Page 17 of The Orc Chief's Baker
Trinia’s stomach twisted up harshly at her friend’s words. “No.”
“But metal for an orc son is a perfectly reasonable agreement!” Ulia countered. “Rowena played conquest because she wanted cherries through the winter.Cherries. Metal is far more difficult to come by, especially since the goblins aren’t around anymore.”
“Exactly. It’s likely none of the orcs evenhaveenough metal to make my baking pans.”
Unless they had access to metaloutsideof the Rove Woods like the orc potion courier did.
Her eyes drifted to the cookies and cream buns, which were stacked on the end of the counter. Underneath was a stack of paper and a drawing of the pans she wanted made with all the specifications he would need to get it done.
This would work.It had to.
“I have it on good authority that Sofidin has a collection of harvesting tools his grandfather invented.”
Trinia scowled at her friend. “And how would you know that?”
Ulia blinked innocently. “Oh, you know, word gets around.”
“You better not have been askingforme,” Trinia said darkly.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not going to be playing conquest and I don’t want to get their hopes up!” Trinia said sharply. “Are you really saying I should convince Sofidin to give me his family heirlooms just so I can make baking pans?”
Ulia scratched the back of her neck. “What good are heirlooms if you have no one to pass them on to?”
Anger made Trinia’s jaw tight. “I’m not doing it, Ulia.”
Ulia threw back her head in frustration. “Comeon, Trinia! You’re as bad as my sister was, but even she got there in the end.”
“She didn’t get there, Ulia. Savili ismatedto Iytier. She wasn’t a conquest. She didn’t carry an orc son in exchange for boons. She had a babe with herlife partnerbecause sheloves him.”
“You make it sound like playing conquest is something dirty,” Ulia said flatly. “It’s completely normal. Far more normal than taking one as a mate. We havethreeconquests carrying orc sons in Oakwall right now.”
“I’m not saying it’s dirty,” Trinia said quickly. Playing conquest for an orc was one of the primary ways women in her village made their own way. “I’m just saying it’s not for me.”
“Are you just worrying about being able to work while you’re pregnant?” Ulia asked. “Because I could help you!”
“It’s not that,” Trinia assured. She already had a big belly. She doubted that being pregnant would make too much difference.
No. Instead, what flashed in her mind was the sight of the little orc boys coming to the trade moon after moon. They’d play and laugh and barely even notice the human women, let alone bother with which one might have carried and birthed them. And the women didn’t care much either. None of the women who played conquest regularly were married.
None of them had ever wanted children of their own.
Trinia touched her rounded stomach and worried her lip.
“Are you worried you’d get too attached to the orc baby like my sister was?” Ulia asked. “Because there are options. Jenida and the others who play conquest all the time have loads of tips. Like finding someone else to breastfeed the baby for you and finding things to keep busy.”
Trinia narrowed her eyes. “You’ve talked to the other conquests about this before?”
“I mean...” Ulia averted her eyes and then spouted, “or you could be like my sister and just get mated to the one you’re playing conquest for.”
“It wouldn’t work, Ulia,” Trinia said dryly. “I cannot be mated to an orc.”
“But why not? Savili has been so happy with Iytier. Why not allow yourself thechanceto be happy too?”
Trinia cast her friend a hard look. “Even if by some strange chance one of the orcs I’ve known my entire life suddenly fell in love with me out of nowhere, he wouldn’t be allowed to live in Oakwall Village and I have to be here every day, from dawn till dusk, to run the bakery. How can I be mated to an orc and only see him once every fifteen days to trade?”
“You... could set up a bakery at Rove Wood?”
