Page 55 of His Noble Savior

“There were six of them.”

Ogharod snapped around to face Lilian, his study of the rug forgotten. An expression of pure horror settled on his features. “Six?” He said it with such alarm that Lilian startled.

After a moment of stunned silence, Ogharod cursed, shaking his head. “Six orcs to one mate isn’t safe in the best of circumstances. Not even in a loving relationship when the orcs practice restraint. It’s destructive to the mate’s body. Some mates struggle with one orc. It’s true that because men are rare, sometimes two or three of us share a partner—lovingly! Carefully! The most I’ve seen was four orcs to an elf, but elves are tough and the orcs took turns abstaining. By the gods, I cannot imagine…”

Ogharod’s big gray eyes watered, and he scrunched his nose. Tears ran down Lilian’s face as Richard rubbed his back.

Ogharod was upset because of what his people had done to Lilian. For the first time, an orc showed him kindness.

In a slow and deliberate move, Ogharod let go of Nathan and reached out, not touching Lilian, simply holding out his hand, palm up. With a lump in his throat, Lilian lay his hand in Ogharod’s. It was warm and dry, and although it dwarfed Lilian’s, it didn’t feel threatening. Ogharod didn’t move, just gently held his hand and shared Lilian’s sorrow.

A fat tear rolled onto Lilian’s cheek. Ogharod tentatively leaned in. When Lilian didn’t flinch, he wiped the tear away with the back of his big finger. Lilian cried all the harder for it, but those were good tears. They washed the hurt out of him.

Over the following days, there were more meetings of this kind, Lilian slowly getting to know Ogharod, assuring himself that he was no threat. Ogharod was kind and patient, lettingLilian control the pace. A big step was for them to talk alone, Richard and Nathan waiting outside the door, having promised to immediately leap into action should there be any sounds of distress. Eventually, Lilian started to feel bad about Ogharod staying in the shack outside when the castle was so much more comfortable; he disliked imposing hardship on others.

“Please move into the castle with us,” Lilian said one day over tea. “You shouldn’t have to stay in the old house.”

Ogharod rewarded him with his biggest smile and a friendly pat on the head that left Lilian mussed and only a little startled. “We’re going to be good friends.”

Lilian would’ve never thought he could trust an orc, let alone be friends, but Ogharod was easy to grow fond of. Little by little, they spent more time together. Before long, Ogharod was helping Lilian unearth flowers and set them in pots. His big hands scooped up the plants in seconds, a task for which Lilian would’ve needed a shovel and a quarter-hour. Another time, when they went outside to pick cherries, he let Lilian climb onto his shoulders so he could reach the tallest branches. And once, in a silly mood, he let Lilian braid his hair and thread daisies into it. Nathan doubled over in laughter when he saw it, and Lilian scolded him.

One evening, the family was sitting on the terrace: George and Resh were playing cards while Nathan and Ogharod talked to the gnomes. Lilian had snuggled onto Richard’s lap and fed him spoonfuls of spring faerie cake. The cook had taken notes when Bellerose’s household used the kitchen, and now she was whipping up a different kind of cake every week. For this one, she’d used a smooth, dark brown dough, formed it into fist-sized balls, which she’d baked and sprinkled with colorful faerie glitter. The cake tasted sweeter than honey and richer than almond butter. It was divine.

The sun dipped behind the trees, and slices of golden lightdissected the terrace, one broad stripe landing on Nathan’s back. The gnomes handed him a bowl of berries, and he thanked them before he walked over and set the fruit on the table for everyone to enjoy.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you,” Richard said, looking between Nathan and Ogharod. “Months ago, James sent an elf knight named Kamuel looking for you. He disappeared shortly after joining the front. Did you happen to hear anything about him?”

Nathan and Ogharod exchanged a long glance.

Richard leaned forward, pressing Lilian to his chest. “You have?”

“Well,” Nathan said. “We weren’t sure if we should tell you, especially after we heard of the trial James and Raziel had to stand. The truth is that friends of Ogharod’s took Kamuel to the camp we shared.”

Lilian stiffened. “Friends? You mean several orcs…”

“Kamuel is bonded to four orcs,” Nathan said, and a chill prickled Lilian. “I know how this must sound to you, but we spent many weeks together, and Kamuel is as happy with his orcs as I am with Ogharod.” Nathan squeezed Ogharod’s big hand. “But when we heard of another elf being prosecuted for crimes of lust—Raziel, as we later found out—Kamuel and his orcs decided staying in Vale was too dangerous, and they headed south across the Great River.”

George put his cards down. “But four orcs? That’s a lot.”

“I promise you they’re careful with him and practice restraint,” Ogharod said. “And remember Kamuel is an elf.”

“Elves are compatible with orcs,” Nathan said. “Their nature is quite different from fae.”

Ogharod nodded. “Elves are stronger than humans and fae, their constitution even surpassing orcs’. Kamuel has proveninsatiable and likes keeping his bonded orcs… busy.”

Heat rose in Lilian’s cheeks, and the humans around the table blushed. With Ogharod’s dark green skin, it was hard to tell, but he didn’t seem affected, and neither did Resh, who grinned, and leaned in to whisper in George’s ear. George turned bright red.

There was nothing to worry about with Kamuel. That was good news. Lilian lay a hand on Richard’s nape, fingers playing with the short curls as he contemplated. He’d learned so much over the past few weeks: to trust again, that not all orcs were evil, and that some men enjoyed being with them. Lilian hadn’t enjoyed it, and for the orcs who had violated him, there’d be hell to pay.

Chapter Twenty-One

Richard

Lilian remained silent for a long time. When he spoke, he startled Richard and the others out of their thoughts. “I will only rest easy once the orcs who abducted me have been punished.” He turned in Richard’s lap, looking at him as if he expected him to argue. “They’ve gravely wronged me, and this cannot stand. I’ve escaped them, but they’ll find another man to take. If they haven’t already.”

Richard cupped Lilian’s cheek. He’d thought about bringing the orcs to justice, but after the savagery they had put Lilian through, Richard hadn’t wanted to expose him to violence. “I will gladly avenge you.”

“Me too,” Ogharod said. “Those orcs must be killed.” They all turned to him. Would he really go after his own kind? Ogharod straightened. “They’ve brought shame onto all orcs, and that must be rectified. I will pursue those who’ve hurt my friend.”

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