The Shadow, the Orc, and the Princess: Part Two (complete)

Female Main Character x Male Monster (both cis)

The first few months of Bronn’s life were hard. Due to his small size and the extremely cold weather he was often sick. We were all worried for him, losing sleep and appetite during the darkest of moments.

“He’s one of us,” my father would say. “He’s strong, he can do this.”

I kept looking at Bronn, worrying about how tiny he was and how hard he had to work to breathe. I didn’t say a word, because anything I might say could turn into a curse upon my tongue.

“The dawn can’t seem bright without the night,” my father said reassuringly. “Your mother told me that once.”

I looked away from Bronn’s crib and into my father’s eyes. He was exhausted beyond all reason, but he was still smiling.

Tears welled up into my eyes. “I feel like dawn isn’t coming.”

“Come here.” He beckoned me over and held me close. “It will come. One way or another, it will come.”

A year to the day after I was told Bronn was coming, he laughed for the first time. I was holding him and sneezed very loudly. I was terrified I had startled him, instead he began laughing.

Bronn began to come out of night and rise into the dawn. He began to grow and gain weight, and he obtained a vicious little appetite. By the time summer was at an end he was walking and following us wherever he could.

“Look at these strong legs!” My father announced to anyone who would listen. “He was built to be a warrior!”

“Maybe a dancer,” my mother would interject.

“Leo had legs like these when she was little. Did she not?” My father set Bronn on the ground and grinned into his face. “You’re going to conquer worlds, aren’t you my little raven? You’re going to cast shadows over everything you see.”

I was a bit uneasy about my father’s words, so I just told myself it was baby talk. “He will do as he pleases,” I corrected. “Remember? You said that to me when you announced he was coming.”

“I stand by that!” He huffed. “But look at him! He will be a beauty to his lovers, and a monster to his enemies.”

My mother rolled her eyes at me and I smiled. She then looked at a letter and she scowled deeply. Ever since Bronn was born, letters from Arda the First had been coming in more frequently. She was demanding that she see the new baby and to make sure it didn’t turn out ‘like the last one’.

I snatched the letter from my mother’s hand. “I would love to give her a piece of my mind.”

“Now, now Leopoldine, she has her ways and that’s what she lives by. You certainly wouldn’t want someone telling you that-” She stopped herself when she caught what she was about to say. “In any case, I’m going to tell her once again that Bronn is sick and that we can’t travel.”

“She can’t even get off her bony ass to come down here?” My father snapped.

“She thinks you’ll kill her dear,” my mother huffed.

“Good! That’s what I want her to think.”

“We can’t keep her at bay forever though,” she huffed. “The older she gets, the more impatient she grows.”

I looked at the letter in my hand, and it felt thicker than the ones that had come before. I opened it and read it for myself. It didn’t take long to come across the first thing that set my blood to steam.

“She says she has ideas for my marriage,” I guffawed.

My mother rolled her eyes. “She always has ideas.”

My father picked up Bronn and carried him over to trade with me. Bronn sat happily in my grasp as he read over the letter.

“She’s crazier than I am!”

My mother slouched back in her seat. “By how much, dearest?”

My father made sneering and mocking faces at the letter. “Leo has an intended already lined up! I have plans for her!”

Another turn of phrase that sunk the metaphorical dagger of fear into my liver.

“You’re still on that?” My mother rose and took Bronn from me. “But what is she on about?”

“She says since we now have a male heir we need to worry about what will happen to Leopoldine. Talking about her as if she’s going to die alone or destitute because of ‘my worrisome ways’.”My father ripped the letters into shreds then tossed them into the fireplace. “It isn’t her place to say how I should worry about my heir!”

I looked into Bronn’s big brown eyes for reassurance.

My father was huffing and puffing enough to suck in the castle walls. “And besides, Brevalan is the only suitor I will accept for Leo.”

“He’s been away all this time, I would have figured you’d have changed your mind about him by now.” My mother began walking away with Bronn, heading towards the hall and probably her study.

My father scoffed, then turned and looked at me. “Come on, let's throw axes and blow off some steam.”

I wanted to open my mouth and ask him who his heir was, but the breath left my body. I followed behind him, watching his back as he strut down the halls.

“He’ll come back one day, but I told him to train as long as he needed,” my father said.

“Huh?” I gasped.

He glanced over his shoulder. “Brevalan, you looked worried when he was brought up. I told him to train until he was satisfied, and that when he came back he would continue to work hard.”

“But why did you send him away?” I asked.

“Because then he’d be able to receive better training. A wider variety of training actually.” he looked down at me and grinned. “If he learned only from me then he’d know everything I know and then he could use that against me. It’s best that he knows little of my methods.”

My heart sank. “Then why do I know everything you know?”

“Because your mother would have throttled me for sending you away. But don’t you fret, I’ve kept a few of my tricks.” We reached the axe rink and he began inspected edges.

Not what I was concerned with. “Will you send Bronn away then?”

“Not unless I wanted your mother to burn me alive!” He selected two axes, tossing them up into the air then catching their handles. “I doubt she’d let me send him out alone to pick apples well into his thirties.” He turned, slinging an axe with all his might and hitting the target. He held out the second axe to me. “Stop fretting over it. You two will still be some of the best warriors in all the world.”

I took the axe and tried to shake off my fears. “I know, Dad.”

As the seasons turned cold again, fears that Bronn would get sick plagued my family. My father brought in new physicians, as well as worked on ways to keep the palace warmer. I trained outside to escape the bedlam and stress. Sometimes I found it hard to go inside, because I feared that once I did I’d find Bronn sick.

I’d sit out in the cold, watching my breath fade into the air. One late afternoon, a figure came and stood beside me. I looked up and up, until I realized who it was.

“So you do remember me,” Brevalan laughed.

I jumped to my feet. “You’re the last person I expected to see! But I certainly remember you!” I patted his arm in welcome. “What are you doing here? Are you back for good or something already, it’s only been a year and a half!”

“No. I’m not so lucky as to be back for good. My brothers sent for me, they’ve decided to come and join me.” He set down his things then sat on the bench.

I returned to sitting beside him. “How long do you plan to stay?”

“Not sure. I haven’t decided.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll let my brothers finish up their business here and tend to their belongings before we travel.”

I couldn’t stop looking at him. Not much had changed, but there were definite signs of his training. His arms looked stronger, his face was scruffy, and there were new tattoos on the back of his hand.

I smiled brightly as I snapped myself out of staring. “It might be loud inside, but would you like to come in and warm up?”

“In a moment.” he exhaled heavily. “I’ve been on foot most of the day, I just want a moment off of them.” he then turned his head towards me. “Your father sent me word about your brother. Congratulations.”

“Yeah.” I looked back out over the yard. “He’s amazing.”

Brevalan leaned forward onto his knees. “Is something the matter?”

I shook my head. “I guess not.” I turned and smiled at him. “It is good to see you here though.”

He smirked. “I figured you would have forgotten about me by now.”

“Oh no!” I laughed. I cupped my hands around my ears. “Anytime I throw an axe or spar with someone I can hear your voice ringing like an annoying chime in my ears.” I then shushed him. “You’re veering to the left!” I said tauntingly. “You’re going to far to the left!”

Brevalan laughed loudly, leaning back in the seat and holding his gut. He beamed down at me and my cheeks went warm. “Well, are you?”

I pinched my fingers together. “A little still. But you never showed me how to throw properly.”

He smiled serenely. “If I wasn’t so tired, I’d show you now.”

“You’ll never show me, '' I chortled. “Because then you’ll know I’ll be better than you and you’ll never be able to hold that over my head.”

“That is true,” he teased.

“I know.” I then stood up and offered my hand. “Come on, it’s warm inside and I’m sure my father would love to offer you a warm drink.”

“I thought you said it was loud inside.” Brevalan took hold of my hand and rose from the bench.

“We can find somewhere quiet, I’m sure. Everyone is just worried about Bronn.” I kept hold of his hand as I took him inside.

Inside the halls I could hear my parents arguing in the distance, so I took Brevalan another way. I took him into the opposite wing where my mother had made a greeting room for guests.

“I can sneak down to the kitchen and get something to eat,” I offered.

“Just resting a moment is good enough for me.” He huffed as he took a seat. He pulled out his hair from inside his coat, tossing it over the back of the chair. “That, and good company.”

“It must be bad out there if you consider me good company.”

He smirked. “The man your father sent me to train with is a strict man. The few of us he kept on as students barely get along and he fosters that competition between us.”

That made me think about Bronn and I for a split second.

Brevalan sighed. “And even if we only knew each other for a short time, I still enjoyed your company. After all, I’m working towards being your most trusted hand.”

“And we were engaged for a short period,” I laughed.

“Ah yes, those blissful few moments I had a bride. I remember them fondly.” His amber eyes fell upon me and his smile turned nostalgic. “Have you thought of me since I left?”

“Left,” I snickered. I then smiled and nodded my head. “More than I expected. I think you left an impression. Did I?”

“Your father writes about you so often, I have no other choice.”

My cheeks warmed and tingled. “About that. I had no clue my father wrote to you, or else I would have sent letters as well.”

“Now that you know, you can.”

I smiled shyly and nodded. “Maybe I will.”

“Then I can get the story straight from you and not your father,” he chuckled.

I leaned forward in my seat and pinched my brow. “Just exactly what is he saying about me?”

Brevalan glanced away, reaching up and rubbing his jaw. “Anything a father might say about his child.”

“That might work on me if my father was normal,” I huffed. “Now out with it. What does he say?”

Brevalan leaned his head back and exhaled loudly. “You see that is where it gets tricky.”

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled up.

“Most of what he writes, he says to me in confidence. And since he’s taking care of me and my brothers, I feel I should uphold some bond between us, even if I do plan to fight him several times in the future.”

I swallowed and sat back.

“I will say he does an awful lot of bragging about you. He’s more proud of anything you do than anything he’s ever done.” Brevalan looked into my eyes. “He thinks you’re the moon in his sky. Those are his exact words.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded. “I knew that! I was wondering if he had said anything else.”

“He makes me worry that I will never be able to catch up. I’m also mildly terrified of you.” His smile makes my heart flutter. “But I just remind myself that you go left.”

I laughed, bowing my head down to hide how big my smile had become. “But by the time you come back, I won’t. I swear on that.”

He grinned at me. “And like I said, I can’t wait to see it.”

I suppose some time during the evening we both fell asleep by the fire. Brevalan had been traveling, and I had been fretting over the coming winter and Bronn. I woke to a chill, spying that the fireplace was soon to go out.

I got up to add wood to the fire and I looked down at Brevalan asleep in the chair. His legs were stretched out before him, splayed a bit, and his head was turned to the side so his cheek was smooshed and his mouth hung open.

I fought with myself for a long time, longer than I should have. I tiptoed closer to Brevalan looking at him up close for once. The way his jaw and neck met in a muscular curve had me biting my lip. Then how his shirt hung open, showing the top of his chest and the hair upon it made my heart skip a beat. I stretched out my fingers to touch his cheek, but recoiled them again when he grunted.

His hand slid down his stomach, rubbing before resting again. I saw the new tattoo on the back of his hand was some sort of flower I had never seen before. I came closer to him, closing my eyes for a moment then pulling away. I couldn’t do it. Instead I went back to the fireplace.

“Coward.”

Every hair on my body stood on end. I turned back to see Brevalan’s eyes was cracked open and he was smirking.

“What?” I huffed. “Go back to sleep, you’re dreaming.”

“No, I don’t think so.” He sat up and his long hair fell over his chest.

I turned back to the fireplace. “Then you’re imagining things.”

Brevalan stood up from his chair as I placed fire onto the glowing embers. I felt him come up right behind me. I ignored him, not even looking his way as he knelt down beside me.

“Look at me,” his deep voice rumbled.

I grimaced. “No.”

His lips pressed against my cheek when I refused to turn. It was warm, a little wet, and it made my insides squirm with glee.

“Because of your father’s letters, you’ve never been out of my mind,” he whispered.

I bit my lip and stayed quiet.

“I want to be your king, but I will settle for a knight as long as I get to remain by your side.”

I turned my head and looked at him. “You have to work hard.”

Brevalan grinned, placing his hand upon my face as I placed a kiss upon his lips. I forgot to breathe until he pulled away, placing his thumb upon my bottom lip. He smiled and pressed his forehead against mine, which felt even more intimate than the kiss.

“Why do I feel like this?” I murmured. “I’ve never felt so nervous around someone.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

I shook my head.

He kissed the tip of my nose then smoothed the hair away from my face. “Leopoldine, you terrify me for many reasons. Your strength. Your ferocity. But mostly by just existing in my presence and I cannot do anything about it.”

I giggled and ran my fingers through his hair, something I had wanted to do since I first met him. “If you could do something, what would you do?”

He pressed his lips to my ear and whispered. I had been prepared for a lot of things, but I had not been prepared for what he said. My face instantly turned red and I had to pull myself away for a second.

“Was it something that I said?” Brevalan chuckled.

I cleared my throat. “You’re just fooling with me, aren’t you?”

Brevalan caught my chin between his fingers and lifted my head. “I wouldn’t fool with you, that’s dangerous.”

I gulped.

“If I could, I would do everything possible to make you feel my devotion. I’d bathe you in my kisses and I’d make your legs grow weak.” He smiled. “If I ever win your hand you would never a know a night without my affection.”

“Shut up.” I kissed him hard, cupping his face in my hands if only to make him stop talking. I did want to hear his words though, but I was not prepared for them.

The doors opened and I sat up in alarm. My father stood there, scanning the room before his eyes fell on me.

My father sighed with relief. “There you are, Leo! What on earth are you doing here by yourself?”

Brevalan sat up from the floor with a guilty look upon his face.

My father’s eyes widened. “Brev my boy, when did you get here?”

“Earlier this evening, sir.” Brevalan stood in attention and I stepped aside from him to not seem so culpable.

My father rubbed his chin, his eyes darting between Brevalan and I. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

“I was kissing your daughter, sir,” Brevalan said without an ounce of fear.

I stared up at him, shaking down to my toes.

My father nodded, his eyes darting to me and then back to Brevalan. He huffed and tilted his chin up. “Did she like it?”

Brevalan flinched. “Sir?”

My father motioned to me. “Were you kissing him back, Leo? Was it mutual between the two of you?”

I gulped and nodded shakily. “I…I was, Dad. It was uhm…both of us.”

He sighed and placed his hands upon his hips. “So I was interrupting something.” he then sighed. “Well, I guess now I have to be a father and separate you two. Come along Leo. Brevalan, stay here and I’ll come back to show you a room.”

“Yes, sir.”

I touched Brevalan’s hand before following my father. I left the room with him, stepping into the hallway where silence became a crushing weight to bear. I stared at his back for a long while as he took me through the dark hallways.

“Dad?” My voice cracked.

“I used to sneak around with your mother like that,” he sighed. “That made me very nostalgic.”

I opened my mouth then shut it. “You aren’t mad?”

“I’m surprised, but I am not mad.” He turned around and put his arm around me. “I know how young hearts can pitter patter. But I will have a stern talk with that young man.”

“We just kissed,” I murmured.

“I know, Leopoldine. But I am still your father and a younger lover once long ago. It’s my job to give these lectures,” he chuckled.

“You really aren’t mad?” I murmured.

My father turned to face me, placing both his hands upon my shoulders. “Do you like him, Leopoldine?”

I nodded. “I’ve never felt this way before.”

“Good. Then you’re just like me. I was certain I’d never fall in love, only in lust. And then I met your mother and my whole world changed. I loved her at first sight, and I knew I would do anything in this world to keep her.” he smiled at me and kissed the top of my head. “You can make it to your room from here. I’m going to go back and talk to him.”

“Be nice,” I said sternly.

“I’ll let him live,” he chortled as he walked away.

I went into my room and sighed. Touching my face I realized I was still blushing and warm. I sat down upon my bed and looked out the window as clouds floated before the moon. I laid back in bed as my mind wandered aimlessly through the words Brevalan had spoken.

“When I become queen, I’ll marry him.”