So to begin with Lilian. The story I told you when you were younger was very romanticized.

I told you of a burly handsome orc, coming to save a dreary Princess, who was on was to her way to her friend’s neighboring land, when she was all of a sudden, attacked by the last dragon Tyronious.

                            

Almost none of that… was true.

Yes….

The only true part of the story that is, was your father; a large burly orc, saved a princess about to be eaten by a dragon.

          

I had just turned fifteen when, my father; your grandfather: King Alister Franklin Falaris.

Had made the decision to send me to go visit my arranged marriage partner; my fiancé.

Almost the day after my fifteenth birthday, I was in a carriage heading off to “see” him.

As in, my father was hoping I would, or more importantly, my fiancé would do something incredible foolish.

                        

Lilian…… you can’t be that sheltered can you? *SIGH*

            

Your grandfather; the King, was hoping my fiancé would find a way to bed me. And I doubt either cared about my consent.

If I had gotten pregnant with his child, my father would have no choice but to allow him to become my husband and the new King regent.

                               

Yes. The whole plan was to make his long time friend and business partner into the next king.

Hmm?

He was more then twice my age. Thirty-six I believe at the time.

Either way. He was an older man, a friend of my father’s: he had plan to marry me off to him, allowing him to use the man as a front to control what that he owned, all the while making him king regent until a new suitable heir was born.

Of course he didn’t see me as an heir to the throne. If anything, I was an obstacle. No,— I was more than that. He saw me as a hinderance, he was scared of my potential. He wanted nothing more than to eliminate a threat to his rule, by making me some sort of heir producer, for some sort of chauvinistic puppet of his.

*AHEM* But I digress.

I had already made my plans and sent messages ahead to trusted people, with lots of contingencies in place to get me out of this situation.

        

But none of that ended up being necessary.

Because, unbeknownst to the rest of the world.

The Mokra’Torcs of the Mok’Coran had seen a terrible danger coming towards their mountain.

It had flown in from west, on wings of scaled leather which it flapped with terrifying strength as it set its slanted eyes on its new home.

The Mokra’Torcs watched as Tyronious made his new roost upon Mount Maraiya.

It was Garious at the time who was leader of the clan.

               

As you may or may not know.

There are only three things stronger than a dragon’s bone.

Its teeth.

      

Its claws.

             

And mythril.

          

From strongest to weakest in that order.

As you well know.

One of the reasons clan Dracogusse got its name was from your ancestors. But also, because Dracogusse carried a blade; a dagger made from a dragon’s tooth.

They used this blade to carve raw mythril and shape it, to make useable weapons to strike at Tyronious.

The weapon your father used was dubbed the Tyronious’s Bane. As it was a might war-hammer with a spike of mythril encased into steel that formed the hammers shape.

This, along with several other crude blades and weapons carved out of unrefined mythril, were the weapons that your father and his friends used to take down Tyronious.

Ten of the Clan’s best Warriors, made their way up to the top of Mount Maraiya.

They all fought valiantly… but almost all for nought.

They had lost four men with the dragon’s opening attack.

They coordinated attacks only served to aggravate the beast.

After losing another three men.

The dragon had enough of their pestering of it. It decided to take flight to escape its attackers.

For most of orcs as the saw the the dragon start to beat its wings, they began to cheer. Except for one stubborn and foolish Mokra’Torcs amongst the remaining four, who wasn’t about to let the beast escape them.

He jumped on to the beast’s back, digging in his mythril edged bladed weapon, into the dragon’s hide as it took flight.

The other orcs, fearing for their friend’s life. Used their ropes and hooks to attach themselves just as the beast lifted off.

           

This is where I come into the story.

        

To get to where we were going, to my father’s friend’s estate, we had to travel close to the Swamp of Madness.

Hmm? What was my fiancé’s name?

Oh hahahaha! I can’t be bothered to remember a man’s name that I personally sentenced to death!

Why?

He was one of the few that would not submit to my rule. He was also a stalwart ally to my father.

So of course I couldn’t let him live once I took over. But that has nothing to do with anything, nor is his name relevant to your father and I’s story.

               

As we were traveling, I was waiting for my opportunity to make an escape from my cage like carriage.

When all of a sudden, a dragon carrying three orcs hanging by ropes, came hurtling just above the tops of the trees. The three orcs were knocked to the ground as a result of being dragged through the trees.

The fell very near our traveling group.

But our groups eyes were not on the orcs, but rather, they were trained in absolutely fear, because of the legendary monster flying over head.

The dragon’s head was well over four meters tall. Its body, almost four times the size of our carriage in length, and almost twice as tall. Its tail adding almost another six meters to its total length.

Its wing span also made it a fearsome sight to behold.

       

The Mokra’Torc on the dragon’s back knew it wasn’t going to survive. And while they did manage to chase it away, there was no guarantees that the dragon would not stay away from the mountain or the mudflats.

So he did the only thing he could think to do.

He threw himself towards the beast’s wing. Completely destroying the membrane of the dragon’s wing.

It was then that all from the ground saw from on high, that the dragon’s wing seemed to miraculously split and tear down its whole length.

Only a small dot like figure, could be seen falling from the dragon as they both started tumbling towards the ground.

              

With an almost futile effort. The Tyronious tried to right itself with its right wing, trying to slow its descending plummet towards Rayala.

      

It couldn’t stop its fall, or its subsequent spiral towards the ground. But it could direct itself up by just a fraction.

Making what was a nose dive towards rayala, turn into a skimming slide through the dirt and rayala.

Which was the unfortunate part of my story.

For the trajectory of the dragon was heading straight for our caravan.

Because everyone was so captivated by the dragon flying high in the sky after it cleared the trees of Swamp of Madness. By the time we realized what was happening. Tyronious was heading straight towards us.

All of the attendants scattered from his direct path.

My carriage driver actually took off the moment he saw it coming, leaving myself and my handmaid behind inside the carriage.

                          

Now, it was the irony of my father’s over protection that nearly got me killed that day. He had paid for magical enchantments to protect the carriage from a variety of dangers.

But he also paid to have a spell that prevented the occupants of the carriage from opening the doors inside.

       

Why? He was paranoid that I would escape! And he was right as well. I may have tried that kind of plan if he hadn’t added it.

           

So because our driver abandoned the carriage so early, everyone who was near assumed I had already been released from the carriage.

My group of entourage and escort guards all fled or were crushed by the dragon’s weight, as Tyronious crash landed, skidding through the dirt.

My…… my friend and handmaid… threw herself on top of me, as the dragon hit our wagon. The protection spells, along with her using her own body to protect me from harm, saved me that day… I only wish I could have done the same for her…… by the time I had awoken from the shock of the crash, She was dead in my arms.

The crash had destroyed most of the carriage, allowing me a chance to crawl out of the wreckage and escape.

When I did. I saw that there were several people engaged with the dragon.

Well, I say people, and I say several.

But it was your father, his two remaining soldiers, plus two of my knights.

I don’t even know what they were thinking. They tried to engage both the dragon and your father’s forces at the same time.

As least that is how I remember it.

I was dizzy and incoherent from the crash earlier.

Because they tried to attack your father’s group… which went poorly for everyone. Their attack, while pathetic, distracted everyone long enough for the dragon to make an attack on your father’s men, killing one of his soldiers and the human soldier with a bite of his mighty jaws.

Your father and his last warrior, charged into the fray while it was distracted. They had no time to mourn the lost of their comrades as he was being devoured.

Garious’s warrior struck first, slashing into the right claw of the dragon. Its slash while not deep, made the dragon very irritated with it, drawing its attention away from your father’s strike, which he brought down Tyronious’s Bane onto the dragon’s left claw. Breaking and shattering its foot.

The dragon roared in pain, flicking his claw, sending your father away shooting away. He then landed not to far from the carriage wreckage.

This gave Garious’s last warrior a chance to run along its right flank to deliver another serious injury to its right leg; severing its tendon in its leg. While also delivering blow after blow along its right side towards its back leg.

But…

Not all deaths are glorious.

The dragon rolled towards its right, crushing the warrior beneath its massive form.

The dragon, thinking it had won, lifted its head, letting lose an ear piecing roar.

But it was then that I saw your father standing up, recover from his fall after getting tossed along with his weapon. He charged around the debris and torn up ground, he was heading for Tyronious’s blind spot along its tail as it was roaring.

Seeing this, how the dragon was going to notice your father before long, I chose to do something incredibly reckless and, I dare say, very stupid.

I shot out a Ray of Light. One not quite as powerful as the one I can make today. For that spell was only practiced by me at the time, so it was not as refined as it could have been; or is now.

But none of that mattered, as you say, because Tyronious, like all dragons’ scales, dampened the effects of all magic.

Actually yes! We have figured out why dragon’s scales do this now. It is a result of them being made and generated from pure mana. This makes it so that mana based spells and attacks are dampened because the scales themselves radiate a sort of mana based energy, which the dragon uses as a means to ward off such attacks.

We think this was a means as a defend against other dragons. Because, as you know.

                               

Dragons breath fire.

                          

Tyronious’s attention was then fixated on me. He must have saw me as but an insignificant insect, not even worth eating. Because he reared his long neck back, before snapping it forward, breathing his fire at me.

I was luck to be able to protect myself with a Shield of LIght.

But, it was still futile to the immense power that a dragon’s fire breath could unleash.

As my shield started to break down seconds after his fire started assaulting it. It seeped through my barrier. Flicking across my skin and burning me with the intensity of what felt like five hundred forges.

All of a sudden, it ceased.

I drop the barrier after the fire abated, seeing the ground all around me, with my carriage next to me set ablaze. I also saw the sight of Garious, standing atop the dragon’s body. Tyronious’s Bane; your father’s war-hammer. Embedded deep into the base of Tyronious’s skull.

Its body twitched as it lay there dying from its brain being impaled.

                                

As I stood there, panting and breathing heavily, severely injured, burn marks across my arms and legs, and parts of my face. My hair burnt short from the flames.

Your father, stood on top of Tyronious. Garious lifted his head back, and released a war cry of his own. One I swear to this day, was more fierce and soulful than the dragon’s. As his was also shouted out for the loss of his comrades.

                       

With the threat slain, the tension left my body that was already to injured to keep itself standing.

           

I fainted there that day.

The rest of what happens right after this, is going to be mostly second hand accounts from your father’s perspective from when he told me.

                                       

After his mind cleared from the demon’s fire. Your father took stock of what had happened.

He had noticed me during his assault, how I had help him distract the beast.

But he actually thought to abandon me at the moment. His own injuries were also severe as well.

Most of the people that had fought were dead.

So after confirming his warriors’ deaths, he came back to look at my blistered and broken form.

I had a broken arm, along with a blistering burn mark on my scalp, with all four of my limbs having similar burns to them.

Garious acknowledged me, because he realized I had noticed his intentions in the midst of the crisis, and without even discussing thing, acted as a sort of bait for him to deliver a decisive blow.

All without a word towards one another.

He saw how courageous I was…

How I had good foresight, that I was smart to act as I had…

Gosh! I hate talking about myself like this…

Well! This is how he described it!

Anyways!

            

He recognized my courage and decided that I deserved at least the attempt of being saved for my efforts.

Especially since he was unsure if he would have had the opportunity to kill Tyronious without my distraction.

After providing first aide to the both of us, with what limited supplies he could scrounge from battlefield.

He turned his attention towards the corpse of the last dragon.

He took his crushed friend’s axe, and used it to carve and peel back the flesh and skull plate of Tyronious.

With a trophy carved from the dragon. Your father took the axes of his fallen men, the dragon’s skull plate, and an injured human woman back to his village.

It took Garious nine days to get us back to Clan Dracogusse.

When we arrived, I was extremely weak and with fever.

Your father and I hardly had time to talk on the way back to the village, as I slipped in and out of consciousness.

But during the next few days, as his shaman friend worked on healing my burns and external wounds. Giving me medicine to reduce my fever. During this time, got to know your father extremely well.

We talked, we ate together, I told him about my circumstances, he told me about how he became Chieftain.

Hmm?… you don’t know.

His raise to power was similar to our own.

                 

His father, Solärious; was a true blue tyrant. The only one who I think might have topped him was your grandfather Alister.

He was tyrannical in the sense that he took in many woman as he wanted. He also didn’t do want he was supposed too. He treated people like they were supposed to be under him; to do everything he said without question.

What does it mean to be a good leader?

From what you explained to me about your journey and such. It seemed to me that you wanted people to know you could lead and be a good leader. That you were willing to do what it took to for people to recognize that you were able to, not only do what your father used to, but to surpass him as a leader; as Warchief.

But what it means to lead people, is usually done by example. Because if you always placate to people and give them what they think they want. They are going to take as much as they can from you. Even sing you praises or the words you wish to hear, just if it means they can get what they want, or make you do things the way they want them. If you want to be a good leader. You need to know who is loyal to you, use those tactics I just said other might use on you, and use them against themselves: as in, make those that would try to get what they want, make them think they are going towards their own ends, while you have them help you work towards yours.

Deceitful?!

Honey… no politics, even Mokra’Torc politics, is honorable.

Us nobles within the human city put up a good air about ourselves. But the truth of the matter is;

           

We are all still mortal.

          

We have our own faults and flaws, just like everyone else. And don’t think for a second that another person in power near you, won’t try every single thing they can, to sabotage and bring you low, or by bringing up your worst qualities and sins; to show you at your worst.

The trick to avoiding this is: keeping those who you know you can trust close to you; so you know they will always have your back, rather than stab it.

But to watch and keep a closer eye on your enemies.

They are the people you manipulate like I suggested. Or you use them like I make use of the chamberlain: this is why I, not only kept an old relic of the past like him around. But also because he is a good source of information on those who would do me harm.

He throws those under the carriage that their plans are doomed to fail, and I reward him to tell me of these plans. And I pretend not to see him being sneaky with other source, so that I can use him to lead me to others.

Sure he is a racist bastard, but I also feel that I might change his way of thinking in a few more years. He has grown more tolerant of my ways of doing things, and has even handed over key officials willingly for a few years now. Mostly because he sees the way I am running the kingdom has been more efficient than any prerecorded era of kingdom in our linage’s history. And that is what is most important. What the needs of the people are. Everything else can be moved back to second place.

Hmm? How did “I” avoid scandals? Well… that will come up later, so just listen.

                        

Garious challenged his father to a duel for chieftain, which he actually refused to fight your father. Unbeknownst to him, your father had made many allies, thus it was easy for him to over throw Solärious without much bloodshed, since he had so few supporters compared to your father.

Your father was a shrewder man than I was. He always found ways to think outside the box, and win things by thinking smarter, rather than trying the direct path forward.

After about a week, they noticed that despite my healing wounds and reducing fever. I was still getting weaker.

They were not sure what was happening at first, but it all became apparent once I started coughing up blood.

Lilian… I am fine. I am still here aren’t I? By the Light, you are just as hyper emotional as your father.

*GIGGLE*

But I suppose this is a nice transition on what happens next.

After having learned about me, talking with me, we became something as akin to friends after a battle as you can get at first.

But as my health continued to decline, the more your father panicked.

Tharhym tried his best to cure me, but shamanism healing isn’t quite as potent as a priest’s healing.

Their healing relies on the body’s own natural way of mending itself, they basically enhance its natural healing and restorative properties. 

A shaman must also be able to physically see the wound in order to heal it. Or at the least, be familiar with an injury enough to treat it without vision.

My injuries were all internal.

While he might have been able to help me if he had been on the battlefield with us during the fight against Tyronious, but he still might have missed the fact I was injured internally: but at least I would have been in better condition for him to preform surgery, had that been the case.

As it stood, several of my organs had apparently been damaged without my realizing it.

So by the time it was evident, I was already too weak to be healed through Tharhym’s shamanism.

     

Because, I’ll tell you what he told your father: he was going to have to cut me open and figure out what was wrong with me, going through each organ one-by-one, then heal the wounds he created.

I was too weak to survive the process at the time.

Funnily enough, I wasn’t scared of dying myself.

I was scared of leaving behind my people, to my father’s tyrannical rule; I was also scared that your grandfather was going to find me here, or that I had at least died here and attack the Mokra’Torc people, just for the sole reason because I died, while I was in their care.

Your panicky father as he was, was emotional at the thought of losing someone he considered a comrade. Having been there and lost so many during the fight, he had refused to lose me as well.

                          

He vowed he would save me, no matter the cost.

So he ventured out to go to visit the troll’s village that had recently returned.

I was left in Tharhym’s care while he was gone.

No, the other Shaman and elders were not happy about me being there to begin with.

They threatened Garious on several occasions to return me and let me just die.

But he had refused.

When he announced he was leaving in the attempt to go retrieve a vial of Troll’s blood elixir, everyone was shocked.

Including me.

When he had told me his intents and what he was planning, I was against him risking himself for me.

                  

But he just got down on his hand and knees to crawl over towards me. Bringing himself face-to-face with me.

“I won’t allow the strongest, bravest woman I know, to perish right in-front of me. Not when it is within my power to help you. I……… This might scare you to hear this Helly… but… I have grown fond of you. Very much so.”

He leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss onto my sweat soaked forehead.

“I will not allow the woman I have grown to care about, to die in-front of me. So if for nothing else. Please struggle for life and live for me until I return.”

What could I do at that point? I could do nothing but swoon over his words, for this strong sensitive man, who, not only saved my life once, but was also willing to risk it again, just to save it once more.

The legendary man who had felled a dragon.

A man so incredibly handsome…..

Hmm?….

What do you mean I have a goofy smile on my face?! Impertinent brat!

*COUGH*

Anyways, my reply to him was simple then.

I smiled at him and told him.

“Be safe, and don’t keep a girl waiting.”

He gave me a broad smile of his own and left the very next day.

            

His journey there and back took him eight days to get there and return.

Yes… from what he told me. He once again used his shrewd ways.

         

He had asked of their spiritualist there, witch doctor at the time, to give him the elixir, for a promise that amounted to almost nothing.

Only his word, that he would return the favor in some possible way.

The witch doctor had apparently laughed at this.

He demanded that your father leave the weapon he carried, then he would allow him to have a potion for such a deal.

Your father grew angry at this. Because what the witch doctor was basically asking your father was to relinquish his right to the claim that he killed Tyronious.

But, being the fast thinker he is. He thought of another way to will against the with doctor.

He told him.

“I will give you this weapon, if your best warrior can beat me in one-on-one combat.” Garious told him.

The witch doctor also had his own pride and dignity to maintain. And orc was challenging them to battle within their sacred home.

So he agreed.

The deal was set.

If your father won, he would get the elixir, free of charge and compensation.

If their fighter won, then your father would not only not receive the elixir, but also have to still give up the blade and still owe them a favor.

      

When their fighter came out.

In your father’s own words, she was fit, tight, and ready to fight.

She stood almost two heads taller than your father.

         

As you are well aware.

A troll warrior is no laughing matter.

An average orc going into a one-on-one fist fight against a troll would definitely lose.

An orc with a weapon against a troll with none, stood about a fifty-fifty chance of winning.

But if they were both armed, then the orc was guaranteed to lose.

                     

But your father was no average orc.

Your father agreed that he would only use the axes at his side and not use Tyronious’s Wrath.

He stuck the blade down deep into the rayala, as he made his way towards the circle.

All the trolls smiled as they watched this tiny man of an orc, enter the arena, with their strongest warrior at the time.

She had the traditional duel-wield spears of the warrior.

She was ready to take your father down.

But even as the match was about to begin, the smile never left your father’s face.

          

Because the battle had already been won.

                

She charged him right away, her spears thrusting towards him.

He drew his axes against her, cutting down the hardened shaft of the spears with ease, shocking the poor troll.

He told me she was so shocked by what had happened, that she didn’t even react at first when the first two of her forearms were severed.

You should know how.

            

Your father’s favorite axes.

           

The axes of his fallen comrades that he always carries: the raw mythril edged axes.

Even in its raw state, if honed to an edge, mythril is a dangerous substance.

By the time the troll warrior had recovered from her shock enough realize what was happening, it was already to late for her to escape. With two limbs cut short.

All the eyes of the trolls were wide with shock.

             

But she wasn’t quitting without a fight.

She charged him with only two fists available to attack, ready to exchange blows with your father.

But he smiled at her valiant attempt.

He sliced another arm of hers off as she tried to attack him head on, which was a feint she used to draw him in.

She sacrificed an arm to deliver a blow right to your father’s liver.

Then made him stagger as he had to back away from her cleverly disguised attack. But she did not let him get to far away, as she kicked your father right in his ribs, cracking three of his bones.

He was knocked to the ground with her quick attacks. When he opened his eyes, she was coming at him with the spear’s tip in her remaining hand.

Seeing that he wouldn’t be able to dodge her attack, he made sure the attack hit somewhere it would deal the least damage.

He let go of one of his axes, to let what is basically a dagger at that point pierce his forearm, near his wrist.

He used this position to keep her weapon at bay, then slash at her with his other axe. Basically doing as she did earlier.

She had not expected him to do such a thing; blocking her attack with his arm. So she was not prepared to dodge his own attack as he sliced her left side.

This, along with the rest of her wounds was the final attack that made her relent. She fell to the ground clenching her bleeding side.

As your father stood victorious. The witch doctor denounced your father accusing him of cheating; fighting with superior weapons. Your father laughed at his accusations. He cited that the witch doctor had invited your father to fight however he wished.

The witch doctor threatened your father with a curse unless he handed over his weapon as a show of atonement.

        

Naturally, your father took that personally: since the witch doctor had also threatened me.

Your father rushed him without a seconds thought, slaying the witch doctor in one slash, decapitating him mercilessly.

The gathered trolls he said were shocked to see how fast your father cut down their leader.

They said he moved as if he was a bolt of lightning. Garious moved from where he stood one second, picked up Tyronious’s Wrath the next, then lastly stood right in-front of the Witch Doctor.

The Witch Doctor’s head flew straight up from his body as Garious severed it.

His body fell to its knees as it collapsed. Garious catching the body as it fell. He ripped the elixir from its cold dead hands.

The after they recovered from their shock, the trolls made a move to attack him, but he held his blade over their best warrior.

“If you value your warrior’s life. I suggest you don’t move.” He threatened them. “Your witch doctor dishonored our agreement, and if I have dishonored on my end. Then as Salawary as my witness, I wish test my worth.”

Because of his challenging words, and that he called upon Salawary as his witness, they were bound by their traditions had no choice but to test your father.

                                                   

They took him to an alter, calling upon the spirit of Salawary herself. But rather than Salawary, a child of her’s showed himself, her son: The Serpent King, Vannuus.

He came slithering his way out of the muck and water of the swamp. Your father described him as a presences that surpassed Tyronious. His entire body never fully emerging from the swamp.

He came on behalf of his mother to test Garious of his worth.

Vannuus moved his head towards a cup placed on the alter. He dipped a fang within the wine set there.

“Drink this mortal. This poison is one that claims those who have told falsehood.”

Fearing not the poison, knowing this would be the only way for him to survive, lest he be swallowed whole by Vannuus.

Garious took hold of the cup and drank deeply.

             

As Garious collapsed to the floor, the trolls all pointed towards him in anger at him, accusing him of his wrong doings.

                           

But Vannuus stood vigil over Garious’s body as he waited for him to die that day.

But to everyone’s surprise,

                             

Garious stood up.

                                             

“But how have you survived?! You should have died!?” Vannuus questioned your father.

Your father said with a laugh.

“I have not once spread falsehood. I have only told truths. I just do not tell all my truths.”

                       

Vannuus was surprised he had survived even with that. For withholding a truth is a form of lying.

The only conclusion that Vannuus could come to, was that Garious had actually forgotten that he had weapons that were superior in quality, thus it was neither a lie, nor did he withhold.

But as your father told me, what he actually did remember his mythril blades. He just judged them to be inferior to Tyronious’s Wrath. That was how he got around the falsehood claim.

                           

Vannuus then bowed his head towards Garious.

         

“Very well,” The Serpent King looked towards the jaw dropped trolls within the room. “As you can see, he is innocent of his accused crimes. Zaralahi, the Witch Doctor of the Sak Tok Salawary tribe, has paid for his crimes. As was binding within the ancient rights.”

With that, Vannuus departed while giving Garious his blessing to leave in peace.

Garious then made his way back to the village, bring back a vial of troll’s rejuvenation elixir.

After successfully returning, much to his dismay, he had found I had deteriorated even more then before he left.

With know time to waste, they feed me the troll’s rejuvenating elixir, while also keeping me constantly feed.

As you are well familiar with its nasty side-effects.

It took me at least a month to recover. By that point, I had already been living there amongst the Mokra’Torc people for over three months in total.

I had even grown accustomed to their ways, how they did things, their customs, even most of their language.

It was after I was able to walk freely once again, that your father started to seriously pursue me as something more than a friend.

At first, I spurned his advances. Mostly while I had entertained by the thought of your father as a potential partner… I was also scared of him.

       

Not in that way! …… I was scared of my own feelings for him. I had close acquaintances before then, some I would even call friends. But I wasn’t sure what it was to be in love with another.

I lead him on for a bit, which I know… is terrible… But I was also dueling with my thoughts of having to go back to my Kingdom; to return to my responsibilities.

I knew the longer I took to get back, the worse my citizens would be at the hands of my father.

But just before I decided to leave, as I was now physically recovered… …Your father thought one-step ahead of me.

He brought me to the counsel of elders and shamans, and he declared there in-front of me, the shamans, elders, anyone that would listen. That he loved me, that he would take me as his mate.

I was shocked and appalled at having been blindsided like this by your father.

The elders and shamans also protested loudly.

They told him.

“We will never follow a chieftain that has a human as a mate!” “You disgrace the Clan!” “What would your ancestors think?!”

Their spokes person stood up.

“If you take this human as your mate, I hereby use our authority to banish you from the Clan!”

Your father hadn’t even taken his eyes off of me once since he had first spoken, asking me to be his mate.

He spoke to his brother Dracogrious in a bored dismissive tone.

“Then consider me banished little brother. For if the Clan would ask me to trade my happiness for tradition, then I don’t need the tradition or the Clan’s blessing: I will leave voluntarily.”

This caused a large gasping panic to hear that their greatest chieftain since the founder was leaving them for a human.

                  

All the while I was still struggling with what I should do…

But… standing there, staring into your father’s love filled eyes. Which reflected back towards me the reflection of my own.

I knew then I was done for.

         

“Yes, Garious… Yes I will be your mate!”

I told him enthusiastically.

We were booed out of the gathering hall, we laughed and giggled all the way back to his hut.

Where there, we… well!… we consummated our love for each other for the first time.

                                  

                              

And for the first time in my life Lilian… I felt complete.

           

With your father holding me tightly behind my body after we made love. He just somehow made me felt so secure, having him next to me.

I felt as if I needed nothing else.

              

I convinced myself of that. That since I had heard nothing from Falaris, or about them. That they must be fine or better off.

That I didn’t need to return. That I just needed your father in my life.

                         

So your father and I had to leave the village the next day.

But again, that was fine with us.

We traveled up the mountain. Found a cave, he carved it out more, using Tyronious’s Wrath, he made a wonderful little home there for us.

                         

Yes… I was truly happy there… *HIC* ……Not a day goes by Lilian, that I don’t regret every decision I made for the past quarter of a century! *HIC*

                    

As we lived up there, just the two of us. We were truly happy… we… we were content there; wanting nothing more then each other.

                       

But as you know… it wasn’t to last.

                                

I…… I was found… by an archmage under my father’s employment. He… He had sent me a bird that would follow me and my life essence.

They had figured out I was alive after confirming the burnt body inside the carriage was not me. It had taken my father months of searching for ways to confirm it. But once he had, he had to take another couple months after that to devise another way to track where I was.

The best he could manage was having his Archmage he had hired send a magically created bird come and find me to deliver his message.

                   

I……… I am just going to paraphrase this part… the missive said:

My Dear Daughter Helena.

         

I hope this massage finds you alive and well, if so, I am incredibly happy. I am glad that you have somehow managed to, not only escape death by the last dragon, but it was somehow miraculously killed!

Truly a wonderful turn of events.

But enough is enough. You are needed at home. While I am unsure how you were able to manage it and defeat the dragon. I am almost certain you had a capacity in it in someway.

So I have spread word around the capital that my daughter had valiantly sacrificed herself to save us all!

With that said, I have already sold the leftover parts and kept some of the best ones for ourselves!

But even after selling of the dragon’s remains. Our coffers run dangerously low at the moment. I can’t guarantee their safety, or that the taxes won’t suddenly increase if you do not arrive home soon.

There is also the problem of some of your LOYAL attendants within my castle walls spreading unsettling talk amongst themselves.

So please. Don’t keep your father waiting and worrying over his run-a-way daughter.

After all, you have responsibilities to fulfill.

I am waiting.

                   

Your Father and King, Alister Franklin Falaris.

                    

                 

So now… I was faced with the first hardest decision of my life.

                  

Do I abandon the people who were most loyal to me, who would give their lives for me and for our country: the people I had at one point considered my only family; along with all the citizens I was so desperate to protect.

               

Or do I abandon the literal family I had just made with my husband and mate: in addition, we had just learned I was pregnant.

                                    

As you may well have guessed or outright know… I choose to return.

I could not abandoned all I had fought for to protect. To help grow. Only to watch from the sidelines as my father burnt our long kingdom’s history down to the ground.

                                          

The talk I had with you father was not pleasant… I still remember it to this day.

               

“What?!” Garious whispered in disbelief.

“……”

“What did you say?!” He asked a little louder.

“………I need to go back………”

“Why?!” He cried out loudly. “What happened?! Why all of a sudden?! Why now?! You are with our child! You can’t just go back now!”

“……Gari… Listen……”

*SLAM*

          

His fist hit the table, making me flinch in place.

“No! You listen! You think that just because you got a threatening message from your father that you have to run off to him just because he calls you?!”

“You don’t understand Garious! He isn’t just my father! Hell! I don’t even see him as a father! But he is a King. A ruler of a nation and several lands. His word is law, that is unless I go there and directly oppose what he is doing.”

“Alright.” Garious said with understanding. “Then let’s just do that! We just have to go there, get rid of your father and make you Queen.”

“What?! NO! By the Light Garious! It is not that simple!”

“Heh! Sounds pretty simple to me.”

“No! It is not! I don’t have to supplies, the troops, nor the support or backing from people that I need to have to stage anything like a coup!”

“Who says you need to stage anything? Just challenge him to a right to rule by a duel.”

“Garious! STOP! Stop… stop trying to apply orc logic to a human problem! It’s not going to work like that! Even if I wanted to do that, even my own allies would not approve of such conduct. And that is not even mentioning the allied humanoid races and what they would think. If I were to really kill my own father, the nobles will take advantage of this chaos the King’s death would bring and stir up trouble! They will revolt! And I have almost nothing I could use to fend then off!”

“That is not true Helena.” Garious told me with a smile. “You have me!” He assured me.

“……Garious…… You can’t come with me.”

The smile instantly vanished from his face.

“What?” He said flatly.

“*SIGH* You can’t come. The moment my father sees you, and with me pregnant in tow. We may as well kill ourselves. Because he is surely going to do it if we don’t do it ourselves.”

“What are you talking about?!” He shouted at me.

“You will just make all of my plans more complicated. I would have to hide you away, out of sight, somewhere in human society. And if my father ever caught you, he would use you to get to me.”

“Like the abyss he could catch me!”

“That is not the point! I don’t want you there! I don’t want you in harms way my love!”

“Helena. We can do this together. The two of us!” Garious pleaded. “We built this cave together, we made this home here in the mountains. We have done so much together! We slayed the last FUCKING DRAGON TOGETHER!” He yelled.

*SCRAPE*

His chair flew back, scraping on the floor of the cave before he moved around to knee in-front of my chair.

“Don’t do this Helena! Don’t leave me here behind! I-…… I love you! With all of my heart!” He begged me.

“I—*HIC*— I know! But Garious! But you don’t understand this! You don’t understand anything that is happening within the human kingdom! You won’t be able to help me!”

“I can if you let me! I have been a leader my whole life! Don’t just abandon everything we have because you are scared to lose it! If we work together! I am sure we will think of a solution.”

“THIS ISN’T JUST SOME PROBLEM YOU CAN LEARN OR BASH LIKE AN ORC GARIOUS!” I shouted at your father.

“Your an orc! You will never understand! This is my problem! My people! My responsibilities! My people! I can’t just abandon them and leave all of them to suffer at the hands of a mad man! People will die of I don’t go! You’re just a Mokra’Torc, you know nothing about what being a real ruler of a nation is like!”

                 

I saw your father flinch at my words. I knew they had hurt him. I… think in some way… I wanted them to hurt him.

           

But I also regretted it as soon as I said it.

           

Your father’s face grew serious. He was angry.

“So after everything we’ve been through. After abandoning my own duties and people, coming to the mountains and being sent into exile, just because I love you. You still want to leave? You think I will just be a detriment because I am an ORC?… Then fine.”

He got up, moving to gather some things. Packing different packs and bags with supplies in them.

“You want to go back to your human lands?! Fine!” He shouted. He walked over and thrusted a backpack into my arms.

“But know this Helena. If you walk out that door; away from me: walk away from us!… Then don’t bother coming back. I was more than willing to stick with you no matter what happens! Even if that means I would have to die for you!”

                  

“Garious… Don’t say that!” I pleaded. “This doesn’t have to be forever! I will come back for you!”

“When.” He asked me.

“What?”

“When will you?” He questioned. “A few days? Few weeks? A couple months? A year? A few years?! How long Helena?!” He shouted again at her. His voice strained with emotions. “How long would I have to wait?! Just so we can be together again?”

“I…… I don’t know…” I admitted with a sad voice. “But I suppose a couple years after I am Queen? When I can overturn the nonhuman act against orcs and trolls. Or until I make it safe enough for you to live there with me as my Queen’s consort.”

“And how many years will that take? How many years?!” He growled through his tears.

“…… maybe several…” I told him honestly unsure. “Until my father acknowledges me as his successor.

“I see… I see… So never then… so this is really just your way of saying good bye to me: that you had your fun with my heart and that you have grown bored of me, isn’t that right?” He looked at me scornfully. “Because, you and I both know. He will never make you his heir.”

I knew he was just trying to hurt me, just like I did him. But I was also a pregnant emotional teenage girl.

“How fucking dare you… you… filthy mud-person!- *GASP*”

I couldn’t believe what I called him that.

He smiled thinly at me.

He stood and walked away to move to our bedroom.

“Goodbye Helena. It has been wonderful. But it was true what the elders told me…… that taking a human as a mate is no better than taking an animal as one. That they are incapable of real emotional attachments.”

                      

*SLAM*

                   

He slammed the door behind him.

I don’t know how long I sat there. But I know that I could hear him wailing behind our closed door.

I knew what he said was most likely in response to what I said. That he probably didn’t mean a word of it.

                

But it had still hurt.

I sat there and wept for the relationship I had with your father that I had just destroyed.

After a while, I got up and left through the door.

                 

No… that is not true. I looked back often… very often as I walked my way back towards the human lands.

I knew… if he had come to get me. If he had scooped me up in his arms and begged me to stay. I knew I was going to break.

I kept looking back, hoping find him.

           

But after three weeks of traveling. I final made it to the path from the mudflats to the outcropping of Falaris… there I found ways of getting back to the capital…

               

Back to my gilded cage.

             

                

“And that my daughter… is the sordid tale of how your father and I met, and how I abandoned family.”

“……………………………”

            

Lilian was quiet for a while after her mother’s explanation of her and her father’s tale.

Helena waited for a while for her daughter to speak again. But after about eight minutes of silence, she grew worried.

“Does this help you? Do you have anymore questions?”

           

Lilian nodded her head.

            

“…..I….. Have several in fact…… one I never got a real answer for…” She looked up into her mother’s eyes.

“Why?”

“Why what sweetie?”

“Why did you abandon me with father?” She asked Helena with a strained voice.

         

Helena took a deep breath, closer her eyes and had an expression as if she was in serious pain.

        

“And that my dear Flower Princess… was the second hardest and most foolish decision I made in my life…”