Stolen Princess

18. The Other Brother

Both of them turned to see me standing there, probably looking like a mess in the fog.

"Wren?" Talon said my name like... well like a child who'd been caught at something forbidden.

My brow crumpled at that thought, and i tried to push away that feeling. Instead, I swiped at my tear streaked face, and rushed him.

Banging into his solidness, I started crying again, this time probably soaking his linen shirt. But this is what I'd been looking for, I realized as one huge hand moved in a circular pattern against my back.

"What's happened, deerling?" he murmured near my ear.

I closed my eyes and let the sobs subside, I'd cried myself out now. But that didn't mean I was ready to move away from him. I felt him touch  my hair, and sighed in exhaustion against him.

"It's my father -" I muttered into his chest, my cheek still smashed up against his warmth.

"Talon -" Sosha's tone is like thunder, low and warning, and before I know it, the Orc prince has taken hold of my by the shoulders and set me several feet away from him.

My mouth hangs open in shock as I stare at him, but he's not looking at me anymore... and neither is Sosha.

"My Prince," Sosha says in a formal tone, more polite than I've heard her speak to anyone as she bends her head and thumps her closed fist across her chest in the salute that's become familiar to me int he last few days.

I turn slowly, the fog still rolling in making the whole camp look a bit unreal, more like a dream than anything.

Standing beside the furthest tent is Oren. Well, and strong again, and he's staring at me.

"Princess," he says in a voice so deep that I swear I can feel it in my own chest.

He bows at the waist, giving me more honor than my station technically deserves from a Crown Prince of any kingdom.

But then... maybe he knows I'm more queen than princess in his country? I'm still not quite clear on all of that...

"Wren, may I introduce my esteemed brother, Prince Oren... future King of Orcdon," Talon's voice is tight, careful, like he's walking a tight rope over Enedina's ravine.

I glance at him for a moment, but he still won't look at me. Sosha does though, and when it seems I've taken to long, she jerks her chin in the direction of Oren, her eyes bugging in a signal that breaks my trance.

"Oh! Yes!" I swiftly curtsy, at least I happened to be wearing a dress for the moment, "Prince Oren, I am glad you are recovered..." I trail off, wonderinig just how much he knows about my rescue.

"All thanks to you, my lady," he rumbles, striding forwards to stand in arm reach of me.

He looks down that perfectly straight nose with a tenderness that seems... odd in a stranger. I smile back into those yellow eyes, his are more daffodil than golden, and remind myself that just a few days ago Talon was a stranger, and he's been staring at me like this for a while now. Maybe it's not that strange for Orcs, maybe it's not tender for them either.

"Your brother agreed to the deal," I sputter, my hands fluttering nervously out towards my sides, but I can't seem to look away from Oren's intense gaze, not even to see if Talon will confirm my story.

"Yes..." he says it slowly, darkly, his gaze flitting for just one short moment to my left shoulder where Talon hovers.

There's a flash of anger in his expression, and my stomach clenches as the instinct to protect Talon nearly gets the better of me. This is his brother, why would I need to protect him from his own brother? I shake the feeling off and smile wider.