Orin

Page 7

The sun was up and shining brightly int the window. A look off the balcony told me the castle and it's occupants were up and going. I'd let him sleep and go find how Bruce was doing. I dressed and gave him a glance before I left. Elves were hurrying about tasks as I step into the hall.

"uh, could someone..." the two passing stop.

"Can we help you highness?" I frowned.

"I'm just Orin. Not a highness." they smiled.

"But you mated to the Prince, the priestess announced this morning that it was official for months now. With your marriage to him you are Prince among us as well. It will be new and hard to adjust too but you are royalty here now." one explains. Well that was something he'd never told me. Great, that would be fun.

"Right. Uh would either of you know where my brother was roomed?"

"Indeed highness, come this way I'll show you." she took me down a flight of stairs and down to the third door. "Here he is. The guard said they heard him up pacing most of the night."

"My appreciation." she smiled and walked off. I gave the door a loud thump. He opened the door with the furs around his shoulders and growled at me.

"Fire. I want fire." I laugh as I follow him into his room.

"How did you sleep?"

"I didn't. I couldn't in that icicle they call a bed. Every time I sat i could feel my feet freeze to the floor. I've been pacing all night." I laughed.

"I was fine. Though I don't mind the cold the way you do."

"Remember the battle of the south pass. Six months we spent in snow. I lost a toe to frost bite and you slept under four feet of snow like a rock. It figures you'd fall for a damn Ice Elf. He's probably loving being home."

"He's happy to be home but he's having trouble balancing his temperature. Our children shouldn't get as cold as he likes it but too warm and they don't like that either. I was joking calling them Ice Orcs but the truth is I think it might be correct. Last night when Altair got too warm he felt terrible and the babe didn't like it either. I'm doing just fine with the cold. I'm starving but I doubt they'll have hot food."

"Lets go find out." he kept the furs as we headed down the stairs. Everyone we passed curtsied or bowed to me.

"Alright what the hell is this?" he asks after the tenth one. I sighed.

"Apparently being married to him makes me a Prince as well. That is going to get old really fast." he grabs my arm and jerks me to a stop.

"Seriously?" I sighed.

"Yes." he snorts. An Orc Prince of Elves?" he just starts laughing as we keep walking. I'm shaking my head and wondering where the kitchen is when I hear a high pitched little voice.

"Orin." I turn as Ilia runs over to me. Instead of breaking my back I sweep her up in my arms.

"Hello Ilia. How are you today?"

"I'm fine. Where were you going?"

"We were thinking food, but weren't sure where the kitchen was." she laughed.

"Don't go to the kitchen the servants get all annoyed when we do that. If you want something I'll show you to the dining room. It's always got food. Everyone, including the servants eat out of there. It's all day and we only eat in the dining room when we have a big function. Other wise we eat upstairs in mama and papa's private dining room. Go that way." she said pointing. I followed her points and found a very large room men and women were there. Everyone stood.