Stolen Princess

7. Troll On The Training Field

"You've been acting strange lately," Isobel said, and I nearly dropped the embroidery project I hadn't been looking too intently at.

"W-well -" I scrambled for an explanation, I'd been lost in thought, far across the castle's lawn with the Orcs in their camp while I was stuck here.

"I thought it could be the tournament but..." Isobel set down her sewing and eyed me, her face full of that motherly worry. I softened, my sister really did care. And I was lying to her.

"Is it the Orcs?" she asked quietly, her perfect blue eyes searching my face, her voice full of compassion.

"What do you mean?" I frowned in confusion.

"Do you... does it remind you that you're not fully human?" she prodded gently and I snorted a laugh.

"I never forget that I'm not like the rest of you," I scoffed, holding up one green hand.

"It's just the other night at the feast..." she bit her lip, clearly trying to figure out how to word what she actually wanted to say.

"My lady?"

I never found out what Isobel had to say because a maid entered the room with a deep curtsy.

"You have a visitor from... well...it's an Orc," she finished in a hushed tone, leaning towards us as if sharing some terrible secret, her face pulled together in worry.

"An Orc?" Isobel gasped.

"Which one?" I said at the same time.

"He says his name is Talon Greenthorn -" the little maid began wringing her hands looking back and forth between our opposing reaction. I tried my best to hide a smile - I would've been happy to see any of them really. Maybe except Sosha.

"You can tell them apart?" Isobel asked after the maid went back to the hall for Talon.

"Why wouldn't I be able to -" but I was cut short as Talon came striding into the room like a great green mountain, his face that smooth bored look he maintained around most humans.

"Your Highnesses," he bowed gracefully and I snuck a peek at Isobel's reaction. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise at his politeness probably. I smiled, thinking just how horrified she'd be by his actual manners, Orc or man.

"I have a message, fair Princess," Talon began, turning his attention to me, but maintaining that stiff formality. I squirmed in my chair under his gaze.

"A message?" Isobel echoed, but we both ignored her.

"Sir Oren requests your presence for afternoon tea, and sent me to escort you, should you so choose to accept."

"Orcs have afternoon tea?" Isobel whispered dazedly from beside me, but I was already jumping out of my chair.

"Of course," I answered, trying not to sound so eager, "I'll come right away!"

"Very good," Talon answered as if he didn't care either way, which might have been the case.

"What?" Isobel squeaked, her round eyes moving from me to Talon and back again, "You're just going with... him? Just like that?"

"Would it help if I promised not to eat her on the way, Your Highness?" Talon said with such gravity that Isobel's face actually went a shade paler.

My jaw dropped open at his meanness towards my favorite sister, but I didn't want to risk giving away just how used to his black humor I was becoming.

"Weren't you escorting me?" I interrupted as Isobel's eyes grew to the size of saucers.

I stepped past Talon as he made another pretty bow to the still shocked Isobel. But when he took too long mocking my sister, I reached back and grabbed hold of his hand, pulling him along through the door after me.