Chapter 32
Rosalind
The roar is deafening. Hundreds and thousands of impish line the streets below us, screaming and crying for their new king, Bellator.
My Bellator.
My bonded.
When the knock at the door woke me after what felt like the millionth time my orcs had made me cum, I quietly snuck around the bathroom partition and busied myself.
I didn't want to get in the way of the order of things, regardless of the inner spiral I was in.
I'd had my orcs for as long as I was able, and I didn't want to make our separation any harder than it needed to be.
That was my plan at least.
Steve promptly found me, scooping me up in his muscular arms, laying me on the bed and made me come on his finger while Bellator interrogated me on my shift in mood.
Their teamwork was truly a marvel… one I may have to elicit again.
When I finally confessed that I was upset about having to leave him to rule Imperia while Steve and I did God knows what, he roared so loud that the glass of water on the side table cracked.
He then dropped to his knees, begging me for forgiveness.
Apparently, they just assumed I'd know we would all be moving to the royal chambers and would be required to assist Bellator in the day-to-day running of Imperia.
One big cry and a sexy cuddle later, we all rushed to get ready for the ceremony. My hair was smoothed down with the sap of a trirange vine that was now sprouting all over the city.
The death of the Emperor was like a veil lifting.
The water began to flow, and life took hold.
During the two sleeps we were locked in, every fountain, tap and spout had begun to pour again.
Vegetation sprang to life and with it, food.
Long dry vegetable patches were reborn, and trees produced a bountiful harvest of fruit.
The impish we saw as we were shepherded through several corridors looked happy.
Their skin wasn't as grey and their cheeks not so hollow.
The best part of all was the furtive smiles everyone kept giving us.
It was going to be a joy to watch their trust for us grow.
The ceremony didn't take very long. We were ushered onto a balcony overlooking a large open area I wasn’t familiar with.
It could be a park or a giant intersection of sorts, but regardless of what it was meant to be, it was currently full of screaming impish as far as the eye could see.
Bellator was taken down to the impish where he knelt and took a fistful of dirt, rubbing it between his palms while he took his sacred oath.
Upon his return to the balcony, a gold crown was placed upon my head, a similar style also placed upon Steve's, who stood not moving as he looked over the crowd.
Even in the short time I'd had with my orcs, their personalities were so vastly different it was easy to see he was as overwhelmed as I was. So we watched as Bellator addressed the crowd, and I held onto Steve's finger, reassuring myself that I wasn’t alone, and hoping Steve felt the same.
“I believe it is time for nourishment,” Bellator asks, checking with the many imps on hand.
“Yes, my King.” A young looking guard says, a large smile plastered on his face.
“Boy, is that you?”
“Tis my King,” the guard nods, bowing his head.
Not giving the guard time to escape, Bellator wraps his arms around him, pulling him up as he embraces him. Their laughter is infectious, and I smile up at Steve, chuckling at his goofy grin.
“The Devil has blessed us both, boy. It is a good day to see you again. Come, my royal guard must be hungry.” Bellator checks Steve and I are following as he converses with the guard, asking of his mother and how he got transferred to this post.
We enter a grand ballroom, a buffet backed across the entire left side wall.
The space is clean and opulent. The stone walls are polished to the point of sparkling, with gold accents scattered across the room…
and not a hint of red in sight. That was the colour of the old reigning Emperor and part of preparing the royal chambers was to remove any trace of it.
It is something I would have done anyway.
There are too many memories attached to it.
“Come, Soulbound. I am told guests have arrived to pay their respects.” Bellator plucks me from Steve’s side and we head to the far end of the room where three beautifully carved chairs are placed on a stage.
His face nuzzles into the crook of my neck when the wet slap of his tongue licks across my cheek.
My squeal echoes around the large room and everyone comes to a stop, staring at their King.
“Was that better? Alluring even,” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Oh,” I smile at him. He's trying so hard, I don't want to knock his confidence. “That was a great attempt. Kissing can be hard for some people, so if we practice enough, we will get you there. Maybe you can get a few tips from Steve?”
His brow furrows for a second before he stops, gesturing wide at what we’ve stopped before.
Thrones.
There are thrones.
Two hefty ones and in the middle, raised higher than the others, is one that is the perfect size for a human. For me. I will sit almost eye level with my orcs. I will not be an ornament in the background or a pawn in a larger game.
I will be their equal.
Steve comes and stands at our side, his hands carrying several plates of food for us. Bellator places me on the ground, and with a tentative step, I take my seat in the middle.
Bellator sits for less than a minute before he stands, welcoming an unknown older imp dressed in dark grey armour.
“Ruler Andook, thank you for making the trip. I trust your lodgings are sufficient?”
“Yes. Yes, they are. The West thanks you for your hospitality.”
“Is that?” I look to Steve.
“Yes, Princess, it is. Bellator ended the war in less than a day.
I understand the West were protecting their borders, the Emperor…
he lied to so many… for so long, that in the end, no one other than him wanted to keep it going.
Each year, the West tried to negotiate peace, but it was never agreed until the first day of Bellator's reign.”
I sit with those words. The cruelty, the death that could have been prevented if the Emperor acted in the best interest of his city and not the selfish needs of his own.
Three large men approach where we sit, and I scramble from my seat, taking in their flannel and denim.
What in the afterlife is going on here!
“You’re—you’re human,” I gasp. Not having seen another human in this Realm.
Steve rushes to my side, Bellator standing just in front of me, blocking my view.
A wall of muscle will not prevent me from talking to these people.
I have so many questions. How did they get here?
Do they live in this Realm? Do they know where I can get an eye mask so it feels like I sleep in the dark?
“Forgive us, highness, we are not human. I regret any upset this causes you.” Ducking around Steve and then under Bellator's arm, I look up at the man who is well over six feet. Taller than your average, for sure. “I don't understand? You look— you look like a lumberjack.”
“My name is Beau. Beau Callahan from Pack Ironwood.”
“Pack?”
“We’re hellhounds, Highness. I would shift to show you, however, both of your bondeds are looking like they might rip my head off if I do.
Wouldn't want to cause an inter-Realm incident and all that,” he says, waving his hand in the air like he's talking about the weather.
Beau and the two men with him look like they've stepped off the pages of Mountain Man Cosmo.
Their skin has a glow to it like they've built up a light sweat from chopping wood. Rough voices, and five o’clock shadows, as well as a mutual love of jeans that fit in all the right places.
There is absolutely zero attraction flaming from me, even thinking of it has me feeling woozy, but I can still appreciate the distinct touch of human they bring to the room. Only they’re not.
Shifters.
“We best be moving on, the queue is starting to grow, but I wanted to pay my respects to the new Orc King.
What you've done in such a short time is something to be proud of.” He says to Bellator, nodding at Steve before returning his attention to me.
“We travel to Earth often, Highness. If there was ever someone you wanted us to pay a visit to. Good or bad. As a sign of peace between our Realms, we would grant you that option without contract.” Dipping his head at me like a cowboy without his hat, he says goodbye to Steve and Bellator, the three of them merging into the crowd that now waits to meet the new King.
“Contract?” I mouth to Steve.
“We will talk later,” he smiles at me.
The sudden flash of black smoke explodes before us, wisps lingering like what surrounded the Emperor when he died. That means… Standing in its place is a slender creature, similar height to my own. This time, Steve picks me up, taking several steps back, turning slightly so I'm shielded.
“What a joy to meet the new Orc King of Realm Six. I worked very closely with the Emperor and I want to express the same offer to you as he asked of me.”
“What did he ask?” Bellator growls.
“A simple thing, really. Power. By any means necessary.”
“Humf,” Bellator says, crossing his arms over his chest. “That clears a few things up.”.
I look to Steve for clarity, but all he whispers is, “Witch.”
As if that’s going to clear anything up for me. I've seen what happened in Oz, and I have no intention of being attacked by a wicked witch.
“As King of Imperia, I speak on behalf of the impish when I decline your offer. We will not be looking to activate that in the future, ever.”
The creature, witch, smiles at Bellator. Her eyes flashing red for the briefest of seconds. “Unfortunate.” She makes a deep bow and then in the same flash of black smoke that she arrived in, she disappears.
“What is this need for people to have power?” I sigh. Steve walks us both back to our seats as Bellator consults with some of his advisors, now dressed in the softest of blues, whites and golds. A stark contrast to those who served the Emperor.
Reaching over, I take hold of Steve’s finger, smiling up at him, feeling the strength of the bond humming away inside me. Bellator looks back at us both, a wide grin on his face.
Watching over the crowd, laughing and interacting with each other, it’s the first time I feel like I belong.
The impish are happy; the stain that tarnished them has been removed.
My heart feels full, and my bond with the two orcs who complete me in only the way a soulmate can, feels strong.
Today is the start of a new era for Imperia. We are a city of light, one of hope.
Long live the Orc King.
My orcs.
My bonded.