Fated To The Orc King

Chapter 14

▪️I Z A R A▪️

I had been commanded by the Orc King not to leave my room.

In fact, from the determined look on his face, I got the impression that he would have tied me down to the bed if he thought he could get away with it.

Every morning, King Baldur would visit me, keeping me company for an hour or so before he had to leave for the day. Then, at night, he would bring me my dinner and remain at my side until I began to fall asleep on myself.

It was not lost on me how much the dynamic of our relationship had changed since that night in the forest.

It turned out I was right about the Orc King. When he was not being a grumpy and insufferable bastard, he could be the most charming and thoughtful individual, and I found myself wanting to spend more time with him as the days progressed.

During his visits, we talked mostly about my new powers and what would be expected of me once my training began. Of course, he would vehemently express that he wanted me to remain off my feet so that my body could heal faster.

While I did appreciate The Orc King's concern, knowing that he meant well, I missed my daily routine.

If I had to choose which of my tasks that I was eager to resume the most, I would have to say being allowed to go down to the kraal. Visiting the animals every day was something I looked forward to, particularly taking care of the baby steppe lion whom I had affectionately named Theo.

It was nearing on a week and even though Dura told me that Theo was being seen to, I could not help but miss him dearly. I yearned to run my fingers through his soft fur and feel him purr while I held him.

Even though I had a steady supply of books to keep me occupied, I found myself increasingly bored while staring at the four walls of my chambers with each passing day. I wanted to go outside and stretch my legs, but unfortunately that was not an option for now.

Mahala and Golnar visited me whenever they could, filling me in on whatever gossip was going on at the moment.

I still seemed to be at the centre of everyone's chatter and I hated it.

It was one thing to have rumours floating about in terms of which Orc I was possibly sleeping with. But when such stories changed to focus on how dangerous I could be to everyone around me, I realised that I hated the thought of being feared. 

Knowing how such apprehensions often led to people being persecuted, the unease I felt seemed to grow with each passing day I spent stuck within the confines of my room.

When I was not laying down in bed, staring aimlessly up at nothing, I paced about my chambers. I tended to find myself walking in a circle in front of the fireplace, counting down the days until I would be able to leave the room which I had now felt had become a prison.

Physically, I felt fine, the best that I've ever felt in my life actually. But unfortunately, where my powers were concerned, they were just as volatile as they had been the day I had woken up.

The more I thought about it, even though he did not say it, I figured that it was the main reason why King Baldur had me confined to my chambers. A safety measure for myself he had said, but in reality, it was more so for those within the castle.

"Not that I blame him..." I muttered while staring down at my palms.

"Don't blame who?"

It would seem that I had been so deep in thought while I sat in front of the hearth that I had not overheard the door to my chambers opening and closing. So, when the sound of a deep yet familiar voice filled my room, I leaped off the sofa and into the air.