she shouldn't try." Frederick suppressed a grin, happy to have found an excuse to get rid of Cindy. He had noticed that she was too radical, and had an unhealthy sway over Thomas.

"Then it's agreed. We'll take our army and march to the Boronian County. Cindy, you'll go to Ruar and let everyone know just what kind of whore their Queen truly is!"

****

Susannah basked in the sun as she strolled through the busy marketplace. Being out of the confines of the castle was breath of fresh air for her. It had taken some cajoling, but when her Hesten ladies-in-waiting had reported to the King that she'd been ill he finally relented and agreed to let her get outside the castle, though under heavy guard. Even now she was being escorted by a squad of soldiers. Though they stayed a respectful distance from her, she couldn't help but notice that she was surrounded on all sides should she attempt to run.

Even still, she didn't mind. She could understand that she was a valuable prisoner, even if her father was allied with the King of Heste. She hadn't gotten many details, but she had learned that there was a rebellion underway and that her father and the Duke of Swetford were leading it. Susannah didn't know what to think about that. She knew things were strained with her and her father, and between him and Jeanette, but she couldn't imagine what had driven him to outright rebellion.

Susannah sighed and looked around the market. It was bustling, and the people seemed quite happy and content. They certainly didn't seem like a population being occupied by a foreign power. She had heard there was some resistance, but like everything else, the details had been kept from her. Though now that she was allowed freer reign of the castle, and even access to the city, she'd have more opportunity to get news.

Susannah stopped at the stall of a cloth merchant and began examining the fabrics. The dresses that she got from Heste still weren't fitting right, so she wanted to have her own made. It would be nice to wear Zentaran fashion again, she mused. That is, fashion as it was before Jeanette's coronation. Her friend had certainly blossomed into a sexual creature after being ravished by that orc who gave her Agmar.

"Excuse me, Your Grace, may I have a moment of your time?" A strikingly handsome young man stepped next to her and began examining the fabrics and purposefully not looking at her. He was well built, with broad shoulders and thick arms. He was tall, for a human, but of course not as large as Bodak or the other orcs she knew.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"You're the rightful Duchess of Braden, Your Grace. There is much you can do, for me, for your people, and for the Queen. Not everyone has forgotten where their allegiance lies." As the man lifted a bolt of cotton, she noticed that his right hand was rough and calloused, but the left was softer, except for the fingertips.

What kind of livelihood causes that sort of mark, she wondered. "My late husband was the rightful Duke. I am...was, his wife. My status is unclear."

"Not to everyone. You still occupy the castle, do you not? You're privy to the workings of the Duchy: Crop reports, tax collection, mining...and troop movements?"

He wants me to spy for him, she realized. Was this a trap? Was Connor testing her, or did he really want to help Jeanette? "I do not have as free reign over the castle as you might imagine, sir. I've really learned only very little, and nothing which would interest you I'm sure."

If the man was disappointed, he hid it well. "Even still, I'm sure a woman of ability such as yourself could find a way to gather that sort of information. It could make a world of difference for us, and for the Queen."

Susannah pressed her teeth to her lower lip pensively. She had tried to wheedle the information out of the nobles she'd been in contact with, and out of King Connor without much success. To do what he was asking would involve being much more proactive. It would require listening outside doors, trying to steal maps and papers, and who knows what else. It could quickly become dangerous, and what if she passed along some information that led to the death of someone in her family? They were allied with Heste, after all.

"I'm afraid I cannot be of any help to you, sir. I'm too closely watched, both by guards and by the ladies-in-waiting they've assigned to me. It simply cannot be done." She felt guilty about not helping in any way she could, but it was too dangerous even if he wasn't a Hesten spy trying to trap her.

"I see. Well Your Grace, if you change your mind, you can leave a message for me in the hollow of the tree by the southwest wall of the castle. Good luck, and stay safe Your Grace." The man put down the bolt of cloth and walked away, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Susannah returned to the castle, no longer wanting to be out among the people. When she reached the entrance, she was told that King Connor wanted to see her. Apprehension filled her as she made her way to the great room he had made his headquarters. Had it been a test? Did she pass? It can't be a coincidence that she was being summoned now, could it?

When she reached the little antechamber outside his war room, King Connor was still in a meeting. She could hear their booming voices through the wooden door, and they were not doing anything to conceal their planning. This isn't too hard, actually. If I get a little closer I could probably hear everything they're saying.

Susannah's ladies-in-waiting were sitting around the room looking bored, so she moved closer to the doorway as she paced around the room. She wasn't going to report this to the man, but she had been curious as to what was going on.

"The forces surrounding Stoneheart Castle in Suzden are in need of reinforcements. Orc raiders are still managing to pick off their sentries and get supplies to the castle. They need at least another two hundred and fifty soldiers to consolidate their lines around the castle."

"General Wemach, how many men can we spare?" That's King Connor, she thought, recognizing the booming voice.

"We cannot spare anyone from the Pass itself, it has only just enough to prevent a concentrated attack from Zentara. The other sieges are stretched just as thin. We still have ten thousand men garrisoned here, and we can spare the men. But if we send reinforcements to everyone who asks for it we will quickly be unable to defend the city if any of their raiders turn their attention towards us."

"How quickly can you have the men ready to march? Anne, the daughter of the previous count is said to be inside and I want her rescued. We cannot allow the castle to continue to hold out. The longer it takes to bring their strongholds to heel, the longer it will be before we can attack Zentara proper."

Susannah remembered Anne, who had been married to an orc after the invasion to give legitimacy to the new nobility. She had met Anne a number of times when her husband came to visit Bodak. She was a subdued, quiet thing, but she seemed to love her children, if not her husband. She might not welcome the Hesten version of rescue.

"They can be ready to move in two days, and should arrive at Suzdan by the end of the week."

"Excellent. Make it so. What else?"

Another voice spoke up, one she didn't recognize. "The first harvests are coming in. Unfortunately there is not enough grain to feed the people properly, let alone our armies. The orcs didn't seem interested in growing anything they couldn't drink. We're going to need to bring in more from Heste to feed the army, but there won't be enough to feed the people here."

"The people here see us as liberators. They'll hardly keep thinking that if we're growing fat while they starve."

"That may be so, Your Highness, but there is naught to be done. Thesta won't sell us any foodstuffs. They may not be fighting us directly, but they're still allied with Zentara. They can eat the grapes that the orcs meant for wine, but that won't last long. If we strip Heste bare our own people will starve."

King Connor's hard, gravelly voice raised in tenor. "These are our people. Get the food, even if we all have to tighten our belts, the people need to eat."

"Yes Your Highness. On the plus side, taxes are coming in at a better than expected rate. The people aren't trying to dodge paying their dues. Unfortunately, it is nowhere near the level it was during your brother's time. With the war, all the trade has dried up so there is not much coin circulating."

King Connor said something Susannah couldn't make out, but she could sense that the tension level in the room had risen. Apparently, the King didn't appreciate being reminded of his brother's tenure as the Duke of Braden.

"That's enough for today. Keep me apprised of when the soldiers will be ready to leave for Suzden."

The clamor of the war council rising from their seats sent Susannah scurrying back to her own. Moments later, the Hesten nobles and generals poured out of the room, nodding to her and the ladies before going about their duties. When they were gone, King Connor himself finally exited the room. When he spotted Susannah, a grin spread across his face.