Orc Dominion: Triumph Ch. 08

Jasmara was flung from the horse as it fell to the ground. "Ooof!" She groaned in pain as she landed in the wet, muddy earth on the embankment of the river.

"Princess!" Horace called out as he led his horse over. He held his arm out to grab her and scoop her up as he rode forward, but had to abandon the attempt at the last minute as another arrow sailed too close for comfort.

"Not so fast, Princess!'

Daniels! Jasmara rolled to her feet with a growl, then winced and faltered as her ankle nearly gave out beneath her. "Nnng!" I must have twisted something when I fell. I can still get him though! She began to hobble towards the former footman, who rapidly approached leading a large band of soldiers.

"Oh I'm not going anywhere until I ram this spear so far up your ass I can pull it out your throat!"

"Your Highness! We don't have time for this!" Horace called out, but before he could intervene he was under attack again. The entire rescue party was, and more horses began to fall as the Daniels' forces targeted the key to Jasmara's escape.

Jasmara thrust her spear at Daniels, who easily turned away. The weakness of her ankle made her overextend, and she nearly fell to the ground again before pulling back at the last second. Fortunately, Daniels didn't capitalize on the slip to finish her. On the contrary, he seemed to be lazily playing with her. No doubt he wants to capture me again! She thought angrily. Her former servant wouldn't even give her the honor of a warrior's death. But he'll not take me alive if I can help it!

Unfortunately, it looked like it might come to that sooner rather than later. Her rescuers were cut off and surrounded by a much larger force, and many of them were already exhausted from a long night of running and fighting. I can still take him with me though!

Seeing that defeat was inevitable, she decided to use her hopefully superior strength to overwhelm her older human tormentor. Jasmara rushed into Daniels and grabbed his shield, giving it a sharp push to slam it back into him as she threw her whole weight into the wood. She succeeded in knocking him over, and they both tumbled to the ground.

Daniels cried out in pain and tried to throw her off, but the weight of her body, armor, and the shield proved too much. He quickly changed focus, and tried to tilt the shield to use it for leverage to knock the orc princess off.

She held on tightly though, and braced herself to avoid being cast off so easily. Instead, she planted her feet in the ground and lifted the shield up, before slamming it down into the ground. She smashed him this way several times, trying to concuss the human and render him unconscious.

Unfortunately, the earth beside the river was soft and muddy, preventing her attack from hurting him too much. Seeing her favor one side, he kicked his foot out and slammed it directly into her injured ankle. Jasmara cried out and fell to a knee, inhaling sharply from the pain.

Next, Daniels planted both feet on the inside of the shield and pushed, throwing Jasmara onto her back. She landed with a wet splat, and when she tried to scramble to her feet she slipped in the muck and fell over again.

Not far away, Horace slid his sword through an enemy's stomach, and then turned to grab Jasmara by the arm and lift her up. "You have to get to the water, it's your only chance!"

"It's too late for that, Horace." She grabbed him by the shirt. "Run me through with your sword. Don't let them take me again!"

Horace looked aghast at the prospect. "Your Highness, I couldn't!"

"You know what they're doing to me...what they'll do. I won't let them continue to use me against my family!" She cried out, grabbing for his sword and lining it up with her stomach. "Do it!"

Horace tightened his grip. He had heard the stories of course, the Hestens had been making no effort to conceal them. On the contrary, they made sure everyone knew. Just as he began to push the sword forward a Thestan slammed into him, tackling him to the ground.

"No!" The princess cried, before something heavy collided with the back of her head, and everything went dark.

****

It was good to be home again after such a long trip. His warm, luxurious manse was a welcome change from tents and cots and flea-ridden inns. Drauken shrugged off his cloak and handed it to one of his servants, then approached the scroll box at the base of the stairs. It was filled with correspondence from merchants and contacts throughout the Kingdom but one scroll in particular caught his eye.

What does the Princess-Knight have for me, he wondered as he picked up a tightly wound scroll sealed with an antelope on crossed axes. The others could wait, but Amelie's missive required attention. He was glad to find it, as he desired the Thestan Queen's counsel on the next phase of the war. Drauken was counting on her to be a more reasonable balance against Henry and the Catabrians.

Drauken ascended the stairs to his study so he could read the message alone. Melora was off to her own quarters: if he needed her she could be summoned. Drauken locked the door behind him and moved to his desk where he broke the seal, then unwound the scroll.

p ht jvujlyulk hivba wypujlzz zol klwhyalk tlnkpz huk ayhclsk puav aol hunyphu thyjo av tlla dpao hu vyj joplmahpu uthlk thyrvg zol dhuaz av jvucpujl opt av lualy aol dhy huk puchkl ohclyzla pz aolyl hufaopun fvb jhu kv av mpuk vba doha ohwwlulk av oly dl ohcl pumspjalk thuf jhzbhsaplz vu nyvavrz mvyjlz klzwpal zlaihjr dpao mvyaylzzlz aopunz hyl ha h zahslthal iba dpss johunl dpao aol aohd

After placing a fresh sheet of parchment on the desk, he dipped his quill in the inkpot and began to decipher the message.

I am concerned about Princess Brigitte. She departed Megdis and traveled into the Angrian March to meet with an orc chieftain named Markoz. She wants to convince him to enter the war and invade Haverset. Is there anything you can do to find out what happened to her? We have inflicted many casualties on Grotok's forces despite setback with fortresses. Things are at a stalemate but will change with the thaw.

Once the message was decoded he leaned back in his chair to consider its contents. It's actually not a bad plan, he decided, Markoz might be persuaded to attack the Duchy of Haverset. A wry grin began to cross his face, and if Shropfordshire were sacked, caravan traffic would have to be redirected, preferably to a town with lower taxes.

It wouldn't be hard for him to meet with Markoz if he could find a way to justify leaving the city again so quickly. He had never met Princess Brigitte, but from what he had heard she had the determination and intelligence to convince him, as long as Markoz was willing to overlook her sex and status. But Drauken had no doubt that if he applied his own weight and efforts into it that it would be successful.

But what will I tell the council? Another slow grin spread across his face. The truth! I can tell them that one of my sources I made in my journy wrote to me to report that Princess Brigitte was with the March trying to ally with the orcs there. Then I tell them that I can go there and put a stop to it, and maybe even recruit them to our side!

With the plan in place, he burned both the letter and his deciphered copy. He was about to ring for a goblet of wine when one of his servants knocked on the door. "Master Drauken, the Duke of Fullorm is here to see you."

"Bring him here, and then get us a bottle of wine." Drauken was not surprised that the Duke was here to see him: it had been a long time since they had spoken face to face. There was initially some question about whether they should meet clandestinely or not, but they decided that there was enough legitimate business between Willem, the Duke of Fullorm and the Master of the Caravan Guild that being covert would actually attract more attention.

A moment later, the Duke entered Drauken's study. He had been something of a dashing military man in his youth, but the years had been even less kind to him than they had of Queen Jeanette. Though Willem had served admirably in several of the Queen's wars, the dissipated lifestyle he was rumored to have had clearly took a toll.

The Duke had not gone to fat, quite the opposite in fact. He was excessively thin, hunched over, with wisps of white hair fluttering about his head. "Welcome home, Master Drauken. I trust your trip was successful."

"Yes and no, Your Grace, and certainly not the way I imagined it would go. King Garrett Ousten is dead, long live King Henry."

"You should be careful what you say, Master Drauken, even in private. The Queen casts a long shadow." Willem chided him.

"You're right, of course. Garrett was killed by Henry almost the moment he set eyes on him, and I can't say it wasn't a mercy. Garrett was not in good condition, I'm afraid."

"Jeanette had her claws in him for a long time," Willem said, "he was emasculated in every way a man could be, except literally. How was Henry?"

"Troubling. Oh, not in terms of capability. He has a firm grasp on the army and the military situation." Drauken took a moment to collect his thoughts. "How do I want to say this...Henry is becoming extreme. They are executing all the orc prisoners and torturing Princess Jasmara. They intend to slaughter every orc in Zentara."

"I can see why you'd find that troubling." Willem quipped. "I don't mean to make light of it. I can see where they are coming from, but it is too late for Zentara." Willem leaned forward towards Drauken. "I won't lie, I want to see humans reassert themselves in the Kingdom. But it is too late to drive your people out. For better or worse, we're united now, and to destroy one is to destroy the other."

"I'm glad you feel that way, because unless we're united and act decisively, that is exactly what Henry will do."

"I assume you want to move faster than we anticipated?"

Drauken nodded. "Yes, we need to seize control of Ruar and the royal family before Henry and Amelie invade. Then we'll be in a position to negotiate more acceptable terms."

"I will talk to the other Dukes, but I think we can have our forces ready in three weeks."

"Let's not rush. I just learned that Princess Brigitte has ran off into the Angrian March to try and recruit the orcs there to our cause. I think I will be able to assist her. If the orcs were to invade from the east while we seize Ruar and Henry and Amelie attack from the west and north we'll have the royal family trapped."

Willem took a moment to digest that. "The Princess was always headstrong and forthright, but not promiscuous as you'd expect such a woman to be." A lewd smile crossed his face. "I wonder how she's making out with an orc tribe."

"Not very well, which is another reason to go. Amelie is concerned for her."

"As well she should be!" Willem chuckled. "Well, it will take you six weeks to travel to the March, and another six weeks to return. That would bring us to late Spring for the attack. With a bit of luck, the Crown's forces will already be committed and unable to resist either the orcs or us."

"Ideally. Do you think the other Dukes will agree?"

"I think so. Testin, Crovoth, and Oxmain will start moving soldiers into the city as caravan guards in six weeks. That will have all our men-at-arms in place by the time you return. Once the Queen and her children are in custody, we'll call a council to elect a new King, one who will be able to negotiate with Henry and Amelie on equal turns."

"Excellent!" Drauken smiled amiably. "It sounds like we have a plan. Oh, one more thing, while I'm gone I'll be leaving my assistant Melora to manage things here in my absence. She has my full confidence."

That made Willem look uneasy. "Your 'full' confidence?"

"Yes: she traveled with me to Heste and saw all my dealings with Henry. She even took some positive steps to help our cause and prove her loyalty. Besides, she's an elf. They have as much reason to resist the Crown as the rest of us."

"I hope you're right, Master Drauken. You've put your life in her hands, all our lives in her hands. If she gets scared and loses her nerves, we're doomed."

"She is as solid as steel. Come, I'll introduce you, and you'll see; besides, you'll need to know who she is in case anything comes up while I'm gone." With that, Drauken began leading him to Melora's room. I'll just need to make sure she knows not to let his lecherous hands anywhere near her!

****

Jasmara's whole body ached as she pulled the heavy wooden cart along a broken dirt road. She wanted to cry, but she was so dehydrated that the tears wouldn't come. I was so close to being free, so close to going home. Now I'm back here again. Altengraf Castle loomed in the distance, and around it the encircling Hesten besiegers.

The orc princess' grey skin faded in the bright sun. Despite the chill in the air, her naked flesh was warm from her exercise. Hauling the cart was hard work, even for an orc. The wood creaked as she moved forward, one step at a time, getting closer to the castle with each one. Her heart got heavier with every beat, as she knew that once she arrived some new humiliation would be inflicted upon her.

Crack! "Agh!" Jasmara yelped in pain as a whip cracked against her back, leaving another dark red welt.

"Hurry it up Princess! No more dragging your feet. We have a schedule to keep!" Daniels' words caused her escort to burst into laughter. Whenever Daniels felt that she was going to slow, or maybe just for his own amusement, he gave her a few licks from the whip to motivate her.

Jasmara grit her teeth and ignored the taunts and laughter. She had long since learned that responding to their insults would only make things worse, and she barely had the energy to continue on, let alone start another fight. Jasmara ran her tongue over her dry, cracked lips, but even that did little to moisten them.

Finally, after hours of the grueling march, they arrived before the castle. The lines of Hesten soldiers parted so that her and the cart could get close enough to be visible from the castle walls. When she arrived in place, they unhitched her from the cart and allowed her to fall to the ground. She doubled over, choking from the dryness in her throat and desperate for a drink of water. She was so thirsty she thought she'd be able to empty the castle's moat before it was quenched.

A few moments later, the commander of the garrison appeared atop the wall. "Well? What do you want now?" He called out, his deep voice resounding in the crisp air. "We're not going anywhere, no matter what depravities you perform for us."

"We're taking this castle, one way or another," Daniels yelled back, "you may as well make it easy for your Princess and surrender now, to save her from further abuse." Daniels gestured towards Jasmara as she knelt on the ground. "Look at her! Princess Jasmara's escape attempt failed, and now she needs to be punished. But you could save her that, if you strike your banner and come down."

The orc commander's rage was palpable, even from down on the ground. "You call us barbarians, but look how you treat your captives! It's disgusting! Shameful! But I have my orders. No surrendering, not even to sortie out of the castle no matter what you do to her. I know the Princess feels the same way."

Jasmara exhaled sharply, relieved that she wouldn't again be a pawn against her family and Kingdom. She only hoped that the commander would stay true to his resolve and orders, for she knew that Daniels could be quite devious in his tortures.

"Are you so sure?" Daniels replied, and then bent low to whisper to Jasmara. "I bet you're thirsty, princess. Do you want something to drink?" After she nodded, he continued, "Then beg to drink our cum! Do it! Beg for it, be a good girl, and you'll get all the water you need."

Jasmara shook her head and glared up at her former servant. "Never!" She croaked, her voice scratchy and dry from thirst.

"Don't be too hasty, Princess. It's nothing worse than what you've already done." Daniels reached down to stroke his fingertips over her throat. "Wouldn't it feel so nice to have something wet sliding down your throat? You heard him before: he has strict orders not to open the gate no matter what happens. So what will it hurt to do what you have to in order to drink? In order to surive?"

The orc princess tried to summon the energy to be furious, but couldn't find it in herself. She was too tired, to weak from thirst to fight. Her mind started to look for reasons to justify giving in so that she could drink: she had to survive in case there was another escape attempt, she didn't want to die without getting revenge, or gettingto see her family again. It had felt so good just before she was captured, when she believed that they would be reunited. She wanted that again.

Finally, her head bowed down as she whispered, "I want your cum. Please, I'm so thirsty, please let me drink your cum!" She flushed in shame, thankful for once that she was so dehydrated, as it kept tears from welling in her eyes.

Daniels shifted his attention back to the orc commander. "She wants to drink our cum! She doesn't seem too interested at all in your fate, she's too busy being our slut!" The footman gestured to the soldiers at the cart, who brought over a large bucket and place it before Jasmara.

Jasmara coughed and turned her head away from the bucket. A foul, heady scent emanated from it, fueled by the thick, sloshing cum collected from every man in the army. Her lips parted as she breathed through her mouth to give her beleaguered nose a break. But the thought of drinking cool, clear water made her give the bucket a second look. By the Abyss, even this filthy mess is starting to look good!

Before she could bring herself to drink it, Daniels grabbed her by the back of the neck and plunged her face into the bucket. Cum splashed up over her face and into her ears and hair as she was dunked in the mess. Fortunately, Daniels didn't hold her there, and released her neck so that she could come up to breathe. "There you go, Princess. Drink, drink to your heart's content!"

Cum began to flow down Jasmara's throat as she buried her face in the bucket again. The thick goo splashed around her face as she gulped it down, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of the sticky seed. In spite of everything, it was actually a relief to wet her body, even with their disgusting cum. Jasmara swallowed it so quickly she began to cough, but she fought through the reflex to continue to drink.

A moment later, Daniels returned with the Princess' spear and knelt beside her again. "I was there when your mother gave this as a guest gift to Turogg,to welcome him to the city." He looked at the weapon nostalgically. "The Queen was a different woman, then. Turogg liked it well enough, and fought with it in the first Hesten War. The second one, too. In fact, he might have been wielding it when Jeanette betrayed him with your father."

Daniels chuckled as he watched Jasmara take a pause from drinking the bucket of cum. "I bet you didn't know that. Turogg isn't your father, the orc mercenary Gorath is." He grabbed the back of Jasmara's neck when she tried to lift her head from the bucket and held her in place. "I was there for that too, during the second war. It's no secret that Jeanette got to fuck around, that's the orc way, right? But the one iron clad rule was never to give up her cunt. But your mother just couldn't restrain herself, and spread her legs for the mercenary. For Katerei too, but that's not really relevant any more."

Lies! Jasmara thought, though doubt lingered in the back of her mind. She had seen enough of her mother's behavior to know that nothing was beyond her. But she loved father, she reassured herself, everyone knows that! She'd never betray him!