The belle of the ball

You awaken as streaks of the morning sun break through the curtains, landing on your eyes. You feel more rested than you can ever remember, having slept in such a luxurious bed. You don't know when, but the servant girl Mirjare left your bed at some point through the night, though you can hardly blame her. She had gotten into plenty of trouble tending to you; enough trouble in one day to last her a month, you suspect. She no doubt has already been up for a few hours, helping prepare meals and so on. You feel the inner compulsion to get out of bed to assist somehow, but the warmth and comfort of the heavy blankets keep you sedate. You try to go back to sleep, but the brightness focused square on your eyes makes that impossible. Surrendering, you get out of bed and put your two feet under you. You give the room a more honest examination than you did before. Your contempt for being kept here is as strong as it was before, but a tiny voice in the back of your mind speaks with resounding truth; that as far as prisons go, you certainly could do worse. Most people would happily trade their lives for what you have no, none the least of which your younger self.

You dwell on this as you search through the clothes in one of the chests. You pull out something soft and frilly, and almost nonexistent. Confused, you try to put them on as bottoms. They fit well, but with the dark fabric leaving the cheeks of your ass totally exposed, as well as most of your front, you have to wonder what the point was. You never saw underwear like this back on your family farm, and orcs never wore anything that wasn't for protection or ceremony, at least the tribe you were a part of. You surmise that this is some sort of fashion for the well to do, something to tantalize and seduce. You look at yourself in the large mirror nearby, turning about to see all of your ass, and you can tell that it works. Even if Lord Shallis didn't already want you for his own bizarre desires and plans, your sure seeing this would entrance him, and any other human man for that matter.

Your self gazing comes to a short halt as you hear something unusual outside. Songbirds waking up in the morning, their soft melody warms your heart with nostalgia for younger simpler times. You pull back the curtain to see if you can spot them in the trees outside. None of them come out of the heavy branches in the courtyard, but you keep trying, letting your mind wander. You completely miss someone opening the door behind, until they speak up.

"Well, you put underwear on. I hear that's progress." You turn around in embarrassment, to see that it was the stranger from last night, the same confident smile, but at least with a change of clothes

"Oh, it's you." You relax slightly, seeing a somewhat familiar face. "Don't you nobles believe in knocking, or do you all feel like you own the place?"

"Well, in my case, I do. Or, will, soon enough."

"What do you mean?" You ask.

"I'm the son of Lord Shallis, and the next in line for whenever he shoves off the mortal coil."

"Son? I wasn't aware that Lord Shallis was married."

"He's not" He replied quickly, his eyes wandering to the floor for a second "I'm a bastard, but one that all the others have to respect. Even if that means respecting a bastard who toils around in the same common rabble as his mother." This man is unusually forthcoming about himself and his habits; far more honest than the other nobles you've had to interact with of late. Your mind tries to soak in all of the information at once, and it's implications, but comes up a little short.

"I'm sorry" You reply, eyes blinking quickly "I don't think I ever caught your name."

"No, that's my mistake" As he steps closer "My name is Caius; Caius Atticus Shallis in full. And, for what it's worth Boudicca, there is something I feel I have to tell you. Two things, actually"

"Yes?" You ask the distance shrinks, him close enough to touch you. He speaks much more silently and softly; his cockiness fading away for a moment of sincerity.

"I'll probably be the only one you hear this from, but I'm sorry for what happened to you. All of it, I mean. I don't know the whole story, but it must have been some strange circumstances that made you willing join an orc clan, and than we upended a life you were totally fine with and telling you that you have to do things our way."

"To say nothing of killing the people I loved and cared about, as well as women and children who had done nothing wrong."

"Yaaaaa, that too." Caius shifts uncomfortably, his hand grasping the back of his neck "I don't have an answer for that. War is a gruesome, bloody thing, and we've been at war with their kind for longer than anyone can remember, except the emperor himself. It's easy to shrug this stuff off when you don't see it, you don't know it. Seeing you though, knowing what you've been through? Well, I feel like I have to reexamine some things. For my own part, know I won't make you do anything you don't want to, and if anyone else around here starts bossing you around, you come see me, okay?"

"I will" you reply softly "and, thank you. Started to feel like nobody around here even cares about me, like this place is just a prison."

"Well, they don't, and it is, but I'd at least like to make it a little more bearable for you."

"Thank you again. What was the second thing?"

"Nothing important" Caius replied quickly "Forget I said anything. Not really important."

"No, please" You ask intently "You've been honest with me this long, why stop now?"

Lord Caius Shallis rolled his eyes slightly "I was just going to tell you that...I'm afraid I'm rather smitten over your maid Mirjare, and having seen her in the dress you lent her yesterday, I can see her as the woman she could easily become. I intend to take her as my own, with your blessing of course"

"What?" You let out with a small laugh "Fallen in love with her, just like that?"

"Just like that" He replied with boyish nervousness.

"Well, that's great Caius, but you certainly don't need my permission for any of that. You're the next in line to the throne"

"Well, if my father has his way, you'll become my stepmother, so asking permission seems prudent."

You let out a nervous laughter at the thought, both of being married to Lord Shallis, and being a stepmother to his son, who is nearly the same age as you. "Very well. Caius, you have my permission to court the young lady, so long as you treat her with all the love and affection she deserves."

"But of course." The noble begins to walk out of the room, than turns around just as he reaches the door "You know what? I just remembered the actual reason I came in here. There's a ball being held tonight. My father would likely say that your presence is expected. Since it's me, I will politely request it. I can't say much for the company, but you won't regret coming for the food and the music."

"Thank you Caius, I will take you up on your offer."

"Excellent news. Lady Mirjare will be happy to hear she has a friend." Caius leaves quickly, cocky smile intact, closing the door behind him. Leaving you to your thoughts, you quickly begin to doubt your decision. You're supposed to be resisting all of this, you want to be against this, but you haven't been putting up that much of a fight of late. Are you that incapable of standing up for yourself and what you believe in? Do Trusk and the other orcs mean so little to you that you would happily align yourself to their killers?

Of course not, you tell yourself. You remind yourself that your life is contingent on obedience, or at least the appearance of it. That so long as you live, you have an ability to right this wrong. How you plan on doing that, you don't yet know, but you do seem to have a small circle of friends and allies forming around you that could help. The best way to get what you want is to give them what they want, for now. With that in mind, you turn to the chest, putting on the first thing you can reach; an embroidered, slimming robe of green and silver. Turning to the mirror again, it fits you well, even if the arms a little bit flowy for your taste. Dressed and apparently decent, you leave your room, exploring the rest of the building slowly. In part, you wish to become more familiar with the surroundings, but more importantly, you want to test the limits of both your assumed authority, and the extent others will try to put you in line. You have a few leery eyes from the various servants and workers, but none approach or speak to you directly. Perhaps you aren't as well known as you were first made to think, or perhaps they know who you are but don't say anything in fear of reprisals.

Human society is regimented, you remind yourself, and everyone here knows their place. The morning shifts to midday faster than you expected, and the preparations begin in earnest just into the afternoon. While the servants quickly move about, you see at least a few of the guests have arrived early and are wandering about aimlessly. Given that at least one of them is the gaunt fellow from yesterday, perhaps it's easier to say that they never left. Thankfully, at least, they're alone, and you aren't likely to be pushed into cold water again. From a distance, you each give cordial bows and greetings, before you move on. You return to your room, where the Lord Shallis was already waiting for you.

"Ahhh, there you are my dear." He says with a warm smile "I was beginning to think you had tried to escape, or some other foolishness"

"Where would I have to go?" You respond as you bow

"Indeed, indeed. It would seem you're beginning to learn, that this is where you belong after all. Among your own kind, in a palace, affixed with a noble title, on the arm of a gentle lord"

"I'm beginning to, your Lordship. I didn't get used to orcs overnight, I won't get used to this overnight either."

"Ha, that is well put, you have a mind greater than most would give you credit for, and please, in private you may simply call me Akatus"

"Thank you," You reply with dignity, before asking a probing question "What would you have me use my mind for?"

"Why, sharpen your characteristic rapier wit, and to better keep me company." It's as you suspected, he wants you as a thing to show off and to control, no different than the orcs, but at least you consented to them.

"Respectfully, Your Lordship, I would like to show that my mind may yet be put to greater use. With time, and trust"

"In time, indeed" He stuck his arm out, and you instinctively wrap yours around it as you depart to join the festivities "the time right now is to celebrate. Let's not worry about the trivial business about how you shall serve, and let us enjoy the evening with our dear good friends and fine food."

"Your good friends, Your Lordship" you respond dryly "I have yet to meet them, although I've seen a few of them."

"Oh don't be so technical" He responded, seemingly aloof of your implicit hostility. The more he talks, the more you get a sense he has already started the celebration with some intoxication "They are my friends, and you are to be my prize and my future wife, they will be your friends as well, if they know what's good for them." Your neck strains hard as you clench your stomach. The thought of being married to this lout sickens you. The thought of having to lay beneath someone like him night after night would be worse punishment than anything the orcs could have made you suffer.

"Yes, Your Lordship" you quietly agree as you enter the ceremonies in full. Lord Shallis spares no time in introducing you to everyone he can, taking great pride in explaining in great repetition how you were "rescued" from the "savage" orcs by his "daring" soldiers. The first two times you could manage to keep yourself together, but beyond that, the only means you had to bear the conversations was to tune them out completely, and put your mind in a different place. That place, was between two orc men. Chief Trusk and Chief Bas'gal, the last night you had with them, the last night you were really you, really free. You recall the sensations of all of your bodies, covered in sweat, rubbing against each other. Your pussy and ass reflexively contracted on nothing as you imagined being pummeled again and again.

This was all the more awkward when one of the other nobles, a woman old enough to be your mother, dares to actually speak to you, and not the Lord.

"And how are you doing, my dear?" You have to take a few seconds to remember where you are and what you were doing before answering the question.

"It's still a little disorienting Milady, clearly." As you nervously brush your fingers through your hair "It's more than just coming back to human society. This is a whole new world for me."

"Well, what do you mean by that?"

"Before I lived with the orcs, I was a simple farmgirl. I could only imagine a life like this."

"So," The woman refocused her eyes on Akatus "You mean this fine thing is a commoner. You're up to your old tricks again, aren't you?"

"With everything that she had been through, how we had failed to do our noble duty to care for our own people, surely this was the least we could do?"

His current audience didn't see it the same way "It's always curious how your noble duty always seems to focus on the young females of the world. Do what you will, Lord Shallis. She may yet be granted a title, but in the eyes of the rest of the Empire, she will always be common." The small group scatter, and Akatus is left with a cross face that softens looking at you "Don't pay them any mind, my dear. They'll see this is all for the best."

"Yes, I'm sure in time they will become fast friends." You mask your sarcasm well for the eccentric drunk "Well, at any rate, I'm sure you've had enough of an old man like me. Enjoy yourself to the degree that you can. I'm sure there are those who would prefer to talk to you by yourself, and me as well." With a dramatic flourish, you part ways, and you turn to the seat reserved for you, next to the Lord himself. Taking the physical load off your feet is a relief, but even greater still is the emotional load you take off by having a moment to yourself. Lord Shallis was correct about one thing; there were questions to be asked of you.

"Hopefully, you are not so tired of being the curiosity of the evening that you can't afford a moment to speak" The strange gaunt man from before said as he introduced himself.

"Please do, though I would like to start with a name."

"Yes of course, Lady Boudicca." He said earnestly "It's a bad habit I'm afraid. Noble society is so insular everyone already knows each other. My name is Tilso, I'm the senior justice among the members of the court."

"Is that why your eyes are so sunken in and you look like you see through a persons skin?" You ask with a slight laugh, surprised by your own brazen behavior. Tilso laughs as well.

"I know I give that impression, but it's good to see you finding yourself and not being confined by what you think the rules are. The real truth is, there are no rules amongst the nobility until and unless you prove to be a problem for the Empire."

"So, you know what Lord Shallis has done that he shouldn't have."

"More than any other soul save his sainted mother." He replies with a smile "Same with every other worm in this room."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because he's proving to be a problem."

"You said he was a man with good intentions"

"Which he is, but intentions are a poor substitute for results, and wishes are poor substitutes for plans. He has to go, and when he does, I'll have to be the one that cuts him down. I also want to make sure that you're protected from his fall"

"Tilso, you are talking open"

"Sedition? No. Not Hardly. If I wanted sedition or a coup I would just hand you a knife and tell you to handle it during his sleep. This is simply a matter of preparing evidence before the court, and convincing the others that I will be the best replacement, when the time comes."

"Very Well" You reply quietly, sternly "What do you need from me?"