It was day seven of her training, and Ilicia now wondered how people like Will and Sir Balefor put up with it week after week. The initial welcome she had gotten with Yav'Nara had knocked her unconscious and had been Ilicia's first real sense of physical pain other than accidents suffered as a child. It had been a living hell thus far, and Ilicia questioned if she could keep it up.

She rose before the sun every day and went through weapons training with Yav'Nara. Essentially she was learning how to keep people away from Will's back as he did a demon's load of work. She ended her training with an hour-long soak in the communal baths, then usually ate lunch with Will, who was often more bruise and bandage than flesh and bone.

After lunch, Ilicia would train with Elithana to use highly efficient magic. So far, she had learned several simple defensive spells that were deceptively powerful and used hardly any magical power. This was perfect for Ilicia and her meager magical abilities.

She thought after the first day or two, she would grow to hate the brutish orcish woman who was currently the bane of her existence. Ilicia was surprised when she found herself enjoying the grueling tasks Yav'Nara set out for her. She also noticed how many female eyes lingered on Will when he walked by. This only seemed to drive her to work harder.

Will had just walked past, chatting with two of the Shadow Guards. Ilicia watched him with hungry eyes, as did every other woman in the training ground. One, in particular, saw how Ilicia looked at Will and snarled at her. When Will was out of earshot, the woman spoke.

"The soft princess has eyes for Will." The voice called out to the crowd of mostly women who remained at the training grounds, "She thinks herself capable of handling him as a woman should handle a man."

Ilicia looked at the woman speaking and recognized Agrana, Will's original Ogdeshi. At Agrana's words, Ilicia smiled at the orcish woman and quietly gestured for both of her teachers, who had begun to turn towards Agrana, to relax.

Ilicia spoke, "You know, I think you may be right, Agrana; I do have eyes for Will. But what of you? What do you have for him? While I may have eyes and not 'handle' him as you think I should, I have many things to provide him, especially as Princess of Kolt." Ilicia never took her eyes off Agrana, "So tell me, Ogdeshi Agrana, what can you possibly provide him that I can not?"

The entire training ground waited silently, and Ilicia felt her blood pounding. Agrana's mouth worked for a second, and then she lunged for Ilicia, only to be brought up short by an invisible force.

"Yav'Nara and I may be exempt from punishment for harming the Princess," Elithana said, her hands held up and slightly glowing, "but I would remind you to remember your place, Agrana. Ilicia is the first princess of Kolt and therefore protected under the laws of the Gob'Ran."

"If you ever move to strike the princess again…" Yav'Nara began to speak, and Agrana laughed.

"You both think you could stop me if I actually wanted to kill this annoying human?" Agrana asked, and then the reddish flare of blood magic played across Agrana's face, and she was moving freely again. Agrana looked at Ilicia, "Just because you play at learning our ways, do not think to step above your abilities. As to what I could provide him, the answer is simple, I could provide him with strong children."

Agrana smirked and left the training grounds, taking several other orc women with her. Ilicia smiled despite how she felt and finished her training for the day. After eating, she sat in a secluded corner of the public bath, silently wiping the tears she had held back from her eyes earlier in the day.

"You know you do not need to cry." an elderly voice said, and Ilicia jumped and turned, expecting to see Yilan having snuck up on her once again, but instead, she found herself faced with an ancient-looking Drethi woman.

"Oh, I am sorry." Ilicia said, moving to get out of the woman's way, "I didn't mean to…"

The woman simply smiled and touched Ilicia's shoulder, "You have done nothing wrong, Princess. As a matter of fact, you have displayed nothing but courage since arriving here. It is Agrana who is cowardly."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Ilicia stared at the woman she had never met before and smiled in thanks, "I know. I am doing everything I can; I just…" Ilicia said and paused, "What if Agrana is right? What if I can not give Will strong children?"

The old woman laughed. "I do not know you well, Princess, but I would like to think I know young Will quite well. So let me ask you a couple of things."

Ilicia nodded, wondering again who this woman was, and then she spoke again, "Have you asked Will what he wants as far as children? Have you been with him? Do you even know why Will turned away from Agrana?"

The questions were good ones, Ilicia had to admit, and they were embarrassing, but she answered anyway. "No, I have not asked him, and I have not been with him, at least not all the way. I also have no idea what happened between him and Agrana."

The old woman laughed, laying back so she floated chest-up in the water. "Then it sounds to me like you don't know a lot of what you should. Will may appear human in many ways, but he was raised by Orcs, Elves, and Drethi. We are not shy about these things, but we also do not volunteer information unless it has been asked for. So before you stain your pretty face with tears, why don't you ask that big Lummox some of these questions?"

Ilicia smiled and soaked for several more minutes, idly chatting with the woman. Ilicia rose and stopped just before pulling herself free from the embrace of the warm water, "May I know your name? You helped me, and I appreciate it."

The old woman cracked open a single eye, looking at Ilicia appraisingly. "I am Karva. I wish you luck, Princess."

The next day was the end of the week for the Gob'Ran. Ilicia was excited. The following day was a holiday for the Orcish people, so no training would be conducted; she and Will would finally have a day with each other.

On the holiday morning, Ilicia woke early and moved to enter Will's room. When she opened the door, she found Will fast asleep. She lay on his bed beside him, snuggling up to him. Ilicia felt his massive hand move to rest on her hip, and his lips pressed against her neck.

"Good morning Ilicia," Will said, pulling her close and snuggling into his bed.

"Good morning Will." Ilicia said, reveling in his closeness and pressing herself against him, "I have some questions for you, Will."

"Oh really?" Will surprised her then by lifting her as if she weighed nothing. He rolled, bringing her over himself so that she lay with her back to the wall; in front of her was the wall of muscle that was Will's body. She found herself face to face with him. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him, but she wanted to get her answers first. "So then ask me, Ilicia."

"What happened between you and Agrana?" Ilicia said and felt his body tense.

"She was my Ogdeshi," Will said, "as you know, Orcs and Elves are not as, shall we say, reserved with sexuality as most other peoples. As an Ogdeshi, she felt distractions were unacceptable, and I was distracted by a lot, especially when I was younger. Any hint of cleavage or a curve of flesh I had not felt or seen before, and I was distracted. So once I came of age, Agrana grew bored of the games her other students played with me, trying to tease me with less and less clothing. Agrana's solution was to show me everything, let me feel everything, and let me exert my sexual energies with her to my satisfaction. For several months my every waking moment was spent with her; when we were not training, we were in her home."

How Will said 'in her home' left nothing to the imagination about their actions. Ilicia said nothing waiting for Will to continue, so he did. "She thought this meant she was my prospective mate, and in all honesty, I did not know she had approached my grandmother and grandfather about contacting my father to try and arrange the match. Then my father died, and I received the letter."

Will's tone had grown cold for a moment, and he seemed to shudder and smile at Ilicia simultaneously, "As you know, I had plans to kill the royal family of Kolt. When I told Agrana, she laughed and said my father dying was for the best, as now there would be no need to worry about any strange human rituals or requirements for our joining. She told me she would make me forget all about my anger, even if it took her a whole week spent on her back."

Will smiled at the aghast look on Ilicia's face. "I mean, to be fair, fighting and fucking were the only ways we had ever interacted with each other, and I think Agrana cherished that. But hearing her say my father being gone was good and implying that sex would solve the pain I felt nearly drove me into a rage. I left less than an hour later, then the next time she saw me, I had you in tow with me."

Will looked sad, "I think maybe Agrana has not quite accepted we are no longer an item."

Ilicia smiled, "I don't think so either. She said some hurtful things to me yesterday, but knowing what happened, I might do the same if I were in her place."

Will frowned, "What did she say, Ilicia?"

Ilicia smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I will deal with it." Ilicia leaned in and kissed him playfully. "Now, for the remainder of the morning, you are to do that thing to me."

Will smiled at her commanding tone as she pulled his hand down from where he had rested it on her shoulder to cup one of her thighs, "Of course, Princess."

Ilicia moaned slightly, deciding that the feeling of Wills's fingers teasing her body was far more important than any other question she might ask at that moment.